To get the most out of the questions below, take the following steps:
- print out the job description and highlight key phrases
- print out your resume, cover letter, and application
- review the ways in which the position matches up with your skills, qualifications, and experiences
Review the kinds of questions interviewers ask below.
What is your fit with our organization?
- Why should I hire you?
- Why should we select you over other candidates?
- What do you know about our organization?
- Why do you want to work for this organization/in this field?
- What is it about this particular position or program that attracts you?
- In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organization?
- What criteria are you using to evaluate an organization for which you hope to work?
- Describe the relationship that you believe should exist between you and your supervisor.
- In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
- What questions do you have for us?
What are your plans and goals for your career?
- What are your long range career goals?
- When and why did you establish these goals
- How are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
- What specific goals, other than career goals, have you established for yourself?
- How would you describe your ideal job after graduation?
- What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
- What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
- In what part-time or summer jobs have you been most interested?
Where do you want to live?
- Do you have a geographical preference? Why?
- Will you relocate?
What are your personal qualities and characteristics?
- What can you tell us about yourself?
- How would you describe yourself?
- How would others describe you?
- What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?
- What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- What major problems have you encountered and how did you deal with them?
- What have you learned from your mistakes?
What are your qualifications and skills?
- What qualifications do you have that make you think you’ll be successful?
- Do you have experience working in a cross-cultural environment?
- How skilled are you in Excel? (Lynda.com offers tutorials in Excel fundamentals)
- How skilled are you in (name the other skills required by the role)?
What academic and college experiences have you had?
- How has your college experience prepared you for a career?
- What led you to choose your field of major study?
- If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why?
- Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
- What have you learned from participating in extracurricular activities?
If you would like to review or practice other typical questions, log on to
- 100 Top Interview questions (Monster.com)
- Vault.com, and link to Interview Questions under the Job Advice tab.
- Lynda.com, which offers video tutorials on acing your interview.
- Handshake and schedule a practice interview with a Piper Center Career Coach.