He'll examine your educational background and work history to determine if you have the technical qualifications the position requires. Of all the criteria he'll assess and weigh, none will be more important than your strengths and accomplishments. Your strengths establish your ability to perform the job and your accomplishments document those strengths. In addition, past performance is the best indicator of future performance.
An interviewer will also ask you questions to investigate a host of other factors, such as your level of motivation, values, attitudes, and personality. His purpose will be to learn if you're the right type of person for the job, what your potential is for promotion, and if you'll fit into the company environment.
This emphasis on an interviewer's questions and your responses to them isn't meant to diminish the important role that chemistry can play in the hiring decision. This factor often carries as much weight as an applicant's ability to perform the job, sometimes even more.
Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do to create chemistry-it's either there or it isn't. But there's a great deal you can do to prepare for your interviews, so that you'll provide the best responses possible when being evaluated by potential employers. This is the purpose of this section.
Below is a list 160 example interview questions you can expect to be asked, and you should have ready answers for them when you go on your interviews:
Questions Concerning College Experience
- Why don't you have a college degree?
- Why did you choose the college you attended?
- How well did you do in school?
- What's your most memorable experience from your college days?
- What have you done that shows initiative and motivation?
- If you had college to do all over again, what changes would you make?
- How did you happen to select your major?
- What courses did you like the most? The least?
- What were your extracurricular activities?
- How much of your education did you pay for? How?
- What did you do during the summers?
- How has college prepared you for this job (field)?
- What do you think it takes to succeed in this job (field)?
- Why do you think you II like this job (field)? Why do you think you II do well in it?
Personal Questions
- How would you describe yourself?
- What does 'success'' mean to you?
- What does "failure" mean to you?
- What do you want to accomplish in your life?
- If you didn't have to work for a living, how would you spend your time?
- What are your long-term goals? (also a work-related question)
- Have you recently established any new objectives or goals? What are they? (also work-related questions)
- What are your personal strengths?
- What are your personal weaknesses? Are you doing anything to try to correct them?
- What kind of physical condition are you in?
- What do you do to stay in good shape?
- Are you willing to take a drug test?
- Have you had any serious illnesses or injuries? What? When?
- What do people criticize about you?
- What do you criticize about others?
- What are your pet peeves?
- What are your biggest personal accomplishments? Why were you able to attain them?
- What are your biggest personal failures? Why did they occur?
- What have you done to prevent them from recurring?
- What's your best friend like? What kind of work does he do? How are you similar and dissimilar to him?
- Are you involved in any community activities? Which ones? Why these?
- How do you spend your spare time?
- What kinds of books do you read? What's the last book you read?
- What type of personality is the most difficult for you to get along with?
- What types of people have the most difficulty getting along with you?
- What do you think of me?
- What else should I know about you? (also a work-related question)
- Is there anything you don't want me to know about you? (also work-related)
- Tell me about yourself (work-related as well)
- Questions Regarding Your Work Life flow did you happen to arrange an interview with this company?
- How long have you been looking for a position?
- Why are you interviewing at this time? (Why are you looking for a job?)
- What do you know about this company?
- What other kinds of positions are you interviewing for? With which companies?
- Has anyone made you an offer yet? If so, why haven t you accepted it? If not, why not?
- What do you know about this position?
- Why do you want this position?
- What don't you like about this position?
- What do you like about this company? What don't you like about it?
- What do you want from a job? What's the most important? The least important?
- Are you a self-starter? If so, give an example.
- What motivates you? (also a personal question)
- Can you motivate other people? What techniques do you use?
- What is (was) your boss's title and what are (were) his responsibilities?
- What are your professional strengths?
- Don't you think you re overqualified for this position?
- You re overqualified for this job (have too much experience for this position). Why do you want it?
- What are your professional weaknesses? What have you done to try to improve yourself in these areas?
- You don't have the experience (background) (education) that this position requires. Why should we hire you?
- I'm concerned about your lack of...
- What are your biggest professional accomplishments? Why were you able to attain them?
- With all your accomplishments, why isn't your salary higher?
- What are your biggest professional failures? Why did they occur?
- What have you done to prevent them from recurring?
- Have you ever been fired? Why?
- What are the difficult problems you've encountered in your previous jobs? How did you solve them?
- If you could start your career all over, what changes would you make?
- Did you institute any new systems, procedures programs, or policies at your previous employers?
- Did you take any risks? If so, what were the results?
- How good are you at anticipating problems versus reacting to them? Give an example.
- Are you a creative problem-solver? Give an example.
- How do you go about making important decisions?
- What could your company (department) have done to be more successful?
- How well do you work under pressure? Under deadlines? Under close supervision? With no supervision?
- How well do you relate with superiors? With subordinates? With people at your own level?
- What kind of management philosophy do you have?
- Are you a good manager? Give an example.
- Tell me about the best boss you ever had. Tell me about the worst.
- How would you feel about having a younger man (woman) as a boss?
- How would you feel about working with an alcoholic? With a gay person? With minorities?
- Have you ever hired people? What do you look for?
- Have you ever fired people? Why? How?
- How do you rate yourself in your job?
- How much time would it take you to make a significant contribution at this company? Why that amount of time?
- How long do you plan on staying in your next position? Why that amount of time? What do you see yourself doing next?
- What kind of position do you want to have in 1 year? In 5 years?
- In 10 years? Do you think you II attain these goals? Why? How?
- How long do you plan to stay with your next employer? Why that amount of time?
- After having been with the same company for so many years, don't you think it would be difficult to adjust to another?
- After having had so many jobs in such a short period of time, why should we expect you to stay with us for any length of time?
- Do you think your career has progressed as fast as it should have?
- Why not?
- What salary are you looking for? How much do you want to be earning in 5 years? In 10 years?
- How do you feel about travel? About relocation?
- What did you like the most about your previous positions? About your previous companies?
- What did you like the least about your previous positions? About your previous companies?
- Why did you leave your previous company (companies)?
- Why should we hire you?
Additional Questions for Women
Unfortunately, women today face unique challenges in the workforce, and employers may often ask a female candidate different from questions they would ask a male one. Some of these questions are actually illegal, as set forth by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. Yet they are sometimes asked, and women should be prepared to either answer them or let the interviewer know they won’t be answering the question. Below are some examples of these questions:
- Do you plan on getting married? If so, how will this affect your career?
- Do you plan to have (more) children? If so, how will this affect your work situation?
- How do you feel about supervising men?
- How do men like working for you?
- How does your husband feel about you working?
- What would you do if your husband were transferred?
