Questions an Interviewer Might Ask You

As always, practice makes perfect. Look at the following list of questions and answer them aloud. This exercise will lessen the chances that you'll be caught off guard in an actual interview.

1. Tell me about yourself.
   
   
2. What is your grade point average?
   
   
   
   
3. What is your major?
   
   
4. What courses do you enjoy in college?
   
   
5. What courses don't you enjoy?
   
   
6. What do you know about our organization?
   
   
7. What can you do for us? Why should we hire you?
   
   
8. What qualifications do you have that make you feel you will be successful in your field?
   
   
9. How did you hear about this position?
   
   
10. What types of jobs have you had in the past?
    
    
11. What have you learned from the jobs you've held?
    
    
12. Have you participated in any volunteer or community work?
    
    
13. How do you feel about routine work?
    
    
14. What are your future vocational plans?
    
    
15. If you could write your own ticket, what would be your dream job?
    
    
16. Are you willing to travel?
    
    
17. What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work?
    
    
18. Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?
    
    
19. Do you hold any positions of leadership at school?
    
    
20. What are your special skills, and where did you acquire them?
    
    
21. Have you had any special accomplishments in your lifetime that you are particularly proud of?
    
    
22. Why did you leave your most recent job?
    
    
23. Do you have any geographical restrictions or preferences?
    
    
24. How do you spend your spare time? What are your hobbies?
    
    
25. What percentage of your college expenses did you earn? How?
    
    
26. What do you consider your strengths? Your weaknesses?
    
    
27. What books have you read recently?
    
    
28. If you were fired from a previous job, what was the reason?
    
    
29. Discuss five major accomplishments.
    
    
30. When can you start work?
    
    
31. When can you visit our headquarters for further interviews?
    
    
32. What kind of boss would you like?
    
    
33. If you could spend a day with someone you've known or known of, who would it be?
    
    
34. What personality characteristics seem to rub you the wrong way?
    
    
35. Define cooperation.
    
    
36. How do you show your anger? What type of things make you angry?
    
    
37. What activities have you ever quit?
    
    
38. Have you ever experienced discrimination yourself?
    
    
39. What does "9 to 5" mean to you?
    
    
40. With what type of person do you spend the majority of your time?
    

Identifying Your Interests

As several of the above sample questions indicate, many employers will ask you how you spend your spare time. Although this information may not seem directly relevant to a particular job, it can give the employer additional insight into your personality and your preferences.

Take time to identify your interests before going to an interview. Below, list the five interests or hobbies that you pursue most frequently and briefly describe your participation. Your answers may range from sports activities to volunteer work to club memberships. In an actual interview, you may wish to avoid mentioning any political or religious affiliations that could count against you. Use your best judgment in making that decision.

Illegal Interview Questions

There are some things an interviewer shouldn't ask, usually information of a personal nature; however, it is not uncommon to be asked an illegal question. Usually interviewers ask one of these questions not out of malice but out of simple ignorance - they are unaware of the law. Although laws vary from state to state, companies should not ask questions or make comments about your sex, marital status, race, color, religion, housing, physical data, or handicaps.

A smart job hunter is aware of the questions that he or she is not obligated to answer and knows the options when responding. Basically, you have three choices when confronted with an illegal question.

1. Answer the question and ignore the fact that it is not legal.
   
   
2. Ask, "I wonder why you would ask that question?" Then, upon hearing the interviewer's response, decide whether or not to answer.
   
   
3. Contact the nearest Equal Employment Office. Be aware, however, that although you may have a legitimate claim, it is difficult to prove you have been the victim of discrimination. Hence, this may not be your best option.
   

Whichever option you choose, pause to consider whether you'd like to work for an employer who is so interested in your personal life. (After you are hired, of course, your company may need personal information such as your marital status and the names and ages of your children for insurance purposes.)

Seemingly illegal questions are legitimate if they are related to genuine job requirements. For example, it is perfectly acceptable for a shipping company to inquire into your physical stature if your job would require heavy lifting. It would also be appropriate for a company to ask your age if the position required the handling of liquor.