- "Tell me about your education after graduating from high school"
- "How did you happen to go to college?"
- "When did you choose your college major?"
- "Have you ever changed your major interest in college? Why?"
- "What courses did you like best? Which least? Why?"
- "Do you feel you've done the best scholastic work you're capable of?"
- "What percentage of your college expenses did you earn? How?"
- ''What extracurricular activities did you participate in? What offices did you hold?"
- "What were your grades in college? Were they average, above average, or below average?"
- "What were your scores on your Scholastic Aptitude Tests?"
Subject dislikes will provide clues about your limitations. If, for example, you state that you dislike mathematics, the interviewer may interpret that to mean that you either have little aptitude for math or that you failed to study hard enough to awaken your interest in it. If you indicate a dislike for any subject, you will be asked, "Why?" If the subject is closely related to the requirements of the job, then you must be prepared to deal with it effectively. You might, for example, reveal the progress you've made in that subject since college. You can describe your on-the-job proficiency or your self-study progress or any additional training or education that you've had in the subject. If you haven't done anything to improve or overcome your past deficiencies, you should be able to describe the future efforts you plan to make in that area. If you've thinking of taking a course at a nearby college or of attending seminars, say so.
If the question of grades comes up, you should be prepared to identify the major factors responsible for your grade level, be it high or low. If you earned high grades, the interviewer will probably conclude that you have both intellect and motivation. If you earned only average grades, the interviewer will try to determine one of two possibilities. The first possibility is that you're bright but didn't apply yourself; so you only worked hard, enough to get by. The second possibility is that you're not too bright; so you worked hard and did the best you could. The second case is more favorable then the first in terms of motivation and hard work; however, the first case is more favorable in terms of intellect. Your answer should indicate that you possessed more intellect than motivation. If you had it to do over again, you would definitely do better, because you'd be more motivated. A lack of motivation is easier to explain than a lack of intellect. Therefore, pin the rap on motivation, and let your intellect come shining through. If you received poor grades, you may have worked hard but were unable to come up with anything better. Or the school may have been very tough, and you were simply in over your head. Whatever the reason, your answer should stress the fact that since college, you have continued to improve your knowledge and ability and that in nonacademic ways, you have been successful.
What you lack in intellectual ability is more than offset by hard work and dedication. You should demonstrate a willingness to dig into problems and stay with them until they are solved. In short, you want to get across to the interviewer that your work habits and life experiences more than compensate for your academic record.
If you've asked about the scores from your high school Scholastic Aptitude Tests, then you should be prepared to discuss the results. Again, if your scores were high, you'll encounter no problem. If they were low on either the verbal ability portion or the numerical portion, then be prepared to defend the low scores with whatever reason you feel comfortable with. Perhaps you were sick that day, or you froze up during the tests. College interviewers will generally ask about SATs. Your SAT scores help them further evaluate your intelligence and aptitude. Anyone out of school for two or three years will most likely not be asked about SATs.
