Interview Preparation

EXAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

  • Tell me about yourself.

  • What are your strengths?

  • What are your weaknesses?

  • What kind of personality do you work best with and why?

  • Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?

  • Why are you leaving your present job? 

  • Why do you want this job?

  • What will you miss about your present/last job?

  • Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.

  • What attracted you to this company?

  • What do you know about our company?

  • What's your ideal company?   

  • Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?

  • What are you looking for in terms of career development?

  • What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?

  • What do you ultimately want to become?  

  • Why should we hire you?

  • Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.

  • What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?

  • if you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?

  • Tell me about your proudest achievement.

  • If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?

  • Give me an example of a time you gave excellent customer service.

  • What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?

  • If I were to ask your last supervisor to provide you additional training or exposure, what would s/he suggest?

  • How would you cope doing a repetitive job?

  • How do you feel spending most of your day on the phone?

  • Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.

  • Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?

  • Give examples of ideas you've had or implemented.

  • How would you describe your work style? 

  • What would be your ideal working situation?

  • What did you like least about your last job?

  • Do you have any questions for me?

  • When were you most satisfied in your job?

  • What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?

  • What salary are you seeking?

  • What's your salary history?

  • What were the responsibilities of your last position?

  • Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?

  • Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?

  • What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?

  • What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?

  • If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?

  • List five words that describe your character.

  • What is your greatest achievement outside of work?

  • What's the most difficult decision you've made in the last two years?

  • Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?

  • What are your team-player qualities? Give examples.

  • How have your educational and work experiences prepared you for this position?

  • What work experiences have been most valuable to you and why?

  • Of the hobbies and interests listed on your resume what is your favourite and tell me why?

  • What goals have you set for yourself? How are you planning to achieve them?

  • What is your most significant accomplishment to date?

  • Why do you want to work here?

  • What interests you about this job?

  • What challenges are you looking for in a position?

  • What can you contribute to this company?

  • What motivates you?

  • Describe a leadership role of yours and tell why you committed your time to it.

  • In a particular leadership role you had, what was your greatest challenge?

  • Give me an example of an idea that has come to you and what you did with it?

  • Give me an example of a problem you solved and the process you used?

  • Give me an example of the most creative project that you have worked on.

  • Tell me about a project you initiated?

  • Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities?

  • Tell me about your most difficult decision and how did you go about making it?

  • What types of situations put you under pressure, and how do you deal with pressure?

  • Where do you think your interest in this career comes from?

  • What industry besides this one are you looking into?

  • Why have you chosen this particular profession?

  • When you take on a project do you like to attack the project in a group of individually?

  • Describe the type of manager you prefer.

  • Tell me about a team project of which you are particularly proud and your contribution?

  • Describe a situation where you had to work with someone who was difficult, how did you handle it?

  • What type of work environment appeals to you most?

  • With which other companies are you interviewing?

  • What characteristics do you think are important for this position?

  • Why do you feel that this company will be a career for you rather than a job?

  • Name two management skills that you think you have?

  • What characteristics are most important in a good manager? How have you displayed one of them?