INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
What five adjectives describe you best?
Why should I consider you for this position?
Tell me about the one thing in your life you're proudest of.
What qualities do you think are necessary to make a success of this job?
Describe your ideal job.
How did you find out about this job?
What do you know about the job?
What do you know about this department?
Is there anything that will prevent you from getting to work on time?
Is there anything that will prevent you from working the job’s regular hours?
What kinds of work interest you the most?
What interests you most about this position?
NEW GRADUATE QUESTIONS
What extracurricular activities were you involved in?
What activities did you enjoy the most?
What classes did you enjoy the most? The least?
Why did you choose your major?
Why did you change majors?
If you could start again, what major would you choose?
Why are you applying for a job in a field other than your major?
What did you learn from your summer jobs?
In what courses did you get the worst grades? Why?
Are your grades a good measure of your ability?
Give me an example of a problem you've had at school and how you solved it.
How does your degree prepare you (a) for a career in [industry] or (b) to excel as a [job title]?
What qualifications do you have beyond academics that qualify you to make a successful transition into business?
PERSONAL MOTIVATION & TRAITS
How do you feel about your present workload?
What motivates you to do your best work?
How can we best help you get your job done?
Tell me about a time you went “out on a limb” to get the job done.
What are the disadvantages of this line of work?
What do you find most frustrating at work?
Tell me about a project that got you really excited.
How do you define doing a good job?
What makes a job enjoyable for you?
Under what conditions do you work best?
What is your greatest strength/weakness or deficiency?
Tell me about a work task you enjoy.
SOFTWARE/TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
What would you say are the major technical skills needed for this position?
How do you merge a file in Microsoft Word?
Describe in detail your experience with computer software programs.
Give me an example of a technical problem you had to solve. How did you implement the solution?
What software do you have experience with? How would you describe your experience level for that software?
GOALS
What are your 5-year goals?
Tell me what "success" means to you.
Do you consider yourself successful?
What does "failure" mean to you?
Do you set goals for yourself and how do you do that?
COMMUNICATION
Tell me about a work situation you had that required excellent communication skills.
Do you prefer to speak directly with someone or send a memo?
How would you grade your ability to communicate with upper level management, customers, and peers?
What was more important on your job, written or oral communication?
STRESS
Tell me about a deadline you had to meet. How much advance notice did you have?
You have worked in a fast paced environment. How did you like the environment?
What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
What is the most difficult work situation you have faced?
What types of jobs do you have the most difficulty with?
What do you do when you have a great deal of work to accomplish in a short period of time?
What do you do when you're having trouble with your job?
ORGANIZATION/TIME MANAGEMENT
Tell me about the last time you failed to complete a project on time.
What do you do when you're having trouble solving a problem?
What do you do when things are slow/hectic?
What do you do when you have multiple priorities?
How do you organize and plan for major projects?
Describe a project that required a high amount of energy over an extended period of time.
How do you organize yourself for day-to-day activities?
Tell me about a task you started but just couldn't seem to get finished.
COOPERATION WITH CO-WORKERS
What types of people have trouble getting along with you?
Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?
Do you function more effectively as a team member or as an individual contributor?
Tell me about the last time you had a conflict with a co-worker, what was the conflict and how did you resolve it?
How would your co-workers describe you?
The successful candidate for this position will be working with individuals who have been with the company for a
long time. How will you mesh with them?
What kind of person do you get along with the best?
Tell me about an occasion when, in difficult circumstances, you pulled a team together.
What do you find most challenging in working with co-workers?
Describe the most difficult customer you have dealt with. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
Describe a group project you were recently involved in. Describe your role, the purpose of the project, how you
handled differences of opinion. What was your outcome?
What do you do when you know you are right and others disagree with you?
