Interview Questions

Questions You May Be Asked in the Interview

You are likely to encounter two types of interview questions, traditional and situational. Traditional interviewing focuses on getting factual information and better understanding of the candidate's background. Situational interviewing requires the candidate to describe situations or past behaviors that demonstrate specific competencies that the employer deems necessary for success in the position or organization.

Questions about Yourself:

Tell me about yourself.
What do you consider to be one of your weaknesses? Strengths?
What have been your greatest work and non-work accomplishments during the past two years?
Describe three things that are most important to you in a job.
What qualifications do you have that indicate you will be successful in your field? How do your qualifications relate to our position? What do you have to offer?
What are your interests outside of work or school?
How would a coworker, friend, or boss describe you?
How would you describe your own work style?

Questions about Your Career Goals or Plans:

What type of position are you interested in?
What are your career objectives, both short-term and long?range?
How will employment with us contribute to your career plans? This job is a total change from your previous employment. How does it fit into your career goals?
How do you define success? What personal characteristics will contribute to your success?

Questions about School/Education:

What classes did you like most in school? Least? Why?
What are your plans for continuing your education?
Why did you choose your major?
How does your education relate to this position?
How has your education prepared you for this position?
What activities did you participate in at school?

Questions about Previous Experience:

What were the biggest pressures on you in your last job?
How did you handle them?
What have you learned from your past jobs?
How does your previous experience relate to this position?
What did you like most/least about your last job?

Questions Specific to the Company/job

Why do you want to work here?
Why do you think you'd be a good match for this position?
Why do you think you would like this type of position? Company?
What kind of boss do you like to work for?
What interests you about our product or service? How would you improve it?
What do you think would be your greatest contribution to our operation?

Situational/Behavioral Questions that Target Specific Job Skill Requirements:

Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses in school or at work that tested your coping skills. What did you do?
Tell me about an experience in which you had to speak up and tell other people what you thought or felt.
Give an example of a time when you used your fact?finding skills to gain information needed to solve a problem; tell me how you analyzed the information and came to a decision.
Give an example of an important goal you set and describe your progress in reaching that goal.
Describe the most creative project you have completed.
Discuss a situation during the past year in which you had to deal with an angry and upset customer, coworker, or classmate.
Describe a project that was difficult for you to lead. What did you do to keep the project on track?
Give an example of how you contributed toward a teamwork environment in school or on the job.
Describe the most difficult supervisor or professor you have had, and tell me how you dealt with that person.

Responding to Challenging Questions

    Questions of special concern to many candidates include technical knowledge, illegal questions, negatives in their background, salary expectations, or work accommodations for physical/emotional impairments.
    For highly technical positions, it is common for interviewers to ask the interviewee to define technical terms, write code on the spot, or evaluate/read a technical design schematic. Be prepared for this type of question. If you don't know the answer, it's better to say so than to attempt to circumvent the question.
    Illegal interview questions are most often asked inadvertently and are usually not intended to discriminate. Illegal questions most often relate to (1) age, (2) martial/family status, (3) birthplace or national origin, (4) gender, (5) religion, (6) memberships in organizations associated with a particular race, religion, or ethnic group, or (7) general inquiries for information about arrests, disabilities, or health conditions unrelated to job performance. Employer questions must be related to the job you're seeking and your ability to perform the functions of the job.

Some suggestions for handling illegal interview questions include:

Explore the meaning behind the question or its intent and respond to that. For example, "Where were you born?" Your response might be, "If you are wondering about my status, I am authorized to work in the United States." Your response to a question about marital status or young children might be, "If you are concerned about my ability to travel, let me assure you that I am prepared to make all the necessary arrangements so that I can travel the amount of time you indicated is likely in this job."
Ask about the relationship of the information to the job. For example, if asked about your place of birth, "I'm not sure what my place of birth has to do with my qualifications for this position. However, I was born in Nipsha and have developed very strong skills in adapting to new situations as a result of having been born there and studying here."
Tactfully remind the interviewer that if not related to the job, such questions are illegal or inappropriate. However, with this approach you run the risk of coming across as uncooperative or confrontational.
Answer the question to avoid confronting the interviewer and possibly hurting your chances of being hired. Example: "How do you plan to care for your children?" Response: "I have wonderful, stable child care arrangements that permit me to make a full commitment to my work."

Negatives in your background are best addressed honestly and directly using examples to demonstrate how your strengths in other areas have helped you overcome a weakness or that you have learned from that "negative" experience.

TIP! Handling Potential Negatives in Your Background

Lack of related experience - present examples from school, family experiences, hobbies or volunteer work illustrating comparable skills.
Lack of education or degree - emphasize the skills you have developed through on-the-job training or other experiences and self-taught knowledge/skills.
Poor academic performance - present examples of learning situations where you have performed well and highlight job related skills through other accomplishments.
Frequent job changes - focus on what you learned from your various jobs, especially as it might pertain to the job for which you are interviewing. Explain how this job is different and how it fits with your interests and goals.
Gap in employment - tell about what you did and learned during this period of time. If you were fired or quit a job, share what you learned from the experience.

The most appropriate time to discuss salary is when an employer makes you a job offer. You are in the "best position" to bargain after the employer has determined that you're the best person for the job. Be sure to give the employer a salary range, not a specific figure. Sometimes employers insist on asking about your salary requirements/expectations early in the interview. If this happens, consider the following strategies:

Emphasize your abilities, the match between you and the organization's needs, and your expectation that the salary will be competitive. Try postponing discussion of salary until the interviewer is prepared to make you an offer (e.g., I'd like to hold off discussion of salary until I have a fuller understanding of the nature and scope of the responsibilities of this position).
If you must give a figure, give a range that you are comfortable with, based on your research.
Try to get the employer to mention a salary figure first by turning the question back to him/her. Remind the employer of the skills you'll bring to the position and note that salary is negotiable. Ask what he or she had in mind in terms of salary.

A disability that requires an accommodation should be discussed at the interview, before a job offer is extended. After fully highlighting your skills and determining you are qualified for the job, begin discussing your needs in a positive way. An example of a request for accommodation might be handled in this way: I am hearing impaired. I read lips, so I can effectively communicate face-to-face with coworkers and clients. To allow me to communicate with customers and coworkers outside the office, there are two pieces of essential equipment I need a portable telephone amplifier and a tactile pager, a vibrating beeper. Are you aware that the federal government allows a tax deduction for the purchase of this type of device? Does this present any problem?