Common Interview Questions
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
- Tell me about yourself.
- What do you consider to be your greatest strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What three words would your peers use to describe you and why?
- Tell me about an important goal that you set in the past. Were you successful?
- Who or what influenced you most with regard to your career objectives?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE QUESTIONS
- Why did you choose to attend the University of Saint Katherine?
- Describe your current or most recent job, internship, or leadership experience.
- How has your education prepared you for this position?
- What makes you qualified for this position?
- Describe a project you have completed and the steps you used to complete it.
- What did you enjoy most about your last job or internship? Least?
- How would a former supervisor describe your work?
THE “POSITION” QUESTIONS
- What motivated you to apply for this position?
- Why do you want to work for our organization?
- What do you know about our company?
- How does your previous experience relate to this position?
- What is the most attractive aspect of this position? What about the least attractive?
- Describe three skills or qualities you would bring to this position.
- What significant trends do you see in this industry?
- How do you like to be supervised?
- What are you the best candidate for this position?
QUESTIONS TO ASK EMPLOYERS
- What type of training is offered to new employees?
- What is a typical day or week like?
- What are some of the challenges you think a new person in this position would face?
- What are your department goals for the coming year? What are the long-term goals?
- What are some common characteristics of successful employees?
- What is the greatest challenge facing your staff/department now?
- If hired, what types of projects might I expect during the first six months here?
- What is most engaging about the work for you? And your employees?
- What does your organization do to foster team building among employees?
- What is your favorite work event or tradition here?
- How will I be evaluated in this position?
- What are the next steps in the hiring process? When can I expect to hear from you?
- Prepare specific questions for each employer (e.g. “I’m interested in knowing more about the new product line that your company just launched.”)
