Sample Interview Questions

When you are preparing to meet with a prospective employer, it's a good strategy to review some sample interview questions as part of the process. Understanding the kinds of questions that you will be asked and planning how you will answer them will make you feel a bit more comfortable when you sit down for the actual interview.

Preparation is key to a good interview.

Here are some sample interview questions that may come up in a job interview that give the interviewer some general information about you:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why did you choose to major in [area of study] or take [name of program]?
• Why are you looking for work right now?
• Do you do your best work independently, or working as part of a team?
• Can you describe your greatest strength and/or weakness?
• Can you give me an example of a work issue that you successfully dealt with? What happened?
• Can you give me an example of a stressful situation and how you handled it?
• What motivates you to perform at your best?
• If you didn't like your job, how would you deal with the situation?

• Why did you apply for this position?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• Are you willing to travel or relocate, if necessary, for your work? What geographic locations would you prefer?
• Is shift work a problem for you?
• Are you willing to work evenings/weekends/holidays if required?
• What skills do you have that you feel would make you a good match?
• How do you think you can help the company reach its goals?
• What skills/abilities/character traits make you the best person for this job?
• What do you expect from your boss or supervisor when you are on the job?
• What can your boss or supervisor expect from you if you are hired?
• When would you be available to start if you were hired?

• Are you prepared to commit to this position for a long time?
• What are you prepared to do to reach your career goals?
• What will you do if you don't get hired for this opportunity?

An interview is meant to be a give-and-take situation. On one hand, you are trying to show the interviewer that you are the best candidate for the position, but you also want to get an idea of whether this company and opportunity are a good fit for you as well. When you are preparing to sit down with a prospective employer, take the time to come up with some sample interview questions to ask as well. Here are some examples to get you started:

• What would a typical day be like on the job in this position or department?
• What do you expect from new hires in the first three months? Six months? Twelve months?
• Does the management of this company prefer to promote from within?
• Who would my immediate supervisor be?
• How often does the company conduct performance reviews?
• Has the company tried to fill this position internally?
• Why has this position opened up?
• How many people have held this position in the past couple of years?
• When can I expect to hear back from you about my application status?

The purpose of your questions is to find out whether your personality and work style would be a good fit for the company. This is not the point to be asking questions about salary, benefits, vacation entitlement, or sick leave. The time to discuss these particulars is when the employer is ready to make you an offer of employment. Then you can work out these important details.

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