Interview Questions

Learning Outcomes

  • Explore different question types common in interviews

For most job candidates, the burning question is, “What will I be asked?” There’s no way to anticipate every single question that may arise during an interview. It’s possible that, no matter how well prepared you are, you may get a question you just didn’t expect. But that’s okay. Do as much preparation as you can—which will build your confidence—and trust that the answers will come.

To help you reach that point of sureness and confidence, take time to review common interview questions. Think about your answers. Make notes, if that helps, then conduct a practice interview with a friend, a family member, or a colleague. Say your answers out loud. Below is a list of resources that contain common interview questions and good explanations/answers you might want to adopt.

Interview Question Resources
WEBSITE DESCRIPTION
1 100 top job interview questions—be prepared for the interview (from Monster.com) This site provides a comprehensive set of interview questions you might expect to be asked that are categorized as basic interview questions, behavioral questions, salary questions, career development questions, and other kinds. Some of the listed questions provide comprehensive answers too.
2 Interview Questions and Answers (from BigInterview) This site provides text and video answers to the following questions: tell me about yourself, describe your current position, why are you looking for a new job, what are your strengths, what is your greatest weakness, why do you want to work here, where do you see yourself in five years, why should we hire you, and do you have any questions for me.
3 Ten Tough Interview Questions and Ten Great Answers (from CollegeGrad) This site explores some of the most difficult questions you will face in job interviews. The more open-ended the question, the greater the variation among answers. Once you have become practiced in your interviewing skills, you will find that you can use almost any question as a launching pad for a particular topic or compelling story.

Common Questions

Questions to Get to Know You

At the beginning of an interview, interviewers will ask simple questions to put you at ease and get to know you. Your answers to this type of questions are important to establish your fit into the company culture. You could be asked questions like,

  • “Tell me about yourself.”
  • “What do you think are your greatest strengths?”
  • “What do you like to do in your spare time?”

Questions to Determine Your Level of Interest

These questions are designed to allow the interviewer to gauge your level of interest in the job position and company. Companies want to understand the candidate’s motivation for pursuing the position. Here are some examples of these type of questions:

  • “Why do you want to work for [company name]?”
  • “What do you know about our company?”
  • “How did you find out about the position?”

Questions about Your Experience

As the questions get more specific, the interviewer will try to learn more about the experience and accomplishments listed on your cover letter and resume.

  • “Describe your accomplishments during your last job.”
  • “What is your most memorable experience so far in your career?”
  • “What did you enjoy most in your last position?”

Questions Regarding the Future

When employers try to get candidates to reveal more about themselves, they tend to ask questions regarding the future. This can sometimes throw off a candidate who has not prepared some answers in advance.

  • “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
  • “How do you think you will contribute to this company?”
  • “What would you plan to accomplish if given this position?”

Situational Questions

Companies ask these questions to learn how a candidate thinks. The interviewer will create a hypothetical scenario and ask how the candidate would react to it.

  • “A colleague has told you in confidence that she thinks another employee is stealing. How would you handle that?”
  • “You receive a call from an irate customer complaining about the lack of good customer service with your company. What would you say to that customer?”
  • “A fellow employee is very unhappy with the changes being made to the company. He is being obstructive and unhelpful. How would you handle the situation?”

Behavioral Questions

These questions are aimed at getting the candidate to tell stories and usually begin with “Tell me about a time . . .” or “Describe a time when . . . .” Here are some examples:

  • “Describe a time when you worked in a successful team.”
  • “Tell me when you were faced with a challenge and how you overcame it.”
  • “Give me an example of how you had to use persuasion to accomplish a difficult task.”

Try It

Why Should We Hire You

From the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business Career Management Office, here is a video featuring representatives from recruiting companies offering advice for answering the question, “Why should we hire you?” As you watch, make mental notes about how you would answer the question in an interview for a job you really want.

You can view the transcript for “‘Why Should We Hire You?’ How to Answer this Interview Question” here (opens in new window).

In closing, below is the final excerpt from the essay “It’s Like Online Dating” by Jackie Vetrano. The writer compares job hunting—including résumé creation and cover-letter writing—to online dating. In this last section, she concludes with a look at the job interview and compares it to a first date.

It’s Like Online Dating

The First Date—The Job Interview

After what may feel like forever, you hear back from the love of your life. Congratulations! In the online dating world, you may chat about common interests (because you wrote a stunning first message), but in the world of work, you’ll be asked to visit the organization for an interview.

I have been on many first dates, and whether it’s in a coffee shop or over dinner, the first face-to-face meeting is tremendously important. If someone I am meeting for the first time looks like they just came from the gym or rolled out of bed, my impression instantly changes. This same theory can be directly applied to your first date with your future employer. You have worked hard on your cover letter and résumé, and you should not taint the sparkling first impression you have created with the wrong choice in dress.

What you wear to a job interview may change based on the position you have applied for, but there are a set of basic rules that everyone should follow. Similar to meeting someone on a first date for coffee, you want to be comfortable. Some interviews may take place with multiple people in an organization, meaning you will be walking to different locations, sitting down, and potentially sweating from a broken air conditioning unit. Consider these factors when choosing your outfit for your interview, and if you’re concerned about being underdressed, remember to always dress a bit nicer than how you’d dress for the job itself.

There is nothing worse than sitting alone at a coffee shop waiting for a mystery date to show up. It’s uncomfortable and affects my overall first impression of whom I’m about to meet. Avoid making your mystery employer annoyed and waiting for you by leaving at least ten minutes earlier than you need to, just in case you get stuck in traffic. Arrive at least ten minutes early. The interview will start out much better if you are early rather than nervous and running late. Arriving early also gives you the time to have some coffee and review materials you may need for the interview. Coming on time to an interview or a first date shows you respect the time of the person you plan to meet.

On a first date, it is all about communication. Sometimes, there may be silences that cannot be filled or the person I have just met discloses their entire life story to me in less than an hour. If we cannot achieve a proper balance, there will not be a second date. Communicating effectively in a job interview is equally as important, especially if you want a job offer!

All of the rules of dating apply to how you should behave in a job interview. The interviewer will ask you questions, which means that you should look at them and focus on what is being asked. Your phone should be on silent (not even on vibrate), and hidden, to show that you are fully attentive and engaged in the conversation you are having. Much like having a conversation on a date, the answers to your questions should be clear and concise and stay on topic. The stories I tell on my first dates are more personal than what would be disclosed in a job interview, but the mindset is the same. You are building the impression that the organization has of you, so put your best foot forward through the comments you make.

To make that great impression, it is really important to heavily prepare and practice, even before you have an interview scheduled. By brainstorming answers to typical interview questions in a typed document or out loud, later during the interview you will easily remember the examples of your past experiences that demonstrate why you are best for the job. You can continue to update this list as you move through different jobs, finding better examples to each question to accurately describe your hard and soft skills.

This interview is as much a date for your future employer as it is for you. Come prepared with questions that you have about the company, the position, and anything else you are curious about. This is an opportunity for you to show off the research you’ve done on the organization and establish a better understanding of company culture, values, and work ethic. Without knowing these basics of the company or organization, what you thought was a match might only end in a tense breakup.

After your interview is over, you continue to have an opportunity to build on the positive impression that you’ve worked hard to form. Sending a follow up thank you note to each person you interviewed with will show your respect for the time the organization spent with you. These notes can be written and sent by mail or emailed, but either way should have a personal touch, commenting on a topic that was discussed in the interview. While sending a thank you note after a first date may sound a little strange, you might not get asked to a second interview without one!

It’s Official—The Job Offer

In the online dating world, it takes a few dates to determine if two people are a match. In the corporate world, you may have a one or two interviews to build a relationship. If your impression was positive and the organization believes you’re a match for the open position, you’ll be offered a job.

With a job offer also comes the salary for the position. It is important to know what a reasonable salary is for the position and location, which can be answered with a bit of research. One good place to look is the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site. At this point, it is not uncommon to discuss your salary with your future employer, but be sure to do so in a polite way.

Online dating sites provide the means for millions of people to meet future partners, and the number of people who use online dating is so large that there are sure to be disappointments along the way. I have met people who I thought were compatible with me, but they did not feel the same, and vice versa. This happens frequently while searching for a job, which can be discouraging, but should not hinder you from continuing to search! There are a great number of opportunities, and sometimes all it takes is adjusting your filters or revising your résumé and cover letter. The cliché “there’s plenty of fish in the sea” may be true, but there is definitely a way for each person to start their career off.

—Jackie Vetrano, Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom

glossary

getting to know you interview questions: broad “ice-breaker” questions that are not typically focused on details of the position or company

level of interest interview questions: those meant to gauge your level of investment in the position as well as your motivations for pursuing it

experience-based interview questions: those keyed to the accomplishments and experience summarized in your cover letter and resume

forward-looking interview questions: those that inquire about your action plan for the future and how it matches the position

situational interview questions: those that propose a hypothetical workplace scenario to gauge how you would effectively respond

behavioral interview questions: those that leave you more latitude to tell a story about how you accomplished a task or solved a problem