An interview is much like a final examination. You are not prepared for this experience unless you have anticipated the questions. If you know the questions, you can prepare the appropriate responses. Listed below are typical interview questions. Write out responses for these questions. Written responses will force you to organize your thoughts and allow you to critique your replies.

The interview questions are divided into two groups: behavioral and traditional.

Behavorial Style Interview Questions

• Give me an example of a time when you have had to deal with a difficult student/professor/customer/neighbor. What happened? What did you do?
• When you have a multitude of things to do, how do you set your schedule?
• Tell me about something that you have done that was creative.
• Tell me about a time when you had to make a quick decision that you were proud of.
• Give me an example of an important goal you set and explain how you achieved it.
• Describe a time when you had to roll with the punches.
• Tell me about a job/task that was boring. How did you deal with it?
• Give me an example of a time when you found a clever way of motivating a friend/student/employee.
• Tell me about a major obstacle that you encountered in your last job/class and how you handled it.
• Give me an example of a mis-communication with a professor/student/friend. How did you solve it?
• Tell me about a time when a change of policy or a changed decision made your work difficult. What did you do?
• Tell me about a time when you had to communicate unpleasant information to a friend/employee/professor. What happened?
• Give me an example of a time when you had to make a decision without consulting your boss. What did you do?
• Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision when you had too little information to easily arrive at a decision. What happened?
• What type of things make you angry? How have you dealt with them?
• You have explained that you are decisive and able to cope with most situations. Now tell me about a time when you had a problem you couldn't solve.
• Tell me about a time when you had to change procedures to solve a problem. What did you do?
• Tell me about a time when you made a decision when no policy existed to cover the situation. Explain.

These questions always seek to identify past experiences. To determine which questions to ask, the recruiter first identifies those skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the job.

The philosophy behind this style of interview is that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. This has become a very popular and widely used interview style. Expect more and more recruiters to use this style of interview. This style of interviewing may also be referred to as the STAR method: S ituation or T ask, A ction you took, R esults you achieved.

To prepare for a behavioral interview, evaluate the position. List the skills and abilities needed for the job. Select the five most important. Then think of three examples that show how you have used each of those five skills or abilities well. For each example, provide a description of the situation, the people involved, tell what happened, and explain the result. That means that you should have 15 'short stories' about how you have used your special skills. At the same time, think of one example when you didn't use those skills well. That is five more stories. Take time to determine what you learned about yourself from that negative experience. Well-trained recruiters will look for these negative experience, or what they call 'contrary evidence,' to create a balanced picture of a candidate.

Recruiters who use this style are trained to be patient. Even though these are difficult questions, they will wait until you have given an answer before they move on to another question. It's O.K. to take a few moments to think before answering. If you are not prepared, the silence before your answer may seem like an eternity. As you anticipate the questions and prepare your 'stories,' there will be less silent time.

Listed below are sample questions which are frequently asked in behavioral interviews. After evaluating the position for which you are applying, attempt to create your own behavioral questions based on these ideas.

Traditional Style Interview Questions

Recruiters who are not yet using the behavioral style interview process generally use the traditional style. The recruiter will ask about your educational background, past work experience, extra-curricular activities, and outside interests and activities.

Almost all interview questions asked in the traditional style can be boiled down to their bare essence. When that is done, most questions give the recruiter in depth information about 1) CAN you do the job? 2) WILL you do the job? And 3) Do you FIT into my organization? They are therefore, CAN, WILL, or FIT questions.

A list of typical questions follows. They have been grouped by their essence group. It would be wise to write out your responses to these questions.

CAN type questions:

1. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
2. How has your education prepared you for a career?
3. Why should I hire you?
4. What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in your job?
5. What relationship should exist between a supervisor and subordinate?
6. Describe your most rewarding educational experience.
7. Why did you select your college or university?
8. What led you to choose your field of major study?
9. What college subjects did you like best? Why?
10. What college subjects did you like least? Why?
11. If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently and why?
12. What changes would you make in your college or university? Why?
13. Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
14. Do you think that your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?
15. What have you learned from participation in extra-curricular activities?
16. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
17. What have you learned from your mistakes?

WILL type questions:

1. What are your long-range (5, 10, 15 years) and short-range (1-4 years) goals and objectives? When and why did you establish these and how are you preparing to achieve them?
2. How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
3. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
4. What do you think it takes to be successful in an employment situation like ours?
5. What contributions can you make to our operation?
6. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
7. Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?

FIT type questions:

1. What rewards do you expect in your career?
2. What do you expect to be earning in five years?
3. Why did you choose your career?
4. Which is more important to you: money or type of job?
5. How would you describe yourself?
6. How do you think a friend or professor would describe you?
7. How do you determine or evaluate success?
8. What qualities should a successful manager possess?
9. If you were hiring someone for this position, what qualities would you look for?
10. In what kind of a work environment are you most comfortable?
11. How do you work under pressure?
12. In what part-time or summer jobs have you been most interested? Why?
13. How would you describe the ideal job for you following graduation?
14. Why did you decide to seek a position with us?
15. What do you know about our company?
16. What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
17. What size company are you looking for? Why?
18. What criteria are you using to evaluate the employer for whom you hope to work?
19. Do you have a geographical preference? Why?
20. Will you relocate? Does relocation bother you?
21. Are you willing to travel?
22. Why do think you might like to live in the community in which our office is located?

Recruiters who are not yet using the behavioral interview process use the traditional style. Generally, the recruiter will ask about your educational background, past work experience, extra-curricular activities, and outside interests and activities.

Information used by permission from Indiana University-Southeast.  

During the interview it is common for the recruiter to ask if YOU have any questions. You must be prepared to ask questions. Always go to the interview with at least five questions. When you have no questions to ask, you appear to have little interest in the position or the employer. The list below may give you some ideas of questions to ask.

1. What are the opportunities for personal growth?
2. What is the realistic time frame for advancement?
3. How is an employee evaluated and promoted?
4. How long do people usually spend in this position?
5. Describe the typical first-year on the job.
6. What training programs are available?
7. What are the challenging facets of the job?
8. What are the company's plans for future growth?
9. How has this company fared during the most recent recession?
10. What makes your firm different from its competitors?
11. What are the company's strengths and weaknesses?
12. How would you describe your company's personality and management style?
13. Is it company policy to promote from within? Have your top managers come from within?
14. What kind of career opportunities are currently available for persons with my degree and skill levels?
15. Describe the work environment.
16. What is the structure of the department in which I would be working?
17. Why do you enjoy working for your firm?
18. What qualities are you looking for in your new hires?
19. What characteristics do successful people have at your company?

Information used by permission from Indiana University-Southeast. 

1. Know little or nothing about the employer.
2. Have a negative attitude.
3. Have poor communication skills.
4. Use rambling answers that don't address the question.
5. Display inappropriate behavior (e.g., smoking, chewing gum, tapping your foot).
6. Fail to make eye contact.
7. Fail to ask questions.
8. Dress inappropriately.
9. Be passive; don't sell yourself.
10. Show up late to the interview.
11. Lack proper career planning; have ill-defined goals and purposes.
12. Appear bored with the organization or the industry.
13. Show no enthusiasm and be indifferent.
14. Be overbearing, over aggressive or conceited.
15. Be interested only in the best dollar offer.

Information used by permission from Indiana University-Southeast.

Many recruiters use a candidate evaluation system with categories similar to the ones shown below. Candidates for positions should always attempt to make positive impressions. Read the information within each area and attempt to create the best possible impression by tailoring your interview style to highlight these special areas.

Appearance: Grooming, posture, dress, bearing, manners, neatness.

Preparation: Knowledge of company and positions. Asked pertinent questions.

Verbal Skills: Delivery and animation, presentation of ideas, grammar, vocabulary.

Direction: Well-defined goals, confidence in abilities, realistic, practical.

Maturity: Responsible, self-reliant, decisive.

Sincerity: Genuine, wholesome attitude, honest, sincere.

Personality: Enthusiastic, motivated, assertive.

Qualifications/Course Work: Academic preparation, work experience, good match for position.

Overall Evaluation: Long-range potential, drive, ambition, ability, qualifications.

Information used by permission from Indiana University-Southeast. 

Informational interviewing is a networking technique that is beneficial when you are a college student starting a new career or a professional thinking about a job or career change. Informational interviewing is an excellent way to explore careers and determine what’s right for you.

Once you’ve identified someone you’d like to interview, decide whether to ask to conduct the interview over the phone, through e-mail or in person. Face-to-face interviews are by far the most valuable and effective. Ask for 20-30 minutes of your prospective interviewee’s time.

• Before going to the informational interview, research the company. This will enhance the quality of informational interviews.
• Decide if and how you will record information, such as on a small notepad or tape recorder. (Be sure to obtain your interviewee’s permission before you tape.)
• Dress for success—dress the same way you would for a job interview
• Update and take your resume. The interviewee may ask for a copy. You may even consider asking the interviewee to take a look at your resume to see if he or she can offer any suggestions for making the resume a more effective tool for obtaining a job in this field or company.
• Prepare a list of questions.
• Do not, repeat DO NOT go into the interview with any thought that this is a job interview. You are there to glean information ONLY. If the interviewee shows interest in you as a job candidate, do, of course, be receptive if you’re interested.
• Arrive on time for the interview and greet your interviewee with a moderately firm handshake and an enthusiastic smile.
• Listen keenly and absorb your surroundings. Project enthusiasm and show your personality.
• Do end the interview when you promised to (though sometimes the interviewee will want to keep talking).
• Ask for the interviewee’s business card and ask if you can stay in touch.
• Thank the interviewee (and do so again later in writing).

Information used by permission fromIndiana University-Southeast