Interview Questions
Questions You Might Be Asked
There are generally five different categories of questions an interviewer may ask you. These are as follows:
General Questions
These questions focus on your background and goals and will generally fit the “we want to get to know you” sorts of questions. Examples being:
Tell me about yourself
What do you know about our organization?
Why do you want to work for this company?
Why are you right for this job?
What is your greatest achievement? Of which three accomplishments are you most proud?
What skills or ideas do you bring to a job that another candidate may not be able to offer?
What challenges are you looking for in this position?
Where do you want to be in five years?
What is your strength/weakness?
In which campus activities did you participate?
What job-related skills have you developed?
How do you think a former supervisor would describe your work?
What kind of supervisor do you prefer?
How do you organize and plan major projects?
Describe your communication style.
How do you handle competing priorities and deadlines?
Situational Questions
These focus on hypothetical future scenarios. “What would you do if…?” These test your problem-solving skills in real time.
Behavioral Questions
The underlying principle of the behavioral interview is that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. The types of questions that are asked are directed to find out how and what you did in the past and the skill sets you used in the process —if you did it before you can do it again. standardized format that different interviewers can use to compare notes among themselves and to compare one candidate with another. The questions are very specific and often start with: “Tell me about a time when. . . ?” or “Have you ever. . . ?”
Tell me about a time when you were in a leadership position.
Give me an example of a problem and how you solved it.
Tell me about a time when you have persuaded others to adopt your ideas.
Describe two specific goals you set for yourself and how successful you were in meeting them. What factors led to your success meeting your goals?
Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you fail to do? What were the repercussions? What did you learn?
Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult person.
Before an interview, it’s a good idea to prepare examples of situations in which you demonstrated various qualities, such as problem solving, risk taking, leadership and collaborating.
Technical and Skill Questions
These focus on job specifics such as knowledge, tools or software. They will address whether you have the relevant skill set to be successful in the role. For example a professor I know asks any potential technician, student (interns, graduate students) or postdoc to perform a molarity question during the interview. It clearly tests whether you will be able to make solutions on day one in her lab.
Unpredictable and Brain Teasers
These questions you cannot prepare for and they are design to see your problem solving, creative thinking and logical reasoning in real time. For the unpredictable there are no right or wrong answer so you can say anything as long as you can explain why. Some examples are:
If you could meet any person from history, who would you meet and why?
If you were a fruit, what would you be and why?
For the riddles and brain teasers you will need to concentrate. Even if you don’t figure out the answer you should think aloud and ask more questions to demonstrate your logic.
Questions You Should Ask
Always include “What is the next step in the hiring process?” or “When should I expect to hear from you or should I contact you?”
What types of assignments might I expect in the first six months on the job?
What will the first three weeks be like? Is training provided?
What do you like best about your job/company?
What products (or services) are in the development stage right now?
Do you have plans for expansion?
What characteristics do the achievers in this company seem to share?
Is there a lot of team/project work?
What are your growth expectations for the next year?
How do you feel about creativity and individuality?
In what ways is a career with your company better than one with your competitors?
What is the largest single challenge facing your staff (department) right now?
Where does this position fit into the organizational structure?
How would you describe the management style in this company/department?
Where might a person who has been in this position expect to be in five years?
