Job Recruiting

Common Job Interview Questions

Posted in Interview Questions

Achievement

1. Do you have accomplishments you are proud of?
2. Do you have initiative?
3. Do you enjoy working on difficult projects?
4. Tell me about accomplishments of which you are the most proud.
5. Tell me what initiatives have you undertaken recently?
6. What kinds of risks do you face when implementing a new initiative?
7. Do you work to achieve your objectives? If so, describe how hard.
8. How important are promotions and advancement to you?
9. How do you determine if you are successful?
10. What motivates you?

Education

1. Tell me about your educational background.
2. Do you have any plans to continue your education?
3. Do you have plans for additional education?
4. How did college prepare you for this position?
5. How has your education prepared you for this career?
6. How did you choose your field of study?
7. What relevant training have you received?
8. Do you have plans for furthering your education?

Skills

1. What are the responsibilities of your position?
2. What are your major responsibilities?
3. What experience do you have for this job?
4. What experience do you have?
5. Describe your current job for me.
6. What kind of projects using leadership skills have you done?
7. Describe your experience working with difficult people.
8. Describe a mistake you made. What have you learned from that mistake?
9. What are there reasons I should hire you over another candidate?
10. What are your specific strengths and weaknesses?

Behavior

1. Describe a complex problem you solved.
2. Describe projects you have been involved in the last few years.
3. Describe techniques you've used with great success in your field. Have you ever managed people in the positions you've held?
4. Describe a work situation in which you were not proud of your performance. What did you learn from this mistake?
5. Describe an important goal you have set and tell me how you reached it.
6. Describe how you have been able to apply something you learned from your degree program to a real-life or work-related situation.
7. Describe a project in which you failed? What did you learn from this?
8. Describe a situation in which you asked for advice?
9. Describe a situation in which you asked for help?
10. Describe a situation in which it took several tries or approaches before you were able to figure out what was going on.

Goals

1. What are goals you would like to accomplish in this profession?
2. How did you reach goals you have set so far?
3. What kinds of career goals have you set?  
4. How did your accomplishments in last job relate to the goals of your company?
5. How do you accomplish your most important goals?
6. How do you set important goals for yourself?
7. How have your goals changed since you finished school?
8. What are your short-term career (1 year) goals?
9. What are your long-term career (3 years) goals?
10. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Creativity

1. Are you creative?
2. Did you implement any new procedures in any of the positions you've held?
3. What are some innovations you're particularly proud of?
4. What are some of the most creative things you have done?
5. What is the most creative thing you did on your last job?
6. What new products are we working on now?
7. What was your most creative idea?
8. Would you prefer routine or creative work? Why?
9. What suggestions do you have for our organization?
10. Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a challenge your company/class/organization was facing.

Describe Yourself

1. Describe the ideal employee for you.
2. Describe yourself.
3. How would one of your friends describe you?
4. What would your former employers say about you?
5. How do you think your co-workers would describe you?
6. How do you think your friends would describe you?
7. How would a close professor describe you?
8. How do you think your family would describe you?

Interest

1. Are you looking for a permanent job?
2. What are you really interested in this job?
3. Describe the perfect job for you.
4.  What are your hobbies?
5. What are your interests?
6. What do you do with your spare time?
7. What are the most important things a job can offer you?
8. What factors are important to you in a job?

Leadership

1. What is for you a leader? Give some examples.
2. What qualities make the best manager?
3. What qualities should a successful manager possess?
4. As a department manager, how would you establish staff collaboration?
5. How many people are you comfortable supervising?
6. What techniques do you use to motivate people? 
7. Explain to me about an experience where you had to manage people conflicts at work. 
8. Can you work with direct supervision?
9. How do you supervise your staff?
10. What are the qualities that are most important to a manager?

Compensation and Wage

1. Do you feel that money is the most important aspect of a job?
2. What are your needs for salary?
3. What benefits are you looking for?
4. What is your current salary range?
5. Would you select a job primarily on the money or benefits?
6. What salary do you expect?
7. What salary were you thinking of for this position?
8. What benefits are you looking for?

Cooperation

1. How would you handle an angry customer?
2. How would you handle an angry employee?
3. How would you describe your character?
4. If you could change one thing about your personality, what would it be?
5. How do you deal with interpersonal conflict?
6. How do you resolve conflicts?
7. What kinds of people do you have problems working with?
8. What kinds of people do you like working with?
9. Which person has had the most influence on your life?
10. How do you influence someone to agree with your ideas?

Motivation

1. Are you competitive?
2. What in your life has given you the most satisfaction?
3. What is your biggest professional challenge?
4. What rewards do you expect from your career?
5. Which would you prefer: excellent pay or job satisfaction?
6. Why did you select the major that you did?
7. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
8. What will it take to maintain your motivation?

Career Development

1. How do you feel about your career progress?
2. How has your job prepared you to take on greater responsibility?
3. How would you determine progress in a good company?
4. What kind of responsibilities would you like to see added to those you have in your next job?
5. If your job description was changed, how would you respond?
6. Are you willing and able to relocate?
7. Are you willing and able to travel?
8. Do you like to travel on the job?
9. What constraints do you have about relocation?
10. What geographic location would you prefer?

Problem Solving

1. Describe a difficult problem you solved.
2. What difficult decisions have you made?
3. Describe a time you had to make a quick decision.
4. Describe how you solve difficult problems.
5. Describe the most common problems you encounter at your (previous/current) job.

1. What do you do when you have difficulty solving a problem? 
2. How do you make important decisions?
3. How do you solve problems?
4. What plan of action do you take when facing a problem?
5. What major problem have you encountered and how did you handle it?

Work Environment

1. Do you have experience working under strict time limits?
2. Do you work well in pressure situations?
3. Do you work well under pressure?
4. Have you any experience working to meet deadlines?
5. Have you ever worked in a place where it seemed to be just one crisis after another?
6. How do you deal with stress on the job?
7. How do you work under pressure?
8. How well do you work under a deadline?

Adaptation

1. How do you deal with change?
2. How do you handle change?
3. What do you do when starting a new job?
4. What can you do to help adjust to a new job?
5. How have you handled difficult changes in your working situation in the past?
6. What major problem have you encountered and how did you handle it?
7. Why would you like change your current working conditions?
8. How have you handled difficult changes?

Time Management

1. How do you plan your day?
2. How do you plan your week?
3. How do you determine your priorities?
4. Are you a very organized person?
5. How do you organize your time?