50 Interview QuestionsRevised Jan 10, 2011

1. Tell me about yourselfBrief work historyEducationList 4-5 CharacteristicsHobbies

2. Why did you leave your last job?““I haven’t left; I’m still employed”“The school year ended, my job was seasonal”.If fired – give reason why and what you did to fix

it.“The Business closed”.

3. What experience do you have in this field?If you don’t have specific experience in the field,

then you can make generalized statements:People related skills: “I have experience working

as a team member”.Experience operating a cash register: “I have

experience using a cash register”.Organizational skills: “I have experience

organizing incoming shipments”.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?“Yes, particularly in the area of __________________”“I have continued to work had in school and will

be getting my diploma _______________”.

5. What do co-workers say about you?Give 3-5 positive statements“Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always

said I was the hardest worker she had ever know.” It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this Organization?You should research the company prior to your

interview and be able to answer basic questions, such as:

Who owns it?What is there?Type of business?

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge this past year?

Going to school (where)Job training (Wright Tech)“I Participated in Work Skills Day, an activity day

focused on job training”Volunteer (if job related)

8. Are you applying for any other positions?“Yes, although I am extremely interested in this

position”.“No, this is the only position I am applying for”.“Yes; I need to be employed but this job would be

my preference”.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?“This just seems like a friendly environment to

work”People skills“I’ve been a customer here for many years and I

trust the product/service here”.

10. Do you know anyone who works here?“I know who some of the people are who work

here but they are just acquaintances”.“Yes, I know _______________”.“No, I do not know anyone who works here”.

11. What kind of salary do you need?“I’m am open to negotiating”“I don’t have a specific amount, though the salary

range for this positions fits my needs.”

12. Are you a team player?“Yes, I enjoy working as a team member”.

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?Specifics here are not good. “I’d like it to be a long time”.“I would like to stay with the company as long as

we both feel I’m doing a good job”.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?

You want them to know you will do what is good for the company. It is not the same as laying someone off.

“Yes, I did have to fire someone. It was not pleasant but it was necessary for the company”.

“No, I have never had to fire anyone but I would be able to do it if it was a required part of my job”.

15. What is your philosophy towards work?“I like to get the job done, and keep high

standards in my work”.Be short and positive, showing a benefit to the

company.

16. If you had enough money to retire right now would you?“I would like to retire someday, but for now I need

to work to keep me busy”.“I enjoy working, and this is the type of work I

prefer”.

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?Be honest – they will be able to find out if you are

not telling the truth“No, I have never been asked to leave a position.”“Yes, I was asked to leave my position at …. I

learned from the experience by …. (provide an explanation of what you learned from the experience, and why it is no longer an issue).

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization.You should be anxious for this question! It gives you a chance to highlight your best points

as they relate to the position being discussed.“I can be a positive role model for others with my

…. Positive attitude … leadership abilities …. etc.

19. Why should we hire you?Point out how your skills meet the skills needed

for the job.“I have great cashiering skills”“I work well in a teaming situation” “I have exceeded production goals”

20. Tell me about a suggestions you have made.If you have one, use a suggestion that was

accepted and was considered successful. If you don’t have a work-related suggestion, is

there one you have from another environment?“I suggested we vary our break times to make our

services better for customers”“I suggested we close the storage room door to

save heating costs in the winter”

21. What irritates you about co-workers?This is a trap question!Think real hard, but fail to come up with anything

that irritates you.“I seem to get along with most people, so I can’t

really think of anything”I’m a pretty tolerant person, so not much irritates

me”

22. What is your greatest strength?Stay positive!“My ability to prioritize”“I have great problem solving skills”“I work well under pressure”“I focus on what needs to be done”“I have a great attitude and I love to work”

23. Tell me about your dream jobStay away from a specific job – you cannot win!You don’t want to make it look like the job you’re

interviewing for is your dream job (you’ll sound insincere), and you don’t want to mention another job because they’ll think you won’t stick with the job they hire you for!

“A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can’t wait to get to work”

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?Give several reasonsInclude skills, experience and interests“I worked on a cleaning crew and enjoyed doing a

thorough job”.“I learned how to perform simple auto

maintenance at Wright Technical Center and I am very efficient.”

25. What are you looking for in a job? (similar to #23)“A job where I love to work”“A job where I like the people I work with”“A job with a friendly environment where I can

work as a team.”

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?Do not mention minor things – it will make you

look like a whiner or someone who doesn’t get along well with others!

“A violent person or one who tries to intimidate others”

“Someone who is disloyal to the company or doing something illegal on the job”

27. What is more important to you: the money or the work?“Money is always important, but the work is the

most important.”

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?“I am very loyal to my employer”“I have a lot of energy and I use it in a positive

way”“I have a positive attitude”“I have great leadership skills”“I’m a team player”“I am have initiative”“I work very hard”

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisorBe careful – this is the biggest trap of all!This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your

boss an will label you as a troublemaker!“I don’t recall any problems with a supervisor”

30. What has disappointed you about a job?Don’t be negative with this question!“There was not enough of a challenge for me”“I was laid off due to a slow-down”“The Company lost a big contract, so I was not

able to advance in the company and get more responsibilities”

31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.“I thrive under deadlines”“I work best when I know I have a short time to

get the job done”“I like to be challenged”Give an example that relates to the type of

position applied for

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?“My skills match this job more closely”Give examples if you canDo not give them reason to suspect that you may

want another job more than this one.

33. What motivates you to do your best on the job?This is a personal trait that only you can say, but

here are some examples:“Challenges motivate me”“I am motivated when I can achieve something”“Recognition motivates me”

34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?This is up to you. If it’s not a problem, a simple

“Yes, that would not be a issue” will suffice.Be totally honest, but know that if you say no, you

may not be hired if this is a requirement of the job.

If you wouldn’t want to do it on a regular basis but would help out in a pinch, you could say something like this:

“I could be available for overtime or be flexible with my schedule on occasion or in case of an emergency, but not on a regular basis.”

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?“I set high standards for myself; when I meet

them, I know I am successful”“My outcomes on the job were my success” (Give

an example if possible)“My boss told me I was successful”

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?You should discuss this with your family prior to

the interview if you think it will come up. Do not say “yes” just to get the job if the real

answer is no.Be honest!

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?This is a straight loyal and dedication question Do not worry about what’s right or what your

values are.Just say “yes”

38. Describe your management styleThis is about how you manage other people.The best answer is probably situational;“I manage according to the situation”

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?You need to come up with something or they will

think you’re not honest. Think of a small mistake you made with good

intentions.Tell them something positive that you learned.“I worked too far ahead of my co-workers on a

project and threw off the coordination.”

40. Do you have any blind spots?This is a trick question!If you know you have blind spots, then they are

not really blind spots!Do not reveal any personal areas of concern.Let them do their own discovery of your bad

points – do not hand it to them.“I don’t have any blind spots that I am aware of”

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?

Mention traits that are NEEDED AND that YOU have!

42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?Regardless of your qualifications, say “I am very

well qualified for this position.”

43. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?If you have experience that the interviewer does

not have, then bring that up:“I do have experience in …”Point out (if true) that you are a hard working,

quick learner:“I am a hard worker and can learn the skills

quickly”

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?Be positive and generic“I prefer a boss who is knowledgeable and has a

sense of humor”“I like my boss to be fair, loyal to subordinates and

have high standards”

45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others.Pick a specific incidentConcentrate on your problem solving technique

and not the dispute settled.