Interview Prep Common Questions

Self-Assessment

Interview Preparation

1) In what areas do you feel confident in while interviewing?

Example: Making conversation before and after interviews. Good presence with eye contact and body language. Knowledge in your field/about the position. Confidence in past experience.

2) In what areas do you want to work on? How do you plan on improving?

Example: Field specific vocabulary

Body language that communicates confidence and openness

Preparing for the interview by practicing common questions and reviewing your application documents

A)

B)

C)

a. How you plan on improving: _

a. How you plan on improving: _

a. How you plan on improving: _

Preparation

Insight and practice on some of the most common interview questions:

1) Tell me about yourself.

a. This question is typically the first question asked and can feel vague with you wondering what direction to take it. A few things to think about including are a brief summary of your professional history and some of the skills you have gained/how that position has helped you grow, what you have been up to presently, briefly some goals or things you are excited about, and finally give a small snippet into you as a person. This could be a one sentence at the end of your answer: “And in my free time you can find me enjoying time outside with my dog and friends.”

Give it a try:

2) Why should we hire you?

a. The interviewer wants to hear something that stands out. What is something about you that is not on your resume that will bring new information to who you are as a candidate and make them excited to hire you? Maybe you draw extra attention to something on your resume that is special to you as a candidate that your confident other applicants may not have. Finally – avoid comparing yourself to other applicants that you don’t have information on. Saying your better than other applicants because of x, y, or z may not be accurate.

Give it a try:

3) What are your strengths? What is your weakness?

a. Strengths: Best to give 2-3 strengths here. Tailor these strengths to the job to really help them see how you would benefit their company Deliver these strengths from a note taker’s perspective. Give one strength and then some context/example how you have exercised it, and then the second strength and some context, etc. This way their notes are organized and easy to read back on when reviewing all their interviewees.

b. Weakness: Give only 1 and make it a true weakness that you have but that is not a deal breaker. Tailor the weakness to the job in a way where the interviewer doesn’t see it as a big hurdle for you in the position. Avoid turning the weakness into a positive, for example “I tend to be a perfectionist but it actually helps me to get details on projects really fine-tuned.” Instead, dedicate 25% of your answer to just stating your weakness and then 75% of your answer to how you have been working on improving. For example: “I have struggled with time-management. However, over the course of my undergraduate studies I have implemented using a calendar to help keep track of my class schedule, work schedule, test dates, and when big projects are due. This has really helped me improve on my time-management.” This shows you are self-aware and have a growth-mindset that employers love seeing.

Give it a try:

4) Why do you want to work for us? Why do you want this job?

a. This question is for the interviewer to understand how much you know about their company and what drives you in this line of work. Do your research and make 1-2 points about why this company stands out to you. Additionally, why do you want this job? Keep it focused on what excites you about the position with this company, the position itself based off your interests.

5) Do you have any questions for us?

a. Coming prepared with 4-5 questions is always a good idea. A good number to ask at the end of the interview is roughly 3 questions depending on how much time you have. Coming prepared with 5 gives you a buffer in case they answer one of your questions in the introduction of the interview. Keep these questions focused on the employer and the job and avoid asking about any benefits, time off, salary, etc. The types of questions you ask leaves an impression on the interviewer. Below are some good examples of what you can ask:

i. What are some qualities of past employees in this role that helped them succeed in this position?

ii. What do you like best about working for this company?

iii. What are the top priorities for this position over the next 3 months? 6 months? 1 year?

iv. Is there any additional information I can provide to help make this hiring decision easier? What are some questions you may want to ask an employer?