Frequently Asked Interview Questions

Overall, come prepared to discuss how your educational background, volunteer, work/internship experiences, leadership roles, and personal skills support your candidacy for the position.   

First, keep in mind employers seek candidates who can:

  • Work in a team structure
  • Verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization
  • Make decisions and solve problems
  • Obtain and process information
  • Plan, organize, and prioritize work
  • Analyze quantitative data
  • Master technical knowledge related to the job
  • Create and/or edit written reports
  • Sell or influence others

questions to assess Personal Characteristics & preferences

  • Tell me about yourself.

  • What motivates you?

  • What are you passionate about?

  • What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

  • What interests do you pursue outside of work?

  • How do you think a friend or professor who knows you well would describe you?

  • If you could relive the past five years of your life, what would you do differently?

  • Where would you like to be in five/ten years?

questions to assess Preparation for Position & Organizational Fit

  • What do you know about our organization?

  • Why did you apply for this position?

  • In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organization?

  • What part of this job do you think you find the most challenging?

  • What relevant experience do you have?

  • What other positions have you applied to?

  • What qualities do you think you can bring to this position?

questions to assess Work Experience & Team Style

  • What is the most enjoyable part of your current job?

  • What would your work colleagues say about you?

  • What qualities should a successful supervisor possess?

  • What two or three things are most important to you in your job?

  • Tell us about the biggest challenge you've ever faced in your career?

  • What has irritated you about others you've worked with?

Behavior Based Questions

  • Give me some examples of teamwork you've been a part of.

  • Describe a challenging work situation and how you dealt with it.

  • Describe a time when you had to work under intense pressure.

  • Tell me about a suggestion you've made that was implemented.

  • What past accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction and why.

  • View additional behavior based interview questions