50 Interview Questions

1. 50 Interview Questions Revised March 1, 2011

2. 1. Tell me about yourself • Brief work history • Education • List 4-5 Characteristics • Hobbies

3. 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”.

4. 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”.

5. 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 _______________”.

6. 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.

7. 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?

8. 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)

9. 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”.

10. 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”.

11. 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”.

12. 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.”

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

14. 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”.

15. 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”.

16. 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.

17. 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”.

18. 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).

19. 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.

20. 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”

21. 20. Tell me about a suggestion 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”

22. 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”

23. 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”

24. 23. Tell me about your dream job • Stay 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”

25. 24. Why do you think you would do well at this job? • Give several reasons • Include 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.”

26. 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.”

27. 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”

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

29. 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”

30. 29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor • Be 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”

31. 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”

32. 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

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

34. 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”

35. 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.”

36. 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”

37. 36. What would you do if you saw a co-worker stealing from the cash register? • Think about what the employer would want you to do: • Think about what would happen if you do not report it • “I would report it to my supervisor”

38. 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”

39. 38. What would you do if one manager asked you to complete a task one way, and another manager asked you to complete is in another way? • This can be confusing! • The two managers may not know they have given you conflicting directions. You need to let them know! • “I would politely let them know I was given different directions and ask which way they would like it done.

40. 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.”

41. 40. What would you do if the boss has asked you to stay late to work and you already have plans? • Try to think of options you might have in a scenario such as this: • “I have plans, but I can change them if it’s important for me to stay late.” • I am unable to stay late today because I have an appointment that cannot be changed. I would be happy to come in early or stay late tomorrow.

42. 41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for? • Mention traits that are NEEDED AND that YOU have! • Look at the job listing and see what traits they are looking for prior to the interview!

43. 42. We have a strict dress code here; no jeans, no open toe shoes, no shorts or t-shirts. Does that work for you? Why or why not? • If their dress code does work for you, they will probably not hire you for the job. • “Yes, I have read your dress code and it works for me. • “I have a tattoo but I can cover it up if I need to.”

44. 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”

45. 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”

46. 45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others. • Pick a specific incident • Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute settled.

47. 46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project? • If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out. • Be honest • “I prefer to be the detail person” • “I really like being creative, so if there’s a position that could utilize my creativity, I would prefer that”

48. 47. Describe your work ethic • Point out things that would benefit the organization • “I am very determined to get the job done” • “I work hard and I enjoy working”

49. 48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment? • Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. • Show acceptance and no negative feelings • “I was disappointed that there was no room for advancement at my last position” • “I was disappointed when my job trial at Allina ended”

50. 49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job. • Talk about something fun by accomplishing something for the organization. • “I had fun working at McDonald’s when I was able to wait on customers” • “I had fun working at Allina when I helped with planting bushes”