Questions You May Be Asked in an Interview

 

No two interviews are exactly alike, but you can prepare to answer certain questions that are often asked. You should practice your answers out loud to hear how they sound, but don't try to memorize them word-for-word or you will end up sounding too rehearsed or might forget them if you are nervous. Some typical questions are:
    College experience questions:
  1. How has your college experience prepared you for a career?
  2. Describe your most rewarding college experience.
  3. Why did you select Barnard? Why did you choose a liberal arts college? Why a women's college?
  4. What led you to choose your major?
  5. What college subjects did you like best/least? Why?
  6. If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why?
  7. What changes would you make in your college? Why?
  8. Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
  9. Do you think that your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?
  10. What have you learned from participating in extracurricular activities?
  11. Tell me about one of your papers or your thesis.
    Questions about you:
  1. Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?
  2. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
  3. How would you describe yourself? or Tell me about yourself.
  4. How do you think a friend or professor who knows you well would describe you?
  5. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
  6. How do you determine or evaluate success?
  7. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
  8. If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you look for?
  9. In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
  10. How do you work under pressure?
  11. How would you describe the ideal job for you following graduation?
  12. What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
  13. Do you have a geographical preference? Will you relocate? Are you willing to travel?
  14. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
  15. What have you learned from your mistakes?
  16. How would you handle this situation.....?
  17. If you did not have to work, what would you do?
  18. What else do you think I should know about you?
    Questions about your experience:
  1. Why should I hire you?
  2. What qualifications do you have that make you think you will be successful in this field?
  3. Which part time jobs, summer jobs, or internships have you most enjoyed? Why?
  4. How did your liberal arts background prepare you for the work world/this field?
    Questions about your goals and objectives
  1. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
  2. What do you really want to do in life?
  3. What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
  4. Why do you want to work here?
  5. What do you think about the future of this field?
  6. What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives? When and why did you establish these goals, and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
    Questions to determine what you know about the position/career field/organization:
  1. What do you know about our organization?
  2. What do you think it takes to be successful in our organization?
  3. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organization?
  4. What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work?
You may want to see a counselor in Career Development or attend an interviewing workshop to discuss interviewing. You can also call an alumna in a relevant career field and ask that she critique your answers or give you a mock interview. You can also use the fact sheet entitled The Questions You Ask in an Interview and two books in the Career Guides section of the OCD library – Interview For Success and Knock `Em Dead with Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions.
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