Common questions asked on a job interview
As your students begin interviewing for internships and ultimately jobs they are sure to be asked many questions during their interviews. What are some of the typical questions they should prepare for? Here are some examples they can use to prepare:
Common interview questions include:
- Can you walk us through your resume?
- Can you tell us a little about yourself?
- Why do you want to work for (insert firm)?
- What have you done that has prepared you for this position?
- Why should we hire you over someone else?
- Where do you see your career in five years?
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- Can you tell us about a time you made a mistake?
- How do you handle stress and working under pressure?
- What are your strengths?
- Talk about a time you worked in a group and encountered a conflict.
Practice all types of questions
There are different categories of questions that will be asked during an interview. Depending on the position, business, or industry, an interview may consist of more questions of a specific type than another.
The categories of interview questions that can be asked include:
Fit: Fit questions are asked to find out just that. Are you a good fit for the position, team, and company?
Behavioral: These are asked to gauge how you HAVE acted in certain situations or how you WOULD act in certain situations.
Technical: Questions of this type revolve around technical knowledge and capabilities related to the position.
- Examples can include questions on how the financial statements tie together, how to value a company, how to perform a discounted cash flow, etc. Technical questions are notoriously tough.
Case Study: Case study interview questions involve questions asked after a case is laid out in front of you verbally or through a written document. The interviewers will ask you questions related to the case and this will test your analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Firm/Industry Specific: Interviewers will ask questions specifically about the firm or the industry it is in. This tests what you know about the company and industry and also gives a gauge to the interviewers about how strongly you want the position. If you wanted it bad enough, you would do your research.
Current Events: These questions test how in touch you are with what is going on in the news and if you actually understand what is going on.
- Interviewers will ask a basic question and drill deeper with follow-up questions on the underlying concept the news event is on.
Looking for more information about what to expect in the interview and the entire interview process? Here is a link to a guide put together by Bizness Professionals that should be of interest: How to Prepare, Practice and Study for an Interview: The Ultimate Guide
