Twenty Questions Frequenlty Asked During Interviews

1. Tell me about yourself. Expand on your resume.
2. For what position are you applying?
3. What are your long-term career goals? Where would you like to be in ten years?
4. Why do you feel that you will be successful in...?
5. What supervisory or leadership roles have you held?
6. How do you spend your spare time?
7. What have been your most satisfying and most disappointing experiences?
8. What are your strongest (weakest) personal qualities?
9. Give me some examples that support your stated interest in...
10. Why did you select to interview with us?
11. What courses did you like best? Least? Why?
12. What did you learn or gain from your part-time and summer job experiences?
13. Which geographic location do you prefer? Why?
14. Would you prefer on-the-job training or a formal program?
15. What can you do for us now? What can I do for you?
16. What are your plans for graduate study?
17. Why did you choose your major?
18. Why are your grades low?
19. Tell me about your extracurricular activities and interests.
20. Why did you quit your various jobs?

Common Interviewee Questions

1. How much travel is normally expected?
2. Do employees normally work many hours of overtime?
3. Can I progress at my own pace or is it structured?
4. How frequently do you relocate professional employees?
5. What is the average age of your first-level supervisors?
6. Is the sales growth in the new product line sustainable?
7. How much contact and exposure to management is there?
8. At what level is an employee placed in the "exempt" status?
9. Is it possible to move through the training program faster?
10. When does the training program begin? Only in June?
11. What is the housing market like in your city?
12. How much freedom is given to and discipline required of the new people?
13. Does the firm recommend any night courses the first year?
14. How often are performance reviews given?
15. Is it possible to transfer from one division to another?
16. How much decision-making authority is given after one year?
17. Have any new product lines been announced recently?
18. How soon after graduation would I expect to report for work?
19. How much input does the new person have on geographical location?
20. In your firm, is this position more analytical or more people-oriented?
21. In promotions, are employees ever transferred between functional fields?
22. Does the firm provide employee discounts?
23. Is a car provided to traveling personnel?
24. Is the city difficult to adjust to compared to this campus community?
25. What is the average age of top management?
26. What is the normal routine of a ... like?
27. How much independence is allowed in dress and appearance?
28. Is public transportation adequate?
29. What is the average time to get to ... level in the career path?

Warning: The initial interview is not the time to inquire about salary!