COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

2. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?

3. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to this company?

4. In what kind of a work environment are you most comfortable?

5. Why are you seeking a position with this company?

6. What do you know about this company?

7. What are your strengths?

8. How do you spend your spare time? What are your hobbies?

9. What jobs have you held? How were they obtained and why did you leave?

10. What qualifications do you have that make you feel that you will be successful in your field?

11. Do you prefer any specific geographic location? Why?

12. What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held?

13. What interested you about our product (or service?)

14. What jobs have you enjoyed the most? the least? Why?

15. What are your own special abilities?

16. What job in our company do you want to work toward?

17. What have you done which shows initiative and willingness to work?

18. Why should I hire you?

19. What is your greatest weakness?

20. Give me an example of a work situation in which you were not proud of your performance?

What did you learn from this mistake?

21. Tell me about a conflict with a co-worker and how you resolved it

INTERVIEW DO’S AND DON’TS

DO:

1. Prepare

2. Be punctual

3. Stay focused in the interview. Don’t ramble

4. Be confident

5. Use examples when appropriate

6. Be genuine in your answers and avoid canned responses

7. Focus on what you have to offer the employer, not what you are going to get out of this job

8. Thank the interviewer for his/her time

DON'T

1. Bring up salary/benefits. Let the employer address these issues

2. Talk negatively about past employers

3. Give the impression you are merely shopping around

4. Appear aggressive. Instead be assertive.

KEY ATTRIBUTES:

Team player, Clear communication skills, Drive to succeed, Absolute professionalism, Attention to detail, Knowledge base, Dedication to the company and role, Ability to train and develop, Strategic mindset.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT BE ASKED

1. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

2. What qualifications do you possess that would make you an asset to this organisation

3. What qualities do you admire most in others?

4. How would a colleague best describe you?

5. What skills have you developed though past work experiences?

6. Which of your jobs did you like the best?

7. What accomplishments have given you the greatest satisfaction?

8. What are your career goals?

9. How does this position fit in with your career goals?

10. Do you prefer a large or small company? Why?

11. How do you relate to other people at work?

12. In what type of work environment do you feel most comfortable?

13. Describe the ideal job

14. How do you determine success?

15. What motivates you to put forth your best effort?

16. Describe a problem you encountered and how you solved it?

17. What is your management philosophy?

18. What do you look for in a manager?

19. How do you work under pressure? Give me an example

20. What do you see yourself doing in five years? Ten years?

21. How can you contribute to this company?

22. What do you know about this company?

23. How long would you want to work for our company?

24. How long do you think it would take you to be productive in this position?

25. What criteria do you consider when evaluating potential employers?

26. Why should I hire you?

QUESTIONS TO ASK EMPLOYEES

1. What are the main responsibilities of this position?

2. Could you describe a typical day at work?

3. What type of orientation/training program is offered?

4. How would my performance be evaluated?

5. What are the opportunities for personal and professional growth?

6. What opportunities for advancement exist?

7. How long was the previous person in this position? Was he/she promoted?

8. Who would be the key people I would work with?

9. Who would I report to?

10. What is the organisational structure?

11. How much travel is required?

12. How much authority would I have in order to carry out my responsibilities?

13. What are you looking for in a candidate?

14. What characteristics does a successful person have at your company?

15. What objectives would you like to see accomplished during the 1st year?

16. How would you describe the work environment?

17. How would you describe your company¡¯s management style?

18. What makes your firm different from your competitors?

19. Do you promote from within?