MECHANICS OF POSSIBLE
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
©2015 Practical Learning Modules
INTRODUCTION
• WHETHER YOU ARE GOING FOR A JOB
• INTERVIEW OR A COLLEGE INTERVIEW
• YOU MUST BE PREPARED
• DON’T APPROACH THE APPOINTMENT WITH PRECONCEIVED IDEAS OF WHAT TO EXPECT
• BUT PRACTICING AHEAD DOESN’T HURT
• HERE ARE SOME KINDS OF QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT
EXPECT:
QUESTIONS SOURCE
• THE FOLLOWING LIST OF QUESTIONS HAS BEEN
PRIMARILY TAKEN FROM:
CORNER OFFICE
BY
ADAM BRYANT
NEW YORK TIMES
• PUBLISHED EVERY SUNDAY IN THE BUSINESS SECTION
– CORNER OFFICE IS A GREAT SOURCE OF USEFUL
IDEAS ON HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR CAREER. GO TO
www.nyt.com AND SEARCH –
• THEN TYPE IN CORNER OFFICE AND/OR ADAM BRYANT
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
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1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?
2. WHAT VALUE DO YOU BRING?
3. ARE YOU CURIOUS? HOW? EXAMPLES?
4. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE?
5. WHAT INSCRIPTION ON YOUR RETIREMENT
WATCH DO YOU WANT?
• 6. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR FREE TIME?
• 7. THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU IN THE OFFICE –
WHAT WOULD HE SAY ABOUT YOU?
QUESTIONS… CONTINUED
• 8. WHAT’S THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
• 9. WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
• 10. WHAT BOOK HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON
YOU?
• 11. ARE YOU WILLING TO “TAKE OUT THE
GARBAGE”?
• 12. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WELL?
• 13. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE POORLY?
• 14. ARE YOU A LIFELONG LEARNER?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 15. HOW DO YOU WORK THROUGH
PROBLEMS? RECENT EXAMPLE
• 16. WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES/FLAWS?
• 17. ARE YOU WILLING TO GO THE EXTRA
MILE? EXAMPLE
• 18. CAN YOU GIVE ORDERS AND TAKE THEM?
• 19. DO YOU LOOK AROUND? DO YOU
RECOGNIZE OPPORTUNITIES? EXAMPLE
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 20. AT WORK/SCHOOL WHAT DO YOU REALLY GET
EXCITED ABOUT?
• 21. WHAT HAVE YOU FAILED AT? HOW DID YOU
RECOVER? WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
• 22. ARE YOU AFRAID OF MAKING MISTAKES?
• 23. ARE YOU A RISK-TAKER?
• 24. “DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME”?
• 25. IF YOU COULD DO ANYTHING OVER AGAIN
WHAT WOULD IT BE?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 26. DO YOU THINK YOUR GRADES ARE A
REFLECTION OF YOUR ABILITIES?
• 27. WHAT’S THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED
TO YOU RECENTLY?
• 28. ARE YOU WILLING TO WORK HARDER
THAN ANYONE ELSE? EXAMPLE
• 29. IF YOU COULD DO ANYTHING OVER AGAIN
WHAT WOULD IT BE?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 30. ARE YOU A PROBLEM-SOLVER? A FIXER?
• 31. DO YOU KEEP UP WITH CURRENT EVENTS?
• 32. DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN YOUR LOCAL
COMMUNITY? HOW?
• 33. WHAT’S THE TOUGHEST THING YOU HAVE
EVER DONE?
• 34. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR
LIFE?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 35. DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL BUSINESS
CARD? WHY NOT?
• 36. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FORMER JOB –
WHY DID YOU LEAVE?
• 37. WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
YOU’VE RECENTLY DONE?
• 38. WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO?
• 39. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE
ABOUT?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 40. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE FIVE YEARS FROM
NOW?
• 41. WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO BETTER HERE?
WHAT IS MISSING?
• 42. TELL ME WHY YOU WANT TO BE HERE?
• 43. “BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE” – WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN TO YOU?
• 44. ARE YOU AWAKE? ARE YOU EVER WORRIED? ARE
YOU EVER ANXIOUS? ABOUT WHAT?
• 45. IF YOUR BEST FRIEND/SPOUSE WERE SITTING NEXT
TO YOU RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY ABOUT
YOU?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 46. ARE YOU GOOD AT MATH? DO YOU LIKE
WORKING WITH NUMBERS?
• 46.HOW ARE YOU WITH PEOPLE? DO YOU LIKE
WORKING WITH A TEAM?
• 47. WHAT’S YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RECENT
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT?
• 48. WHAT ARE YOUR PET PEEVES? WHAT DO YOU
LIKE AND DISLIKE?
• 49. SO, WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY SPECIAL?
• 50. WHAT’S YOUR NATURAL STRENGTH?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 51. ASIDE FROM EDUCATION, WHAT’S A
SOCIAL/POLITICAL ISSUE YOU DEEPLY CARE ABOUT?
• 52. SUMMARIZE YOUR LIFE IN THREE MINUTES
• 53. DO YOU WORK AHEAD? DO YOU PLAN?
• 54. WHAT PREPARATION DID YOU DO FOR THIS
INTERVIEW?
• 55. HOW WOULD YOUR TEACHERS/CURRENT BOSS
DESCRIBE YOU?
• 56. WHEN HAVE YOU CHASED A DREAM? DID YOU FAIL
OR SUCCEED?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 57. ARE YOU CREATIVE? EXAMPLE
• 58. ARE YOU GOOD AT FOLLOWING ORDERS?
• 59. WHAT’S THE ONE CHARACTERISTIC ABOUT
YOU THAT DRIVES PEOPLE NUTS?
• 60. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WORK/STUDY HABITS
• 61. WHAT RESEARCH DID YOU DO ON OUR
ORGANIZATION/INDUSTRY?
• 62. WHAT’S YOUR OPINION OF YOURSELF?
• 63. CAN YOU TEACH ME? CAN YOU TEACH
YOURSELF?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 64. WHO AND WHY IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?
• 65. ARE YOU A LEADER?
• 66. WHEN HAVE YOU FAILED? WHAT DID YOU DO
ABOUT IT?
• 67. WHAT IS YOUR NATURAL STRENGTH?
• 68. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS SAY ABOUT YOU?
• 69. WHAT DO YOUR ENEMIES SAY ABOUT YOU?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 70. WHAT’S THE HARDEST YOU’VE EVER WORKED IN
YOUR LIFE?
• 71. WHAT’S YOUR MOST LOFTY AMBITION?
• 72. WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT?
• 73. DO YOU TAKE OWNERSHIP OF WHAT YOU DO?
• 74. DO YOU VOLUNTEER? FOR WHAT?
• 75. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ASKED TO DO A JOB YOU
WEREN’T QUALIFIED FOR? HOW DID IT GO?
• 76. DO YOU WORK AHEAD? EXAMPLE.
• 77. TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF.
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 78. TELL ME THREE THINGS ABOUT HOW YOU DEFINE
YOURSELF
• 79. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR LIFE DO YOU
CONTROL?
• 80. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED LATELY?
• 81. WOULD YOU SAY YOU ARE A SELF-STARTER?
EXPLAIN WITH EXAMPLES.
• 82. WHAT DO YOU WANT? NOW? TEN YEARS?
• 83. ARE YOU A REFLECTIVE PERSON? EXPLAIN.
• 84. HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME?
• 85. ARE YOU A “CURIOUS” PERSON? EXPLAIN.
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
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86. ARE YOU AN “INTROSPECTIVE” PERSON?
87. WHAT ARE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS
THAT YOU HAVE WORKED IN?
88. WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR LIFE JOURNEY?
89. WHY WOULD JOINING US HELP YOUR
JOURNEY?
90. ARE YOU FLEXIBLE? WILL YOU DO THAT?
91. DO YOU LIKE LEADING PEOPLE?
92. WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE?
93. WHAT WERE THINGS YOU HAD TO OVERCOME?
94. TELL ME SOMETHING YOU DID THAT WAS REALLY HARD
95. ARE YOU HUNGRY? FOR WHAT? HOW, EXPLAIN.
96. ARE YOU USUALLY LATE, ON-TIME OR EARLY?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
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97. WHAT ARE YOU GENUINELY BAD AT?
98. DOES WHOM YOU ARE DATING TELL YOU?
99. DO YOU DREAM BIG? WHAT’S YOUR
BIGGEST DREAM?
100. WHAT GET’S YOU EXCITED? GET’S YOU
OUT OF BED?
101. HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?
102. HOW DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO DESCRIBE
YOU?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
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103. WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE?
104. WHAT MATTERS MOST TO YOU? HOW DO
YOU MAKE THAT HAPPEN?
105. WHAT ARE YOUR DEEPEST VALUES?
106. WHAT WOULD YOU DEFINE AS SUCCESS
IN YOUR LIFE?
107. WHAT MAKES YOUR LIFE REALLY WORTH
LIVING?
108. WHAT AM I GOING TO LIKE ABOUT YOU?
108. WHAT HAVE YOU INVENTED?
109. ARE YOU COLLABORATIVE?
110. DO YOU HAVE COMPASSION?
QUESTIONS…CONTINUED
• 111. WHO WAS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT BOSS? WHY?
• 112. WHO WAS YOUR BEST TEACHER? WHY?
• 113. DO YOU SAY “THANK YOU”? WHEN? WHY?
SPECIAL QUESTION
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid”?
Sheryl Sandberg - Facebook
SUMMARY
• THE ABOVE LIST IS BY NO MEANS COMPLETE
• IT IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS
• IT IS MEANT TO GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF WHAT IS IN STORE FOR YOU AT AN
INTERVIEW. MUCH WILL DEPEND UPON THE PERSON INTERVIEWING YOU,
WHAT IS HAPPENING THAT DAY AND HOW YOU PRESENT YOURSELF.
• THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT THE COMPANY/COLLEGE AND ABOUT
YOURSELF. THE MORE EXCITED YOU ARE ABOUT YOURSELF. THE MORE
INTERESTING AND PRODUCTIVE THE INTERVIEW WILL BE FOR YOU.
• GOOD LUCK!!