FAIQs
Frequently Asked Interview Questions-and how to answer them
Interviewers Want Answers.
And you need to provide them.
To do your best in an interview, it's important to prepare. Here are a few quick tips about what the interviewer is looking for in response to three commonly asked interview questions.
"Tell me a little about yourself."
- Open with relevant information, such as your degree or major.
- Briefly mention your interest in the position and why.
- End with something memorable and related to the position, such as "I drink coffee twice a day," if you are applying to a Barista position, or, "I don't have a green thumb but I love plants," for a plant bioscience position.
"Tell us about a time you worked in a group setting to achieve an objective."
This may be followed with, "Was it successful and why?"
- Briefly describe the project and goal.
- Familiarize yourself with your working style. Are you a quiet leader? Organizer? Community builder? Describe yourself and your role.
- Highlight the success(es). Evaluate something that didn't go as well as you had hoped, or how you would do it differently if given the chance.
"This job requires __. Tell me about your __ skills."
- Read and understand the job description prior to the interview.
- Outline at least one example of how you have done something similar or used similar skills in the past.
- Choose work-related examples, otherwise, class or community service examples. For example, Microsoft Excel: "I use Excel on a daily basis to do everything from creating my weekly calendar to organizing the results from a research project I am working on. I understand mail merges, sorting data and simple formulas, such as the add function."
"Do you have any questions for us?"
Many organizations are shying away from this question so that the interviewers do not inadvertently answer questions incorrectly or beyond their identified scope.
If you are invited to ask questions, this is your opportunity to:
- Clarify any part of the job description you were unclear about
- Learn more about a specific job task (such as, percent of time completing that function, expected number of contacts, total budget to complete task)
- Identify the next steps in the process, or the hiring timeline
This is not your chance to:
- Negotiate salary or benefits
- Discuss other people who are applying
- Ask any questions that would compromise the organization or interviewer
How Can We Help?
Make an appointment at the Career Services office to learn more about interviewing. We can review the job description you are applying for, discuss your resume, and practice interview questions with you. With preparation and practice, you can make your interview a #success!