by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
This article is part of a series from The Career Doctor's Cures & Remedies to Quintessentially
Perplexing Career and Job-Hunting Ailments.
Read more.
Before even addressing this question, let’s be honest and say the most important
elements related to success in job interviews is research and preparation. The
more job-seekers know about the type of interview(s) they face, the better you
can anticipate questions and prepare and practice answers. Employers often
use a combination of traditional and behavioral interview questions, and you
need to be prepared. Finally, remember that the job interview is the time to
sell yourself to employers. If you are having trouble with interviews, you might
also review Question 5
and Question 8.
From various research sources, here are some of the most common interview
questions job-seekers should expect in a job interview:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why did you leave your last job?
- What do you see yourself doing five years from now? Ten years from now?
- What are your long-range career objectives?
- Why did you choose this career?
- How well do you work with people? Do you prefer working alone or in teams?
- How would a good friend describe you?
- What would your last boss say about your work performance?
- Why should I hire you?
- What makes you qualified for this position?
- What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like ours?
- In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
- What’s the most recent book you’ve read?
- What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
- Describe the most rewarding experience of your career thus far.
- Why did you decide to seek a position in this company?
- What can you tell us about our company?
- What do you know about our competitors?
- What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
- Are you willing to travel for the job?
Resources that will help you with job interview questions:
See a list of
all
the most common college, career, and job questions -- and Dr. Hansen's solutions.
Who is the Career Doctor? Learn more, read his current career column, or browse the column
archives when you visit the Career Doctor's homepage.
Dr. Randall S. Hansen is a nationally recognized career and job-search expert.
He is Founder and Webmaster of Quintessential Careers, as
well as publisher of its electronic newsletter, QuintZine.
He writes a biweekly career advice column under the name,
The Career Doctor. He is also a tenured, professor
of marketing in the School of Business Administration at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.
He can be reached at randall@quintcareers.com.
Read more about Dr. Hansen.