Apply It 16.4: Career Connection: Interviews

Understand how to prepare for a job interview

Common Questions

Below a some categories of questions that are often asked during interviews. As part of preparing for your interview, you should think about how you would answer these types of questions. You could also try a mock interview where someone else asks you questions and you practice answering them. Check with the career services office at your school to see if you can make an appointment for a mock interview or ask and friend or family member to help out.

Questions to Get to Know You

At the beginning of an interview, interviewers will ask simple questions to put you at ease and get to know you. Your answers to this type of questions are important to establish your fit into the company culture.

Questions to Determine Your Level of Interest

These questions are designed to allow the interviewer to gauge your level of interest in the job position and company. Companies want to understand the candidate’s motivation for pursuing the position.

Questions about Your Experience

As the questions get more specific, the interviewer will try to learn more about the experience and accomplishments listed on your cover letter and resume.

Questions Regarding the Future

When employers try to get candidates to reveal more about themselves, they tend to ask questions regarding the future. This can sometimes throw off a candidate who has not prepared some answers in advance.

Situational Questions

Companies ask these questions to learn how a candidate thinks. The interviewer will create a hypothetical scenario and ask how the candidate would react to it.

Behavioral Questions

These questions are aimed at getting the candidate describe past experiences so that the interviewer can predict future job performance.