My Career Voyage! Charting The Course

Interviews are no fun, but we must go through the discomfort if we want to get a job. Preparation and practice can help ease the anxiety. Just as you may want to know if the company is a good fit for you, the employer wants to determine if you are a good fit for the position.

Top 5 questions employers want answers to:

1. Why do you want to work here?
   
2. What can you do for us and how well can you do it?
   
3. What kind of person are you? How will you handle yourself on the job?
   
4. Why should I hire you instead of someone else?
   
5. Can the company afford you?
   

That's the jist of what employers want to know. However, employers could ask a variety of different questions to arrive at the answers they are looking for.

QUESTIONS YOU COULD BE ASKED

About You:

1. Tell me about yourself.
   
2. Why did you apply for this job?
   
3. What do you know about the company?
   
4. What could you contribute to the company?
   
5. Why do you want to leave you current position?
   
6. Why did you leave your last position?
   
7. What did you like and dislike about your previous job?
   
8. How would a previous boss/co-worker/customer describe you?
   
9. Whom can we contact to find out more about you?
   
10. Why are you unemployed?
    
11. What were you doing during any gaps in your work history?
    
12. Is there anything that would prevent from being able to do the job?
    
13. Where do you see yourself doing in 5/10/15 years?
    
14. What are you career goals?
    
15. What’s your greatest strength?
    
16. What’s your greatest weakness?
    
17. What actions have you taken to improve in this area (weakness)?
    
18. Do you prefer to work alone or as a team?
    
19. How do you feel about working long hours and weekends?
    
20. Why should we hire you for this position?
    
21. What are your salary requirements?
    
22. Do you have any questions?
    

Behavioral Questions

1. Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish a task with someone who was particularly difficult to get along with.
   
2. What are some examples of activities and surroundings that motivate you?
   
3. Tell me how you handled an ethical dilemma.
   
4. Tell me about a time when you were faced with making a difficult decision?
   
5. Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a problem with no rules or guidelines in place.
   

QUESTIONS YOU COULD ASK

1. What do you see as the key qualities/skills/abilities required for someone in this position?
   
2. What do you like best about working at _____?
   
3. How would you describe your management style?
   
4. Can you describe your organizational culture?
   
5. What do people seem to like most/least about working here?
   
6. Do you encourage participation in community or professional activities?
   
7. What specific problems are you hoping to solve during the first six months?
   
8. What happened to the person who had this job before?
   
9. What communication style do you prefer?
   
10. What is your philosophy regarding on-the-job growth and development?
    
11. Do you have a management development or internal training program?
    
12. What are your goals for the department/company?
    
13. What would a typical week be like?
    
14. Is there a next step that would be in progression (advancement) from this role?
    
15. What is your vision for this department/company?
    
16. What are the major responsibilities of this position?
    
17. Is there a job description? May I see it?
    
18. Can you tell me why this position is open?
    
19. How often has it been filled in the past 5 or 10 years?
    
20. What did you like most about the person who previously held this position?
    
21. What would you like to see the person who fills this position do differently?
    
22. What do you see as my strengths/weaknesses for this position?
    
23. What are the greatest challenges facing the person in this position?
    
24. What are your immediate goals and priorities for this position?
    
25. What kind of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances, or tools?
    
26. How much independence would I have in determining my work objectives and deadlines?
    
27. How would my performance be measured?
    
28. How is successful performance rewarded?
    
29. What career progression do you see for someone in this position?
    
30. Do you normally promote from within?
    
31. Why are you looking at external candidates for this position, instead of promoting from within?
    
32. Do you have a lot of turnover?
    
33. How many people would I be supervising? How long have they been with the company, and what are their backgrounds?
    
34. Can I meet the people who work in the department?
    
35. What are the company's plans for growth in the next five years?
    
36. When will you be making a decision on this position?