1. What goals have you set for yourself? How are you planning to achieve them?
2. Who or what has had the greatest influence on the development of your career interests?
3. What factors did you consider in choosing your major?
4. Why are you interested in our organization?
5. Tell me about yourself.
6. What two or three things are most important to you in a position?
7. Describe a situation in which you demonstrated your critical thinking skills.
8. Tell me about a project you initiated.
9. What are your expectations of your future employer?
10. What is your GPA? How do you feel about it? Does it reflect your ability?
11. How do you solve conflicts?
12. Tell me about how your perceive your strengths. Your weaknesses? How do you evaluate yourself?
13. What work experience has been the most valuable to you and why?
14. What was the most useful criticism you ever received, and who was it from?
15. Give an example of a problem you have solved and the process you used.
16. Describe the project or situation that best demonstrated your analytical skills.
17. What has been your greatest challenge?
18. Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual, and how you dealt with it.
19. What were the biggest problems you have encountered in college? How have you handled them? What did you learn from them?
20. What are your team-player qualities? Give examples.
21. Describe your leadership style.
22. What interests or concerns you about the position or the company?
23. In a particular leadership role you had, what was the greatest challenge?
24. What idea have you developed and implemented that was particularly creative or innovative?
25. What characteristics do you think are important for this position?
26. How have your educational and work experiences prepared you for this position?
27. Take me through a project where you demonstrated _________________ skills.
28. How do you think you have changed personally since you started college?
29. Tell me about a team project of which you are particularly proud and your contribution.
30. How do you motivate people?
31. Why did you choose the extracurricular activities you did? What did you gain? What did you contribute?
32. What types of situations put you under pressure, and how do you deal with the pressure?
33. Tell me about a difficult decision you have made.
34. Give an example of a situation in which you failed, and how you handled it.
35. Tell me about a situation when you had to persuade another person to your point of view.
36. What frustrates you the most?
37. Knowing what you know now about your college experience, would you make the same decisions? Why?
38. What can you contribute to this company?
39. Describe a situation in which your credibility was questioned.
40. What characteristics are most important in a good manager? How have you displayed one of these characteristics?
41. What challenges are you looking for in a position?
42. Are you willing to relocate or travel as part of your career?
43. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?
44. Describe a leadership role of yours and tell why you committed time to it.
45. How are you conducting your job search, and how will you make your decision?
46. What is the most important lesson you have learned in or out of school?
47. Describe a situation where you had to work with someone who was difficult. How was the person difficult, and how did you handle it?
48. We are looking at a lot of great candidates; why are you the best person for this position?
49. How would your friends describe you? Your professors?
50. What else should I know about you? These questions reflect a significant movement away from standard directive questions toward a more open-ended situational queries. Common themes include applications of analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills, leadership development, creativity, teamwork, and personal development.

--From the Northwestern Report

ASKING QUESTIONS IN THE INTERVIEW

What questions can a candidate ask in an interview?

1. How would you describe the corporate culture?
2. Upon what criteria will my performance be evaluated? How will this be done and by whom?
3. How are employees rewarded for excellent performance?
4. Describe the kind of people who thrive in your company. What are the key competencies of a successful employee?
5. What are the company's values and ethics? How are these manifested in relationships with employees, customers, and suppliers?
6. How would you describe the company's management style and the philosophy of its top executives?
7. Is my boss's performance evaluated on how well he/she develops his/her subordinates? On the success of the department?
8. What commitment does the company have to the career development and training of its employees? How will the company help me achieve my maximum potential?
9. What are the major issues this organization and industry currently face? In the next three to five years?
10. How do current employees feel about their jobs and the company?
11. What is your attrition rate of new hires within one year? Three years? Five years? Why do they leave?
12. What are the opportunities for progression and increased responsibility within the organization?
13. How secure is this position? If I were to be laid off, what assistance would I receive?
14. Is there a commitment to promote from within? What percentage of your top managers were promoted from inside the organization?
15. What is the company doing to ensure it will be a viable and profitable organization ten years from now?
16. What is the strategic vision of the organization and how do individuals contribute to it?
17. What will be expected of me in this position?
18. How does this job and department fit into the organization as a whole? Describe working relationships with other departments in the company.
19. What are the expected work hours, start date, work locations, travel requirements, dress code, and relocation prospects?

--From the Northwestern Report

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