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Tell me about yourself. Why are you interested in working for this company? Tell me about your education. Why have you chosen this particular field? Describe your best/worst boss. In a job, what interests you most/least? What is your major weakness? Give an example of how you solved a problem in the past. What are your strengths? How do others describe you? What do you consider the most important idea you contributed or your most noteworthy accomplishment in your last job? Where do you see yourself in three years? Think about something you consider a failure in your life, and tell me why you think it happened. How do you think you will fit into this operation? If you were hired, what ideas/talents could you contribute to the position or our company? Give an example where you showed leadership and initiative. Give an example of when you were able to contribute to a team project. What have you done to develop or change in the last few years? Do you have any questions for me?

Questions to Ask the Employer

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What are the responsibilities and accountabilities of this position? How well is the position defined? Can its duties be expanded? Please describe an average day on this job. What is the history of the position? Why is it vacant? What aspects of this job would you like to see performed better? What are the key challenges or problems of this position? Where can I go from here, assuming that I meet/exceed the job responsibilities? How would you describe the ideal candidate? What are the employer's short- and long-range objectives? What are some outside influences that affect company growth? Where does the company excel? What are its limitations? When and how will I be evaluated? What are the performance standards? With whom would I be working? Who would be my supervisor? Who would I supervise? What is the department's environment like? When will you make the hiring decision? May I call you for the decision? When is a good time?

Illegal Questions

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What is or was your spouse's name or line of work? Have you ever filed a Workers' Compensation claim or been injured on the job? Do you have any physical impairments that would prevent you from performing the job for which you're applying? Have you ever been arrested? What is your hair/eye color? What is your height/weight? Have you ever been hospitalized? If so, for what condition? Have you ever been treated by a psychiatrist or psychologist? If so, for what condition? Is there any health-related reason you may not be able to perform the job for which you're applying? How many days were you absent from work because of illness last year? Are you taking any prescribed drugs? Have you ever been treated for drug addiction or alcoholism?

What steps will you take to clarify unclear information, or instructions with regard to your work?
"I always think it is a good idea to talk personally to someone about a job so that we know we are both on the same page. So if something seems unclear, I will take time to talk to the person one on one for the purpose of clarification. As long as the other party understands it is because we both want to meet the same goal and work well together, then he or she will not take offense. I have learned that on occasions like this it is better to ask. People are often glad I did, because in this way we avoided unnecessary problems otherwise

What part of your current job do you dislike the most?

I would have to say that it is the lack of growth opportunities and it appears very few people are doing their work there because they enjoy the work. - by Staff

List of interview questions relating to the new job / company

Why do you want this job? What qualities do you think will be required for this job? What can you contribute? Why do you want to work for this company? What do you know about this company? What interests you about our product (or service)? What can we (the new company) offer that your previous company cannot offer? 8. You have not done this sort of job before. How will you cope/succeed? 9. Why should we employ you? 10. How long do you think it would be before you were making a significant contribution to the team/company? 11. How ambitious are you? 12. Would you compete for my job? 13. What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing? 14. What are you looking for in a new job? 15. What would you like to avoid in your next job? 16. Are you too old for this job? [Shouldn't be asked in countries with age discrimination legislation.] 17. Are you too young for this job? [Shouldn't be asked in countries with age discrimination legislation.] 18. You may be over qualified for this position? 19. Are you prepared to relocate? 20. Are you willing to travel? 21. What level of salary are you looking for now? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

List of interview questions relating to your current / previous job

How much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the differences? What do you think of the last company you worked for? Why did you join your previous company? Did they live up to your expectations? Why are you leaving now? Explain the organizational structure in your last company and how you fitted into it? 8. What did you think of your manager/supervisor? 9. How did you get on with your previous manager/supervisor, coworkers and subordinates? 10. What did you do on a day to day basis? 11. Did you increase sales or profits in your last job? 12. Have you reduced costs at your last company? 13. Did you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last job? 14. What problems did you encounter in your last job? 15. What annoyed you about your last job? 16. What did you earn in your last job? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Career related interview questions

Why did you choose a career in ? Why are you changing careers? What are your career goals? How long have you been looking for a new job? Do you prefer to work in a small, medium or large company? What would your ideal job be? Are you considering any other positions at the moment? If you have changed jobs a lot you may be asked how long you would stay in the new job. 9. Have you ever been fired? 10. How often are you off sick? 11. What will your referees say about you? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

List of interview questions relating to you

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. How would you describe yourself? How would others describe you? Do you consider yourself successful? What was your greatest success? How did you achieve it? What has been your biggest failure? How could you improve yourself?

8. Are you a leader? 9. How do you handle criticism? 10. What sort of manager are you? 11. What makes a good manager? 12. Do you work well with others? Or are you a loner? 13. Do you need other people around to stimulate you or are you self-motivated? 14. Are you accepted into a team quickly? 15. Can you act on your own initiative? 16. How do you run a meeting? 17. What motivates you? 18. What management style gets the best results out of you? 19. Do you know how to motivate other people? 20. Are you competitive? 21. Are you aggressive? 22. What do you dislike doing? 23. Do you feel you are ready to take on greater responsibilities? 24. Can you work under pressure? 25. How many hours are you prepared to work? 26. Do you mind working for someone older than yourself? Younger than you? Of the opposite sex? 27. What interests do you have outside work?

1) Interview questions about the new employer

Why do you want to work for this company?
You need to think about the company's needs rather than your own, so don't answer that the money is good or the work easier than your current job. Instead, talk about the positive reasons for working for them; pointing out how the aspects that appeal to you also match the skills and experience you'd like to develop.

What do you know about this company?

It's not enough to repeat the information that's been given in the application pack. You need to show that you have more in-depth knowledge. This means doing your research and finding out some more about the company from a variety of sources. Impress them with your knowledge of their products or services, sales figures, current news and developments, customers, figures, etc.

What interests you about our product (or service)?

Your research will again help you to answer this question. Your answer should display your knowledge of their products or services. More than this, you can

highlight your knowledge by explaining why the products or services interest you. Every reply should be illustrating why you are right for the position.

What can we (the new company) offer that your previous company cannot offer?
This question is designed to catch unwary candidates out, so be careful how you answer. Never criticise a current or previous employer, but focus on how you can contribute to the new company while continuing to develop your career by addressing new challenges. This means selecting some genuinely positive attributes of the employer, but without sounding as if you're trying to flatter your way into a job offer.

2) Suitability for this Job

Why do you want this job?
You may think you know, but this question can be surprisingly hard to answer if you haven't prepared for it. Write down a list of the attractive features of the job, leaving aside the salary, holiday and location. Mentioning these will make you seem selfinterested and will not get you the job. Always focus on the positive aspects of the job, never the negative, and don't ever criticize the job you are leaving.

What qualities do you think will be required for this job?

There will be a list of candidate qualities in the job description, but don't just rely on these. Try to both read between the lines and use your knowledge of the role to create your own list. Ideally, these will be qualities that you can offer. As well as jobspecific skills, your list should include transferable skills, such as communication skills and problem solving abilities.

What can you contribute?

This is your opportunity to really sell yourself. You need to mention your strongest attributes, covering your skills, experience and knowledge, as well as achievements in previous jobs that highlight these. Make sure you focus on those that are most relevant to the new position you're applying for.

You have not done this sort of job before. How will you cope / succeed?
If you have any self-doubt, this question could show it up. Even if you are confident, if you can't answer clearly, you're going to sound unsure of yourself. You need to focus on your solid work ethics, learning ability and history of hitting the ground running. This is another good opportunity to bring in one or two achievements from your current or previous jobs, to show you have succeeded in similar roles before.

Why should we employ you?

This is another question that is designed to put you on the back foot. The only way you can respond is to focus on your biggest strengths and the ways in which you can contribute to the company's success. You need to draw on your previous experience and achievements, keeping to those that relate to the company and the vacancy. All you say needs to emphasise that you're an excellent fit for the company.

How long do you think it would be before you were making a significant contribution to the team/company?
Everyone needs some time to settle in to a new job, so you need to assure the employer that you'll be returning their investment in you earlier rather than later. Be realistic about how long it'll take you to get your feet under the table. If you can start contributing quickly, say so. You can then ask them how long they'd expect you to start contributing and at which level they'd expect you to do so.

How ambitious are you? Would you compete for my job?

You need to get the balance right when answering this question. Yes, you're ambitious and want to do well, but at the same time you need to show that you will respect your superiors. The key to this is to focus on how you can contribute and achieve success within a team framework.

Do you feel you are ready to take on greater responsibilities?

Naturally, you will answer that you are ready. The interviewer is waiting to hear any note of self-doubt, so you need to show how you have progressed through previous positions, taking on greater responsibility each time. If you are early in your career and have had few work related responsibilities, you can refer to activities outside work where you've held responsibility.

What are your career goals?

Before applying for the job, you should have examined your career goals in some detail. When answering this question, you need to align these to aspects of the job in question; so that it's clear to the interviewer how interested you are in the position. The closer the alignment, the better. Bear in mind that you may need to amend your stated goals if the job is one that you're applying for because job opportunities are short at the moment.

You have changed jobs a lot. How long would you stay in this job?
You don't want to be viewed as a 'job-hopper', but that is the risk if you have moved around a lot. It's hard to deny the past that is clearly on your CV, but you can say

that you're looking for a long term opportunity that really gives you chance to learn and develop while contributing to the employer's goals. It's important that you show you're thinking about them, rather than just your own needs.

4) Previous job
How much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the differences?
In your answer, you need to show that because there are similarities between your last job and this one, you would fit in easily. Always start by emphasising the similarities and then minimising the differences, if these exist. Where there are differences, you can point out how you've quickly picked up new skills in the past, showing that it won't be a problem.

What do you think of the last company you worked for?

Do not be truthful when you answer this question, unless you thought your last employer was fantastic. Always focus on the positive aspects of your employment, as saying something negative will only serve to make you look like a complainer. Worse, the interviewer may challenge what you say, which will create all kinds of problems. You should never be negative about your last employer.

Why did you join your previous company? Did they live up to your expectations? Why are you leaving now?
Be honest about what attracted you to your current or previous employer. State that they did live up to your expectations, but that you feel you achieve even more in this position. Whatever the truth behind your desire to leave a job, always talk about the positive reasons for moving on, such as developing existing skills or progressing in your career through meeting new challenges.

Explain the organisational structure in your last company and how you fitted into it.
You need to take care with this answer, as how you answer could jeopardise your chances of moving up to a more senior level. You need to show that you coped easily with your last role, so you can take on the new responsibilities without difficulty. You also need to show that you're ready to step up to the new level, expanding comfortably into a wider or more demanding role.

What did you think of your manager/supervisor?

You should never criticize a former manager. Whatever the reality of their professional conduct, aiming a criticism at them will only make you look unprofessional. Always say that your manager was someone you could learn from in

a team, and that you communicated effectively and ensured the work load was completed on time. Even if the interviewer knows your last manager, don't be drawn into making personal comments.

What did you do on a day-to-day basis?

Focus on the tasks that are closest to those in the job you're being interviewed for. Be positive and link these details into your achievements. If an amount of your work was routine, that's not a problem - stress its value in supporting the company's goals and mention how you made small improvements to efficiency in completing it. Always sound interested and willing to do routine tasks as well as interesting ones.

Did you increase sales or profits in your last job?

This question is only relevant for senior managers or sales people. You need to draw attention to your achievements, stating confidently that you brought about increases (if you did), but without sounding smug or boastful. Always give figures. If the marketplace was challenging and many companies were struggling, do not be afraid to say that you minimised losses or tackled adverse conditions - this is just as much an achievement.

Have you reduced costs at your last company?

Reducing costs frees up profits, so bringing about savings in your job is certainly an achievement to be mentioned at interviews. Remember that saving time is also a way of reducing costs, as it is an improvement in efficiency. Always prepare your facts and figures before the interview, so that you can give specific answers.

Do you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last job?

If you're very happy with how you progressed, then say so, pointing out how this led to an achievement. Always remember that the interviewer may be getting a reference from your current or previous manager, so don't make claims you can't substantiate. If you are a fast learner, then say so. If you didn't progress enough, only say so if there were mitigating circumstances, such as the economic downturn.

What problems did you encounter in your last job? What annoyed you about your last job?
Never state that anything or anyone was a problem, as it will only make you look bad. Prepare a couple of answers that focus on problems that were beyond your control, such as market conditions or a change of direction in the company. Make sure that you can demonstrate your response to the problem, which either resolved it or minimized its effects. You need to show that you can deal with adversity or change.

How did you get on with your previous manager/supervisor, coworkers and subordinates?
You should always reply by saying that you got on with everyone, even if you did find somebody difficult to work with. Everybody has had a colleague who is difficult at some point in their career, but what's important to show is how you handle difficulties. By stating that you maintained a good professional relationship with everyone, you're showing that you are able to handle differences in personality.

Have you been responsible for implementing ISO9000/BS5750 or Total Quality Management (TQM)?
If you have, then you can provide examples of how you implemented it successfully. If not, this is an opportunity to specify how you have worked to company quality standards or met other regulations. A methodical approach and attention to detail are vital. You can state that you are open to undertaking any training relating to quality management.

5) About you
How would you describe yourself? / How would others describe you?
The way to answer this is to be honest, but not too honest. Describe your main professional strengths, including your personal attributes that come into play at work. Of course, these points should also satisfy the details of the person specification for the job. Always have achievements that you can link to the different strengths, as the interviewer may ask you for examples.

Do you consider yourself successful?

This is your chance to talk about your achievements. Say that you do consider yourself successful in meeting work related goals, mentioning some achievements that also align to the job vacancy's responsibilities and duties. Avoid sounding complacent by stressing that there's always more to learn and that you're keen to build on previous successes by developing further in your next job.

What was your greatest success? How did you achieve it?
As well as having a mental list of achievements, you need to ensure that you can talk about them in some detail. This usually means being able to describe each achievement and also to tackle a follow-up question, should the interviewer ask one. You will most likely know which achievement really stands out, but make sure it is relevant to the vacancy.

What has been your biggest failure?

If you say that you have never had a failure, the interviewer will not believe you. So instead of talking about a dreadful error you made at work, focus on something that you were able to correct, or which had minimal consequences. Always stress how much you have learned from your experiences.

How could you improve yourself?

This question is similar to "what is your greatest weakness?" If you say that you wouldn't improve anything, the interviewer is likely to challenge you or push for a reply. While you should never mention a negative, it's easy to focus on an area where you feel you could learn more and improve your work performance. Don't mention anything that is central to the job vacancy.

Are you a leader?

Don't claim to be a leader if you're not. If you are, describe how you have successfully acted as a leader, with examples. Ensure first that you fully understand what attributes and behaviour are generally regarded as leadership qualities. You can then describe which leadership qualities you have.

How do you handle criticism?

The interviewer is trying to assess how you respond to being managed or supervised. Nobody wants to employ someone who is unable to accept direction from a superior - or from a colleague. As ever, you need to show your readiness to improve and grow in your work by accepting valuable feedback. It is worth asking about staff appraisals and development plans (ie, training) at this point.