Traditional Interview Questions

Prepare answers to these questions, but don't memorize your answers so that you come off sounding like a robot.

Traditional Job Interview Questions

• How would you describe yourself?
• What are your long range and short range goals and objectives?
• What do you see yourself doing five years from now? Ten years from now?
• What do you really want to do in life?
• What are your long range career objectives?
• How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
• What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
• How well do you work with people? Do you prefer working alone or in teams?
• How would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict?
• Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor? How did you resolve the conflict?
• What’s more important to you -- the work itself or how much you’re paid for doing it.
• What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• How would a good friend describe you?
• Describe the best job you've ever had.
• Describe the best supervisor you've ever had.
• What would your last boss say about your work performance?
• What motivates you to go the extra mile on a project or job?
• Why should I hire you?
• What qualifications do you have that make you successful in this career?
• 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?
• Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in your spare time?
• What qualities should a successful manager possess?
• What are the attributes of a good leader?
• Which is more important: creativity or efficiency? Why?
• What’s the most recent book you’ve read?
• Describe the relationship that should exist between the supervisor and those reporting to him or her?
• What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
• If you were hiring a job-seeker for this position, what qualities would you look for?
• Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
• In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
• How do you work under pressure?
• Are you good at delegating tasks?
• What's one of the hardest decisions you've ever had to make?
• How well do you adapt to new situations?
• Why did you decide to seek a position in this company?
• What can you tell us about our company?
• What interests you about our products?
• What do you know about our competitors?
• What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
• Are you seeking employment in a company of a certain size? Why?
• What are your expectations regarding promotions and salary increases?
• What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work?
• Do you have a geographic preference? Why?
• Are you willing to relocate?
• Are you willing to travel for the job?
• Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our company is located?
• What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
• What have you learned from your mistakes?
• What have you accomplished that shows your initiative and willingness to work?