Speaking

TypicalJobInterviewQuestions
Selfawareness
1 Describeyourself.
2 Whatpersonalqualitydoyoufeelmostcontributestoyourcareersuccess?
3 Whatpersonalweaknesshascausedyouthebiggestdifficultyinyourjob?
4 Isthereanypartofyourcharacteryouwouldliketoimprove?
5 Whatisthebiggestmistakeyou'veever made?
6 Areyoua"bigpicture"personorareyoumoredetailoriented?Giveanexample
7 Whatmakesyouangry?
TheJob
8 Whatdoyouthinkittakestobesuccessfulinyourcareer?
9 Whatcriteriaareyouusingtochoosecompaniestointerviewwith?
10 Tellmewhatyouknowaboutourcompany.
11 Whydidyoudecidetoseekapositioninthiscompany?
12 Doyouhaveageographicpreference?
13 Woulditbeaproblemforyoutorelocate?
14 Towhatextentwouldyoubewillingtotravelforthejob?
15 Whatsuggestionsdoyouhaveforourorganization?
Howthecandidateworks
16 Whattwoorthreethingsaremostimportanttoyouinyourjob?
17 Whichismoreimportant:creativityorefficiency?Why?
18 Doyouworkbestinateamorindividually?
19 Whataretheessentialingredientsforworkinginateam?
20 Whatisthemostcompetitiveworksituationyouhaveexperienced?Howdidyouhandleit?
21 Howwouldyoudescribeyourleadershipskills?
22 Whatkindofsupervisordoyouworkbestfor?Provideexamples.
23 Describethecharacteristicsofasuccessfulmanager.
24 Tellmeaboutasituationwhereyouwereablepersuadesomeonetoseethingsyourway.
25 Give measpecificoccasioninwhichyouconformedtoapolicywhichyoudidnotagreewith.
26 Whengivenanimportantassignment,howdoyouapproachit?
27 Whatwasthemostcomplexassignmentyouhavehad?Whatwasyourrole?
28 Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouunderstoodanideainameetingandotherpeopledidnot.
29 Describeatimewhenyouhadtouseyourwrittencommunicationskillstogetanimportantpointacross.
30 Tellmeaboutasituationwhereyouhavehadtoadjustquicklytochangesoverwhichyouhadnocontrol.
31 Describeatimewhenyouwerenotverysatisfiedwithyourperformance. Whatdidyoudoaboutit?
32 What,inyouropinion,arethekeyingredientsinmaintainingsuccessfulbusinessrelationships?
33 Haveyoueverattendedameetingwheretheotherpersonhadnotpreparedproperly?Tellmeaboutit.
34 Describeasituationwhereyouhadtorequesthelporassistanceonaprojectorassignment
35 Describeatimewhenyouputyourneedsasidetohelpacoworkertounderstandatask.
36 Giveanexampleofwhenyoutookarisktoachieveagoal. Whatwastheoutcome?

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Speaking

Planning
37 Howdoyoudetermineprioritiesinschedulingyourtime?Provideexamples.
38 Describeasituationwhereyouhadtogetseveralthingsdoneatthesametime.Howdidyouhandleit?
39 Tellmeaboutatimeyouhadtohandlemultipleresponsibilities.Howdidyouorganizeyourtime?
40 Describeyoursystemforkeepingtrackofmultipleprojectsandmeetingdeadlines.
Decisions
41 Giveanexampleofatimeinwhichyouhadtomakeaquickdecision.
42 Tellmeaboutanimportantdecisionyouhadtomakeandhowdoesitaffectyoutoday?
43 Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtomakeadecision,butdidn'thavealltheinformationyouneeded.
44 Whatstepsdoyoufollowtostudyaproblembeforemakingadecision.
45 Wehaveallmadesomebaddecisions.Givemeanexampleofwhenthishashappenedtoyou.
Peopleskills
46 Giveanexampleofwhenyouhadtoworkwithadifficultperson.Howdidyoumanageit?
47 Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtodealwithadifficultclient.Howdidyouhandlethesituation?
48 Describeatimewhenyouhadtodealwithsomeonewhodidn'tlikeyou.Howdidyouhandleit?
49 Giveanexampleofwhenacolleaguecriticizedyourworkinfrontofothers.Didyoulearnanythingfromit?
50 Describeatimewhenyouhadtomaketwocolleagueswhodislikedeachotherworktogetheronaproject.
51 Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoucreategoodfeelingsquicklywithsomeoneunderdifficultconditions.
52 Haveyoueverhadtodisciplineanemployee?Whathappenedandhowdidthatmakeyoufeel?
53 Givemeanexampleofatimeyouhadtopersuadeotherpeopletotakeaction. Wereyousuccessful?
54 Describeasituationwhenyouwereabletohaveapositiveinfluenceontheactionsofothers.
Handlingproblems
55 Howwouldyouevaluateyourabilitytodealwithconflict?
56 Haveyoueverhaddifficultywithasupervisor?Howdidyouresolvetheconflict?
57 Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhaddifficultywithaclientorsupplier.Howdidyouhandleit?
58 Tellmeaboutamajorproblemyourecentlyhandled.Wereyousuccessfulinresolvingit?
59 Describeasituationwhereothersyouwereworkingwithonaprojectdisagreedwithyourideas.
60 Describeasituationwhereyourbosswasdisappointedinyourresults. Whathappened?
61 Describeatimeacolleaguewhowasntcompletingtheirshareofwork.Whathappenedintheend?
62 Describeasituationinwhichyouhadtoarriveatacompromiseorguideotherstoacompromise.
63 Wecansometimesidentifyasmallproblemandfixitbeforeitbecomesamajorproblem.Giveanexample.
64 Describethemostdifficultcustomerserviceexperienceyouhavehadtohandle.Whatwastheoutcome?
65 Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoufailedtomeetadeadline.Whatweretherepercussions?Whatdidyoulearn?
66 Describeasituationwhereyoufeltyouhadnotcommunicatedwell.Howdidyoucorrectthesituation?
67 Describeaproblemyousolvedforyourcompany.Whatroledidothersplay?
68 Whatdoyoudowhenyouarefacedwithanobstacletoanimportantproject?Giveanexample.
69 Describeateamexperienceyoufounddisappointing.Whatcouldyouhavedonetopreventit?
70 Recallasituationinwhichcommunicationswerepoor.Howdidyouhandleit?
71 Tellmeaboutatimewhenyourhonestywaschallenged.Howdidyoureact?
72 Sometimeswearefinddishonestyatwork.Howdoyoureacttoit?

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Speaking

Achievements
73 Whathasbeenyourmostrewardingachievement?
74 Whatwasthetoughestchallengeyou'veeverfaced?
75 Whatsortsofthingshaveyoudonetobecomebetterqualifiedforyourcareer?
76 Givemeanexampleofanimportantgoalwhichyouhadinthepastandaboutyoursuccessinreachingit.
77 Whatisthemostsignificantcontributionyouhave madetoacompany?
78 Givemeaspecificexampleofatimewhenyousoldyoursupervisoranidea. Whatwastheresult?
79 Describeanideathatwasntyourownthatwascarriedoutbecauseofyourefforts.
80 Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoucameupwithaninnovativesolutiontoachallengeyourcompanywasfacing.
81 Whathasbeenyourmostsuccessfulexperienceinspeechmaking?
82 Describethelasttimethatyouundertookaprojectthatdemandedalotofinitiative.
83 Describeaprojectthatbestdemonstratesyouranalyticalabilities.
84 Describearecentjobexperiencethatyouwouldconsiderasareallearningexperience?Whatdidyoulearn?
Motivation
85 Whatmotivatesyoutogotheextramileonaprojectorjob?
86 Areyoumoreenergizedbyworkingwithdataorbycollaboratingwithotherindividuals?
87 Whichismoreimportanttoyou,thejobitselforyoursalary?
88 Givemeaspecificexampleofsomethingyoudidthathelpedbuildenthusiasminothers.
89 Tellmeaboutadifficultsituationwhenitwasdesirableforyoutokeepapositiveattitude. Whatdidyoudo?
90 Haveyoufoundanywaystomakeajobeasierormorerewardingortomakeyourselfmoreeffective?
91 Whatdoyoudotomeetthepersonalandprofessionaldemandsinyourlifeinabalancedway?
92 Describeatimewhenyouhadtomakeadifficultchoicebetweenyourpersonalandprofessionallife.

References
http://www.quintcareers.com/interview_question_database/interview_questions.html

www.autoenglish.org

Compiledandadaptedby BobWilsonRobertCliffordMcNairWilson2008