Interview Questions & Answers

Besides money, what satisfactions do you expect to get from your job?

Besides money, I get the satisfaction of knowing I have accomplished stuff everyday and am working towards a goal.

What courses did you like the best and why?

During highschool so far my favorite classes have been yearbook and jazz band because they are more independent work based and challenging without being too difficult.

Do you think your extra-curricular activities were worth the time devoted to them? Why?

I always choose my extra-curricular activities carefully to make sure that they will be something I enjoy and that I will enjoy the time I devote to them, so I do think that all of my extra-curricular activities were worth the time I devoted to them.

What motivates you to go the extra mile on a project or job?

I am always motivated to go the extra mile on a project or job so I can know that I gave my best effort.

What motivates you to put forth your best effort?

I am motivated to put forth my best effort at all times because it gives me personal satisfaction to know that I tried my hardest at whatever it is I'm trying to accomplish.

How are you prepared to achieve them?

I am prepared to achieve these goals by gaining work experience and learning more about my desired profession and its surrounding field.

Under what circumstances do you think a person should be fired?

I believe that a person should be fired when it is clear that they are not committed to their job, or when a person demonstrates poor behavior with co-workers or customers/clients.

Does your college grade point average reflect the kind of work you will do for this company?

I believe that my college grade point average will reflect on how much I will be committed to the job, and the amount of effort I will put into my work.

What do you consider to be your biggest strengths?

I consider my biggest strengths to be my determination, creativity, and organization.

When did you decide on these goals?

I decided on my long-range goal early on because I always knew that the ideal would be a job I enjoy within my desired field that also provides a steady source of income. My short-range goals came later on once I discovered what I would need in order to be in a position to achieve my long-range goal.

How do you determine or evaluate success?

I evaluate success by the type or amount of effort put into a project and by the finished result of a project.

What do you expect from a supervisor?

I expect a supervisor to be aware of what's going on with their coworkers, to support the people who work for them, and to be clear about their expectations.

What makes you a better candidate for this job than the other students who will be graduating in your major?

I feel that I would be a better candidate for this job than the other students who will be graduating in my major because I will be more committed and hardworking than the other graduating students.

Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.

I have a friend who tends to procrastinate a lot when it comes to homework and classwork. I often convince her that completing homework and classwork is important them it seems and get her to start working and completing her homework and class projects.

Tell me about yourself.

I like music. I have learned how to play baritone and trombone. I also like to read.

What do you consider to be your biggest weaknesses?

I think my biggest weaknesses are public speaking and focusing too much on the details.

How would your co-workers describe you?

I think my co-workers would describe me as motivated, responsible, and prepared.

What do you think former employers would tell me about your strengths and weaknesses?

I think that my former employers would tell you that I have a good work ethic and that I'm self-motivated. I also think they would tell I could be better at delegation and public speaking.

How would people who know you well describe you?

I think that people who know me well would describe me as intelligent, motivated, creative, responsible, and prepared.

Which extra-curricular activities did you enjoy the most?

I think that the extra-curricular activities I have enjoyed the most are jazz band and yearbook because although they are hard and require a lot of time and effort I enjoy the results a lot.

What do you think should determine a person's progress within an organization?

I think you should determine a person's progress within an organization by how much they participate in the community of the organization, the amount of effort & commitment they put into their work, and the tasks they've accomplished.

Some people consider themselves to be "big picture people" and others are detail oriented. Which are you? Give an example that illustrates your preference?

I would consider myself to be both a "big picture person" and detail oriented. For example, when I have a big project to complete, I first think of what I want the project to look like in the end and once I have the vision for what I want my project to be I then focus on the finer details for the rest of the way.

How would you describe yourself?

I would describe myself as organized, respectful, and open-minded.

If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?

If I was at a business lunch and I ordered a rare steak and it was brought to me well done, I would politely tell the waitress that I ordered a rare steak and send it back. I would do this because I am at a business lunch and I feel that it would send a bad impression to ignore the problem. I feel that not sending it back if other people noticed would send the message that you are okay with ignoring problems or faults in other people's work and your own.

Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.

If I was in this situation, I would prioritize. I complete the tasks in order of importance, so by the end of the day I should have the most important tasks completed and the ones still left undone should be far less important.

If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?

If I were an animal, I would be a household dog because I would bring joy to my owners.

Tell me about a time you were successful because you paid close attention to detail.

In english we often have to analyze pieces of literature. When I know that we are going to be analyzing a book or something, I always make sure to pay closer attention to the theme of the book and it claims. I also write down quotes while I'm reading the book instead of waiting until I finish the book to find quotes. These habits and attention to detail makes it so much easier to analyze my book and write a paper or make a presentation on it when I finish the book.

What do you expect to be earning in five years?

In five years I expect to be earning at least a steady source of income most likely from a part-time job.

What do you see yourself doing in five years?

In five years I see myself starting to finish up college and start looking into jobs and work experience that relates more directly to whatever position I want to hold.

For a team to function effectively, every member must be committed to the team and its goals. Tell me about how you've demonstrated your commitment to the team. What were the results?

In jazz band our goal is to place well at competitions and to hopefully be able to go to state. To show my commitment, I show up on time to every jazz band practice and practice on my own during my band lessons. The results when everyone commits is getting good competition results and placing close to being able to go to state.

Describe a time when you were a team leader. Who did the team consist of, and what did you do to help your team be successful?

In math class, everyone works in groups. I work with two other people during math when we're working on our own. One of the people I work with works at a faster speed than the other person. I work at the speed of the faster person, but I always check in with the person who works a little slower to make sure she's not left behind. We also usually wait for her when get too far ahead. This helps to make sure that everybody understands the concepts and has somebody to work with.

Can you give me an example of when you had to correct someone?

When I have to correct someone I try to be polite and explain why something was wrong and how they can correct it instead of just telling them that what they did was wrong and leaving it at that.

What are your long-range & short-range goals?

My long-range goal is to have a good job with a steady source of income, and my short-range goal is acquire employment and more work experience within my desired field.

How do you want to improve in the next year?

Next year, I want to be even more organized and use planners more consistently and set reminders to make sure that I am as prepared as I can be and not forget anything important.

Interacting with others can be challenging at times. Tell me about the greatest difficulty you faced when trying to get along with peers, team members, or others at work. How did you handle the situation?

The greatest difficulty I've had to deal with when it comes to working with others is trying to work with people who do not care and are completely unengaged. When people are unengaged or don't care, I try to remind them that they need to do whatever it is we were assigned to do at some point so we might as well work on it together like we were told to do and complete it now.

What is the most important thing you've learned in school?

The most important thing I've learned in school is how to work with others and be a leader.

What was the most useful criticism you ever received and who was it from?

The most useful criticism I ever received was that instead of taking criticism personally I should know that it is about whatever I am working on and that I should be happy to receive criticism and be able to use it to make whatever I am working on better. This was from one of my middle school teachers.

What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?

To keep myself organized, I use a planner, time management, and prioritization.

Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.

To me good is that you did exactly what was asked of you and nothing more. Exceptional is when you go above and beyond and give your best effort on something.

Give two examples of things you've done in previous jobs or school that demonstrate your willingness to work hard.

Two things I've done in school that show my willingness to work hard are participate and jazz band and student lighthouse. Jazz band is a zero hour class, which means I technically have a 9th class three days a week during jazz band season. I have to be to school early and balance homework for my eight classes with practice for jazz band. Being a student lighthouse members means I have weekly meetings to plan school events. I also help set up school events and work at events with other student lighthouse members.

Can you give me an example of a time when you had to persuade someone to do something they didn't want to do?

When I have to convince someone to do something they don't want to do, I always remind them of the benefits that could come with doing whatever it is they don't want to do.

Can you give me an example of your decision-making style?

When I make decisions, I always think about the pros and cons of each potential option. If it's a difficult decision, I"ll write out a pros and cons list for each option and compare them.

Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing.

You could use a pencil as a finger exercise, as a garden stake, to start a fire, a measuring device, to stir drinks, a cat toy, a conductor's baton, to reach something in a tight space, drum sticks, or a bookmark.

Why should I hire you?

You should hire me because I will be a hard worker, organized, prepared, and on time.