Sample Interview Questions

1. Why did you choose this profession/field?
2. Do you have professional goals? What are they? What is your plan to accomplish your career goals?
3. What is a big obstacle you had to overcome to get where you are today? How did you overcome it?
4. How do you keep up with technological changes in your field?
5. How does this position fit into your overall career goals?

1. Tell me about two good decisions you’ve made and two poor decisions and your reasons for them. Why were they good or bad? What were your alternatives?
2. Give me an example of a difficult decision you had to make, and the process you used to make it.
3. Can you describe how you go about solving problems? Please give us some examples.
4. Do you prefer to take your time to think things through or do you usually make up your mind quickly?
5. Give examples of which kinds of decisions you make quickly and ones you take more time on.
6. On the basis of the information you have received so far, what do you see as the major challenges of this position and how would you meet them?
7. What is the biggest conflict you have ever been involved in at work? How did you handle that situation?
8. What has been your most stressful job situation? What was the outcome?
9. What criticism was made of your work? To what do you attribute the criticism?
10. Think about an instance when you were given an assignment that you thought you would not be able to complete. How did you accomplish the assignment?
11. Have you ever had a great idea but been told that you could not implement it? How did you react? What did you do?
12. Describe a situation in which you did “all the right things” and were still unsuccessful. What did you learn from the experience?

1. Do you have any concerns that would make you have reservations about accepting this position if it is offered to you?
2. Do you have any additional information that you would like to share?
3. Do you have any questions for us?
4. What hours (or days) are you available to work, or unavailable?
5. How do you feel about travel (or relocating) ( if applicable)?

1. Give me an example of projects for which you have volunteered. Why did you volunteer?
2. What volunteer or social activities have helped you develop professional skills?
3. What professional associates do you belong to and how involved in them are you?
4. Discuss the committees on which you have served and the impact of these committees on the organization where you currently work.
5. Can you share with us your ideas about professional development?
6. Describe some basic steps that you would take in implementing a new program?
7. How do you keep up with technological changes in your field?
8. Tell us how you would use technology in your day-to-day job.
9. Tell us how you would learn your new job in the absence of a formal training program.
10. What new programs or services would you start if offered the position?
11. How do you demonstrate initiative in your job?

1. Tell us how you go about organizing your work. Also, describe any experience you have had with computers or other tools as they relate to organization.
2. What steps do you take to make sure your priority projects are accomplished?
3. What experiences or skills will help you manage projects?

1. Tell me about your work history.
2. What kind of work did you do?
3. How did you like your prior job? What did you particularly like about it? What did you dislike about it?
4. What were your wages at your prior job?
5. Tell us a little more about your professional experiences, particularly those not mentioned on your resume.
6. How frequently were increases given; what were they based upon -- merit, productivity or something else?
7. Were you ever promoted in prior jobs?
8. What benefits did you have at your prior company?
9. What kind of supervisor do you like to work for?
10. Describe the best boss and the worse boss you have ever had.
11. How were employee problems and complaints solved at your prior jobs? Did you think it was a good procedure?
12. What are some dissatisfying job experiences you’ve had? What are some satisfying job experiences you’ve had?
13. Why did you leave your prior job(s)? (get full explanation)
14. What kind of references would you receive from your former employers?

1. What prompted your decision to apply for this job?
2. Why are you interested in leaving your current assignment and why do you feel that this assignment would be better for you?
3. Why should we hire you? What makes you a better choice over all our other applicants?
4. What in your background particularly qualifies you to do this job?
5. Do you feel this position is a promotion, a lateral move, a broadening of your professional experience, or just a change? Why do you think so?
6. What are your major strengths and weaknesses?
7. What was the most creative thing you did in your last job? How did it happen?
8. What do you consider to be your chief accomplishment in your present (previous) job(s)?
9. What are one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

1. What do you see as the most challenging management task?
2. Give an example of how you handled a situation where your guidelines were not being followed.
3. What criteria do you use for delegating assignments?
4. Tell me about a specific experience where you have delegated authority and/or responsibility and how it worked out.
5. What are the characteristics that you prize most in an employee? What behaviors or characteristics do you find intolerable?
6. Give me an example of when you went the “extra mile” to cooperate with a difficult employee or situation.
7. What procedure do you use to determine the major strengths and weaknesses of employees?
8. How do you think an effective supervisor should communicate with his/her employees? What do you think are the requirements to communicate well with one’s employees?
9. What would you do if an employee was having personal problems that affected job performance?
10. What is your basic leadership style and how do you practice it?
11. What was the greatest accomplishment that displayed your quality of leadership?

1. What training/education other than high school or college have you had that has assisted you in your career?
2. In what professional development activities have you been involved over the past few years?
3. What new skills have you learned over the past year?
4. How would you characterize your level of computer literacy? What are some of the programs and applications with which you are familiar?
5. What are the three college courses that best prepared you for your current job?

1. Describe your ideal job.
2. Tell us about your preferred work environment.
3. How would you describe your attendance and punctuality?
4. What is most important to you in a job?
5. Do you prefer a pre-established work plan (you provide input) or do you prefer a range of broad goals from which to select?
6. Please share with us your philosophy about customer service in an academic environment and give us 
7. Tell me about a time when you personally, through extra effort on your own, ensured that a customer’s needs were satisfied.
8. How do you feel about diversity in the workplace? Give us some examples of your efforts to promote diversity.

Lee, Christopher D. Search Committees: A Tool Kit for Human Resource Professionals, Administrators, and Committee Members College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, 2000.