The most important thing to remember when attending an interview is to be Prepared! Here is a list of common interview questions that you can expect to answer:
1. Tell me about yourself.
This is an open ended question but make sure your answer is not too long nor to short. Ideally you should be able to give an overview of your skills and experiences within 1 to 2 minutes.
You should start with your education. For example, “I am currently completing my OSSD in my final year after which I will be attending Seneca College to obtain my diploma in Computer Programming. I have created some basic programs for school projects and am interested in pursuing a career in this field. I think this summer position will help me gain some valuable experience.”
You should mention any relevant experiences you have that may be beneficial to the position you are interviewing for. Mention any volunteer, school or co-op experiences if you don’t have any work experience.
Remember, this question is a conversation starter. This is the first question and the interviewer wants to see how well you speak and present yourself.
2. Why are you interested in this position?
If you are a new graduate or are applying for a co-op position, you want to emphasize your education and how it relates to the position. Also express your desire to pursue a career in this field. Make sure you have read the job description thoroughly and speak about some of the job responsibilities that interest you.
If you are applying for a non-career related job, mention your desire to gain work experience so you can further develop your skill set. You can also mention that you enjoy working with people / kids and you enjoy working in the “retail” industry or the “restaurant” industry etc etc.
3. Why are you interested in working for our company?
Make sure you research the company before the interview! This cannot be emphasized enough. All of the information you require can be found online on the company’s website. Familiarize yourself with what the company does, what they specialize in, how long they have been in business, recent achievements etc.
In the interview, you should mention the positive things about the organization such as the company’s reputation, stability, growth or is well known or large etc etc. For example, a suitable answer can be “Company ABC is one of the most reputable organizations in this industry and I would love to be a part of the team and gain valuable work experience (or start my career here).”
Remember, the interviewer wants to see genuine interest, enthusiasm and excitement. They won’t hire someone who does not seem excited to work for the company.
4. Which skills and experiences do you have that will be transferable to this position?
Here you want to mention all of your past experiences that are applicable. For example, if you are applying for a position in the banking/financial industry, you should mention any experience you have where you were handling cash, transactions, bank deposits etc. Most students and new grads tend to have some experience in the retail industry therefore one possible answer could be “I worked as a cashier and I was responsible for handling cash, credit and debit transactions, bank deposits and balancing cash/till at the end of the day”
If you don’t have any related job experience, mention related co-op experience or talk about your college / university courses and experiences such as mathematical courses / finance courses / practicals / labs / tuition experience etc etc. Talk about your mathematical aptitude and your interest and ability to work with numbers.
Remember, mention any experience that will be applicable whether it’s from school, camp, volunteer or summer positions.
5. What are your strengths and weaknesses ?
You really need to think about this question beforehand and be prepared! Also remember that most people say “I am a perfectionist” so try to be original and stand out from the crowd.
Think about your positive traits or ask your family and friends about what they think are your better qualities. Things such as being a creative writer, good with numbers, being a people person, getting along well with others, calm, patient, great sense of humor and so forth are all valid strengths worth mentioning.
Ideally, the weaknesses you mention should not be ones that will be viewed as negative traits that will impact your performance at work and the ability to do your job. For example, it would be advisable not to state that you have a bad temper or are lazy (although you should take steps to better those conditions!). Positive traits can also be turned into “positive weaknesses” so that you still come out on top. For example, strengths such as being calm and patient can be a weakness because others can take advantage of that at times.
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years ?
We would all like to be President or CEO of a company but be realistic when answering this question! You may mention that you would like to continue to grow with the organization, you hope to continue learning more and progress in your career to a team lead or supervisory position with more responsibilities.
7. How would you handle situations such as / or give me an example of when :
a ) You had to resolve a conflict or problem
b ) You had to manage your time and multi-task
c ) You didn’t get along with your colleague / peer / boss
Think about some of these situations before the interview so you will be prepared. Examples from school are more than acceptable if you don’t have job related examples. You may not realize but when you have multiple exams and assignments due at the same time, you are indeed multi-tasking. You may also give examples of when you worked on a group project where you may have had to resolve a conflict or problem or perhaps you didn’t get along with another group member.
Think about what you did in those situations, write out your answers and read them out loud to hear what they sound like. Don’t mention that you got into a fist fight!! The interviewer wants to see how you handle yourself in certain situations which often arise in the workplace.
8. What are some of your most significant accomplishments to date? Which accomplishments are you proud of?
You can speak about any accomplishments you have from school, work, co-op, volunteer or even personal experiences. For example, you may have been the valedictorian at your graduation or perhaps you beat out 50 other students to obtain that co-op position or perhaps you just graduated which is an accomplishment on its own!
It would be advisable not to mention that you were prom king or queen as your most significant accomplishment. That being said, you can certainly mention it as an addition to other major achievements however be sure to add that you were proud of this because it proved that you were well liked by your peers and the majority voted for you. This also applies to any school elections you may have won. You should also talk about awards and competitions you may have won (ie: writing, sports, drama, music etc).
9. Why should we hire you for this position?
This is where you can sum up the entire interview. Tell the interviewer once again why you are interested in the job, re-state your education and experience and how they relate to the position. It can be difficult to sum up everything in a minute or two but an ideal answer may be along the lines of “You should hire me because I have a Degree in _________ and have experience in __________ and _________ working as a __________. I am serious about my career and want to work with an established organization such as this one in order to gain valuable work experience and hopefully progress within the company. Based on the job requirements, I believe I have the requisite education and experience to excel in this role. This position is an ideal start to my career and I bring the enthusiasm to be an integral member of the team.”
10. Do you have any questions?
Have questions! This shows your genuine interest in the company. Don’t ask questions that can easily be found on the company’s website and do not ask about salary info in your first interview! If the question has not already been answered, you may want to ask:
a ) Who the position reports to?
b ) What sort of person are they looking for?
This will get the interviewer to talk about the qualities they are looking for and you can offer additional information about yourself that is in line with what they are looking for.
c ) What is the environment and corporate culture like?
You may get additional insight into the company’s culture, their vision, company sponsored events, company fun days, what the people are like, what they do for their employees etc etc.
Remember, practice practice practice! Practice alone infront of the mirror, record yourself to hear what you sound like, practice with friends and family.
Remember, your answers should not sound rehearsed because you need to be yourself. The conversation should flow smoothly. If you practice the questions and answers above, it will help you to know yourself, your assets, strengths and positive experiences. Once you know these things, you should find it easy to express yourself in an interview without sounding like you have memorized or rehearsed everything.
And finally remember it’s okay to be nervous. The interviewer knows you are a student or new graduate and doesn’t expect you to be like someone interviewing for a senior management position. If you practice enough, you won’t be as nervous because as you know, the more prepared you are for an exam or presentation, the less nervous you tend to feel!
Good Luck!