Senioritis is no more. Like many seniors without a grad school acceptance or a job offer, I’m looking forward to a semester packed with prelims and interviews. Applying for full-time jobs can be stressful–particularly when taking 18 credits–and interviewing can be one of the most anxiety-producing aspects of the job search. But after interviewing several times, I’ve realized that many interviewers rely on the same types of questions. If you can answer these, you’ll be one step closer to landing your dream job!
Here are some of the most common interview questions that I have encountered:
Why do you want to work at XYZ company?
Make sure you’ve done your research and have an answer ready for this question. Companies want to know what you can contribute to THEIR company, not just why you are a good job candidate in general.
What are your strengths?
Before your interview, take a thorough look at the skills the company is looking for in job candidates. You can usually find these in the job description on the company’s website, or if the company is recruiting at Cornell, you can ask Career Services what skills you should emphasize. Based on this information, you can show the company that you have the strengths they’re looking for. For example, if the job description says “organized,” give examples of how you are organized. Make sure to only talk about skills that are relevant to the job at hand. Don’t spend ten minutes talking about how athletic you are when the job requires you to sit at a desk for eight hours a day.
What are your weaknesses?
Personally, I like to be honest with this question and truly share a weakness. However, it is important to share the steps that you are taking to overcome that weakness. If your weakness is that you are forgetful, explain how you set multiple alarms and keep a detailed calendar to help remind you of important things that you need to do.
Tell us about a time when you experienced a conflict…or displayed leadership, worked on a team, disagreed with your boss, etc.
Be honest about a conflict that you experienced, but make sure to also explain how it was successfully resolved. Focus less on the negativity and more on how you successfully overcame the problem. Most interviewers asked me a variation on this question, so it’s a good idea to have a few stories about school, work or extracurricular situations in the back of your head that you can twist around depending on the exact wording of their question.
How many passengers leave JFK on a given day?
I got this question last year while interviewing for an internship. I had not prepared much and was caught COMPLETELY off guard by the question! But don’t panic if you can’t do rapid mental calculations on the spot. Your answer to these types of questions is not nearly as important as the thought process you put into it. So, when responding to a question like this, take your time and clearly articulate HOW you would go about answering this question. The interviewer wants to see that you can think analytically and creatively, rather than just following directions.