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    50 Challenging Interview Questions You Should Know

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    Josefina Policarpio II
    This document provides summaries of 50 common interview questions, including sample answers. Some of the questions covered include: 1) Describing yourself in an interview. The summary should focus on relevant experience and qualifications rather than entire life history. 2) Naming strengths and weaknesses in an interview. Candidates should be confident about strengths with examples, and downplay weaknesses by relating them to the job. 3) Explaining why a university was chosen. The answer should focus on quality of education and preparation for future career, rather than social factors.

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    50 Challenging Interview Questions You Should Know

    Uploaded by

    Josefina Policarpio II
    17 views2 pages
    This document provides summaries of 50 common interview questions, including sample answers. Some of the questions covered include: 1) Describing yourself in an interview. The summary should focus on relevant experience and qualifications rather than entire life history. 2) Naming strengths and weaknesses in an interview. Candidates should be confident about strengths with examples, and downplay weaknesses by relating them to the job. 3) Explaining why a university was chosen. The answer should focus on quality of education and preparation for future career, rather than social factors.

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    This document provides summaries of 50 common interview questions, including sample answers. Some of the questions covered include: 1) Describing yourself in an interview. The summary should focus on relevant experience and qualifications rather than entire life history. 2) Naming strengths and weaknesses in an interview. Candidates should be confident about strengths with examples, and downplay weaknesses by relating them to the job. 3) Explaining why a university was chosen. The answer should focus on quality of education and preparation for future career, rather than social factors.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    17 views2 pages

    50 Challenging Interview Questions You Should Know

    Uploaded by

    Josefina Policarpio II
    This document provides summaries of 50 common interview questions, including sample answers. Some of the questions covered include: 1) Describing yourself in an interview. The summary should focus on relevant experience and qualifications rather than entire life history. 2) Naming strengths and weaknesses in an interview. Candidates should be confident about strengths with examples, and downplay weaknesses by relating them to the job. 3) Explaining why a university was chosen. The answer should focus on quality of education and preparation for future career, rather than social factors.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    50 challenging interview questions you should know

    1. How would you describe yourself?


    This is a typical first question. Though it might look simple, many candidates don`t know whether to
    recap their entire life story, or get to the point about why you are fit for the job. Important is to stick to
    the present tense: the recruiter has already read your CV, and would not be so interested in your
    primary school etc. So limit your youth to the minimum and concentrate on your recent academic
    achievements and ambitions. If applicable, you can combine your past (youth) and current experiences:
    e.g. "My youth abroad at International Schools, together with my studies of International Politics,
    determined my ambition to pursue an international career, ideally at a company such as yours."

    2. Describe yourself in one word.
    Quite difficult question... ! It`s not a question one would expect in an interview, though they do occur. If
    forced to choose, try to stick to positive generic terms such as "ambitious", "sociable", "assertive".

    3. Name 3 of your strengths and weaknesses.
    Try not to come across as too arrogant, nor too humble. Be confident about your strong traits, and back
    them up with examples. This will lead to more credibility, and won`t sound like you memorized the list
    of most desired traits amongst recruiters (which by the way include: intelligence, communication skills,
    sociable, dedication etc). Regarding your weaknesses: don`t be too open about these. Recruiters can
    immediately write you off if you reveal a weakness which is essential to the vacancy you are applying
    for. When mentioning your weaknesses, a strategy is to turn a strong point into a weakness, e.g. "I love
    to explore and try new challenging things, also at work, though can sometimes underestimate the
    additional workload it brings." Another trick is to mention a weakness which is completely irrelevant to
    the position. For example by mentioning a lack of IT skills for a position which would require none of
    these whatsoever.

    4. What type of books, magazines and newspapers do you read?
    Which were the latest ones you read?
    The recruiter wants to learn more about your interest in national and/or global news, as well as your
    interest in literature. Depending on the type of company you are applying for, and the sector it`s in, it
    can be wise to mention some recent influential books in your profession. Don`t fake having read these
    books, but don`t be too honest in saying you haven`t read a book since high school! Consider it as part
    of the job in being up-to-date on current affairs in the country/world, and even more important, in the
    sector you are seeking a career in.

    5. Why did you choose your specific university?
    Compliment your university on its first-class education and top reputation, and any other factors which
    might be applicable. Try to stick to this focus of quality and education, and not on factors such as a good
    sports reputation, no other options, my girlfriend went there as well etc etc. It is best to say that you
    looked at quite a lot of options, visited many campuses, and enrolled in the university which best met
    your ambitions, and would be the ideal university to prepare you for your future career.

    6. How was your transition from high school to university?
    The leap from high school to university can be quite a major one. More freedom and responsibilities,
    more challenging coursework, and many new people and surroundings. The recruiter is trying to find out
    how good you were at adapting to this new environment. An ideal answer could be: "The beginning was
    quite challenging but fun: more demanding coursework, meeting new people etc. I tried to meet a lot of
    new people by becoming a member of several organizations, though kept my focus on meeting the
    requirements in class. It was challenging to find a balance between social and academic life, but I believe
    I managed well. I found my first university semester to be very rewarding and fun."

    7. Tell me more about your academic performances.
    The recruiter might have taken a good look at your university grades, and would like to hear from you
    how you look back at your performance in university. If you grades were very good, you don`t need to
    be too modest about that. However be honest if you grades weren`t all that good.. Highlight your
    specific achievements, and have an explanation ready for those where you didn`t perform that well.
    Remember: recruiters are mainly interested in those subjects which really matter and reflect your
    capabilities best (such as theses and internships), and not in a first-year essay.

    8. How will your university education benefit your future career?
    The recruiter wants to know how your education will benefit their company, not your future career.
    Explain how your major is directly related to the company`s field of work, and possibly how your minor
    can benefit a market or industry they are tapping into. If your education doesn`t really match the
    company, you can for example emphasize other aspects in your background or education, for example:
    "My internship at company x in country y forced me to adapt quickly to new environments and to delve
    into new matter in a very short period of time. I am therefore convinced that I have the ability to adapt
    and learn in your company in a short period of time as well.", or: "I know that a business degree is
    typical amongst applicants applying for a consulting firm as yours. However my engineering education
    has developed my analytical thinking ability, and taught me to approach problems and cases in a logical
    manner. Furthermore I think an employee such as me, with a different educational background, can
    complement your team by adding more variety and unconventional thinking."

    9. Do you have any plans to continue studying, for an advanced degree for example?
    An ideal answer would be: "Obviously I am always interested in further education to enhance my value
    as an employee and to develop myself further. I would be very interested in any company trainings to
    keep up-to-date about developments in the industry, or other courses on management and teamwork. I
    consider an MBA as an interesting option as well, given that it would fit in well with my career progress
    within a company such as yours."

    10. If given the chance, would you have done anything differently in your university career?
    The recruiter is trying to detect any flaws in your university experience. A possible answer would be: "I
    would not changing anything. My university life was extremely rewarding, both socially and
    academically. It was the best time of my life, and I would even consider doing it all over again!"

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