What are the ten most common questions asked at graduate interviews?

1. Why do you want this job? 2. Have you got any questions? 3. Describe a situation in which you lead a team. 4. Describe a situation where you worked in a team 5. What do you expect to be doing in 5 years time? 6. What are your weaknesses? 7. Who else have you applied to/got interviews with? 8. Why did you choose your university and what factors influenced your choice? 9. What are your strengths? 10. What has been your greatest achievement? Other common questions (in rough order of popularity) were: Why do you want to join our organisation? What would you do if ........ happened? (hypothetical questions)

Describe a situation in which you dealt with confrontation (for example a difficult customer). Describe a situation in which you influenced or motivated people. What other careers have you considered/applied for? Why did you choose your degree subject? Describe yourself (in one word). Are you prepared to be mobile? Describe a situation in which you used initiative. Describe a situation in which you solved a problem. Describe a situation in which you took responsibility. What are your hobbies? What was your biggest setback? (How do you deal with adversity?)

Tell me about your project Describe a situation where you had to plan or organise something. What computing skills do you have? What is your usual role in a team? Describe a situation where you had a difficult decision to make.

Here are 20 Behavioral Interview Questions to prepare with: 1. By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments. 2. Describe the most significant or creative presentation that you have had to complete. 3. Give an example of how you applied knowledge from previous coursework to a project in another class. 4. Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do? 5. Describe a situation in which you found that your results were not up to your professors or supervisors expectations. What happened? What action did you take? 6. What was the most complex assignment you have had? What was your role? 7. How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems? 8. Compare and contrast the times when you did work which was above the standard with times your work was below the standard. 9. How have you differed from your professors in evaluating your performance? How did you handle the situation? 10.Describe some projects or ideas (not necessarily your own) that were implemented, or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts. 11.Describe a situation that required a number of things to be done at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result? 12.Tell of a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you maybe a time when other people missed the key idea being expressed. 13.Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person?

14.Give me a specific example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others? 15.Tell me about a difficult situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude. What did you do? 16.Give me an example of a time you had to make an important decision. How did you make the decision? How does it affect you today? 17.Give me an example of a time you had to persuade other people to take action. Were you successful? 18.Describe a specific problem you solved for your employer or professor. How did you approach the problem? What role did others play? What was the outcome? 19.Describe a time when you got co-workers or classmates who dislike each other to work together. How did you accomplish this? What was the outcome? 20.Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker or classmate understand a task. How did you assist him or her? What was the result?

Personal Characteristics / Skills / Strengths: Tell me about yourself What is your strongest personal asset?

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a student? Name 3 strengths that you have and why you consider these strengths. What would one of your friends/teachers/supervisors say about you? What would a supervisor or professor tell me are your strengths?

Academic Experiences/Performance: Why did you major in _________? Why did you choose to attend ___________ College/University?

When did you choose to enter this occupational field and why? How did you make the decision to apply to our program? What other programs did you consider? How has your undergraduate background prepared you for our program? What courses have you enjoyed the most? What courses have been most difficult for you? What satisfaction have you gained from your studies?

Tell me about the research project you completed with Professor _________? Do you feel your academic record accurately reflects your abilities and potential? Do you feel you have worked to your full potential? How would you rate yourself in the following areas? 1. Reading and Comprehension 2. Analytical Skills 3. Communication oral and written, listening What didnt you like about your college/university? Tell me about a professor or supervisor that you didnt like and why. Why would you be an asset to our department? How would you be able to contribute to our program? What skills and experiences do you feel have prepared you for admission to this program? Why should we consider you for our program instead of several other equally qualified candidates? How many programs have you applied to besides our institution/program? What will you do if you are not accepted into our program?

Extracurricular Activities: What extracurricular activity has been most satisfying to you? What is the most significant contribution you have made to your school?

What activities do you enjoy most outside of the classroom? Do you have any hobbies or outside interests? Tell me about any volunteer experiences in which you have participated.

Weaknesses: What challenges do you think you might face in the graduate program? What would you say is an area in which you need improvement?

What would you change about yourself and why? What skills or abilities do you hope to strengthen through our program?

Goals: What has motivated you to pursue this academic field? What are your short-term and long-term goals?

Why do you want a graduate degree in ___________?

How do you see this program fitting into your career goals? Tell me about a goal you have set for yourself and how you have achieved it or intend to achieve it.

Leadership/Teamwork/Problem Solving Skills, etc.: Tell me about a major accomplishment and how you achieved it. Tell me about a situation in which you showed initiative.

Tell me about a group in which you were involved. How did you contribute to make this group achieve a goal? Tell me about a time you assumed a leadership role. Tell me about a recent significant problem you faced and how you handled it. Tell me how you handle stress. Tell me about a time you had a number of assignments due. How did you make sure you completed all of them on time and did a good job? Tell me about a time when you were confronted by a fellow student, co-worker or a customer. How did you handle it to resolve the conflict? Tell me about a time you were faced with a difficult situation and how you handled it. Tell me about a mistake you made and how you handled it. Define teamwork (or success quality fairness) What was the last book you read or movie you saw? How will you make the world a better place? If you could have dinner with someone (living or dead), who would that person be?

Field Specific Questions & Current Events: You will undoubtedly encounter questions that related specifically to your chosen field of study. Be certain that you are aware of current trends, issues and controversy in your field so that you will be able to answer questions intelligibly. Below are a few examples:

What do you believe to be the major trends in your intended career field at this time? What do you think about _____________ (current event)? What problem in the world troubles you most? What would you do about it? What is the most important development in this field over the past 25 years, and why?

Questions Applicants Might Ask an Interviewer: Asking questions not only helps you as a candidate determine the fit of the program with your desired academic and career objectives, but it also communicates to the selection committee the extent of your interest in their program:

What characteristics distinguish this program from others in the same academic field? How long does it take typically to complete the program? Where are recent alumni employed? What do most graduates do after graduation? What types of financial aid are offered? What criteria are used for choosing recipients? What opportunities are available through the program to gain practical work experience? Are there opportunities such as assistantships, fellowships or internships available? What are the deadlines to apply for these opportunities? Are there any scholarships or fellowships available? How do I apply? Do most students publish an article/conduct research prior to graduation? I've read articles written by ________ and __ --____. To what extent are students involved in assisting these faculty members with related research projects? What types of research projects are current students pursuing? How are graduate test scores, grades, letters of recommendations, and personal statements evaluated for the admissions process? What is the selection timeline? When will candidates be notified about their acceptance into the program?

Sample interview questions

Ice-breakers Often an interview starts with an ice-breaker question to help develop the rapport between the interviewer and interviewee. Tell me about yourself? Why have you applied for this role? Resume information The interviewer may ask you to expand on information in your resume. It says on your resume that you have experience in X. Tell us some more about that. Your resume says you studied X. How will that help you in this role? Academic background You may be asked questions about your academic background and how it relates to the job you have applied for. Tell me about your university studies. Why did you decide to study X? How has your university experience prepared you for this job? Is your academic performance an indication of how you will perform in this job? What types of assignments have you written? How difficult were they to write? Tell me about the best assignment you ever wrote. Awareness of the organisation You could be asked questions about your knowledge of the organisation. Why do you want to work for us? What do you know about our organisation? Why does this industry/job/company interest you? Motivation and career orientation These questions check that your career goals match the job you are applying for. Why did you choose this career? What would you like to be doing in five years? How do you stay knowledgeable about the industry? Why did you leave your last position? Self-awareness These questions assess your awareness of your qualities, skills or areas where you need further development. Do you think you are an (innovative, determined, enthusiastic, considerate) person? Why do you think so? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

When answering the weakness question, pick a weakness that: you have corrected or learned to manage. You need to be able to describe your strategy for overcoming your weakness will not impact too negatively on your ability to complete the job. Technical or specialist An employer may be interested in your technical knowledge and skills and ask questions around related issues. What legal issues will you need to be aware of in this role? What are some of the professional boundaries that you might need to negotiate? What standards do you need to be aware of in this role? How do you keep your knowledge of the standards up to date? Hypotheticals or scenarios Hypothetical questions evaluate your problem solving skills. How would you deal with an irate co-worker? What do you think would be the result? How would you deal with an angry customer on the phone? Why would you take this approach? What would you do if you came across a task that you had never done before? More behavioural question examples

Describe a recent work or study-related problem. Tell me about the action you took to solve the problem. What was the outcome? Tell me about a situation in which you have had to adjust quickly to changes in organisational priorities. What was the impact of the change on you? Describe how you documented your last project. How did you structure it? What was your involvement specifically? What was the outcome? Can you describe a situation where you had to obtain co-operation from a person or group. What did you do to achieve this? What was the result? Describe a team project you have been involved in. Who were the team members? What role did you take? What were the results? Tell me about a time when you have had the opportunity to lead others. Tell me about a time when you weren't pleased with your performance. What did you do about it?

Significant achievements and other activities Employers like to see evidence of other acheivements and activities. These experiences can help you gain valuable employability skills. What is your proudest achievement and what skills have you gained from it? Can you provide examples of personal qualities or previous experiences that would make you a success in our company?

University Interview Questions 1. Your personal statement 2. About yourself 3. About your school They may ask you questions about your education such as: - What is your school like? - Tell us about your A-levels. - Why did you choose them? - What do you enjoy most about school and what frustrates you most about it? 4 .About the university & the course - Why do you want to do this degree? - Why this university? - Why should we offer you a place? - What do you know about this course? - What in particular attracts you to this course? - What makes you want to study this subject at university? 5. Subject questions Its more than likely that they will ask you about your subject. Dont worry, they dont expect you to be an expert, but they are looking for a genuine interest and aptitude for the subject. Often theyll be testing how you think and how you handle difficult questions 6. Topical questions The interviewer might ask you about topical issues relating to your subject, e.g. about something that has been in the news recently or a pertinent topic. The interviewer might deliberately present a controversial viewpoint in order to provoke you into debating with them. As mentioned earlier, dont be afraid to disagree with the interviewer. Please note though that this doesnt mean shouting them down. It shouldnt be a Big Brother-style slanging match, but a reasoned discussion. Always be prepared to justify your opinion or provide evidence (saying Your mum! doesnt quite cut it). Be aware of the different sides to an argument and the various ways to approach the question, but dont be afraid to offer your gut opinion. 7. Competency-based questions Here are some example questions: - Give an example of a time when you worked in a team. - Give an example of a time when you showed leadership skills. - Give an example of a time when you were put under pressure. - Give an example of a time when you held a position of responsibility. 8. Gap year - Why are you taking a gap year? / Why did you take a gap year? - What are you planning to do on your gap year? - Whats the point of doing a gap year? 9. Aspirations - Do you have any careers aspirations? - How do you think university is going to benefit your future? - Whats your primary motivation for going to university?

University

Whydid youchooseyour universityandwhatfactorsinfluencedyourchoice? Did you enjoyuniversity? Whydid youchooseyour degreesubject? Whydo youthinkgraduatesin .. [yourdegreesubject].. wouldbe good.. [job role youhaveappliedfor] .. ?

Extracurricular / skills / hobbies

Whatare your hobbies? Wereyou involvedin any teamsor societiesat university? Tell me aboutyourself

Conscientiousness / Trustworthiness / Time

Giveme an exampleof a timewhenyouhit a deadline Give me an example of a time when you failed to hit a deadline What was your biggest setback? How do you deal with adversity? What do you do when you are late for work?

Travel / Re-location

Do youenjoytravelling? Howwouldyou feel aboutfrequenttravel? Howwouldyou feel aboutre-locating?

Salary

Whatsort of salaryare youlookingfor?

University interview questions This page is intended to give students an idea of what to expect at a university interview and to advice them on how to successfully pass this process. It will do this by revealing the type of questions that interviewers are likely to ask and also by showing students how to respond them and what answers to give. Interview sessions can typically last anywhere between 20 minutes to 1 hour. During this time applicants will be not only be assessed on the answers they give but will also be judged on their overall performance, personality and ability to unpick open ended questions. Personal questions

Tell me about yourself? How would you describe yourself? How would your friends describe you? Are you satisfied with what you have achieved academically so far? What motivates you? How do you feel about working as part of a team? What are your career aspirations?

Questions about your abilities

How would previous tutors describe your work? Describe what you would consider to be major achievements in your life? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Why do you feel you could be successful on this course? Give an example of when you worked in a team? Give an example of when you worked under pressure?

Questions about your hobbies and pastimes

What are your main interests? How do you relax?

Questions about the university or course

Why do you want to study (the subject you have applied for)? What has attracted you to the course? Why did you choose this subject? Do you have any questions that you would like to ask us?

Unusual questions

Would you consider a person who risks their own life in extreme sports or endurance activities a hero or a fool? Why should we offer you a place?

GENERAL TIPS FOR THE INTERVIEW PROCESS Show your enthusiasm Try to appear enthusiastic, this can been seen as a positive sign by interviewers. Question clarification If you have not heard or understood a question clearly then do not be afraid to ask for it to be repeated. Your voice Maintain a clear voice when answering questions, mumbling and not giving clear answers can create an immediate bad impression. Show off your knowledge of the university and course One way to impress the interviewers is to demonstrate your knowledge of the course and university. You can do this mentioning that you have attended open days and met course tutors (give their names). Say that all of this research has confirmed to you that it is the place for you. Tips when answering questions?

Try to give evidence to back up any answers you give. Look for opportunities to praise the university i.e. I have read so many positive reviews about your university / department. Avoid giving one word answers.

Avoid giving long rambling answers. Try to create a relaxed two way discussion type atmosphere between you and the interviewer. Consider your answer before replying.

Preparing for a interview

Practise by staging mock interviews with a friend. If possible do this in a room with a chair and table to make it as life like as possible. Have some of your own questions ready beforehand. This is just in case you are asked if you have any thing you would like to ask the interviewer. Turn off your mobile before you enter the interview room. Make sure you arrive on time, do this by planning your travel route the day before and leaving early. Read and revise your personal statement and application beforehand, just in case you are asked questions on what you have written in it. Before the interview list your strengths and weaknesses and make a mental note of them.

Sample Scholarship Interview Questions

General questions & plans for the future

How did you become interested in your major? What influenced your choice of this major? How did you become interested in your focus area? Have you traveled abroad before? If so, where? What have you learned in your travels? What have you learned about yourself as you've been a student at BYU? What do you hope to accomplish while at graduate school? What are your educational/academic goals? What are your future career plans? How do you plan to use your studies to achieve your future career plans? What would you do if you didn't receive the fellowship? What do you envision yourself doing in 10 years? What will you do with your degree in the long run? Why will this scholarship help you in your career goals?

Hooks from application--Know your application & review your essays

You wrote in your application that you read poetry. What kind of poetry do you read? Who's your favorite poet? You said you like reading classics. What is one classical novel you recently read and did not like? I see your transcript includes ______ (a low grade, an odd course, etc.). Tell me about this.

I see in your application that you're fluent in ______. Translate this statement and tell me who said it. How would you be a good _______ as a ______ Scholar? What can you tell me about the person this scholarship is named for?

Questions about recommendations and choice of recommenders

Your high school principal wrote one of your recommendations. I'm always suspicious of applicants who need to go all the way back to high school to find someone who can say something good about them. What do you say to that?

Research/Topics in your field--Be prepared to talk about your work and that of others

I saw in your application that you intent to ______. Can you give us some examples, outside of your own research, of some successful studies in this field? Can you explain exactly what techniques or methods your propose to use in your research? What do you think will be the big thing happening in your field in the next ten years? Tell me about your honors thesis topic and describe the research methods you propose to use in your research. Is there anyone you would specifically like to work with?

Current events or hot political topics--Read a good newspaper; listen to opinion discussion shows.

Do you think everyone in America deserves healthcare? How should we provide healthcare to the poor? How specifically can we encourage private industry to participate? I recently read about ______. What can you tell me about this? What do you think is the big thing happening in ______ in the next ten years? Do you think that a financially powerful nation could effectively alter the cultural norms of another nation? What are your thoughts on US interventionism? You have one minute to tell the Prime Minister of India how to end religious violence. What do you say? What should the U.S. do about the War on Terrorism? Do you believe in state sponsored assassinations, and if not, what about in the case of Hitler? Welfare reform seems like a good thing. Lots of poor people are working now, when they weren't before. What do you think? Name what you think are the top five diplomatic achievements in the past decade. What is the biggest change you would make in government to improve its ethics? If a patient with late stage Alzheimer's had written a document requesting that his life no longer be supported, what would you do? Follow up: What level of abuse in the system would be enough to stop euthanasia: 10 in 100 or 5 in 100? Explain the importance of basic science (or some other topic) as if you were talking to a group of lawmakers. What can you tell me about globalization (or AIDS, unilateralism/multilateralism, U.S. foreign policy, etc.)? If there is an attack on the embassy where you're serving, what would be your plan of action? The ambassador asks you to write a cable about human rights in country X. How would you go about completing this task?

Questions about a student's choice of university and degree choice

What graduate schools/programs have you been accepted into? Why do you want to do postgraduate study now, as opposed to in two or three years? Is there anyone that you are specifically looking forward to working with? You say you want to study for a PhD in X, yet your university does not have department of X. How are you qualified for this? You say you want to study for a PhD in X, yet the majority of your preparation is in Y. How are you qualified?

Questions about your personality or how you spend your time

What do you do for fun when you're not studying, doing research, or performing community service? I see you've accomplished some amazing things in your short life. In what areas do you think you can improve? I see you've done a lot of community service. Which service project are you most proud of and why?

I also assume you've been involved in some leadership experiences. Please describe your most meaningful leadership experience and explain why it was most meaningful. What kind of music do you listen to? What is a novel or book that you've read for pleasure recently and like, and why did you like it? How would you define life? And what is your position on abortion? What is more important--someone agreeing with you on these issues or someone figuring out their own stance on these issues? What is your "Top 5 " list for the following? Favorite novels, favorite non-fiction books, favorite movies, favorite contemporary political leaders, favorite historical political leaders. What would you do if you won a billion dollars in the lottery? You have a strong desire to give back to the world. Where does this desire come from? Your family, religion or somewhere else? If someone was writing your obituary, what would you want it to say, and what work of literature would it quote? What is your philosophy on service that keeps you dedicated to it?

They may give you an opportunity to say whatever you want, so be ready.

Do you have anything else to add? Why should you be one of the 10 people to get this scholarship?