Career Development Center

Many interviewers choose to include a mix of behavioral and traditional questions. Traditional interview questions include those about your educational background, past work experience, extra-curricular activities, and outside interests and activities.

Almost all interview questions asked in the traditional style can be boiled down to information in three categories: 1) CAN you do the job? 2) WILL you do the job? And 3) Do you FIT into my organization?

Below are some common Traditional interview questions you might encounter. Practicing your answers for these can be a great way to prepare for an interview.

CAN type questions

1. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
2. How has your education prepared you for a career?
3. Why should I hire you?
4. What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in your job?
5. What relationship should exist between a supervisor and subordinate?
6. Describe your most rewarding educational experience.
7. Why did you select your college or university?
8. What led you to choose your field of major study?
9. What college subjects did you like best? Why?
10. What college subjects did you like least? Why?
11. If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently and why?
12. What changes would you make in your college or university? Why?
13. Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
14. Do you think that your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?
15. What have you learned from participation in extra-curricular activities?
16. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
17. What have you learned from your mistakes?

WILL type questions

1. What are your long-range (5, 10, 15 years) and short-range (1-4 years) goals and objectives? When and why did you establish these and how are you preparing to achieve them?
2. How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
3. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
4. What do you think it takes to be successful in an employment situation like ours?
5. What contributions can you make to our operation?
6. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
7. Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?

FIT type questions

1. What rewards do you expect in your career?
2. Why did you choose your career?
3. Which is more important to you: money or type of job?
4. How would you describe yourself?
5. How do you think a friend or professor would describe you?
6. How do you determine or evaluate success?
7. What qualities should a successful manager possess?
8. If you were hiring someone for this position, what qualities would you look for?
9. In what kind of a work environment are you most comfortable?
10. How do you work under pressure?
11. How would you describe your ideal job?
12. Why did you decide to seek a position with us?
13. What do you know about our company?
14. What two or three things are most important to you in your job?