Interview Questions
Below are some different types of questions an
interviewer may ask on the interview. You should be prepared to answer
some of the following questions before you walk in to the interview.
General Information
 | Tell me about yourself. |
| What are your
interests/hobbies? |
| Who has been a role
model for you? |
Educational Background
| Why did you attend
Rollins College? |
| How did you decide on
your major? |
| Which class(es) did you
enjoy most? |
| Which class(es) did you
like least? |
| Based on your
understanding of this position, which classes have best prepared you
for this job? |
| How would your
professors describe you? |
| What is your GPA? |
| If you could change
anything about your undergraduate education, what would it be? |
Work History
| Tell me about your
previous jobs/internships? |
| Which job did you enjoy
most? Why? |
| What are the three most
important skills you developed in your previous jobs/internships? |
| How would former
employers describe you? |
Career Interests
| What are your career
goals? |
| Why are you interested
in this position? |
| What do you know about
our company/agency? |
| Why are you interested
in our company/agency? |
| What are your long-term
career goals? |
| What economic, political
and/or social trends do you think will impact our industry/system in
the near future? |
Skills
| What experience do you
have in campus or community activities? |
| What have you
learned/gained from your extracurricular activities? |
Motivation
| What distinguishes you
from other candidates? |
| Is there anything else
that you would like to tell me regarding your qualifications? |
| Why should I hire you? |
Illegal
Questions
In most
interviewing situations, the questions that you will be asked are standard
and relevant to the position for which you are applying. However, in a
rare situation, you may be asked questions that make you feel
uncomfortable or seem irrelevant to the position at hand. State and
federal laws regulate the type of questions an employer can ask. Questions
concerning marital status, family, or religious beliefs are considered
"illegal" in most situations. An exception may be if you are
applying for a counselor or teacher position in a religious organization.
If you feel that the
questions being asked of you are illegal, you have three choices of
responding. First, if you are not offended by the question and do not feel
that your response will hurt your candidacy, you may answer the question
directly. A second option would be to refuse to answer the question
stating that you are uncomfortable with the question; in many instances,
this type of response will probably cause the employer to reject you as a
candidate. However, you should consider if you would even feel comfortable
working for the employer in the first place. Finally, you may answer the
question in a non-direct method. For example, if the employer asked about
your marital status due to the long hours that will be required, you may
respond by saying that you are fully aware of the work schedule and are
willing to commit the necessary hours. Following is a partial list of
illegal interview questions:
| Are you married? Single?
Divorced? Engaged? Living with anyone? Do you see your ex-spouse? |
| Do you have children at
home? How old? Who cares for them? Do you plan to have more children? |
| How tall are you? How
much do you weigh? |
| Have you ever been
arrested, convicted, or spent time in jail? |
| If you served in any of
the armed forces, what type of discharge do you have? What branch did
you serve in? |
| How old are you? |
| Do you own your home? Do
you rent? Do you live in an apartment or a house? |
| Are you a U.S. citizen?
(Employers may ask if you have the proper work permits or are legally
able to work in the US.) |
| What clubs or social
organizations do you belong to? |
Questions for the
College Student to Ask the Employer
| What will be expected of
the person who is hired for this particular position? |
| Would you tell me in
detail about the responsibilities of this position? |
| How does this job fit
into the overall structure of the department? |
| What are the typical
career paths for people who start in this position? |
| What qualities are you
looking for in candidates for this position? |
| Is this a new position? |
| How will training be
conducted? |
| Would you tell me about
the work environment? |
| How is job performance
evaluated? |
| Is there anything else I
can tell you about my qualifications? |
| I hope that I am one of
the candidates you are considering. When can I expect to hear from
you? |
Do Not Ask the Following
| Questions that will put
the interviewer on the spot. Example: "How are women treated
here?" |
| Questions that broadcast
you have not done your homework. Example: "What product does
this company make?" |
| Questions that tip the
interviewer off to a problem you might have. Example: "Are
people in your department easy to get along with?" |
| Questions that imply you
already have the job. Example: "Will you show me my
office?" |
| Questions that cause the
interviewer to wonder about your priorities. Example: "How
much money will I make? 6. How much vacation will I get? Do you
provide tuition reimbursement for graduate school?" |
Questions Employers Ask
Teacher Candidates
| What is your philosophy
of education? Of discipline? |
| What issues of education
are of greatest concern for you? |
| Describe the role of the
teacher in the learning process. |
| What is the role of the
teacher in the community? |
| How would you
individualize instruction in your classroom? |
| Why do you want to
teach? |
| What special abilities
do you have that would benefit your students? |
| What prompted you to go
into the field of education? |
| Do you grade on ability
or effort? Why? |
| Are you interested in
working with students in some extracurricular activity? If not, why
not? |
| What are the most
important rewards you expect from your career in teaching? |
| How do you determine or
evaluate success in teaching? |
| Why did you decide to
seek a position with this school district (or school)? |
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