If you’re like many college students during the job search, you may not know what kinds of questions to expect from recruiters during an interview.  This is a critical step in how to find a job.

I know I certainly didn’t know what to expect.  I thought I would just “wing it” and by “being myself,” I would win enough points with the recruiters to get asked back for a follow-up interview.  I was naïve, and I definitely don’t recommend you do the same thing.

By reading this and understanding the questions you are likely to face and then preparing for them, I guarantee you will at least double your chances of success during an interview.

The first thing to understand is that a lot of companies in today’s world have standardized on what are called Behavior-Based Questions.  These are questions designed to get you to tell about what actions you have actually taken, not what you “would” or “should” do, but what you have actually done.  They are extremely effective at it too.

If you’re like me, you might hate them at first, but by the end of the job searching process, you feel comfortable and at home with them.

Here are a few examples of Behavior-Based Questions:

            “Tell me about a time when you demonstrated good leadership abilities.”
            “Give me an example of a time when you were challenged technically, and what you did to overcome that challenge.”
            “Give me an example of your typical way of dealing with conflict.”
            “Tell me about a time when you showed initiative to take the lead.”
            “Tell me about a time when you failed, and what you learned from it.”
            “Give me an example of a time when you had to make an unpopular decision.”
            “Tell me an example of when you set your expectations too high (or too low).”
            “Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to persuade an audience.”
            “Give me an example of a time when you had too many things to do at once, and what you did to overcome the situation.”

Clear as mud, right?  Well, here’s the rub: If you prepare correctly, your tool-kit of about 4-5 experiences can be modified to fit just about any one of these examples with flying colors.  Sadly, that isn't something I can share with just anyone… it is all contained in my Interview Example Generator Bonus to the Job Search Guide.

Other questions you should prepare for during an interview:

            “Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?”
            “So…Tell me about yourself”
            “What are your career goals?”
            “What is your greatest weakness?”

These may seem like simple questions, but if you sit there dumbfounded over something so simple, it really isn’t going to go over well. Solid preparation is the key to it all!

Feel free to explore the other articles on the website to get more in depth information about each one, or purchase our complete Job Search Guide!

Happy (Job) Hunting!

Thanks again for your interest in College-Career-Builder.com


E-Mail: coachbob@college-career-builder.com