Interview Questions

Illegal Questions
Certain facts about you may not legally be requested by an employer. On the other hand, some interviewers are not trained and may ask an illegal question simply in an attempt to show interest in you. You therefore should give some thought to how you will answer questions that you believe are illegal.

An interviewer may not ask about your religion, church, synagogue, parish, or the religious holidays you observe, nor can they ask about your political beliefs or affiliations. He or she may not ask, for instance, “Does your religion allow you to work on Saturdays?” But the interviewer may ask something like, “This job requires work on Saturdays. Is that a problem?”

An interviewer may not ask about your ancestry, national origin, or parentage; in addition, you cannot be asked about the naturalization status of your parents, spouse, or children. The interviewer cannot ask about your birthplace. But the interviewer may ask (and probably will, considering the current immigration laws) whether you are a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident with the right to work in the United States.

An interviewer may not ask about your native language, the language you speak at home, or how you acquired the ability to read, write, or speak a foreign language. But, he or she may ask about the languages in which you are fluent, if knowledge of those languages is pertinent to the job.

An interviewer may not ask about your age, your date of birth, or the ages of your children. But, he or she may ask you whether you are over eighteen years old.

An interviewer may not ask about maiden names or whether you have changed your name; your marital status; number of children or dependents; your spouse’s occupation; or whether (if you are a woman) you wish to be addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. But the interviewer may ask about how you like to be addressed (a common courtesy) and whether you have ever worked for the company before under a different name.

Common Interview Questions

Personal Questions

• How would you describe yourself?
• What motivates you?
• What do you consider your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?
• How do you work under pressure? Give me an example.
• How do you cope with stress on the job?
• What would you do if...? What if that didn't work? What if that didn't work either?
• How would someone you work with describe you?
• Can you take instructions without feeling upset or hurt?
• Tell me about the last time you got angry on the job.
• What are your major accomplishments? Your failures? Your disappointments?
• Do you have plans for continued study and/or an advanced degree?
• Have you held any leadership responsibilities? If so, what were they and what did you learn from them? If not, why not?
• Do you consider yourself a leader or a follower? Why
  Do you prefer working with others or by yourself? Why?
• What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
• What will be the most difficult aspect of making the transition from college to your career? Why?

College Questions

• Why did you choose New Mexico Tech?
• What led you to choose your major field of study?
• What college subjects have you liked best? Why? Least? Why?
• Do you feel you have done the best scholastic work of which you are capable? If so, why? If not, why not?
• Do you feel your grade point average is an accurate indication of your academic achievement?
• How have you financed your college education?
• What are/were some of your extracurricular activities? What did you learn from them?

Goal Questions

• What are your short-term and long-range goals and objectives and how have you prepared yourself to achieve them?
• What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

Career Questions

• Why did you choose the career for which you are studying?
• In what jobs have you been most interested? Why?
• What did you like most/least about your last job?
• What did you like most/least about your last supervisor?
• What skills are most important in the type of work you are seeking?
• How did your previous jobs relate to this position? What did you learn from them?
• What two or three things are important in an initial assignment? Why?
• What criteria are you using to interview employers?
• Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and subordinates

Company Questions

• Why should I hire you?
• In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
• What do you think you will be doing in the job you are applying for?
• What kind of person do you think this job requires and how do you match those requirements?
• What questions do you have about our organization?
• What do you know about our company?
• Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?

Salary Questions

• What do you expect to be earning in five years?
• Do you have a minimum salary for which you will work?

Location Questions

• What geographic location would you prefer? Why?
• Are you free to relocate? If not, what constraints do you have about relocation?
• How do you feel about traveling? Would there be any problems with you traveling?

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