Questions to Expect in an Interview

There are standard questions that are asked during an interview. Questions generally fall into three categories:

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  • Questions that request a specific piece of information
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  • Open ended questions that require you to give general information about yourself
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  • Situational questions that ask you to give examples of how you reacted to situations or solved problems in previous situations
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Preparing for these will help you provide clear and thoughtful answers even if you are nervous.

Questions that request specific information:

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  • What is you major and what do you plan to do with it?
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  • Have you been employed in the past? If so, what was your job?
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  • Which of your courses, job experiences, or other activities have prepared you for this internship?
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  • Which computer systems and/or software programs are you familiar with?
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  • When can you start and what is your schedule of availability?
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Open ended questions:

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  • Why are you interested in this internship?
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  • What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
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  • What accomplishments are you most proud of?
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  • Do you prefer to work independently? Why?
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  • Do you like to work in teams with others? Why?
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  • Why do you think we should hire you?
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Situational questions:

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  • Give an example of how you were able to persuade others to accept your strategy in solving a problem.
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  • Describe a situation where you had to quickly prioritize your commitments in reaction to a change in schedule.
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  • Give an example of how you participated in a successful team effort.
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  • Give an example of a goal that you set and how you went about achieving it.
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  • Describe a situation in which you contributed much more than was required.
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A good online source of information on interviewing can be found at Quintessential Careers.