COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR GRADUATES
1. Tell us about yourself?
The interviewer is not interested in
hearing stories; they simply expect to
know your academic and professional
achievements, your name and the
institution you currently work for.
Take a minutes to introduce
yourself, and state your recent
academic qualification and your
relevant experience (if any)
2. Why do you think you are the best candidate?
The recruiter expects you to tell them
about your professional achievements
and the unique skills you possess that
will add value to the organization.
If you are a Customer Care graduate
then you should tell them that you are
a good listener and patient; these are
the qualities the employer is looking for.
3. What are your weaknesses?
The question is not simple as it looks;
most candidates go blank when they
face this kind of question.
Take your time in explaining why you
can’t leave the office before you
complete a task.
You can also inform them how you are
quick to trust a person, which in most
cases makes you a victim.
4. Where do you see yourself in five years?
The employer wants to know whether
you are ambitious or you’re the kind
of a person who secures a job and
then you forget about yourself.
Answer the question by stating how
you intend to further your studies and
grow professionally as you strive to
meet your employer’s goals. (It is important to tie your goals to your employer's goals because no employer would be willing to hire and invest in a rookie who will leave their organization in a year or less after they have invested in training the individual)
5. How do friends describe you?
The question is testing your personal
attributes, when answering it ensure
that you don’t over exaggerate.
Take the shortest time possible to
state the best attribute you possess
that you believe will add value to the
institution.
6. What do you know about this company?
Before you enter the interview room,
ensure that you go through the
company website to read latest news,
company profile, goals, management
team, objectives, vision and
mission;they will help you answer this
question.(where the company is unknown, do your research and be familiar with the business/industry you desire to build your career)
The question expects you to briefly describe what you read on their website and not what you imagine of the company.
7. Do you have any question to ask the panel?
This is usually the last question that
the interview panel asks
interviewees; if you fail to ask them
questions, you will lose some marks, always have a question to ask no matter what.
Ask them whether they have plans to
expand their business, whether they
support employees to further their
studies and how they motivate employees. You can pull a surprise by asking when you would start, it shows confidence.
8. What is your salary expectation?
The question is tricky because as a
fresh graduate you don’t have a clue
what to be paid; simply ask them what they pay others of your
level, if they fail to give a
satisfactory answer then give them a
reasonable range.