How to Ace You Job Interviews

A job interview is your opportunity to show not only what you know, but who you are and how you think. Success starts with preparation. Research the company and role so you understand what they do, what they value, and how your skills fit their needs. Review the job description carefully and prepare examples that demonstrate your strengths, problem-solving ability, and teamwork.

First impressions matter. Dress professionally, arrive early (or log in early for virtual interviews), and greet your interviewer with confidence. Maintain good posture, make appropriate eye contact, and listen carefully before answering questions. When responding, be clear, honest, and specific. Use real examples from school, work, volunteering, or extracurricular activities to show your skills in action rather than simply listing them.

Communication is key. Speak clearly, stay focused, and avoid rushing your answers. If you do not understand a question, it is okay to ask for clarification. Show enthusiasm for the role and interest in learning. At the end of the interview, ask thoughtful questions about the position or organization—this demonstrates curiosity and motivation.

Finally, follow up professionally. Thank the interviewer for their time with a short email, reiterating your interest in the role. Reflect on what went well and what you can improve for next time. With preparation, confidence, and a positive attitude, any interview can become an opportunity to stand out and succeed.



Sample Interview Questions

The following are sample interview questions to help candidates prepare for their job interviews.

Evaluating an applicant's career background

  1. Tell me about a time when you worked the hardest and felt the greatest sense of achievement.
  2. During your college time, which summer job did you like the most/least? and Why?
  3. What were your proudest accomplishments during school / college
  4. Please describe your past work experience. We are particularly interested in learning about experience that may be relevant to this position.
  5. Tell us about your general background. How do you feel you would fit into the position and the organization?
  6. Do you feel your GPA was a fair assessment of your academic ability?
  7. Tell us about some important career influences that directed you to choose this particular position?
  8. What people or events / experiences have been most influential in your own self-development?
  9. Could you give me a personal overview of your career progression to date?
  10. During your college time, what course did you find to be the most difficult?
  11. What extra-curricular activities have you participated in?

Assessing an applicant's adaptability

  1. Describe a moment when you had to respond to significant change. Especially emphasize what the change was, and how you responded to it including lessons learnt.
  2. How easy is it for you to accept the majority view when you are in the minority?
  3. What example / type of organization changes have you found the easiest or the most difficult to accept?
  4. Approximately how long did it take you at your last position before you felt comfortable with the job, team and products or services?
  5. Tell me about the most difficult person you had to work with recently.
  6. Describe a time when a co-worker gave you unwelcome advice on something you were working on.
  7. Are you willing to relocate?
  8. What is your opinion about the new non-smoking policy, which does not allow smoking in buildings and vehicles on the job?
  9. When you started university, or move to a new town, or house, how do you meet new people?
  10. What past changes have you made in your approach to others in order to become better accepted in your work setting?

Assessing an applicant's ambitions / goals

  1. What are your career goals for the next five years? What would you consider as your ideal career path to reach those goals?
  2. How does this position fit in with your long range plans?
  3. Do you prefer to work for small or large organizations? Why?
  4. What are the reasons why you want to leave your present job?
  5. What specific challenges are you looking for at this stage of your career?
  6. How does your educational background relate to this position? Describe related training that you completed.
  7. In what areas do you feel you would like more training? How do you plan to achieve that?
  8. If you could structure the perfect job for yourself, what kind of job would that entail.
  9. Now that you have just graduated, what are your career objectives for the next three or four years?
  10. If we offered you this job, where would you see yourself three to five years from now?

Evaluating a candidate's analytical skills

  1. What would you change about your last job?
  2. Tell us about a time when you noticed an error in a report prepared by your supervisor. What was your reaction?
  3. What characteristics do you like to see in peers doing the same work as you?
  4. You receive a report from a junior staff and you find errors, how do you go about correcting this information in the report
  5. Tell me about a time when you were not very pleased with your performance. What was the cause and what did you do about it?
  6. Describe some situations where you wished you had acted differently with someone? Describe the events. What did you do?
  7. Considering the responsibilities of the position, are there any areas in which you may require training or development
  8. Are there any factors that could prevent you from effectively carrying out your work responsibilities?
  9. Have you had to review another person's work? If yes, or hypothetically, how easy was it for you to express criticism.
  10. What problems are you currently working on that came as a surprise to you?

Assessing a candidate's decision making skills

  1. What led you to choose your present career path?
  2. Describe a strategic approach you would utilize for decision making
  3. Has there been a time when you were unsure if your employer would approve of your actions.
  4. How have you overcome obstacles that prevented you from completing projects?
  5. Describe one of the most difficult or challenging decision you have made recently
  6. What was probably the worst decision you made, and how did you learn from that experience?
  7. Tell us about a time when you had to delay making a decision even though someone else was pressuring you to make up your mind quickly.
  8. Tell us a situation in which you took a strong stance on a particular topic but then had to change your mind? What factors changed that led you to change your mind?
  9. Desribe a situation when your team did not agree with your decision.
  10. Why are you choosing to work in our organization?

Testing a candidate's creativity

  1. Describe a situation you faced in which old solutions did not work?
  2. Describe the last situation in which you developed / utilized a new or different approach to a problem?
  3. Give us an example of when you had an idea to change or improve a process or activity at work?
  4. Have you encountered a situation where you had to explain and justify a new initiative to your supervisor?
  5. Describe a time when you had to develop a work around through a process, maybe you didnt have enough enough time and you had to complete an activity that usually requires a specific procedure.
  6. Describe a time you had to perform specific activities at work without much training.

Assessing a candidate's communication skills

  1. Describe a presentation you made to others at work.
  2. Describe a moment when you felt you had been very effective at communicating a certain message.
  3. Describe the most difficult written assignment you have been given or have taken on yourself?
  4. What do you believe was the most important piece of communication you have accomplished?
  5. Describe a time when you had to present an idea to influence others to agree.
  6. Tell me about a time when you spoke something that was misunderstood. Also indicate how you went on to resolve it.
  7. Describe a time when you gave instructions to someone, in what you believe was clear and precise, and they did somehting different from your instructions.
  8. Tell me about a time when you misunderstood someone else's instructions or message.
  9. Explain how you might handle ambiguous requests from mangers or customers?
  10. What do you know about our organization?
  11. Describe a situation when you had to give a presentation to a large audience
  12. Comparing emails and spoken/verbal/telephone communication, which one do you prefer and why?
  13. During your group projects at school or in your work experience, have you ever had to communicate improvement needed to another person?
  14. In your experience, how does effective communication influence teamwork
  15. Give me an example of an instance when you took the time to clearly and completely explain a product to a client.

Testing a candidate's motivation for the position

  1. What is/was the most enjoyable aspect in your past/present job?
  2. Describe a situation when you went above and beyond your expected duties
  3. Tell us what you know about our corporation and the role you will play in our organization.
  4. If you were the CEO of our organization for a day, what would you do and why?
  5. What motivates you to wake up every morning to go to work
  6. Give me an example of a situation where you motivated others to achieve a result
  7. What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work hard?
  8. How would you motivate others at times when organizational morale may be low.
  9. How do you cope when you have to perform monotonous activities at work.
  10. Tell me about our organization that inspires you to be your best in performing your duties.

Evaluating a candidate's Organizational / Planning skills

  1. Describe how your work on a typical day or typical week
  2. What resources do you use to keep track of items requiring your attention?
  3. Have you ever gone through a reduction in funds in your department through reorganization or cutbacks? How was the experience?
  4. How do you keep well organized at work? How do you set job objectives?
  5. Tell us about the most frustrating time you have experienced when trying to solve a project
  6. How do you prioritize time demands of school, social life, work, etc.?
  7. How do you ensure your work is of high quality even when there is a lot of work to be done?
  8. If your supervisor asked you to prepare a report due in two hours, how will you organize yourself to complete in time.
  9. Have you ever had to delegate parts of your work to someone else?
  10. Describe a situation in your previous job, or school, where you had to complete multiple tasks at the same time.

Assessing a candidate's teamwork skills

  1. How do you define teamwork?
  2. Do you prefer to work independently or as part of team? Why?
  3. Describe a time when you you had an important project that required team work and how that project was completed.
  4. Describe a time when you were able to pass on your skills or expertize to one of your team members?
  5. Tell us about a time when you had to take directions from individuals—both management and other co-workers?
  6. Describe a situation when a team member was not completing their roles correctly or in good time. How did you go about this?
  7. Tell us about a time when you had a discussion with other team members and there were differing ideas. How did the team arrive at a consensus.
  8. Your team has won the award for best perfomance in your organization. How will your team handle this achievement?
  9. Have you ever worked for a generally difficult group to work with? Please dscuss how that experience was.
  10. They say, in a team, the weakest individual is the most important individul. Have you been in a situation where the results of your teamwork relied on the weakest individual in the team?

Know more about a candidate's previous work quality

  1. Describe a situation or occasion when you felt you had to consult with your supervisor before taking action.
  2. Describe how you have prioritized training and continuous improvement related to your work.
  3. Tell us about a time when you were given a certain project to complete but you were not given sufficient background information. How did you go about that?
  4. Tell us about times in your previous/present job where there was not much work to do. Tell us what you would do to fill in these gaps.
  5. Generally, how much guidance do you need to complete an average project?
  6. Give us some examples when you did more than required in a course/at work?
  7. Have you introduced any change in your present/previous jobs?
  8. If you got to work at a construction site and find that your supervisor is absent and has not left you any work to do, what would you do?
  9. Tell us about the last time you took a shortcut to complete a job? How was the outcome?
  10. Describe a recent situation when you resisted the temptation to complete the project quickly.
  11. Could you describe a time when something or someone prevented you from working to your standards?
  12. Have you found any ways to make your job easier or more rewarding? Examples.
  13. Please give me an example of when you were not pleased with your performance? What did you do about it?
  14. In a previous/present job, what did you do differently that was considered above and beyond your duties?

Assessing a candidate's ability to influence others

  1. Tell me about a time when you have persuaded someone else to do something they didn’t want to do.
  2. Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a team member. How did you resolve it?
  3. Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult person.
  4. Tell me about a time when you had to bring others around to your way of thinking.
  5. Tell me about a time when you had to communicate effectively.
  6. Tell me about a time when you had to change your communication style for different audiences.
  7. What would you do if a client disagreed with you on the best action to take?
  8. What would you do if a customer complained?
  9. How would you manage conflict in the workplace?
  10. If you were managing a team, how would you persuade them to accept an unpopular decision?
  11. If you were managing a team, how would you work with and command respect from team members who are more experienced than you?
  12. How would you coach a less experienced colleague who wasn’t sure what to do next on a project?

Evaluating a candidate's leadership skills

  1. Describe a situation where you had to set an example for others.
  2. What are some leadership qualities that you possess?
  3. Describe a situation where you influenced your supervisor
  4. If you were the leader of a group where two members did not work well together, how would you go about solving this problem?
  5. Describe your response when one of your team members is often absent and does not provide justifiable reasons
  6. When we say a good leader is one who is able to influence others, what do you understand by that statement?
  7. Tell us about some of the toughest groups you have had to get cooperation from.
  8. What leadership skills have you appreciated most in your present supervisor?
  9. Which celebrity inspires you to pursue and achieve greater successes?
  10. What do you think is the criteria for chairing a successful meeting?
  11. Describe any training you have taken to improve your leadership skills
  12. As a leader, describe a strategic approach you have used to resolve a conflict in your team.

Assessing a candidate's problem solving / conflict management skills

  1. Tell us about a situation when you had to solve a stressful working situation with your team.
  2. In what ways have you founf yourself disagreeing with either a team member or your supervisor
  3. Describe some circumstances that have kept you from progressing as fast as you would like?
  4. Describe a strategy you would adopt and utilize in several circumstances to solve a problem
  5. Have you ever had to reprimand a person? How did you handle it?
  6. Describe a time when you had to get a team together to solve a problem.
  7. Think of a situation when a member of your team came to you to express concerns about another team member, how will you handle that?
  8. Describe a time when life challenges outside work, influenced (positively or negatively) the way you were able to handle tasks at work.