100 Potential Interview Questions

by Thad Peterson
Monster Staff Writer
While there are as many different possible interview questions as there
are interviewers, it always helps to be ready for anything. So we've
prepared a list of 100 potential interview questions. Will you face them
all We pray no interviewer would be that cruel. Will you face a few
!robably. Will you be well"served by being ready even if you're not
as#ed these e$act questions %bsolutely.
1. &ell me about yourself.
'. What are your strengths
(. What are your wea#nesses
). Who was your favorite manager and why
*. What #ind of personality do you wor# best with and why
+. Why do you want this ,ob
-. Where would you li#e to be in your career five years from
now
.. &ell me about your proudest achievement.
/. 0f you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare stea#
and they brought it to you well done, what would you do
10. 0f 0 were to give you this salary you requested but let you
write your ,ob description for the ne$t year, what would it
say
11. Why is there fu11 on a tennis ball
1'. 2ow would you go about establishing your credibility quic#ly
with the team
1(. &here's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be
anywhere in the world right now, where would you be
1). 2ow would you feel wor#ing for someone who #nows less
than you
1*. Was there a person in your career who really made a
difference
1+. What's your ideal company
1-. What attracted you to this company
1.. What are you most proud of
1/. What are you loo#ing for in terms of career development
'0. What do you loo# for in terms of culture "" structured or
entrepreneurial
'1. What do you li#e to do
''. 3ive e$amples of ideas you've had or implemented.
'(. What are your lifelong dreams
'). What do you ultimately want to become
'*. 2ow would you describe your wor# style
'+. What #ind of car do you drive
'-. &ell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict
on the ,ob.
'.. What's the last boo# you read
'/. What maga1ines do you subscribe to
(0. What would be your ideal wor#ing situation
(1. Why should we hire you
('. What did you li#e least about your last ,ob
((. What do you thin# of your previous boss
(). 2ow do you thin# 0 rate as an interviewer
(*. 4o you have any questions for me
(+. When were you most satisfied in your ,ob
(-. What can you do for us that other candidates can't
(.. What are three positive things your last boss would say
about you
(/. What negative thing would your last boss say about you
)0. 0f you were an animal, which one would you want to be
)1. What salary are you see#ing
)'. What's your salary history
)(. 4o you have plans to have children in the near future
)). What were the responsibilities of your last position
)*. What do you #now about this industry
)+. What do you #now about our company
)-. 2ow long will it ta#e for you to ma#e a significant
contribution
).. %re you willing to relocate
)/. What was the last pro,ect you headed up, and what was its
outcome
*0. What #ind of goals would you have in mind if you got this
,ob
*1. 3ive me an e$ample of a time that you felt you went
above and beyond the call of duty at wor#.
*'. What would you do if you won the lottery
*(. 5an you describe a time when your wor# was critici1ed
*). 2ave you ever been on a team where someone was not
pulling their own weight 2ow did you handle it
**. What is your personal mission statement
*+. &ell me a time when you had to give someone difficult
feedbac#. 2ow did you handle it
*-. What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from
it
*.. What irritates you about other people, and how do you
deal with it
*/. What is your greatest fear
+0. Who has impacted you most in your career, and how
+1. What do you see yourself doing within the first (0 days of
this ,ob
+'. What's the most important thing you've learned in school
+(. What three character traits would your friends use to
describe you
+). What will you miss about your present6last ,ob
+*. 0f you were interviewing someone for this position, what
traits would you loo# for
++. 7ist five words that describe your character.
+-. What is your greatest achievement outside of wor#
+.. Sell me this pencil.
+/. 0f 0 were your supervisor and as#ed you to do something
that you disagreed with, what would you do
-0. 4o you thin# a leader should be feared or li#ed
-1. What's the most difficult decision you've made in the last
two years
-'. What do you li#e to do for fun
-(. Why are you leaving your present ,ob
-). What do you do in your spare time
-*. 2ow do you feel about ta#ing no for an answer
-+. What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did
you deal with it
--. What is your favorite memory from childhood
-.. 3ive me an e$ample of a time you did something wrong.
2ow did you handle it
-/. &ell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to
#now.
.0. &ell me the difference between good and e$ceptional.
.1. Why did your choose your ma,or
.'. What are the qualities of a good leader % bad leader
.(. What is your biggest regret, and why
.). What are three positive character traits you don't have
.*. What irritates you about other people, and how do you
deal with it
.+. 0f you found out your company was doing something
against the law, li#e fraud, what would you do
.-. 2ow many times do a cloc#'s hands overlap in a day
... 2ow would you weigh a plane without scales
./. What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you
resolve the issue
/0. 0f 0 were to as# your last supervisor to provide you
additional training or e$posure, what would she suggest
/1. 0f you could choose one superhero power, what would it be
and why
/'. What's the best movie you've seen in the last year
/(. 4escribe how you would handle a situation if you were
required to finish multiple tas#s by the end of the day, and
there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.
/). What techniques and tools do you use to #eep yourself
organi1ed
/*. 0f you could get rid of any one of the 8S states, which one
would you get rid of, and why
/+. With your eyes closed, tell me step"by"step how to tie my
shoes.
/-. if you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big
picture person or a detail oriented person
/.. 0f selected for this position, can you describe your strategy
for the first /0 days
//. Who are your heroes
100. &ell me ten ways to use a pencil other than writing.