There are a few types of questions that you might get during a job interview as a college student or recent graduate. Many questions will be common interview questions you might be asked at any job, including questions about your work history and your skill sets.
Some of these common interview questions will be personal questions about your character. For example, you might be asked questions about what motivates you, what your weaknesses are, or how you handle stressful situations.
You will also likely be asked a number of behavioral interview questions. These are questions about how you’ve handled certain work or school situations in the past. For example, you might be asked about a time you had to use your leadership skills, or a time you had to resolve a conflict between peers. The idea behind these questions is that how you behaved in the past gives the interviewer insight into how you might behave on the job.
As a college student or recent graduate, you will also likely get a number of questions about your college experience. Some of these questions will be about your choices in college, such as, why you chose your major, what your favorite course was, or why you selected the college you did. You might also get questions about your achievements in school, including group projects you worked on, papers you wrote, or awards you won.
Depending on the job, there are many other types of questions you might be asked, including questions about the company, situational interview questions, and case interview questions.
Tips for Answering College Job Interview Questions
When you’re a college student or recent graduate with little job experience, interviewing for a job can be a challenge. However, with practice, you can ace any interview.
Highlight your academic experiences. You do not only have to mention work experiences during your interview. Since you are a student (or recent graduate), you should highlight your academic experiences. These might include courses you’ve taken, assignments you’ve completed, or awards you won. Also consider extracurricular activities, volunteer positions, and internships. Think of how these experiences have helped you develop the skills and abilities required for the job.
Practice the STAR interview technique. When answering a question using a specific example, use the STAR interview technique. Describe the situation you were in, explain the task you had to accomplish, and detail the action you took to accomplish that task (or solve that problem). Then, describe the results of your actions. This technique is particularly useful when answering behavioral interview questions.
Research the company. You might get questions about the specific company, such as what you like about the company, or how you think you would fit in with the company culture. To prepare, research the company ahead of time. Check out their website, especially their “About Us” page. If you know anyone who works at the company, talk to them. Also, search on Google to find out the latest news on the company.
Practice, practice, practice. The most important way to appear confident in an interview is to practice answering common questions. Read the list of sample questions below, and review the sample answers. Then practice answering the questions on your own. The more you practice, the better you’ll feel in the interview.
