Interviewing
Basic Interview Questions
- Tell me about yourself. (You don’t want to give too much detail. Just give highlights of your experience and skills that are relevant to the job. Also make sure to highlight your strengths!)
- Why do you want this job?
- What do you know about our organization? Why do you want to work here? (Make sure to research the company beforehand to learn about what they do and their company culture.)
- Tell me about your research experience.
- What are you doing for work right now?
- What do you look for in terms of culture at an organization? What kind of work environment are you looking for?
- What character traits would your co-workers use to describe you?
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- What are you looking for in terms of career development? (Think about what you want to learn while you are in this job long-term.)
- What are your long-term career objectives?
- Why should we hire you?
- Do you have any questions for us? (I would always ask about the team you would be working with. Who would you report to and how is the team structured? Also, it’s always a good idea to ask what their working culture is like.)
- What are your salary expectations? (If you are not sure what salary range the job should be in, you can research on Glassdoor.)
Behavioral Interview Questions
With these questions, employers are seeking concrete examples of skills and experiences that relate to the position. You should respond with an explanation of how you handled a specific situation.
- How do you prioritize your work for the week?
- Have you ever had an issue communicating with a colleague and how did you handle the situation?
- Give me an example of a time when you set out to accomplish something and failed. (This can be with work or when you were in school. The key is to make sure to say what you learned and how you would make it better down the road.)
- Give an example of how you have collaborated with a team. (Again, this can be professional or on a project from school as well.)
- How do you handle stressful situations and working under pressure? (If you are having a difficult time with an answer for this question, you can think about the process of multitasking in a previous job or as a student.)
For more detail on behavioral questions, visit the Cheeky Scientist, which outlines the STAR method: giving your example in terms of Situation, Task, Action, and Result.