The employer is asking for a description of your abilities and background as they relate to the prospective job. Common questions that can uncover this information are:

• Tell me about yourself.
• How are you qualified for this job?
• Why should I hire you?
• What makes you a good candidate for this position?
• How did you come to choose this field?
• Why are you interested in our company? or What do you like about our company? aka Why do you want to work here?
• What interests you most about this position? or Why do you think you would like this particular type of job?
• How would a co-worker describe your personality?
• How would your last supervisor describe you? or Would your last supervisor recommend you for this position?
• What outside hobbies do you have that enhance your professional knowledge?

TECHNIQUE TO USE: SUMMARY STATEMENT

This is your opportunity to sell yourself by specifically focusing on the skills that will be used in this position. Common questions that can uncover this information are:

• What are your strengths?
• What accomplishment are you most proud of?
• What is your best quality?
• What did you like most about your last job?
• Tell me about a time when….
• Tell me about a problem either involving personnel or a technical situation, that you were able to resolve.
• Tell me about a time when you used an innovative approach to solve a problem at work?
• Give me an example of a time when you used customer feedback to improve your services or product?
• When have you had to make a decision under stress? How quickly did you arrive at a decision?
• Give me an example of a time your day was interrupted and thrown off schedule. How did you handle the situation?

TECHNIQUE TO USE: PSR

The interviewer is looking for any issues or red flags that would eliminate you from the candidate pool.

• Tell me about a weakness.
• What did you find challenging in your last position?
• What would you like to improve over the next year?
• What did you like least about your last job?
• Describe a mistake you made on your last job.
• Why did you leave your last job?

TECHNIQUE TO USE: SANDWICH

The interviewer is trying to determine how much money it is going to take to make you happy.

• What are your salary requirements?

TECHNIQUE TO USE: SALARY SCREEN

This is your opportunity to learn more about the position, expectations, and realities of the position.

• What are the skills and qualities you are seeking in your ideal candidate?
• What do you see as the department’s and company’s strategic goals and what must go right to achieve those goals?
• What do you see as some of the challenges of this position?
• What do want you the new person to achieve the first three months on the job?
• What would you like done differently by the next person who holds this job?
• Describe how you see this company developing over the next few years.
• What is the next step in your hiring process?