Seal the Deal with Interview Questions from Top Companies

This is Part 1 of 2 in a Series of Sample Interview Questions.

The interview is your time to shine and show employers that you are the ideal candidate for the job. The old saying “practice makes perfect” is very relevant to the interview process. It takes great skill and lots of practice to get prepared, answer interview questions correctly, and improve your interview skills.

To help you master the interview and get a job, I have surveyed the top business leaders that I know throughout the country, from the likes of Disney, AT&T, The Coca-Cola Company, and PepsiCo, to Presidents and CEO’s of some of the largest national ad agencies, and I asked them what their favorite interview questions are. Below you will find a compilation of thought-provoking and insightful sample interview questions from top companies that are their personal favorites.

Review them carefully and give great thought to how you would answer them. They are grouped in different categories based on what employers may be trying to determine by asking you such questions.

These are also great questions for employers to get hold of so that you and your employees are prepared to ask the right interview questions to find your next great employee.

Sample Interview Questions

Self-Awareness/Confidence:

• What are you good at, great at, and where do you need to grow and improve (biggest weakness)?

• Where would you like to see the most development in yourself?

• What is one of the best decisions you ever made?

• What are two or three characteristics a person must possess to be successful? How would you rate yourself in those areas?

• How would others describe you in terms of your job performance (including bosses, subordinates, peers, clients, suppliers)?

Self-Awareness/Emotional Self Awareness:

• What is the most important thing you contribute to any organization?

• What are three things people might say about you at your last company after you have been gone?

• If we hire you, a year from now what will people in this office say they really like about you? And what will those same people say are the things about you that drive them crazy?

• What is the single biggest regret you have had in life?

Self-Management/Emotional Self Control:

• Tell me about a time you were angry or frustrated.

• Tell me about a bad day you had at work and how you dealt with it?

• How do you deal with stress?

Social Awareness/Organizational Awareness:

• What bothers you most and least about people? How do you handle those situations?

• Tell me about a place you worked that had either good or bad morale.

• You’ve been in the office now for a while (or a few visits) – what are your initial observations or recommendations about this workplace–either positive or negative?

Self-Management/Responsibility:

• How do you set priorities in your job?

• What has been the highest pressure situation you’ve faced in recent years? How did you cope with it?

• What is your greatest failure and what did you learn from it?

Always remember that being prepared will make you much more confident during an interview. By practicing your responses to the above sample interview questions you will improve your interview skills – you will have well thought out answers, you won’t be caught off guard, and this will allow you to shine and ultimately get the job offer.

Please add other interesting sample interview questions that you ask candidates or that you have been asked in an interview. Let’s build a great useful list together.

Check back for part 2 for more sample interview questions.

Good luck to you all.