Sweating Through It: Sample Answers

Questions are designed not only get a sense of your skills, but also your work ethic, overall disposition, ability to work in a team, and your fit for a company’s culture. You might get a lot of questions that are phrased negatively: your biggest challenge, biggest disappointment, worst quality, difficult co-worker, worst employer. The trick is that if you take the bait and go off on the idiot manager from your internship, you are falling right into the trap. Avoid the temptation to go negative at all cost.

Sample question: Tell me about working for your last supervisor?
Sample answer: He was very hands on in how approached managing a staff. He wanted to be involved in each detail. It really taught me to be equally detail oriented.

Many questions seem to want to know about you, but really, they are targeting your work ethic and how you can serve the company. Don’t be fooled into chatting about your personal goals.

Sample question: Where would you like to be in 5 years?
Sample answer: I have always hoped to find an organization that promotes from within. I am focused on learning as much as I can in a position such as this for the next few years, and then, possibly taking the next step up into a leadership position.

Sample question: What are your biggest motivators?
Sample answer: I have strong drive to succeed in whatever I do. (Tell a story/give an example)
Sample answer: I have an appreciation for helping others and serving customers. (Tell a story/give an example)
Sample answer: I’m very goal driven. Having targets to hit gives me a sense of accomplishment and progress. (Tell a story/give an example)