Automotive Engineering Technician
- What stimulated you to choose your career in the automotive industry?
- Share an experience in which you effectively performed and/or execute tests.
- Provide an experience in which your participation in the research or testing of a computerized application, or something similar, benefited your company.
- Share an experience in which you successfully improved the fuel efficiency of a vehicle.
- What factors do you consider when analyzing the performance of components which have been redesigned to increase fuel efficiency?
- Tell me about test equipment you developed for a special purpose.
- Provide an experience in which your attention to detail helped you to set up test equipment according to specifications.
- What factors do you consider when recommending tests and testing conditions?
- Share an effective method you have used to interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, and/or charts.
- Describe an effective method you have used to monitor computer-controlled test equipment.
- Provide an effective method you have used to maintain test equipment.
- Share an effective method you have used when installing equipment to ensure proper interfaces.
- Describe a time when you successfully determined the cause of a defect or malfunction.
- Share an experience in which you effectively fabricated a prototype component or fixture.
- Provide an effective method you have used to document test results.
- Share an experience in which you successfully calibrated test equipment.
- Provide an experience in which your analysis of test data benefited your company.
- Describe an experience in which you made a recommendation which effectively improved product/component design.
- Describe the methods you have used to test the performance of vehicles that use alternative fuels or power method.
- How do you deal with a lot of stress when you handle some important project?
- Interview Questions for an Automotive Engineering Technician:
- What stimulated you to choose your career in the automotive industry?
- Share an experience in which you effectively performed and/or execute tests.
- Provide an experience in which your participation in the research or testing of a computerized application, or something similar, benefited your company.
- Share an experience in which you successfully improved the fuel efficiency of a vehicle.
- What factors do you consider when analyzing the performance of components which have been redesigned to increase fuel efficiency?
- Tell me about test equipment you developed for a special purpose.
- Provide an experience in which your attention to detail helped you to set up test equipment according to specifications.
- What factors do you consider when recommending tests and testing conditions?
- Share an effective method you have used to interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, and/or charts.
- Describe an effective method you have used to monitor computer-controlled test equipment.
- Provide an effective method you have used to maintain test equipment.
- Share an effective method you have used when installing equipment to ensure proper interfaces.
- Describe a time when you successfully determined the cause of a defect or malfunction.
- Share an experience in which you effectively fabricated a prototype component or fixture.
- Provide an effective method you have used to document test results.
- Share an experience in which you successfully calibrated test equipment.
- Provide an experience in which your analysis of test data benefited your company.
- Describe an experience in which you made a recommendation which effectively improved product/component design.
- Describe the methods you have used to test the performance of vehicles that use alternative fuels or power method.
- How do you deal with a lot of stress when you handle some important project?
Aviation
- Tell us about yourself.
- What can you bring to this company?
- Describe a time when you have had an Emergency?
- How did you get started in Aviation?
- Who have been your role model's, or who has had the most influence on you?
- Where do you see yourself in 10 year's?
- How would you fly this SID?
- We see, your flying various type's of aircraft for different companies, how will you feel about coming to work here and just flying one type of aircraft. Will it become monotonous, boring?
- The Capt. continues an approach beyond minimum's, he tell's you that he's shot this approach a 1,000 times, know's the area, and everything's fine. What will you do?
- You are talking to the Capt., and you smell alcohol. Although you didn't see her drinking, what would you do?
- You smell smoke in the cockpit, what initial action should you take?
- What do you do if the aircraft is loaded way beyond gross wt., the Capt. tell's you that he does this all the time, and the aircraft will fly?
- Can you define Balanced Field Length?
- You find yourself flying with an arrogant Capt., and you have a real personality clash, how do you deal with this?
- Your the PIC on one of our Lear's, your taking off on a 13,000' runway with clear skies and unlimited visibility, upon getting airborne you have an emergency and the co-pilot call's out that there's a problem. With 11,000 feet of runway still in front of you, and the gear still down, what would you do?
- You have the Pres., the V.P., and the board of Director's in the back, and they are ADAMANT about getting to a shareholder meeting on time. You get 30 mile's from your destination, and the arrival airport is covered under a LVL 6 cell. The Cell has very little movement, what would you do?
- Besides good pay why do you want to be a professional pilot?
- What makes a great pilot?
- What makes a bad pilot?
- Your aviation career although progressing nicely is happening very slowly. How do you feel about this situation?
- What event in your life caused you to feel the way you do about aviation and flying?
- What are some of the limitations of your aircraft and yourself?
- How would you rate yourself in relation to communication skills, dependability, and integrity? 1-10
- If you attain all your goals as a professional pilot what do you intend to give back to aviation?
Business
Accounting
- What is your understanding of management accounting vs. financial accounting?
- Which accounting systems/software are you familiar with?
- What experience have you had in conducting audits?
- Tell me about your experience working with accounts payable/receivable.
- What experience have you had working with payroll?
- What is cost accounting? Accrual accounting?
- Walk me through the major line items of a Cash Flow Statement.
- Say you knew a company’s net income. How would you figure out its cash flows?
- What is the difference between a balance sheet and an income statement?
- What is goodwill? How does it affect net income?
- What is the difference between purchase vs. pooling?
- What are deferred taxes? How do they arise?
- What is working capital?
Marketing
- Brand X’s market share has been declining lately. What are the key things you would look at to determine why?
- Do you think the following campaigns were innovate and why…Energizer Bunny? Where's the beef?
- Does high market share indicate a “great” product? Why or why not?
- Give me an example of a recent product that was well-introduced into the marketplace and one that was poorly introduced.
- How would you market (competitor’s product)?
- I am going to name four brands. I want you to tell me whether or not you like the brand names they have chosen and why – Snapple, Infiniti, Boston Chicken, and Banana Nut Crunch.
- If you could be the Brand Manager on any brand in the world, what brand would you choose and why?
- Sell me this (pen, stapler, paper clip, etc,)
- Tell me about a company that you feel has been successful with a unique marketing strategy.
- What commercial do you think is a breakthrough commercial and why?
- What do you think are the two most unique brands in the U.S. and why?
- What is an effective/ineffective advertisement you’ve seen recently and why?
- What is your favorite/least favorite ad and why?
- You are a product. What would your slogan be?
- You are the brand manager for Oreos. You are considering the following line extensions: Oreos with chocolate in the middle and low fat Oreos. What are the pros and cons of each and which will you choose?
Communications
- What kinds of writing have you done? Describe some examples.
- Describe one of your most successful oral presentations and what made it successful.
- What have you done to increase your effectiveness in making presentations? To what extent have you been successful?
- Tell me about one of the most difficult presentations you have had to make. Why was it difficult? How did it turn out?
- Give me an example of the most serious communication problem you’ve had. What did you do about it?
- Sometimes it’s important to disagree with others to keep a mistake from being made. Tell me about a time when you were willing to disagree with another person in order to build a positive outcome.
- Tell me about a major conflict you had with a peer or customer that you were unable to resolve successfully. Why were you unsuccessful? What did you learn?
- Would you rather write a report or give a verbal report? Why?
- How much time do you spend reading the newspaper or watching the news each week?
- If you could only use one form of communication for the rest of your life, what would you use?
- How has a degree in communications prepared you for this job?
Computer Science
- How would you explain the internet to a grandparent who has never used or seen it before?
- What should a professional software designer consider in the design and implementation of code?
- What kind of technical publications (print or online) have you recently read?
- If you could recommend one resource (book, web site, etc.) to a new software developer just out of school, what would it be?
- What was the most interesting project that you have worked on?
- What was the most challenging project that you have worked on?
- Describe a technical problem you encountered. How did you implement the solution?
Electrical Engineering
- What is CMOS? What are its advantages?
- Do you have product design experience?
- How is a megawatt electrical different from a thermal megawatt?
- What is a vacuum circuit breaker?
- What is renewable energy?
- Explain the functioning of a solar cell.
- Explain your team leading or team playing experience.
- Do you have product design experience?
- What is Meissner effect?
- How is a megawatt electrical different from a thermal megawatt?
- What is a vacuum circuit breaker?
- What is renewable energy?
- Explain the functioning of a solar cell.
General
Introductory/About the interviewee
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your major strengths/weaknesses?
- What would your former employers say about you?
- What community activities are you or would you like to be associated with? Why?
- What qualities do you admire in others?
- What are some personality characteristics you find undesirable in people?
- Describe your ideal job.
- What five adjectives best describe you?
- What recent accomplishment are you most proud of?
- Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?
- Describe your ability to listen and be responsive. Can you give me an example?
- Describe the last book you read.
- How much time do you spend on the Internet each week?
Career goals/Plans
- Why did you choose this career field?
- What are your career goals?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- What does success mean to you?
- What do you do to improve your knowledge and skills in the field?
Past experience
- Tell me about your last job position and what you did.
- What was the last mistake you made and how did you correct it?
- Why were you unemployed for such a long period of time?
- Why did you quit your last job?
- What has made you stand out among your peers in your past work experience?
- How did you prioritize multiple projects in your last job?
- Tell me about a change that occurred in you last workplace. How did you handle it?
- In what areas of work have you had the least amount of patience?
- How do you prioritize multiple projects?
- Do you prefer a structured or unstructured work environment?
- How do you work under pressure?
- What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
Related to the position/Company
- What type of position are you most interested in and why?
- Why do you want to work for _______ company?
- How has your previous work experience prepared you for this position?
- What skills would you bring to our company?
- What important trends do you see in _______ industry?
- Why should we hire you for this position?
Behavioral
- Tell me about a time you were especially creative in solving a problem.
- Describe a situation when you had to convince your peers of your opinion. Tell me what you said to convince them.
- Tell me about a time you were frustrated with the performance of a group that you belong to. What did you do? What was the outcome?
- Tell me about a time you had to make an important decision quickly even though you did not have all the information you wanted.
- What motivates you? Provide an example of a time where motivation was an issue for you.
- Tell me about a time you utilized your leadership ability to gain support for an idea that initially had strong opposition.
- What kind of information have you been required to analyze? Tell me about the most difficult analysis you’ve ever engaged in.
- What is the most complex topic you have explained to a group? How did you handle it?
- Tell me about a time when you were unable to sell your idea to a key person.
- How do you schedule your time and set priorities. Give me a specific example of how you have done so in the past.
- Describe a situation where you demonstrated initiative. What was the outcome?
- Tell me about a time you were disappointed in your performance. What did you do?
- Give an example of how you have handled criticism in the past.
- Give me an example of a time when you asked someone to complete a task and they did it incorrectly. What did this experience teach you?
Ringers/Difficult questions
- Why are manhole covers round?
- If you were an animal, which one would you be and why?
- If you don’t get a job in (this field), what will you do?
- Describe the top of your desk.
- Tell me about something you are proud of that you’ve never told anyone before.
- Imagine you could trade places with anyone for just a week. The person could be famous or not famous, living or from history, real or fictional. With whom would you trade places?
- What kinds of Internet sites do you most frequently visit?
Closing
- Why should we hire you instead of someone else?
- Do you have any questions for me?
- Is there anything else you want me to know about you before we end?
Graduate School
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- If you're not accepted into graduate school, what are your plans?
- Why did you choose this career?
- What do you know about our program?
- Why did you choose to apply to our program?
- What other schools are you considering?
- What do you believe your greatest challenge will be if you are accepted into this program?
- In college, what courses did you enjoy the most? The least? Why?
- Describe any research project you've worked on. What was the purpose of the project and what was your role in the project?
- How would your professors describe you?
- What are your hobbies?
- Explain a situation in which you had a conflict. How did you resolve it? What would you do different ? Why?
- Describe your greatest accomplishment.
- Tell me about your experience in this field. What was challenging? What was your contribution?
- What are your career goals? How will this program help you achieve your goals?
- How do you intend to finance your education?
- What skills do you bring to the program? How will you help your mentor in his or her research?
- Are you motivated? Explain and provide examples.
- Why qualifies you for this program?
- What do you plan to specialize in?
- Who is a role model for you?
Health Services Administration
- What prompted your interest in healthcare?
- What experience do you have in the field?
- What specific area of healthcare are you targeting in your search?
- Pull courses from your curriculum that you think will be valuable in the job that you hope to pursue.
- As an administrator, how would you reconcile business and humanitarian concerns regarding managed care?
- What are the attributes of management success in the healthcare industry?
- Where/How have you developed these attributes?
- How do you function in a group? Give examples of teamwork.
- Did you ever think of pursuing a career in medicine as a health services professional?
- What are the most important issues emerging in healthcare management? Prioritize them.
- Choose one of these and give some recommendations on addressing it.
- What functional skills will you bring to a hospital environment?
- What prompted you to pursue a career in health care?
- How would you describe yourself?
- What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?
- How would you describe the ideal job for you following graduation?
- What class have you taken that you feel will be the most beneficial to you?
- What specific area of healthcare are you targeting?
- Why should I hire you?
- Describe your most rewarding college experience.
- Why did you choose to attend SRU?
- What 2 or 3 things are most important to you in your job?
- What are the most important issues emerging in health care management? Prioritize them.
- Choose one of these issues and give some recommendations on addressing it.
- If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently and why?
- What do you really want to do in life?
- How well do you think your experiences have prepared you for a career in healthcare?
- How do you plan to achieve your career objectives?
- What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
- What have you learned from your mistakes?
- Is there anything not on your resume that you would like to tell me?
- Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?
- What are the components of a quality health education program? How would you prioritize these components, along with giving justification for your choices?
- What are the top three goals of your health education program?
- How would you describe developmentally appropriate curriculum?
- Do you have any ideas about how we might promote our health education program to the community?
- How do you plan to assess the progress of your clients in health education?
- Do you have any experience in using technology in your programming? Please provide an example.
- What professional organizations do you belong to? What professional journals do you read?
- Are there other things that you would like to share with us that will help us understand your philosophy of health education?
- How do you see the National Health Education standards affecting your teaching or programming?
- Choose one health content area. Using that area, what are some ways you could collaborate with other colleagues in programming?
- What are two different strategies you could use to make your learning environment emotionally healthy for all of your constituents?
- If you had to choose three health-related incidents that have most influenced the type of health educator you have become, which ones would you pick and why?
Human Services
- What kind of experience have you had with different populations (I.e. women, youth, terminally ill, elderly, etc.)?
- Describe your fieldwork experience?
- What is you knowledge of disabilities?
- What types of clients have you worked with?
- What is your background and philosophy of social work? Counseling? Etc.
- What was the most difficult/interesting case you had?
- What techniques do you use in crisis intervention work?
- How do you describe your professional boundaries?
- How do you relate to clients that may be very different from you?
- What are your favorite and least favorite things about direct client contact?
- Describe a difficult client and how you dealt with the situation.
Law Enforcement
- Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills?
- Give an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision, and what was the outcome?
- Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem?
- Why do you want to be a police officer?
- Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done?
- What is your greatest strength/weakness?
- Sometimes, the only way to resolve a difference is through negotiation and compromise. Please give a specific example of a time when you were able to resolve a difficult situation by finding common ground.
- Explain a situation in your life where you had to overcome adversity?
- Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa)?
- Give me an example of a time when you handled a stressful situation where you had to verbally or physically confront someone?
- Why are you seeking a career as a police officer/deputy sheriff?
- Law enforcement operates 24 hours/day, 7 days a week; are you able to work a variety of shifts and days off, and occasional unscheduled, ordered overtime?
- What are the sources of stress in your personal & work life? How you do manage this stress?
- What personal qualities and traits do you possess that would make you well-suited for a law enforcement career?
- What types of situations cause you to feel discouraged? Anxious? Irritated?
- When have you had to take charge of a situation to quickly resolve a problem or crisis?
- Police officers need to be able to handle conflict. Tell me about a time when you had to resolve conflict with someone?
- Give me an example of a situation when you had to deal with someone who was irate and being hostile with you?
- Tell me about a time where you have had to provide service to a wide variety of people from diverse racial, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds?
- Describe your experience working in a situation where you have had to closely follow rules, regulations, and procedures.
- Police officers are often the subject of public scrutiny. Do you have anything in your background that would concern us?
- Why do you want to serve as a police officer for this particular region or municipality?
- You and your partners are executing a search warrant on a suspected residence of a drug dealer. Your team finds illegal drugs and a large amount of money in the house. As your team is securing the contraband in the appropriate evidence bags, you observe one team member place some of the money into his pocket. What would you do?
Nursing
- How do you stay organized? What works for you?
- What do you do when your schedule is interrupted? Give an example of how you handle it.
- Nursing work often involves a number of daily frustrations. Tell me about some of the frustrations you have dealt with recently.
- How do you manage stressful situations? Give me an example.
- Describe a challenging problem you faced on one of your clinical rotations. How did you solve the problem?
- How have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker?How have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? Why did you?Describe a situation in which you had to handle a difficult and demanding patient.
- How would you handle a family who is displeased with your patient's care?
- What are the most important skills a nurse should have?.
- What are some of your most impressive nursing job achievements to date?
- How do you stay current with the nursing profession?
- What do you feel you contribute to your patients?
- What do you find difficult about being a nurse?
- What do you find most rewarding about being a nurse?
- What would you do if your replacement didn't arrive?
- Give a specific example of a time when you knew you did a good job as a nurse.
- Describe a challenging problem you faced on one of your clinical rotations. How did you solve the problem?
Teaching
Questions about the individual…
- Why did you choose to become a teacher?
- What quality or qualities do you have that would enhance our teaching staff?
- What contributions can you make to our school?
- How do you evaluate your own teaching performance?
- What kind of students do you like to work with? What type of students could you teach most effectively?
- What kind of teachers would you prefer to work with? Why?
- Give me one or two examples of things that you discovered about yourself while student teaching that you would like to improve.
- What needs and/or expectations do you have of the school administration?
- What three words would students use to describe your teaching strategies?
- When you think about your students, in what major ways do you most want to influence their lives?
- What do you believe is the major purpose of teacher evaluation?
Questions related to education philosophy/teaching style…
- State your approach/What is your educational philosophy?
- What is your philosophy on classroom management?
- How would you implement an equal opportunities policy in your classroom?
- How would you plan to integrate your class with the school as a whole?
- How do you help students experience success?
- How do you reinforce self-esteem in students?
- Describe your teaching style and how you accommodate the different learning styles of the students in your classes.
- What procedures do you use to evaluate student progress besides using tests?
- How would you challenge the slow learner and the advanced learner within the same class?
- Who should be responsible for discipline in a school? Why?
- What do you feel is the most effective way to communicate with parents? Describe how you have used this/these technique(s).
- What would you include in your Open House presentations to parents?
- Some people say you should demand respect. Do you agree or disagree?
- If a student came to you and said, "None of the other students like me," what would you tell him/her?
- How do you give your students recognition? Do you think a student can have too much recognition?
- What current trends in public education please you? Displease you?
- You give an assignment. A student ridicules the assignment, saying it doesn’t make sense. What would you do?
- What would you do if you constantly heard students complaining about another teacher?
- What steps would you take to get a student who has been tardy to be more punctual?
- What would I expect to see in your classroom's physical environment?
Questions about education/experience…
- Describe any school experience you have had, particularly in student teaching (or in another teaching position) that has prepared you for a full-time position at our school.
- How have you integrated technology into a curriculum you have taught?
- Describe any innovative projects you have been involved in developing.
- Give an example of how you have used cooperative learning in your classroom.
- Provide an example of one way you have individualized instructions for students?
- What are your plans for continuing your professional growth?
- Tell me about the three people who have most influenced your own education and educational career.
Questions related to the specific position…
- Why do you want to work for our district?
- What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of working in a school of this type?
