Interview Tips
Negative factors evaluated during the employment/graduate school interview which frequently lead to rejection of applicant:
- Poor personal appearance.
- Overbearing, overaggressive, conceited, superiority complex, know-it-all.
- Inability to express yourself clearly-poor voice, diction, grammar.
- Lack of planning for career-no purpose or goals.
- Lack of interest and enthusiasm.
- Lack of confidence and poise.
- Overemphasis on money.
- Unwilling to start at the bottom.
- Makes excuses-hedges on unfavorable factors in record.
- Lack of tact, maturity, and courtesy.
- Condemnation of past employers, lack of social understanding.
- Indecision, merely shopping around.
- Little sense of humor, cynical.
- No interest in company or industry or school.
- Lack of knowledge of field of specialization.
Questions frequently asked during the employment/graduate school interview:
- In what school activities have you participated? Why? Which did you enjoy the most?
- How do you spend your spare time?
- What are your long-range career goals?
- What made you pursue graduate school?
- How are you interested in this program?
- What is your past work experiences?
- What percentage of your college expenses did you earn?
- What qualifications do you have that make you feel you will be successful?
- What were your extracurricular activities?
- How do you feel about giving up a paying job for several years?
- What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held?
- Can you get recommendations from previous employers?
- What have you done which shows initiative and willingness to work?
- What have you done that has enhanced your leadership qualities?
- Are you having any other interviews?
- Why should we accept you into our program?
- How would you describe yourself?
- Why did you apply to this particular program? How did you hear about us?
- What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- How do you work under pressure? How do you handle stress?
- What major academic problem have you faced and how did you handle it?
- Have you been involved in any research? If so, was your experience positive?
- Tell us something interesting about yourself.
- If you don't mind telling us, what other schools have you applied to?
- Give us some examples of your creativity, initiative, maturity, and breadth of interest.
Questions that you might ask potential employer/graduate school:
- How is the training in this program organized? What is a typical program of study?
- What training model is emphasized?
- What kind of opportunities would I have?
- What’s the typical success rate for finding jobs for individuals in this program?
- Would I be likely to get financial aid in the first year?
- What are my possibilities of advancement? If any, how fast?
- Is it possible to talk to current employees/graduate students?
- How long does this program usually take to complete?
- What kinds of teaching and research assistantships are available?
- Are faculty supportive with regard to original ideas for research?
Similar information can be obtained from XPD – Experience & Professional Development.
Preparing for Internships, Jobs or Grad School
Resources from XPD – Experience & Professional Development:
College of Saint Benedict
Saint John’s University
Dr. Robert Kachelski
Chair, Psychology Department
CSB Main 368
320-363-5573