Job-Seeking Skills Resources: Job Interview Skills
Common Types of Questions asked
Generally, there are 6 types of questions in a job interview:
- Friendly questions (ice-breakers)
- Skills and experience
- Technical questions
- Attitudes/ personality/ motivation questions
- Probing/ tricky/ problem-solving questions
- Current affairs questions
Some examples of the categories of questions are listed below:
Skills and Experience Questions
- Can you introduce yourself in Putonghua?
- Can you tell me more about your final year project?
- What have you gained from your university education / extracurricular activities / work experience?
- Do you see any relevance between your study / activities / work experience and this job you are applying for?
- Without relevant past experience, how will you cope with the job?
- Why did you get better grades in your electives than your major courses?
Knowledge Questions
- What differences can you find in the two versions of this software?
- What do you think are the major responsibilities of the position you are applying for?
- How would you promote our product to customers?
- How do you see our company improve in the future?
- What are the major problems our industry is facing?
- What do you think is the future development of our industry?
Attitude Questions
- What is your greatest achievement?
- What gives you the most satisfaction in life?
- Are you willing to travel frequently / relocate outside Hong Kong?
- What salary would you expect if you were hired?
- What is more important to you, the amount of money or type of job?
- How well do you work under pressure?
- Do you work better in a team or alone?
- What qualities should a successful person possess? Do you consider yourself successful?
- What are your strengths / weaknesses?
- How can you persuade us to hire you? What, specifically, can you contribute to our company?
Motivation Questions
- What are your short- and long-term career goals?
- How are you going to achieve your goals?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
- Why are you interested in this field / this job / our company?
Current Affairs
Advice of the HKUST Career Center
Task 1: What types of questions are these?
Classify these 10 questions and check the answer online
Task 2: Further practice
Here are some more common questions for you to categorise again. What is the intention behind each of the following questions?
- Please tell me about yourself. (Keep the answer to this question related to the job you are applying for.)
- What are your short-range goals? Long-range goals?
- Do you work better as a team member? Alone? Why?
- What can you contribute to this company?
- Do you think you are successful? Why? If so, what personal characteristics have contributed to this success?
- What do you do in your leisure time?
- Why do you think you would like this job?
- Why do you think you would like our company?
- Who has been the most important person in your life? Why?
- Are you willing to relocate (to work outside Hong Kong)? Travel? Migrate?
- What will you be doing five years from now? Fifteen years?
- Do you plan to continue your education?
- What salary would you expect if you were hired?
- Do you read books? Magazines? Which ones?
- What is your greatest achievement?
- What gives you the most satisfaction in life?
- Are you really interested in this job you are applying for? Why?
- What would you do if you had a difficult subordinate who always ignored or broke the rules?
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