Job Interview Questions for Fresh Graduates (and Job-Winning Answers)

Ready to take your shiny new college degree out on some job interviews? Be ready to ace every interview by coming up with and practicing the best interview answers. Here are 22 interview questions for fresh graduates that you should be ready to answer.

Interview Questions About Your Plans

• Are you willing to relocate?

In my opinion, this answer should always be ‘yes,’ especially while you’re young. There’s no better time in your life for new experiences. If you’re not sure about relocating at this time, here’s what you should say.

• How does this position fit in your career path?

Is this job just a filler for you until you get the one you want, or is it part of your plan? Do you have a plan? Here’s how to answer this question in an employer-pleasing way.

• How long would you stay with us?

You can’t predict the future, but you can still answer this question.

• What salary do you expect?

This is the mother of all tough interview questions. Here’s how to answer it well without ruining your chances to get a great offer.

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Everybody hates this question. The answer is not ‘in your job,’ no matter how ambitious you are. Here’s how to professionally and effectively answer this.

Interview Questions About Your Personality

Employers want to know that you’ll be a good fit for the company, and part of finding that out is finding out more about your personality. Here are some popular questions:

• Describe yourself to me in one word.

There’s some strategy involved in answering this question well. See the best words to use here.

• Do you work best in a team or alone?

Sometimes this answer depends on the job you’ll be doing. But what happens if you know you’ll be doing both (as most jobs require)? See how to give a balanced answer here.

• What motivates you?

What makes you work the hardest? Despite the necessities of life, the right answer is not ‘money.’ Here are some great ways to be motivated (at least in the eyes of employers.)

• What do people criticize most about you?

This is another way to get at your weaknesses. Here’s how to help them see there aren’t any potential land mines waiting if they hire you.

• If you were an animal, which one would you be?

For some reason, some employers love this question. Here’s how to be strategic about what animal you pick.

• What’s your greatest weakness?

True, this is one of the most ridiculous interview questions. The good news is, you can answer it without falling back on a cliché.

Behavioral Interview Questions

Of course, the hiring manager wants to know how you’ll be on the job. To find out, they’ll ask you what’s called behavioral questions to find out how you behave in a variety of situations or how you’ve handled issues in the past.

• What do you do if you find yourself facing multiple tasks that must be done by the end of the day but you don’t have enough time to do them?

This is about how you set priorities and work smart. Here’s a good strategy to answer it.

• Have you ever been part of a team where someone wasn’t pulling their weight, and what did you do?

Anyone who’s ever participated in group projects knows all about this. Here’s a good way to tell your story.

• How do you handle stressful situations?

Every job will have its stressful moments, but the key is in how you respond. Here are good ways to walk an employer through your process.

• An airplane lands in a parking lot. What do you do?

This is a classic BEI question. To answer it, walk them through how you approach problems using this situation as an illustration.

• Tell me about a time when you failed.

How do you respond to failure—which happens to us all? Your answer says a lot about you. Here’s a good response.

Softball Opportunities to Sell Yourself

Every interview answer is a chance to sell yourself for the job. Some questions give you better opportunities than others.

• Tell me about yourself.

This is a question often asked in the very beginning of an interview. It’s an ideal opportunity to set the tone for the entire interview.

• How long until you’ll make a significant contribution?

If you’re asked, this, rejoice and then pull out your 30-60-90-day plan. Here’s what to say.

• You don’t have enough experience.

The experience objection could be one of your biggest obstacles. After all, you’ll be competing with others who’ve worked in this field for a while. Here’s what to say.

• Why do you believe you’re the best fit for this position?

Sounds like a challenge, but it’s really a great opportunity to sell yourself.

Bonus Round

You’ll hear these kinds of questions toward the end of the interview:

• What questions do you have for us?

Absolutely have a list of questions to ask. It shows intelligence and enthusiasm. See these great questions.

• Is there anything I haven’t told you about the company that you’d like to know?

You need an answer for this, and to get it, you’ll have to do some extensive research before your interview. Here’s what to say.

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