Interview Questions Library

This question library supplements our Student Employee Interview Guide

Select questions below to help students demonstrate necessary career competencies while interviewing.

Describe a time when you had to think “outside the box” and how did you go about it?
Can you give me an example of a situation where you used creative or innovative thinking to eliminate frustration with a product or process.
Tell me about a time when you have had to develop a creative approach to problem solving in order to get the job done.
What is the most creative idea or project you have generated in your current role? How was it received?

Tell me about a problem that you had to solve in a unique or innovative way. What was the outcome?
Give an example of a time you identified and fixed a problem before it became urgent.
How do you weigh the pros and cons before making a decision?
When you are faced with a problem, what do you do?

How have you incorporated the viewpoints and perspectives of underrepresented groups into your work? Please provide a specific example.
Describe any awareness, knowledge, or skills you have gained from working with someone of a different background or identity than your own.
What steps have you taken to reduce bias and champion understanding in your classes (or in your current job)? Please provide a specific example.
Tell us about a time when you changed your style to work more effectively with a person from a different background.
What is your approach to dealing with discussions about potentially difficult topics. Please provide a specific example.
Please describe how you work to create a campus environment that is welcoming and inclusive? Please provide a specific example.
Describe the most difficult colleague, classmate, student you’ve ever had to deal with at work / class. Why were they challenging? What did you do?
How do you adapt your working style to meet the different culture and learning styles?
Tell us about a time when you showed empathy toward another individual or group. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome.

What is the “best” team you were a part of? What made this team great to be a part of?
Describe where you had to provide constructive feedback to someone. What was your approach? What was the outcome?
In what ways have you encouraged your work team to be more creative and innovative?
How would your colleagues describe you?
What are the qualities of a successful team?

How do you like to be supervised?
Provide an example of a challenge you faced. How did you address it? And what was the outcome?
Who is someone that you look up to? Why do you look up to them?
Describe a time when you faced an unexpected challenge at work.
Recall a time you successfully used crisis-management skills.

Describe a time where you received constructive feedback? What was the feedback and how did you respond?
What motivates you?
What is the best piece of advice you received at work? How did you apply this to your work approach?
What is your greatest failure? Why makes it your “greatest failure”?

Give me an example of when someone presented an innovative new idea you you that was a bit unusual. How did you react? What did you do?
Describe a time when you had to solve a problem, but didn’t have all the necessary information about it beforehand. What did you do?
Tell us about the last presentation you gave.