Interview Questions

Showing 41 articles

50 Questions to Ask in an Interview as a Candidate

By Martina Mascali, Monster Contributor

Knowing what to ask in an interview is essential – not only because asking insightful questions leaves a memorable impression, but also because it helps validate your fit for the role and the company – on both sides. In this article, we’ll review the importance of asking the right questions to your interviewers and a collection of 50 questions to a...

100 Potential Interview Questions

By Martina Mascali, Monster Contributor

Hey there, future interviewee. Are you looking to become the candidate that every hiring manager dreams of? Well, you’re in luck! You just landed on a page filled with over 100 interview questions and answers. And not just basic interview questions, but all sorts; including behavioural, technical, leadership, cultural fit, problem solving, and care...

Job interview question: Describe your ideal work environment

By Monster Contributor

Goldilocks would have a hard time getting hired today. She could overcome that criminal record (breaking into bear residences; grand theft of porridge). But she’d only accept perfect work conditions. “This one’s too hot,” she’d complain if toiling in-home furnace repair. “That one’s too cold,” she’d complain at a refrigeration plant. Whe...

6 Questions To Ask Before Accepting That Internship

Nauseous from the “no experience/no job” run around? An internship could end that miserable cycle. Gives you a chance to work for a company as a sort of trainee. Then boom, you’re employable! Hopefully, you’ll be shown the ropes and given chances to build skills. Except it doesn’t always work that way. Some employers provide short shrift to intern...

"What Would Be Something That Would Make our Company Hesitate and

By Monster Contributor

By Joanne Richard If you’re lucky enough to snag yourself a job interview, you have to be prepared for some tough questions, even a few tricky ones. Employers are looking to weed out candidates, to trip you up and send you in the other direction. So answer me this: “What would be something that would make our company hesitate and not hi...

Corporate Culture Questions To Ask During Interviews

By Monster Contributor

By Mark Swartz Even if you’re a perfect match for a job posting, you might not be a good fit. Being qualified doesn’t ensure you’ll mesh with the company’s culture. That corporate culture is made up of several elements. The way employees are treated, for instance. Adherence to (or ignoring of) ethical standards. Whether the pace is driven and u...

What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job?

By Monster Contributor

By Joe Issid If you are currently employed, you probably had to sit through at least one reasonably uncomfortable interview during which you were asked some (mostly) relevant questions about your background and work experience. If so, chances are you were probably asked to justify why you had chosen to apply for the position for which you we...

How to answer: "How would your friends describe you?"

By Monster Contributor

By Joanne Richard Think quick! What do you think people would say about you? That’s a loaded question – and one you may be asked in a job interview. Say too much and you’ll come across as a braggart. Stumble and mumble, and you can kiss that new career goodbye. If you’re asked that question in a job interview, the bottom line is that y...

Interviewing... For a Job You Already Have?

By Monster Contributor

By Joe Issid Whaaaaat? On the surface, it may seem like a very strange premise but interviewing for your own job is not altogether uncommon in certain employment sectors. For the record, I am not referring to a situation where you are forced to justify your position within a company that may be looking to get rid of you. While these situations do (...

Nursing Interview Questions

By Monster Contributor

Apply to nursing jobs By Jennifer LeClaire Monster Contributing Writer If you're a trained nursing professional, you can afford to be a discriminating job seeker, thanks to the nursing shortage. But you still need to prepare thoroughly for every nursing job interview. Part of the process of getting ready for an interview is knowing the q...

Illegal Interview Questions and How To Respond

By Monster Contributor

By Mark Swartz “So,” says the interviewer, casually looking you over, “how old are you?” You tense because the question feels inappropriate. You say to yourself, are they even allowed to ask that? Qualifying for this job should be based on experience and ability, not age. That question may well violate Canada’s Human Rights Act. Other invasive...

Teamwork Interview Questions & Answers

By Monster Contributor

Teamwork has become an increasingly valuable skill for people today in the Canadian workforce. Companies want their employees to work together to find innovative solutions, so you might encounter an interview question about your teamwork skills or your history of team building and team leadership. How should you answer these questions effectively? ...

Retail Interview Questions & Answers

By Monster Contributor

Retail is a unique industry because its employees typically have different schedules and pay structures than jobs in other sectors. Because of this, the retail interview questions asked by interviewers can also vary. Interview Question Mistakes One question that a lot of candidates are asked during retail interviews is what they enjoy about working...

Walk Me Through Your Resume - How to Answer

By Monster Contributor

It's common for prospective employers to ask candidates to walk them through their resume at the beginning of an interview. Knowing how to do this and the mistakes to avoid can make the difference between creating the right first impression and the wrong one. Why Do Employers Ask This Question? When employers ask "Can you walk me through your...

Manager Interview Questions & Answers

By Monster Contributor

Management interviews are often quite different from entry-level or even mid-level positions within various organizations. Most manager interview questions are focused on learning about your management style and how you handle conflicts between staff members. As a manager, you are often responsible for hiring and firing staff, so it can be a tough ...

Teacher Interview Questions & Answers

By Monster Contributor

Teachers are responsible for a classroom full of students who are there to learn and grow. Because this job is focused heavily on education, interviewers will look through your teaching resume and ask questions designed to find out whether candidates love working with children as well as to learn more about their teaching styles and how those will ...

Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job? - How to Answer

By Monster Contributor

Many of us have heard a job interviewer ask, "Why do you want to leave your current job?" This can be a tricky question to answer, but with some preparation, you can formulate a good response. Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question? It's understandable that employers will be curious about why an employed person is looking to leave a current role and...

Quality Assurance (QA) Interview Questions & Answers

By Monster Contributor

Quality assurance is an important department within companies across a variety of industries. Whether you are working in computers and software, customer service, or health care, there is usually an assigned team of people who ensures that customers receive quality service and products that meet their needs. There are questions that many quality as...

Answering The Interview Question: Why Do You Want to Work Here?

By Monster Contributor

By Joe Issid I’m sure we’ve all groaned under our breath when we have been asked this question during an interview. Personally, I have frequently felt a primal urge to exclaim that the only reason I am putting myself through this process is because I need to earn money. Of course, this is not something that is discussed during a civilized interview...

How to Answer "What Are Your Short/Long-Term Goals"

By Neil MacIntosh

Some job interview questions are so common that they have become almost universal. One example: "What are your short- and long-term goals?" This question allows the interviewer to evaluate your ability to distinguish between the two and to assess your life and career direction. So how do you answer this question effectively? Make Sure Yo...

Interview Questions: What To Answer If You Are Overqualified

By Monster Contributor

By Mark Swartz There are some good reasons to seek a job you’re overqualified for. Like when changing careers. Or in times of economic uncertainty, where lower-level employment beats long-term joblessness. As well, it may just be time to find a less stressful position. Those rationales are all find and dandy. Except employers are usually wary o...

Interview Questions When Applying For a Higher Position

By Monster Contributor

By Mark Swartz Monster Contributing Writer It’s challenging enough to find a new job. Or to earn a promotion at your current employer. Imagine applying to a new employer for a role that’s higher than you’ve held. You’d be competing against candidates more senior than you. And you’ll have to prove your worthiness for an instant promotion. Ther...

Why Have You Been Out of Work for So Long?

By Monster Contributor

“Why have you been out of work so long?” No matter how this simple question is phrased, it puts you on the on the defensive. Bad enough your job search is taking longer than then norm. It’s also eaten away at your resources – yet you’re still unemployed. Now your credibility as a serious job-seeker is suspect. This inquiry is easier to answer if ...

"What Motivates You at Work?"

By Monster Contributor

One of the main questions that interviewers ask during a job interview is, "What motivates you at work?" This question typically is meant to help the potential employer understand you more as a person, giving insight on what you value and enjoy doing, how you would fit into a team-based work environment, and what bothers you. When you answer this q...

The Informational Interview

By Monster Contributor

By: Karin Eldor Monster Contributing Writer " All the world's a stage and we are merely players …” – Shakespeare When it comes to informational interviews, this couldn’t be more true. Informational interviews are an integral part of the job search and most importantly, finding the perfect job for you. Whether you’re at the start of your hunt or...

How to Answer the Question "Why Were You Fired?"

By Monster Contributor

By Carole Martin Monster Contributing Writer "I had a great boss, but he left. From the very beginning it was clear my new boss and I were going to be at odds -- we just had different types of personalities. She kept changing the rules. One day, she would want it this way, and the next day she'd want it another way. I don't usually have probl...

Common Interview Questions

By Monster Contributor

By Ian Christie Monster Contributing Writer Every interview has a unique focus, but some questions are asked so often, it makes sense to do all you can to prepare for them. In order to be successful, you need a strategy -- not scripted answers. Your goal should be to emphasize the experiences in your background that best fit what each intervie...

Why Should We Hire You?

By Monster Contributor

By Carole Martin Monster Contributing Writer This is another broad question that can take you down the wrong road unless you've done some thinking ahead of time. This question is purely about selling yourself. Think of yourself as the product. Why should the customer buy? The Wrong Track Spencer answers by saying, "Because I need and want a job....

Interview Questions (and Answers) for the Unemployed

By Monster Contributor

By the Monster Career Coach In this day and age, being out of a job is something that most employees will experience not just once, but possibly several times during their career span. Cycles of the economy, your employer’s financial circumstances, if you quit for personal reasons, all of these contribute to the likelihood that at some point you...

Interview Question: What Are Your Greatest Strengths and Weakness

By Neil MacIntosh

Marie is about to interview two candidates for the customer service manager position . Her candidates are Francine and William. As always, she plans to ask about their strengths and weaknesses. Francine answers the question, "What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?" with, "My strength is that I'm a hard worker. My weakness is that ...

Interview Questions (and Answers) After an Extended Leave

By Monster Contributor

By the Monster Career Coach Do you find yourself looking for a job after months, or even a year or two, out of the full-time workforce? Maybe you took time off for parental leave, either as a mom or a dad. Could be that you looked after an ageing parent or went back to school. Returning to the permanent workforce is certainly possible. Howev...

Interview Questions (and Answers) If You Were Fired From Your Las

By Monster Contributor

By the Monster Career Coach Getting “fired” is different than being let go or getting downsized “without cause.” The term “fired” is a legal word that means you’ve been terminated from a job because you did something inappropriate that the employer has decided falls into one of the following categories: Serious Misconduct - such as ...

Behavioural Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

By Monster Contributor

By the Monster Career Coach It used to be that in job interviews you’d be asked a series of questions that were set in the future. For instance, the interviewer might say something like “If you were in a situation that required you to make a good decision quickly, how might you react?” Nowadays it’s common for interviewers to focus more on your...

Interview Questions (and Answers) for the Previously Self-Employe

By Monster Contributor

By the Monster Career Coach At any given point in time, approximately 12 to 18 percent of the Canadian workforce is self-employed. This mainly includes people who have started their own small business or are classified as “independent consultants.” Being self-employed can be wonderfully fulfilling and liberating. But it is also subject to sudde...

Encountering Behaviour-based Interviews and Questions

By Monster Contributor

Considered a new trend in screening a decade ago, behavioural-based interviews have become the norm in the modern hiring process. These interviews are filled with behaviour-based questions designed to elicit patterns of accomplishments relevant to the employerâs situation. They are specific and challenge interviewees to provide concrete exam...

Interview Questions (and Answers) for Career Changers

By Monster Contributor

By the Monster Career Coach Thinking of changing careers? For those of you seeking work that better suits your needs, sometimes a brand new type of job can be just what the doctor ordered to boost your motivation and give you an increased sense of satisfaction. There are, of course, certain challenges that accompany a shift in occupations. Amon...

Prepare for the Question: Tell Me About Yourself

By Monster Contributor

by Carole Martin Monster Interview Coach It's one of the most frequently asked questions in an interview: Tell me about yourself. Your response to this request will set the tone for the rest of the interview. For some, this is the most challenging question to answer, as they wonder what the interviewer really wants to know and what information ...

Answering Tough Interview Questions

By Monster Contributor

By Monster Career Coach You finally have received that awaited call for a job interview. The next step is to prepare yourself for the interviewing process. But what if despite all those days or weeks of training and career advice reviewal you are still fearing any curveballs. Fear no more, here are some useful tips for handling these kind of sur...

Uncommon Interview Questions

By Monster Contributor

By Randall Craig Research shows that people don't quit their company - they quit their boss. Think about it: the best managers can coach you... or kill you. They can approve training... or they can throw you to the wolves. Every organization has great managers - and some duds. That is why job interviews are equally about you "check...

Handling Job-Hopping Questions

By Allan Hoffman

These days, no one expects you to spend your entire career at a single company. That would peg you as a throwback, especially in information technology. But job-hopping, especially if you're staying at a company for less than 18 months, may raise questions with a potential employer. Is There a Risk in Switching Jobs Frequently? Ten years a...

Six Must-Ask Interview Questions

By Monster Contributor

by Joe Turner Interviewing can be a gut-wrenching process. Most books on how to interview list hundreds of questions you need to be ready to answer, but few talk about the questions you need to ask. Take more control at your next interview by asking some pointed questions of your own. Here are six must-ask questions and why you should know the an...