PREPARE for
INTERVIEWING
Common Interview Questions
Below are a few examples of questions you can have an EPP Ambassador ask you during a mock interview. These questions are suggestions based on commonly asked questions by employers. This list will help with general preparation for interviews with multiple companies, but you should still thoroughly read each job description and understand how your skillset and experience align with any role-specific tasks and expectations.
List of common questions
- Tell me about yourself.
- Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours.
- Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?
- Tell me about a time you wish you’d handled a situation differently with a colleague.
- Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. What was going on, and how did you get through it?
- Tell me about your first job. What did you do to learn the ropes?
- Give me an example of a time when you had to think on your feet to navigate a difficult or awkward situation.
- Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with the situation?
- Tell me about a time you had to be strategic to achieve your top priorities.
- Describe a long-term project that you managed. How did you keep everything moving along in a timely manner?
- Tell me about a time your responsibilities got a little overwhelming. What did you do?
- Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself. How did you go about ensuring that you would meet your objective?
- Give me an example of a time you managed numerous responsibilities. How did you handle that?
- Why do you want to work at our company?
- How well do you work with people? Do you prefer to work alone or on a team?
- How well do you adapt to new situations?
What is the STAR Method?
The STAR Method is a technique for answering story-based interview questions (“Tell me about a time when…”) that utilizes a simple framework. Even if an employer asks you a question you haven’t prepared an answer for ahead of time, you can keep the four parts of this method in mind to answer it successfully in the moment.
Situation: Share the setting and relevant details.
Task: Describe your responsibilities in the scenario.
Action: Give a summary of the actions you took to address it.
Result: Share the outcome of your actions.
Questions to Ask Employers
Employers expect you to have a few questions for them as well. Having questions in mind beforehand will show your engagement with both the interview process and the company, especially when the questions are tailored to the role. Below are a few suggestions that can help you determine the nature of the work you’d be doing as well as if the company seems like a good fit for your values and goals.
Working as an intern/co-op student
- What are typical responsibilities for an intern/co-op for this role at your company?
- What projects and assignments would I be working on?
- Will I be working with other interns/co-ops?
- What are some ways interns/co-ops have exceeded expectations?
- Do your interns/co-ops get paired with a mentor to help acclimate to the role?
- What development opportunities are there for interns/co-ops and for full-time employees?
Company culture
- How often do interns/co-ops transition to full-time employment?
- Does your company have initiatives? (You can be specific about the type of initiatives that are important to you. Ex: employee wellbeing, volunteer opportunities, causes the company sponsors, environmental initiatives, etc.)
- What do you love about working with this company?
- What’s a project that you worked on that you were proud of the outcome?
- What is a typical day like for an engineer at your company?