Interviewing

Preparation is key to a successful interview. The tips and questions below are designed to let you know what to expect from the process and to help you plan your approach. Remember, the path of your discussion will depend on the company and industry in which you are interviewing.

• Keys to Successful Interviews
  • Establish a sense of rapport with the interviewer. You both want the same thing—to see if the position is a good match for you.
  • Convey your agenda: three or four selling points for that position.
  • Give examples to demonstrate each of those selling points.
  • Frame whatever you say positively, even if asked negatively ("What did you like least about your previous work as a ____?").
  • Be honest with yourself and the interviewer. You don't want to talk your way into the wrong position.
  • Do communicate to the interviewer that you really want the position (and why) and that there is an excellent chance you would accept their offer (if this is true).
  • Be prepared for questions you hope they won't ask. Be matter-of-fact in your responses, not defensive.
  • Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes. Think about what might concern the interviewer about you and what you can do for the company.
  • Have several good questions to ask the interviewer.
  • Be sensitive to cultural differences if you are interviewing with a firm from a country of which you are not a native.
  • Practice, practice, practice!
• General Interview Questions
  • Tell me about yourself.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • How would your friends describe you?
  • What do you do in your spare time?
  • What are the most important things to you in a job?
  • What would you like me to know about you, that is not in your resume?
  • Give me an example of a situation where you demonstrated leadership.
  • How flexible are you?
  • Give an example of how you worked on a team.
  • How creative are you? Give an example.
  • Why are you interested in this industry?
  • Why did you choose to interview with us?
  • Describe the ideal position in our firm.
  • Who else are you interviewing with?
  • What qualities do you think make someone successful in business
  • How do you feel about work-related travel?
  • Why do you think you are qualified for this position?
  • What did you like most/least about each position you held?
  • Why did you want to attend business school? Why HBS?
  • What courses did you like the most? Least? Why?
  • What did you learn at HBS that will help you in this position?
• Illegal Interview Questions

  Under U.S. law, several types of interview questions are illegal. These generally fall under personal information, such as age, race, religion, etc. Below are some illegal interview questions, related questions that are legal, and suggested responses.

  • Work/Visa Status

    Illegal: Are you a U.S. citizen?
    Where were your parents born?
    What is your native language?

    Legal: Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?
    What languages do you speak?

    Response: I can work with (no/the following) restrictions.
    I am fluent in, conversational in.

  • Marital/Family Status

    Illegal: Are you married?
    Do you have, or plan to have children?
    Have you ever been divorced?
    What do you do for child care?

    Legal: Are you willing to relocate?
    Are you willing and able to put in the amount of overtime and/or travel the position requires?

    Response: If you're asking whether anything is going to interfere with my being able to successfully do my work, I understand the hours and travel required and I am comfortable with them.

  • Disability Status

    Illegal: Do you have any disabilities?
    How is your health?

    Legal: Are you able to perform this job with or without reasonable accommodation?

    Response: If you're asking whether anything is going to interfere with my being able to successfully do my work, either now or in the future, the answer is, "No."

  • Religion

    Illegal: Are you a U.S. citizen?
    What is your religion?
    Are you practicing?

    Legal: Does your religious affiliation, if any, interfere with your working in this position?

    Response: I recognize I may have to work weekends and do not anticipate any issues with that.

  • Age

    Illegal: How old are you?

    Legal: Are you over 18?

    Response: If you're wondering if I'm over 18, the answer is, "Yes."

  • Arrest Record

    Illegal: Have you ever been arrested?

    Legal: Have you ever been convicted of any crime other than a traffic violation?

    Response: No./I've never been convicted of anything other than a minor traffic violation.

Additional Resources

The publicly available Web sites on this page were selected by Mallory Stark, Career Information Librarian at Baker Library. Contact Mallory if you need further assistance.

• Selected Web sites

  Bradley CVs Interviewing Advice
  The site includes sample interview questions and questions to ask the interviewer, as well as other helpful information, including group interview testing and panel interviews. While the site originates from the UK, the information is relevant for business interview situations worldwide.

  Job Interview Net
  This site is devoted to answering the toughest interview questions successfully.

  Career Journal: From the Wall Street Journal
  A general site for job search in business and management. The How Can We Help You section includes reliable tips and advice on interviewing for the corporate environment.

  Monster Job Interview Resources
  This site has a helpful simulation featuring Virtual Interviews, Rehearsal, Stage Debut, Critic's Review, and Encore. It also has example interview questions with multiple-choice answers, providing immediate feedback based on performance.

• Books on Interviewing
  • Bob Adams, The Everything Job Interview Book. Adams Media Corp., 2001.
  • Jeffrey G. Allen, The Complete Q&A: Job Interview Book, 4th ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2004.
  • John D. Drake, The Perfect Interview, 2nd ed., Fine Communications, 2002.
  • John Kador, The Manager's Book of Questions: 1001 Great Interview Questions for Hiring the Best Person, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, 2006.
  • H. Anthony Medley, Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed, Warner Business Books, 2005.
  • Wallace V. Schmidt and Roger N. Conaway, Results-Oriented Interviewing: Principles, Practices and Procedures, Allyn & Bacon, 1999.
  • Peter Veruki, The 250 Job Interview Questions You'll Most Likely Be Asked and the Answers that Will Get You Hired!, Adams Media Corp., 1999.
  • Kate Wendleton, Interviewing and Salary Negotiation: For Job Hunters, Career Changers, Consultants and Freelancers, Career Press. 1999.