So, you’ve sat for hours at the computer finishing your dissertation, worked in the library revising for exams and drank more coffee than you ever thought was possible -- but you made it through and are on the way to realising one of your life’s greatest accomplishments: a university degree. Now it’s time to find a job. The job application process can be long and stressful; with application forms, CV’s and cover letters to write and aptitude tests and assessment centres to face, not to mention the final hurdle: the interview.
Let’s put things into perspective. One great 30-45 minute interview could land you the job of a lifetime and set you on the path of a spectacular career. One bad interview however, could put you back at square one with time running out (and the jobs quickly disappearing!)
That’s why it’s essential that you understand what employers are looking for in university students looking for graduate positions and internships before you go for your interviews. In this article, you’ll find the top 5 questions asked to university students and advice on how to answer them.
Before we get started, let’s take note of the top 9 skills that employers are looking for from university students like yourself:
- Communication skills (written and oral)
- Teamwork (the ability to work well with people)
- Leadership ability (the ability to manage people to achieve a task)
- Time Management (stress management, scheduling, multi-tasking)
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making (speed and accuracy of your decisions)
- Flexibility (ability to adapt to changes in circumstances while not losing sight of a target)
- Technical Skills (i.e. your course, grades etc.)
- Drive & Motivation (your interest and long-term potential)
Keep these key skills in mind as you approach your interview, and try to structure your answers around them. During your interview, you will only be asked 8-12 questions depending on the employer, so the following article should help get you two or three steps closer to your goal.
So without further delay, here are the top 5 questions that are asked to university students at job interviews, and how to structure your answers so that you show the interviewer what you’re really made of!
1. What type of things have you learnt at university that will help you on this job?
In this question, the interviewer is not only asking for technical skills, but personal skills as well. So if you’ve taken a course that is relevant to the job, by all means talk about it in the interview. However, remember to talk about what the experience of university taught you. How did it make you a more well-rounded person? What skills have you developed that will help you in your future career?
Chances are you’re actually unaware of the skills you’ve developed over the 3-4 years you’ve been at university. Playing in the rugby team? Teamwork. Putting together a themed night at the union? Organisational skills, leadership and decision-making. Studying for your degree? Problem-solving, time-management and specialised technical skills.
So before your interview, sit down and write down your university accomplishments. You will most probably come up with skills you didn’t even know you had. However, remember to concentrate on the skills that are most needed by the employer.
‘I decided to choose the courses within my degree that (a) I had a real interest in and (b) had the most practical, ‘real-world’ relevance. Therefore, I chose ‘Course 1’ and ‘Course 2’. However, I participated in many other interesting activities at university, such as A, B and C where picked up useful skills such as X, Y and Z that I could apply to this particular role.’
2. Why do you want to work here?
To answer this question, you need to have researched the company that you are interviewing for. Here are some tips on how you can quickly and easily research a company before your interview:
- Browse the company website. Take a look at the careers section and research your desired area or department. Read and take notes on the profiles, the history of the firm, where its going in the future, the graduate training program, the organisational structure and how the firm is unique from its competitors.
- Attend careers fairs and company presentations at your university. Talk to people who you know already work at the firm and ask them what their day-to-day role is like.
- Read recent stories or press releases which have named the company. You can find these at (1) the company website, (2) a Google search, (3) the media, such as newspapers, the business news etc.
Before your interview, write down at least 5 reasons why you want to work for this company in particular. In this way, you should easily be able to come up with a concise, impressive answer. You could structure your answer like this:
‘This company attracts me for a number of reasons. (Now give at least 3 to 4 specific reasons why you would like to work for this firm, based on your research). From what I know about the firm, I feel that my professional skills, values and goals fit in with that of this company, and I am sure that it would be an excellent professional and personal match.
‘Of course, I am keen to develop a deep knowledge of the industry. And so the opportunity to work alongside seasoned professionals and world-class clients make me feel that a position in such an environment would offer unmatched opportunities for me to learn, grow and develop professionally in this field.’
3. ‘Tell me about a time you were involved in a team.’
It is almost guaranteed that this question will be asked at your interview. Team skills are absolutely essential in any division you have applied for – and you must be able to demonstrate that you have worked well in several team situations for the interviewer to get a clear view of your skills in this area.
Have at least 3 different examples of when you were involved in a team activity (such as a club or society, sport or an organizational duty at university) ready to talk about in depth at your interview.
‘At university, I was part of the ___. We used to meet regularly every Wednesday, and it was one of my favorite times of the week. Being part of this team I was involved in discussions / debates / decisions / strategic formations (sports) and it was essential that we worked together, rather than as individuals. We found that as a unit, we performed outstandingly, achieving X, Y and Z.’
Include (1) the importance of listening to other team members’ viewpoints, (2) an example of how you overcame a problem and succeeded as a team, (3) how you specifically gave your input and how your idea was quickly taken on and (4) how you understand that you also had a responsibility to keep the team motivated and focused.
If asked about whether you have ever had a disagreement with a team member (a common interviewer trick!), try to turn the negative into a positive. For example you could give an example of how during a brainstorming session, you had one viewpoint, another person had a different viewpoint, but when you merged your ideas and amalgamated both incentives together, the result came out better than it would have done before.
4. Why did you decide to study (your course) at this particular university?
A great way to answer this question is to outline (1) how your interest in the subject was born (school, lifetime passion), (2) how you decided that you wanted to deepen your knowledge of the area or specialise in a particular topic of the area. Most importantly, to apply this answer to the job at hand, you can add:
‘I feel that the courses I have taken within this degree, such as A and B, have taught me the analytical / quantitative / problem-solving skills that can be applied to this particular position.
As regards to the part of the question that asks why you chose your university, you could give several reasons that outline (1) the excellent reputation of the university, (2) the department you studied in, (3) the wide range of clubs, sports and societies, (4) the people or (5) the environment and culture of the university. For example, you could add flavour to your answer by adding:
‘Most importantly, this university is known for turning out well-rounded, highly skilled individuals who are very well prepared for the ‘real world’. In this case I wanted to be ready and primed to enter the business world, and I feel that after attending this university, I am.’
5. Tell me about a time you were in a leadership position.
Companies are looking for the future in university graduates. The students who are fresh out of university today will eventually become the leaders in their respective industries. So no matter what kind of job you are applying for, leadership skills, like team skills, are essential qualities to have.
A good practice to have is to have prepared at least 3 examples of where you have displayed leadership skills in the past. The examples could be from when you helped organise an event, played a sport, were involved in a school project like Young Enterprise or any other example where you have had to manage a team of people.
An outstanding answer would include the following:
- Precise details: How, why, when, where and with whom?
- How you were operating under a pressure of some sort e.g. time.
- How you had to understand each team member’s skill set and delegate them to a role that they would perform at their best and to their highest potential in correspondence with their skill-sets.
- How at times, you had to factor in the dynamics of the team and how well the personalities would work together in your decisions.
- How you had to trust your team and keep them motivated.
- How you had to think quickly on your feet and make decisions
- How you were aware that if something went wrong, you were ultimately responsible as the team leader i.e. accountability.
- If possible, talk about how you and your team solved some kind of problem – this gives something to base your answer around.
Your Interview Approach: If there ever was a ‘magic formula’ for succeeding at job interviews, this is it:
Step 1: Think about what the employer’s key needs are for this job. What are the main responsibilities of the job? What are the tasks that need to be accomplished; both short-term and long-term? For this example, let’s say that the employers needs are A, B and C.
Step 2: Now, what skills are required to meet the employer’s needs A, B and C? Is it problem-solving, the ability to sell, a technical skill? During your interview, structure your answers around demonstrating that you possess these skills. For this example, you need to demonstrate that you possess the skills X, Y and Z to meet the employer’s needs A, B and C.
Step 3: The final step is to give relevant examples of how you have demonstrated these skills in real life. This is the clincher; anyone can say that they have the skills but those students that have shown them in real situations always succeed. The examples could be from your university life, your work experience or even from your favourite hobbies or activities.
Now you’re armed with the tools and techniques to make an impact at your next interview, use them as much as you can and set yourself on the path to a successful career after university. Good luck!
Brett Riley
ã Brett Riley, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
About The Author: Brett Riley is an interview coach and a recognized authority on the subject of job interviews. His website, http://www.perfectjobinterview.com, provides a wealth of job interview questions, answers and practical guidance on everything related to succeeding at job interviews.
