1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What are your strongest abilities?

3. What are your major weaknesses?

4. Why are you interested in working for this company?

5. What kind of machines (tools, equipment, etc.) can you use?

6. What can you offer us that someone else can't?

7. How do you handle pressure? Deadlines?

8. What is important to you in a job?

9. Why did you leave your last job?

10. Tell me five words that describe you.

11. How long would you stay if this job were offered to you?

12. What did you like least about your last job?

13. What do you see yourself doing in five years?

14. How long do you think it will take you to make a positive contribution to this company?

15. What is your opinion of your last (or current) employer?

16. Do you like to work individually or as part of a team? Why?

17. Why are you interested in this job?

18. How have your past jobs prepared you for this job?

19. What is the worst thing your former employer would say about you?

20. Why aren't you working now?

21. Have you ever been injured on the job? Tell me about your injury?

22. What wage do you need?

23. What do you know about this company?

24. Do you have references?

25. What else would you like to know about this company? This job?

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For this role play you need a partner. Find a willing friend, spouse, or helping professional and go where you will not be distracted. First, you will be the applicant; your partner the interviewer. When you are ready, use the 25 interview questions and have your partner ask you some of them. Answer them as you would in an interview for a job that you really want. It's fun to tape record these role plays to help you learn.

During this role play, you should ask the interviewer:

1. What skills or experience do you want in the person who takes this job?

2. What results will you expect a worker to produce?

3. What attitudes or personal qualities do you think the worker needs to fit in here?

Have your partner answer these questions as if he is a decision maker at a company where you want to work.

Towards the end of the role play, you can practice the close of the interview:

1. Summarize two or three major parts of the job and show how you can do or learn them.

2. Ask the interviewer which required skills you may lack.

3. Ask what strengths the interviewer feels you could bring to the company.

4. State that you want to work for the company and why.

5. Ask specifically when a decision will be made.

6. Thank the interviewer for the time spent.

After your role play, think back on your answers (or play the tape). Were your answers:

Once you are comfortable as an applicant, switch to role playing the employer. See how it feels to be the interviewer. How do your partner's answers make you feel?

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Copyright © 2007 Rick Lamplugh. All rights reserved.