Interviewing:
Common Graduate Questions

Education

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?
Why did you come to Boston University for your MBA?
Are you smart? How do we know you're smart?

Your Experience and Skills

Tell me about a work-related accomplishment you are proud of.
Tell me about a major problem you have encountered in a project and how you dealt with it.
Give me an example of a time when you made a mistake. What did you do and what did you learn?
In what way do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
What qualifications do you have that make you think you will be successful in our business?
Why should we hire you for our organization?
What did the Dow, S&P or NASDAQ close at yesterday?
What is marketing (or consulting, etc.)?
What company in this market do you admire most and why?

Your Work-Related Qualities and Characteristics

How would you describe yourself?
How would a manager or a peer who knows you well describe you?
What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
What do you consider your top strengths?
Tell me about a weakness you have received critical feedback on. How did you respond to the feedback?
What characteristics do you admire in others?
Tell me about a time when you had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control.

Your Fit for This Position

What activities/job functions do you enjoy most? What do you enjoy least?
Describe a work environment where you are most comfortable and successful.
Do you work better in a large or small organization? Why?
Do you work better in a group or alone? Why?
Do you prefer a structured or unstructured working environment? Why?
How well do you perform under pressure? Give examples.
What makes you think you can sell?
What is most important to you about your job?
If you were hiring someone for this job, what qualities would you look for?
What are the qualities you feel a successful manager should have?
Describe the ideal relationship between a supervisor and subordinates.
Describe the perfect work group.
Are you willing to travel? Relocate?
Do you have a geographical preference? Why?
What would you like me to know about that is not on your resumé?

Career Management

Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?
What do you know about our company? Why do you seek a position with this company?
What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work?
What are your long- and short-range goals and objectives? How are you preparing to achieve them?
If you had six months ahead with no obligations and no financial constraints, what would you do?

Leadership Skills

Tell me about a time when you were successful in challenging others' ideas.
Can you give me an example of a time when you and others were faced with a problem or obstacle to overcome and you provided leadership toward overcoming the obstacle?
What is your style or approach to motivating others?
Describe a situation where you demonstrated leadership qualities even though you were not the official "leader" of the project or assignment.
Please share an example of a time when you went "above and beyond" what was required of you to get the job done.

Communication Skills

Give an example of a time when you had to influence a person in a position of authority to see things your way.
What is your experience with presenting to large or small groups? What has been your most successful presentation thus far?
Give an example of a time when your listening skills really paid off—perhaps a time when other people missed the key idea being expressed.
Tell of a time when you discovered you were "in over your head" and you had to ask for assistance.

Team Work Skills

Describe a situation when others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
Give an example of a time when a teammate was not completing his or her share of the work. Who, if anyone, did you talk to about it? What was the outcome?
How do you get the best possible performance out of a teammate?
Tell me about a time you had to compromise or meet others part way to meet the larger goal?

Strategic Thinking

Describe a time when your past work required you to recommend a specific course of action based on a wide range of information. What was your planning process?
Solving a problem often necessitates evaluation of alternative solutions. Give me an example of a time when you actively defined several solutions to a single problem. What did you do to make the most of the situation?
Tell me about a time when you were faced with an unclear situation. How did you determine what was the most important aspect to consider?
Did you ever have a plan and have to go back and readjust it? Tell me about your experience.

Analytical and Problem Solving Skills

Do you consider yourself analytical? Describe a situation where you had to use your analytical skills to work through a problem.
Are you creative? Describe a creative approach you used to solve a workplace problem.
Describe your typical decision-making process.
Describe a situation in which you had to collect information from multiple sources. How did you approach the data collection, synthesis, and analysis?
Give an example of a time when you faced a complex problem and had to use your analytical skills to resolve it.
How would you go about valuing our (division) for a potential sale/spin-off/liquidation?

Technical and Professional Knowledge

Note: Please be prepared to discuss the technical requirements that apply to the job. Examples may include financial models, marketing and statistics methodology, software applications, market research, investment theories, or TQM concepts.

Interviewing: Common Graduate Questions