The Top 3 Job Interview Questions Asked To College Students -- And Exactly How To Answer Them!

Ok, you’re on your way to realizing one of your life’s greatest accomplishments: a college degree. Now it’s time to get a job. The job application process can be long and stressful; with everything from application forms, resumes and cover letters to write to aptitude tests and assessment centres to face. But the final hurdle, the interview — is where is where it starts getting really tough.

That’s why it’s essential that you understand what employers are looking for in college students looking for full-time positions and internships before you go for your interviews. In this article, you’ll find the top 5 questions asked to college students and advice on how to answer them. So without further delay:

1. What type of things have you learnt at college 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 college taught you. How did it make you a more well-rounded person? What skills have you developed that will help you in a career?

Chances are you’re unaware of the skills you’ve developed over the 3-4 years you’ve been at college:

Playing in the football team? Teamwork.

Putting together a themed night at your student union? Organizational skills, leadership and decision-making.

Studying for your degree? Problem-solving, time-management and specialized technical skills.

So before your interview, sit down and write down your college 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 college, 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. ‘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 college) ready to talk about in depth at your interview.

‘At college, 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 the result came out better than it would have done before.

3. Why did you decide to major in ___ at this particular college?

A great way to answer this question is to outline (1) how your interest in the subject was born (high school, lifetime passion), (2) how you decided that you wanted to deepen your knowledge of the area or specialize in a particular topic within 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.’

In regard to the part of the question that asks why you chose this college, 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 flavor 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 college, I am.’

Now you’re armed with the understanding of what makes a great interview answer, use them as much as you can and set yourself on the path to a successful career after college. Good luck!

The Top 3 Job Interview Questions Asked To College Students -- And Exactly How To Answer Them!