PRACTICE CORNER

Self-Introduction 

1.  Tell me a little bit about yourself." (This is a classic opener, allowing you to share a brief overview.)
2. What are you most passionate about?" (Reveals your interests and drives.)
3. What are your biggest accomplishments (personal or professional)?" (Highlights your strengths and achievements.)
4. What are your goals for the future?" (Shows your aspirations and direction in life.)
5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of work/school?" (Provides a glimpse into your personality and interests.)
6. What are your strengths and weaknesses?" (Demonstrates self-awareness and honesty.)
7. What are you most proud of about yourself?" (Highlights your values and character.)
8. What is a challenge you've overcome, and what did you learn from it?" (Shows resilience and personal growth.)
9. Who are your role models and why?" (Reveals your values and inspirations.)
10. What is something unique or interesting about you that most people don't know?" (Adds a personal touch and makes you memorable.)

Hometown 

1. What is your favorite thing about your hometown?" (Highlights positive aspects and personal connection.)
2. What are some of the unique features or landmarks of your hometown?" (Shows local knowledge and pride.)
3. What are some of the best places to eat or visit in your hometown?" (Provides local recommendations and insights.)
4. What are the biggest changes you've seen in your hometown over the years?" (Demonstrates awareness of local development and history.)
5. What is the community like in your hometown?" (Describes the local culture and social environment.)
6. What are some of the challenges facing your hometown?" (Shows awareness of local issues and critical thinking.)
7. What are some of the things you miss most about your hometown when you're away?" (Reveals a deeper emotional connection.)
8. How has your hometown shaped who you are today?" (Connects personal identity to local experiences.)
9. "Would you recommend your hometown to others, and why?" (Provides a persuasive overview and personal endorsement.)
10. What are some of the best ways to experience the true essence of your hometown?" (Offers insider tips and unique perspectives.)

Travel

1. What is your favorite travel destination and why?" (Reveals personal preferences and travel style.)
2. What is the most memorable travel experience you've had?" (Shares a captivating anecdote and evokes emotions.)
3. What is your preferred mode of travel (e.g., plane, train, car, backpacking)?" (Highlights travel style and practical considerations.)
4. What are your must-have travel essentials?" (Reveals packing habits and travel priorities.)
5. Do you prefer planned trips or spontaneous adventures?" (Shows travel personality and decision-making style.)
6. What is the most challenging aspect of travel for you?" (Demonstrates self-awareness and problem-solving skills.)
7. What are some of the cultural differences you've encountered while traveling?" (Shows awareness of global perspectives and cultural sensitivity.)
8. How has travel changed your perspective on the world?" (Reveals personal growth and broadened horizons.)
9. What is your dream travel destination and why?" (Shows aspirations and travel bucket list.)
10. What advice would you give to someone planning their first solo trip?" (Offers valuable insights and encouragement.)

Family & Friends 

1. Who are the most important people in your life and why?" (Reveals personal values and close relationships.)
2. What are some of your favorite family traditions?" (Shares cultural and personal traditions and values.)
3. What is the best advice you've ever received from a family member or friend?" (Highlights the impact of meaningful relationships.)
4. How do you stay connected with your loved ones?" (Shows how you nurture relationships and maintain bonds.)
5. What role does family play in your life?" (Explores the importance of family and its influence.)
6. What qualities do you value most in your friends?" (Reveals personal preferences and social values.)
7. How do you show your love and appreciation to your family and friends?" (Demonstrates acts of kindness and emotional expression.)
8. What is your favorite memory with a family member or friend?" (Shares a cherished experience and evokes emotions.)
9. How do you resolve conflicts with your loved ones?" (Shows communication and problem-solving skills.)
10. What is the most important lesson you've learned from your family and friends?" (Highlights personal growth and life lessons.)

 Behavioral - Personal (face -face) 

1. Walk me through your background/tell me about yourself.
2. If I asked others to describe you to me, what words would they use?
3. What is your biggest accomplishment and why do you view it as such?
4. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
5. Describe your most significant success & failure in the last two years.
6. What value do you bring to the company?
7. How do you determine or evaluate success?
8. What are your long-range/short-term career objectives?
9. What is the most unusual or creative idea you have come up with? How do you foster creativity in others?
10. What have you done in the past year to develop your skills and abilities, beyond getting your academics?
11. What is your personal mission statement?
12. Describe your decision-making process around the issue of getting your MBA.
13. When you go to the Internet, what sites do you look at?
14. The last time you did not know what decision to make, what did you do?
15. Tell me about the toughest decision you’ve made in the past 6 months. What did you consider when making the decision?
16. How would you describe your basic leadership style?
17. Why do you want to work at __________?

Behavioral - General

1. Tell me about a time when you saw an opportunity that required immediate action or the

opportunity would be lost. What did you do? (Read: Are you action oriented?)

2. Tell me about a time when you had a serious disagreement with a co-worker/supervisor. How did

you handle it? (Are you composed under pressure?)

3. Tell me about the most adverse situation you’ve had at work. What was the situation? How did you

handle it? (Do you have conviction/courage?)

4. Tell me about a time when you were assigned a project you had to complete very quickly, but didn’t

have all the information you needed. What did you do? (How do you deal with ambiguity?)

5. Tell me about your most intellectually challenging or difficult problem. Why was it difficult? How did

you work through it? > Intellect/Problem Solving

6. Tell me about a time when you took on a significant risk. How did you determine it was worth taking

the risk? (Are you self-confident?)

7. Tell me about a recent project you managed and the systems and processes you put into place to

ensure success.

8. Tell me about a project you owned that crossed group or division boundaries. How did you keep

Tell me about the last time you had an unhappy customer. How did you handle it?

10. Tell me about the best/worst team you’ve worked on. What was your contribution/how did you turn

the situation around? (Are you a team player?)

Communication

1. Success on the job, in part, depends on having good work relationships. Tell me of a time that you

were able to get the job done because you had such a relationship with another person.

2. Describe a situation in which you success depended upon communicating with people from different

backgrounds and levels.

3. Tell me about a time on the job when you had to handle a sensitive situation.

4. Describe for me a situation when you were a relative newcomer and saw people doing things in way

you considered ineffective or inefficient. Talk to me about how you handled that situation.

5. Talk to me about how you dealt with a person who was inflexible. Give me specific tactics you

employed.

6. Describe a situation in which you had to decide the best way to summarize, organize, and present

complex information.

7. When working with people, we often find that one style doesn’t always work for every person – we

have to be flexible in our style of relating to others. Can you tell me of a time when you had to vary

your style with a particular individual?

8. Standing up for your point of view may not always be a popular position to take. Tell me about a

time when you had to do that.

9. Has there been a time when you thought that you had a better idea than that of one of your

supervisors? How did you handle the situation?

10. You’ve heard of the expression, “being able to roll with the punches.” Tell me of a time when you had

to do that when dealing with a difficult person.

11. Tell me of a time when you had a miscommunication with a client or fellow employee and how you

resolved it.

12. Describe a time when you had to communicate something unpleasant to a supervisor.

13. At one time or another, we all have had problems getting our point across. Give me an example of

when this happened to you.

14. Tell me of a time when you didn’t communicate something unpleasant, but should have. What were

the consequences?

15. Gaining the cooperation of others can be difficult. Give a specific example of when you had to do that.

Leadership

1. Give me a specific example of when you had to motivate a group of people to get an important job

done.

2. Tell me about a time when you had to rally the troops to complete a difficult assignment. What did

you do and what were the results?

3. How do you balance the need to supervise without “doing the work yourself” for your team?

4. Give me an example of how you’ve motivated others.

5. Describe a situation when you had to mobilize others to take action on a specific goal.

6. If you had to describe your leadership style, what would it be? (Follow-up) Talk to me about how

you’ve implemented (or would implement) that style on the job.

7. Give me an example when you simply had to use your authority to get something accomplished.

(Follow-up) What were the consequences?

8. Assume that you are managing a project and as the leader, you are expected to give feedback to team

members. Describe how you would give feedback to someone who is not contributing quality work.

9. Describe a situation in which you were responsible for a project and at least one of your team

members had more experience or expertise than you did in one area.

10. Understanding how other people think is often a part of being a leader on a project. Describe an

incident that you’ve experienced in which that understanding was key in the project’s success.

11. Give me an example of a time when you’ve been instrumental in empowering a person or a group to

accomplish something

12. At times, a situation arises when we can really “make our mark” on the business we’re working on.

Tell me about a time when you were involved in that kind of situation and how you took advantage of

it.

13. How frequently do you meet with your immediate subordinates as a group? What do you do in

preparation? At the meeting? After the meeting?

14. What recent problem have you had in which you included your subordinates in arriving at a

solution? What approach did you take to get them to accomplish the task?

15. Tell me about a specific time when you had to handle a tough morale problem.

16. Tell me about a time when you had to tell a staff member that you were dissatisfied with his or her

work.

17. Describe a time when you came up with a creative solution to a problem between two employees.

18. Describe how you communicate priority projects to your staff without making them feel

overwhelmed.