Graduate interview questions and answers

So, you’ve just finished university and now have landed your first interview for a graduate position – exciting, but nerve-wracking, especially as you might not have a lot of work experience to talk about. Although many employers will understand you may not have a great deal of professional experience, they will still expect confident and well-structured answers to their questions. This guide will explore several common graduate interview questions, why employers ask them, and how you can prepare and craft answers that highlight that you are the best person for the job.

1. Tell us about your time at university

This interview question is very specific to recent graduates, and is your chance to really sell your degree studies, and the skills and knowledge you gained that are relevant to the role. It is usually asked fairly early on in the interview, and is a chance for you to make a strong first impression.

A good strategy to help you answer this question is to use the ‘present, past and future’ formula:

• Present – describe the degree course that you are about to or have recently completed
• Past – highlight some of the modules or projects you completed during your studies, as well as any extracurricular activities you got involved with and/or any part time jobs or volunteering etc
• Future – explain how the skills and interests you developed during your degree have led to your interest in applying to the company

Aim to make your answer to this question last for around one minute if you can. You can also use this approach to answer the more general ‘tell us about yourself’ question.

2. Can you tell us about a time you had to overcome a challenge/worked well in a team/communicated a difficult message to someone...?

The above are just a few examples of what are called competency questions, where employers use evidence from your past behaviour to evaluate how you will perform in the future. To help you predict what kind of competency questions you might be asked at an interview, look back through the job description and person specification. Highlight the keys skills required for the role, and then try to think of examples of when you have demonstrated these attributes previously. As a recent graduate you might not have lots of work-related examples to talk about, but you can use evidence from extracurricular activities, academic projects, or any part time job roles. 

To answer competency type questions, the best strategy to use is the ‘STAR’ method:

• Situation – describe the background and context of the example you are going to use
• Task – briefly talk about what your responsibility was
• Action – the most important part! Describe fully the actions you took in the situation
• Result – describe the outcome, and if appropriate, what you learned from this example

3. What are your strengths and weaknesses

This is another very common type of question, and helps the employer assess your self-awareness and understanding of your own skillset. Many people struggle with this kind of question, as it can feel like ‘boasting’, but talking about your talents and achievements is a crucial part of any job interview! The trick to answering this type of question is to prepare examples around three of your key strengths that are most relevant to the position you are applying for, and provide some evidence of how you have demonstrated or developed each skill from previous activities during your time at university.

Answering questions about your weaknesses always feels difficult, but try to remember that the employer isn’t trying to catch you out by asking this question, they simply want to see if you have willingness to learn and grow, and a commitment to personal development. A good strategy you can use to help answer this type of question is to talk about something that you feel is or has been a genuine weakness for you, but one that you have taken steps to address and improve.

4. What is your biggest achievement?

Employers will ask this interview question to try and find out a few things about you: firstly, what you consider an achievement gives them a glimpse into what motivates and inspires you. A question like this also gives them a chance to see how you approach challenges or setbacks, as well as giving them insight into your potential. Again, don’t worry if you don’t have a work related or professional achievement you can talk about - it’s fine to use examples from your academic or personal life. Perhaps you could discuss a specific project you completed at university that you found challenging, or maybe you won a prize for academic achievement? Or perhaps you taught yourself to play an instrument from scratch, or you trained for and ran a half marathon? Whichever example you decide to use, the STAR method is again a good approach to help you structure your answer. Try to talk about the transferable skills and attributes you gained from the experience, and what you learned about yourself in the process, and you’ll be sure to impress the employer.

5. Why do you want to work here?

This type of question assesses whether you would be a good cultural fit for the company, and if you have researched the organisation prior to the interview - which is why it is essential to do this beforehand. As part of your research, you will gain a good understanding of the culture of the company, their values and mission statement, and any projects they have been working on. These are all good things to talk about when answering this question – you could mention your own values being aligned to the company’s, enthusiasm for contributing to their projects, or that you admire their working culture for example. It’s not a good idea to talk about employee benefits here (such as annual leave, discounts etc), as this will not impress the employer – they want to know that you fully understand the company and the job role, not that you are solely in it for any potential perks!

6. Where do you see yourself in five years?

This is quite a common question, and is usually asked towards the end of the interview. Employers ask questions like this so that they can assess what your careers goals are, if you are motivated to achieve them, and how committed you are to the role. In terms of answering this question, try to think about how the goals of the company align with your own, and show that you understand the key skills needed for the role and how you might progress and develop these within the organisation. In your answer try to showcase that you are ambitious, flexible, and willing to learn and grow. 

Final tips before the interview

• Research the company – this will help you to understand its values, recent projects and goals
• Prepare examples – use evidence from your academic, extracurricular or any part-time jobs that demonstrates the key skills for the role
• Practice – try to practice your answers out loud with friends and family, or in front of the mirror
• Be yourself – although you want to present confidently and professionally, let your personality shine through!

Hopefully you now feel more confident and prepared for your first post-graduation interview, and feel equipped to answer questions that will make a strong impression on your potential employer, even without years of professional work experience. Best of luck – you’ve got this!

Don’t forget that Graduate Talent can help you with your graduate job search. Send your CV to enquiries@graduatetalent.com and our recruitment manager will get in touch with any opportunities that suit you.