1.   What do you know about our company?

This questions requires you to research the company prior to going on the interview.

2.   Why do you want to work for this company?

Again this question can easily be answered simply by researching the company. Check out their website, or talk with other employees about the company.

3.   Why should I hire you?

Here is a good chance to toot your own horn by relating past experiences from other jobs or school experience that prepared you for this job.

4.   What past accomplishment are you most proud of?

Describe no more than three work projects you handled and are proud of or earned  a promotion or pat on the back. Focus on the achievement not the reward.

5. What makes you work hard or what motivates you?

Don’t make the mistake of talking about being motivated solely by salary, or perks. Instead focus more on achievement and job satisfaction.

Taking the time to rehearse how you will answer these 5 common interview questions will take a lot of the stress out of the interview process. Prepare and rehearse and you can’t go wrong.

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Following are a few tips that every college grad needs to know before they can be successful at finding a job:

1. Connections are crucial. There are many jobs that are not advertised that are filled by word of mouth and networking. There are many professional groups,  clubs and organizations that you  can join to network with.
2. Expecting too much, too soon.  Don’t expect to find your dream job in your 20’s. It seldom happens. Without a good deal of experience behind, you it is not likely you will land your dream job. Be patient, get the experience and then look for your ideal job.
3. Always conduct yourself with integrity. This is especially important in the days now of the Internet. If your social accounts are not private, please make sure they become private before going on your first interview.  Most hiring managers will “Google” you to see what they can find out and will weed you out of the interview process if you appear to be someone not appearing to fit into the company’s corporate structure.  If you have integrity you can land a referral from someone who admires your integrity and knows of a job opening.
4. Never stop learning.  Just because you just graduated from college does not mean your learning days are over.  Give yourself permissions to ask questions and don’t think you have to know it all to get a job. Be willing to continue your education even after you have graduated.  This can mean reading books, having mentors or coaches. Learning is a life long process and should be ongoing in every step of your development.
5. Experience really does matter. If you think you can graduate from college and immediately start your own company, you could be in for a rude awakening. Find a company that you can get experience and on the job training while on someone else’s dollar. The experience you will gain from working with another company will be the best thing you can do before starting your own business. Learn from mistakes others have made so you won’t make them, if and when you start your own company.
6. If you want to get ahead in a job, expect to work harder and longer than other employees.  Arrive early, stay late, and sometimes even work weekends if you want to stand out and be the first one to be promoted.
7. And lastly, love what you do. If you graduated with a degree in something you have learned to hate, find something you love to do, as you spend far too many hours in a job to be miserable.

Above all, never be afraid to make changes in your life to better yourself. If the job opportunity is in another city or state and it is what you want, take the plunge and go for it! If you follow some or all of this interview advice for graduates, you will be far ahead of the competition.

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