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Graduate interview questions and how to answer them

19 questions that come up again and again, grouped by what they are testing. Press Practise on any of them and Pip will ask it, mark your answer and show a stronger version.

About you

The interviewer is checking that you can give a clear, relevant account of yourself in about a minute.

  • Tell me about yourself.
  • Walk me through your CV.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • What are you proudest of so far?

Motivation

They want to know you chose this, and that you know what the job involves day to day.

  • Why do you want to work here?
  • Why this role?
  • Why did you choose your degree?
  • Where do you see yourself in five years?

Competency or behavioural

Past behaviour is the evidence. Use one true example and tell it in order.

  • Tell me about a time you worked in a team that was struggling.
  • Describe a time you changed someone’s mind.
  • Tell me about a mistake you made and what you did next.
  • Give an example of when you had too much to do.
  • Tell me about a time you had to learn something quickly.

Strengths

There is no right answer. Interviewers listen for what you enjoy and what you find easy.

  • What do you do better than most people you know?
  • What drains your energy?
  • What did you enjoy most about your degree?

Commercial awareness

They are testing whether you think about the business, and not only the task.

  • What is a recent news story that matters to this sector?
  • How does this company make money?
  • Who are our main competitors, and how do we differ?

How to answer the "tell me about a time" questions

Use one real example and tell it in order: the situation, your job in it, what you did and how it ended. That is the STAR method, and it is the single most useful thing to learn for a graduate interview.

What to ask at the end

Have two questions ready that you could not answer from the website. What a good first year looks like here is a fair one. What the graduate before you found hardest is another.

Hi, I'm Pip. Pick what you want to practise above, tell me the role, and we'll start.One question at a time, then a score and a better version of your answer.

Where are you applying?

Pip can get things wrong. Check anything that matters with the employer. Leave your name and phone number out of what you paste. How Pip works · Privacy