Commonly Asked Interview Questions Co Op Version NEW
Commonly Asked Interview Questions Co Op Version NEW
Employment History/Skills
• What part of your co-op/previous position did you enjoy most/least?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Describe a typical day in your previous co-op/position.
• Which area of your performance has been criticized?
• How have you helped reduce costs in an organization or team project?
• What was your greatest achievement so far?
• Tell us how your experience, skills, coursework, and/or capabilities tie in with our job requirements.
• Have you ever done any _______? (a specific function that is mentioned in the job responsibilities, e.g. AutoCAD,
budget forecasting, programming, purchasing, etc.)
• How does your current (or past) manager rate your performance?
Character Traits/Personality
• What are the reasons for your success?
• How would your friends describe you?
• What do you do when you have trouble solving a problem?
• How do you spend your spare time?
• Are you active in the community?
• What was the last book you read?
• What motivates you?
• What frustrates you the most? How do you handle it?
coopsandcareers.wit.edu
550 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
coopsandcareers@wit.edu | 617.989.4101
Leadership/Management Style
• Describe your management style.
• How effective are you as a motivator?
• What decisions do you delegate?
• How do you foster teamwork?
• How do you handle confrontation?
• What are some things you and your manager disagreed about?
• What are some of the things your supervisor did that you liked? How about those you disliked?
Education
• Why did you choose your major/Wentworth Institute of Technology?
• What subject did you enjoy most? Least?
• Do your grades reflect your abilities? Why/Why not?
• What other activities were you involved in?
• What specialized training have you had?
• How did you finance your education?
• How have your education and training prepared you for this job?
Salary
• How much are you currently making?
• What are your salary expectations? How did you arrive at that figure?
• What do you consider satisfactory earnings professionally at this point?
Unusual Questions
• If you had all the money in the world, what would you do?
• What piece of advice or question would you ask the CEO of our company?
• If you were a kitchen utensil, which would you be and why?
Reminders
• Remember, always provide examples of your work, skills and abilities.
• Speak slowly, clearly and enunciate.
• It is okay to ask the interviewer to repeat a question.
• If you didn’t understand the question, you can ask the interviewer for clarification or to rephrase the question.
• If you need time to think about your answer, you can say, “What an interesting question! Let me think about that for
a moment.” and then take some time to compose your answer.
• If you blank on a question and can’t answer it at the moment, it is okay to revisit it later in the interview by saying
something like, “I’d like to revisit that earlier question re: X. I’ve thought about it and . . . “ or answer it the thank you
note.
• If they ask you something you just don’t know, it is okay to say, “I don’t know, but I will look into that and get back
to you.” Then provide the answer in your thank you note.
• Note: Questions about salary come up less often in a co-op interview, but it is always better to be prepared.
• The first time they ask you about salary, don’t let them make it about the money. Say something like: “For me, it is
not about compensation, I am more interested in the development opportunity.” If they ask you again, then never
give a number, always give a range. Most co-ops are paid on an hourly basis.
• Take notes during your interview. They will be useful when writing your thank you note, and it indicates that you are
diligent and interested in the position.
• Ask prepared questions (3-4) during your interview to express your interest and have at least one question that
demonstrates that you’ve done research on the company.
• Always close the interview by thanking them, restate your interest in the position and why (top 3 qualifications that
make you a strong candidate), ask for a business card or contact information so you can send a thank you note.
coopsandcareers.wit.edu
550 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
coopsandcareers@wit.edu | 617.989.4101