15 Non Profit Job Interview Questions

Working at a non-profit job is a rewarding experience. You not only get an opportunity to contribute to something you believe in – you also get paid for it. The pay is not always as great as you would get doing the same work for a corporation, but at least you have the opportunity to be happy about what you achieve.

Non-profit jobs are still standard jobs, so you should expect similar interview questions to what you would experience at a corporate job interview for the same type of position. IT jobs will receive IT questions, marketing jobs will receive marketing questions, etc. Still, there are some questions that may come up that are specific to nonprofit jobs. Below is a small sample of some of the types of questions you may get at your nonprofit job interview.

Sample Nonprofit Job Interview Questions

• Why do you want to work for a nonprofit organization?
• How comfortable are you working with volunteers?
• How would you go about recruiting and maintaining volunteers?
• How do you feel about [cause/belief that the nonprofit works for]?
• Are you comfortable working within a limited budget?
• Tell me about a previous fundraising campaign?
• What do you think are the greatest challenges facing non-profits today?
• What do you think are the greatest challenges facing [our cause] today?
• What was your turnover rate among volunteers?
• What was the typical demographic of your volunteers?
• Is there any demographic you are uncomfortable working with?
• How would you say your experiences have prepared you to work with a non-profit?
• What do you think of our current fundraising strategy?
• We are looking for someone that can commit for X years. Is that something you are comfortable with?
• As a nonprofit, this organization will have limited growth potential. Is that something you are comfortable with?

Use the Job Description

In addition to the sample questions above, make sure you review the job description in its entirety and check to see how your tasks might affect interview questions. For example, if you have a job in fundraising, there is a good chance there will be a lot of questions about fundraising.

Come up with as many questions as you can and study them thoroughly to ensure that you are ready to answer them all.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Come up with your own non-profit questions.
• Study the questions thoroughly.

15 Common Pharmacist Interview Questions

Pharmacy is one of the most unique job types available. Unless you pursue a degree in research pharmacists often work in retail. Yet their considerable education and knowledge makes them some of the highest paid retail jobs available.

The high salary of pharmacists make finding jobs somewhat difficult, as companies are cutting back on hiring new pharmacists in order to save money in the tough economy. Many pharmacists now work as floaters simply because companies do not want to employee full time, regular staff. If you want to compete for a pharmacist job, you need to make sure you practice answering common pharmacy interview questions.

Sample Pharmacist Job Interview Questions

• Do you have access to a car? Are you comfortable driving to multiple locations for work?
• Tell me how your education has prepared you for this role.
• Tell me about a time you have provided outstanding customer service.
• Why did you decide to pursue a career in pharmacy?
• Tell me about your rotation experiences. Which did you like most? Least?
• Here is a case describing a common drug interaction. How would you resolve the problem?
• If you were a drug, what kind of drug would you be?
• What subjects did you find most interesting when you were studying for your Pharm.D.?
• How would you deal with a difficult customer?
• How do you spot drug seeking behavior?
• You cannot read the prescription. What do you do?
• You realize that two drugs the customer is taking may interact. What do you do?
• What do you consider to be the most positive impact of pharmacy?
• What do you think pharmacy’s greatest challenges are in the future?
• What are the most important attributes of a pharmacist?

Some Basic, Few Technical Interview Questions

Despite all of your education, very few pharmacy jobs ask applicants about technical questions. It is generally assumed that you have the knowledge necessary to handle your pharmacy job, or you would not have completed your degree. It may be a good idea to brush up on your knowledge before your interview, but you should spend the most time studying more basic interview questions like the ones listed above, as well as common interview questions that are experienced at all interviews. You are not going to be able to study for most technical questions anyway. Your education should prepare you best for those questions. You may want to review common retail job questions as well.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Questions are not often technical.
• You will be asked about customer service/client relations.
• Be ready to explain why you chose the field.

15 Common Project Management Interview Questions

Project managers are at the heart of both client services and product releases. Without a highly qualified project manager, the project will suffer, either due to a lack of efficiency, poor planning, or both. Project managers need to be skilled at their role. No company can afford to hire an inadequate PM. Expect to be asked a lot of project management interview questions, as companies thoroughly grill you for the role.

Sample Project Management Job Interview Questions

• What project management software programs are you most knowledgeable in?
• How do you handle the stress of multiple deadlines?
• Describe a time where you had to use your written communication skills to perform your job.
• Are you comfortable reporting to multiple department heads?
• Describe the most complex project you have managed in the past.
• Describe a time you made a critical mistake.
• Have you had to work without outside contractors before? How did you manage them?
• What types of checks do you put in place to make sure the project is on track?
• How do you make sure that all members of a project understand their roles and deadlines?
• How do you handle a team member that is falling behind a deadline?
• How do you handle a team member that consistently fails to meet deadlines?
• What motivation tactics do you use to keep team members efficient?
• How do you know when a project may fail?
• How comfortable are you communicating complex information in layman terms to a client?
• How do you estimate the completion time of a project?

Project managers need to be knowledgeable in their field. Civil Engineer Blog created a fairly decent list (http://civilengineerblog.com/100-project-manager-interview-questions/) of project management interview questions. You should also expect a lot of behavioral questions, as well. Project managers are asked a lot about their previous experiences, since most project managers have experienced the gambit between success and failure with their projects. Practice answering these thoroughly to improve your chances of getting the job.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Expect a lot of behavioral interview questions.
• Make sure you are familiar with current best practices in project management.

15 Common Restaurant Job Interview Questions

Everyone needs to eat. Restaurants are one of the few jobs that will never go out of business in today’s difficult economy. As long as restaurants exist, there will be jobs available for people like you hoping to find work in a constant industry.

However, the tough economy has affected restaurants as well. They can no longer afford to hire a bunch of employees and see which stay. They need to hire the right people to take on the job, so that they are not losing money due to poor customer service, theft, or turnover. Below are some possible interview questions you may face when applying for a restaurant job.

Sample Restaurant Interview Questions

• What made you want to work in the restaurant industry?
• Do you have any food allergies?
• Tell me about a time you gave excellent customer service.
• Tell me about a time you made a customer service mistake.
• What do you think are the most important qualities in a server?
• What made you apply here compared to other restaurants?
• Are you comfortable working in a fast paced, demanding environment?
• Are there any people you refuse to serve?
• How would you deal with a demanding customer?
• How do you feel about a customer that doesn’t leave a big tip?
• How do you feel about sharing tips/tip sharing?
• What are your career goals and how long do you plan on staying?
• What hours are you available to work?
• Do you have any mnemonic tools you use to remember orders?
• Do you consider yourself a patient person?
• Have you dined at our establishment before?

Expect Several Common Interview Questions

In addition to the questions above, you will be asked a lot of common interview questions (“Tell me about yourself,” etc.), and questions about the specific position and your experiences in the role (server, chef, restaurant manager, etc.). Prepare thoroughly so that you can ace the interview and beat out your competition.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Thoroughly prepare for restaurant job interview questions.
• Thoroughly prepare for common interview questions.

15 Common Retail Job Interview Questions

Retail jobs have a much different application process than corporate jobs. For many, you fill out an application (rather than sending in a resume), and your interview is conducted in the back of the store while the sales people are on the floor, doing their magic. Some retail jobs interview in group, while others involve meeting briefly with a floor manager to see if you have the personality expected to fit within the culture of their store.

Most retail job interview questions are fairly standard, primarily because you are usually trained for the job once hired, and not generally expected to have any pre-existing knowledge. Still, there are some specific retail job questions you may be asked. Here are some examples.

Sample Retail Job Interview Questions

• Why do you want to work here?
• Why do you want to work in [food services/apparel retail/etc.]?
• Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult customer. What do you do?
• What are your career goals?
• Do you have any classes or other part time jobs that may interfere with your work?
• Have you ever been convicted of theft?
• We are looking for someone that can provide at least 1 year commitment. Is that okay?
• Have you shopped here before?
• Are you comfortable working on a commission system?
• We have sales quotas for all of our sales staff. Are you comfortable meeting these quotas?
• How comfortable are you handling money?
• What do you think makes you a good candidate for working on the sales floor?
• How do you feel about diversity?
• How do you handle stress?
• This job may involve working nights, weekends, and the occasional overnight inventory. Are you okay with that?

Mostly Basic Questions

For most retail jobs, you can expect basic interview questions like those listed above. If the job you applied for has any qualifications, you may be asked about your experiences working with the skills needed for the job, but many retail jobs only require a basic skillset and the personality necessary to succeed in the job.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Retail jobs do not have many non-basic interview questions.
• Review common interview questions to prepare for the job interview.

15 Common Graphic Design Interview Questions

Graphic designers are in high demand. More and more companies have switched to online marketing, making graphics a necessary part of their campaigns. You went to school. You studied to be a graphic designer. You are now ready to embark on your career (or continue it). You are going to face a variety of interview questions that are designed to complement your portfolio. If you want to succeed, you need to practice, so here are several common graphic designer interview questions.

Sample Graphic Designer Job Interview Questions

• What graphic design software are you most comfortable working with?
• What graphic design software do you know best? Which one could you improve?
• What do you think are the most important qualities in a graphic designer?
• How comfortable are you being told what to design?
• How well do you take criticism?
• You are asked to design a new logo for our company. What would it look like?
• Do you sketch your designs first before converting them to digital format?
• How many designs do you usually sketch before choosing one?
• Do you have a tablet at home? What is it and why do you like it?
• How long would it take you to plan, design, and complete a 300×400 banner?
• How familiar are you designing graphics for [online marketing, newspapers, etc.]?
• You may be given strict parameters for your designs. Will that stifle your creativity?
• You are told to create a design without any instructions. What do you do?
• How do you plan your designs before you start drafting them?
• Tell me about some of the designs you have created, and their success.

Expect Many Graphic Questions

The list above represents just a small sample of the types of interview questions you may face at your graphic design interview. You can expect to receive many questions about how you create your designs, your creativity, your planning, etc. Your portfolio will do a lot of the talking for you, but companies are going to wonder about the process you use to create your designs, and your emotional health throughout the process. Practice as much as you can before the interview in order to improve your chances of success.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Graphic design interviews will focus a lot on all stages of the design process.
• Expect several standard interview questions in addition to the questions above.
• You may be asked to describe previous projects.

15 Common Office Manager Interview Questions

Office manager jobs are available at almost every major corporation. Someone has to keep the office running, whether it is managing schedules, making phone calls, ordering supplies, getting coffee, assisting with meetings, and so on. Office managers take on a variety of roles.

To be a successful office manager, you do not need to excel at any one particular skill. Rather, you need to be just “good” at all skills. So most of the interview questions you will face will be fairly basic, but may refer to almost any task that you will undertake. Below are just a small sample of the possible interview questions you will face when applying for a job as office manager.

Sample Office Manager Job Interview Questions

• What computer programs are you most familiar with?
• What is your average typing speed per minute?
• How do you keep yourself organized?
• How comfortable are you handling multiple phone calls on multiple phone lines at once?
• How are your math skills?
• How are your written communication skills?
• You are asked to organize a meeting. What steps do you take to ensure everyone attends?
• What do you consider to be the most important skill for an office manager?
• Are there any tasks you are not comfortable performing?
• Tell me about a time you gave outstanding customer service.
• Tell me about a time you made a mistake with your customer service.
• How do you keep track of [items, documents, stock, etc.]?
• Are you comfortable taking orders from multiple supervisors and associates?
• How comfortable are you dealing with confidential information?
• There may be times that you are asked to provide help for projects outside of your job description. Are you comfortable providing assistance where needed, even if you have not ben trained?

Specific Job Tasks Should Also Be Expected

You will also be asked many questions about the specific job tasks you will undertake in your role, so refer to both the job description and the sample job descriptions from other companies. Office managers deal with people often too, so expect your personality to be tested. Be likeable.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Office managers need to be a “jack of all trades.”
• You will be asked about tasks and comfort often.

15 Common Museum Curator Job Interview Questions

Museum curator was considered to be one of the fastest growing jobs in 2010. While they may not be hiring for millions of openings, there is a considerable need to find well trained and able individuals to handle the daily tasks of the museums and galleries across the country.

In general, you should expect a lot of general interview questions about your work experiences, skills and education. Still, there are several possible specific museum curator interview questions you may face.

Sample Museum Curator Interview Questions

• Why did you choose to work as a museum curator?
• What do you find important about preserving history?
• Have you been to any museum exhibitions recently?
• Have you been to any galleries recently?
• What did you like/dislike about the galleries/exhibitions?
• How would you organize information about an upcoming gallery?
• Is there a specific time period in which you are most interested?
• What do you think is the primary challenge facing museums today?
• How do you feel about interactive exhibitions?
• Where would you like your career to be in 10 years?
• What approach would you use to make your exhibitions more acceptable?
• What situations might occur that would cause you to cancel/rethink an exhibition?
• What tools do you believe are most effective for marketing your exhibitions?
• Are you comfortable travelling to find new pieces for an exhibition?
• What were your favorite museum studies classes in college?

When you apply for a museum curator job, your personality is going to play a strong role in getting hired. The museum/company will want to see that you are intelligent and educated, with a passion for the works that you will be showcasing. You should also expect specific questions about both your history in choosing the field and some of your experiences visiting museums. They are going to want to know that you have a passion for the industry, and did not simply take on this work just to find a job.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Expect specific museum curator job interview questions.
• Expect questions about your background.
• Try to show off your personality and intelligence.

15 Common Electrical Engineering Job Interview Questions

Electrical engineering jobs are lucrative, competitive positions for some of the brightest minds out there. Companies that hire electrical engineers are hiring for the future of their company. Without electrical engineers, their products are services are not going to be completed successfully. They are a crucial part of the businesses that hire them.

Electrical engineering, like any job in technology, contains a lot of technical questions. Your safest bet to succeed at an electrical engineering interview is to brush up on your technical knowledge and review any of the latest updates in the field. You are going to be tested on what you can do, because your job is too important to be given to someone without the right technical knowledge. Here are some of the questions you may be asked at a job interview, including a few technical questions to get you started.

Sample Electrical Engineering Interview Questions

• Why did you choose to go into electrical engineering?
• How do you think your education has prepared you for a career in EE?
• What are some of the most common causes of transformer humming?
• What is the difference between neutral circuit and core balance circuit protection?
• How do you measure earth resistance?
• What is the effect of hysteresis loss in transformer/machines?
• Explain to me some of the projects that you have helped design?
• What was your role in these projects?
• What quality checks did you use to test your projects?
• What transistor level design tools are you familiar with?
• How do you connect the basic elements of an integrated circuit?
• What are some of the basic ways of determining voltage standing in a transmission line?
• What is the difference between a single pole and a double pole circuit breaker?
• What is the output power equation for solar cells?
• Where do you hope your career takes you within the field?

You should expect both standard and technical electrical engineering interview questions at your job interview. Technical questions will usually (though not always) relate to the tasks that are required for the job, while standard interview questions will run the gambit.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Brush up on your technical knowledge.
• Review the technical knowledge as it relates to the job tasks.

15 Common Advertising Job Interview Questions

Advertising, like general marketing, requires an understanding of how to manipulate the market. You need to be skilled at presentation and its effects on those that receive it. Most of the time you need to have some sort of graphic knowledge, or at least be able to lead those that have graphic knowledge, and you must have an understanding of the product, otherwise you will struggle to sell the product to the people. Advertising interviews are likely to have advertising specific interview questions, several of which are sampled below.

Sample Advertising Interview Questions

• How would you describe the current advertising field as it stands right now?
• What do you see as the future of advertising?
• What types of advertising tools have you worked with?
• Describe a time that you used an advertising strategy that failed.
• Describe some of the advertising strategies/platforms/campaigns you have created.
• What types of testing do you use to gauge the effectiveness of your advertising project?
• What made you decide to go into advertising?
• Do you understand our target market/demographic?
• How would you compare advertising today to what it was like 10 years ago?
• What do you consider the most effective current form of advertising?
• What do you feel most unsuccessful companies lack in terms of advertising?
• What do you consider an effective advertisement and how do you evaluate it?
• How do you develop your advertising strategies?
• What expertise do you have that makes you a better candidate than other applicants?
• Do you believe there is such thing as “bad publicity?”

Marketing Questions May Apply

Your role in advertising is connected directly with marketing, so expect some marketing questions (or marketing variations of these questions). You may also be asked general interview questions and questions about the specific tasks that you will need to undertake at the job, plus any questions related to previous jobs you have held (as always). Use the above list as a reference, but also come up with several additional advertising interview questions and practice answering them.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Be ready to explain your thoughts on advertising and marketing.
• Brush up on current trends.