Interview Question Tips for a Graduate Interview
Few things are worse in an interview than being caught out by a question you didn’t see coming. This guide runs through the questions graduate employers ask again and again, why they ask them, and how to shape your own answers. Download the full guide below.
TL;DR: Graduate interview questions fall into a handful of predictable categories. Knowing what each type is really testing, preparing genuine examples, and staying calm on the unusual ones will take you further than trying to guess the exact wording in advance.
What Types of Questions Come Up in a Graduate Interview?
Most graduate interviews draw from a similar set of categories: motivational questions about why you want the role, employer-focused questions testing your research, CV and career questions, competency or values-based questions, strength-based questions, and the occasional hypothetical or curveball question.
Key takeaway: You are rarely told in advance which categories will come up, so it is worth preparing across all of them rather than assuming a first interview will only cover motivation.
How Should I Answer ‘Why Is Your Degree Relevant?’ in a Graduate Interview?
State your degree and grade, then go deeper into specific modules, assignments, or placements that gave you relevant skills. Make the connection to the role explicit rather than leaving the interviewer to join the dots themselves.
Key takeaway: The confirmation of your grade matters less than showing you have thought about what you actually learned.
How Do I Answer Strengths and Weaknesses Questions for a Graduate Interview?
Choose strengths genuinely relevant to the role and back each one with a specific example. For weaknesses, choose something real that you have worked to improve, rather than a skill essential to the job or a strength dressed up as a weakness.
Key takeaway: Avoid clichés like “I work too hard” or “I’m a perfectionist.” Interviewers hear these constantly and they rarely land well.
How Do I Answer ‘Why Should We Hire You’ at a Graduate Interview?
Highlight your relevant, transferable skills without repeating previous answers word for word. Be specific about how a particular skill will directly help in the role, rather than making a general claim.
Key takeaway: Specificity is what separates a memorable answer from a generic one.
How Do I Answer Questions About Leaving My Current Job or Career Gaps?
Give positive reasons for joining the new company rather than negative reasons for leaving the old one, and be ready to explain any gaps in your CV honestly, such as travelling or working abroad.
Key takeaway: Avoid criticising a current or previous employer. It tends to reflect on you rather than them.
How Should I Handle Tricky or Curveball Interview Questions?
Unusual questions, like being asked to sell an object or estimate an odd number, are rarely about the exact answer. They test how you think under a bit of pressure and whether you can structure a response on the spot.
Key takeaway: It’s fine to pause, think aloud, and talk through your reasoning rather than trying to blurt out one polished answer.
How Do I Answer Salary Expectation Questions as a Graduate?
Research the typical salary band for the role and sector in advance, and answer with a realistic, confident figure rather than a vague deflection. If asked what you currently earn, be honest.
Key takeaway: A confident, researched answer lands better than an uncertain one, even if the figure itself is modest.
Can I Use AI to Prepare My Interview Answers?
Yes, AI can help you understand what a question is really testing or suggest different ways to structure an answer. The risk is ending up with an answer that sounds slightly generic or overly polished, since interviewers hear hundreds of candidates and can usually spot one.
Key takeaway: Use AI to sharpen your thinking, then answer in your own words, based on your own experience.
What Questions Should I Ask the Interviewer?
Good options include asking how you could impress them in the first six months, what they enjoy most about working there, what the next steps in the process are, or what past employees have done well in the role.
Key takeaway: Save questions about salary and holiday entitlement for later in the process, since asking too early can look like they matter more to you than the role itself.
Quick Checklist Before Your Graduate Interview
- Prepared answers across motivational, employer-focused, and competency questions
- Chosen two or three genuine strengths with specific examples
- Chosen one honest weakness, along with how you are improving it
- Practised staying calm and thinking aloud through an unusual question
- Researched typical salary expectations for the role and sector
- Written down two or three questions to ask the interviewer
FAQs
Q: What is the most common graduate interview question? “Tell me about yourself” and “Why do you want this job?” are two of the most frequently asked opening questions.
Q: How many questions are usually asked in a graduate interview? Expect somewhere between five and ten questions for a 30 to 60 minute interview, though this varies by stage and role.
Q: Should I memorise exact answers to common questions? It’s better to prepare the key points and examples for each likely question rather than a word-for-word script, so your delivery still sounds natural.
Q: What if I get asked a question I didn’t prepare for? Stay calm, ask for clarification if needed, and think through your answer logically rather than panicking or guessing.
Q: Is it okay to say I don’t know the answer to something? Yes, honesty is generally better received than waffling. You can also ask for a moment to think, or ask the interviewer to clarify the question.
Article produced by Step Recruitment Limited | www.step.org.uk