17. How do you handle stress?
Felix Ewald, Head of Marketing & Sales at MBS, explains: “Recruiters ask this question to find out how applicants deal with time pressure and peaks in workload. When pressure rises, nerves can become frayed and the atmosphere in a team can become tense. Describe to the people interviewing you how you maintain a sense of inner balance (e.g. through exercise) and create a counterpoint to your stressful working day. At the same time, your answer should explore how you actively reduce stress in the workplace by through effective organization and prioritization, such as using a Kanban board or other useful tools and methods.”
18. What do you do to help you grow/improve?
Prof. Dr. Stefan Baldi, Dean of MBS, advises: “Companies want to recruit employees for the long term. Even if you currently meet the requirements of the position you’ve applied for, these requirements could change in future. Failing to have an answer ready for this question therefore leaves a poor impression. The person interviewing you wants to know how you approach new challenges. Are you ambitious and driven? Are you interested in learning new things? Take the time in advance to consider two specific examples of times in the past you faced challenges and overcame them. As ever, it’s vital that your answer remains honest and authentic.”
Interview Questions Regarding Your Work Experience and Skills
19. What have your duties been to date?
Felix Ewald, Head of Marketing and Sales as MBS, has this recommendation: “Talk about three to five duties that are listed in the job profile. Start with the most important one. You should paint the recruiter a clear picture of how you have mastered these duties in the past. If the interview is with a recruiter as well as someone from the relevant specialist department, you can go into more detail and dazzle them with your expertise. But don’t overdo it! Make sure not to monologue; instead, be aware of the other people in the conversation: give them the opportunity to ask questions about what you say and start a discussion.”
20. Are there any situations/projects/achievements in your career of which you are particularly proud? Why?
Prof. Dr. Patricia Kraft, Academic Director of the bachelor’s program in International Business at MBS has this advice: “Don’t pass up this opportunity to make a good impression in your job interview. Think of two or three good projects ahead of time – ideally projects that you can directly link to the profile of the job you want. This allows your potential new employer to see the skills you already have in this field. It’s important to explain this as clearly, concisely and incisively as possible. The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method can work well here. Outline the initial situation, describe the precise task, explain the steps you took in successfully managing the problem, and – crucially – the results you achieved, complete with specific, measurable outcomes.”
21. What parts of your studies/education have you enjoyed most/least and why?
Once again, Prof. Dr. Patricia Kraft recommends being honest: “Try not to simply outline topics and content from your studies that you feel your prospective employer wants to hear based on the job profile. Instead, describe your favorite topics, or the topics you found challenging, in each case providing coherent reasoning. In addition to subject-specific aspects, this might include the lecturer’s teaching style, the lectures themselves, discussions in seminars or case studies you have discussed.”
22. What relevant IT-related skills do you have? (i.e. software, programs)
Here’s a tip from business expert Stephanie Stangl: “This is a good opportunity to talk about certificates you’ve earned.* You can also refer to programs you’ve used in the course of your work. Above all, make sure the mention programs that are listed in the job description or could be relevant to the advertised position. Try to describe your knowledge as objectively as possible.”
* This also applies to a question about language skills.
23. Do you have a role model? Is there anyone who has had a particular impact on your career to date?
Kristina Hiltmair, HR Manager at MBS, explains: “People give very different answers to this question. They might name their parents or other family members, careers advisors, former colleagues or managers. You should describe how and why this person shaped you by underlining specific qualities or characteristics, or pointing to a turning point in your career. This helps recruiters to understand you better as an individual and gain an insight into your mindset.”
Interview Questions Regarding Your Career Plans
24. Where do you see your career going?
Prof. Dr. Heiko Seif has some sage advice: “There are two decisive steps in this answer. First, talk about your next, short-term career goals; second, outline the steps you intend to take as part of your long-term development. Explain how you plan to achieve these goals and make it clear that the job you’ve applied for is the perfect path to this. Take care not to go into too much detail as far as the future is concerned. Ultimately, you don’t want to give the impression that you might want to leave the company in the near future.”
25. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Here’s a tip from Kristina Hiltmair from the MBS HR department: “Answering this question requires a degree of tact. Consider why the recruiter has asked you this question. Are they trying to assess your ambition or your loyalty? However you interpret the question, your answer should not give the impression that you’re only using this job as a stepping stone to reach another position or another company.”
Surprise, Stress and Brainteaser Interview Questions
26. Is there anything you did not include in your résumé you feel we should know about you?
Kristina Hiltmair, HR Manager at MBS, has a clear recommendation: “Make sure you have a good answer to this question ready! This is another opportunity to make an impression and catch your interviewer’s attention. Remember that it is often the simplest things – things that may seem banal or trivial to you – that your interviewer might find fascinating or interesting.”
