Entry Level Interview Preparation Guide

The ELP Program is a professional development initiative at Chemonics that aims to consistently recruit candidates qualified for entry-level positions and provide them with guidance and support to further their professional growth. The work performed and support provided offer individuals a strong foundation to our business so they can build on that knowledge and advance as Chemonics professionals.

As entry-level professional positions become available, we review resumes submitted through the online application process to identify candidates whose skills most closely match the scope and criteria of open positions. The recruitment process includes a telephone interview, a standardized test and, when applicable, a language test, a panel interview, and reference and background checks. The standardized test takes about one-and-a-half hours to complete and consists of three parts: contract analysis, budget analysis, and the writing of a letter. The language test consists of a 30-minute written section and a 30-minute oral section.

Because each department has different staffing needs, it is difficult to offer a time frame for when a candidate may be considered. Chemonics receives more applications than available openings; therefore, we are unable to contact all applicants for interviews. Applications remain active for six months.

There is an abundance of individuals qualified for entry-level professional positions in the United States. As a result, U.S. immigration guidelines make it difficult to provide special visas to foreign nationals for these positions. Therefore, Chemonics does not sponsor work authorization visas for entry-level professional positions and requires that individuals offered employment in the United States provide proof of work eligibility and identification.

► Tell me about yourself?
► What are your strengths?
► What are your weaknesses?
► Who was your favorite manager and why?
► What kind of personality do you work best with and why?
► Why do you want this job?
► Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?
► Tell me about your proudest achievement?
► If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?
► If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you write your job description for the next year, what would it say?

► Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?
► How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?
► There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
► How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?
► Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?
► What's your ideal company?
► What attracted you to this company?
► What are you most proud of?
► What are you looking for in terms of career development?
► What do you look for in terms of culture - structured or entrepreneurial?

► What do you like to do?
► Give examples of ideas you've had or implemented?
► What are your lifelong dreams?
► What do you ultimately want to become?
► How would you describe your work style?
► What kind of car do you drive?
► Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job?
► What's the last book you read?
► What magazines do you subscribe to?
► What would be your ideal working situation?

► Why should we hire you?
► What did you like least about your last job?
► What do you think of your previous boss?
► How do you think I rate as an interviewer?
► Do you have any questions for me?
► When were you most satisfied in your job?
► What can you do for us that other candidates can't?
► What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
► What negative thing would your last boss say about you?
► If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?

► What salary are you seeking?
► What's your salary history?
► How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
► What were the responsibilities of your last position?
► What do you know about this industry?
► What do you know about our company?
► How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?
► Are you willing to relocate?
► What was the last project you headed up, and what was its outcome?
► What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?

► Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work?
► What would you do if you won the lottery?
► Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
► Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?
► What is your personal mission statement?
► Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?
► What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?
► What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?
► What is your greatest fear?
► Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?

► What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?
► What's the most important thing you've learned in school?
► What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?
► What will you miss about your present/last job?
► If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?
► List five words that describe your character?
► What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
► Sell me this pencil?
► If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?
► Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?