7 Entry-level Interview Questions Suitable for Fresh Graduates

When hiring for openings for entry-level positions, it can be challenging to speak to junior candidates and fresh graduates because they may not yet have the skills and experience that you typically use as a basis. However, using entry-level interview questions can help you make a better assessment.

When speaking to entry-level applicants, take note that some candidates may not necessarily be recent graduates. They may be looking to change careers and are starting from the bottom. Knowing what questions to ask during interviews to potential employees can make the hiring process less biased especially if you have a mix of recent graduates and career shifters applying for the job.

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Here are some entry-level interview questions and answers that you should look for.

What this shows: This allows you to get to know the candidate more and to understand his or her motivations for pursuing that degree.

Get to know candidates beyond the common “tell me about yourself” question by asking them about their degrees. They may have an anecdote to share, or they have a passion that they are ready to pursue. For career shifters, this question can be a preamble to explain why they are pursuing a career change.

What this shows: Whether the candidate is highly interested in the industry you are in and what they are keen to learn in this position.

When you ask this question, you allow the candidate to talk about what they want to learn and gain experience. You can zoom in on what caught their attention in your job ad and ask why that piece of information caught their eye. If you are speaking to a career shifter, you can use this question to know why they are changing careers.

What this shows: You can learn more about the candidate’s envisioned career trajectory and how it fits into your company.

Knowing the candidate’s short and long-term goals can help you assess if it aligns with your company’s own goals. Ideally, you’ll want this candidate to stay with you for the foreseeable future so your goals should align with his or her own goals.

What this shows: Their commitment to learning and growth

In connection to their short and long-term goals, asking this question lets candidates expand on their career choice and what they want to learn.

5. Describe a time when you worked with a team. What was your role? What this shows: How the candidate collaborates and works with others.

Teamwork and collaboration are great soft skills to have. Whether you are speaking to a recent graduate or a career shifter, they will share their experiences working in a team and how they handled issues they encountered while working in that team. They may not be the leader of the project so ask for details about their function in the team and how they managed conflict.

6. Share an incident where you received negative feedback. What was your reaction? What this shows: How they respond to feedback and what they do after receiving it.

It can be hard to hear negative feedback. When you ask this question, not only do you get to hear how they react to negative feedback, but you find out how receptive they are to changing to improve for the better.

What this shows: The soft skills they have gained and the relevance of their experience to the opening

This question gives candidates extra time to share their experience in school and the soft skills they have gained from it such as leadership, time management, and conflict resolution. It also applies to career shifters.

These entry-level interview questions will make speaking to recent graduates and career shifters easier. Asking these types of questions will help you assess candidates fairly and gauge if they would thrive working for your company.