There’s no real clear-cut way to classify job interview questions. One can classify them based on the parts of the interview or one can also do it by the function of the question. Another way is to classify the questions based on the information they seek to illicit. You may consider this as a mix of question types with the rationale behind them.
Ice Breaker
These questions are often asked at the start of the interview and aim to place the interviewee at ease though it really depends on the interviewer how to kick off the interview. Some interviewers might take the alternative route of putting pressure early on by asking difficult questions so be prepared for everything.
About Your Resume
The resume, being the short document that it is, can raise areas for clarification and elaboration. So be sure to review your resume beforehand and prepare the supplementary information. People love stories, so think of the stories that you can tell surrounding and supporting the details in your resume. Some interviewers can also be unprepared and might not have even glanced at your resume. It is important to bring extra copies of your resume.
About Education
Employers (especially those in more technical industries) would definitely be interested in your educational background. It is a reality that some universities and colleges provide better training in certain fields than others. Some employers also put a premium on grades so you might have to prepare to address questions about the courses you’ve taken and your performance. However, it is also possible that employers look for more well-rounded people that they ask about your extra-curricular activities as well.
About Skills
Some job interviews may focus on skills. These are often considered “technical interviews.” Some interviewers like to throw in some technical questions into the mix just to make sure you are prepared to answer them. Be sure to be up-to-date when it comes to the latest developments in your field and the industry. Knowing jargon (just in case they are used in the questions) helps as well.
About Personality
Some questions are designed to know more about your personality and your habits as a person and as a worker. Savvy employers like to find an applicant that would fit their corporate culture well. It is a reality that some personality types can clash with the organization’s culture. These questions can be derived from popular psychometric tests. Such questions might also be situational (see below) as well.
About Experience and Accomplishments
A growing number of employers are now more interested in things that you can actually do than things that you claim you can do. Thus, it is more common for them to ask more about your experiences and accomplishments. The key when addressing these questions is to be anecdotal and to make sure that your past actions have quantifiable benefits.
About the Position/Company
Some companies would also like to see if applicants know what they’re actually getting themselves into. Thus, you must research and review about the nature of such a position in the industry and details about the company itself. Reading the company’s literature, studying the company website, and reading articles that mention the company would definitely give you a better picture and allow you to mention more details when answering.
Situational Questions
These questions ask you to do a bit of role-playing. These actually test how you would be reacting given certain situations. What these test usually gauge are problem solving skills though some situational questions can also be used to .
Challenging
How difficult a question is would vary from person to person due to the individual’s unique set of skills and experiences. These can be on certain deficiencies in skill level and experience or perhaps actual actions that you’ve done in the past (e.g. getting terminated, low grades, gaps in work history, etc…). The key here is to stay on the positive and sharing how you were able to learn from such situations.
Contestable
Questions regarding your personal life, sex, creed, race, and religion are oftentimes classified are supposed to be considered taboo. Savvy interviewers avoid these questions as well but some interviewers attempt to ask these just to see how the applicant would react and not necessarily attempt to get information about these topics.
Closing
Interview closings can be varied. Some lucky applicants may readily be offered the position right there and then. Some would just be asked token questions about references, availability, or a question that would prompt a final pitch.
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