Page 107 - 101 Dynamite Answers to Interview Questions

100 Nail the Job Interview!

On the other hand, the interviewer may ask you a direct question
about your grades if he knows they were not great:

You obviously were not a star performer in college.
Why didn‘t you do better than a G.P.A. of 2.6?

This is not the time to confess your weaknesses, although your G.P.A.
indicates you are at best “average.” If you say ‘I really don’t know,” you
indicate you are indeed average. Again, be prepared to answer this in the
positive. You might use the same strategy as in the previous question -
your first two years were not good, but you learned and improved
considerably during your last two years. Alternatively, the following may
apply to you:

College was not easy for me. I was thejrst person in 7ny family to attend
college. While I did have a small scholarship to help with tuition expenses,
I worked all fouryears earning 80 percent of my educational expenses while
canyingfill course loads each semester. I wish I had had more time to
devote to my studies but I was working 30-hour weeks at part-time jobs. I
know I could have done better, especially during ny jrst two years and, in
nonmajor courses. However, I did receive a 3.5 G.P.A. in my major.

Employers will also want to know something about your college
experiences outside the classroom. These may tell them something about
your personality, leadership abilities, and level of energy. You might
encounter some of these auestions:

What types of extracurricular activities did you par-
ticipate in during college?

I noticed you worked on the student newspaper.
Can you tell me about your work? What did you do?

Did you join many groups while attending college?
Which ones did you enjoy the most? The least?
What was your role?

What leadership positions did you hold in college?