1. What has disappointed you about a previous job?

Again, this question could get you in trouble so tread carefully. Some good answers might be that your previous job didn't provide any room for growth, that you were laid off due to a mandatory reduction in staff, that they closed their office in your state and required you to relocate, etc. Make sure not to mention anything negative about the people you worked with, the company in general or the job itself.

2. Why do you want to leave your current company As Research Assistant (RA)?

Bad Answer: Complaining about or blaming their former job, boss or colleagues. Also, having no good reason.

Good answer: One that focuses on the positives about why the job they're applying for offers them better learning or career opportunities, chances for advancement, aligns more closely to their long term goals, or is a better fit for them.

3. What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example?

First, find out what the root of the problem is. Second, determine the best steps to remediation with the best possible outcome. Third, take action to put remediation plans in place.

4. How do you stay organized?

By maintaining proper routine every day. Putting my strongest points with my weakness. High priority always comes first As Research Assistant (RA).

5. Why was there a gap in your employment As Research Assistant (RA)?

If you were unemployed for a period of time, be direct and to the point about what you've been up to (and hopefully, that's a litany of impressive volunteer and other mind-enriching activities, like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization: “I decided to take a break at the time, but today I'm ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways.”

6. What have you learned from mistakes on this job?

Candidates without specific examples often do not seem credible. However, the example shared should be fairly inconsequential, unintentional, and a learned lesson should be gleaned from it. Moving ahead without group assistance while assigned to a group project meant to be collaborative is a good example.

7. What do you consider ethical spending on an expense account?

It depends on the role - but the better way to answer this is to ask the interviewer what their expectations are with regards to what the role can expense and then simply state that you'll stay within those parameters

8. What do you think about Teamwork?

I enjoy teamwork and am used to shift work. I think I would adapt well to the role. I am looking for new challenges As Research Assistant (RA) and I know I would learn a lot as cabin crew, not just about people and places, but skills like first aid too, how can I help others with in my limits.

9. Tell us about a typical day at work. How does it start? What do you do?

At the beginning of each day, I inspect the work site to make sure that it is hazard-free. Once the work site is secured, I verify that all tools and equipment are adequate in supply. As soon as the work orders are delivered, I provide workers with security guidelines and carry out drills. During the workday, it is my duty to monitor workers to ensure that they are working according to the enforced safety policies and that any problems or accidents are quickly addressed.

10. Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year As Research Assistant (RA)?

We all have difficult decisions in our lives. Show how you were able to arrive at it and then how you decisively acted.

11. What do you like to do?

Discuss your passions As Research Assistant (RA). Ideally if it's work related that's fantastic! If not, talk about your academic / extracurricular passions and WHY you enjoy them. For example: I love playing sports because of the team work aspect - it's fun winning together! (This example shows you're a team player)

12. Explain yourself in one line?

When you respond, keep in mind the type of position you are interviewing for like Research Assistant (RA) based job, the company culture, and the work environment. Your answer should help show the interviewer why you're a match for the job and for the company.
Sample answers are:
☛ I'm a people person. I really enjoy meeting and working with a lot of different people.
☛ I'm a perfectionist. I pay attention to all the details, and like to be sure that everything is just right.
☛ I'm a creative thinker. I like to explore alternative solutions to problems and have an open mind about what will work best.
☛ I'm efficient and highly organized. This enables me to be as productive as possible on the job.
☛ I enjoy solving problems, troubleshooting issues, and coming up with solutions in a timely manner.

13. Describe your management style?

Try to avoid specific classifications, whatever it may be. Organizations usually prefer managers who can adapt their skills to different situations.

14. Top 12 Best Brainteaser Interview Questions:

Brainteaser questions As Research Assistant (RA) have become popular for interviews in recent years, as word has gotten out that top tech companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and IBM have used this type of question at one time or another.

Companies like Google aren't using these questions so much any more, but many companies, are, and it may be good to prepare for them As Research Assistant (RA). The key to these isn't so much getting the exact answer, as it is showing how you would come up with an answer.

Here's a sample of 12 of the best and most difficult.

1. How many street lights are there in New York City?

2. How many gas stations are there in the United States?

3. How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?

4. How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?

5. Why are manhole covers round?

6. How many times a day does a clock's hands overlap?

7. How would you test a calculator?

8. Describe the internet to someone who just woke up from a 30-year coma.

9. How much does the Starbucks in Times Square bring in, in annual revenue?

10. You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and thrown into a blender. Your mass is reduced so that your density is the same as usual. The blades start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?

11. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? ;)

12. How many golf balls are there in Florida?

15. Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker understand a task. How did you assist them? What was the result?

The key is to show that the mentoring of a co-worker was first a higher priority than the task you had at hand (remember, you want to show that you focus on highest priority tasks first). Then, describe in detail how you helped them not only complete the task but learn to do it on their own. You want to teach them HOW to fish and not to simply fish for them.

16. Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it?

Show that you set great goals and the process and steps you took to achieve it. Details really matter here.

17. Why did you select the University _______?

Discuss the academic program, the extracurricular program(s), the school spirit, the quality of your peers, and the professors.

18. What can you offer me that another person can't?

This is when you talk about your record of getting things done. Go into specifics from your resume and portfolio; show an employer your value and how you'd be an asset.
You have to say, “I'm the best person for the job As Research Assistant (RA). I know there are other candidates who could fill this position, but my passion for excellence sets me apart from the pack. I am committed to always producing the best results. For example…”

19. You have a project due in one hour but a more important emergency that affects business needs to be fixed immediately, what do you do?

Focus on the issue that impacts the business most first.

20. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

Bad Answer: A generic or uninspired answer. Also, answers that show that this career/company is just a temporary stop for them.

Good answer: One that shows the candidate has thought about this question, has plans, and that those plans align with the job and a career path that is possible in the company. You want to see that this candidate is a good long term investment.

21. What specific steps do you utilize in solving workplace problems?

Analyze the problem As Research Assistant (RA). Discuss possible remedies and resulting outcomes. Decide on the remedy and track results. Re-visit problem if it's not resolved.

22. What motivates you the most?

Is it money? Is it career development? Is it recognition? Is it a sense of achievement? Is it to impress your peers? Is it for fame?

23. Do you consider yourself successful?

You should always answer yes to this question. Briefly explain why without going on and on. If you communicate that you're more successful than you really are you may come off as arrogant or unrealistic. A goof explanation is that you have set professional goals and that you have met some of these goals and are on track to meet more in the near future.

24. What's been your biggest failure to date?

Describe your biggest failure and discuss what you've learned from it and ideally how you've been successful since because of that lesson.

25. Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?

If you can't think of one, you need to get a mentor QUICKLY! Mentors can come in the form of peers, family members, co-workers, management / leaders at a company and so on.

26. How articulate are you in expressing your ideas?

One of the best ways to answer this question is clearly articulate three points that demonstrate how articulate you are (and in a sense show that in a live setting) - for example: "I would say I'm articulate because one, I typically gather my thoughts before speaking, two, I organize my thoughts well, and three I'm concise when making a point.

27. What is it about this position As Research Assistant (RA) that attracts you the most?

Use your knowledge of the job description to demonstrate how you are a suitable match for the role.

28. How do you handle conflicts with people you supervise?

At first place, you try to avoid conflicts if you can. But once it happens and there's no way to avoid it, you try to understand the point of view of the other person and find the solution good for everyone. But you always keep the authority of your position.

29. What is your biggest fear?

Don't try to sugarcoat the answer by listing something ambitious as a fear, unless you truly mean it (for example: I fear being a great leader) - Share your real fears but discuss how you would overcome them.

30. How would you estimate the weight of the Chrysler building?

This is a process guesstimate where the interviewer wants to know if you know what to ask. First, you would find out the dimensions of the building (height, weight, depth). This will allow you to determine the volume of the building. Does it taper at the top? (Yes.) Then, you need to estimate the composition of the Chrysler building. Is it mostly steel? Concrete? How much would those components weigh per square inch? Remember the extra step: find out whether you're considering the building totally empty or with office furniture, people, etc. If you're including the contents, you might have to add 20 percent or so to the building's weight.

31. How have you achieved your success?

Discuss stories of how you've progressed over the years to achieve success. People relate best to stories.

32. If selected for this position As Research Assistant (RA), can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?

This depends on the job role. Make sure you break it down into

33. What are three positive character traits you don't have?

List three attributes that you aspire to attain / build in the next few years - and then explain how you would develop those.

34. What do you like to do outside of work?

Interviewers ask personal questions in an interview to “see if candidates will fit in with the culture [and] give them the opportunity to open up and display their personality, too,”. In other words, if someone asks about your hobbies outside of work, it's totally OK to open up and share what really makes you tick. (Do keep it semi-professional, though: Saying you like to have a few beers at the local hot spot on Saturday night is fine. Telling them that Monday is usually a rough day for you because you're always hungover is not.)

35. If you could offer suggestions on how to improve our company, what would you say?

Examine the trends of the company and also where there may be some weaknesses (news articles often document this on public companies or look at their competitors to see how they're positioning it against them.) Then, once you have that knowledge, think creatively on how you could improve upon that weakness for them.

36. What motivates you to succeed?

Your interviewer will likely want to know the reasons why you will remain motivated to do your best during your employment with the company As Research Assistant (RA). Perhaps you are interested in being challenged, but you may also have interest in being recognized for your hard work in the form of the number of sales you can attain. A great example answer for this question is “I always do my best in everything, including my job. I take pride in my success, and I also want the company for which I work to be successful. Being affiliated with a company that is known for its excellence is very important to me.”

37. How have you shown yourself to be a leader?

Think about a time where you've rallied a group of people around a cause / idea / initiative and successfully implemented it. It could be a small or large project but the key is you want to demonstrate how you were able to lead others to work for a common cause.

38. Describe your vision of your perfect dream job?

Ideally, the role you're applying for either is that dream job or will help you get to it. If it's going to help you get there, describe the elements of that job role that you are passionate about so that it ties to the vision of what your dream job is. Be honest and talk about the type of work environment, management team / leadership, coworkers, culture, vision and products/services you'd like your dream job to entail.

39. What do you think of your previous boss?

Do not belittle or talk badly of your last boss - it will come off as being petty. Instead, talk about the positive lessons you were able to learn from your last boss.

40. What differentiates you from the competition?

Think about what you bring to the table that you truly believe is unique - the easiest way to do is to think of your own personal stories that demonstrate your work ethic, skills, and dedication. Most people have some or all of those skills, but the unique stories are what make people stand out in interviews.

41. How do you imagine a typical day of an employee in our company As Research Assistant (RA)?

Just do not say that you imagine to only walk and watch what people do. Rather try to show them your attention to details and proactive attitude to job. Mention that you would try to observe the problems, weaknesses as well as opportunities to improve the results and take measures according to it.

42. What types of books or magazines do you typically read?

Describe both your personal and professional favorites. If you happen to like professional books / magazines that relate to the industry of the company you're applying for - that's definitely worth highlighting.

43. Where do you see yourself in five years As Research Assistant (RA)?

If asked this question, be honest and specific about your future goals, but consider this:
A hiring manager wants to know
☛ a) if you've set realistic expectations for your career,
☛ b) if you have ambition (a.k.a., this interview isn't the first time you're considering the question), and
☛ c) if the position aligns with your goals and growth. Your best bet is to think realistically about where this position could take you and answer along those lines. And if the position isn't necessarily a one-way ticket to your aspirations?
It's OK to say that you're not quite sure what the future holds, but that you see this experience playing an important role in helping you make that decision.

44. Describe a time when you had to help a coworker out that did not directly benefit you?

There should be many times where you've assisted others As Research Assistant (RA). If you haven't, think of how you would in the future. You can discuss charitable causes, how you mentored someone, and so on.

45. How meticulous are you with details?

Being detailed is important for many types of job roles. Typically you want to highlight how you've done that in previous roles. Example: "Being meticulous is important to me. In my last job, I had to count the money in the register as a cashier to make sure it matched to the receipts down to the last penny." This was to ensure there wasn't any "wrongdoing" at the company by any of the cashiers and I was always accurate in my reports.

46. Describe your academic achievements?

Think of a time where you really stood out and shined within college. It could be a leadership role in a project, it could be your great grades that demonstrate your intelligence and discipline, it could be the fact that you double majored. Where have you shined?

47. What aspect of supervision do you find the most difficult?

Managing different personalities and keeping them focused on the goal at hand.

48. What was the most important task you ever had?

There are two common answers to this question that do little to impress recruiters:
☛ ‘I got a 2.1'
☛ ‘I passed my driving test'
No matter how proud you are of these achievements, they don't say anything exciting about you. When you're going for a graduate job, having a degree is hardly going to make you stand out from the crowd and neither is having a driving licence, which is a requirement of many jobs.

49. Where do you see yourself professionally five years from now As Research Assistant (RA)?

Demonstrate both loyalty and ambition in the answer to this question. After sharing your personal ambition, it may be a good time to ask the interviewer if your ambitions match those of the company.

50. How do you act when you encounter competition?

This question is designed to see if you can rise the occasion. You want to discuss how you are the type to battle competition strongly and then you need to cite an example if possible of your past work experience where you were able to do so.

51. How much do you expect to get paid As Research Assistant (RA)?

For this be prepared and research salary to find out what similar positions are paying in your area before you go to the interview. Try to find this information out before giving your salary expectations. You can and should provide a range instead of an exact number. But again, don't say any numbers you're not comfortable with because if the employer offers you a salary at the lowest end of your range, you don't have much to negotiate with when it comes to getting a higher salary.

52. How would your friends describe you?

My friends would probably say that I'm extremely persistent – I've never been afraid to keep going back until I get what I want. When I worked as a program developer, recruiting keynote speakers for a major tech conference, I got one rejection after another – this was just the nature of the job. But I really wanted the big players – so I wouldn't take no for an answer. I kept going back to them every time there was a new company on board, or some new value proposition. Eventually, many of them actually said "yes" – the program turned out to be so great that we doubled our attendees from the year before. A lot of people might have given up after the first rejection, but it's just not in my nature. If I know something is possible, I have to keep trying until I get it.

53. Explain me about your experience working in this field As Research Assistant (RA)?

I am dedicated, hardworking and great team player for the common goal of the company I work with. I am fast learner and quickly adopt to fast pace and dynamic area. I am well organized, detail oriented and punctual person.

54. When was the last time something upset you at work? What did you do?

Almost everyone has an emotional moment related to work at some point - you're not alone. The key is to learn why you reacted that way and to focus not on the problem but HOW to resolve it. Another key component is to be aware of your emotional response so that you can learn to control it in the future in a calm way.

55. How have you changed in the last five years?

All in a nutshell. But I think I've attained a level of personal comfort in many ways and although I will change even more in the next 5-6 years I'm content with the past 6 and what has come of them.

56. What do you think is your greatest weakness?

Don't say anything that could eliminate you from consideration for the job. For instance, "I'm slow in adapting to change" is not a wise answer, since change is par for the course in most work environments. Avoid calling attention to any weakness that's one of the critical qualities the hiring manager is looking for. And don't try the old "I'm a workaholic," or "I'm a perfectionist.

57. Do you work well under pressure?

Yes.. When it comes down to the wire, the best thing I can to remain focused, have some flexibility, and understand priorities.. Giving them attention in the order they are needed.

58. Explain an idea that you have had and have then implemented in practice?

Often an interview guide will outline the so-called ‘STAR' approach for answering such questions; Structure the answer as a situation, task, action, and result: what the context was, what you needed to achieve, what you did, and what the outcome was as a result of your actions.

59. How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?

First define significant contribution - once you do that - lay out a timeline plan in which you think you can achieve that.

60. What types of personalities do you work with best?

In the past, I have found it difficult to work with others who see themselves as better than others, who can take criticism, and who refuse to work with others. I have found it challenging to work with them b/c I am a team oriented person who feels the importance of working together over the needs of the individual especially in a learning environment.

61. If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?

Both are important. You need to stress that. However, if you could only choose one, ask yourself As Research Assistant (RA) - do you like to be "in the weeds" with your work, or do you want to be the one painting the vision?

62. Are you aggressive?

If you are, describe it through a story / experience that you had. If you aren't, then explain why you're not. If the job role asks for you to be aggressive/not aggressive and you're the opposite of it, explain how you would develop that characteristic.

63. How much time do you need to join the organization As Research Assistant (RA)?

You should be able to join it right away, barring plans you've already made (family travel, vacation, other obligations). The key is to simply be open in communication of what's already committed on your schedule. Most companies are accommodating. If they are not, weight the importance of joining that company vs. your plans.

64. What would you do if our competitor offered you a position As Research Assistant (RA)?

I would weigh the offer and consider it, however, this company and this role is my first choice.

65. What is your greatest weakness As Research Assistant (RA)? What are you doing to improve it?

I believe my biggest weakness As Research Assistant (RA) is wanting to help anyone I can help. What I mean is I am willing to take on task that are not my job. I want to learn all I can. However, that has helped me get promoted or even asked to help in times of need in other department. I have been know as the "go to person" when help is needed.

66. What do you know about this department?

One good way to find out about the department is to try to "informally" interview the existing employees over coffee (outside of the office) if possible. It's hard if you don't have any connections there, but if you do a great way to learn about it. Other than that, it's often hard to learn about the department so you can turn the table back on them by asking questions to learn about it.

67. Give an example of a time you successfully worked As Research Assistant (RA) on a team?

On the whole I prefer to stick to doing what I'm told rather than setting myself up to fail by doing things off my own bat. But there was this one time when I suggested to my boss at the pizza parlor that she try offering an ‘all you can eat' deal to students to boost trade on Mondays. She thought it was an interesting idea but nothing ever came of it.

68. How do you decide what to delegate and to whom?

Identify the strengths of your team members and their availability based on the priorities they have on their plate. From there, invest the tasks upon each member based on where you think you'll get the best return.

69. What's a time you exercised leadership?

Depending on what's more important for the the role, you'll want to choose an example that showcases your project management skills (spearheading a project from end to end, juggling multiple moving parts) or one that shows your ability to confidently and effectively rally a team. And remember: “The best stories include enough detail to be believable and memorable,”. Show how you were a leader in this situation and how it represents your overall leadership experience and potential.

70. What do you look for in terms of culture -- structured or entrepreneurial?

A good answer is to discuss the importance of having both elements in a company As Research Assistant (RA). Structure is good to maintain a focus on priorities and making sure people are productive but having an entrepreneurial spirit can help cultivate new ideas that can truly help the company.