Q1. ‘Why did you decide to go to college?’
This requires a full answer, and you need to go back to when you left school in order to be able to answer it. What were your long-term ambitions at the time? Were there certain subjects you particularly enjoyed at school and wished to continue to study? How and why did you choose your particular course and your specialist subjects?
Perhaps you studied as a mature student. What factors led to your decision to return to learning in this way? The employer will be interested in your motivation. It is important to show that you did not just drift into attending college on the academic conveyor belt but that you made your own clear choices along the way.
Q2. ‘Can you tell me about your college course?’
This kind of open question about any education or training you have completed invites you to make connections that can impress your interviewer. For instance, were there any aspects of your college course that could have a direct bearing on the job for which you are being interviewed? Do you feel that you learned more from one part of the course than another? Were there any extra-mural or external activities that you took part in that now have any relevance to this vacancy?
Many people forget to explain exactly where they went to college and precisely which course they took. Even if the employer already has this information on your CV or application form, he or she may not have it to hand, or even remember having seen it before. What sort of teaching methods were employed? Were there compulsory core modules or subjects and specialist options? How did you decide which to study?
Q3. ‘Did you enjoy any particular part of your studies more than the rest?’
This question gives you the chance to show some enthusiasm. Bring up in your response all those things that you found stimulating and rewarding about your course. This is a chance to show how positive you can be about good things you have experienced. Even if you struggled through college, dropped out of the course early or did less well than you expected, there must be some aspect of the experience that you can discuss here. Try to find an example that links with the job you are applying for. Perhaps if you were being interviewed for a sales vacancy you could say: ‘In my second year and above we were asked to talk to potential students each year. I enjoyed explaining the course to them, answering their questions and giving them advice about their application. I felt like an ambassador for the college at those times.’
The employer is trying to find out what sort of person you are to get clues about the sort of work that would suit you best. Was there some particular module or course that you enjoyed more than others? Did it involve working alone or with other people?
Think about the impression you will create with particular answers. Talking at length about how much you enjoyed researching alone for hours in the chemistry laboratory at college will indicate your preferred style of working. The interviewer will probably assume that you are not the team player that he or she is looking for.
Q4. ‘Can you tell me about a project that you worked on at school or college?’
Working life is full of dealing with projects of one kind or another, from getting a document sent, to managing a building contract, to supervising a team of accounts clerks. This question is being asked because the answer will give an indication of the way you would deal with this kind of work. You will need to explain how the project was conceived, what the task was, who else was involved in the work, how you worked
together, how you handled any difficulties, your particular contribution and what you think you gained from the exercise, particularly if you learned anything.
Were there any particular issues in the management of the project that were significant? What helped or hindered at the planning stage? Did everything go according to plan? Looking back, what would you do differently?
Q5. ‘Would you recommend your course to other peopleand, if so, why?’
The interviewer will want to hear that you are positive about college overall otherwise it might give the impression that you are a person who makes choices that are not good for you, but you can be fairly balanced in your answer to a question like this. Try to say both what you thought were the strengths of the course and what people might not like about it. How would you rate the quality of the teaching you received? What about the overall experience of being at your college? Did your fellow students feel the same way
as you about the course? If you were talking to prospective students today, can you think of a way that you could summaries your whole experience at college? Is there anything that you know now about your course that you wish you had known when you began your studies? Most employers want to recruit people who are keen to keep up with their learning, so enthusiasm for your studies will earn you extra points here.
Q6. ‘What do you feel you gained from going to college?’
This question could be asked of a recent college leaver. It gives you a chance to summarise your personal growth whilst a student. Looking back at yourself when you first went to college compared to how you are now, how do you think you changed? How have you grown in understanding, both of your subjects studied but also in your knowledge of working with other people? Do you feel different now that you are a
graduate? The employer will be interested to see how mature you are in terms of what you choose to include in your answer to this question. Don’t focus too heavily on the social side of life, even if that is where you feel you really gained most. Describe the parts of your studies that enhanced your knowledge and see if you can include the need for discipline when studying and growing into taking responsibility for yourself whilst at college.
by Rebecca Corfield
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