E.

What can I tell you about the firm?

 Applicants should have a list of 5-7 good questions just in 

case the first question from the employer is this one.  Lead with something you know about the 
firm, e.g., “I know that you recently added an Intellectual Property group. What led to that 
decision?”  This shows that you were interested enough in the employer to do some research to 
prepare for the interview.   
 

F.

Why did decide to get your MJ degree?

  Employers are looking for answers that makes sense, 

that add up, that show you have good judgment.  They do not want to hear that you decided to get 
your MJ because you didn’t know what else to do with your life.  
 

G.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

 Interviewers want to know this because they want a 

better understanding of your overall goals for yourself and how the job is a part of that. That 
matters to them because they want to hire someone who will be excited about the job and where it 
will lead them, whether that's to a higher-level position or just increased accomplishment or 
satisfaction. They want to know that you're not just applying for jobs randomly and taking 
whatever you can get, because if you are, you're more likely to get bored or leave as soon as 
something else comes along. By showing your interviewer how the job fits in with your overall 
goals, you can show that you'll be excited to do the work and aren't likely to leave prematurely.  
Here is one example of a good answer: "In five years, I'd love to have increased my skill level 
enough that I'm able to train others how to do this work. I love this work, and I've found that I 
really enjoy mentoring colleagues, so I'd be thrilled to be able to combine the two—continuing to 
work in a role like this one, but with a training or mentoring component to it." 

 
BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING QUESTIONS 

 
Behavioral interviews are based on the premise that a person's past performance on the job is the best 
predictor of future performance. When a company uses behavioral interviewing they want to know 
how you act and react in certain circumstances. They also want you to give specific "real life" 
examples of how you behaved in situations relating to the questions.  Although it is difficult to predict 
which behavioral questions an employer might ask, below are examples of typical behavioral 
questions you may encounter:   
 
1.

Tell me about a situation from past job that required you to exercise judgment.

 Employers 

are interested in hearing about how you approach problem-solving and whether your approach is 
logical and analytical. There is no “right” answer. To prepare for this question, think about a 
situation that you have faced in your past that required thinking logically through an issue. 
 

2.

Tell me about your last big mistake.

 How did you handle it? Discuss the mistake and the steps 

you took to overcome and learn from it. 
 

3.

What is your biggest weakness?

 Employers are looking for a fairly minor weakness that won’t 

interfere with your job performance and is correctable. Perhaps, less than stellar public speaking 
skills – some jobs don’t require a lot of public speaking so this can be a somewhat safe weakness. 
 

4.

Have you been on a committee or had a work-related situation in which you were asked to 
accomplish a task with insufficient guidance? How did you proceed?

 This is an opportunity 

for students to show process-how they ask for guidance, how they get the information they need, 
and maturity-their ability to admit that they need help.