Interview preparation – Example questions

Before you go to the interview you must prepare. Find out as much as you can about the company and the job that you are going for.

It is very useful to sit down before the interview and think about the type of questions that you will be asked. You are likely to be asked questions of both a technical and personal nature so read old notes and try to think about the type of person that you are. It is recommended that you sit down for an hour when you start job hunting and write a list of what your strengths are. How can you apply these in the workplace?

Whenever you answer a question try to back it up with an example that will illustrate the characteristic you are discussing. For example, “One of my strengths is that I am good at dealing with people. Whilst in Regulatory Publishing I managed to network very well and formed a good bond between the operations and Clinical Development team”. You may want to elaborate on this further and talk about how you went about building your network and establishing these relationships etc.

You will find below some example questions that you may be asked at interview. Try to think about how you would answer them:

Tell me about yourself.

Talk me through a typical day.

What are the key responsibilities in your current job?

Why do you want to work here?

What can you bring to this job?

Why should we give you this job?

What are your strengths?

What would you say were your greatest technical strengths?

What are your weaknesses?

What are your major achievements?

Where do you want to be in 5 years time?

What 3 things are most important to you in your next job?

Give me an example of when you have had to organise something.

Give me an example of when you have had to plan your time effectively.

Give me an example of when you have worked as part of a team.

If you could change your current job in any way how would you do it?

Why did you leave your last job/ Why are you looking to leave your current job?

Describe when you have experienced a difficult situation and how you resolved it.

Describe a time that you have had to bring somebody around to your way of thinking.

What do you know about our organisation?

What do you think this job entails?

Have you any experience handling eCTD submissions?

What is your understanding of the Mutual Recognition process?

How did your last job influence your career?

Are there any questions that you have for us?

If you require any further information or advice please do not hesitate to contact your CK Regulatory consultant on 01438 743047.