Apprenticeship Job Interveiw Questions
Often out of 300 applicants only 6 candidates will be interviewed for an apprenticeship position. In most interviews, but this varies depending on the job sector and employer, you will be asked around 10 interview questions during a 45-minute interview. An apprenticeship employer is interested more in your attitude, work ethic, skills, qualities and reliability
This article will help you to prepare and to pass your next job interview in 3 separate ways.
1. You will learn over 10 common asked interview questions for an apprenticeship
2. You will be given an explanation of the type of answer the interviewer is looking for ( a guide to what the employer wants you to discuss )
3. You will be given an example job interview answer for each individual interview question, allowing you to tweak this answer, making it relevant to your own experiences.
Below you can also access 101 Interview Questions and techniques to Influence the Job Interview. Good luck with your next job interview.
Job Interview Questions and Answers for an Apprenticeship
Job Interview Question 1:
“Tell me about yourself?”
This question asked at the interview start, gives you the opportunity to deliver a short statement about your skills, experiences and educational background relevant to the job position you are applying for.
Keep this statement positive and relevant and when you can discuss your unique selling point.
- Start with a “selling” line that will highlight your strengths and your achievements – this could be your record of attendance, that you were a perfect, your GCSE grades and hobbies and interest out of school; scouts, girl guides, volunteer, career, football captain
- Discuss your unique selling point as this creates intrigue IE you have never had a day of school sick or you become the class president
- End this answer with a reason why you’re looking for an apprenticeship
Potential Interview Answer
“I recently left school after achieving 5 grade A’s in my GCSEs. I am passionate about (add in job role) and have researched this job and your company in detail, I was excited to see (add in a positive comment about the company) I suit this role as I have an excellent timekeeping record, I love a challenge, this was proven when I campaign to become the head of year and I have a positive attitude towards work. I have chosen an apprenticeship rather than a colleague because (add in reason)”
Job Interview Question 2:
“Why was your biggest achievement in school or college?”
Be positive with this answer and smile – employers like to hear that you enjoyed school, tried hard and made an effort to develop yourself
- Discuss a key achievement
- Explain what you did to create this outcome
Potential Interview Answer
“I enjoyed school and had several key achievements. My biggest achievement was (add achievement) this was achieved by me (add 3 steps that you took to achieve the outcome)
Job Interview Question 3:
“What is your Time Keeping like?”
Here the employer is looking for you to demonstrate your commitment to timekeeping. It is key to explain how you are never late and value reliability
Potential Interview Answer
“For me timekeeping is important. In college I never had a day off sick and was never once late for a lesson. I feel I am highly reliable and when I have an appointment, such as today’s job interview I ensure that I arrive early”
Job Interview Question 4:
“Do you work well within a team?”
Every role has an element of teamwork. Explain how you are a team player and what individual skills you can bring to working in a team”
Potential Interview Answer
“I enjoy working in a team. At school, I was part of the (add group name) team. When working in a team I easily fall into a leadership role, this is due to my ability to plan and take action. Others find it easy to communicate with me which I think is the reason why I am always praised for my teamwork”
Job Interview Question 5:
“How do you feel about working 5 days a week 9-5?”
The employer knows that an apprentice hasn’t worked before (or hasn’t worked for a long period of time compared to experienced members of staff) and when in school or college your hours were less than the working week. The employer here wants to know that you understand the commitment involved and that you are happy to work these longer hours
Potential Interview Answer
“Fine. For me, it is similar to the hours I do now. I attend school 5 days a week 9-3, after school I have a part-time job and at weekends I have 2 paper rounds so I am use to long hours and looking forward to working full time”
Job Interview Question 6:
“How would you be an asset to us?”
Think again about the job specification and the skills needed for this role. Have a paragraph prepared highlighting how you will be able to do the job and what you can bring to the team. It goes without saying that this paragraph should be positive.
Potential Interview Answer
“I’m the type of person who likes to get a task completed; I am driven, hard-working and have excellent time management, an example of this is (add experience). I have always excelled in school and I am excited to share my skills and qualities with you to work collaborative together”
Job Interview Question 7:
“What are your strengths?”
This is one of the most common questions you will be asked. Give an answer relevant to the skills and qualities relevant to the position you are applying to. The interviewer is trying to find if your strengths match the job. For example, if you are applying for a job where accuracy is an important issue, one of your strengths could be that you have an eye for detail. It may useful to find different words to describe similar attributes and qualities in order to avoid repetition.
Potential Interview Answer
“I have often been told that I have an eye for detail and that I am very accurate and precise. This was very important when completing my English GCSE exam, as accuracy was worth 30% of the overall mark which I was given a grade A for.”
Job Interview Question 8:
“What are your weaknesses?”
Again, another commonly asked question. A frequent mistake to make when answering this question is to say something negative like “I can sometimes let things get on top of me”. Be positive and sell yourself with every interview question, turn a negative into a positive. For example,
Potential Interview Answer
“When I first started working part-time in a shop I was unsure what to do and didn’t receive any training – I was asked to get on with it. Because I am proactive I decided to ask an experienced member of staff what the daily duties consisted of and what would be the best thing for me to do. I got on with this work and was praised by the manager for my pro-activeness. If I don’t know how to do something, I find out how to do it.”
Job Interview Question 9:
“Do you know anything about this organisation?”
Often one of the first questions you will be asked during the interview, employers want employees who will stay with the company, this question and answer will show the employer that you know the company’s history and feel they will be a good employer to work for.
It also shows the employer that you think ahead and carry out research. Answer this question with:
- The length the organisation has been operating for
- How the company started
- The company values/mission
- All this information is normally found on the internet; on the company home page or about us page.
Potential Interview Answer
“I know a great deal about your organisation, before I applied for the job position I researched the company. I really like how the company started as a partnership company 10 years ago and has grown to a company of 70 staff working throughout 18 countries.”
Job Interview Question 10:
“Do you have any questions for me?”
Good interview questions to ask interviewers at the end of the job interview include questions on the company growth or expansion, questions on personal development and training and questions on company values, staff retention and company achievements.
Conclusion
Many people are afraid of job interviews. The truth is if you prepare for your job interview, by predicting the job interview questions, you can easily prepare your job interview answers. If your job interview answers highlight your unique selling point, are stated in the positive and are said in a confident manner, then you can influence the job interview to increase job offer.
Interview Preparation Resources
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