What is a preliminary interview?

A preliminary interview is an initial meeting to gather basic information about how an applicant's goals, skills and qualifications can benefit a company's needs. Doing a little research on a company can help an applicant to confidently answer questions that are commonly asked, such as "Why do you want to work for this company?"

Some other questions a company may ask in a preliminary interview include:

• Why are you looking for a new job?
• What kind of position are you seeking?
• Why are you interested in working for this company?
• What type of work have you done in the past?
• Tell me a little bit about yourself.
• What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?

Asking the interviewer some questions about the company's future goals is a smart way to show an interest in the company as a whole and not just the position you are applying for.