Intel's chairman says young job seekers should prepare for this one interview question

andy bryant_1

(Intel)Andy Bryant, Intel's chairman.

With graduation on the horizon, college seniors and graduate school students are tidying up their résumés and preparing for job interviews.

But Intel chairman Andy Bryant says as they begin to focus on the future, they shouldn't forget about the classes they've taken in the past.

In a recent interview with the New York Times' Adam Bryant, he said his favorite question to ask job candidates when he was involved in hiring was: Which classes were your best classes?

"I knew enough about all the different subjects to find out if they learned something or if they just showed up and got a good grade," Bryant explained.

Bryant says he looks for three key attributes when hiring.

"I want to make sure you really want to be here. The bottom line is that if you don’t want to be here, you won’t be successful," he told the New York Times. "It comes down to intellect, a track record of success, and a desire to be at Intel. If I can find people who have those criteria, I can generally make it work."

Lesson learned: When you're talking about your favorite college classes, explain why you were so passionate about those subjects, discuss your success in those courses, and talk about how much you enjoyed being there.

Read the full New York Times interview here.

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