LEAD Advisory Group

Interviews for jobs can be exciting yet nerve-wracking opportunities. You have a limited time to make the impression you want on the interviewers, so every second counts. Preparation is key.  Questions may range from general and broad, to organization and role-specific. We recommend you look over common questions for interviews and prepare some sample answers. It can certainly help you for when it matters most: in front of the interviewers.

The STAR method can be especially helpful when answering questions in interviews. It simplifies your answers and helps the interviewers follow along in your story-telling.

Situation or Task: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

Action you took: Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did — not the efforts of the team. Don’t tell what you might do, tell what you did.

Results you achieved: What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

Potential questions you can expect in an interview:

• Tell me about yourself. Helpful hints for this answer:
  • Start with your most recent school and/or employment
  • Highlight your most important accomplishments
  • Focus on what most interests the interviewer
  • Keep it brief ~ 2 minutes
  • Think about using your elevator pitch but tailored toward this job opportunity

• What are your strengths and what are you challenged to improve upon?
• Describe yourself in 3 words.
• How would your friends or supervisor describe you?
• What qualities are you looking for in a supervisor?
• What do you do in your spare time?
• What are the most important things to you in a job?
• What would you like me to know about you that is not in your resume?
• Give me an example of a situation where you demonstrated leadership.
• Give an example of how you worked on a team.
• How creative are you? Give an example.
• Why are you interested in this role?
• Why did you choose to interview with us?
• Who else are you interviewing with?
• Why do you think you are qualified for this position?
• What did you like most/least about each position you held?

Behavioral Interview Questions: 

Employers use the behavioral interview technique to evaluate a candidate’s experiences and behaviors so they can determine the applicant’s potential for success. The interviewer identifies job-related experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities that the company has decided are desirable in a particular position. For example, some of the characteristics that a company may look for include: 

• Critical thinking 
• Being a self-starter 
• Willingness to learn 
• Willingness to travel 
• Self-confidence 
• Teamwork 
• Professionalism 

The employer then structures very pointed questions to elicit detailed responses aimed at determining if the candidate possesses the desired characteristics. The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations.

• What was the last project you headed up, and what was its outcome?  
• Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.  
• Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?  
• Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?  
• Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?  
• What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?  
• What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?  
• If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do? 
• Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?  
• What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?  
• Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.
• Tell me about a time you had a difficult working relationship with a colleague. What was the challenge, how did you address the situation and what did you learn from the experience?
• If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what would you do?  
• What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?  
• What’s the most difficult decision you’ve made in the last two years and how did you come to that decision? 
• Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.
• What is a development area, a deficit, or a gap that you have had to overcome or improve in your career? How was that identified, and what did you do to improve?
• What are two of the most satisfying accomplishments in your career? Tell me about each of them.

Questions for the Interviewer:

Always remember to prepare questions for you to ask the interviewers as well. This shows the research and preparation you did prior to the interview, and it gives you the opportunity to learn more about the role and organization.

• What is the work culture like here?
• How does senior management view/ interact with the person in this position?
• Is there a career path that someone in this position would be expected to follow?
• How would you describe the overall style of management at the company?
• What do you/ employees like most about working here?
• What could you tell me about the company that isn’t widely known?
• What is the next step in the interview/ hiring process?
• What can you tell me about the job apart from what was in the description?
• What would I be expected to accomplish in my first month/ year on the job?
• What is the key to succeeding in this role?