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Sample Interview Questions

 

Beginning of the interview

  • Tell me about yourself.
  • Why are you interested in this position?
  • Tell me what you know about our organization and why are you interested in us.
  • What are your greatest strengths?
  • What is your weakness or area of growth for you?
  • How would supervisors or colleagues describe you?  
 

 

Philosophy 

  • What factors are most important to you in a job?
  • What qualities would a successful supervisor possess?
  • Do you prefer to work in groups or alone?
  • Please share with us what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you why and they are important. 
 

 

Behavioral interviewing

The concept of behavioral interviewing rests upon the idea that the most accurate predictor of an individual’s future performance is based on their past performance in a similar situation. Essentially, past behavior predicts future behavior.  

Behavioral interviewing is based on storytelling. Stories may come from work experiences, internships, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, study abroad, or academic work. These questions begin with “Tell me about a time…”, “Describe a situation…”, or “Give an example of a time when…”.  

 

We answer these questions using the STAR Technique:  

  • Situation/Task (ST) – Briefly outline a SPECIFIC situation/problem.  Who were the key players?  What was the objective or assignment?  Why did the problem exist?
  • Action (A) – Focus on your role/part in the situation and specifically what action steps you took to reach a result.  Logically recount what you did and why.
  • Result (R) –Results of the situation are the most important part of the answer and most commonly forgotten in responses. Did you accomplish goals/objectives?  Were you successful or not?  What did you learn? 

 

Sample questions include:

  • Discuss an important decision you made regarding a task or project. What factors influenced your decision?  
  • Describe a time when you took an informal leadership role within a group. Why did you take this role? What did you do?
  • Give an example of your ability to motivate your colleagues, classmates, or clients/customers.
  • Tell me about a time when you had to describe complex information. How did you ensure the audience understood?
  • Give me an example of a time when you had to address an angry customer or client. How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome.
  • Tell me about a time when you had to work closely with someone who has a different personality or work style than yourself.
  • Describe a situation where you felt you did not communicate well. How did you resolve the situation?
  • Give an example of a project you completed that demonstrates your planning and organizational skills.
  • Tell me about a time when you were particularly effective on prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.
  • Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What would you have done to prevent this?
  • Tell us about a time when you had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle it?
  • Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with someone and how you resolved it.
  • What was the most stressful situation you faced? How did you handle it?
  • Tell me about a mistake you have made. How did you handle the situation and what did you learn?
  • Describe a time when you came up with a creative solution/idea/project to resolve a problem in one of your previous positions.
  • Give an example of two things you have done in previous positions that demonstrate your willingness to work hard.
  • Describe a time when your morals, values, or ethics were challenged. What did you do?
  • Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to get a job done.
  • Tell us about a time that you successfully adapted to a culturally different environment.
  • Give me an example of a goal you reached and how you achieved it.
 

 

Conclusion of the interview 

  • How do you feel about relocating, traveling, working overtime, and spending weekends in the office?
  • Why should I hire you?
  • When could you start work?
  • Is there any additional information you would like to share or questions you thought we would ask?
  • Do you have any questions for us?

 

Questions to ask them
It is important to demonstrate your interest and knowledge about the position. Ask the questions you prepared.  

Some examples include:

  • How does this position fit on the team and into the organization?
  • What do you enjoy most about working in this organization?
  • What kind of supervision will I receive? How will my performance be evaluated?
  • What opportunities exist for continued training or advancement?
  • What do you think will be some of the challenges for someone entering this position?
  • I was reading about _______ on your organization’s website and I would love to learn more about it.
  • How would you describe the work environment and culture of the organization?
  • If I became the successful candidate and you could offer me one piece of advice, what would that be?