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Interviews provide an opportunity to explore the fit between the position, the candidate and the company. As an interviewee, you want to be prepared to engage meaningfully throughout the entire process.
Before your interview, gather any documents you might want to bring with you, like your résumé, cover letter and reference letters. Taking time to relax before the interview will help you maintain confidence and allow you to listen and respond to questions. Remember, your enthusiasm, confidence and energy are considered in the hiring process.
This document provides a comprehensive overview of the most common interview questions, including open-ended, behavioural, and situational questions. It also includes tips on how to prepare for and respond to these questions effectively. The document covers a wide range of topics, from discussing your background and strengths to handling challenging workplace scenarios. By understanding the different types of questions and practicing your responses, you can increase your chances of success in your next job interview.
The Big Interview
Confirm the Interview
Your interview starts with the first contact, which is often an email or a phone call to arrange an interview time.
When you are applying for positions, remember that any calls you receive could be a potential employer.
Answer calls professionally; be clear and concise.
Have a pen and paper to write notes and reminders.
Be in a quiet space without any noise or distractions in the background. If you are not in a place to start an interview discussion, it is more appropriate to let a call go to voice mail, then follow up at your earliest opportunity.
Before accepting the interview and hanging up, always confirm:
If the interview will be a panel, group, one-on-one, or skills assessment format
Confirm names and the positions of the interviewers
Confirm the location of your interview (the address if it is in-person, phone number, or whom you will receive a Zoom or Microsoft Teams link from)
If you are in a different time zone, confirm interview time in both your own time zone and the company’s (e.g., 3 p.m. MT / 12 p.m. PST)
Conduct Thorough Research
While you may have learned about the company before applying, conduct a more thorough analysis and review your notes to reduce any nervousness or uncertainty. Sprucing up your knowledge will also help you prepare targeted answers to potential interview questions. The more you know, the more confident you'll feel, which will shine through to the employer.
What should you Research?
Company initiatives, products, demographic, services
The company’s structure, culture, vision and mission
Key people in the organization (CEO, manager, employees in the department)
Members of the interview panel
Prepare for interview
In the days leading up to your interview, think through what to expect on the interview day and what you should do to arrive to your interview feeling your best.
Do you know someone in the company that you can outreach to? A 15 minute, informational interview with specific questions will provide you with great insights to prepare for your interview.
Have you reached out to your references to share the exciting news? Do they have a copy of the job description and your application package?
Do you know exactly where your interview is and where you will park? Do you have the correct technology for a virtual interview?
What will you wear? Is it appropriate for the job you are interviewing for?
Do you have your resume package easily accessible or printed to have with you?
Before the Interview - Always arrive to your interview 5-10 minutes before the established time. If you arrive earlier than 10 minutes, consider a short walk up the block and back. Your interview will begin the moment you meet anyone who may recognize you as part of the interview process, this could be the receptionist at the front desk or, unbeknownst to you, bumping into an interviewer in the elevator.
Once in the interview - acknowledge each interviewer as they are introduced to you, and take notes to remember their name and title. These small steps will help you to respond to interview questions with intentional and articulate responses:
Be prepared to take notes
Don’t assume you know what the question is, but listen to what is being asked for
Take a moment to think about each question before answering
Ask for clarification of any unclear questions
If you’re uncertain if you have answered a question properly, consider asking, “Did I answer your question thoroughly?”
Body language speaks a thousand words: smile, be enthusiastic and positive, and maintain eye contact
Follow Up After The Interview
Always follow-up within 24 hours of the interview with a thank-you note, expressing your gratitude for the opportunity. You can also provide more information about answers you may wish to elaborate on, or share any specific details you may have prepared in advance.
The Four Categories of Interview Questions
General Questions
These questions are very broad and are often used to open an interview. For example:
Why do you want to work here?
What do you do to de-stress or relax after a long day?
What interests you about this job?
Technical Questions
These are sometimes referred to as credential verification or specialized questions and specially target your credentials and skills. The good news is if you were asked for an interview, you have the technical skills. Now you have to express your confidence in your skills by articulating them to your interviews.
Situational and Behavioural Questions
These types of questions stem from the assumption that your past behaviours are the best predictor of your future behaviours. You can easily identify these questions by the way the question begins with phrases such as:
Tell me about a time when you...
What do you do when...
What would you do if...
How would you handle...
Although these questions seem hard to answer, using the STAR approach to answering offers a systematic approach.
Situation: In a short and succinct account, describe the context of the situation or context of the challenge or work environment.
Task: Define your duties and responsibilities within this situation.
Action: Outline our actions to meet your Task.
Result: Describe the final outcome and outcomes of your experience.
Open-Ended
These more traditional interview questions typically require deeper reflection that unveil your attitudes or opinions. For example:
Tell me about your relationship with your supervisor?
Why did you choose this industry?
How do you see your future?
Where do you see yourself in # (5, 10, 15, 20...) years?
These questions may involve a case scenario where they are looking for a response describing your reaction, thought process, how you resolve a real-life scenario, and how you may react in the future.
Virtual Interview Tips
Virtual interviews can take place by phone or using a technology platform such as MS teams, Zoom. The process of virtual interviewing is very similar to traditional face-to-face interviewing, with very important considerations to ensure you are prepared to present your most professional self:
Hardware
Does your camera and microphone work properly?
Is there any background noise that would require you to wear a headset?
Is your computer camera positioned in a way that you are both comfortable and your image is projected professionally?
What is behind you on the camera? Do you need a professional Zoom filter?
Software
What platform will your interview take place on?
If you have not used the platform, can you practice?
Professional Image
Your appearance and attentiveness is as equally important in a virtual meeting as in-person.
Check what is behind you, do you need to set a virtual background or change your seating?
Are you wearing appropriate interview attire?
What are you communicating with your body language, voice articulation, and facial expresion?
Consider These Example Questions to Prepare For Your Next Interview.
General Open-Ended Questions
What do you know about this company?
Why are you interested in this position?
What motivates you?
What do you see as your greatest strengths? What do you consider your major weaknesses?
What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?
How has your education and experience prepared you for this position?
What did you dislike most about your previous job? Supervisor? Company?
What experiences did you gain from your (previous/current) employer?
What did you do particularly well in your last job?
What is your scope of competence using... (Required/desired) computer program?
What would your past supervisors or coworkers tell me about your performance?
What makes you a good fit for this position?
What can you say to convince me to hire you for this position instead of another candidate?
What are your salary expectations?
Teamwork and Collaboration
What does “teamwork” mean to you? Do you prefer working independently or in a team?
Tell me about your most successful team project you worked on. What was your personal contribution?
Tell me about a challenging workplace situation that you had to deal with?
Flexibility/Adaptability/Agility
Describe a time when you had to collaborate with a team member who was not responsive. How did you handle that situation?
Describe a situation in which you had to handle a variety of projects simultaneously. How did you stay on top of them? What did you do to manage your time well?
Give me an example of a time when your planning led to positive results.
Tell me about the biggest change you had to deal with? How did you adapt?
Leadership/Initiative
Describe how you have been able to apply something you learned from your program to a real-life situation.
Describe a time you took on something new and had little or no guidance. How did you handle it?
Tell me about a time you took the lead on a project.
Analytical/Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
Describe a time when you demonstrated creative problem solving.
Can you tell me about a time when you had to work with a particularly difficult client? How did you handle the situation?
Give me an example of a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation?
Communication
Describe your most successful experience in delivering a presentation or giving a speech.
Tell me a time when you influenced someone to agree with your ideas? What did you do to influence them?
Describe a time when you explained a complex concept to someone not having a background in your field.
Tell me about a mistake you made in your work. How did you handle it?
Tell me about a time that you went above and beyond the call of duty to get things done.
Tell me about a time where a supervisor criticized your work. How did you deal with that?
Situational Questions
What would you do if you made a mistake that no one else noticed?
What would you do if you discovered that one of your co-workers was doing something unethical?
How would you handle being unhappy with a particular aspect of your position?
What would you do if you were assigned to work closely with a colleague on a project, but you two did not get along well?
What would you do if you were working hard on a project and were almost finished when the goals or priorities were changed?
You are working on a project with a tight deadline but you find that you are unable to complete your section because your coworkers and your supervisor are unavailable to answer a few key questions. How do you deal with the situation?
You have been assigned a major project and are halfway through when you realize that you have made a mistake back in the beginning that required you to start over. How would you handle that while still trying to make your deadline?
You are in a meeting. Your manager points out your mistake in front of all your peers. You believe that your manager is wrong in their critique. You feel you are being treated unfairly in front of your team. What would you do in this situation?
You are working on an important assignment that is due in a few hours. A client contacts you with an urgent request that will take a few hours to resolve. What would you do?
Post-Interview
Interviewers will often ask if you have any questions for them. This is a good time to ask any questions having few questions prepared ahead of time is a great way to show further interest in the position. Some questions you might ask are:
What are the company’s and team’s current challenges and how can I help solve them?
Can you describe the team I’d be working with and how it fits into the large organization?
How does the company support employee professional development and career growth?
What does success look like in this role and how do you measure it?
How do the company’s mission and values translate into the day-to-day operations and decision-making?
How can I contribute to innovation and enhance customer/stakeholder satisfaction in this role?
How does the company differentiate itself from their competitors in terms of product/services and culture?
How do industry trens and technological advancements impac tthis role?
What kinds of employee achievements are recognized by the department/company?How do you celebrate team successes?
What is the next step in the process? When do you expect to make a decision on the successful candidate?
Remember to say thank you at the end of the interview and extend a strong handshake or if virtual, make eye contact to reaffirm your professionalism.
Final Points to Remember
Career Services at VCAD is here to help you on your career journey, offer one-on-one interview prep sessions. Book an appointment before your next job interview.
Connect with the recruiter and/or hiring managers on LinkedIn before the interview.
Don’t interrupt your interviewer and listen carefully. Put phone on silent, or turn it off to avoid vibrating as well.
No lengthly answers, but not too short either. Speak clearly and at a moderate speed.
Practicing interview questions can improve your performance and reduce stress at your next interview.
Usually at the end of the interview your interviewer will give you time to ask them any questions you have. Make sure you prepare for this.
Remember the job expectations and company needs while you form your answers.
Never be afraid to ask for clarification or pause to collect your thoughts.
For more help preparing, read up on the different types of interviews and what to do before, during and after your job interview.
