Typical Interview Style and Questions
An interview is much like a final examination; you are not prepared for this experience unless you have anticipated the questions. If you know the questions, you can prepare the appropriate responses. Listed below are typical interview questions. Write out responses for these questions. Written responses will force you to organize your thoughts and allow you to critique your replies.
Interview Style - The Most Widely Used
Usually the interviewer adopts a behavioral interview technique - the questions asked always seek to identify past experiences. To determine which questions to ask, the recruiter first identifies those skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the job.
The philosophy behind this style of interview is that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. This has become the most popular and widely used interview style amongst recruiters.
To prepare for the interview, evaluate the position. List the skills and abilities needed for the job. Select the five most important. Then think of three examples that show how you have used each of those five skills or abilities well. For each example, describe the situation, the people involved, happened, and the result.
Recruiters who use this style are trained to be patient. Even though these are difficult questions, they will wait until you have given an answer before they move on to another question. It's O.K. to take a few moments to think before answering. If you are not prepared, the silence before your answer may seem like an eternity. As you anticipate the questions and prepare your 'stories,' there will be less silent time.
Listed below are sample questions, which are frequently asked in interviews.
Behavioral Style Interview Questions
- Give me an example of a time when you have had to deal with a difficult student/professor/customer/colleague. What happened? What did you do?
- When you have a multitude of things to do, how do you set your schedule?
- Tell me about something that you have done that was creative.
- Tell me about a time when you had to make a quick decision that you are proud of.
- Give me an example of an important goal you set and explain how you achieved it.
- Give me an example of a time when you found a way of motivating a friend/student/employee.
- Tell me about a major obstacle that you encountered in your last job/class and how you handled it.
- Give me an example of a miscommunication with a colleague/student/friend. How did you solve it?
- Tell me about a time when a change of policy or a changed decision made your work difficult. What did you do?
- Tell me about a time when you had to communicate unpleasant information to a friend/employee/colleague. What happened?
- Give me an example of a time when you had to make a decision without consulting your boss. What did you do?
- What makes you angry? How do you deal with anger?
- You have explained that you are decisive and able to cope with most situations. Now tell me about a time when you had a problem you couldn't solve.
- Tell me about a time when you had to change procedures to solve a problem. What did you do?
- Tell me about a time when you made a decision when no policy existed to cover the situation. Explain.
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