Answering Questions

In an interview you are asked to share details of your experiences on the premise that past behavior (performance) predicts future behavior (performance). Past examples may come from work experience, internships, academic experiences, co-curricular activities or volunteer work. Remember to remain positive. 

Employers want to learn not only about your skills, but also your personality, so it is important to keep your responses, and the interview in general, upbeat. Interviewers will take note of enthusiasm and motivation.

Open-Ended Questions

These questions invite you to answer with more detail than a simple “yes” or “no.” Most interviews will always include three specific questions; these are the most important. 

  • Tell me (us) about yourself.
  • Why are you interested in this position?
  • How do you see yourself adding value here? or What makes you uniquely qualified for this role?
  • What interests you about this company/organization? 
  • Walk me through your resume.
  • Describe a relevant accomplishment of which you are proud.
  • What is your greatest strength?
  • What do you consider to be your greatest weakness? (Trick question! See below)
  • Describe the worst boss you’ve ever had/a difficult co-worker. (Trick question! See below)
  • What type of work environment do you prefer?
  • How do you handle stress/pressure at work? or What do you do to relax? or What do you like to do outside of work?
  • What are your immediate and long-range career goals?
  • What do you see yourself doing five/ten years from now?
  • What salary are you seeking? or What is your desired salary? (Trick question!)

The interview will always end with:

  • What questions do you have for me? (See: Questions for the Employer)

Trick Questions

When an employer asks about difficult bosses/co-workers or your greatest weakness, do not bad-mouth anyone! They are not seeking dirt but instead want to know how you overcome challenging situations and handle adversity. 

You want to be honest but also include how you addressed the situation positively. For example:

  • How did you deal with a difficult boss? 
    • I was having a lot of friction with one of my bosses, who sometimes felt like I prioritized tasks in a way different from how she would tackle them. I asked for weekly meetings to gain additional clarity on her expectations. With this additional communication we worked together much better, and I had more insight as to how to best organize my time.
  • What is your greatest weakness? 
    • My greatest weakness used to be oversleeping, but I knew this was something I needed to address. To make sure I was up with enough time to get ready, I started setting 3 alarms, I’m now always on time!  

Because these types of questions can be tricky, it’s helpful to prepare ahead of time so that you have an authentic but solution-oriented answer ready.

Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions usually begin in one of two ways: “Tell us about a time when…” or “Give us an example of…” 

They are designed to help the employer predict future behavior by asking for a story from your past work experiences. Examples might look like this: 

  • Tell me about a time when you…
    • took a leadership role on a project.
    • had to deal with a difficult customer.
    • had to solve a complex problem for a client.
    • decided to take initiative.
    • tried something and failed.

The best way to answer behavioral questions is using STAR technique, because it can help you highlight the important parts of your story while staying focused. STAR is an acronym that helps you remember the steps:

  • Situation = the job or role you were in when this story took place
  • Task(s) = the challenge or problem you faced
  • Action(s) = what you did to address / solve the issue
  • Result(s) = how it benefited those involved

STAR Example

Question: Tell me about a time you initiated a project. 

Answer: (S) I was a teaching assistant for a writing course,and was responsible for tutoring writing sections and grading. 

(T) I noticed students were needing assistance for similar types of basic questions about assignments, readings and group projects.

(A) After sharing my thoughts with the professor, I developed a guide of frequently asked questions, tips for group assignments and examples of learning goals. I distributed this guide to both the professor and students, and together we informed students that if they needed additional assistance we could speak further during office hours.

(R) As a result, the professor and I experienced a decrease in student inquiries about these common issues, which enabled us to focus on more in-depth conversations with students about course materials. Students also expressed an appreciation for this information and the professor now uses this guide with each section.

Remember: 

  • While answering questions, give details and relay short stories—don’t monologue! 
    • Listen carefully to what was asked and ask for clarification if needed. 
  • Take your time and don’t go on tangents (which is easy to do when nervous). 
    • If you feel this happening, stop speaking and gather your thoughts before starting again. 
    • Remember to breathe. 
  • Most of all, be yourself! 
    • An interviewer’s most common reason for hiring someone is usually: “I liked him/her/them.”