For some reason, job interviews feel like cracking a code. every question presents a unique challenge. Additionally, the wording of questions are often unnatural. If you need a roadmap to answer ANY type of interview questions, this article is that! Here, we have 3 topics to cover:
- Share what type of interview questions to expect.
- Then, share an outline on how to answer the most common types of interview questions.
- Lastly, share an example answer using the outline to not just answer any type of interview questions, but to showcase your own unique strengths.
So, do you want to transform each question into a showcase of your strengths?
Job interviews can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, but preparation is the key. Understanding the types of questions you’ll encounter will make you more confident to showcase your skills and experiences. Here are the five most common types of interview questions you’re likely to face, along with tips on how to answer them effectively.
Behavioral Type of Interview Questions:
- Example Question
- “Can you share an example of a challenge you faced at work, and how you handled it?”
- How to Answer:
- Utilize the S.T.A.R. method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your response.
- Describe the context, your responsibilities, the actions you took, and the positive outcome or lesson learned.
- DON’T overthink it. The example answer below will be as simple as a common register issue in a retail environment.
- Example Answer:
- Situation: Our point-of-sale system once crashed during a busy holiday weekend. Because of the outage, our team had no way to ring up transactions and our customers were beginning to get impatient.
- Task: Our immediate tasks became clear – find a way to fix the registers and make sure we can keep the customers happy.
- Action: I gathered a small team for a huddle and handed out roles. One employee would call the technology hotline immediately and try to get the register issue sorted out. Another employee would call neighboring stores and see if anyone else had experienced this issue and knew what to do. And the rest were in charge of keeping customers happy. They went to the grocery department and gathered up snacks and drinks. They handed them out to the customers, apologizing for the issue, and reassuring them we had employees on the phone at that moment trying to fix the issue.
- Result: Despite the register crash, our team made the rest of the day out okay. We got the registers up and running after about 15minutes and were able to capture a lot of sales and operations were back to normal within a half-hour or so. We did lose a lot of sales, but we did the best we could and the most important thing was that we showed the customers we would always do our best to take care of them.
Remember, as elaborate as flashy as the above scenario sounds, it’s only about cash registers breaking. It sounds flashy because it’s organized. The answer to Behavioral Questions is not about flash, it’s about organized thoughts.
Traditional/General Type of Interview Questions:
- Example Question:
- “Tell me about yourself.”
- How to Answer:
- Keep your response concise.
- Focus on relevant aspects of your work background, skills, and accomplishments.
- Tailor it to align with the job requirements.
- Add one, maybe two, personal notes.
- Example Answer:
- “I’d be happy to!”
- My name is name, I have 5 years experience in job/industry, and 3 years experience in job/industry.
- Throughout my work history, I’ve been able to work with a lot of diverse teams and contribute to a variety of projects such as one biggest/proudest project/goal/accomplishment/etc. you were a part of.
- My favorite job/position/subject has probably been job/position/subject because 5-10 second explanation.
- I’m interested in this opportunity because 5-10 second explanation.
- I think it’d be a great fit because 1-2 aspects of the job/job description/company that interests you (5-10 second explanation).
- And outside of work, my favorite things to do are hobby/skill/pastime, hobby/skill/pastime, and I hobby/skill/pastime to help relax at the end of the day.
Additional Notes:
- DO NOT overthink the above.
- Play around with the order if you’d like.
- Add or subtract topics if you’d like.
- The answer should be about 30-60 seconds.
- Any shorter sounds like you can’t communicate your thoughts or ideas effectively.
- Any longer looks like you can’t read the room and understand the interviewer only needs a quick all-around recap of you as a person.
Remember, preparation is crucial. Practice your responses to these common interview questions, tailoring them to your unique experiences.
Use concrete examples to provide evidence of your skills and accomplishments and don’t forget to convey your enthusiasm for the role and company. The more you prepare, the more confident you’ll appear during the interview.
Part 2 will be coming soon.
Best of luck!
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