Sample Interview Questions
Sample Interview Questions
Behavioral Based Questions: Behavioral questions are focused on your past behavior. Remember, the belief is that past behavior often predicts future behavior. It is hard to deceive interviewers with this type of question because they often will put you on the spot.
| Question | What the Interviewer Wants to See |
|---|---|
| Describe a stressful situation where you demonstrated coping skills. | The interviewer wants to see how you will successfully handle stress in their environment. Everyone has stress at some point, so be realistic and be specific about your coping skills. |
| Tell me about a challenge you have faced and how you approached it. | The interviewer want to know how you approach problems. You want to be able to show a can-do attitude and if it didn't go well, how you would change your behavior in the future. |
| Give me an example of how you have set goals and achieved them. | The interviewer wants to see strong goal setting and action plans to complete the goals. This is a good indicator of future success in their organization. |
| Tell me about a time you have disagreed with someone and how you handled it. | Everyone has disagreements with colleagues but it is how you handle them that make you a great fit for an organization. You want to be able to show that you may disagree but you are collegial and at the same time that you are not afraid to bring up counter viewpoints. |
| Give me an example of when you have taken initiative. | Essentially, if you have taken initiative in a past position, you will do so in your next position. Interviewers want to see that you can solve problems on your own. |
| Describe your best experience working on a team. | Interviewers want to know that you are going to fit with the team. There is no correct answer for this question. You want to be honest because you also want the correct fit for you. Be sure to clarify each person's role and your interactions to give a clear picture of how you worked with team members. |
| Describe your worst experience working with a colleague. | This is a question that is directly related to fit, as well; however it is framed in the negative. Again, there is no right answer but you do want to show how you tried to get along with that colleague or make the experience better. |
| Tell me about a time that you persuaded or motivated someone. | The interviewer wants to see how you motivate people to complete their work. It is also a good indicator of how you will fit into the organization. Remember to be specific in how you accomplished motivating or persuading the individual. |
Resume Based Questions
Resume based questions are very straightforward and are directly related to your experience, as it relates to the role and organization. Remember to know exactly what is written on the resume that you sent the organization and have a consistent and concise story for each bullet point.
| Question | What the Interviewer Wants to See |
|---|---|
| Give me a high level overview of your resume. | They want to hear a consistent and concise story of your qualifications and interest in the position. You should be able to lead them through you resume culminating in why you are right for the role and organization. |
| Tell me about yourself. | |
| Why are you interested in this position? | |
| Tell me about a time you have disagreed with someone and how you handled it. | They want to see what motivates you and what skills you will use to accomplish your goals. |
| Give me an example of when you have taken initiative. | This may be a concern for some interviewers as you enter mid-career. They want to see how long you will be staying with them. It is expensive to onboard and train new employees. They don't want to lose someone too quickly and they want to check if there were problems such as fit or conflict issues. You will want to ease their fears by stating your interest and commitment to the organization. |
| Describe your best experience working on a team. | Very similar to the above question. The interviewer is concerned with your commitment to the organization and is checking to see if there were any problems during that time that should concern them. You will want to ease their fears with your answer by stating your interest and commitment to the organization. |
| Describe your worst experience working with a colleague. | This is basic fact checking. If a skill is required for a position and it is listed on your resume, you should assume you will be tested on it. |
| Tell me about a time that you persuaded or motivated someone. | This is fact checking the skills and knowledge that you'll bring to the organization. Many people will list community involvement on their resume; however, they have not actively participated. By asking details, the interviewer can learn about your commitment and skills beyond the work environment. |
Situational Based Questions
Situational skills are focused on future behavior and will test your problem solving skills and fit within the organization. Remember, you want to be succinct but give them enough information that they can ascertain your problem solving skills and fit in the organization.
| Question | What the Interviewer Wants to See |
|---|---|
| How do you work best on a team? | This is a direct fit question; however, you can build your strengths into this question to reinforce your case for hiring you. You should focus on the strengths that you want to use in the position so that it is the right fit for both you and the organization. |
| How would you handle a disagreement with a colleague? | Everyone has disagreements with colleagues, but it is how you handle them that make you a great fit for an organization. You want to be able to show that you may disagree but you are collegial and have the ability to bring up counter viewpoints. |
| What type of supervision do you like? | This is a direct fit question relating to your supervisor. You want to be honest in this question. You want a supervisor that will help you to grow and develop within the organization. |
| How would you take initiative at our organization? | Interviewers want to see that you can solve problems on your own. You want to be able to show that you will take the lead within your specific role. |
| How do you handle stress? | Everyone has stress at some point, so be realistic. They want to see that you are a real person and can handle situations as they come along. |
| What will you do if you realize you are not able to make a deadline? | The interviewer not only wants to see your problem solving skills but how well you will fit in the organization. Remember, everyone at some point will have a problem with a deadline. It is your ability to solve the problem and work with colleagues effectively to achieve your goals. |
| Describe your ideal working environment. | This is a direct fit question. You will want to describe using your strengths to the role, the people, and your alignment with their product or mission. You want them to be able to see you within their working environment. |
| How would you set your priorities at work? | The interviewer wants to see your problem solving skills, as it relates to managing your workload. You want to show the reasoning behind your prioritization skills to show you are making sound judgement calls and have the ability to get the job done. |
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