Enhancing Career Development & Exploratory Learning Opportunities

UD
Your Guide to
Career
Services Interview Questions
Types of Interview Questions
The first step in learning how to answer interview questions properly is to understand what types of questions you may be
asked, as each type may require a different response.
1) Behavioral Questions
Behavior questions are asked to show how you would work in a real life situation. The idea behind a behavioral
question is that your response of how you acted in the past, demonstrates how you will act in the future. These
questions require more specific answer than most traditional questions.
Tell me about a time where you dealt with an angry customer. How did you handle that? Describe a time when you
worked in a group. What was your role in that group?. Tell me about a time when you had to meet a deadline.
2) Traditional Questions
These questions are meant to answer questions that cannot be answered simply by looking at a resume.
Tell me about yourself? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are some of your goals for the next 5 years?
3) Opinion Questions
Generally these questions have no right or wrong answer, employers simply want to see how creatively you react
to atypical questions while under pressure.
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? What color best describes your personality and why?
4) Mathematical Questions
Math questions are not a very common, but some employers want to know how well you can compute basic
mathematical questions
What is 24 times 5?
5) Verification Questions
Verification questions are why it is important to know your resume as well as it knows you!
What was your GPA? How long did you work at…? What was your job duties at…?
6) Case Questions
Employers use case questions to evaluate your critical/problem thinking skills and how you work through situa-
tions to come up with a solution. They do not necessarily require a correct or exact answer, but rather require a
critical thinking response.
How many cars are in the state of Iowa? How do you know if you locked your office door at night? An offline busi-
ness wants to start utilizing a website, what is your advice to this business? How did you handle that?
 University of Dubuque Career Services

Behavioral Questions
Behavioral questions are becoming some of the most commonly asked questions during an interview, so
you will want to spending a significant amount of time preparing for them. The best and easiest way to
respond to a behavioral question is to use the STAR method.

What is the STAR Method?

The STAR method can help you organize your story and help you articulate a good response to a behavioral ques-
tion. A helpful tip about behavioral questions is that you don’t have to have a 100 different responses floating in
your head to answer all the different types of behavioral questions. Instead, think about your past work and educa-
tional experience to try to find some examples of when you…...
Worked in a team Demonstrated leadership Demonstrated adaptability or flexi-
bility in a situation
Took initiative Used problem solving skills
Used detail oriented skills
Used organizational or planning Involved in conflict resolution
skills Worked with difficult personalities
Motivated others
Were in a stressful situation Built strong relationships
Persuaded someone
Supervised others Communicated effectively
Set goals

Once you have compiled a list of stories, apply the STAR method to describe those events.

Situation: Describe the situation Don’t forget about your experi-

ences in clubs, classes, athletics, &
Task: Describe the tasks involved in that situation volunteer work when thinking of
stories to demonstrate your past
Action: Talk about the various actions involved in the situa- behavior to potential employers.
tion’s task For example, it’s OK to use class
group projects to describe your
Results: What results directly followed because of your actions teamwork skills since many of your
college experience occurred in an
educational setting.
Example of the STAR Method in Use:
Question: Tell me about a time you took the initiative
Situation: During my internship last summer, I was responsible for managing various events.
Task: I noticed that attendance at these events had dropped by 30% over the past 3 years and wanted to do something to
improve these numbers.
Action: I designed a new promotional packet to go out to the local community businesses. I also included a rating sheet to
collect feedback on our events and organized internal round table discussions to raise awareness of the issue with our em-
ployees.
Result: We utilized some of the wonderful ideas we received from the community, made our internal systems more efficient and visi-
ble and raised attendance by 18% the first year.
 Examples of Behavioral Questions*
Try practicing the STAR method when answering some of these questions. Notice that some of your stories can answer
more than one type of question.
Adaptability/ Flexibility
Tell us about a situation in which you had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle it?
Tell us about a time that you had to adapt to a difficult situation.
Ambition
Describe a team project/idea that that you worked on. What was your role? What was the outcome?
Give an example of an important goal that you set in the past. Tell about your success in reaching it.
Communication
Describe a situation when you were able to strengthen a relationship by communicating effectively.
Describe a situation where you felt you had not communicated well. How did you correct the situation?
Conflict Resolution
Describe a time when you took personal accountability for a conflict and initiated contact with the individual(s) involved to ex-
plain your actions.
Customer Orientation
How do you handle problems with customers? Give an example.
How do you go about establishing rapport with a customer? What have you done to gain their confidence?
Decision Making
Discuss an important decision you have made regarding a task or project at work. What factors influenced your decision?
Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
Detail-Oriented
Tell us about a difficult experience you had in working with details.
Tell us about a situation where attention to detail was either important or unimportant in accomplishing an assigned task.
Innovation
Can you think of a situation where innovation was required at work? What did you do in this situation?
Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and took action without waiting for direction.
Leadership
Give an example of a time in which you felt you were able to build motivation in your co-workers or subordinates at work.
Give an example of your ability to build motivation in your co-workers, classmates, and even if on a volunteer committee.
Listening
Give an example of a time when you made a mistake because you did not listen well to what someone had to say.
Motivation
Describe a situation when you were able to have a positive influence on the actions of others.
Give an example of a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
Organizational
Describe a time when you had to make a difficult choice between your personal and professional life.
Give me an example of a project that best describes your organizational skills.
Problem Solving
Give me an example of a time where you had difficulties with a team member. What did you do to resolve the situation?
Setting Priorities
Have you ever been overloaded with work? How do you keep track of work so that it gets done on time?
How do you manage your time?
Stress Management
What was the most stressful situation you have faced? How did you deal with it?
Teamwork
Describe a team experience you found rewarding.
Describe the types of teams you've been involved with. What were your roles?

This is an abridged list from Rudolf, A (2007) Complete List of Behavioral Questions. To access the complete list, go to:
http://blog.emurse.com/2007/05/21/complete-list-of-behavioral-interview-questions/
 Traditional Question Examples & Suggested Responses
5

Tell me about yourself:

The most often asked question in interviews. Have a short 2-3 minute statement prepared, but be careful that it
does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have
done that relate to the position you are applying for.

What experiences do you have in this field?

Try to specifically relate your past experiences to this field, along with how your skills fit into this field well.

Do you consider yourself successful?

You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you
have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

What would co-workers or classmates say about you?

Try to paraphrase what co-workers or classmates have said about you in the past. For example: “John Smith, my
co-worker at Smart Company, always said I was the hardest worker he had ever known.” It is as powerful as John
having said it at the interview himself.

What do you know about this organization?

This question is why you should research the organization before the interview. Find out where the company has
been and where it’s going.

Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not go into a lot of specifics. Answer yes (if true), but keep the focus on this job and what you
can do for this organization. “Yes I am keeping my options open, but this position at Smart Company would be a
great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of…”

Why do you want to work for this organization?

This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization.
Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals and wanting
to enhance/challenge your previous work experiences.

Are you a team player?

This should be followed by a “yes” but have examples ready (use the STAR
method). Specifics You may also want to mention you work well independ-
ently, but if they ask specifically if you a team player, highlight that as your
preferred method of working, but ONLY if you that is true!

How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Keep it vague. Something like: “I’d like it to be a long time”. Or “As long as I
further my development into this field and that I am considered a benefit to
this company”. Vague is best.

Explain how you would be an asset to this organization

You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight
your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. This would be a
good one to have spent a lot of time thinking on before your interview
 Traditional Question Examples & Suggested Responses (Continue)

Why should we hire you?

Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a
comparison.

What irritates you about co-workers/supervisor?

This is a trap. Pretend to think hard but fail to come up with anything. Avoid speaking negatively about any indi-
vidual or company

What is your greatest strength? Weakness

Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-
solving skills, your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise,
Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude. As for the weakness question, whatever you do, don’t say “I can’t
think of anything”. Everyone has a weakness, but try to put a positive spin on it. Regardless your weakness, you
should always end your statement stating that you are working on your weakness.
For example, “...it is something that I have acknowledged and have been working
on to resolve”

Tell me about your dream job.

Stay away from a specific job. If you say the job you applying for is your dream job,
you strain credibility. If you say another job, you plant the suspicion that you will be
dissatisfied with this position if hired. Stay generic, something like: A job where I
love the work, the people, and feel challenged.

Why do you think you would do well at this job?

Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest

What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?
There are numerous good possibilities: Leadership, Team player, Expertise, Initia-
tive, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?

This is up to you. Be totally honest, but be aware of the potential consequences of your answer

How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?

First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out that you are
quick learner.

What qualities do you look for in a boss?

Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder
of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

Describe your work ethic.

Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy
your work are good.

Do you have any questions for me?

Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are
good. What type of projects will I be able to assist on if hired? When will this position begin? What is a typical day
like in the office?
 University of Dubuque Career Services

Verification questions:
Verification questions should be easy to re-
spond to, as long as you remember what you
have written down on your resume. ENHANCING CAREER DEVELOPMENT

To make things easier for yourself, have a copy

of your resume in front of you and after they
ask the first verification question, hand each A
interviewer a copy of your resume. N
Example: D
Interviewer: “What is your overall GPA?”
Good Response: “Sure, my overall GPA was
(GPA), here is a copy of my resume for your
reference”
Poor Response: “I think its around a 3.2” EXPLORITORY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Opinion questions:
Unfortunately, for these sometimes strange
questions, they are about impossible to pre- Mathematical Questions
pare for in advance. The best method to ap- Again, you can’t really prepare for these types
proach this type of question is to try not to of questions, but there are some techniques if
get too flustered. There is no right or wrong you find yourself having trouble answering the
response, although try to explain your reason- question.
ing, and keep it relatively brief. If you do not know the answer
Example: you may want to:
Interviewer: “If you were an animal, what State that you are a visual person, and ask
kind of animal would you be? if you can write the numbers down
Good Response: “I would be a monkey in a Admit that you are having difficulty com-
jungle, because I love rock climbing and they ing up with the correct response, but can
seem like really social creatures” provide an estimate until you get a moment
Poor Response: “Umm I think I would be a to analyze it later (Generally reserve this
monkey. They seem fun. response for complex math questions)
 University of Dubuque Career Services

Case Interview Questions

A case interview is a style of interview question or interview technique often
used in the field of business or management. Generally you will be notified
by your potential employer in advance if you interview will be conducted in
a case interview format. Its important to know that the objective on a case
interview is not to necessarily get the questions right, but rather show the
employer how you problem solve and think. The most important thing in
preparing for a case interview is practice practice practice!

Instead of reinventing the wheel on best practices for preparing for case
interviews, UD Career Services would rather direct you to a resource that
we feel meets all your needs when preparing for case interviews.
The Vault.com is an extremely valuable resource for any part of your ca-
reer development and exploration, but also has a great guide for preparing
for case interviews. This paid service by UD Career Services and the Charles
C. Myers Library can be accessed by going to the career library on the career
services website at :
http://www.dbq.edu/careerservices/CareerLib.cfm
Or by copying and pasting the following link into your web browser Want to practice your
http://careerinsider.vault.com/wps/portal/careerinsider? interview skills? Set up a
parrefer=7035 mock interview with career
Description of Case Interview Guide: Prepare for your case and con- services to take part in a
sulting interview with the best-selling Vault Guide to the Case Inter- practice interview with a
view. Packed with information you need to know to prepare for your
real employer from the
case or consulting interview, this guide provides the skinny on business
frameworks, sample cases, guesstimates, brainteasers, and more! The Dubuque community!
guide includes more than 50 actual case interviews, guesstimates, brainteas- Contact Career Services for
ers, and other consulting interview cases. It also covers important frame- more information!
works including Porter's Five Forces, the capital asset pricing model
(CAPM), the BCG Matrix, the four Ps, and the four Cs.

Find UD Have a question? Contact UD Career Services !

Career Services on
Facebook & Career Services Main Office Career Services Satellite Office
2nd Floor Peters Commons 105 Myers Library
Linked In!
Phone: 563-589-3132 Phone: 563-589-3167
Email: [email protected]

Enhancing Career Development & Exploratory Learning Opportunities