(Including questions you’ll likely
be asked and
questions you should consider asking!)
Students
who prepare for interviews end up landing the best jobs…
The organization’s intent is to...
Your intent is to...
Key Thoughts to Remember:
1. Answering Machines/Voice Mail
Organizations may try to call you in
your residence hall, apartment, or at home. If you have an answering machine
and can record your own message, be careful.
Write down all instructions you are
given (contact info, times and location).
2. Prior to the Interview
Your work
experience? College coursework that is relevant? Have some good reasons why you
want the position (not just because it's paid). What are your goals?
3. Interview Day
4. During the Interview
5. After the Interview
Preparing for an On-site Visit or
Second Interview
Using the STAR Technique to answer
Behavioral Questions
(See attached article on Behavioral
Interviewing)
When the
recruiter begins talking about your resume or asking questions about your
qualifications, it’s time to emphasize your positive traits. It is not as
effective to state that you are skilled at something as it is to give an
example. Use the STAR Technique:
S Situation
(Explain the situation) OR
T Task
(What task were you assigned?)
A Action
(How it was handled)
R Result
(The outcome)
STAR Technique Examples:
• Developed
computer program to estimate power losses in plated waveguides.
•
Coordinated fraternity activities resulting in a 50 percent increase in
membership.
• Managed
more than 400 community volunteers responsible for raising more than $2 million
for local
Tips on Answering Tricky Questions
·
What is your biggest weakness?
Mention a weakness that can also be
considered a strength (e.g., ”I’m a perfectionist” or “Because I expect so much
of myself, I sometimes expect too much from other people”). Include ways in which you are trying to
overcome your weakness (e.g., if you are unorganized, you could say you’ve
recently taken a time-management course or purchased a palm pilot).
·
What other companies are you
applying to?
Be vague and say that you’re
pursuing several opportunities that potentially match your career goals.
·
What do you want to be doing 10
years from now?
Avoid stating a goal that the employer may not be able to
help you reach. Answer such a question
in general terms: “I want to be part of
an organization that allows me to grow personally and professionally. I’d like the opportunity to make significant
contributions and to be recognized for those contributions.”
·
What if . . .? or How would you
handle . . .?
When interviewers ask you hypothetical questions, they don’t
necessarily want to know exactly what you would do. They want to know how you think, how you
problem-solve, how you make decisions.
The best approach to such a question is to brainstorm aloud several
possible approaches to the situation, choose a solution, and then explain why
you think it’s the right approach. Don’t
be afraid of answering a hypothetical question incorrectly.
• What are your greatest strengths?
When you are asked a “list question,” avoid the short list
approach. Take the opportunity to
demonstrate your communication skills by making an introductory comment and
then by giving examples/details. For
example: “In preparing for this
interview, I’ve actually thought about several strengths I feel would allow me
to make a significant contribution to your company. First, I’m pretty good at multi-tasking. When I led a design team in my freshmen year,
I had to keep several aspects of the project moving forward at the same
time. This project also showed me that
my leadership skills are a strength.
Finally, I have good time management skills. During high school, I was never late on
projects or homework. I feel I could use
all these strengths to benefit your company.”
What if I’m given a Random Brainteaser
to Solve?
Some
companies like to give candidates seemingly random brainteaser problems to
solve (e.g. – Two 180lb men are in a boat.
The boat has a 1” diameter hole.
etc.) The recruiter is not
necessarily looking for the correct answer; what they are looking for is
critical thinking skills. If you are
given a brainteaser to solve, take a few seconds to think it through and then
proceed to explain the logical steps you would take to try to solve it. If you come up with the correct answer, then
that’s a bonus!
Questions Interviewers Commonly Ask
Plan how
you would answer each of the following:
Questions You Might Want to Ask the
Employer
At some
point in the interview, the recruiter will ask you if you have any
questions. Failing to ask questions may
be interpreted as lack of interest or preparation. By asking intelligent questions, you show the
employer you’re serious about the organization. It also indicates you’ve done your homework.
·
What
would my tasks and responsibilities be?
·
What
is a normal day like for an intern at your company?
·
How
many hours per week would you ideally like an intern to work?
·
Who
would be my supervisor? Could I meet him/her?
·
Will
I be trained by an intern who has this position already or by the professional
staff?
·
Will
this position be assisting one of your professional staff or working on a
specially designed project?
·
(If
it is a project) Will the project be completed in the work term or carried on
by another student in a subsequent term?
·
Do
you have other interns? If so, how are they utilized?
·
How
long have you had an internship program?
·
Do
interns have the opportunity to participate in training experiences?
·
What
kind of training or orientation do you provide?
·
What
skills are experience are you looking for?
·
What
type of person would thrive at your company?
·
How
does the department I would work in fit into the overall organization?
·
What
is the general role and status of interns? How can I expect to be received?
·
How
would my performance be evaluated?
·
Do
interns often receive full-time offers after graduation?
·
When
should I expect to hear back from you?
Determine Which Offer is Right for
You
Here are some things to consider when deciding which offer to accept and
which offer(s) to decline. Be sure never
to accept an offer (verbally or in writing) until you are confident of your
decision. Once you have accepted an
offer, it it very unprofessional to retract your acceptance.:
Assess the Organization
·
Were
the people there supportive and enthusiastic toward me and interns in general?
·
Did
you like the people you met and did you feel comfortable during the interview
process?
·
Is
my personality a good fit for this work environment?
·
Does
the work atmosphere appeal to me?
·
Is
the organization growing or downsizing?
·
Would
you be working in a strong division or with a strong team?
·
What
is the organization’s culture (formal vs. informal, availability of outside
functions and activities, etc.)?
·
How
does the employer treat and train its interns?
·
What
has been the employer’s intern after-graduation hiring rate?
·
Can
you see yourself working in this organization?
Assess the Position
·
How
well does this position relate to my career goals and academic background? Can
I benefit from it?
·
Does
the job sound interesting, exciting and challenging to you?
·
Are
my abilities suited to this organization?
·
What
skills and experience will you gain from this job?
·
How
can the position prepare you for future opportunities?
·
What
is the growth potential in this position?
·
What
career track do employees in this position usually follow?
·
How
much overtime, if any, do the people in this position usually work?
·
Will
there be travel? If so, how much and how often?
Assess the Salary and Benefits
·
Considering
expenses, time commitment and responsibilities, is it practical?
·
How
does the package compare with other offers in the same position and level of
responsibility?
·
Does
the employer offer paid holidays, vacation, sick, and personal days to interns?
·
Does
the employer offer a housing allowance or travel reimbursement to and from the
job?
·
Is
overtime paid or unpaid?
After
deciding on which offer to accept and which offer(s) to decline, congratulate
yourself on a successful job search!
“Nothing will work
unless you do.”
–
Maya Angelou
Compliments of www.quintcareers.com/behavioral_interviewing.html
Behavioral Interviewing is a relatively new mode of job interviewing.
Employers such as AT&T and Accenture (the former Andersen Consulting) have
been using behavioral interviewing for about 15 years now, and because
increasing numbers of employers are using behavior-based methods to screen job
candidates, understanding how to excel in this interview environment is
becoming a crucial job-hunting skill.
The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most
accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar
situations. Behavioral interviewing, in fact, is said to be 55 percent
predictive of future on-the-job behavior, while traditional interviewing is
only 10 percent predictive.
Behavioral-based
interviewing is touted as providing a more objective set of facts to make
employment decisions than other interviewing methods. Traditional interview
questions ask you general questions such as “Tell me about yourself.” The
process of behavioral interviewing is much more probing and works very
differently.
In a traditional
job-interview, you can usually get away with telling the interviewer what he or
she wants to hear, even if you are fudging a bit on the truth. Even if you are
asked situational questions that start out “How would you handle XYZ
situation?” you have minimal accountability. How does the interviewer know,
after all, if you would really react in a given situation the way you say you
would? In a behavioral interview, however, it’s much more difficult to give
responses that are untrue to your character. When you start to tell a behavioral
story, the behavioral interviewer typically will pick it apart to try to get at
the specific behavior(s). The interviewer will probe further for more depth or
detail such as “What were you thinking at that point?” or “Tell me more about
your meeting with that person,” or “Lead me through your decision process.” If
you’ve told a story that’s anything but totally honest, your response will not
hold up through the barrage of probing questions.
Employers use the
behavioral interview technique to evaluate a candidate’s experiences and
behaviors so they can determine the applicant’s potential for success. The
interviewer identifies job-related experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills
and abilities that the company has decided are desirable in a particular position.
For example, some of the characteristics that Accenture looks for include:
The employer then
structures very pointed questions to elicit detailed responses aimed at
determining if the candidate possesses the desired characteristics. Questions
(often not even framed as a question) typically start out: "Tell about a
time..." or "Describe a situation..." Many employers use a
rating system to evaluate selected criteria during the interview.
As a candidate, you
should be equipped to answer the questions thoroughly. Obviously, you can
prepare better for this type of interview if you know which skills that the
employer has predetermined to be necessary for the job you seek. Researching
the company and talking to people who work there will enable you to zero in on
the kinds of behaviors the company wants. (Click here to see a list of typical behaviors that employers might
be trying to get at in a behavior-based interview.)
In the interview, your response needs to be specific and
detailed. Candidates who tell the interviewer about particular situations that
relate to each question will be far more effective and successful than those
who respond in general terms.
Ideally, you should
briefly describe the situation, what specific action you took to have an effect
on the situation, and the positive result or outcome. Frame it in a three-step
process, usually called a S-T-A-R statement:
1. situation (or task, problem), 2. action, 3.
result/outcome
Click here for a sample S-T-A-R
statement. It’s also helpful to think of your responses as stories.
Become a great storyteller in your interviews, but be careful not to ramble.
See also, STAR Interviewing Technique for more
information.
It’s difficult to
prepare for a behavior-based interview because of the huge number and variety
of possible behavioral questions you might be asked. The best way to prepare is to arm yourself with a small arsenal of
example stories that can be adapted to many behavioral questions. Despite
the many possible behavioral questions, you can get some idea of what to expect
by looking at Web sites that feature behavioral questions, including:
Knowing what kinds of
questions might be asked will help you prepare an effective selection of
examples. Use examples from
internships, classes and school projects, activities, team participation,
community service, hobbies and work experience -- anything really -- as
examples of your past behavior. In addition, you may use examples of special
accomplishments, whether personal or professional, such as scoring the winning
touchdown, being elected president of your Greek organization, winning a prize
for your artwork, surfing a big wave, or raising money for charity. Wherever
possible, quantify your results. Numbers always impress employers.
Remember that many
behavioral questions try to get at how you responded to negative
situations; you'll need to have examples of negative experiences ready, but try
to choose negative experiences that you made the best of or -- better yet,
those that had positive outcomes.
Here's a good way to
prepare for behavior-based interviews:
To cram for a behavioral
interview right before you're interviewed, review your resume. Seeing your
achievements in print will jog your memory.
In the interview, listen
carefully to each question, and pull an example out of your bag of tricks that
provides an appropriate description of how you demonstrated the desired
behavior. With practice, you can learn to tailor a relatively small set of
examples to respond to a number of different behavioral questions.
Once you've snagged the
job, keep a record of achievements and accomplishments so you'll be ready with
more great examples the next time you go on a behavior interview.
One of the keys to success
in interviewing is practice, so we encourage you to take the time to work out
answers to these questions using one of the suggested methods, such as the STAR
approach. Be sure not to memorize answers; the key to interviewing success is
simply being prepared for the questions and having a mental outline to follow
in responding to each question.
Looking for some sample
excellent answers to behavioral interview questions? Then go to our Job Interview
Questions Database, where we have traditional, behavioral, and mixed interview
questions for both experienced job-seekers and college students and recent
grads.
Here is one list of sample
behavioral-based interview questions: