Interview Preparation for the Structured Interview

The Structured Interview

Structured interviews involve standardized, pre-prepared questions that are arranged in a set order

These questions are presented in the same way to each interviewee and are specifically designed to be neutrally worded and objective, this in turn enables the interviewer to evaluate each candidate in a fair and equal manner. Criticisms of this format include that it can feel quite cold and impersonal to the interviewee, which can lead to increased nervousness, meaning they sometimes don’t perform as well as they otherwise might have done, and that consequently, the interviewer doesn’t get an entirely accurate assessment of them. There is also the risk that after enough interviews these questions could get passed around by word of mouth and start to become common knowledge, meaning subsequent interview candidates could get an unfair advantage over previous candidates by preparing purposefully for them. Inspite of such observations though, the structured interview is the most commonly used and trusted interview format and is still regarded as the most reliable way of hiring new recruits into a company

The structured interview is the most common interview type you’ll encounter whenever interviewing for a job. A structured interview is conducted by 1 interviewer, (so where structured questions are asked by more than one interviewer, although the questions themselves still remain structured, the interview format itself changes).
While there are several ways that it can be conducted, what is outlined below is one of the more common ways a structured interview is normally performed. Keep in mind that if you prepare well, and try and keep yourself as relaxed as possible during the interview, the chances are that your performance will be strong enough to impress the interviewer – which will put you in with a great chance of getting the job you want

The structured interview normally begins with a few easy perfunctionary one line answer questions to put you at ease and get you talking. (Remember that it’s the interviewer’s job to learn what they can about you by trying to get you to relax and open up).
Following the opening part of the interview, the interviewer may then go on to speak about the position and describe what it entails. This is a technique that interviewers often use to put you at ease. It serves a purpose both for building a basic rapport while at the same time giving you essential information you need about the position as well.
Be ready though, because after this part of the interview the real questions start

The main part of the interview will involve questions regarding the education, skills, and qualifications you have that make you suitable for the role, stress interview questions to investigate how you would respond in certain types of situations, as well as behavioural and competency-based questions that involve you being asked to recall specific problems or challenges you’ve faced in the workplace and how you’ve overcome or excelled at tackling them

In the closing part of a structured interview, you’ll normally get the chance to ask the interviewer some questions. This provides a good opportunity for you to end the interview on a high note by asking some incisive and clever questions while finding out more about the company at the same time

Below you will find questions and answers to some of the most commonly asked questions in the structured interview. Alternatively, why don’t you look at the link at the bottom of the page for the steps we recommend you take to prepare for your next interview

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN THE STRUCTURED INTERVIEW

1. Can you tell me about yourself?

What is this question
This question serves as an icebreaker question, and it’s a clever one because it not only serves as a good starting point for the interview, but it also serves to get you, the interviewee, comfortable as well. So, it gets you talking while at the same time giving the interviewer a good insight into your character, background, education, and employment history. Being that this question is open ended, it provides you with the opportunity to set the tone and structure for your answer. What also makes this question clever is that the way in which you do so will give the interviewer important indicators about your personality and experience – so from the moment you start talking, they will be assessing these things to see how good a fit you are for the company. Covering such a potentially broad spectrum of topics is also good from the perspective of the interviewer, as it gives them the opportunity to note points of interest or highlight things they may want to come back to later

How to answer this
A nice, polished delivery is what is important with this question.
Don’t be afraid to personalize this answer, you want to try and get the interviewer interested in who you are. A good answer depends on a good structure. So start off by giving a brief overview of yourself, where you’re from, and any notable places you’ve lived. Next, mention or 2 or 3 of your main interests, perhaps providing a little insight into why you like them, and what skills or lessons you’ve gained from them. (Give emphasis to any skills or experience that is relevant to the role you’re interviewing for). From here you should be able to move seamlessly onto your education and work background. Start with your least current job first, touching on past job roles, until you reach your present occupational status. Mention only the job roles that are on your C.V and try to include dates if you can. It also makes it much stronger if you can close the answer with a relevant goal or aim you have for the future. As always, you should prioritize your time when answering this question to draw attention to the roles and experiences that best emphasize the skills and qualities that are relevant to the role you are applying for

Example
‘I was born in London, and then later moved to Liverpool with my parents shortly before I finished high school in 2007. During my time there I really got into fitness, and it’s something that has stuck with me to this day. It’s been my experience that good health is a vital component of an active social life and leads to a more productive work-life balance, and I regularly play football, go hill-walking, and enjoy working out at the gym. Overall, I feel the city where I spent my later childhood years was very good to me. I worked hard all the way through high-school, and was exuberant when all that hard work paid off, because soon after finishing high-school I applied for, and was accepted into, Liverpool University, where I started a Marketing BA in 2008. Not long after completing this in 2009 I landed a job with 12345marketinggurus, where our focus was heavily on online public relations marketing, and my work with our NPO clients and the community outreach campaigns I collaborated with them on gave me a real passion for the field of digital marketing. I have a firm belief that my work has had real value and meaning over the course of my career, and I’m thrilled at the prospect of now having the chance to put the skills and experience I’ve acquired to use in a new and exciting role such as this’.

ALTERNATIVE ANSWER

2. How did you hear about this position?

What is this question
Following the standardized structured interview format, this is another icebreaker question. It keeps the conversation between you and the interviewer moving forward, it keeps you talking, and in doing so helps you feel a bit more at ease. It also enables the interviewer to start building a bit of basic rapport with you, which is desirable from the interviewer’s point of view as once you start to open up it will help them more accurately assess you. Another more practical reason for this question is that companies spend a good deal of time and effort to attract quality talent, so they ask this simply because they want to know how effective their recruitment methods are, and are interested to hear about other useful recruitment sources that might be out there. The interviewer will also be listening to see if you mention anything regarding friends or family too. In the vast majority of industries being referred by, or knowing someone, who works for the company is a big plus. Employing a friend or family member of someone who works at a company is seen as a good hiring practice, (such candidates are regarded as having the potential to be more loyal and reliable because they already have an established connection to the company through a friend or family member).
That’s why you will frequently come across referral schemes in various places of work that offer incentives to their employees who refer a friend or family member

How to answer this
Keep your answer brief and simple, a straightforward answer is all that is required here.
If you saw the advertisement on an online job site, say so. If you heard about the opening through a friend or family member, definitely tell the interviewer this. A good way to think of it is that any time you’re given the opportunity to respond to a question, it gives you a chance to put your own positive spin into the answer 

Example
‘I always use the nations jobsite as it has a high calibre of jobs and lots of quality employers. That’s where I saw the advertisement for this job.’

ALTERNATIVE ANSWER

3. What can you tell me about this company? 

What is this question
This is a question you’ll normally encounter in an interview, and its asked to get a sense of how much you’re actually interested in the company. It’s a straightforward question, and how well you answer it will impress upon the interviewer as to whether or not you have a genuine desire to work for them. It also demonstrates that you are willing to take the time to learn about the company, which also impresses upon the interviewer as to your suitability for the role

How to answer this
Keep everything you say here positive and upbeat.
Researching the company using the ‘about us’ and ‘history’ tabs on a company’s website, or searching online using the companies name, should usually give you more than enough information to use. Compose your answer by compiling 1 – 2 paragraphs about the company regarding its products and services, values and culture, mission objectives, or current news and events with this information. This is one of the questions you should be able to recite easily when asked, so make sure you practice this answer before the interview

Example
‘Your company has been a leader in global telecommunications for over 50 years. You put award-winning customer service at the heart of everything you do, and as one of the UK’s top 25 companies to work for, were one of the first UK telecoms companies to abolish line rental for its broadband customers. You employ 26000 people in over 13 different countries, and have more than 25 million customers worldwide. As a company, you value technology and innovation, and nowhere is this more evident than over the past 7 years where you’ve invested heavily in the field of artificial intelligence’.

4. Why do you want this job?

What is this question
The interviewer asks this question because it will further help them assess if you are a good fit for the company and for the job itself. It is a noteworthy question in the mind of the interviewer, and how you answer it will have an impact on how you are scored on the interviewer’s scorecard, as well as in the interviewer’s own individual assessment of you

How to answer this
The most effective way to approach this question is by emphasizing two distinct things. Firstly, start by expressing your motivation to work in that job/ and or, a motivation you’ve had to work for that specific company. From there, the other angle you should take is to try and touch on as many of the skills and qualities you have as possible that make you a good fit for the role. Your objective when answering this question is to impress upon the interviewer that you possess more than enough of the skills and qualities needed to perform the role competently, and on top of this, that you have a genuine desire to want to work for them

ALTERNATIVE ANSWER

5. How has your education prepared you for working in this industry/ career?

What is this question
The interviewer is asking this to learn more about your educational background. Your education, and in particular further education, constitutes an integral part of the skills you will be bringing into the workplace, so the question holds a large degree of relevance to the interviewer. On top of this, it is also a get to know you question. Asking this is a good way for your interviewer to learn more about you and your background

How to answer this
You should be very positive and express as much enthusiasm as possible when giving your response. Try your best to make a correlation between your education, and the skills you’ll be using in the workplace. Don’t be afraid to reference back to the requirements stated on the job description. This answer is most effective when you provide specific examples; for instance, when referencing internships or classroom projects where skills relevant to the job were learned or utilized. You can also reinforce these answers by bringing your feelings into this topic. For example, did you learn anything inspirational throughout your years of education that you’ve carried with you into the workplace? How did you apply what you’ve learned? Is there a particular method or technique you utilize to apply what you’ve learned effectively?

6. What made you choose to attend this college/ university?

What is this question
This question further helps the interviewer investigate your educational background. The interviewer will be looking to see what your attitude towards the college or university you attended is, as well as what your underlying attitude is towards the degree or qualification you have attained. This question gives the interviewer a sense of who you are, what you are looking to accomplish in the job, as well as what you hope to achieve in the future. By asking this question they can also draw additional inferences about your overall career aspirations, which will further help them assess your eligibility for the role

How to answer this
The first challenge with this answer is to say something more than, ‘I choose this college because it was closest to where I stayed’, or ‘I choose this university because it was the only university that I got accepted into’. What you need to do with this answer is to have something good to say about the institution where you completed your higher learning. Ideally, you want your answer to sound insightful, positive and introspective. The other thing you should do with this answer is to revisit what you learned there, and relate the beneficial aspects of your education to the job you are applying for

Example
‘I decided on London South Bank University after carefully considering all my options. I thought about factors such as travelling distance and affordability, and also did some detailed research on the Marketing BA courses that different universities were offering at the time. I asked around and heard really great things from friends and teachers about LSBU. They have a great alumni program. Their courses are fully accredited and are recognized industry-wide. I also checked the office of national statistics to find out how many people had graduated over the last few years. Overall, the university was a really good fit for me. Looking back now, I’m pleased I can say I made the right choice by going there. It was a really great time in my life, I made a lot of good friends, and it’s given me the tools I’ll need to succeed in this industry. I can also say with confidence that I’ll continue to use what I learned there every day, both in my personal and professional life’.

7. Do you have any plans for further education?

What is this question
This is somewhat of a niche question, so if the interviewer is asking this, there will normally be a reason. The difficultly here is that there could be different reasons why they are asking this. It could be that the role will involve opportunities for development; in which case advanced training or additional qualifications would be beneficial, and they are probing to see if this fits into your longer-term plans. Or it could mean just the opposite. They may have had a high turnover of staff, where employees have used the position to gain experience and then move on, and they are asking this to establish how your priorities match up to the needs of the company

How to answer this
You should be careful with how you answer this. A definitive yes or no answer may not always be the best approach here. In many circumstances furthering education or qualifications is seen as a positive trait, so the trick is trying to ascertain why the interviewer is asking you this. As it can be difficult to ascertain the interviewer’s motives here, one of the better ways to decide which way to go with your answer is to orientate it based on the job you are applying for. Most roles will not require you to obtain further qualifications to continue performing them. There are certain jobs however, where advanced certification, training, or education, may be encouraged. Things like academical roles (like professors), educational roles (like teachers), certain roles in the medical profession (like doctors or physicians), scientific positions (like researchers or physicists), and some computer programming roles (such as open-source software development or web development). So, in many instances you should be able to tell quite intuitively whether or not furthering education is a plus or minus for that particular role.
(As always, the most straightforward solution is simply to go for an honest answer. However, at least now if you are asked this particular question, it will give you some insight into how your response will be perceived)

Example
‘I believe that furthering education can always be a beneficial thing no matter who you are or what walk of life you come from. While at present I don’t have any plans to further my education, it’s definitely something that I’m quite receptive to. Anything that helps me to progress in the role, and grow as a person, whether its additional on the job training, or formalized education through online college or after work courses, is definitely something I’d always be willing to consider’.

8. Why did/ are you leaving your last/ current job?

What is this question
The interviewer is trying to delve deeper into your background. They want to get to know you better, and to understand the reasons behind why you left your last or current position. As such, they will be evaluating your answer to see if there were any problems or potential concerns that might make you unsuitable for the role. Conversely, they’ll also be listening to see if anything in your answer indicates you’d make a good fit for them too. On top of this, they’ll also be listening to see if what you say matches up with other answers that you’ve given over the course of the interview

How to answer this
This is one of the most important questions that can be posed to you in an interview, and how you answer it will have a significant impact on the interviewer’s overall assessment of you. It is a challenging question, so there are a few basic principles you should follow when answering it. The most important of these is this: always be constructive. Avoid negative answers that involve unsatisfactory outcomes either for yourself, or your past/ current employer. Be as honest as you can, but no matter what your reason for leaving is – always pose any answer to this question in a constructive manner. If there was a negative reason involved in your decision to leave, avoid the negative aspect, and focus on framing this in the most constructive way you can. Likewise, if you have a valid reason for leaving, strive to put this reasoning across in the most positively and constructively phrased way you can think of.
Moreover, if you don’t want to go in-depth as to why you left a past/ current job, another effective tactic for answering this question is to focus on what you feel you can gain in a new role that you couldn’t in your last/ current job. For example, ‘I’d like the chance to gain new skills in digital engineering or graphic design’, or, ‘I’d like the chance to take on additional responsibilities and have a closer hand in project management’.
(You should also include any skills and qualities that you’ve used in your last/ current job that you feel you’re able to bring with you into the role you’re interviewing for, and you can take this a step further by incorporating these into your rationale as to why you’re looking to leave your current job, with a view to looking for newer challenges and opportunities)

ALTERNATIVE ANSWER

9. Why was there a gap in your employment?

What is this question
The interviewer needs to understand your employment history as referenced to on your C.V. Any gaps in your employment are very important to an interviewer when determining your eligibility for a role, and it is the interviewer’s job to ask questions whenever any gaps in your employment history are identified

How to answer this
If you have any long gaps on your C.V or resume, this by far is one of the more troublesome questions you might face. There are many different types of answer often suggested in response to this question, some more effective than others. When considering an important and incisive question such as this however, clever, well-constructed responses, tend to work better than shallower, straightforward-generic, ones.
Firstly, to get the more generic stuff out of the way. Honestly is still the best policy – because employers can always check your employment background and get references to build a true picture of your work history and experience.
With that being said, saying that you’re unemployed – or having a C.V that clearly indicates you’ve been out of work for a while, looks bad, and employers will tend to overlook these types of C.Vs well before you even reach the interview stages.
Simply coming out and saying that you’ve been unemployed for a certain number of months or years is going to look bad in the eyes of any employer, (that’s because there are certain things that employers and recruiters look for when hiring, and an established employment history is one of them).
Therefore, you need to be truthful, while at the same time not driving the employers and recruiters who view your C.V away, and instead convincing them that you have the necessary skills they are looking for, so how do you do this?
In this regard, if you lack an established or regular work history, instead of merely saying, ‘I’ve been out of work for 7 months, or 7 years’, you need to consider how best to deal with this crucial detail on your C.V – and when you consider how limited your options for doing this are, you should come to the realisation then that your best approach may be to put a spin on why you’ve been out of work for so long.
So how do you do this?
Okay. Let’s think.
Maybe you have a hobby, cause, pursuit, have been a carer for someone, or maybe you really wanted to get an education in a certain field and have prioritised this over looking for employment while you tried to get onto a course you really want. Maybe you wanted to pursue art or write a book. Listing your current position as ‘self-employed’, can potentially be another effective means you have at your disposal too. Whatever the reason, if you can come up with something that sounds credible, all you need to do is to be able to talk about this confidently. If your reason sounds credible, you’ll instantly become a much more viable candidate in the eyes of an employer. What works about this approach is that a personal background or individual rationale is not something that can be readily checked up upon or verified. Therefore, if your able to tell a story that has a viable basis to it, then it becomes a superb way to explain away long and damaging gaps in your work history, and while an employer might still be concerned with your work history (or lack thereof), a convincing reason as to why you’ve not had employment over a given length of time will certainly go a long way to convincing them that you’re a worthwhile candidate for the role

Alternatively, you should also consider reviewing the examples in the following sections on how to answer questions about being unemployed

What Employers look for In the Interview

S.T.A.R. Interview Database (Intoduction)

10. Why should I hire you?

What is this question
The interviewer asks this to get a sense of what you have managed to achieve in your previous roles, to get an understanding of what you can bring to the company, and to further determine your eligibility for the role

A strong answer to this question is a must here, and doing so will ensure a favorable impact on the interviewer’s overall assessment of you. It’s a very open-ended question, and while these can be more challenging to structure, it also gives you plenty of scope to answer in the way that you want, so in the balance of things, it’s a good opportunity to make a solid impact by convincing the interviewer of your worth

How to answer this
For this answer to be effective it must be delivered with confidence.
The challenge, like with so many important open-ended questions; is that it can be difficult to construct a response that takes your answer along a structured path.
The place you need to start your answer here is with the job description. As part of your interview preparation, not only should you have familiarized yourself with the requirements of the role, but you should also be familiar with your own skills and qualities and how they tie in with the role too. That is where you should base your answer. Keep it brief and concise. Do this by matching your best skills and qualities to 2 or 3 of the main requirements of the role. Next, bring up an example of something you’ve accomplished in a current or prior role that reaffirms your ability to perform the duties required, (if you can’t think of an example to give, simply move onto the closing part of your answer).
The closing part involves you finishing strongly by recapping key duties you’ve performed in current or prior roles, and restating the confidence you have in your own abilities, while at the same time also expressing the strong desire you have to get the job and start contributing to the success of your future employer…To this end, reviewing STEPS 2 and 5 of our recommended preparation steps – reviewing the job description, write out a list of your most relevant skills – and what you can do that other candidates can’t, write down what makes you stand out from other candidates – will be useful actions to take

Example
‘The first thing I did before even applying for this job was to study the requirements thoroughly to make sure they were a good fit for me. This role requires someone who can work independently and can use their own initiative. It also requires someone with strong organizational skills as well as excellent problem-solving abilities. You should hire me because I have all the necessary skills and experience you’re looking for in an ideal candidate. In my previous role, I regularly worked with little supervision, using my own initiative to schedule meetings and update distribution timetables. The role also required me to have strong organization skills because I needed to track completed tasks and schedule assignments, as well as manage the department mailbox, which is very similar to some of the duties required in this role. On top of this, I possess an innate ability for problem-solving and had to do this whenever supply chain issues arose. From the time I first started, I was consistently successful in helping my team meet it’s targets, many times even exceeding them, and on several occasions I’ve received praise in my performance reviews for the quality of work I’ve delivered. You should hire me not only because this job is an ideal fit for my skillset, but because I’ve got a proven ability to perform the duties required in this role, and on top of that I’d love nothing more than to seize this opportunity and help your organisation reach its full potential’.

11. What is your most important quality?

What is this question
The interviewer wants to know what you feel your most important quality is, and will assess this question based on how confidently you deliver the answer. They’ll also be listening to see if your answer aligns with any of the core competencies they have been instructed to evaluate you on, and will also assess how well you are able to relate this quality to performing the role itself

How to answer this
The key to delivering an effective answer here can be found in two things.
Firstly, proper preparation before the interview. In particular, with a question like this, familiarizing yourself with the key requirements of the role by reviewing the job description beforehand is absolutely crucial.
The second thing you’ll need is a good understanding of your own skills and qualities. To answer this question effectively, you’ll need to center your response around a quality that’s relevant to the requirements of the role.
And to make your answer as strong as possible, you should close it off by giving a brief example of an occasion where you’ve utilized this quality to good effect in the workplace

Example
‘What’s my most important quality…I think I can quite easily say that my considerate nature is my most important quality. This is a customer-facing role that I’m interviewing for, and I firmly believe that whenever you’re dealing with customers, or members of the public, having a considerate personality is a must. I also strongly feel that many of the other strengths and traits you’ll derive in a role like this all stem from this quality. Listening, empathy, doing what’s right – all of these are qualities that are essential to someone providing a service to their customers, yet they all come naturally to someone with a considerate nature. As an employee, I’m relied upon to do my job to the best of my ability – and sometimes that means performing my duties when I’m feeling tired or under the weather, or when additional actions are needed that require me to go the extra mile for my customers. Speaking from experience, someone who is naturally considerate of others does these things not because they feel they have to, or because they feel they’ll get into trouble if they don’t – they can be relied upon to do what’s right for the customer because they have a natural inclination to do so. For instance, I can recall one occasion where a customer had called in several times that week because after 3 months they still hadn’t received the refund cheque they had been promised. I not only investigated what actions my previous colleagues had taken, but I also raised a new task that was immediately sent to a back-office team so the check could be issued. I then went the extra mile by personally pending a call-back with my customer to follow this up with them. So when that team got back to me requesting additional information that wasn’t on the account, I made a quick call to my customer and obtained what was needed, which nobody else before me had bothered to do. Consequentially, I got the account updated, and after 3 months of waiting my customer received their refund check the following week…it’s for reasons like this that I believe that having the consideration to do what’s right is such an important quality…’

12. Tell me about one of your weaknesses

What is this question
The interviewer is asking this question because they are trying to get you to open up. Interviewers are all too aware that the candidates they interview will sometimes tell them what they want to hear just so they can get the job, so this question (or similar variations of it) is often asked to see to what extent you are willing to open up to the interviewer. Additionally, they’re also asking this for the very practical reason of trying to learn more about other aspects of your personality as well

How to answer this
This is a very awkward and challenging question, designed to see if you can open up and be honest with your interviewer. When the interviewer asks a question like this, a lot of the time people are caught off balance by it, that’s why they sometimes panic and say they don’t have any weaknesses – which is definitely the wrong thing to do. Like anything else in the interview, anytime a question is posed to you, the interviewer is looking for you to respond with an appropriate answer. Being able to give an effective answer here signals to the interviewer that you have the ability to be open with them, and it will also impress upon them that the rest of the things they’ve discussed with you over the course of the interview are most likely to be true as well. For this reason, it is a very important question, and the key to answering it is to make sure you relay it in a constructive way and not a negative one, one that ends with you learning a valuable lesson, or one that ultimately enables you to improve the way in which you do something, while at the same time not going too overboard with your answer either. You need to be honest, but remember that everything you say is being assessed, so if you’re too candid the answer you give could have a negative impact on the interviewer’s overall evaluation of you. Therefore, keep the example short – characterizing one single weakness for the interviewer only. A good tactic when answering this is to relay your response in the past tense. Another tactic you should also be utilizing is to provide the interviewer with a weakness/ area of improvement that is not crucial to the requirements of the job. (That’s why a good familiarity with the job description helps when answering this question).
For example: If the job description states the candidate ‘must have strong organizational skills, good attention to detail, and the ability to work under pressure’, you could instead mention something entirely unrelated. (see example)

Other example ideas
When asked this question it can sometimes be hard to think of an example that doesn’t reflect too badly on yourself. Here are some examples that are commonly used that can come across as being neutral or may even be seen as a positive in some situations

– Perfectionism, competitiveness

– Too harsh on self

– Limited experience (align this to a skill or quality not required in the role you are applying for)

– Your someone who is passionate about a career in this —(miscellaneous)— industry, but you find yourself getting too involved in your work, or being focused too much on your work, (and you’ve recently realized that you need to take a step back and in doing so it has helped you attain a better work-life balance)

13. Can you give an example of a time you went above and beyond to exceed the expectations of a customer? (Competency-based interview question)

What is this question
The interviewer is asking this question because they are looking for evidence that you’ll do a good job as a hire. With this specific competency-based question, they are looking for evidence that you’ve been willing to exceed the expectations set upon you in current or prior roles, and will be looking for you to show that you care enough about your duties to be relied upon to excel in carrying them out in this role too

How to answer this
This is a competency-based interview question. Interviewers ask such questions because they want to know about a real-life experience where you were challenged or where you excelled at doing something. Answering competency-based interview questions is very important because the interviewer will take what you have said as evidence that you have the requisite experience performing those competencies, and what you should keep in mind is that those competencies are almost always essential for the job you are applying for. When answering a competency-based question you should be utilizing the S.T.A.R technique. This is where you construct your answer in a purposefully structured way. The structure is always the same – Situation, Task, Action, Result

In the first part of your answer, start by explaining the SITUATION you found yourself in at the time; this sets the scene and provides a context for the rest of your answer. This should be done within the first 3 – 4 sentences.
The next part of your answer goes on to explain your TASK. This defines the challenge or difficulty you were faced with and putting this across well sets you up nicely for the next part of your answer. Ideally, you want to explain the task within 2-3 sentences.
Next, is the ACTION you took in that situation. This part of the answer defines the actions you took and categorizes the experience or skillset you used to resolve the difficulty or challenge you described in your task. The action is the most important part of your answer, so try and incorporate specific details here as it will add depth and lend credibility to what you say. You should take anywhere from 1-2 paragraphs to describe the action you used to resolve the problem you encountered.
Once you’ve described the action, finish up by talking about the RESULT those actions produced. It is very important that the result ends in a positive or constructive way. Try to do this by focusing on what was gained, or what was learned, as a result of your actions. A well delivered closing will provide an authentic and purposeful feel to the entirety of your answer, and as such, it means it’s equally important to have a strong result as it does to have a solid action in any competency-based answer you give. Try and keep your result between 4 – 6 sentences long

Remember – practice makes perfect.
A comprehensive and well-structured answer like this requires proper preparation.
S.T.A.R interview examples are best delivered when they are properly rehearsed before an interview. As an interview candidate, you will have no way of knowing specifically what questions will be asked of you. Because of this, people who use S.T.A.R interview examples tend to choose 7 or 8 competency or behavioural based examples to rehearse before the interview that cover as wide a variety of different scenarios as possible. In this way, by rehearsing a range of different situations, they give themselves the best possible chance of matching one they’ve rehearsed to any question the interviewer asks where the S.T.A.R method is required.
Lastly, when reciting any competency or behavioural based example, be sure to personalize your answer to the fullest extent by referring to yourself in the first term ‘I’.

14. Can you describe a time where you had a large workload to manage, how did you successfully prioritize this? (Competency-based interview question)

What is this question
The interviewer asks this because they are looking for evidence that you can prioritize your workload efficiently. The fact that they are asking a question such as this gives you an indication as to the sort of duties the job will entail. They are also trying to gain insight into how you work, therefore the way in which you construct your response will be important here

How to answer this
This is a competency-based interview question. Interviewers ask such questions because they want to know about a real-life experience where you were challenged or where you excelled at doing something. Answering competency-based interview questions is very important because the interviewer will take what you have said as evidence that you have the requisite experience performing those competencies, and what you should keep in mind is that those competencies are almost always essential for the job you are applying for. Whenever answering a competency-based question you should always utilize the S.T.A.R technique. This is where you construct your answer in a purposefully structured way. The structure is always the same – Situation, Task, Action, Result

In the first part of your answer, start by explaining the SITUATION you found yourself in at the time; this sets the scene and provides a context for the rest of your answer. This should be done within the first 3 – 4 sentences.
The next part of your answer goes on to explain your TASK. This defines the challenge or difficulty you were faced with and putting this across well sets you up nicely for the next part of your answer. Ideally, you want to explain the task within 2-3 sentences.
Next, is the ACTION you took in that situation. This part of the answer defines the actions you took and categorizes the experience or skillset you used to resolve the difficulty or challenge you described in your task. The action is the most important part of your answer, so try and incorporate specific details here as it will add depth and lend credibility to what you say. You should take anywhere from 1-2 paragraphs to describe the action you used to resolve the problem you encountered.
Once you’ve described the action, finish up by talking about the RESULT those actions produced. It is very important that the result ends in a positive or constructive way. Try to do this by focusing on what was gained, or what was learned, as a result of your actions. A well delivered closing will provide an authentic and purposeful feel to the entirety of your answer, and as such, it means it’s equally important to have a strong result as it does to have a solid action in any competency-based answer you give. Try and keep your result between 4 – 6 sentences long

Remember – practice makes perfect.
A comprehensive and well-structured answer like this requires proper preparation.
S.T.A.R interview examples are best delivered when they are properly rehearsed before an interview. As an interview candidate, you will have no way of knowing specifically what questions will be asked of you. Because of this, people who use S.T.A.R interview examples tend to choose 7 or 8 competency or behavioural based examples to rehearse before the interview that cover as wide a variety of different scenarios as possible. In this way, by rehearsing a range of different situations, they give themselves the best possible chance of matching one they’ve rehearsed to any question the interviewer asks where the S.T.A.R method is required.
Lastly, when reciting any competency or behavioural based example, be sure to personalize your answer to the fullest extent by referring to yourself in the first term ‘I’.

15. Can you tell me about a conflict you’ve faced at work and how you managed to successfully resolve it? (Behavioural-based interview question) 

What is this question
The interviewer wants to know that you’re able to handle yourself in challenging or stressful situations. With a behavioural-based interview question, the interviewer is concerned with your emotional responses and how you used them to your advantage in those circumstances. In this particular question the interviewer is looking for evidence that you’ve managed to successfully resolve the situation, so be sure to factor this into the result you give in your answer

How to answer this
Just like in a competency-based question, with a behavioural-based interview question you should be looking to employ the S.T.A.R technique in your response. While that means you’ll structure your answer in the same way, the focus with a behavioural-based question should be on your individual qualities and traits. This means the answer itself should focus on the emotional and behavioural qualities you employed to resolve the situation, rather than on a utilization of skills and technical knowledge.
Remember that in answers where the S.T.A.R response is utilized, the examples you give are almost always essential to the role that you are applying for. Answering behavioural-based interview questions is very important because the interviewer will take what you have said as evidence that you are able to deal with customers and situations in the way that you have described. Where utilizing the S.T.A.R technique the structure is always the same – Situation, Task, Action, Result

In the first part of your answer, start by explaining the SITUATION you found yourself in at the time; this sets the scene and provides a context for the rest of your answer. This should be done within the first 3 – 4 sentences.
The next part of your answer goes on to explain your TASK. This defines the challenge or difficulty you were faced with and putting this across well sets you up nicely for the next part of your answer. Ideally, you want to explain the task within 2-3 sentences.
Next, is the ACTION you took in that situation. This part of the answer defines the actions you took and categorizes the experience or individual qualities you used to resolve the challenge you described in your task. The action is the most important part of your answer, so try and incorporate specific details here as it will add depth and lend credibility to what you say. You should take anywhere from 1-2 paragraphs to describe the action you used to resolve the problem you encountered.
Once you’ve described the action, finish up by talking about the RESULT those actions produced. It is very important that the result ends in a positive or constructive way. Try to do this by focusing on what was gained, or what was learned, as a result of your actions. A well delivered closing will provide an authentic and purposeful feel to the entirety of your answer, and as such, it means it’s equally important to have a strong result as it does to have a solid action in any behavioural-based answer you give. Try and keep your result between 4 – 6 sentences long

Remember – practice makes perfect.
A comprehensive and well-structured answer like this requires proper preparation.
S.T.A.R interview examples are best delivered when they are properly rehearsed before an interview. As an interview candidate, you will have no way of knowing specifically what questions will be asked of you. Because of this, people who use S.T.A.R interview examples tend to choose 7 or 8 competency or behavioural based examples to rehearse before the interview that cover as wide a variety of different scenarios as possible. In this way, by rehearsing a range of different situations, they give themselves the best possible chance of matching one they’ve rehearsed to any question the interviewer asks where the S.T.A.R method is required.
Lastly, when reciting any competency or behavioural based example, be sure to personalize your answer to the fullest extent by referring to yourself in the first term ‘I’.

16. If I asked your previous manager to describe you, what would they say?

What is this question
This is a question that helps the interviewer evaluate your core competencies as well as your performance in prior roles. The interviewer is interested to know what your superiors would say regarding your workplace performance and wants to hear about this from your own perspective. They will use what you say to form a valuable insight into how you might perform if you were offered the role

How to answer this
With a question like this, we want to keep everything we say as positive as we possibly can. With that basic principle in mind, what we want to do when constructing an answer here is make emphatic, positive statements about ourselves, then reinforce those statements with verbal examples.
There are a few different ways we can go about doing this. The most common method for answering this is by referring back to some of our previous performance reviews. This is arguably the easiest and most effective method for answering this question, as we can quote comments and statements directly from good performance reviews we’ve been given – this gives us excellent source material for our answer, and we can even take these reviews with us as evidence to support us.
If we don’t have any performance reviews we can reference to, or we want to try an alternative way of answering, another approach would be to start off with a basic anecdotal story about a time or event where we made a significant contribution in our workplace, and then relate to the interviewer what our manager thought about that contribution.
Example: ‘I’m confident my manager would describe me as an enthusiastic, proactive, and vital member of the team. I can recall one time in particular where I volunteered to go to the morning office meetings in her place while she was on holiday. I took notes regarding upcoming events and important departmental announcements and briefed these back to the team in her absence. It meant I had to get into the office 30 minutes earlier than usual each day, but I was more than happy to do it. When she returned she was delighted with the job I’d done, and praised me by sending me a thank you note saying I was one of the most diligent and reliable people she’d ever worked with’.

Another variation of this method would be to list off 2 or 3 different personal traits, and then give a short example for each one on occasions where you’ve used those traits throughout the course of performing your duties within the workplace.
Example: ‘I’m pleased you asked me that question, because I’m sure one of the first things my manager would say about me is that I’m highly proactive. In my most recent performance review he gave me a massive amount of praise for the incredible level of proactiveness I showed after I arranged to set-up an onsite workshop for our clients to attend. He would also say that I’m extremely reliable and very committed to helping the company develop good business practices. Not only did I receive praise from him recently after I put forward several suggestions in areas where I believed we could make business practices more streamlined and efficient, but on top of that, in my last performance review he also told me how impressed he was that I made it into the top percentile on the compliance report for last month, I actually have the review here with me if you’d like to see it’.

Another example of this would go as follows:
The first thing my manager would say about me is that I am very knowledgeable. Not only am I the one that updates the customer account database each week, but I’m also the person that everyone in the team comes to whenever they need technical advice. My manager would also say that I’m one of the most experienced and reliable members of the team, which is why I’m one of the first ones he comes to with any difficult or important assignments. I’m happy to say that I’ve always enjoyed a good relationship with my manager, and I’ve no doubt it would be the same if I am accepted for this role’.

ALTERNATIVE ANSWER

17. What qualities do you feel a successful employee/manager should have?

What is this question
This question is asked because the interviewer is trying to ascertain how you work as an individual. It will give the interviewer a feel for the skills and qualities you might exhibit in the actual role itself. The interviewer will also use this question to screen for candidates who might be unsuitable for the role

How to answer this
In this scenario, the answer will differ drastically depending on whether you are answering from the perspective of an employee or of a manager. The most important thing you need to do when answering this is to ensure you are matching the things you say to the requirements of the role

Employee Answer
The key to putting across an effective answer here lays with how you structure your response. Whether answering as an employee or as a manager, the key thing you need to do is link what you are saying to the requirements of the role. When answering as an employee, you should start your answer in a place of honesty and simplicity. Do this by mentioning a few of the qualities and traits that you value most in yourself as an employee. These can be things like honesty, openness, good listening skills, teamwork, a good work ethic, or any other quality that you really value in yourself. (Again, make sure these things align to the role itself).
From here, follow through on this initial part of your answer by quantifying the things you’ve just said. The best way to do this is to give a short verbal example of a time where you’ve utilized one or more of the qualities you’ve just outlined.
Where answering as an employee, if you lack work experience, or don’t have any experience at all – don’t worry. With a question like this, you can still give the interviewer an effective answer, just follow the same structure – but instead of relaying a quality you’ve utilized in the workplace, use an example where you’ve applied these qualities in a personal walk of life instead. This could be in a setting such as a school, a social club, a sports team, a church organization, a voluntary organization, or any other relevant social setting you can think of.
(This is one of those questions that could potentially be problematic as the interviewer will be listening to see if anything doesn’t sound right or flags up – so for that reason, keep everything that you say nice and positive)

Manager Answer
Whether answering as an employee or as a manager, the key thing you need to do is link what you are saying to the requirements of the role. If answering this question for a managerial position, you should start off by talking about your own leadership qualities, or about qualities which you believe are required in a good leader that reflect your own leadership style. This could be things like an ability to be a positive role model who can motivate and inspire others, believing in setting clear guidelines for employees, encouraging the professional development of your staff, the ability to listen and take on feedback from employees, approachability, etc.
From there, next move onto a very brief mission statement. This should be something that reflects your own leadership style, while at the same time being something that also can be linked to the requirements of the role. It only needs to be 2 or 3 sentences long, and should focus on the value of good leadership – either regarding what you believe good leadership can bring to a company, what value can be gained by inspiring and motivating your employees through good leadership, or any other similar type of statement along these lines.
From there, finish off your answer by quantifying the things you’ve just said with a verbal example that reinforces these comments, recalling a time from a previous or current job where through your leadership and guidance you inspired your staff to meet a deadline, achieve a quarterly target, or otherwise work together as a team to fulfill your objectives; any example that ties in with the rest of your answer and shows off your managerial style in a positive light

18. How would you describe your ideal job?  

What is this question
The interviewer is trying to discern what level of interest you have in the job, as well as in the actual industry itself. The impression they get from your answer will help them determine how good a fit you are for the role

How to answer this
Answer by mentioning the things that interest you most about the job, and about things which you are naturally inclined to take a liking towards. A useful tactic is to base your answer around one or two of your key strengths, because if you can link these strengths to the requirements that have been specified on the job description, then this question will provide a great platform for you to focus attention on those points and highlight not only your strengths, but at the same time underscore your enthusiasm and dedication to these facets of the role

Example
‘My ideal job is one that is essential to the progression of science in the context of outstanding human ingenuity, and one where I can make a real difference in the lives of the people of the modern world. I believe I can use my first-rate research and analytical abilities to achieve a scientific breakthrough that could have an impact on a global scale and enhance the lives of everyday people immeasurably. The work I have done in cellular genetics and stem cell therapy has motivated me to move on to bigger and more promising challenges. That is why my ideal job is also one that enables me to be a self-reliant, self-motivated, laboratory-based scientist, and one that will enable me to become a leader in my field within the global scientific community’.

19. Why did you choose this career? 

What is this question
Unless it’s for a temporary position, any time a company hires for a new job opening, they are looking for employees who are willing to commit long term to their enterprise. (No employer wants to go to all the trouble of hiring and training an employee just to have to do it all over again in 6 months or a year’s time). Employees that are looking to move up within a company and make a career for themselves are loyal, will tend to work harder, and are more reliable than those who only use their jobs as a steppingstone. Asking the question, ‘Why did you chose this career’, will help the interviewer determine which bracket you are in. Are you simply doing this job until a better one comes along? Is it the only job you can find? Or do you have a genuine interest in this job field and are eager to make a career out of this opportunity? The way in which you answer this question will give the interviewer a good indication as to what your intent really is

How to answer this
The best place to draw inspiration for an answer to a question like this would be from STEP 3 of our recommended preparation steps – Study your resume. This is the step where you’ll go over your resume and consider the facets of your current and previous jobs, familiarizing yourself with the duties you’ve performed, along with all of the other elements those jobs entailed. It becomes the ideal time to reflect on why you’ve gone down a given career path, what about these roles it was that you’ve liked so much, and about other factors that have led you to where you are today.
Remember that while an inspiring, introspective answer can come across as more impactful, if you are asked this question but are struggling to think of an answer, a simpler, generic response –along the lines of stating that you’ve always had an interest in that given career field, then reaffirming your commitment and motivation to land the role for which you are applying – should suffice as an answer to this question

Example
‘This is a field I’ve been interested in ever since I took my first (your career of interest) class. There are so many opportunities in the field of (your career here) for advancement and for furthering education and gaining new knowledge that even now, after 7 years of working in this industry, I still find everything about this line of work really quite fascinating.
Firstly, I get the opportunity to work based on my own initiative, and I can use my own creativity and talents to obtain results. It’s a career where I’m valued, and where I get to make a worthwhile contribution to society as well. On top of this, some time ago I decided to do my own fact-finding just to learn everything I possibly could about this line of work, and I was happy to discover that the (your industry here) is growing at a faster than average rate when compared with most other industries in the economy. It’s a sector ranked within the top 10% for the best job security, and the public has a largely positive perception of the people working in our industry.  That’s why it’s a field that I’m not only passionate about, but as a career it’s something I’ve chosen to dedicate my life to, and, to be honest, I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing’.

20. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

What is this question
This is a question asked by the interviewer for the purpose of evaluating your retention prospects. The answer you give provides the interviewer with an understanding of the direction you want to take with your time in the company. How you answer questions like this gives the interviewer an understanding of a; what expectations you have from the job and from the employer (which in turn helps them evaluate if the role is suitable for you), b; what sort of effort you will spend putting into the role to make it a worthwhile career opportunity for yourself

How to answer this
To answer this question, you need to understand your own career goals and personal aspirations. The best preparation you can give yourself to answer a question like this is to have put some thought into these facets of your life beforehand. In doing so, you’ll be able to form an understanding of the career decisions and life choices and you want to make.
A good time to consider such things is during STEPS 1 and 3 of our recommended preparation steps.
In STEP 1– researching the company, you will undertake basic fact-finding to better understand the company you are interviewing for. This can help give you an insight into the actions and paths you may wish to take to advance your career with that company if you land the job. In STEP 3 of your interview preparation, you will perform a detailed review of your resume. This is also a great point at which to start thinking about what direction you want to take with your career, as well as the direction you want to take with your life in general. It’s also a great time to reflect on where your strengths lay both in terms of your own personal qualities, as well as those outlined on your C.V

21. How would you define success? 

What is this question
Essentially the interviewer is trying to ascertain what your work standards are with this question. Your answer will help the interviewer to assess how well you might perform in that working environment, and helps them to better understand what your motivations are when undertaking a challenging task

How to answer this
There are a couple of different ways you can approach this answer.
You can provide the interviewer with your own personal definition of what success is with a short, intuitive answer. This is normally a more straightforward way to answer this question, for example, ‘any time I accomplish a task and my customer/ supervisor is pleased, I would consider that as a personal measure of success’. Or, ‘my personal definition of success is not merely accomplishing a challenge or goal that I have been set, but managing to accomplish it in the best way I can, that’s my definition of success.’
However, simply talking about a time where you accomplished a task or duty in a short, generic way is not a particularly impressive answer. In order to get the interviewers full attention, what you need to do is go beyond that and give them a well-structured and introspective response.
For this particular type of question, the most effective way to do this is to use the S.T.A.R interviewing technique. Using the Situation Task Action Result structure, give the interviewer an example of a time when you delivered a qualifiable success that you were pleased with. When explaining your example, instead of focusing your details on the actions you took, you want to personalize it to make it more introspective in a way that you wouldn’t normally do for a S.T.A.R example. For this particular answer, you should instead focus on giving the interviewer an insight into your thinking, and into your emotional outlook regarding not only what you felt was achieved from the ACTIONS you took, but more importantly, with the RESULTS you attained from that particular success

22. What qualities do you think it takes to be successful in this industry/career?

What is this question 
While the answer you give here will be heavily dependent on the industry in question, what you say will give the interviewer an insight into your perceptions of not only that industry, but also of the specific role in which you’ll be working. It also gives them an idea as to whether or not you have a grasp of the challenges that this particular role entails, which will consequentially inform them as to how well equipped you might be to succeed in that role

How to answer this
Like so many interview questions, an excellent place to base your answer would be in the job description itself. As part of your interview preparation, In STEP 2 – Review the job description, you may have prepared a pros and cons list based on the description of the job role. Answer this either by touching on the pro’s you’ve noted about yourself on that list, or by touching on qualities you feel are relevant by referring to the specifications on the job description.
(An eloquent answer is not necessary for a question like this. Simply having something to say that’s meaningful and relevant to the role itself, and delivering this confidently, will be enough to ensure your interviewer gives a good assessment of your response to this question)

Example
‘I believe that being self-motivated, having loyalty, and being a team player are necessary qualities to have in any job, so I feel they will definitely be needed here. On top of that, I also feel that having confidence when liaising with different types of clientele, having strong organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills, as well as having a good working knowledge of the financial services industry, are all necessary to succeed in this role’.

23. Are you more comfortable dealing with information or with people?  

What is this question
This is more of a niche question, you will usually only be asked this if you are applying for specific types of job roles, most notably where there is a heavy emphasis in dealing with information or machinery over people, or where there is an element of dealing with both people/ information/ machinery involved. These might be job fields like:
Commercial truck driver, some mechanic, engineering or maintenance roles, certain positions involving interior, graphic, web interior, or fashion designing, certain types of administrative positions involving filing, archiving, etc.
In a way this is a purely cynical question, because it’s one that’s designed to trap the interviewee depending on the answer they give. The interviewer will use a question like this to determine if you have the correct mental aptitude for the role, or if instead you have an unhealthy preference for one facet of the job over the other (usually preferring to work alone) which is normally considered to be a detrimental answer

How to answer this
Be diplomatic with your answer. Every job you apply for will involve you engaging and communicating with people at some point, whether it’s another colleague, your supervisor, a vendor, or a contractor. Remember this and factor it into your answer. The best way to answer this question is not to preference one thing over the over. Try an indirect approach when answering this…such as emphasizing your adaptability, emphasizing the things you’ve enjoyed from different aspects of a previous or current job, or emphasizing the things you might enjoy in the role you are applying for based on information from the job description

Example
‘I have always enjoyed good relationships with people, be it in my social life or in a work-related capacity. I particularly enjoy hearing other people’s points of view on science and politics, and I always find that once I get into these types of conversations, they become very enjoyable and engaging.
With that being said, most of my experience in a job-related capacity primarily involves me dealing with information. The typical duties I perform require that I do filing/ archiving/ etc. largely by myself, with a minimal amount of supervision or other people ever being involved in my daily job functions. Most people would find this a hard thing to deal with, but it is a job I do well, and I’m used to it, and I find that not having other people around allows me to concrete and not get distracted by other things.
So, because I don’t necessarily prefer one of these over the other, I think I would have to answer this question by saying that it really depends on what I’m doing at the time. Sometimes, when I’m hard at work, I find it easier to deal with information and having a lack of colleagues there actually helps to keep me focused on my work. At other times, for example, if things start to get a bit quieter, I find that being around people is more enjoyable’.

24. How well do you deal with pressure?

What is this question
This is a straightforward question that helps the interviewer evaluate your suitability for the role. The interviewer wants to know how well you can cope under pressure. Remember that if you are asked a question like this during your interview it usually indicates there will be an element of pressure to deal with in the role that you are interviewing for

How to answer this
Start the answer off in a confident manner by assuring the interviewer that you can handle pressure well. Then follow through with a brief example of a time when you dealt with or performed a task well under pressure

Example – General
‘I deal with it very well, in fact, I feel that coping well under pressure is one of my strongest qualities. I work in a call center, where I manage a large influx of calls every day. These are all customer service related and we have people calling in with various queries, technical issues, and other problems regarding the services we provide for them. Some of these can be very challenging, and on each call that I take not only do I have to effectively manage the expectations of each customer, but I also need to ensure I correctly deal with the issue the customer is having and provide a satisfactory resolution for them.  On top of this, I am under pressure to meet certain metrics during these calls such as sales, raising and handling complaints, and also keeping the time I spend on each call to an appropriate length’.

Example – Specific
‘I deal with pressure very well. Because I currently work in a call center, I have to deal with a large influx of calls each day. I recall on one occasion a customer called in because they had been promised a refund check that they hadn’t received yet. They were yelling down the phone that they had bills to pay, that they were waiting on this cheque and that they were upset because they had called twice before and been promised that it was on its way. I had to deal with their dissatisfaction, while at the same time managing the call effectively and determining where the cheque was after two of my colleagues had previously advised this person that it was on the way. This was a high-pressure situation because I had to resolve the enquiry correctly while dealing with an unhappy customer at the same time. After looking over the account I found that the cheque had been sent to the wrong address. I had to apologize to the customer, raise a complaint on their account, then have the cheque resent to the correct address. I also had to raise feedback on my two colleagues who had previously given that customer the wrong information. This is the sort of situation I deal with all the time, and it’s a good example of how I cope well with pressure every day in the role I perform’.

25. Tell me about a time you exhibited leadership in your role? (Competency-based interview question)

What is this question
The interviewer wants to know that you have the necessary leadership skills to do the job in question, and is looking for you to provide a detailed example of this as it will help them to verify you have the relevant experience and leadership qualities they are looking for

How to answer this
This is a competency-based interview question. Interviewers ask such questions because they want to know about a real-life experience where you were challenged or where you excelled at doing something. Answering competency-based interview questions is very important because the interviewer will take what you have said as evidence that you have the requisite experience performing those competencies, and what you should keep in mind is that those competencies are almost always essential for the job you are applying for. Whenever answering a competency-based question you should always utilize the S.T.A.R technique. This is where you construct your answer in a purposefully structured way. The structure is always the same – Situation, Task, Action, Result

In the first part of your answer, start by explaining the SITUATION you found yourself in at the time; this sets the scene and provides a context for the rest of your answer. This should be done within the first 3 – 4 sentences.
The next part of your answer goes on to explain your TASK. This defines the challenge or difficulty you were faced with and putting this across well sets you up nicely for the next part of your answer. Ideally, you want to explain the task within 2-3 sentences.
Next, is the ACTION you took in that situation. This part of the answer defines the actions you took and categorizes the experience or skillset you used to resolve the difficulty or challenge you described in your task. The action is the most important part of your answer, so try and incorporate specific details here as it will add depth and lend credibility to what you say. You should take anywhere from 1-2 paragraphs to describe the action you used to resolve the problem you encountered.
Once you’ve described the action, finish up by talking about the RESULT those actions produced. It is very important that the result ends in a positive or constructive way. Try to do this by focusing on what was gained, or what was learned, as a result of your actions. A well delivered closing will provide an authentic and purposeful feel to the entirety of your answer, and as such, it means it’s equally important to have a strong result as it does to have a solid action in any competency-based answer you give. Try and keep your result between 4 – 6 sentences long

Remember – practice makes perfect.
A comprehensive and well-structured answer like this requires proper preparation.
S.T.A.R interview examples are best delivered when they are properly rehearsed before an interview. As an interview candidate, you will have no way of knowing specifically what questions will be asked of you. Because of this, people who use S.T.A.R interview examples tend to choose 7 or 8 competency or behavioural based examples to rehearse before the interview that cover as wide a variety of different scenarios as possible. In this way, by rehearsing a range of different situations, they give themselves the best possible chance of matching one they’ve rehearsed to any question the interviewer asks where the S.T.A.R method is required.
Lastly, when reciting any competency or behavioural based example, be sure to personalize your answer to the fullest extent by referring to yourself in the first term ‘I’.

26. Can you tell me about a time you made a significant contribution when working as part of a team? (Behavioural-based interview question)

What is this question
The interviewer wants to know that you’re able to handle yourself in challenging or stressful situations. With a behavioural-based interview question, the interviewer is concerned with your emotional responses and how you used them to your advantage in those circumstances. With this particular question, the interviewer wants to know that you can work effectively as part of a team and contribute within a team environment meaningfully. They will also be looking for evidence in your answer that you can add value to the position itself

How to answer this
Just like in a competency-based question, with a behavioural-based interview question you should be looking to employ the S.T.A.R technique in your response. While that means you’ll structure the answer in the same way, the focus with a behavioural-based question should be on your individual qualities and traits. This means the answer itself should focus on the emotional and behavioural qualities you employed to resolve the situation, rather than on a utilization of skills and technical knowledge.
Remember that in answers where the S.T.A.R response is utilized, the examples you give are almost always essential to the role that you are applying for. Answering behavioural-based interview questions is very important because the interviewer will take what you have said as evidence that you are able to deal with customers and situations in the way that you have described. Where utilizing the S.T.A.R technique the structure is always the same – Situation, Task, Action, Result

In the first part of your answer, start by explaining the SITUATION you found yourself in at the time; this sets the scene and provides a context for the rest of your answer. This should be done within the first 3 – 4 sentences.
The next part of your answer goes on to explain your TASK. This defines the challenge or difficulty you were faced with and putting this across well sets you up nicely for the next part of your answer. Ideally, you want to explain the task within 2-3 sentences.
Next, is the ACTION you took in that situation. This part of the answer defines the actions you took and categorizes the experience or individual qualities you used to resolve the challenge you described in your task. The action is the most important part of your answer, so try and incorporate specific details here as it will add depth and lend credibility to what you say. You should take anywhere from 1-2 paragraphs to describe the action you used to resolve the problem you encountered.
Once you’ve described the action, finish up by talking about the RESULT those actions produced. It is very important that the result ends in a positive or constructive way. Try to do this by focusing on what was gained, or what was learned, as a result of your actions. A well delivered closing will provide an authentic and purposeful feel to the entirety of your answer, and as such, it means it’s equally important to have a strong result as it does to have a solid action in any behavioural-based answer you give. Try and keep your result between 4 – 6 sentences long

Remember – practice makes perfect.
A comprehensive and well-structured answer like this requires proper preparation.
S.T.A.R interview examples are best delivered when they are properly rehearsed before an interview. As an interview candidate, you will have no way of knowing specifically what questions will be asked of you. Because of this, people who use S.T.A.R interview examples tend to choose 7 or 8 competency or behavioural based examples to rehearse before the interview that cover as wide a variety of different scenarios as possible. In this way, by rehearsing a range of different situations, they give themselves the best possible chance of matching one they’ve rehearsed to any question the interviewer asks where the S.T.A.R method is required.
Lastly, when reciting any competency or behavioural based example, be sure to personalize your answer to the fullest extent by referring to yourself in the first term ‘I’.

27. Are you willing to relocate if required? 

What is this question
If you’re asked this question during an interview, it indicates there’s a strong chance that relocation might be a possibility somewhere along the line. You will usually know this beforehand though because it will normally be mentioned somewhere on the job description. Although seldom, there may be instances where this question will come up during an interview when it has not been advertised as part of the job description. This is because companies, especially larger ones, operate from numerous sites and have various offices and departments in different locations within their organizational structure. In these instances, while not an immediate prospect, it indicates there is a possibility that relocation might be a factor in the job at a future point in time in your employment with that company

How to answer this
Honesty is the best policy when answering a question like this. If a job description mentions the prospect of relocating, and you know that you won’t be able to relocate for the job – the best course of action is simply to avoid making an application for that position in the first place, instead saving your time to focus on applying for roles that are more suitable for you. The interviewer doesn’t know your situation, that’s why their asking you this question – because you are the person who knows your own circumstances best. In most instances, you will already have an idea before you go into the interview if relocation is a factor by reading the job description. If you are able to relocate, make sure you convey this enthusiastically to the interviewer, so they get a feeling of the motivation you have to take on this role. Many people will be tempted to say they can relocate just to make themselves seem more eligible for the role. This is a mistake – it will simply lead to further problems and upheaval afterward if you are accepted for the position but are then unable to do the job due to the fact you can’t relocate

Example
‘I’m very happy to relocate if required. I read the job description beforehand, so I was already aware before I came into this interview that relocation might be required for this role. It was actually one of the things that attracted me to apply for the job. I am able to pick up and go anywhere I might be needed on short notice which is actually one of the reasons why I feel this role would be great a fit for me. My circumstances allow me to be flexible in terms of where I work and on a personal level, I’m always eager to step up and face new challenges, on top of which I also love seeing new places and meeting new people’.

28. Are you willing to travel?

What is this question
If you are asked a question like this during an interview it indicates there is a strong possibility that you will be required to travel in that role. The interviewer is asking this question to determine whether or not you are a. willing to, and b. able to, fulfill this requirement as part of your job duties should you be offered the role

How to answer this
When answering questions about your personal circumstances honesty is always the best policy. If travel is required for the job, it is usually because it is a crucial component of the role itself. You will usually know if this is the case beforehand as it should be mentioned somewhere on the job description. If you are not upfront when discussing questions like this, you may find yourself in a position where you go through the process of landing the job, but are then unable to perform the duties that are required for it. If there is travel involved the interviewer will go into detail and outline what they are looking for, so the best way to handle this is to be honest and discuss it openly with them. Sometimes you will be surprised, and they may accept what you can offer them just so they can get the right candidate. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions you feel are necessary here, it is important you understand exactly what is required of you if you are to accept the position.
When discussing travel, you may find that the interviewer will refer to any business travel as a percentage. This is for the amount of overnight travel you do (from which you can claim back expenses), although sometimes daytime travel will also be included in this bracket as well. This percentage of travel time will be expressed as a value of how many days a week you work.
(For instance, 1 day from 5 = 20%, 1 week from a month = 25%, 3 months from a year = 75%, etc)

Example
‘I take my work duties very seriously and would never enter into a new role unless I knew I could fully commit to it. I understood that there was travel involved before applying because I checked the job description to make sure this job was a good fit for my circumstances and expertise, therefore I’m happy to travel if it’s required’.

Example – Alternative
‘I would love to get this role as I think it’s a great fit for my skillset, and I read the job description beforehand so I knew there would be travel involved therefore I’m definitely amenable to some travel if required. However, I would like to know exactly how much percentage of travel per week is involved so I’ll know if I can do what you are asking. If not, I would still like to discuss what travel I can do for you to see if you would find this suitable, or if we could come to a comprise’.

29. What kind of salary are you seeking?

What is this question
There are a couple of different contexts in which this question might be asked

Firstly, it might be asked as a standard interview question. This is the normal context in which you will encounter this in an interview setting, and the interviewer asks this to assess if your salary requirements match what they are offering as a way of determining if the role is suitable for you. If your salary requirements don’t match what is being offered, then the employer takes the chance that as an employee you may be less productive, and also runs the risk that you might look elsewhere and leave that role as soon as you find something more suitable

The second context in which this question might be asked is that of a salary negotiation question. Salary negotiation questions are almost always exclusively asked in roles with high figure salaries, where the company is hiring for an in-demand skillset and is looking to negotiate an appropriate level of compensation with the candidate. As such, you should be able to intuitively tell based on the role you are applying for as to which of these contexts this question is being asked.
As a salary negotiation question, it will only ever be asked in a very narrow band of roles. These will almost exclusively be executive roles, managerial roles, and high-end fields of technical specialization; and might include jobs for the following:
Contractor (miscellaneous industries), cyber security, editorial roles, executive roles, investment/ wealth management, lawyer/ law specialization, leadership roles, lecturer/ professor, managerial roles (in high-end positions), medical (certain fields of specialization), programmer, project/ product management, scientist (certain areas of specialization), software engineer, etc..

How to answer this
When considering how to answer this question let’s take two things into account

Firstly – in most jobs that people apply for they will never have to negotiate their own salaries as this will either be handled under a collective bargaining agreement, or will simply not be an option at all

Secondly – you will usually know whether you are negotiating for your salary beforehand (this is because it normally mentions on the job description if a salary is to be discussed)

The standard advice when discussing salary questions is to be quite vague and non-committal, but this is not always the case and depends on the context in which this question is being asked.
As a regular interview question, you gain nothing from being vague and evasive, and you have everything to lose. In this type of circumstance, the best way to respond is with a straightforward answer. And the basis to a good answer for this particular question is to research salary in the industry, which should be done as part of your interview preparation beforehand. This will give you an understanding of the spectrum of salary ranges in that industry. Considering that from an employer’s perspective cost effectiveness will always be a factor, you want your answer to fall well within the median range for what that employer is willing to pay, which you should base on the industry standard unless you are able to find more specific information on what that company normally pays. You might be able to get this information through the company’s own website (some large companies have their own online hiring portals that list their available job openings and salary ranges). You might also be able to find this information by looking through different jobsites for jobs listed by that specific company – although this method can be very time consuming with no guarantee you will find additional salary information. Therefore, when deciding on how to base an answer on salary, using the industry standard is usually the easiest way to go about doing this.
(Ensuring your answer falls within the median of what the company is willing to pay means that you will not only satisfy their criteria in terms of affordability, but will also satisfy the interviewers concern that the role will be suitable for you in terms of the compensation it provides you with)

Example – A standard interview answer
‘When I started in my last job, I was earning £17,472 as a machine operator assistant, I now have 5 year’s experience in the manufacturing industry, and in respect to the expertise I now possess, and the nature of the duties involved in this role, I would be looking to earn in the area of £25,000 per year’.
(While it’s not necessary to disclose your current or previous salary to an interviewer, in situations where this question is asked and you know it’s not part of a negotiation as the salary has already clearly been indicted on the job description, then it doesn’t really put you at a disadvantage not to do so – instead it may serve to open up the conversation and your interviewer may well assess you more favourably in light of the fact you’re willing to open up and be honest with them when responding to a question like this)

Example – A salary negotiation answer
A standard interview answer is different from a salary negotiation example. For advice on how to answer this question as part of a salary negotiation please see the Salary Negotiation section

ALTERNATIVE ANSWER

30. Do you have any questions for us?

What is this question
This question should always come at the very end of your interview.
The interviewer is extending you the courtesy of asking if you have any questions for them. They are doing this to give you the opportunity to get answers to any queries you might have, or to clarify anything you’re unsure of

How to answer this
You never want to respond by telling the interviewer you have no questions at all. This question is all about having something to say when you are asked. Having something to ask the interviewer shows them that you have been engaged in the topics you’ve covered during the interview, and it also signals to the interviewer that you are interested in the job itself. Not having anything to ask signals the exact opposite. The interviewer is giving you this opportunity to clarify any points, clear up any concerns, and most importantly to ask about things that interest you about the role and the company. That’s why you should always prepare and rehearse 2 or 3 questions to ask them at the end of your interview.
There are a few effective tactics you can employ when composing your questions. To start with, you can base some of your questions around what you learn about the company during STEP 1 of your interview preparation – Research the company. Also, you can choose questions from Interview Professional’s Top list of Questions for the Interviewer. Ideally, any questions that you ask should tie in with yourself and reflect well on your motivations and aspirations for the role. Be sure to stay away from asking about salary or benefits, and make sure the questions you ask are open-ended to give your interviewer the chance to respond with long, well thought-out answers

(If you think of another question before the interview starts, or if you pick up on something that is said during the interview that you want to clear up (outwith salary and benefits related questions), don’t be afraid to deviate from the list of rehearsed questions that you’ve prepared. Remember that the interviewer is giving you this opportunity to clarify any points and clear up any concerns that you may have about the role. So while it is fine to take this opportunity to impress upon the interviewer that you are not only interested in the role, but that you are looking to make a name for yourself within the company, don’t neglect to ask questions regarding genuine concerns or issues that you have as well)

Example
‘Yes, thanks for asking, there are a few questions I have for you. Firstly…’

Now that you’ve seen some of the most common questions asked in the structured interview and the most effective ways to answer them, next, why not have a look at the steps we recommend you take to prepare for your next interview in the link at the bottom of the page

INTERVIEW PROFESSIONAL’S – RECOMMENDED PREPARATION STEPS FOR YOUR NEXT INTERVIEW