The Interview Phase

You've landed an interview and understand the basics of etiquette and hygiene, now what?  You might feel nervous about meeting with a hiring manager to discuss your qualifications, but remember, you have the talent they need!  And, with a little practice, you can shore up your interview skills.  Read on to find out what to expect, the types of questions most commonly asked, and some tips to ace your interview using the STAR method. 

What to Expect

  • Most interviews are one-on-one interviews with the manager or supervisor with whom you would be working most closely. Occasionally, you will interview with a human resources employee who conducts the hiring process. 
  • The interview will likely take place in the manager’s office. The interviewer may begin with information about their job or the company or engage you in small talk (questions about your day, etc.), but the bulk of the interview will be specific questions that assess whether you will be a good fit.
  • No interview will be the same; each interviewer will ask slightly different questions, but they all have the main goal of assessing your skills and behavior. 

Types of Interview Questions

Although different managers have different styles and the specific questions they ask will vary from job to job, there are two main types of questions you can expect to encounter: questions related to your skills and personal qualities and questions that assess your behaviors in the work environment.  Practice answering questions from each category before you arrive.

These kinds of questions can serve as icebreakers, while also targeting your personality, work style, work ethic, what you expect from your employer, and how you handle stress. These questions can touch on your motivations, as well as inquire about how you work and your personality. 

By asking personal questions the interviewer wants to get to know you. The main goal behind these questions is to help determine if you would be a good match for both the job and workplace culture. 

Examples are: 

  • Tell me about yourself?
  • What is your greatest strength and weakness
  • How would your friends and family describe you?

Tip: While it is good to give a little personality and background about your life outside of work, don’t go into great detail. Don’t ever be too negative, even when prompted with questions that bait negativity like “why did you leave your last job.”

These kinds of questions are ones in which the interviewer will ask you to describe a situation when you demonstrated a particular quality. They can indicate to the interviewer how you may handle situations at a new job. 

Examples

  • Give me an example of a time you used your number 1 strength at work, and what kind of results did it lead to?
  • Tell me about a time when you faced a challenging situation at work or with a coworker? How did you handle it?

Everything is going pretty well until the interviewer drops the “can you tell me about a time when you…question. Believe it or not there is a way to answer these questions without rambling something random that you’ll instantly regret.  Use the STAR method outlined below to ensure that you answer a question without getting yourself into hot water.

A situational question is one where the interviewer will describe a hypothetical situation, and the interviewee needs to explain how they would handle it or how they have handled it in the past. These are very similar to behavioral questions. With this kind of question, the interviewer wants to know how you maintain your composure, attitude and focus. You can also use the STAR method as a guidebook for answering these kinds of hypothetical questions.

Examples

  • How would you deal with a difficult customer? 
  • If you had a conflict with a coworker, how would you approach resolving it?

A job interview is not only a chance for you to sell yourself to employers. It’s also an opportunity to learn more about the company and figure out if the position is right for you. Don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer a few questions.

Examples of questions you can ask

  • Why do you like working here?
  • What is your favorite part of working here? 
  • What are the prospects for growth?
  • What is the work environment like here? 

Its also important to know that in the United States, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an applicant based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender, age, disability etc. Federal and state laws exist that prevent discriminatory behavior and employment practices.

Below are some illegal interview questions, along with related questions the interviewer legally can ask.

Marital & Family Status

  • Illegal
    • Are you married?
    • Do you have children?
    • Are you pregnant?
    • Are you planning on starting a family soon?
  • Legal:
    • Are you able to put in the amount of time required for this position?
    • Do you have any commitments that may prevent you from making it to work?

Age

  • Illegal
    • How long have you been working?
    • How old are you?
    • What year were you born?
  • Legal
    • Are you at least 18 years old?
    • Also Note: After hiring you they can ask for birth certificate and other forms of ID

Disability Status

  •  Illegal
    • Do you have any disabilities or medical conditions?
    • Have you ever filed with worker's compensation?
  • Legal
    • This position requires you to carry (x) amount of weight--can you perform the duties described in the application description?
    • Do you have any reasons that would stop you from performing you this job?

The STAR Method

STAR is an acronym for four key concepts: situation, task, action, and result. Each concept is a step the job candidate can take when answering a behavioral interview question. Follow these four steps to provide a comprehensive answer:

  • Situation

    • Describe the context within which you performed a job or faced a challenge at work. Maybe you once ran out of time trying to meet a project deadline or had a coworker who once undermined your performance in front of a client.

    • Be as specific as possible.

    • Ideally you can draw from your professional experiences, but there are also other relevant situations that you could bring up as well, including volunteer positions or other relevant situations.

  • Task
    • Next, explain what your responsibilities were in that situation, and what role you played. Perhaps you were in charge of ensuring that the project was completed on time or that your team made a good impression on clients.
  • Action

    • In the action component of the response, describe how you completed the task or rose to the challenge.

    • It probably goes without saying, but be sure that you focus on your own actions, not your those of your boss or coworkers.
  • Result
    • Last but not least, touch on how your actions resulted in success. 
    • You can also reflect on lessons learned or note what you would do differently in the future.
Tip: To apply the STAR method to situational questions, think about all four steps in the imagined scenario.  For instance, if you are asked about how you might handle a difficult customer, think about what that situation might look like; what your responsibility would be and how that relates to the task you would need to perform; what action you would then perform to complete the task; and what you hope the result would be.  Its also great if you can answer situational questions from personal experience using actual examples of how you've handled similar situations in other jobs.

Still feeling a little nervous? Consult this more comprehensive list of potential interview questions to practice with, along with some additional tips.

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