When you’re successful at getting an interview for a job it is super exciting, but your excitement can easily turn to stress and anxiety wondering what questions you will be asked.
To help stop the worry and wonder about all the possible questions you could be asked during an interview, keep reading. The questions listed below will help prepare you for the interview and make you feel more comfortable and confident on the big day. It is important to remember that the employer is looking to meet you - meaning it is KEY for him or her to see you’re:
It is great to practice answering interview questions with:
Below are some of the most popular questions asked during an interview and they come from different websites, books, and my own interview experiences. “Tell me a little about yourself.” Keep your answer short, focus on the job you applied for, and highlight why you would be the best person to do the job. Let’s look at the example below: Olivia has an interview for a computer technology job. Here is what she said: “My name is Olivia Flower. I am a recent Computer Science graduate of Dalhousie University and graduated top of my class. I completed a successful coop work program at IBM where my main focus was in database administration. I also volunteer in the community at two different non-profit organizations where I help with computer support. I like teaching youth and seniors about computers and enjoy learning about technology.” “Why should we hire you? ”This question is a great opportunity for you to “sell yourself” to the employer. Highlight three or four key points about yourself that focus on your skills to do the job, why you would fit into the work culture, and what you expect to achieve while in the position. One author said: “This is the part where you link your skills, experience, education and your personality to the job itself.” Let’s look at the example! Rickey has an interview at the Halifax Public Library. Here is what he said: “I have experience and education shelving books and using the Dewy Decimal system, and have volunteered at The Halifax Public Library Spryfield branch for three years during high school and successfully graduating from the Library and Information Technology program at Nova Scotia Community College. Not only am I familiar with the industry but I am a people person. I have travelled to a variety of countries where I had the opportunity to learn about different cultures. I also teach ESL part-time to a small group of adult immigrants where I have developed the ability to make connections and strengthen my listening skills. My experience and education have taught me how to help people with a smile. If hired, I will bring not only experience, but patience and creative problem-solving to this position.” “Why do you want this job?” You need to tell the employer why you would love working here and why you are a great fit! It is all about showing the love. If you don’t love the job you are applying for, you may not want to apply for it! Let’s look at the example! Tara has an interview for a Veterinarian job. Here is what she said: “I am passionate about helping people and I love animals. I love animals so much that I will go above and beyond my job to make sure an animal receives the best medical care. I graduated as a Veterinarian so I could combine my passion of helping people with my love of animals. Like your organization, I am invested and devoted to animals making a full recovery.” “What do you know about the company/organization?” Don’t memorize the company’s “about” page, instead (and more importantly) learn what their goals are and what they care about. You should try and make this answer personal by using a couple of key terms from their mission, vision or mandate. Look at the example! Jack has an interview for a Program Coordinator position at Autism Nova Scotia. Here is what he said: “Autism Nova Scotia is a well-known non-profit organization that continuously strives to increase the quality of life for all people with autism by offering a number of services, programs and resources to the community. I am drawn to this vision because I personally want to help people live their life to the fullest. The role of Program Coordinator will give me the opportunity to help many individuals with autism reach their full potential and enrich their lives.” “What is your greatest accomplishment?” If you are asked this question it is another great opportunity to highlight your successes from past jobs, volunteer opportunities, and/or coop work programs. Try and mention something that applies to the job you are applying for and hasn’t come up yet in the interview. You want to tell the employer two things in this answer:
Ellen has an interview at Halifax Regional School Board for a Teacher job. Here is what she said: “During my teacher practicum, one of my goals was to increase student engagement within the community. I started a reading program for Jr. High school students who were reading at a lower level. Students were expected to read to kindergarten kids twice a week for thirty minutes during story time at the local day care that was a five minute walk from the school. Not only did this increase community engagement, but also student self-esteem and their reading significantly improved.” It was a lot of fun and learning!” “Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.”Employers may ask you this question because they are looking to see the quality of your work, if you have demonstrated outstanding performance in the past, and/or how confident you feel about your skills to get the job done. Your answer can focus on how hard working you are or demonstrate your excellent customer service skills. Let’s look at the example! The example comes from the Prepary: Advice for the Modern Job Search Blog-http://www.prepary.com. It really gives you a clear understanding of how to best answer this question: A few years ago when I was interviewing someone for a Sales role, I asked this exact question. The first candidate I interviewed responded by saying “I once helped a customer try on 10 different pairs of shoes.” This wasn’t exactly what I was looking for because well, bringing someone a bunch of shoes to try on is a basic requirement of the job. The next candidate I interviewed responded very differently. They told me a story about a customer who was looking to track down a discontinued product for their sick family member (because it was their favorite product and they had lost it). Instead of checking the systems, not finding it, and letting the customer know, they took it a step further. They called the corporate office, found the person who handled the product archives, and figured out a way to get that product (that was many years old) to the client. Now that is above and beyond!” “What are your strengths?” When answering this question, make sure you are honest and your strength relates to the job. Be specific and only give one or two examples, unless the interviewee asks specifically for three or four. After you have given a strength follow it up with an example. Let’s look at the example! Jason has an interview for a Culinary Chef job at a popular down town restaurant. Here is what he said: “Creative: For example, turning basic ingredients into tasteful dishes. French dish, Foie Fras is basically duck or goose liver, if prepared right, it can taste rich, buttery and delicate.” “What are your weaknesses?” Again, when answering this question make sure you are honest, and remember that no one is perfect! We all have weaknesses, the thing to keep in mind is to pick a weakness you are trying to improve! Don’t tell the interviewer you have no weaknesses, instead, let’s look at the example. You also don’t want to tell the employer personal things you are not good. Jennifer has an interview at Walmart for a retail position in their clothing department. Here is what she said: “I talk too quickly when I am helping a customer. To improve this, I am focusing on talking slower and asking the customer questions or asking him or her if they need me to repeat anything I told them.” "Tell me how you think your references would describe you?” For this answer, be honest and talk about your strengths that have not been mentioned yet during your interview. One thing that helps me answer this question is going through my written references and writing down all the great things previous employers and/or supervisors have said about my skills and ability to do the job. When you list a strength, follow-up with a short example. Let’s look at the example! Darren has a job interview at a Pet Shop for a sales clerk. “My references would describe me as: Friendly- I am always friendly, even when dealing with an upset or unpleasant costumer. Team player-I am work well with others doing many tasks such working with others to set up and display equipment, thinking of new sale pitch ideas and putting stock/inventory away. I work well because I listen and ask others questions when I am unsure. Reliable-I rarely show up for work late and if I am running late, usually because of the bus, I call to let my supervisor know. “ Tell me about a challenge or conflict you've faced at work, and how you dealt with it. The employer wants to know how you handle conflict and find a solution. The key is to focus on a situation and how you handled it. Let’s look at the example! Amanda has a job interview at the Canada Games Centre for an event planner position. Here is what she said: “One time I was planning a dinner fundraiser event for an organization I worked for. On the day of the event, as we were setting up tables in the morning, the smoke alarm went off and so did all the sprinklers inside. When the sprinklers finally stopped, everything was soaked and as a result we could not hold our event in the space we originally planned for. I calmly made a new to-do list and gathered my team together. I explained the change of venue and location, delegated tasks accordingly, and motivated everyone to stay on the task at hand. Throughout the day I continued to do check-ins and helped problem solve where applicable. When it came time for the dinner to start everything and person was in their place. Things were certainly not perfect, but the night went off with a bang. All the guests were happy and enjoyed themselves and were more than understanding about the last minute change of venue!” Conflicts can happen at work and it is important to tell the employer how you handle the conflict and work with the people involved to find a solution. “Are you a good team player? / What makes you a good team player?” Team work is an important part of most work environments today. Not only are people working together on projects but are also sharing work spaces. The first part of this question is closed-ended and most people are going to respond with “yes”. For the second part of this question, the employer is interested in learning what skills you have to complete goals within a group and relate to people. You should list two or three points and then state how they helped you work with a group of people to achieve the project goals. Let’s look at the example! Sean has a job interview at Halifax Recreation Summer Camp for a Camp Leader job. Here is what he said: “Yes, I am very much a team player. I enjoy opportunities to work with others on big and small projects because I not only learn about the task at hand but build stronger relationships with my co-workers. Some skills I have demonstrated while working successfully as part of a team include: Communication-I make sure I communicate with everyone in the group on an on-going basis. If I am unsure about something or what my role is in the group, I ask questions and for clarification. If I need help, I ask. If I am running late for one of our meetings, I make sure to let another group member know. I also make sure to communicate with others to reach my own goals and help others reach their goals. Collaboration-I really enjoy collaborative approaches because it teaches me many things about my skills. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn new approaches and/or solutions to solving problems, coming up with new ideas or directions, and build relationships.” “Describe a situation when you worked as part of a team.” This question is different from the above one because the employer is asking you to give a specific example of a time when you worked with a group of people and your results. When answering this question think about how the employer will want you to be a team player. Let’s look at the example! Heather has a job interview at the IWK for a Nurse position. Here is what she said: “I enjoy working with others and a nurse’s success and performance depends highly on the ability to work effectively with others to ensure that patients receive the best care possible. While working at the Dartmouth Hospital, I was the only nurse with workplace experience, the other nurses on my floor had just graduated university. To help newer staff adjust to the patients on the floor and their needs I handled the more difficult patients, took extra shifts to teach new staff best practices and procedures, and completed more of the unpopular duties until everyone adapted and adjusted to the environment. “ “Why is there a gap in your employment?” If you haven’t worked in a long time you will need to explain to the employer why. Keep this answer short and to the point, focusing on how you have the ability to do the job and can contribute to the company. Let’s look at the example! Kate has a job interview at the Royal Bank for a Financial Manager Job. Here is what she said: “I took six months off work to focus on completing my Masters of Business Administration Degree. My past work experience, combined with my education, has a number of benefits including the ability to handle challenging environments, leadership skills, and intellectual expertise that I am ready to contribute to a thriving business such as this one. “Explain a time when you disagreed with a decision that was made at work? ”Disagreements happen, and they may happen at work. The employer wants to know if you can disagree in a professional and helpful way. This answer should be short and to the point. It is important to pick the right story for this answer. You don’t want to tell of a time when your supervisor was a jerk or when you were in the wrong. Let’s look at the example! Henry has a job interview at EB Games for a Sales Clerk job. This answer comes from LIveCareer website and it is a great response to this difficult question: “I once disagreed with my boss over how to best help a customer. Rather than question his authority in front of everyone, I talked to him off of the floor. I was open and honest about the problems I had with the way he wanted to do things. It turned out that it was just a simple misunderstanding. The disagreement showed me the importance of communicating with my coworkers to make sure that something obsolete doesn’t become a bigger problem than it needs to be.” Remember that hiring managers are looking for someone that will fit in at their company. Try and answer in a way that will show your better qualities. “Why did you leave (or why are you leaving) your job?” If you are leaving one job for another, you will most likely be asked this question. Your answer should be short and positive (never say anything negative about any of your past employers). Instead, focus on talking about taking on new opportunities and job responsibilities that will help you grow in your professional career. Highlight why this job is a better fit for you than the job you are currently in. Let’s look at the example! Danielle has an interview with Starbucks for a Manager Assistant job. Here is what she said: “I would like to be part of a successful thriving business such as this one that will allow me to demonstrate my effective and creative management style. I know I would have the opportunity to do this here because your company is innovative and willing to try new things.” “What questions do you have for me?” This is where you get a chance to learn more about the job and work culture of the organization. Take advantage of this opportunity and prepare questions ahead of time about the job. Asking questions also shows the employer how serious and interested you are about the job! Let’s look at the example! Jonathan has an interview at The Westin Hotel for a Front Desk job. Here is what he said:
Honestly you will never know all the questions you will be asked during an interview; all you can do is practice and be ready for any question! To find out what other interview questions you could be asked, look online, go to the library or an employment agency, talk to your parents or a friend.
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