Interview Questions

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Interview Questions
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Categories of Questions

• Informational
• Behavioral
• Technical
• Logical problems
• Hypothetical
• Unusual or unexpected
• Illegal

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Informational Questions

• Used to collect information on a candidate
• Often the easy questions asked during the
  ice-breaking stage
• Should not be necessary if a good resume has
  been provided
• Should not be the major part of the interview
• How many years of experience do you have in the
  industry?

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Informational Questions

• Advice
• Prepare success stories that provide more detail
  than shown on the resume

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Behavioral

• Open-ended questions that encourage people to
  describe job-related experiences from their past
• Peoples past performance is a good predictor of
  their future behavior
• Tell me about a time when you made a
  contribution toward a team effort
• Describe a time when you were faced with a tight
  deadline. What led up to the situation and how
  did you handle it?

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Answering Behavior-Based Questions

• Use the STAR Method
• Situation Describe the circumstances?
• Task What were you trying to do?
• Action How did you achieve your result?
• Result What was the outcome?

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Example of an answer using the STAR Method

• Question Describe a time when you went beyond
  the call of duty to do get a job done?
• Answer
• Situation A Career Fair newsletter was ready to
  go to the print shop when an advertiser backed
  out leaving us with an extra page to fill.
• Task My co-worker and I sat down to prepare
  several quick tips on job hunting to fill the
  gap.
• Action We worked all evening to meet the
  deadline.
• Result The Newsletter was sent out at 11 p.m.
  and we were able to distribute it on time.

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Behavioral

• Advice
• Prepare various success stories in advance
• Take your time answering
• Do not provide hypothetical answers to behavioral
  questions If I were in that situation I think I
  would...

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Technical

• Used to measure technical ability, intelligence,
  interest in the position, and ability to think
  quickly
• What do you think would be the best way to
  approach the following situation
• Advice
• Research the company
• Study hard in school

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Logical problems

• Used to assess general intelligence and ability
  to think on ones feet
• How would you go about estimating the number of
  gas stations in Canada
• Advice
• Remain calm
• Think logically
• Concentrate on explaining the process, not on
  determining the answer

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Hypothetical

• Often used as a substitute for behavioral,
  technical or logical questions
• What would you do if you had two important tasks
  competing for your time?
• How would you go about resolving a problem
  involving
• Advice
• When possible, answer hypothetical questions with
  behavioral examples

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Unusual or unexpected

• Used to assess grace under pressure
• Often provide information that other types of
  questions do not
• What three books would you take to a desert
  island?
• What would you do if you were promoted to my
  position?
• Advice
• Remain calm think carefully before answering

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Illegal

• Used to discover information not possible by
  other means
• Do you intend to have children in the next five
  years?
• What church do you belong to?
• Advice
• Politely ask how the question is related to the
  job
• Look for the underlying reason for the question
  and respond to that

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