How to Prepare for Answering Interview Questions

People always say that doing your homework and preparing before an interview is a must; however, it’s hard to know exactly what to do when you haven’t had very much experience interviewing. To begin, it’s best by researching the organization and studying the job description. Get a sense of the organization’s culture, the qualities they’re looking for in a person as well as the duties they will need to potentially fulfill. Then think of experiences you’ve had in school or in internships, and traits you possess that align with what they’re looking for. It’s important to answer every question with concrete examples in order to back up your claims and give your interviewer a good sense of who you are. Many organizations aren’t just looking to hire someone to fulfill a job; they’re also looking for a person who will contribute to their overall culture and grow the organization as well.

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Once you are finished doing a little research and brainstorming, consider the following questions. These are all questions that almost every interviewer asks in order to get a sense of who you are. Think about how you will answer these questions with information that you want this specific interviewer to know and write a one-page response. This is helpful to do because when you are asked these questions in person, you would have thought through them completely and will have a clear idea of what you want to say. It’s important to not memorize what you write though, because you don’t want to sound rehearsed or stress yourself out about what you would like to say word for word. Writing out your responses is just meant to help you pre-develop your thoughts and give you a pool of knowledge to draw from.

When planning your response, there are a couple different methods to use to help you organize your answer as well as create a captivating story. They all include identifying a situation, talking about a possible conflict and the resolution. One of the most popular methods that help you to explain concrete examples is the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. According to the balance, this strategy is helpful in response to competency-focused questions that start out with phrases like “Tell me about a time when…” and “Share an example of a situation where…”

Situation: Begin by describing the context of the situation you want to highlight. It can be a job you performed, a position you once help or a challenge you faced. It’s important to be specific and describe what was going on.

Task: Describe the goal you were working toward or your responsibility in that situation.

Action: Next, talk about how you addressed and/ or completed the task. If describing a time you worked with others, make sure to focus on what you did rather than what your team or supervisor did as a whole. Use “I” instead of “we” when describing actions.

Result: Lastly, explain the outcomes of your actions and don’t be shy when talking about what you accomplished. Make sure to answer with multiple positive results highlighting how the situation ended, what was accomplished and what you learned.

Now that you have a good idea of what to look at while preparing for an interview, actions to take to prepare, and how to do so, its time to consider popular interview questions and write out your responses. The most common questions you will encounter include “Tell me about yourself,” “What is your greatest weakness,” “Where do you see yourself in three to five years,” and “Are you looking anywhere else?” Consider the following tips on how to answer each of these questions and you will be more than prepared to answer them in person!

Tell me about yourself.

This statement/question can be difficult to answer because it doesn’t give you much direction. That being said, you can use that to your advantage and talk about specific personal traits you feel are important for your interviewer to know. When answering this question I like to highlight three traits that are either what the interviewer is looking for directly or that encompasses what they are looking for and then back up each claim with an example. 

What is your greatest weakness?

Although you want to talk about your qualifications for a job, Interviewers often ask about your greatest weakness because your answer can be very telling for a variety of reasons. Ideally, you want to turn a negative trait into a positive one, choose a trait that really isn’t all that bad or that will make or break whether you get the job or not, and you want to make sure your interviewer knows what you are doing to overcome this weakness. No one is perfect; so do not answer this question with “I don’t have any.” Take this opportunity to talk about a challenge you overcame and what you learned about yourself in the process.

Where do you see yourself in three to five years?

According to Monster.com, the worst answer you can provide for this question is “I have no idea.” Even though you may be unsure, it tells your interviewer that you don’t know what you’re doing with your life or how long you’re planning on staying with the job. Before interviewing, try considering where you want to see yourself education wise or career-wise. If you’re still unsure answer this question in a way that says you want to commit to that career as well as build yourself.

Beginning the interview process while in college or right after graduation is not easy and can be intimidating; therefore, the worst thing you can do is not prepare yourself. By researching the company, studying and clearly understanding the position you are applying for, and preparing tailored responses to common interview questions using the STAR method, you are sure to wow and impress your interviewer. Make sure to relax and remember that you possess all of the necessary knowledge to answer these questions and have fun with the opportunity to brag about yourself!