Job interviews are stressful for everyone even for people who have been on numerous interviews. We all know that when we are asked a question at a job interview what we respond to that is crucial. This blog will explore methods of how to answer interview questions and will exhibit sample job interview questions.
Firstly we’ll discuss the S.T.A.R. method that is widely used. This is a technique to help prepare you for interviewing success. The S.T.A.R. method is an easy method to guide you in your interviewing process, it’s easy to remember and helps to structure responses to those tough job interview questions.
The S.T.A.R. method is simple:
Situation – Describe a situation you were in, a problem or task that you needed to achieve. Enable the interviewer to understand the situation, you can use problems from past jobs, school or volunteer work.
Task - What goal or target you were working towards?
Action – What did you do to achieve this goal or hit that target or solve that problem? Describe the actions you took while mentioning the skills you used. Avoid talking about negatives, but highlight your achievement and how you did it.
Result – Define the results of the action you took, and take credit for it. Don’t gloat but make yourself sound good. Explain what happened and how it ended. Detail the lessons and skills you learned from this.
Guidelines
Be Assertive – Let the interviewer know that you are self-assured and you know what you are talking about.
Be Confident – No one wants to interview a shy timid person, know yourself and know your skills.
Be Knowledgeable – Do your homework on the company, their industry, their competitors, their methods and techniques and the latest news.
Don’t be Overly Keen – Don’t come across as desperate, it’s not attractive to the interviewer.
Don’t hesitate too much – If you do the interviewer may think you know nothing and will consider you to be an unsuccessful candidate.
Don’t lie – This may seem obvious, the lie will come out eventually.
Don’t talk about yourself too much – Yes they want to hear about your experience and skills, but a full job interview about just you is boring.
Ask questions about the job – Let them know you are interested, and discover would you be the right fit for what they are looking for.
Translate the question - which the interviewer is asking into what they really want to know. This way you can answer the question accurately and impress the interviewer.
Sample Interview Question
Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work ( STAR- S)
What problems have you had working with co-workers? ( STAR-S)
What achievements or goals did you hit in previous jobs? (STAR-R)
Give an example of how you set goals and achieve them (STAR- R)
Tell me about past projects you’ve done (STAR- A)
Are you accustomed to setting and hitting goals and targets? (STAR-T)
