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Interview Day

Preparing for the interview is only half the battle. As you are driving to the interview there are a couple of other things you should be thinking about.

  • Be pleasant to everyone; even as you are driving in.
  • Be confident. As the interviewer is approaching stand up and introduce yourself first with a firm handshake.
  • Don't be afraid to ask questions.
  • Be respectful of the interviewer's time. Arrive on time and thank the interviewer for meeting with you. Keep your answers to traditional interview questions between two to three minutes long. If the interviewer is interested in a topic he/she will ask you more questions.
  • At the end of the interview always ask what the next step will be.
  • Ask for a business card before you leave so that you may send him/her a thank you note.

INTERVIEW QUESTION TYPES

BEHAVIORAL BASED QUESTIONS (Competency-Based Behavioral Interviewing- CBBI)

This is a popular method of conducting an interview because interviewers believe the best prediction of what kind of a worker you will be in the future is predicted by your past work behavior.  The behaviors/skills that employers are interested in will vary by industry, so thoroughly research the industry you are interested in.

Hints for success:

  • Answer with specific examples from your past that demonstrate competency- don’t talk in generalities.
  • Employers like to see that you have learned from your mistakes.  If you talk about an unflattering experience, just remember to conclude with what you learned.
  • The questions usually start with:
  1. “Give me an example of a time when you ___.
  2. “Describe a situation that you used ___.”
  3. “Tell me about an experience in which you___.”
  • Use the STAR method to address these types of questions (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Example of the STAR method to answer CBBI questions

QUESTION: “Tell me about a time when you handled a difficult customer.”

(S) Situation:  “While at XX I handled all customer complaints and some of the customers were challenging for me to satisfy.One customer in particular was furious because he had not received a vital letter describing a service that resulted in fees being added to his account.”

(T) Task: “I had to stay under the two minute time limit and create a plan of action that would satisfy the customer.”

(A) Action:  “I told the client that I would personally resend the letter through e-mail and by postal mail.I also explained that I would follow-up with him five to seven days later to ensure he had received the letter and answer any questions.Finally, I removed all of the fees from his account that were associated with him not receiving the letter.”

(R) Result:  “The customer was so pleased with my service he sent a letter to my director acknowledging my courteous and helpful demeanor.”

Possible pitfalls when answering behavioral based questions:

  1. Rambling: going off on tangents that are unrelated to the aim of the story. “The customer cussed me out for five minutes before I could even get a word in.  I could also hear other people in the background cussing about the game that I was missing that night....”
  2. That sounds too good to be true:  If your story is hard to believe, even if it is true, employers tend to discredit it.  Make sure that you include “we” in your answers if you were working in a group. “We [instead of I] created the new marketing campaign that increased the company’s profit by 200,000,000.”
  3. Ugh, ugghhhh:  Do not panic of you don’t have an answer immediately.  Say something like: “That is an interesting question. Let me think about that for a moment...”You can change the context of the question: “While a situation from work escapes me at the moment; I did have an experience at the bank the other day that would answer this question perfectly.”
  4. You know what I mean?:  You may feel yourself relax a bit as you recount some experiences.  Do not relax into unprofessional language.  NO: “When the customer started cursing at me; I was like…” YES: “As the customer stated their concerns in a haranguing manner, I remained calm and thought of alternatives that would make him happy.”

SITUATIONAL INTERVIEWS:

Situational questions are “what if” questions that assess how you would handle certain situations.  Employers use this type of interviewing to evaluate your analytical skills, judgment skills, values, job specific knowledge, and integrity.  However, more and more employers are choosing alternative ways to assess these skills because there is no way to ensure that the job candidate would actually do what he/she answers he/she would do. The questions will start out with: What would you do if…? How would you handle...?   

EXAMPLES:

  • How would you handle a difficult customer?
  • Would you go over your boss’s head if you had evidence he was breaking company policy?
  • How would you deal with a coworker with whom you worked closely with, but disliked?
  • What type of research design would you use to assess employee job satisfaction in relation to the number of sick days they take?
  • What marketing strategies would you suggest to sell XXX to population YYY?
  • You have been handed a project to complete the day before the presentation. The original presenters are in the hospital for food poisoning and are not available to answer questions.   If the presentation is rescheduled, the company will definitely lose the client for good.  What would you do in this situation?

Situational interview questions can be found in any industry. Large companies may even have you physically act out situations, especially when the position is customer service oriented. The best way to prepare for situational interview questions is to think about your past experiences, develop a firm set of work values, and be familiar with the job requirements for the position.

BRAIN TEASERS:

Brain teaser questions are generally a part of the interview process for positions in the consulting, insurance, high tech, finance, and manufacturing industries.  Microsoft is credited with developing this type of questioning.  Employers use brain teaser questions to examine how you perform under pressure, how you analyze problems, how creative and innovative you are, and your level of intelligence.

Sometimes there is not a clear cut right or wrong answer to the questions.  In these instances, the employer is especially interested in hearing you talk through the information, so they can see how you arrived at a logical answer.

John Kador, author of How to Ace the Brain Teaser Interview (2005), suggests the following guidelines for answering brain teaser questions.

  • “The obvious answer is always wrong.”
  • Use the information given to work the answer instead of the question.
  • A few moments of silence, while you are thinking, is better than a quick wrong answer.
  • Break the problem down into manageable numbers.
  • Restate the questions to ensure comprehension, to show that you were listening, and to ensure that you answer the question.
  • Think out loud.
  • A simpler explanation is better than a complicated explanation.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask a question.
  • You will not have to use calculus.
  • Try solving the question by starting at the end.
  • Be unique, but logical with your answer.
  • Always ask for the interviewer’s answer.

But what if you have no idea how to attack a problem?  Kador suggest taking a deep breath and ask the interviewer to repeat the question.  Listen intently and then restate the question for clarity.  You must attempt to answer the question by talking aloud about possible strategies for solving it.  Never admit to not being able to solve the problem.  Instead mention that you are afraid you will absorb too much time during the interview to solve it but you would be happy to complete it later.

The following are examples of brain teaser questions.  For the answers and more check out How to Ace the Brain Teaser Interview, by John Kador in the Career Services library at the Fredericksburg campus.

  1. “Why are manhole covers round?’’ (page 13)
  2. “If you had to eliminate one of the 50 U.S. states, which one would you select? (page 15)
  3. “What is the temperature when it’s twice as cold as zero degrees?” (page 33)
  4. “Consider an analog clock.  How many times a day do a clock’s hands overlap?” (page 62)
  5. “You have a 3-quart bucket, a 5-quart bucket, and an infinite supply of water.  How can you measure out exactly 4-quarts?” (page 96)

CASE INTERVIEWS:

Consulting, marketing, and financial industries use case interviews to assess an applicant’s ability to analyze a problem, think quickly, their level of content knowledge, and communication skills.

Employers look for candidates who can logically and systematically answer case questions, regardless if they always reach the correct answer.   The following are steps that John Kador suggests in his book How to Ace the Brain Teaser Interview (2005).

  • Pinpoint the problem- jot down the main points and ask questions.
  • Restate the case variables in your own words for clarification.
  • Create a working hypothesis- as you gather information you may adjust your hypothesis later.
  • Develop a loose framework to address the problem.
  • Ask questions to gather additional information, test the hypothesis, and talk through your reasoning.
  • Highlight possible alternatives.

Try to work through the following examples from Kador’s book (available in the Career Services library at the Fredericksburg campus).

  1. “The client is a U.S. biotechnology company with one product on the market ($500 million in sales).  The task, or business problem, is to help the client think through the question. Should we invest money in expanding our sales force?” (page 157)
  2. “Why is there no light beer in the United Kingdom?” (page 178)
  3. “How would Donald Trump prevent being disturbed at night by a wrong number?  How can we use that information to design a solution accessible to consumers without such resources?” (page 179)

GUESSTIMATES:

Guesstimate questions can be approached in the same manner as brain teaser questions. There is usually no known answer to the question, hence the name guesstimates.  Employers use this type of questioning to assess how an applicant reacts under pressure, analytical skills, and to assess if an applicant is able to talk through a problem in a logical and reasonable manner.  You will encounter questions such as “How many marbles will fit in a standard size SUV?” or “How many gas pumps are there in the United States?”

Many candidates get overwhelmed with the lack of detail and the broadness of the question and become flustered or give up.  Remember, you do not have to arrive at the correct answer because it is your line of reasoning that the employer is interested in.  Break the question down and start small.  Also, make reasonable assumptions as you progress through your quest for an answer.  The following are some additional resources, with examples worked out, for excelling at guesstimate questions.

Vault Acing Guesstimates

Interview Questions: Finance Interview Brainteasers by Vault