Chapter 6A – Approach to Interviews and Interview Questions

If you have been shortlisted for an interview, I highly recommend engaging in some preparatory work beforehand. Begin by taking a blank chart paper and, starting from the top, documenting your professional journey from the year you graduated college and entered the workforce. List all significant milestones and experiences, regardless of their coherence. Include memories such as your first project, notable achievements, challenges overcome, and significant career transitions. Reflect on the significance of each experience and how it contributed to your growth and development.

Given human tendencies to forget, focusing on recent experiences often dominates our memories. By documenting and revisiting your life journey, you can construct a coherent storyline that encapsulates your professional trajectory and your challenges. This exercise not only helps you remember key moments but also enables you to articulate your experiences more effectively during the interview process. As you prepare, consider how each experience relates to the job requirements you’re interviewing, allowing you to confidently connect your past experiences with the skills and qualities needed for the role. This comprehensive understanding and storytelling ability will undoubtedly enhance your performance during the interview and leave a lasting impression on the interviewer.

Here is a list of questions you should review, practice and build fluency around your storyline.

Some opening questions

1) Let’s go through your experience and understand how the same fits into this role
2) Can we go through your background for me to have a better understanding of your skillsets
3) Why are your skills relevant for this role?
all the above are open-ended where the key is to identify areas of your exp and link to the JD – it is never to run through your entire life history, that’s too old-fashioned.

Some additional behavioural and situational questions linked to the role and requirements
e.g. share with me any incident or experience when
1) you had to handle a very unhappy customer
2) when your manager refused to listen to a rationale and valid suggestion
3) working in diverse teams
4) handling an escalation against one of your managers from an internal employee
5) your strengths
6) what upsets you the most
7) a time when you failed and what did you learn from it
8) the best 3 lessons from your experiences
9) one thing you want to tell a younger you (first two years of your career)
10) how would you like to be known when you retire (what would people say about you)
11) what does success mean to you
12) top 3 life skills that you can teach not connected to your job
13) If you had a situation when you had to choose between A and B, what would you do – e.g. margins vs customer happiness or deal finalisation vs ethical standards
14) you have an integrity concern against your line manager, and he is in the good books of the CEO; what would you do
15) share with me broad thoughts about your 3,6,9 month plan
16)   Why do you want to work with us
17)   What value do you bring to the table
18)   What do you know about us
19)   Looking at our social media presence, do you have any comments or views
20) Regarding your interaction with the team, what did you like, and what do you believe we can improve?

Here is a list from the AI factory, some are quite old fashioned but continue to be in use.

1. Tell me about yourself?
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
3. Why are you interested in this position?
4. Can you walk me through your resume?
5. Describe a challenge you faced in a previous role and how you overcame it.
6. How do you handle stress and pressure?
7. What are your long-term career goals?
8. How do you prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively?
9. Can you provide an example of a time when you demonstrated leadership skills?
10. What do you know about our company?
11. How do you handle conflicts or disagreements with colleagues?
12. Describe a successful project you worked on and your role in it.
13. What motivates you in your work?
14. How do you stay updated with industry trends and developments?
15. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a new work environment or team.
16. What do you consider your greatest professional achievement?
17. How do you handle constructive criticism?
18. Describe your communication style and how you ensure effective communication in a team.
19. What do you think sets you apart from other candidates?
20. Can you provide an example of a time when you demonstrated problem-solving skills?
21. How do you handle tight deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously?
22. Describe a time when you had to take initiative or show innovation in your work.
23. What do you enjoy most about your current role?
24. How do you stay motivated during challenging times?
25. Can you describe your experience with [specific skill or software relevant to the job]?

1. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
2. Why are you interested in this position?
3. Can you walk me through your resume?
4. Describe a challenge you faced in a previous role and how you overcame it.
5. How do you handle stress and pressure?
6. What are your long-term career goals?
7. How do you prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively?
8. Can you provide an example of a time when you demonstrated leadership skills?
9. What do you know about our company?
10. How do you handle conflicts or disagreements with colleagues?
11. Describe a successful project you worked on and your role in it.
12. What motivates you in your work?
13. How do you stay updated with industry trends and developments?
14. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a new work environment or team.
15. What do you consider your greatest professional achievement?
16. How do you handle constructive criticism?
17. Describe your communication style and how you ensure effective communication in a team.
18. What do you think sets you apart from other candidates?
19. Can you provide an example of a time when you demonstrated problem-solving skills?
20. How do you handle tight deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously?
21. Describe a time when you had to take initiative or show innovation in your work.
22. What do you enjoy most about your current role?
23. How do you stay motivated during challenging times?
24. Can you describe your experience with [specific skill or software relevant to the job]?