When you’re preparing for job interviews it’s helpful to be aware of the questions recruiters are likely to ask. There are five kinds of interview question you are likely to encounter. It makes sense to understand what the differences are and how to be prepared for them.
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Questions to put you at your ease
The interview will start with questions designed to build rapport and help you settle in. Examples might include: ‘tell me a bit about yourself’, ‘how have you survived during COVID and three Lockdowns?’
Tip: Use these questions as your warm-up. They are an opportunity for you to make a positive and enthusiastic start and to help build rapport with the panel.
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Competency questions
Competency questions are designed to test how the skills you’ve developed through the jobs you’ve done can be applied to the role. Recruiters will ask questions based on the skills identified in the person specification, making them largely predictable. For example, if Problem solving or Teamwork are highlighted in the Person Spec, then you may be asked: ‘tell me about a time when you solved a particularly difficult problem’, or ‘what was your role in contributing to a team project?’
Highlight each ‘Essential’ and ‘Desirable’ skill from the Person Specification and have 1 or 2 examples against each skill listed. Prepare for these by using the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Identify the Situation you used the skill in;
- Describe the Task you undertook that will demonstrate it.
- Outline the Action that you took
- Capture the Result
Each STAR example will read as a min- story so will be easy for you to recall on the day.
Tip: Focus not only on what you Achieved and the Result but also reflect on what you learned. For example, what would you have done differently with hindsight or what contributed to your success?
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Motivational and Sector awareness questions
Motivational questions are designed to identify how much you want the role. Questions may be direct: for example, ‘tell us what’s made you decide to apply for this position?’
The recruiter will be aiming to find out how much effort you’ve put into researching the sector, organisation and job role. They may ask: ‘What has attracted you our company?’ Or ‘what has caught your attention in the news about the sector recently?’. Whilst it’s harder to predict motivational questions, if you’ve genuinely done your homework then you should be well-prepared, regardless of the questions you’re asked.
Looking at the company’s website is a good starting point for your research. See also my post on ‘3 ways to increase your chances of getting shortlisted’ for more research tips.
Tip: All candidates need to be able to demonstrate sector, or commercial awareness. This is not limited to commercial organisations.
For example, if you’re applying to become a Secondary school teacher, you need to go beyond your motivation for wanting to become a teacher. What’s happening within Teaching as a profession politically? Financially? Within Secondary Education specifically? What changes are taking place within the curriculum or to examinations? Have you been keeping up to date by reading key publications such as the TES as well as articles in the Press?
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Scenario-based questions
Whilst competency-based questions look for evidence of what you’ve done, scenario-based questions explore potential performance. These are the hardest questions to predict, though doing your research will help. Examples: ’How would you handle a customer who had unrealistic expectations of the service you can provide?’. ‘What would you do if you were suddenly presented with additional work you’d not planned for?’
Tip: The better you know yourself and how you are inclined to behave or respond, especially when dealing with change or the unexpected, the easier it will be to respond to scenario-based questions. (See also my posts on Personal Branding and 10 free careers resources for grown-ups).
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Strengths
Strengths are a key feature of most graduate recruitment and selection processes. Strengths questions are designed to find out what genuinely energises and enthuses you. There are no right or wrong answers, although recruiters will have a list of strengths they will find particularly helpful in the role you’re applying for.
Example questions include: ‘what activities energise you?’ ‘Tell me about something you’re particularly proud of’, ‘Are you a big picture or a detail person?’ ’What is one of your weaknesses?’ Questions are often quick-fire, giving you little time to plan a response.
Tip: How you respond will demonstrate whether you are genuinely enthusiastic. It’s therefore hard (and unwise) to fake a response to attempt to guess what you think the recruiter wants to hear.
You can access Cappfinity’s FREE online Strengths questionnaire which will identify some of your top strengths and a weakness. See also my post on Strengths.
Good luck is when opportunity meets preparation, while bad luck is when lack of preparation meets reality.
Eliyahu Goldratt
