Interview Guide Cheat Sheet.pdf

INTERVIEW GUIDE CHEAT SHEET
HOW TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION:
The tell me about yourself interview ques
ti
on is by far one of the MOST popular interview ques
ti
ons and
probably the
fi
rst one you’ll be asked in your next job interview. So, you have to nail this one!
Your interviewer is asking this ques
ti
on to learn more about your personality and character. They want to
know that you are con
fi
dent and passionate about the posi
ti
on you’re applying for and that you really
want the job.
To answer this ques
ti
on properly, tell them your career story! Start with where you are now
professionally, how you got to where you are, and why you love what you’re doing. Then, add how the
posi
ti
on you’re applying for relates to your career goals and career aspira
ti
ons.
SAMPLE ANSWER:
“I am a career strategist helping professionals
fi
nd their dream job so they can grow in a
fi
eld
they love. I’m most passionate about seeing my clients and students excited to get out of bed
in the morning. Knowing they are making a greater impact in their industry. What’s unique
about what I do is the process I use to help my clients build con
fi
dence to achieve their career
goals. I’m thrilled to learn that your company’s vision of providing award-winning career
guidance aligns perfectly with my goals and aspirations of a business owner.”
YOUR ANSWER:
The interview ques
ti
on “why do you want to leave your current job?” is one of the hardest but
most important ques
ti
ons to get right and it can either set o
ff
red
fl
ags or get an employer super
excited about hiring you.
© Copyright ProfessorAus
ti
n.com. All Rights Reserved
QUESTION 2 – WHY DO YOU WANT THIS JOB?
I consider myself a non traditional life long learner
educating and re-educating myself at a constant pace
with societies rapid advancements. I value enhancement
and my belief is that you must continue to educate
yourself to even survive or not lose your will so succeed.
QUESTION 1 – TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF?

“Why do you want this job?” is one of those interview ques
ti
ons that might seem simple to answer in
the beginning. However, as you start to answer it, chances are you’ll be tongue
ti
ed.
You’ll probably be tempted to answer with something like… “I want this job because I need the money”,
or “I want this job because it’s what I went to school for.”
The big problem with answers like this is that they are very o
ff
pu
tti
ng. Remember, employers want to
know if you’ll be a good
fi
t for their team and company culture.
Do you have what it takes to succeed in the posi
ti
on? How do you stand out from all the other
candidates? Does the posi
ti
on
fi
t into your 5-year plan?
These are all things the interviewer will be looking for. So, show your enthusiasm and excitement for the
posi
ti
on, demonstrate how the posi
ti
on
fi
ts into your long-term goals and show them that you’ll
fi
t in.
SAMPLE ANSWER:
“As a senior project manager, I am very passionate about ensuring all departments are
functioning effectively and staying on task. I want this job because it aligns perfectly with my
long-term career goals. I see myself perfecting the role of project manager and assuming
more leadership responsibilities by using my strengths in management, organization and
communication.”
YOUR ANSWER:
ti
I apply to positions that are going to make my skills set more
prestigious to the employer and vice versa. For example,
where can I expand and scale my brand as a professional is
why I apply to any position within a respectable company.

This ques
ti
on might seem very similar to ques
ti
on one, “why do you want to work here?”, but it’s
actually a li
tt
le di
ff
erent.
When you answer this ques
ti
on the focus now is on you and your strengths and abili
ti
es rather than on
the company, as in the previous ques
ti
on.
The interviewer is asking this ques
ti
on because they want to know what makes you unique over all the
other candidates they’ll be interviewing for the posi
ti
on. Why should they choose you?
As you research the company, and look over the job lis
ti
ng, look for clues about the company’s pain
points and the things they need from their ideal candidate.
Then choose a few of your own key skills and a background story you can men
ti
on that explains how you
will meet their challenges be
tt
er than anyone else.
SAMPLE ANSWER:
“From my understanding, one of the key requirements for this position is {list one of the key
requirements here}. You should hire me because I have a unique understanding and
awareness of how {mention the key requirements again} affects our industry.
In my previous position, I had the privilege of {mention something you’ve accomplished in the
past that directly relates to the position you are applying for. Mention an accomplishment with
quanti
fi
able results}.
I also learned through my research that your company values {mention a value the company
has that you appreciate}. This is one of my greatest passions and I know without a doubt my
experience in this area will sustain company standards and lead the team to greater success.”
YOUR ANSWER:
ti
QUESTION 3 – WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?
QUESTION 4 – WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?
My reasons for applying to work for the company is that I
want to be held accountable for the knowledge and skills set
that I can share. The diversity and integrity I can bring as an
individual.

Interviewers ask this ques
ti
on to
fi
nd out if your strengths really match what they need from a someone
in this posi
ti
on. They want to know if you match up with the quali
fi
ca
ti
on, skill or experience required by
a high performer.
To really shine when you answer this ques
ti
on, turn your answer into a story about an example of how
your strengths helped you and the people you worked with in the past.
For example, think of a few strengths you have that match the job descrip
ti
on. Then think of examples of
when one of those strengths helped you overcome a challenge or achieve an accomplishment.
SAMPLE ANSWER 1:
“One of my greatest strengths is the ability to write new and innovative content. In my previous
position, I had the opportunity to compose content for our company’s website, employee
training manuals and press releases. I was recognized by senior management for being able
to quickly publish easy-to-follow material that produced results.”
SAMPLE ANSWER 2:
“My greatest strength is my ability to lead and direct a team. As a marketing manager at
Company XYZ, I worked closed with my team members to develop an infrastructure that
increased productivity by 20% in a just a few months. The systems we put in place were later
implemented by other teams because of results that were achieved.”
YOUR ANSWER:
You may have heard that when you answer this ques
ti
on, you should choose a weakness that is really a
strength, like “I’m just such a hard worker, I get caught up in my work and end up working late into the
night.”
ti
Organizational skills and multi tasking is one of my best assets.
QUESTION 5 – WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES?

As temp
ti
ng as it might be, don’t try this trick! Your interviewer will see right through it. It’s much more
impressive to show o
ff
the ability you have to see yourself objec
ti
vely and know where you need
improvement.
To answer this ques
ti
on properly, men
ti
on a real weakness you have, or one that you used to have, that
doesn't relate speci
fi
cally to the job.
Then highlight the steps you’re taking or have taken to overcome this weakness. Explain to your
interviewer what you’ve learned from your weakness and how it’s made you an overall more produc
ti
ve
professional.
SAMPLE ANSWER:
“In the past, I had to overcome my creative writing ability. I’ve always been a strong technical
writer, however, it used to be more challenging for me to write
fi
ctional stories. To improve my
creative writing skills, I enrolled in a creative writing class.”
“Each week I submitted a paper to my instructor for feedback. I also had the opportunity to
critique my classmates' work. Going through this process opened up my eyes to different
writing styles. I now
fi
nd it easier to use my imagination to write.”
YOUR ANSWER:
The interview ques
ti
on “why are you leaving your current job?” is one of the hardest but most important
ques
ti
ons to get right. It can either set o
ff
red
fl
ags or get an employer super excited about hiring you.
Whether you want to leave your current job because you’re in a toxic work environment or because
you’re just ready to move on to new career opportuni
ti
es, it’s s
ti
ll possible to make a standout
fi
rst
impression when this ques
ti
on comes up.
To answer this ques
ti
on properly, focus on how the company or posi
ti
on aligns with your career goals
and aspira
ti
ons. Emphasis your strengths and how they can help the company solve speci
fi
c pain points.
ti
Overthinking is a major weakness I have.
QUESTION 6 – WHY ARE YOU LEAVING YOUR CURRENT JOB?

Show your interviewer that the company is one you want to grow with because of the environment and
opportuni
ti
es available. Demonstrate to them that this is a win-win situa
ti
on.
SAMPLE ANSWER:
“I have had a great time at Company X. I learned [skill], and I got to [something you did: a
change you made or an achievement you earned]. But now I’m looking for a job that will let me
[do something described in the job posting].”
From what I’ve learned from [the job posting, company website, or personal connections], your
company is a great place for me to utilize my strengths in the areas of [list 2 to 3 strengths] and
to help solve the problem of [list a pain point they’re experiencing based on your research
from the job posting.]”
YOUR ANSWER:
The interview ques
ti
on “why do you want to leave your current job?” is one of the hardest but
most important ques
ti
ons to get right and it can either set o
ff
red
fl
ags or get an employer super
excited about hiring you.
The interview ques
ti
on “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” is a tough one. Most of us aren’t thinking
about where we want to be in one year, let alone 5 years. When this ques
ti
on comes up in an interview,
it can throw you for a loop.
Interviewers ask this ques
ti
on because they want to gauge your long-term commitment to the company
and the posi
ti
on. Companies spend thousands of dollars trying to hire the right talent. They want to
make sure their investment in you will pay o
ff
in the long run.
To answer this ques
ti
on well, learn as much as you can about the natural and logical career progression
for someone in the posi
ti
on you’re applying for. Then let the interviewer know that you are extremely
passionate about the posi
ti
on and how the posi
ti
on
fi
ts in to your long-term goals.
SAMPLE ANSWER:
ti
Working here would give me the opportunity to advance in a professional setting.
Being employed by a company gives you the chance to embrace the values, and the
integrities that come along with the prestige of a organization. It is the education that
comes with being in the
fi
eld that inspired me to want to take a position under the
company’s umbrella.
QUESTION 7 – WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS?

“5 years from now, I see myself perfecting the role of project manager. I am very passionate
about ensuring all departments are functioning effectively and staying on task. In the long-
term, I’d like to assume more leadership responsibilities by using my strengths in
management, organization and communication.”
YOUR ANSWER:
ti
With all due respect I see myself with a PH.d in the next five
years. Perhaps a professor of some sort.

Behavioral based interview ques
ti
ons, also known as situa
ti
onal based interview ques
ti
ons, are used by
employers to evaluate your past problem-solving experience. They want to learn how you will solve
problems in the future.
You know you’re being asked a behavioral interview ques
ti
on if your ques
ti
on sounds something like:
“give me an example of...” or “describe a situation where...”, or “tell me about a time when...”
The key to doing well with these types of ques
ti
ons is to tell a compelling story. An easy way to structure
your story is to use the S.T.A.R. method.
The S in S.T.A.R stands for situa
ti
on. You'll start your answer by giving the interviewer context and
clearly explaining the situa
ti
on you were in.
The T in S.T.A.R stands for Task. This is where you’ll men
ti
on the task at hand and what your speci
fi
c role
was and what your colleague's roles were.
I like to view the situa
ti
on and task as the beginning of your story. This is where you’ll describe the event
or challenge you faced.
The A in S.T.A.R stands for ac
ti
on. Now that you’ve provided context surrounding the event, you’ll then
describe the ac
ti
on steps you took to overcome the di
ffi
cult situa
ti
on. This is the middle of your story.
The R in S.T.A.R stands for result. This could poten
ti
ally be the most important part of your story. This is
where you’ll explain the results you achieved from solving the problem. This is considered the end of
your story. If you can quan
ti
fy your results.
Review the sample behavioral based interview ques
ti
on on the next page for further clari
fi
ca
ti
on.
To answer this ques
ti
on well,
fi
rst, choose a speci
fi
c
ti
me you failed. Don’t just choose something you
generally struggled with. It might feel a li
tt
le embarrassing to bring up a speci
fi
c failure…
ti
BEHAVIORAL BASED INTERVIEW QUESTION - “TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU FAILED?”
BEHAVIORAL BASED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

But as long as it wasn’t incredibly devasta
ti
ng to you or your company, and if you can talk about what
you learned from it, your interviewer will be impressed with your ability to perceive when you failed.
Second, make sure you can explain what you learned from the failure. How are you a be
tt
er professional
because of your failure or mistake? In the sample answer below, we’ll use each part of the STAR method
to answer the ques
ti
on.
SAMPLE ANSWER:
SITUATION: “A few years ago, I was working in product design, and my boss assigned me to
manage a team working on a new iteration of a product.”
TASK: “Among my tasks was keeping my team on track to prepare and present the new
product design by the end of the quarter.”
ACTION: “Unfortunately, I spent so much time focused on the improvement of every aspect of
the new product design that I failed to prepare for its presentation in time. When it came time
to present, the product was greatly improved in function, but it lacked cohesion and usability,
and my superiors were not greatly impressed with my design or my presentation.”
RESULT: I was disappointed in my performance, but I learned a lot about time management
and proper planning from this experience. Since then, I’ve taken extra time at the beginning of
a project to plan when certain tasks must begin and end and remembered to check in with
that plan periodically to make sure I’m on track. The next quarter, I was proud to have a much
stronger presentation.”
YOUR ANSWER:
ti
My failures are a determining factor in who I am as we speak.
Occurrences like being hit by an automobile in 1983 to an ACL
injury in 1993-94 to forfeiting my education in 1996 due to
mental illness to being still here today making an effort.

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