This document serves as an interview preparation guide, highlighting essential strategies for navigating interviews effectively, including the importance of research, communication, and self-presentation. It offers practical tips on answering common interview questions and emphasizes the significance of conveying one's skills and achievements using frameworks like STAR. The guide encourages a mindset shift from viewing interviews as interrogations to seeing them as meetings for mutual understanding and assessment.

1. INTERVIEW GUIDE
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2. Interview ʻDosʼ
✓ Confirm where the venue is beforehand, how to get there and how long it takes
so you donʼt turn up late
✓ Bring all the required documentation
✓ Look the part and be aware of your first impressions and body language
✓ Make notes if necessary
✓ Answer questions as fully as you can, avoiding giving just a yes or no answer
✓ Research the company
✓ Know what the job entails and decide how your experience/skills suit the role
✓ Prepare to sell yourself and any questions you may have
✓ Donʼt be afraid to ask for clarification of questions if you donʼt understand
✓ Try to keep your comments and answers positive
✓ Ensure you back up your answers with figures and/or evidence
To enable interviewers to make informed decisions, you need to communicate relevant
information about your skills, knowledge and
experience. You also need to clearly demonstrate
evidence of career achievements to date.
Essentially, you have to know what information is
important and how to communicate it effectively.
With twenty years experience working with HR
professionals in management, consulting and
teaching with NUIG (National University of
Ireland Galway), this guide is to help you
prepare, plan and deliver a great performance
in your next interview.
Itʼs tough out there - with lots of really good
people looking for work, looking to change
career direction or looking for new
opportunities - donʼt let poor interview preparation be a
barrier to pursuing your career goals.
If thereʼs anything we can do to help please get in touch; weʼd be delighted to hear from
you.
Stephanie O’Boyle

3. Successful Interviews
The secret to a good interview is preparation, preparation, preparation. Making sure youʼre
prepared will give you confidence, and that confidence will be reflected in the way you
present yourself.
I recommend that you think of the interview as a meeting. If you shift your mindset from
ʻinterviewʼ to ʻmeetingʼ then you move your attitude and thinking toward two-way
communication. And thatʼs what an interview should be about, communication. Itʼs not
supposed to be an interrogation, so donʼt let it become one in your own head.
How to Prepare
If youʼve done your homework and researched the
role and the company, it will be clear to the
interviewer. Do not kid yourself that the recruitment
process is anything other than very competitive, so
to give yourself the best chance, you need to
convince those interviewing you that youʼre the
best person for the job and you really want it.
Interviews are usually one of two types. The first
is a traditional interview where the interviewers
ask questions to find out more about you, your
background and experience. The second is a
competency-based interview, designed to allow you to show
your skills and experience in the main areas of the job. Itʼs likely theyʼll ask about
how youʼve responded to relevant professional situations in the past. For this type of
interview you need to ensure you communicate quality information. To ensure you get your
point across, use the acronym STAR to remember how best to structure your answer to
these types of questions.
✓ Describe the situation(S) that you were in or the task(T) that you needed to
complete. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a general description
of what youʼve done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to
understand. This situation can be from a previous job, or from any relevant activity.
✓ Describe the action(A) you took. Even if youʼre discussing a team project, describe
what you did and not what the team undertook. Don't tell what you might do, tell
what you actually did.
✓ What was the result(R) you achieved? What happened? How did the project end?
What was the outcome? What did you learn? Describe the results? Was there
anything you would do differently?

4. Polish your STARs in Advance
A good clue as to the type of questions you are
likely to field in competency based interview is in
the advertised job brief. Go through the brief
highlight at least four to five key skills and
competences that they are looking for - develop
a STAR example for each of these from your
past roles. You must create an opportunity in the
interview to demonstrate that, not only do you
have the ʻknowledgeʼ but you have applied the
knowledge, developed skills and competences
and achieved ʻresultsʼ.
Selling Yourself
The four forget-me-nots for pitching yourself are:
Results over responsibilities
Weʼre more interested in hearing about what youʼve achieved than a shopping list of a role
description or duty list. Show how you can make a difference to the business.
Highlights over history
Resist the urge to present every detail of your career history to date. Stick to information
thatʼs relevant for that job. Give the bigger picture of your career first then focus on the
detail.
Expertise as well as experience
Experience is what you have done and achieved. Expertise refers to your skills and
abilities. For many jobs, the skills that you can offer are as important as the experience
you have.
Sell, donʼt just tell
Great sales people sell relevant product benefits to individual buyers. They identify what
the buyer wants and then focus their attention on the strength of a productʼs unique selling
point from the buyers point of view. In the interview you already know some of what the
ʻbuyerʼ is looking for - the clues are in the job description - now you need to sell yourself in
those terms. You need to identify what makes you stand out from the crowd for this buyer.
You may need to find out more about what it is the buyer wants during the interview, so
donʼt be afraid to ASK questions as well as answer them.

5. How to answer 9 common interview questions
“Tell me about yourself.”
The best response is to discuss yourself and your interests,
relevant to the job, the company and why your background
makes you a great candidate. Resist the urge to tell them
your life story, they could care less - seriously, interviewers
do not want to hear your life story - ever!
“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Itʼs easy to talk about your strengths; youʼre hard working,
a team player, good with detail and so on but it can be easy
to freeze up when discussing weaknesses. Never talk
about a real weakness unless itʼs something you can
demonstrate youʼve overcome. Interviewers are wise to
responses, such as, ʻWell, my biggest weakness is that I
work too hard, or I care too much - so I need try to take it
easy once in a while.ʼ The best answer is to discuss a
weakness (or natural tendency) that, because youʼre aware
of it, you can manage the impact. ʻI am naturally big picture oriented: which means I easily
connect with strategic thinking - but it also means I can be remiss in communicating details
- however, because Iʼm aware of this tendency, I ensure I focus on the details in my
communications so the big picture is achieved, in a methodical, systematic way.ʼ
“Where do you want to be five years from now?”
What employers really want to know here is will you fit? Are your expectations in line with
their goals? How realistic are your expectations? Have you even thought about your
career in the longer term?
Demonstrate that youʼve done some self-assessment and career planning. Let them know
that you hope to develop professionally and take on additional responsibilities at that
particular company. Please donʼt say something ridiculous like, ʻI donʼt know,ʼ or ʻI want
your job.ʼ
The fact is, no one can possibly know where theyʼll be in their career five years from now,
but interviewers want to get a sense of your commitment to the job, the company, and the
industry. You could actually say that ʻItʼs hard to know what job title I may hold five years
from now but ideally, based on my performance, Iʼd like to have progressed in the
company. My goal is to help the company any way I can, and progress my career as a
consequence.ʼ This way youʼre not giving the impression that this job is just a stepping
stone for you, itʼs part of a process of development and growth for the company and you.

6. “What are your salary requirements?”
What employers are really asking is, ʻDo you have realistic expectations when it comes to
salary? Are we on the same page or are you going to want way more than we can give?
If possible, try to avoid answering this question in the
first interview because you may shortchange yourself
by doing so. Tell the interviewer that if you are seriously
being considered, youʼd be happy to give them a salary
range; but let them make the first offer. Study industry
websites to get an idea of what the position should
pay. Donʼt necessarily accept a first offer, there may be
room to negotiate.
When it is time to give a number speak in ranges, mention that you are flexible in this area
and that youʼre open to benefits, as well. Be brief and to the point, and be comfortable with
the silence that may come after.
“Whatʼs the biggest risk youʼve ever taken?”
Some roles require a high degree of determination and the ability to jump back up when
you get knocked down. If youʼre applying for such a role, ensure you can provide
examples of when you took calculated risks, went beyond what might be considered
ʻnormalʼ but explain how it seemed like the right thing to do at the time - as opposed to
taking irrational, ill considered risks. This is often relevant in less senior Customer Service
roles - where you went ʻabove and beyondʼ to delight a customer.
“Why are you leaving your current job?”
Interviewers want to know the motivation for leaving your current job. If itʼs because you
donʼt like your boss, no negative talk, just say you have differences. If the workʼs boring,
explain that youʼre looking for a more challenging position. Discuss the positives of your
most recent job and focus on why you think this new position is ideal for you and why youʼll
be a great fit for their company.
๏ If redundancy: do not denounce your last boss or company. Explain you were let
go - in the current economic environment, this is not unusual and, in most
instances, totally outside of your control. Communicate that you understand the
circumstances behind the decision; that you are committed to your future and
are ready to apply everything you learned in your last role, to a new company.
๏ If you quit: Do not go into details about your unhappiness or dissatisfaction.
Instead, make clear that while you valued the experience and education, you felt
that the time had come to seek out a new opportunity, to expand your skills and
knowledge, and to find a company with which you could grow.
๏ If you got fired: itʼs safe to say that you have your work cut out for you! Do not
disparage your last boss or company. Tell them that you were let go, that you
understand the reasoning and you recognise the area in which you need to
improve, and then clarify how you will be a better employee because of it.
Remember lots of successful people were fired at some stage in their career so
dust yourself down, learn from it and get on with it!

7. “Give me an example of a time when you had a problem with a supervisor or
colleague and how you dealt with the problem.”
Problems at work are rarely caused by the ʻworkʼ; theyʼre primarily people related! Most
people will encounter problems with a supervisor or colleague at some point in their
career. How they handle that problem says a lot about their people skills. If you can
explain to the interviewer that you were able to overcome a people problem at work, this
will definitely help your chances of getting the job. Use the STAR acronym to help explain
your answer. Do not name the person, or personalise the difficulty, keep your answer
focused on the ʻissueʼ not the personality.
“Explain Neuro Linguistic Programming in three sentences to an 8 year old.”
Just kidding! But I have heard similar type questions asked in relevant sectors; for
example, explain Twitter, PayPal, CRMs, or similar, in terms an 8 year old can understand.
The answer demonstrates to an interviewer that you have a solid and adaptable
understanding of what it is the company does. So a key learning point is, know the industry
or sector and be able to explain it in simple terms.
“Why should we hire you?”
An interviewer may not ask you this question directly
but every question you answer in your interview
should contribute to helping them understand why
youʼre the best person for the job. Stay focused on
why your background makes you an ideal candidate
and tell them how you are going to contribute to the
role and the company. Let the interviewer know
that one of your goals is to make their job easier by
taking on as much responsibility as possible and that
you will be excited about this job starting on day one.
Itʼs a good idea to print the job description. You will of course have done this in the first
instance when you were drafting your Cover Letter and tailoring your CV. But itʼs really
important that you review the job description and qualifications very closely to identify the
skills and knowledge that are critical to the position and then identify experiences from
your past that demonstrate those skills and knowledge. Remember STAR in your
preparation phase? Well, therein is the answer to this question!

8. Questions you can ask
Companies should try to provide you with as much information as you need about the job,
but itʼs worth considering what else youʼd like to
know. Additional, insightful information about the role,
the team, the expectations etc, can help you to refine
your sales pitch during the course of the interview.
And, this gives you an edge over other candidates.
So donʼt be afraid to ask pertinent, relevant, probing
questions. Then ensure you listen to the answers -
this is where the two way communication process is
really important; their answers give you clues as to,
what theyʼre thinking and, what you might be
missing. And if you know that, youʼve an opportunity to address it before the end of the
meeting. Hereʼs a selection of just a few:
๏ “What can you tell me about the team I would be working with?”
๏ “How do I compare with the other people youʼre interviewing?” Youʼre creating
an opportunity to gauge how youʼre performing relative to other candidates and
make amends or address concerns that the interviewer may have.
๏ “Is there any reason you wouldnʼt want to hire someone like me?” Like the
question above, this is a bold but great question - youʼre taking the lead and
encouraging the interviewer to give you an opportunity to address concerns they
may have about your ʻfitʼ.
๏ “What are the immediate challenges that Iʼd face if Iʼm hired?” This question
gives you the opportunity to come back with a brief outline of the strengths and
experience you have that will enable you to deal with these challenges - youʼre
making connections stronger for the interviewers in terms of how you are the
best ʻfitʼ.
๏ “What would you hope that I would achieve in the first six months?” Again, the
answer to this question enables you to come back with an overview of how you
would realise those achievements and what youʼve achieved in previous roles as
proof of your capabilities.
๏ “Whatʼs the most important thing I can do to help within my first three months?”
๏ “What are the companyʼs plans for the future?” This question is often covered by
the interviewers but if it isnʼt and you havenʼt been able to find out from your own
research, ask.
๏ “Who in the company would review my performance?”
๏ “What training or development opportunities are there for someone in this role?”
๏ “How do you encourage staff to progress within the company?”
๏ “What is the typical career path for someone in this role?”
๏ “Whatʼs the next step in the selection process?”

9. Selection of Interview Questions
There are as many possible interview questions as there are interviewers - but the
selection below should give you a pretty good indication of what you might expect.
If you are asked a completely unexpected question - donʼt be alarmed! There is no right or
wrong answer to lots of the crazier questions - the interviewer sometimes just wants to see
how you react under pressure, how you handle uncertainty or, how you handle crazy
questions. Sometimes - theyʼre just bored, and itʼs a way of improving their day!
Remember also, some interviewers are not especially skilled in the art of interviewing - so
you have the added responsibility of making their job easier! Do this by answering their
questions and where you can, ensure you connect your responses to the job brief - this
helps keep those less skilled interviewers on track.
1. How would your friends describe you?
2. What is the biggest challenge you have ever faced?
3. Youʼre in a lift with your potential future boss - sell yourself in 20 seconds.
4. Describe yourself in three words.
5. What career goals have you set for yourself?
6. What would you bring to the company?
7. Describe a situation where you successfully convinced others of your ideas.
8. Which areas of the world would you like to discover and why?
9. Have you ever considered starting your own business?
10. Have you ever taken a decision that wasnʼt yours to take?
11. What are your salary requirements?
12. Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project.
13. Who are our competitors?
14. What was your biggest failure?
15. What motivates you?
16. Whatʼs your availability?
17. Whoʼs your mentor?
18. Could you have done better in your previous job?
19. What would you like to improve professionally about yourself?
20. What would you do with a million table tennis balls?
21. Whatʼs the most random thing youʼve ever done?
22. What are your weaknesses?
23. Why do you want to work with this company?
24. Tell me a joke.
25. What do you know about us?
26. Why are manholes round?
27. What are your strengths?
28. Whatʼs your greatest fear?
29. How would you overcome it?
30. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
31. Why do you want to leave your current company?

10. 32. Why was there a gap in your employment between [insert date] and [insert date]?
33. What can you offer us that someone else can not?
34. Are you willing to relocate?
35. If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
36. Are you willing to travel?
37. Tell me about an accomplishment of which you are most proud.
38. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
39. What is your dream job?
40. How did you hear about this position?
41. What would you look to accomplish in the first 30 days/60 days/90 days on the job?
42. Discuss your CV.
43. Discuss your educational background.
44. Describe yourself.
45. Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
46. Why should we hire you?
47. Why are you looking for a new job?
48. Would you work holidays/weekends?
49. How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?
50. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss.
51. How do you handle pressure?
52. What is the name of our CEO?
53. What are your career goals?
54. What gets you up in the morning?
55. What would your direct reports say about you?
56. What are your bossesʼ strengths/weaknesses?
57. If I called your boss right now and asked her what is an area that you could improve
on, what would she say?
58. Are you a leader or a follower?
59. What was the last book you read for fun?
60. What are your colleagues pet hates?
61. What are your hobbies?
62. What is your favourite website?
63. What makes you uncomfortable?
64. What are some of your leadership experiences?
65. How would you fire someone?
66. What do you like the most and least about working in this industry?
67. What questions havenʼt I asked you?
68. What questions do you have for me?
69. Whatʼs your worst career nightmare?
70. Describe your dream come true.
71. Whatʼs my name?
You canʼt beat experience and to earn it you have to make mistakes.
So, remember to have a suitable story about one of yours, for interview.

11. stephanieoboyle.com