This document provides examples of responses to common interview questions. It begins by outlining typical interview questions such as telling about yourself, why you want to work for the company, why you should be hired, and discussing strengths and weaknesses. It then provides the STAR method for structuring accomplishment statements to answer behavioral questions and lists common behavioral question categories. Examples are given demonstrating how to use the STAR method and C-A-R method to structure responses. The document concludes by noting that questions about age are illegal and outlines ways to respond to illegal questions respectfully.

1. Part 3:
Typical Interview Questions

2. QUESTION # 1
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Break this answer down:
• Include details on your relevant education
• Include some main points and the length of experience
you have from your past work or volunteer experience
• Include your top 3 skills and how they can relate to the
job you are interviewing for – incorporate key words here

3. QUESTION # 1
Example response for “Tell us a bit about yourself.”
Example:
I’m currently completing the 3rd year of my BBA degree in Marketing at
Sheridan College, where I’ve completed courses in Sales, Advertising and
E-Commerce. I have one year of experience working in sales as an
Account Manager using marketing strategies to sell to groups of students on
campus and through all of this, I have gained skills in communication,
outreach and building strong interpersonal relationships which I believe
will help me succeed in the Account Manager role at your company.

4. QUESTION # 2
Why do you want to work for our company?
• Do your research!
• Learn about the company:
• What are their products/services, what are their values,
who do they partner with, what do you appreciate about
them?
• Review the company website / their social media pages

5. QUESTION # 2
Example response for “Why do you want to work for our
company?”
Example:
As a graduate from the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program, I really
value the City of York Region because your organization maintains geospatial
data, conducts research in client business requirements, and positively
evolves the region of York and its communities.
I also noticed that your organization is focused on participating in projects across
the region to help other organizations succeed. I appreciate that you partner with
Canadian Environmental Law Association in Toronto. This is definitely an
organization I would value being a part of and contributing to.

6. QUESTION # 3
Why should we hire you?
• Show your value! Tell the employer about the skills and
experiences you can bring to the job, and give strong
examples
• Review the job posting carefully and look for key skills /
abilities they are looking for and relate your experiences
to these!

7. QUESTION # 3
Example response for “Why should we hire you?”
Example:
Through my 1 year of experience within IT Operations, I gained skills in
troubleshooting in the configuration, operation and maintenance of PC systems and
in communication to speak with frustrated customers about the challenges they are
experiencing with their computers.
One of my work projects included installing networks to 150 workstations, 50 printers,
and 4 communication rooms with supporting infrastructure. It was completed within
2 weeks, with no outstanding issues. I believe these skills would be helpful in the
IT Help Desk position at your organization.

8. QUESTION # 4
What is your greatest strength / weakness?
Strength
• Identify a strength you have that could relate to the job
• Provide an example to back it up!
Weakness
• Identify a weakness or an “area for improvement”
• Show the employer what you’re doing to improve
• Focus on skills that aren’t critical to the job

9. QUESTION # 4
Example response for “What is your greatest
strength?”
Example:
One of my significant strengths would be my strong writing skills. I’ve
worked as a Copywriter for eight years in several industries, and I am
committed to both creative excellence and communication performance
metrics when it comes to my work.
I’ve had to learn how to find the perfect balance between that creativity and
analytics, and it’s a personal passion of mine to demonstrate what good
writing can achieve for the bottom line—in advertising or otherwise.

10. QUESTION # 4
Example:
An area that I’m hoping to improve on would be my public speaking in groups.
I’m naturally shy and I found that it prevented me from speaking up in group projects
or in class. After being part of a group assignment where we were struggling to meet
our goal and I felt too shy to share my thoughts, I decided I owed it to myself to learn
to confidently share my ideas.
I joined an improv acting class—it’s fun and has really helped me overcome my
shyness. I learned practical skills around leading discussions and sharing
diverse perspectives. Now, in group settings, I feel more confident when I start
conversations.
Example response for “What is your greatest
weakness?”

11. STAR Method for Answering Behavioural Questions
TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
• Use accomplishment (or STAR statements)
when responding to behavioural interview
questions
• Accomplishment or STAR statements describe
your skills, experiences and achievements
• They go above and beyond a simple statement
of what you did and they show your added value
• Incorporate keywords into your accomplishment
statements and other answers!

12. STAR Method
TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Use the following S-T-A-R method to put together your
accomplishment statements:
S
T
A
R
Situation  define the situation; use action verbs
Task  describe the task clearly
Action  define the action you took; highlight skills you used
Result  summarize the outcome

13. STAR Method
TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
S
T
A
R
Situation  Handled angry customers
Task  Met with customers in returns department
Action  Calm customers down, resolve problems, follow through
Result  Strong customer relationships
Simple Statement:
Responsible for customer service.
Action Verbs:
Selected, Recognized, Resolved

14. STAR Method Example
TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Accomplishment Statement
My manager selected me as the lead Customer Service Associate to handle
angry or frustrated customers specifically in the Returns department
where I had to meet with each customer regarding their complaint. I was
recognized by management for my ability to calm the customers down,
resolve problems through effective communication, and follow through
to make sure customers still showed loyalty to the company. This resulted in
our company gaining strong customer relationships and referrals, and
positive feedback.

15. STAR Method
TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
S
Situation / Task
T
Did a
presentation
for my
Marketing
class on
strategies.
A
Action
Developed
and delivered
a PowerPoint
presentation
on Marketing
strategies.
R
Result
Used
interactive
modules to
engage peers.
STAR Statement
For my 2nd year Marketing
class, I developed and
delivered a PowerPoint
presentation on how to
develop effective Marketing
strategies, where I used
interactive modules to
engage my peers in the class.
This led to an increase in
knowledge for my peers and I
received a 95%.

16. PREPARING EXAMPLES
While there are an unlimited amount of
possible behavioural questions an
Interviewer could ask you, there are several
specific categories they all fall into:
Teamwork &
Collaboration
Communication
Skills
Problem
Solving
Conflict
Resolution
Initiative &
Leadership
Pressure, Stress &
Meeting Deadlines

17. QUESTION # 5
Tell us about a time where you succeeded in a project. What was
your role? What was the result?
• Use Accomplishment / STAR statements when
responding to a question like this
• Talk about the Situation / Task you were involved in,
the specific Actions you took (provide details), and the
end Result
• Give the employer concrete examples

18. QUESTION # 5
Example response for “Tell us about a time where you succeeded
in a project. What was your role? What was the result?”
Example:
S/T: During my 2nd year of the Computer Systems Technology – Software
Development and Network Engineering Program, I led a group for a project and
delegated tasks to team members.
A: I developed and delivered a presentation to the class on security solutions.
I delivered key points of the presentation, led an interactive activity and
engaged the class.
R: Our project received a grade of 93% and allowed students to learn more
about the topic.

19. QUESTION # 6
Tell us about a time you had a conflict.
• Employers want to know how you would handle a difficult
situation. Use the C-A-R method:
C Conflict  describe the conflict
A Action  define the actions you took in hopes of resolving
the conflict
R Result  summarize the outcome and aim for an example
with a positive outcome

20. QUESTION # 6
Example response for “Tell us about a time you had a
conflict.”
Example:
C: During a group project for my Metrics course, we decided that everyone would independently work on
parts and we would come together a week before it was due to combine everything for our final project. On the
day we met finalize the project, everyone except one member of our group had completed their parts. The rest of
the group was very upset, and everyone started to argue because without this person’s contributions we
wouldn’t be able to complete the assignment.
A: I pulled him aside and asked him what had gone wrong. When he realized I was actually looking for
answers and wasn’t just going to yell at him, he told me he thought he had a better understanding of Excel than
he actually did. He thought he’d have time to review more of his notes about this, but he also had to pick up some
extra shifts at work because he needed the extra money. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do the project, he’d just
completely run out of time and he said he felt like he let everyone down. I calmed down the rest of the group
and we all sat down to figure out how to fix the problem. While we weren’t going to do the work for him, we
set a plan in place where each group member would meet with him for 15 minutes after class to help answer
his Excel questions and I shared a few great LinkedIn Learning modules I’ve used for Excel.
R: With the extra support, not only did he get the project done, but we all got an A+ grade on the assignment.

21. QUESTION # 7
How Old Are You?
• This is an example of an Illegal Question.
• According to the Ontario Human Rights Code, everyone is
entitled to be free from discrimination in employment.
• There are 3 ways in which you can respond to an Illegal
Question in an interview.

22. sheridancollege.ca
ILLEGAL/INAPPROPRIATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
• *Employers can ask some of these questions if it’s a reasonable requirement for
operation of their business.
The following questions can be discriminatory*
if asked in an interview:
• Race, Ancestry, Place of Origin,
Ethnic Origin, Colour
• Sex/Sexual Orientation
• Religion/Creed
• Age
• A conviction for which a pardon
has been granted, or a record
suspended
• Marital/Family Status
• Citizenship
• Disability
• Gender Identity/Expression
• Genetic Characteristics
Source: Canadian Human Rights Commission

23. QUESTION # 7
Example responses for “How Old Are You?”
Examples:
Answer #1 – Answer Directly
• “Yes, I am of legal age to serve alcohol.” Or, “no, I am not of legal
age.”
Answer #2 – Refuse to Answer
• “I would prefer not to answer this question at this time.”

24. QUESTION # 7
Example responses for “How Old Are You?”
Examples Continued:
Answer #3—Address the Intent of the Question, Then Answer
• “I would be happy to answer your question. But could you tell me how my answer applies to
the position that I’m interviewing for?”
1) Scenario #1: Employer responds that as they need to know, as it’s a Server
position at a restaurant and the candidate will be serving alcoholic beverages to
patrons. (Reasonable Requirement)
• Scenario #1 Response: “Yes, I am of legal age to serve alcohol.” Or: “No, I am
not of legal age to serve alcohol.”
2) Scenario #2: Employer says, “you look young for this position.” (Illegal question)
• Scenario #2 Response: “I am of legal age to work in Canada.”

25. QUESTION # 7
Example responses for “How Old Are You?”
Examples Continued:
Answer #4—If “Overqualified”
• Employer – “I’m asking as you look too mature for this entry-level job.” (Illegal
Question)
• Personalize your answer to focus on your skill sets that would be useful for the job
and benefit the company.
• Answer: “It might seem that I am a bit overqualified, but I have applied for this position
because I am genuinely interested in pursuing a job at your company. What I also
bring to this position is my solid work ethic and a unique skill set that I have developed
during my career. I have pursued current education in order to transition appropriately
to this field, and I am excited to help your organization grow.”

26. sheridancollege.ca
Creative/Off-The-Wall Questions
QUESTION #8
What is the oddest question you
have been asked during an
interview?

27. QUESTION # 8 – CREATIVE/OFF THE WALL QUESTIONS
How would you describe yourself in one word?
Why are manhole covers round?
How would you solve problems if you were from Mars?
If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?
How many slices of pizza are eaten in the Canada each year?
Describe to me the process and benefits of wearing a seat belt.

28. QUESTION # 8 – CREATIVE/OFF THE WALL QUESTIONS
• Most strange or odd interview questions are actually
asked for a very valid reason, even if it feels ridiculous (or
terrifying) in the moment.
• The interviewer isn’t necessarily looking for a right answer
• They want to determine:
• How quickly you can think on your feet
• How you’ll approach a difficult situation
• Whether you can remain positive and proactive and
make progress in the face of a challenge

29. QUESTION # 8
Example responses for Creative/Off-The-Wall Questions
• Smile and remember there is no “right” answer
• Buy time if needed
o “That’s a great question! Let me think about that for a few seconds.”
• Answer enthusiastically and explain your through process
• Ask a follow up question
o Ask your interviewer how others or even how the interviewer
answered this question or what are the best responses he or she
has ever heard
o This can demonstrate your interest in the company culture

30. QUESTION # 9
Do you have any questions for us?
• Employers expect you to ask questions as a sign that you
are engaged and interested
• Be prepared to ask 3 questions
• Questions should not be about salary, benefits, or
vacation

31. QUESTION # 9
Example responses for “Do you have any questions
for us?”
• How would you describe the ideal candidate for
this position?
• How would you describe the team I would be
working with?
• What would be the biggest challenge that the
person stepping into this position would face?

32. QUESTION # 9
• What qualities does the person stepping into this
position need in order to be successful in this role?
• How will the success for the holder of this position
be measured?
Example responses for “Do you have any questions
for us?”

33. QUESTION # 9
• What happens next in the hiring process and
when could I expect to hear from you?
• What do you like best about working for
COMPANY NAME?
Example responses for “Do you have any questions
for us?”