Interviewing Collection

Career Center
Duke Career Center • studentaffairs.duke.edu/career • 919-660-1050 •
Bay 5, Smith Warehouse, 2nd Floor • 114 S. Buchanan Blvd., Box 90950, Durham, NC 27708
Interviewing Collection
Index
Sample Interview Questions
The STAR Method
Case Interviews
Informational Interviewing
Developing a 30-Second Commercial

Sample Interview Questions
• Tell me about yourself.
• Why are you interested in this position/industry/company?
• Give me an example of a time you’ve done more than what was required.
• Give me an example of a time where you had to deal with an ethical dilemma, or were faced with a situation
that had ethical implications and challenges.
• Give an example of a good decision you’ve made recently. What alternatives did you consider? Why was it a
good decision?
• Can you give me an example of a time you were able to identify a small problem and fix it before it became a
major problem?
• Tell me about a time that you saw something happen that you know was wrong. What did you do?
• Interacting with others can be challenging at times. Describe a specific situation in which you had the
greatest difficulty getting along with peers, team members or others at work. How did you handle the
situation?
• When have you inspired someone to work hard or do a good job? How did you do that?
• Have you ever been in a situation in which you were able to anticipate the need for a new approach? What
did you do about it?
Sample Questions to Ask Employers
• What motivates you in your work here at _______________________ ?
• How would you describe communcation with leadership within the organization? Are entry-level employees
encouraged to interact with leadership or only through defined channels?
• How does your organization show that it values its employees?
• What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses when compared to other companies in the market?
• How will my work be measured and evaluated? How often will this take place?
• How have other entry level employees (or interns) significantly contributed to your organzation?
Duke Career Center • studentaffairs.duke.edu/career • 919-660-1050 • Bay 5, Smith Warehouse, 2nd Floor •
114 S. Buchanan Blvd., Box 90950, Durham, NC 27708

Action Steps
In order to apply what I have learned in today’s workshop, I will:
1.
2.
3.
More Sample Interview Questions
• What is one of the most difficult writing assignments you’ve had? Explain.
• Tell me about one or two presentations that you’ve given to your superiors or peers.
• Have you ever communicated in a high stakes situation? What happened?
• Give me an example of how you successfully handle multiple demands.
• Tell me about a time when you had to do something different than you expected, planned or usually do. What
was it? What did you do?
• Tell me about a time when you were accountable for the completion and success of a very important task.
How satisfied/dissatisfied were you with that? Why?
• Tell me about a time when you had difficult goals in your work. How satisfied/dissatisfied were you with
that? Why?
• Tell me about a time when you worked on a low-profile assignment for which you did not receive a lot of
attention from others. How satisfied/dissatisfied were you with that? Why?
• How do you decide what gets top priority when scheduling your time?
• What do you do when your schedule is suddenly interrupted? Give me an example.
• Tell me about a time when you had to request help or assistance on a project because it turned out to be more
that you could handle by yourself?
• What is the most difficult business decision you have had to make? What factors did you consider when
making that decision?
Sample Interview Questions, cont.

The STAR Method
STAR is formula for creating your best response to
behavioral-based questions. Interviewers expect you to
present your thoughts and experience in this manner. Don’t
worry, however. You’ll see that the STAR method is no
different than the basics of any story composition.
“Last semester I took a psychology course
that required a group project to examine
motivation. The professor assigned each
student to a 4-person group. My group
decided to look at what motivates college
students to participate in community
service activities.”
Question:
Tell me about a time when you had to provide difficult
feedback to a team member?
“As a group, we developed a plan
to distribute the work between us.
However, after the first few weeks, it
became apparent that one of our team
members was not completing her part
of the project and she missed one of our
group meetings. The rest of the team
decided that we needed to reengage her.”
“I took the initiative to set up a meeting
with her where we discussed our interest
in the project as well as the other
academic responsibilities. After talking
with her, it was clear that if we changed
her contributions to tasks that better fit
her skills and interests, she would most
likely contribute at a higher level.”
“It turned out that the team could
redistribute tasks without compromising
so every member got to work on the
pieces of the project that were of
most interest to them. In the end, we
completed the project and received
positive feedback from our professor.”
S
T
A
R
Situation
Set the scenario for
your example.
Task
Describe the specific
challenge or task that
relates to the question.
Action
Talk about the actions
that you took to
accomplish the task.
Result
Present the results
that followed because
of the chosen action.
• A strong STAR
response will last
one to two
minutes.
• Be brief in your
set-up. Give just
enough
background or
contextual
information for
your story to
make sense.
• The result is
critical.
Everything in
your example
builds towards
this component.
• Use the structure
of the acronym
for direction if
you forget what
you were saying.
If all else fails,
skil to the R,
result.
A few
important
tips:

Organizing Your Experience
Skill,
Experience or
Characteristic
Name of
Story
Situation Task Action Result
Leadership
Ability to
Work in Teams
Analytical
Skills
Adaptability
Apply the STAR Method by using this chart to recall specific experiences that will better
support your responses in an interview.
Star Method, cont.

Resources for Sample Cases:
• Management Consulting Case Interviews: http://www.consultingcase101.com/
• Capital One: http://www.capitalone.com/careers/hiring/business_case.php
• McKinsey: http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/how_do_i_apply/how_to_do_well_in_the_interview.aspx
• Novantas: http://www.novantas.com/careers_cases2.php
• Boston Consulting Group: http://www.bcg.com/join_bcg/interview_prep/process/default.aspx
• L.E.K. Consulting: http://www.lek.com/careers/europe/how-to-apply/interview-preparation
• Crack the Case: How to Conquer Your Case Interviews, David Ohrvall
• Case in Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation, Marc Consentino
Problem Solving Interview
1. How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?
2. You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and your mass is proportionally reduced so as to maintain your
original density. You are then thrown into an empty glass blender. The blades will start moving in 60
seconds. What do you do?
3. How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?
4. How would you find out if a machine’s stack grows up or down in memory?
5. Explain a database in three sentences to your eight-year-old nephew.
6. How many times a day does a clock’s hands overlap?
7. You have to get from point A to point B. You don’t know if you can get there. What would you do?
8. Imagine you have a closet full of shirts. It’s very hard to find a shirt. So what can you do to organize
your shirts for easy retrieval?
9. In a country in which people only want boys, every family continues to have children until they have a
boy. If they have a girl, they have another child, if they have a boy they stop. What is the proportion of
boys to girls in the country?
Sample Questions from GlassDoor
Case Interviews
Case interviews are used to examine a candidate’s ability to think critically in
analyzing a business problem and to provide insights in an articulate way.

Informational Interviewing
When you reach out to a potential contact, communicate these three things:
1. Why you are reaching out: What would you like to learn about them? Be brief in your explanation.
2. Why THEY are the best person for you to learn from: What makes them unique in their field? What about
their career story intrigues you?
3. What you are asking for: How much time will you need? Do you want to meet in person, or through Skype,
or by phone? Offer times to meet, but indicate that you can adjust to their schedule. Ask for 20-30 minutes of
their time.
Sample Informational Interview Request (Email)
Dear Mr. Jones,
During a recent search of the Duke Alumni LinkedIn group, I learned you are a graduate of the Pratt School of
Engineering at Duke University. LinkedIn also indicates you completed an internship with Bank of America in their
Business Analyst program, which you now work for full-time. I am currently a biomedical engineering student
interested in learning more about how my skills and experience could apply to business.
I have specifically considered the Business Analyst Program with Bank of America and I wanted to ask if you would
offer fifteen minutes of your time to discuss your career path and experiences after graduating from Duke. I believe
it is important for me to gain a practical, real world perspective about the field of financial services.
If you are willing, I would appreciate the opportunity to learn from you either over the phone or in person.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Engineering
jengineering@duke.edu
Sample Thank You Note (Follow-Up)
Dear Mr. Jones,
Thank you for the opportunity last week to learn about your experiences at Duke and with Bank of America. I
found our discussion about career paths to be extremely insightful as I set out on my own career search. Your
detailed information concerning the Business Analyst Program at Bank of America was very helpful and I plan to
apply for the position when it opens next month.
I appreciated the time you took to meet with me. As discussed, I have attached my resume for your review. Thank
you for offering to review it.
Kind Regards,
Jennifer Engineering

Sample Informational Interview Questions
Biographical Information
• How did you get started in this field?
• What was your educational background?
Career Exploration
• What are your major responsibilities?
• What is the most/least rewarding aspect of your job?
• Would you choose this career again?
• What is a typical day like, or what does an average work week involve?
• What is the most common career path?
• What obligations does your work put on you outside of the actual job?
• What are some lifestyle considerations for this career field?
• What are some common entry-level positions in the field of _____?
• What kind of salary range and benefits could an entry level position expect to receive?
• What kind of individual (skills/personality) would be best suited for these entry-level positions?
• What types of people typically do well in this field?
• What are the most important factors used when hiring?
• What is the best educational preparation for a career in this field?
• Which classes and experience would be most helpful to obtain while still in college?
• How high is turnover?
• How does one move or advance within the organization?
Job Search and Industry Knowledge
• How do people find out about open positions in this field?
• What types of skills and experience should I emphasize on my CV or resume?
• What is the future outlook for this career?
• What are areas for potential growth/decline?
• How do you see jobs changing in the future?
• Which professional journals/organizations would be most helpful in evaluating the field?
• Who else do you recommend I talk with, and may I have permission to use your name?
• Can you recommend other types of organizations I might investigate or contact?
TIP: If you know the answers to the
first few questions because you did
your research, indicate that to the
professional you are interviewing!
Informational Interviewing, cont.

Developing a 30-Second Commercial
What is it?
One of the keys to successful interviewing and networking is to make a really strong first impression, and one of
the first opportunities to make this impression is very often the result of responding to the question “Tell me about
yourself.” The answer: your personal “commercial.” It is essentially an overview of your experience, skills, strengths,
accomplishments and goals – all in 30 seconds!
When will I use it?
You will use your 30-second commercial throughout your professional life. Some of the situations where you will be
able to use it now are:
• At an interview
• In a cover letter –to highlight your background and key abilities.
• At professional networking events – when you are asked to introduce yourself.
• In cold calling employers for a co-op or future job.
• When introducing yourself to a potential employer at a career fair.
What should I include in my 30-second commercial?
The structure of a 30 second commercial generally follows this pattern:
1. Introduce yourself, as appropriate.
2. Discuss your “experience.” As a student, this would include your major field of study. If you have practical
experience in the field you could include that as well.
3. State a strength or skill the employer would be interested in.
4. Follow that with an accomplishment (or two) that proves you have that skill. It can be related to school, work,
a volunteer experience, an activity (like Eagle Scout), etc.
5. Describe your employment goal—what are you looking for now and/or in the future?
6. Most importantly, tell how you can immediately benefit the company.
What should I keep in mind about developing my 30-second commercial?
Practice, practice, practice!!! Your 30-second commercial should be conversational and natural. Although prepared
in advance, it should never sound memorized. You want to appear confident, enthusiastic, poised and professional.
Make it memorable but not outrageous. You are competing with many other qualified candidates and your
commercial should allow you to stand out a bit from the crowd. Whether it is the vocabulary you choose or a
specific achievement you mention, you want to engage the listener and give them an opportunity to see your
personality.
Be prepared for follow-up questions, especially in an interview. You may be asked for more information or to
elaborate on something you said, which will keep the conversation going. Part of your strategy is to develop a
rapport with the interviewer/employer and a good commercial and follow-up will help to set a positive tone.
Vary your closing to fit the circumstances. For an interview focusing on how you can benefit the company or how
you fit the particular position is appropriate. At a networking event or Career Fair you want to be proactive and
may want to consider an action question – “May I send you a resume?” or “May I have your business card and
contact you …”

Questions to Think about in Developing your 30-Second Elevator Pitch :
1. What is your career goal? (usually in the form of doing something for someone)
___________________________________________________________________
2. What skill or strength do you have that would help you realize that goal?
____________________________________________________________________
3. What accomplishment proves you have that skill or strength?
____________________________________________________________________
4. What are you searching for in a job?
____________________________________________________________________
5. How can you immediately benefit the company/organization?
____________________________________________________________________
Here’s ONE example framework to get you started on your 30-second Elevator Pitch:
NOTE : THIS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO CRAFT YOUR PITCH!!!
Hello, [__________________], my name is _______________. I am a [class year] here at Duke majoring in __________. I am
[strength, experience, etc.], which I demonstrated when I [accomplishment] and I think my experience in [what?]
has equipped me to succeed as a [what position?] at [company or organization]. Could you please tell me about the
characteristics of successful entry-level [position] at your company?
Write a draft of your 30-second “elevator pitch” here:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Developing a 30-Second Commercial , cont.

Additional Documents
Cover Letter
Curriculum Vitae
Internships
Interviewing
Job Search
Networking
Resume
Additional Resources
Career Center Skills Guides
Cover Letter Skills Guide
Curriculum Vitae Skills Guide
Internships Skills Guide
Interviewing Skills Guide
Networking Skills Guide
Resume Skills Guide
Strategic Search Skills Guide

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