Effective Interviewing
The 3 Questions Your Interview Should Address
Can you do the job?
Why, specifically, do you want this job, with our organization?
Will we enjoy working with you as a colleague?
When you're talking to professionals, it's important to be prepared to show them why you're interesting and relevant. Share your skills, qualities, and experiences with confidence, but remember to strike a balance. Be proud of your accomplishments, but avoid being either boastful or overly modest: just present your relevant strengths in a confident and straightforward way, as if you were describing a colleague whom you respect.
Professionals love hearing about your strengths and what you've achieved, but make sure you can back them up with concise examples from your experience. That way, they can see how capable and talented you are.
For information on which questions are not legal for employers to ask, and ways you might address those, see the Confidence section below.
This worksheet can help you identify your skills, qualities, and expertise most relevant to the qualifications and preferences in the posting. to prepare for the interview. You can review and add to it when you prepare for your negotiations later in the process.
The Goal of the Interview
Find the Perfect Fit
Both you and the interviewer have the same goal: to figure out if you're a good match for each other.
Talk about your experiences, talents, soft skills (like communication or teamwork), education or training, and personal qualities.
Prepare 2-3 interesting questions that demonstrate your knowledge of them and your curiosity, to show that you're invested in the opportunity.
Remember that you are interviewing them as well, so observe how they interact, and how they answer your questions.
Present Your Best Self
Master Your Introduction
Introduce yourself concisely, especially when faced with questions like "Tell Me About Yourself."
Give a quick overview of your current situation, how you got there, and what you aspire to achieve in the future.
Highlight 3-5 of your top strengths that most match their needs. These can include relevant aspects of your education, experience, skills, and personal qualities.
Back up your strengths with brief examples of how you've demonstrated them in action.
Connect your strengths to the work they do and how you can benefit them. That shows them that you understand their needs and can contribute to their success.
Discover Common Ground
"Why work for us?"
Show that you've done your homework by researching their organization. Let them know that you've taken the time to learn about them.
Highlight what specifically interests you about the company or organization, and how your abilities align with those interests. It could be their mission, values, projects, or even their company culture.
Explain how your own passions and interests align with what they are trying to achieve. Let them see that you share a common vision and that your skills and abilities can contribute to their success.
Embrace Your Strengths & Overcome Weaknesses
Strengths
Choose something you're really good at, like problem-solving, creativity, or being a great team player. Share examples of how you've demonstrated this strength in action.
Weaknesses
Choose a genuine weakness that you've had (we all have areas where we can improve), and for which you have developed a strategy. What's important is to describe how you manage it. Explain the steps you've taken to ensure it doesn't become a problem for you or for them. It could be through learning new skills, seeking help, or developing a plan.
Tell Your Story
P.A.R.T. Formula
Problem
Start by briefly describing the problem or challenge you faced. Keep it to the bare essentials because the interviewer is most interested in your action and result.
Action
Talk about the specific actions you took to address the problem. Share the steps you followed and the strategies you implemented. This shows your initiative and problem-solving skills.
Result
Share the outcome of your actions. What positive impact did your efforts have? Did you achieve a goal, solve a problem, or make a difference? Be sure to highlight the positive results you achieved. (They don't have to be perfect.)
Takeaway
You can choose to include a takeaway where you describe what you learned from the experience and what you would do differently next time. That shows your ability to reflect and grow from challenges.
Answer with Confidence
Give the Short Answer
Begin by giving a concise response to the question. This shows that you can start with the main point, and provide a clear and focused answer.
You don't need to answer illegal questions that are against U.S. discrimination laws, about your age, ethnic identity, political or religious affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, place of birth, height or weight, health or disability, etc.
Instead, address what might be their underlying concern (e.g., can you travel, work well with people different from you). Or, you could say, "I don't think that's a question I'm supposed to answer."
Support It
Take the opportunity to provide more details and expand on your response. This allows you to showcase your knowledge and demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively.
Starting with the short answer also helps you focus, and avoid rambling with unnecessary information in this step.
Think Out Loud
While describing your approach or thought process, share your thinking with the interviewer. They are genuinely interested in understanding how your mind works and how you approach challenges. This shows your analytical skills and problem-solving abilities.
If You Don't Know
It's okay if you don't know the answer to a question. Be honest and say something like, "I haven't had a chance to work with that yet. The way I might approach it is..." Then, share how you would go about finding the answer. Emphasize that you're eager to learn and that you learn quickly.
Employers value your knowledge but also how you handle unfamiliar situations.