You’ve landed the interview—great work! Now, it is time to prepare. Let’s talk about job interview questions and answers! Most candidates have a lot of anxiety as they wonder what will be asked. I can help decrease that anxiety and replace it with confidence!
Job Interview Questions and Answers
Situational and behavioral interview questions are among the most common these days. By asking these types of questions, hiring managers get a better insight as to who the candidate is and how he/she will respond to certain situations. The key to interview success with situational job interview questions and answers is to tell stories and give specific examples!
Using the STAR Method with Job Interview Questions and Answers
To ensure that your illustrations and stories in a job interview accomplish your goal and resonate with the hiring team, use the STAR method! By including these four components, you will ensure the hiring team understands who you are and how you handle various situations.
Situation – Provide background information for the audience
Task – Describe the challenges and problem
Action – Explain what you did and how
Results – Provide the outcome or resolution in a tangible way
Let’s look at a couple of examples of common job interview questions and answers using the STAR method.
Examples of Job Interview Questions and Answers
What does exceptional customer service look like to you?
If you work in a consumer-facing role, it is likely you will be asked this question or a similar variation. A common approach by job candidates is to describe different characteristics of good customer services.
Response One
I believe exceptional customer service includes exceeding expectations by overdelivering to customers, especially in difficult circumstances. While turning a negative experience into a positive one can be a challenge, I know it is crucial for the reputation and brand of a business and is a top priority for me in a customer service role. This means going above and beyond my job duties and possibly following up with customers to ensure a good relationship is maintained.
Is this a bad answer? Not necessarily; however, it is not going to make you the standout candidate either. A better response to the above question would be to describe what exceptional customer service looks like to you and then tell a story using the STAR method. Give them real insight as to who you are, why you are qualified, and how you have demonstrated exceptional customer service. This question is your opportunity to knock it out of the park!
Response Two
I believe exceptional customer service includes exceeding expectations by overdelivering to customers, especially in difficult circumstances. While turning a negative experience into a positive one can be a challenge, I know it is crucial for the reputation and brand of a business and is a top priority for me in a customer service role.
I had many opportunities to demonstrate exceptional customer service in my role at Smithy Toys. One instance was three days before Christmas, a very busy and high-stress time of the year for our store and our customers! A mother came to collect an online order at the store that had several gifts for her children. Unfortunately, the item had not yet arrived despite the promised delivery date has been the day prior. As you can imagine, the customer was quite upset and began to panic! (Situation) I immediately expressed empathy and my commitment to correcting the situation. I checked product availability online at nearby stores and our warehouse. (Task) Within minutes, I discovered that our warehouse had all three products in-stock and, with expedited delivery, we could have them on her doorstep the next day. I offered this solution to the customer with free delivery and a discount coupon to be used on her next purchase for the inconvenience. (Action) The customer left grateful for my efforts and satisfied with the outcome. (Result) To ensure that her holiday was not impacted, I followed up with a phone call the next day to ensure that the expedited package had arrived. She was pleasantly surprised that I took the time to follow-up and thanked me for going out of my way to make sure the issue was resolved. I knew I had exceeded her expectations and it felt great to know I had represented Smithy Toys well!
Do you notice the difference between the two job interview questions and answers? The second response is much more detailed and specific. The hiring manager will have a much better understanding of what exceptional customer service means to you because you have clearly illustrated it using a story and the STAR method. Let’s look at another example.
Describe a time you had a conflict a work. How did you handle it?
While I do my best to manage situations before they become conflicts, occasionally they do arise. I once had a conflict with a colleague when I was a part-time lifeguard at the YMCA in college. While we worked well together most of the time, we did have a conflict due to our very different personalities. I have a very proactive, type-A personality. She, on the other hand, was more laid back and reactive in nature. We were working the water slide pool together during a shift when two safety issues occurred simultaneously. There were two middle school-aged boys playing too roughly in the pool and one young girl who was floating and getting too close to the end of the water slide. I quickly asked her to address the two boys while I tended to the small girl. (Task) Unfortunately, when I returned from redirecting the young girl, my colleague was still at the lifeguard station and the boys were still playing roughly in the pool. I raised my voice and accused her of not doing her job. Because of the way I handled the situation, she became defensive, and rightfully so. After having a few minutes to reflect on the situation, I realized I was wrong. I had over-reacted. I apologized for my behavior and we made amends. (Action) She explained that right after I had walked away, the boys had stopped their behavior and it had only resumed right as I came back. Rather than both of us abandoning the lifeguard station, she stayed there as it appeared as if the situation had resolved itself. I felt bad for my behavior, apologized again, and restored our working relationship. From this situation, I learned to not jump to conclusions or react without first pausing and analyzing the situation or asking a question. I have avoided other conflicts since then by learning from this situation. (Result)
Acing Job Interview Questions and Answers
As you can see, the STAR Method can really help you with job interview questions and answers. Do your best to build in as many stories and examples as you can in a job interview. The number one mistake job candidates make is giving brief, generic responses to questions. My biggest tip is to prepare a few stories in advance as you can often use an interview story to illustrate several different points!
Do you have an interview? I can help!
I love helping candidates prepare for an interview! If you have an interview, let me help you prepare interview answers and stories that will make you stand out and adequately illustrate your skills and experience. Are you short on time? No problem! An hour session is all it takes to help you confidently knock your next interview out of the park!
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