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Interview Questions
Types of Questions
Interviewers use five different types of questions - directive,
non-directive, hypothetical, behaviour descriptive, and stress. Being aware
of the different types can help you in the preparation stage as you build
your skills inventory. It may also help you focus in on exactly what is
being asked and what the employer is looking for in specific questions.
Directive Questions
The interviewer determines the focus of your answer. The information that
the interviewer wants is very clear. If you have completed the research on
yourself, this type of question should be easy to answer.
| Example: |
"What skills do you have that relate to this position?" |
|
"I have very good communication and interpersonal skills that I
have refined through several summer and part-time jobs working with the
public. In addition, I am fluent in both English and French." |
Non-Directive Questions
You determine the focus of your answer. The interviewer asks a general
question and does not ask for specific information. The most common
non-directive question is "Tell me about yourself." When answering
the question, keep in mind that the employer is interested in knowing how
your background and personality qualify you for the job. In your answer, you
should cover four areas: your education, related experience, skills and
abilities, and personal attributes. As you talk about these areas, relate
them to the job you are seeking. Decide what your response will be before
starting to speak, this helps to keep responses concise.
| Example: |
"Tell me about yourself." |
|
"I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, and have recently
completed the course in Volunteer Management through the Volunteer
Centre of Winnipeg. These have given me a strong background in many of
the principles of human behaviour and the recruitment, training, and
supervision of volunteers. I have experience in working with young
adults in a helping capacity, both through my position as a Peer
Advisor at the University of Manitoba, and as a camp counsellor at a
camp for behaviourally troubled adolescents. Both of these positions
involved individual counselling, facilitating discussion groups, and
teaching young people about health issues - all of which relate
directly to the services which I would be training volunteers to
provide within your organization. In addition, I thoroughly enjoy
working with young people, and can establish rapport with them easily." |
Hypothetical or Scenario Questions
When asking a hypothetical question, the interviewer describes a situation
which you may encounter in the position and asks how you would react in a
similar situation. This is a good way to test problem solving abilities. When
answering this type of question, try applying a simple problem solving model
to it - gather information, evaluate the information, priorize the
information, seek advice, weigh the alternatives, make a decision,
communicate the decision, monitor the results and modify if necessary.
| Example: |
"Suppose you are working your first day in our laboratory, and a
fire at a nearby work station breaks out. What would you do?" |
|
"Before I start working in any laboratory, I always locate the
emergency equipment, such as eye washes, fire blankets and alarms. I
would also review the safety protocols. So in this situation, I would
be aware of these. As soon as I noticed the fire, I would shut down my
experiment and if the fire is significant, I would pull the fire alarm
and help to evacuate the lab. In the case of a very small flame, I
would ask the staff member at that station what I could do to help,
which would vary with the type of substances involved." |
Behaviour Descriptive or Behavioural Questions
This type of question is becoming increasingly popular in interview
situations. It asks what you did in a particular situation rather than what
you would do. Situations chosen usually follow the job description fairly
closely. Some employers feel that examples of past performance will help
them to predict future performance in similar situations. There is no right
or wrong answer to this type of question, but keep in mind that you should
relate the answer to the position. If you are interviewing for a research
position, talk about a research project you completed.
| Example: |
"Give me an example of a work situation in which you were proud of your performance." |
|
"While working as a sales representative for XYZ Company for the
summer, I called on prospective clients and persuaded them of the
ecological and economic benefits of recycling. I also followed up on
clients to ensure that they were satisfied with the service they
received. This involved both telephone and in-person contacts. I
increased sales 34% over the same period in the previous year." |
When preparing for this type of questioning, it is crucial that you
review the skills and qualities that the position would require and identify
specific examples from your past which demonstrated those traits.
Stress Questions
Some questions will surprise you and possibly make you feel uncomfortable
during an interview. For example, "Which do you prefer, fruits or
vegetables?" There are many reasons why an interviewer might ask such
questions. They may want to see how you react in difficult situations, or
they may simply be trying to test your sense of humour. Such questions may
directly challenge an opinion that you have just stated or say something
negative about you or a reference. Sometimes they ask seemingly irrelevant
questions such as, "If you were an animal, what type of animal would you
be?" The best way to deal with this type of question is to recognize what
is happening. The interviewer is trying to elicit a reaction from you. Stay
calm, and do not become defensive. If humour comes naturally to you, you
might try using it in your response, but it is important to respond to the
question. What you say is not nearly as important as maintaining your
composure.
| Example: |
"Which do you like better, Lions or Tigers?" |
|
"Oh, lions definately. They appear so majestic and are very sociable. To be honest, I think that seeing The Lion King four times has probably contributed to this!" |
