TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
Your answer should be a layout of your resume. What the interviewers are asking you for is a brief, chronological story of your professional life, not your life story. Try to focus on your academic projects, what led you into this field that you are interested in, your recent work experiences and accomplishments, and what interests you in this position. Be sure to highlight how these experiences/accomplishments correlate with the position you’re interviewing for. If you’re interviewing for a management position but never had a management title, you should be able to articulate how being the class president, team/project leader, etc. correlates with the position you’re sitting for. Depending on the situation, it’s nice to add something about yourself that could demonstrate your interests or hobbies besides the job. Keep the answer concise, ideally under three minutes.
EXAMPLE (No Job Title or Formal Experience): Firstly, I want to thank you all for this incredible opportunity to interview for your Project Manager position. I can certainly understand if you’re questioning my background and how it may relate to this position but let me assure you, I have the experience even though I have not held the title. I’ve been in college for the last sixteen (16) years [fun joke and some may get it] and have had numerous opportunities to lead large class projects, review and systematically fix team challenges, organize team rosters and at times, advise others that they’re not best suited for the team. I achieved a 3.xx GPA, graduated in May with my Bachelors in Supervisory Management and am eager to jump into assisting your company in every way I know how.
EXAMPLE (Have Held the Title): Thank you so much for this opportunity! As you’ll see on my resume, the past two (2) years I’ve had the pleasure of working for xxxxxxxxxx as a Project Manager where I oversaw xxxxxxxxxxxxx. In working there, I’ve increased my leadership skills, attention to detail and time management. The Project Manager can make or break meeting set goals, and I will do everything in my power to always meet our [using “our” makes them subconsciously envision you as part of the team] goals. I’m a workaholic and will put in 110%.
WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR THIS POSITION?
The purpose of this question is to find out what you understand about the organization—its mission, structure, number of headquarters, founders, etc. Showing your familiarity with the specified job description and the company itself helps connect the dots between your previous experience and what you are looking for. Use this question as an opportunity to demonstrate that you’re genuinely motivated and interested in being a part of this new team and strongly believe that you are a good fit for it. Aim to share at least four sentences outlining your main points regarding the company and how your background will benefit it. The interviewers want to know that you’re as interested in them (if not more) as they are in you.
EXAMPLE: I applied for this position because I’ve been watching this company grow since its startup. I’ve been impressed with how the CEO has grabbed the market by storm and truly appreciates her biggest assets (her employees). I was too scared in the beginning because startups do not usually pan out well within the first five (5) years; however, this company has surpassed that timeline and has impressed me with the expansion to five (5) states and two (2) countries. I would be ecstatic if I could help fulfill the mission of providing the human in Human Resources 😊.
TELL US ABOUT A PROJECT WHERE YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS AND HOW YOU HANDLED IT.
When going through that specific situation from the past, it’s recommended to use the STAR method: situation, task, action, and result. For the situation, explain what your role was (scribing, leadership, etc.); for the task, talk about the obstacle that came up during that time frame; for the action, explain your thought process throughout the situation and the solutions that you came up with and implemented; and for the result, describe the impact of your decision on that specific problem as well as the team. When asked this question, it is recommended to share what you learned from it, what specific soft or hard skills helped you to navigate through the stress and successfully complete the project, and at the same time demonstrate your positive outlook when it comes to resolutions of presented issues at work.
EXAMPLE: I once was leading a project where we had thirteen (13) individuals on the team with all different backgrounds and specialties. We had to complete the project within four (4) weeks and 1.5 weeks in, COVID regulations came out where we could no longer meet in person. Within 24 hours, I was able to brainstorm, research and get authorization for all members to receive loaner laptops with Microsoft Office (specifically Teams) so the team could continue without missing a beat. For the next 2.5 weeks, I ensured we had continual communication, I provided motivation, and we hit our goal with the client satisfied with the result.
WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES?
The purpose of this question is to assess your level of honesty and self-awareness. As a human being and a potential employee, it is important to recognize your weakness without seeming inadequate and show your strengths without appearing arrogant and overconfident. Avoid giving a generic answer but instead try to include examples from your work life while talking about your strengths and weaknesses during an interview. It gives your statements greater impact and validity. It demonstrates how you have used your self-abilities in practical settings. One thing to be sure though is to not use a positive as a weakness (ex. “I think my weakness is that I care too much.”
EXAMPLE: I believe my strengths are that I’m confident in my abilities to deliver product(s) needed, am a team player who will help others (usually without being asked) and am reliable to a fault. As for my weakness, I tend to get into the minutia because I tend to provide said assistance to others which can sometimes take away from the bigger picture.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS?
Yes, this question is still being asked and yes, we don’t know what’s going to happen that much ahead of time, but the interviewers often want to see if you intend on staying at the company for a long time or if you are simply testing the water and exploring different options, which is not a negative, but it definitely raises concerns—especially if it’s a small business or small department where the team is tight and looking for someone that will commit and be a good fit. You want to be sure your answer reflects either growth or loyalty with the company you’re interviewing with.
EXAMPLE: I don’t usually plan that far ahead; however, if I’m blessed to obtain this position, in five (5) years, I can see myself at this company and possibly with a higher-level position. Honestly, I’d be happy wherever you see the best fit for me inside this company.