Interview Guide
Interviews are used for both full-time job and internship opportunities, as well as service, graduate/professional school and fellowship opportunities. They are perhaps the most significant part of the evaluation process.
Your Goals
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Showcase your skills and qualifications
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Demonstrate that you are a match for the position through specific examples of past experiences and/or your values and mission
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Determine if the position/organization are a good fit for you
The Interviewer’s Goals:
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If you have the skills to do the job
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If you are motivated to do the job
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If you are a fit with the organization’s culture
Steps on how to prepare (more on this later)
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Know yourself and your qualifications
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Analyze the position and know the responsibilities
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Research the organization and industry
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Practice your responses to common questions
Types of Interviews:
Resume/Traditional: This form of interviewing goes through your resume. Questions are about your education, prior work experience, and activities. It is very straightforward. Be ready with examples.
Behavioral Interviewing (Most Common): Based on the principle that the best way to predict future behavior is from past behavior, behavioral questions typically begin with “tell me about a time when…” or “Give me an example of when…” You should utilize the STAR technique (below) to describe how your specific experiences relate to the job.
Analytical: Analytical interviews evaluate a candidate’s ability ot analyze problem, ask questions and propose potential solutions, They are focused on determining how a candidate thinks.
Situational: Some companies, especially those in consulting, finance, or tech, are concerned not only with your experience but also with your ability to address complex problems and reach logical conclusions. The emphasis here is on your thought process; there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer.
Technical: Companies in financial services, accountancy, technology, engineering or science may ask questions related to academic coursework or concepts (e.g. programming skills) and/or industry knowledge.
What to research beforehand:
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For-Profit Organizations Annual reports Letter to shareholders Company history and mission Company leaders Organizational structure Products/line of business Primary location Stock price/trends; PE ratio Annual revenue Capitalization News Articles/Recent Announcements Industry Knowledge Industry background Competitors Relative size in industry market Industry trends and facts Industry jargon Resources: ReferenceUSA, IBISWorld, Business Insights Essentials, Business Source Complete, Mergent Online |
Nonprofit Organizations Organization Knowledge Mission and services Populations served How the organization refers to its constituents Executive Director, CEO or President on all levels Income and assets; sources of funding and percentage or each to overall funds Local, regional, national and world aspects of the organization Size of local and/or national organization Volunteer structure and size Board of Directors Partnerships with community, other agencies and organizations, corporations Initiatives, achievements, and impact measures from the Annual report. Sector Knowledge Current size, numbers served, number or employees within the nonprofit sector Sector trends and current economic state Resources: Idealist, National Council of Nonprofits, GuideStarr, National Center for Charitable Statistics, Nonprofit Career Core Competencies. |
Government Agency Organizational Knowledge Public service mission Top positions titles and names in agency Level of government at which the agency functions (city, state, federal) Branch of government Size and jurisdiction of office and parent agency Recruiting terminology Political appointments, elected and hired positions within the agency Partnerships with nonprofit organizations Contracts and business relationships with for-profit organizations Relationships of government agencies to other government departments or agencies. Resources: Index of US Government Departments and Agencies, The Guardian Public Sector Careers, Government Executive News, GoGovernment, Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. |
Common Interview Questions
Resume-Based/Qualification Behavioral
- Why are you interested in our organization? Industry?
- What work experience has been the most valuable to you and why?
- Why did you choose to attend the University of Dallas and how did you select your major(s)?
- How do you think you have changed personally in the past (five) years?
- What challenges are you looking for in a position?
- What three trends do you see in the future for our industry?
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want to work in (career field)?
- Why do you feel you will be successful in this program?
- What is your greatest strength/weakness, and how will it affect your performance in this program?
- What are some of the most creative things you have done?
- What characteristics do you think are important for this position?
- Tell me about your summer internship.
- How has your education at University of Dallas prepared you for this position?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What has been the biggest accomplishment in your life and why?
- Why should I hire you?
- Give an example of a problem you have solved and the process you used.
- Describe a situation in which you had a conflict with another individual and how you dealt with it.
- What idea have you developed and implemented that was
- particularly creative or innovative?
- Tell me about a team project of which you are particularly proud and your contribution.
- What types of situations put you under pressure, and how do you deal with the pressure?
- Tell me about a situation when you had to persuade another person to your point of view.
- Describe a time when you added value to an existing work process.
- Describe a leadership role you have held, and tell me why you committed your time to it.
- In thinking about a past position you have held, what did you do to make your duties more effective?
- Describe one of the toughest competitive situations you have faced and how you handled it.
- What has been one of your greatest disappointments and how did you respond?
- Tell me about a time you failed.
- Describe a situation in which you were criticized, and how you responded.
- Tell me about a time you went above the call of duty.
STAR Technique
The STAR technique provides a concise and thorough framework for organizing responses to behavioral interview questions. Describing specific experiences adds credibility to your responses regarding your qualifications for the opposition. Begin analyzing and identifying themes within the job description. Then reflect on your experiences to identify examples of when you demonstrated the skills, qualities and knowledge required for the position. You should draw from classroom, extracurricular, volunteering, and job/internships experiences. Think about what skills you can highlight with each example as well as the questions for which you can use each example.
SITUATION Describe the context of the situation - class project, student org, volunteer, job
TASK Describe the task of your specific role: goal, problem to be solved, improvement etc.
ACTION Describe the actions you took - planning, implementation
RESULT Describe the outcomes of your action - impact, influence, change
Example
Situation: During my senior year, I was president of a student club, I was working on my thesis, and I was working part-time. I had so much on my plate that I became overwhelmed. Task: I realized that I would need to be really organized and ask for help or I would get burned out. Action: I started keeping a detailed calendar and task list that let me see everything that was due so I would be prepared. And I started delegating some of the club tasks to other officers. I realized that would help me and give them practice for next year after I’ve graduated. Results: Those things helped me stay on top of my commitments and maintain my grades, and I made the Dean’s List. Bonus: I learned that you have to address stressful issues before they get out of hand. And I learned it's OK to ask for help.
Questions to ask the Interviewer
Industry Questions
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In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products/services over the past several years compared to your competitors?
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What challenges and opportunities do you see over the next two years regarding growth?
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What kind of changes do you expect to see over the next two to three years
Organization Question
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Could you talk about the key data that drives goal setting and strategic planning?
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How would you describe the culture or the organization?
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Does your organization encourage its employees to pursue additional education?
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How do you feel my style will complement the team culture?
Position Questions
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How is employee performance evaluated during the training period?
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As an [position] what kind of projects will I receive?
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What characteristics describe individuals who are successful in this positions?
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What are key deliverables and outcomes that this position must achieve?
Interview dress
What you wear to an interview should make you feel comfortable and confident while projecting an image that matches the requirements of the position and organization. For business professional clothing black, grey and navy two piece suits, dresses, slacks are expected with nice shirts/blouses and professional shoes (like heels). For business casual attire nice slacks or pants are acceptable with a nice button down shirt or blouse. Flats, heels, and loafers are advisable.
Post interview follow-up
A thank you note restating your interest in the position and the organization should be sent within 24 hours of each interview, to each person with whom you spoke. Some companies and hiring managers do not expect this, however, it rarely hurts to show your interest in the position in this way. Reference something you discussed during the interview. Take no further action until at least one week beyond the date when they said they would contact you. At that time a phone call to see if a decision has been made is appropriate.
Thank you note example:
Practicing Different Types of Interviews
Analytical interviews evaluate a candidate’s ability ot analyze problem, ask questions and propose potential solutions, They are focused on determining how a candidate thinks.
Most companies are looking for three things: (1) an analytical mindset, (2) communication skills, and (3) potential for growth.
How to succeed in an analytical interview
- Think out loud. Analytical interviews are focused on your thoughts process, so interviewers want to hear what your thinking, what information is standing out to you,, and any considerations and assumptions you’re making.
- Consider all the information provided. Analyze and understand every component of the question and provided information before fully answering the question.
- Don’t hesitate to ask questions. You may not always have every piece of needed information. Always ask, interviewers want to know what you would do, and if that’s gathering more information that is perfectly acceptable.
- Support your answer. Supporting your answer with evidence and your thought process can be more important and telling than you’re actual answer.
- Don’t let the question distract you. Sometimes analytical interviews have complex and unfamiliar questions, this is meant to evaluate how you would tackle a new problem. Focus on what you do know and ask build from there–this can include asking questions!
Technical interviews are common during the recruitment process for roles that require specific skills, like computer science, data analysis, and software engineering. Broadly speaking, most technical interviews will include: (1) a behavioral descriptive interview (BDI), (2) analytical algorithms/coding section, and (3) a predictive modeling case study.
Companies are typically looking for an analytical mindset, communication skills, and the potential for growth.
How to succeed in the technical interview
- Focus on the details. Be prepared to talk in detail about the technical skills and knowledge listed on your resume.
- Stick to what you know best. Code in the language you’re the most comfortable in, if that’s R, Python or SQL.
- Tell–not just show–your work. Demonstrate that you are able to explain your techniques and thought process while working through a coding situation.
- Invite collaboration while you work. The interview should be interactive, so talk through what you are thinking. Your interview team does not expect you to get to a perfect solution right away and is prepared to help you work through the problem together.
- Ask clarifying questions. You may need more information and that’s okay!
- Don't rush. Take time and even take notes if you feel it’s necessary.
Behavior interviews are the typical interview set up, which we described above. Situational interview are similar but instead of concrete past examples asked about in the behavioral interview, situational interviews mainly focus on theoretical scenarios. For example:
“How would you handle a project with a tight deadline?”
“What would you do if you were on the phone with an upset customer?”
These questions allow you to showcase quick thinking and problem solving skills.
How to succeed in the situational interview
- Remember that there are no right or wrong answers. Be honest about how you would handle a situation because it will help the employer (and you!) determine if the job is a good fit for you.
- Know what to expect. Practicing beforehand is paramount to ensure you’re successful in these interviews. Contact OPCD and ask for a mock interview. We’ll help curate questions to ensure you’re prepared.
- Tell a story. Just like with behavioral interviews, narrative formats are the best
way to convey your answers. You can tie in your experience around handling a similar
situation when answering the hypothetical scenario presented to you.
How to use the STAR Method in an situational interview
Recall that STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result.
SITUATION Describe how you view the hypothetical situation.
TASK Describe what you see as the task for this situation
ACTION Describe the actions you would take - planning, implementation
RESULT Describe the outcomes of your action you’d like to achieve - impact, influence, change