Get prepared for the interview

Work-related

• Briefly summarize your work experience to date.
• Relate your past experience to this position.
• Explain more fully your responsibilities at the ABC Branch.
• What have been your major accomplishments?
• What are you the most proud of? (May be a professional or personal accomplishment)
• What is important to you in your work?
• What have you enjoyed most, or least?
• Describe a problem situation in your past work experience and explain how you resolved it.
• What type of references would your (past) employer(s) give you? Provide details.

Skill Assessment

• What are your main strengths?
• What are the areas where you need to improve?
• Why do you feel qualified for this position?
• Explain how you meet the essential and asset qualifications.

Management

• Describe your management style.
• As a manager, what would you look for when hiring people?
• What do you see as the most difficult task in being a manager?
• Why do you feel you have good potential to be a manager?

Self-evaluation and Motivation

• How would you describe yourself?
• Describe your relationship to your superiors, peers and subordinates.
• What is it about our organization that attracts you?
• Why do you think we should hire you?
• Why are you seeking a change at this time?
• Explain how you are a right fit for this job.

General

• How do you deal with frustration? With pressure?
• Where do you see yourself in 3 to 5 years? In 10 years?
• What does job satisfaction mean to you?
• If you had complete freedom of choice, what would you choose to do?

Other Types of Questions

Various other types of questions may be asked in an oral interview. The types of questions asked will depend on the nature of the qualifications assessed or the information sought. Generally, situational, behavioural-based, specific knowledge and ability questions and role play form most of the interview. An interview can contain any of the following types of questions:

Job Knowledge Questions

These questions assess knowledge that is essential to job performance and must be known prior to entering the job. These questions often deal with the technical aspects of the job or basic knowledge that is essential to learn the job. Depending on the level and requirements of the job, these questions may assess basic professional competencies or very complex managerial skills.
Example: "What are the steps involved in developing a project management plan?"

Situational Questions

Usually these questions provide you with a hypothetical job situation. You must respond by describing what you would do in a given situation.
Example: "If you were appointed manager, what would you do to build more cohesive work teams?"

Behaviourally-based Questions

Behaviourally-based interview questions rest on the premise that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. They are a valuable means of finding out whether candidates have demonstrated their qualifications in real situations.
Example: "Can you tell me about a situation in which you were responsible for planning and organizing all the staff, equipment and financial resources necessary to get a job done?"