Prescreening ?s: Making Your Skills Come Alive

Questions are divided into categories that demonstrate that particular skill set. These are only samples, but are representative of what might be asked in any interview situation.

Ability to Learn

• What tricks or techniques have you learned to make school or a job easier, or to make yourself more effective? How did you learn that?
  

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Adaptability

• Tell me about a situation in which you have had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle it?
  
• Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a classmate’s or colleague’s working style in order to complete a project or achieve your objectives.
  
• How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems? How did you handle them?
  
• How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems?
  
• Tell of some situations in which you have had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control. What was the impact of the change on you?
  

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Analytical Skills / Problem Solving

• Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What was your role?
  
• Tell me about a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation. To whom did you make the recommendation? What was your reasoning? What kind of thought process did you go through? Why? Was the recommendation accepted? If not, why?
  
• Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem. What did you do? What was your thought process? What was the outcome? What do you wish you had done differently?
  
• What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision? Why?
  
• What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision?
  
• We can sometimes identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a major problem. Give an example(s) of how you have done this.
  
• Describe a situation in which you had to collect information by asking many questions of several people.
  
• In a supervisory or group leader role, have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee or group member? What was the nature of the discipline? What steps did you take? How did that make you feel? How did you prepare yourself?
  
• Recall a time from your work experience when your manager or supervisor was unavailable and a problem arose. Hat was the nature of the problem? How did you handle that situation? How did that make you feel?
  
• Recall a time when you were assigned what you considered to be a complex project. Specifically, what steps did you take to prepare for and finish the project? Were you happy with the outcome? What one step would you have done differently if given the chance?
  
• What was the most complex assignment you have had? What was your role?
  

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Communication

• Tell me about a recent successful experience in making a speech or presentation? How did you prepare? What obstacles did you face? How did you handle them?
• Have you ever had to "sell" an idea to your classmates or coworkers? How did you do it? Did they accept your idea?
• Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). How did you handle the situation? What obstacles or difficulties did you face? How did you deal with them?
• Tell me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get an important point across.
• Tell me about a situation when you had to speak up (be assertive) in order to get a point across that was important to you.
• Describe the most significant written document, report or presentation which you had to complete.
• Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person, even when that individual may not have personally liked you.
• Have you had to "sell" an idea to your co-workers, classmates or group? How did you do it? Did they "buy" it?
• Tell of a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you-maybe a time when other people missed the key idea being expressed.
• What has been your experience in giving presentations to small or large groups? What has been your most successful experience in speech making?

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Creativity

• When was the last time you thought "outside the box" and how did you do it? Why?
• Tell me about a problem that you’ve solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the outcome? Were you happy or satisfied with it?
• Give me an example of when someone brought you a new idea that was odd or unusual. What did you do?

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Decision Making

• Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed. How did you handle it? Why? Were you happy with the outcome?
• Give me an example of a time when you had to be quick in coming to a decision. What obstacles did you face? What did you do?
• What is the most difficult decision you’ve had to make? How did you arrive at your decision? What was the result?
• Give an example of a time when you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
• What was your most difficult decision in the last 6 months? What made it difficult?
• What kind of decisions do you make rapidly? What kind takes more time? Give examples.

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Goal Setting

• Give me an example of an important goal which you have set and tell me how you reached it. What steps did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? How did you overcome the obstacles?
• Tell me about a goal that you set that you did not reach. What steps did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? How did it make you feel?

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Initiative

• Describe a project or idea (not necessarily your own) that was implemented primarily because of your efforts. What was your role? What was the outcome?
• Describe a situation in which you recognized a potential problem as an opportunity. What did you do? What was the result? What do you wish you had done differently?
• Tell me about a project you initiated. What did you do? Why? What was the outcome? Were you happy with the result?
• Tell me about a time when your initiative caused a change to occur.
• What was the best idea you came up with during your professional or college career? How did you apply it?
• Give me an example of when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
• Give me examples of projects/tasks you started on your own.
• Give some instances in which you anticipated problems and were able to influence a new direction.
• Describe some projects or ideas (not necessarily your own) that were implemented, or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts.
• Describe a situation that required a number of things to be done at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?
• Have you found any ways to make school or a job easier or more rewarding?

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Integrity/Honesty

• Discuss a time when your integrity was challenged. How did you handle it?
• Tell me about a time when you experienced a loss for doing what is right. How did you react?
• Tell me about a business situation when you felt honesty was inappropriate. Why? What did you do?
• Give a specific example of a policy you conformed to with which you did not agree. Why?

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Interpersonal Skills

• Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. How/why was this person difficult? How did you handle it? How did the relationship progress?
• Describe a situation where you found yourself dealing with someone who didn’t like you. How did you handle it?
• Describe a recent unpopular decision you made. How was it received? How did you handle it?
• What, in your opinion, are the key ingredients in guiding and maintaining successful business relationships? Give me examples of how you have made these work for you.
• Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). How did you handle the situation?
• Tell me about a time when you had to work on a team with someone you did not get along with. What happened?
• Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual, and how you dealt with it. What was the outcome? How did you feel about it?
• Describe a situation in which you were able to effectively "read" another person and guide your actions by your understanding of their needs and values.
• What have you done in past situations to contribute toward a teamwork environment?
• Describe a recent unpopular decision you made and what the result was.
• Tell me about the most difficult or frustrating individual that you’ve ever had to work with, and how you managed to work with them.

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Leadership

• Tell me about a team project when you had to take the lead or take charge of the project? What did you do? How did you do it? What was the result?
• Describe a leadership role of yours. Why did you commit your time to it? How did you feel about it?
• What is the toughest group that you have had to get cooperation from? What were the obstacles? How did you handle the situation? What were the reactions of the group members? What was the end result?
• Give an example of your ability to build motivation in your co-workers, classmates, and even if on a volunteer committee.
• What is the toughest group that you have had to get cooperation from? Describe how you handled it. What was the outcome?
• Have you ever been a member of a group where two of the members did not work well together? What did you do to get them to do so?

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Motivation

• Give an example of a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
• Tell me about an important goal that you set in the past. Were you successful? Why?
• Describe a situation when you were able to have a positive influence on the actions of others.
• How would you define "success" for someone in your chosen career?
• Give examples of your experiences at school or in a job that were satisfying. Give examples of your experiences that were dissatisfying.
• What kind of supervisor do you work best for? Provide examples.

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Planning And Organization / Time Management

• Describe a situation that required you to do a number of things at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?
• How do you prioritize projects and tasks when scheduling your time? Give me some examples.
• Tell me about a project that you planned. How did your organize and schedule the tasks? Tell me about your action plan.
• What have you done in order to be effective with your organization and planning?
• How do you schedule your time? Set priorities? How do you handle doing twenty things at once?
• What do you do when your time schedule or project plan is upset by unforeseen circumstances? Give an example.
• Describe how you develop a project team’s goals and project plan?
• How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give examples.
• Describe a time in school when you had many projects or assignments due at the same time. What steps did you take to get them all done?

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Sensitivity:

• Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person?
• Describe a situation where you found yourself dealing with someone who didn't like you. How did you handle it?

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Technical And Professional Knowledge:

• Your level of understanding of technical and professional information and your ability to apply technical and professional skills.
• Sometimes it's easy to get in "over your head". Describe a situation where you had to request help or assistance on a project or assignment.
• Give an example of how you applied knowledge from previous coursework to a project in another class.

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Teamwork

• Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
• Tell me about a time when you worked with a classmate or colleague who was not doing their share of the work. How did you handle it?
• Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or help others to compromise. What was your role? What steps did you take? What was the result?
• Tell me about a time when you had to work on a team that did not get along. What happened? What role did you take? What was the result?
• Describe the types of teams you’ve been involved with. What were your roles?
• Describe a team experience you found rewarding.
• Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What would you have done to prevent this?
• Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
• Describe a situation in which you found that your results were not up to your professor's or supervisor's expectations. What happened? What action did you take?
• Tell of a time when you worked with a colleague who was not completing their share of the work. Who, if anyone, did you tell or talk to about it? Did the manager take any steps to correct your colleague? Did you agree or disagree with the manager's actions?
• Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or guide others to a compromise.

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Work Standards

• Compare and contrast the times when you did work which was above the standard with times your work was below the standard.
• Describe some times when you were not very satisfied or pleased with your performance. What did you do about it?
• What are your standards of success in school? What have you done to meet these standards?
• How have you differed from your professors in evaluating your performance? How did you handle the situation?