You read the job description, wrote a stellar resume and a hiring manager reached out to set up an interview. Before you start the interview process with a potential employer, it is important to practice answering some of the most common interview questions. Let's dive right into some of the typically asked questions and the best way to answer them using the STAR method.
Military Veteran Pipeline stands by the STAR method when interviewing to provide extra context for your previous roles in a memorable way. STAR refers to:
Situation
Set the scene for your answer. While being interviewed, it is best to give some context behind the specific examples to show that you are a good fit for the job role.
Task
What specific task were you responsible for in the situation? The task is also a great opportunity to talk more about the expectations and assignments from your previous role.
Action
Briefly explore and explain the actions you took in order to complete the task or solve the problem. For example, in a difficult situation, the action that you took will greatly affect how your answer is perceived. Were you calm and collected? Did you think quickly to resolve the issue?
Result
What was the result of your chosen action? The result section should neatly wrap up your answer and showcase an aspect of your work ethic that your potential employer would enjoy learning about based on the job description. The result should be a positive outcome even if you are discussing a mistake. The positive outcome can even be that you learned from your mistake and now know to do better in the future.
Now that you know a bit about the STAR method, let's practice! Here is a list of 21 common job interview questions to practice answering before your next interview with any future employers.
1.Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Pro Tip #1:
The interviewer's first question is usually a disarming, casual question like, "tell us a bit about yourself" or "walk us through your resume." This is the perfect opportunity to show how you arrived at the interviewing room and why you applied to the position. You can also add a bit about your personal life to increase the chances of making a lasting impression. For example, you can mention that you have been stationed at five bases around the world, speak three languages and love traveling, which is why you are excited about this travel-based position for the United Nations.
2. What is a time where you used leadership skills or were placed in a leadership role?
3. What is your greatest weakness?
4. What is your greatest strength?
Pro Tip #2: If an interviewer asks seemingly straightforward questions, try adding "and why?" to the end of the statements to make them open-ended questions. If you say that one of your greatest strengths is your organization skills, that is not very interesting to an employer. However, if you say that your strength is impeccable organization and explain a time where you had to create an organizational system for your entire company, that is an engaging and more memorable answer. Remember to also use the STAR method while explaining the why behind your answer.
5. What makes you the ideal candidate or right person for the job?
6. Why are you leaving your current employer?
Pro Tip #3: Many MVP Veterans and Reservists are coming straight out of military service so answers to this question may vary. However, you can use the same STAR method to answer this question. Explain your background in the military and give an honest, brief answer about why you are moving into the government or civilian sector.
7. What is your biggest achievement or greatest accomplishment?
8. What was your biggest challenge last year?
9. What is your ideal company culture?
10. What do you like best about your current role?
11. What are your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years?
12. Explain a time in your work history where you needed to use communication skills.
13. Explain a time where you made a mistake at your last job.
14. What are your salary expectations for this job?
Pro Tip #4: You do not have to give a specific answer when employers ask about salary expectations. Instead, it is recommended to give a salary range you are comfortable with that is based on the current market value or average salary for the job. However, if you do not wish to give a salary range, you can also say that salary is negotiable.
15. What is a time where you had to work with multiple team members?
16. What is your work style?
17. How does your previous work experience fit into this new role?
18. Explain how you handle stressful situations at work.
19. Are you willing to relocate?
20. When can you start?
21. Do you have any questions for us?
Pro Tip #5: Come to each interview prepared with at least three questions to ask the interviewer. These questions can ask about the company culture and the day-to-day life of the role. The questions can also be industry-specific and discuss any current newsworthy materials about the company.
There are very few "wrong answers" when it comes to interviewing, but using the STAR method does help create great answers that interviewers are more likely to remember. Practice saying the Situation, Task, Action and Results for the questions above and get ready for the job offer to come your way.
Good luck!