What are your strengths?

Choose the strengths that most closely match the job description, then structure a story for each one using the C.A.R. technique: 

Context - Describe a scenario that demonstrates one of your stated strengths.

Action - Explain what you did in the situation you’re discussing.

Result - Connect the outcome of the situation to an aspect of the role you’re applying for to show why you’d be great for the job.

What are your hobbies?

This question is designed to find out who you are and what motivates you.

Context - Describe your hobby and why it interests you.

Action - Outline how, when, where and with whom you do it.

Result - Talk about your creations, performances, awards… or what you gain in terms of the camaraderie of being in a team, the satisfaction of helping others, and so on...

Good:

• Demonstrating how your own strengths connect with the purpose of the role or the company that you’re applying to.
• Evidencing your answer with authentic examples.

Good:

• Describing your hobby and why it interests you.
• Sharing your hobby highlights.
• Highlighting what you gain from your hobby on a personal level.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Don’t say “in your job” or “working for a bigger company”. Do say how this particular position aligns with your ambitions. For example:   

Context - Outline your broader professional goals.

Action - Describe the steps you’ve already taken towards achieving these goals.

Result - Explain what you hope to achieve through the opportunities this new role presents you.

What is your dream job?

It’s best to answer this in terms of your ideal job, rather than something you can only dream of. For example:

Context - Outline aspirations and non-negotiables, like working in a creative team or using advanced technologies.

Actions - Explain how you see yourself doing in your new  role - designing new products, hand-picking a winning team, building a successful brand…

Result - Highlight your dream outcome - industry awards, customer satisfaction, team productivity… 

Good:

• Outlining your professional goals
• Describing the steps you have already taken towards achieving these goals.
• Aligning the position with your ambitions.
  
  

Bad:

• Answering “in your job” or “working for a bigger company”.
  

Good:

• Answering this in terms of your ideal job.
• Connecting your aspirations to the company and position.
  
  

Bad:

• Talking about how you always wanted to be an astronaut (unless you’re applying to be an astronaut).

What are your core values?

These are beliefs, ideals and practices (like autonomy, integrity, kindness and responsibility) that shape your personal and professional choices:

Context - State a core value (e.g. “It’s important to me that my work makes a positive difference in people’s lives.)

Action - Describe how this shapes your actions (e.g. “One time, a customer…)

Result - Explain what this does for you (e.g. It helps get me through those difficult interactions and makes me feel good about my day.)

Tell me something that isn’t on your CV

This is a great opportunity to highlight a strength you haven’t used career-wise yet as evidence of how great you’d be in that role. For example:

Context - I like challenging myself to something that scares me.

Action - I’ve had a piercing, held a rat, jumped out of a plane… the scariest one though, was making a speech! 

Results - I’m a much more confident person now and I know I can achieve anything I set my mind to… like giving presentations to clients!

What are your core values?

Good:

• Choosing positive core values that reflect the company’s mission, culture and values.
• Evidencing your answer with authentic examples.
  
  

Bad:

• Choosing core values that don’t reflect the company’s mission, culture and values (e.g. to be a celebrity).

Good:

• Showcasing one of your strengths that has been underutilised in your career so far.
• Connecting it to the job requirements.
• Evidencing your answer with authentic examples.
  
  

Bad:

• Saying you have nothing to add.

Tell me about a big change you’ve had to deal with

This question assesses your adaptability. Work-related stories are best, but if you’re just starting out, this could be the change from school to college.

Context - Describe the situation and the nature of the change.

Action - Explain how you handled the transition.

Result - Discuss the outcome? Note: Make sure it’s a positive one.

Tell me about a time you were working under pressure

If you thrive under pressure, great! But don’t pretend that you do if it really makes you feel anxious. Talk about how you mitigate pressure instead.

Concept - Describe a pressured situation and how it made you feel.

Action - Describe the strategies have you developed to prevent those situations arising (e.g. planning ahead, paying it forward)

Result - Explain the outcome (e.g. now that I’m better at anticipating my workload, I feel less under pressure.)

Good:

• Showing qualities of flexibility and adaptability.
• Giving a story about an event at work. 
• Talking about the change from school to college, if you’re just starting out.
  
  

Bad:

• Giving an example with a negative outcome.

Good:

• Advocating for your needs if pressured situations make you uncomfortable.
• Talking about how you mitigate against pressured situations if they make you uncomfortable.
• Evidencing your answer with authentic examples.
  
  

Bad:

• Pretending you thrive under pressure if you struggle with it.

Would you rather be liked or feared?

This question is about your leadership style and it’s one of the few times when it’s OK to dodge the given options and give a different response.

Context - Explain why neither ‘liked’ nor ‘feared’ are ideal and state that you would rather be ‘respected’.

Action - Give examples of times when you worked with ‘liked’ and ‘feared’ leaders (these can be teachers, if you want).

Result - Discuss the shortcomings of those leadership styles and explain that mutual respect is far more productive.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

There’s no correct answer to this question, so have some fun and use your reply to link your chosen animal to your strengths and non-negotiables.

Context - State what your chosen animal would be (e.g. Meerkat)

Action - Give examples of how you share the same traits as that animal (e.g. work as a team, always on the lookout…)

Result - Explain why that makes you good at your job.

Good:

• Making up an ‘option 3’.
  
  

Bad:

• Saying you’d rather be liked.
• Saying you’d rather be feared!

Good:

• Giving a light hearted response.
• Linking your chosen animal to your strengths and non-negotiables.
• Linking your animal qualities to the position you’re applying to.
• Evidencing your answer with authentic examples.
  
  

Bad:

• Choosing an animal just because they’re an apex predator or because they’re really cute.