As an early career engineer, you might feel nervous about job interviews, especially if you haven’t had much experience with them yet. However, there are ways to prepare yourself for interviews that can help you feel more confident and prepared.
One effective strategy is to come up with stories that demonstrate your skills and experience in response to common interview questions. The reality is, that most in-person (non-technical) interviews are the same, and the better prepared you are with stories to share your successes, the better you will fare in these interviews. In this post, we’ll go over the most common interview questions that require stories, and give you some tips on how to respond to them effectively.
Common Interview Questions That Require Stories
Here are some of the most common interview questions that you’ll likely encounter during your job search, and why they require stories:
- Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge and how you overcame it.
- This question tests your problem-solving skills and resilience. You need to provide an example of a difficult situation you faced, how you approached it, and what the outcome was. Resilience is a big thing here. They want to know that your first response to a challenge is not to give up, or rely on someone else to get you a solution – they want to see that you have those oh-so-famed problem solving skills that you should have after graduating from an engineering program!
- Describe a situation where you had to work in a team to achieve a goal.
- This question assesses your teamwork and collaboration skills. You need to share an example of a project or task where you worked with others to achieve a specific goal. There are different variations of this question like, “tell me about a time where you dealt with a team member that you disagreed with or had conflict with”. They want to know that not only are you a team player, but that you’ll fit on the teams they put you in, and be an asset to a team, not a distraction.
- Give an example of a time when you showed leadership or took initiative.
- This question evaluates your leadership potential. You need to provide an example of how you took charge of a situation or took initiative to improve a process or project. Additionally, it shows that if you see something that is wrong, you’ll speak up about it. It shows your inquisitive mind and that you’re not just a robot, doing exactly as you’re told, but instead that you’re a critical thinker.
- Tell me about a time when you made a mistake and how you learned from it.
- This question assesses your ability to reflect and learn from your mistakes. You need to share a specific mistake you made, how you addressed it, and what you learned from the experience.
- Describe a project or accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of.
- This question evaluates your achievements and what you’re capable of. You need to share a specific project or accomplishment that demonstrates your skills and experience.
How to Respond to Interview Questions with Stories
To respond to these questions effectively, it’s helpful to use the STAR method:
- Situation: Briefly describe the situation or problem you faced.
- Task: Explain what task or goal you had to accomplish.
- Action: Describe the action you took to address the situation or achieve the task.
- Result: Share the outcome or result of your actions, including what you learned or accomplished.
Here are some additional tips for crafting effective stories during interviews:
- Focus on outcomes: Be sure to emphasize the results of your actions and what you accomplished.
- Keep it concise: Try to keep your stories brief and to the point, while still providing enough detail to illustrate your experience.
- Be positive: Avoid using negative language or dwelling on mistakes or failures. Focus on how you overcame challenges and achieved your goals.
Listen to the latest episode of the ENGRing Success Podcast on your preferred podcast provider or embedded here!
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