Culminating Activity Portfolio Entry 3: Job Interview Skills
Culminating Activity Portfolio Entry 3: Job Interview Skills
10 Interview Skills You Need to Get Hired (and How to Improve at Them)
by Suzanne Lucas
Example answer:
“One of my favorite hobbies is running. I try to run every day and run about ten 5Ks a
year. It helps me relax and get outside of my head. I especially love running to raise money
for causes I’m passionate about, like the Humane Society. I have two rescue dogs, who are
really fun, so I love spending time with them, too.”
12. Do you have prior experience?
Don’t let this question scare you. If you’re applying for your first job after college, it’s
unlikely you’ve had a job that’s identical to the one you’re interviewing for. However, you do
have experience! Share your relevant experience through school, volunteer work, part-time
jobs, internships, and extracurricular.
Whenever possible, try to quantify your previous accomplishments with specific
outcomes and metrics; it lends credibility to your response. At the same time, don’t fall back
on good grades. The hiring manager is more interested in your hands-on experience.
Example answer:
“Yes, I do have prior experience in the research field. In college, I spent eight semesters
interning in ABC Lab. While I was there, I co-authored two papers that ended up getting
published.”
13. Who was the most difficult person you ever worked with?
Approach this question with an abundance of caution. You’re going to be working with a
lot of people in your new role, and you won’t get along with everyone. But you’ll still need to
work together productively.
The “who” here isn’t important—and no matter what, do not give a specific name.
Rather, the interviewer wants to know how you managed to work with this person despite
the difficulty. After all, if you worked through a challenging work relationship in the past,
you can do it again. Don’t be petty and be sure to end on a positive note.
Example answer:
“I had a challenging lab partner last year. He was disorganized, and we kept missing
deadlines because he didn’t update me on his progress. Eventually, I insisted on weekly, in-
person check-ins to stay on track. He found it annoying at first, but we got the work done,
and in the end, we walked away on good terms.”
14. How would your professors/friends/co-workers describe you?
This can be a challenging question if you haven’t thought about it ahead of time.
Consider recent feedback you’ve received, both positive and negative. The interviewer’s main
goal is to ensure you have a clear understanding of how you’re perceived by others and
understand how your actions impact them. To prove that you’re self-aware, consider
answering with two positive traits and one area for improvement
Example answer:
“The other members of student council might say that I’m an extremely effective leader
as president. They also nicknamed me “Mr. Congeniality” because I get along with
everyone. But they’d also say that I sometimes take on too many things at once. I’m trying
to delegate more.”
PERFORMANCE TASK:
We will be having our MOCK JOB INTERVIEW scheduled this week. Please send a
message on our FB group chat on how you want to be reached out during the mock job interview
whether you want it to be on FB messenger via voice/video call or a phone call. If your choice is
through a phone call, please send me a private message and provide your phone number.
References:
https://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/10-interview-skills-you-need-to-get-hired-and-how-
to-improve-at-them.html
https://www.careermatch.com/job-prep/interviews/common-interview-questions-
answers/#strength