UCC CAREER SERVICES INTERVIEW GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Introduction ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 1

Skills Based / Competency Based Interviews __________________________________________________________ 2

STAR Technique __________________________________________________________________________________________ 3

Strengths Based Interviews _____________________________________________________________________________ 8

Situational Interviews __________________________________________________________________________________ 11

Case Study Interviews __________________________________________________________________________________ 13

Structured Interviews __________________________________________________________________________________ 15

Telephone Interviews _________________________________________________________________________________ 16

Skype Interviews _______________________________________________________________________________________ 17

Postgraduate Interviews _______________________________________________________________________________ 18

Your turn to ask questions _____________________________________________________________________________ 19

Sample Interview Questions ___________________________________________________________________________ 20

Our Contact Information ______________________________________________________________________________ 25

UCC CAREERS SERVICES INTERVIEW GUIDE

Page 1

What is an interview?

Interviews are good news for UCC students and graduates! – They

mean your application forms and CVs are working. Make the most of

this opportunity by ensuring you are well prepared – Research the

company and the opportunity well in advance and make the most of

our FREE Practice Interview facility by booking online on our website

www.ucc.ie/careers . Increasingly first interviews are telephone

interviews, or they may be one-to-one interviews. Some interviews

can be very formal, others might resemble more of an informal chat,

but be assured that the interviewer will be assessing you whatever

the format. Second Round Interviews have a more varied structure,

and may involve Assessment Centres.

Seamus McEvoy, Head of Careers Services, UCC

Types of interview

Interviewers have to be fair to all of their interviewees so they tend to follow an interview plan which

would have been drawn up at the Selection Stage before they call you. They often start with some

questions to put you at ease such as:

What made you choose your degree at UCC [B.A.; BSc; BCL; BEng etc.]?

Having chosen your course, what have been the best parts? Equally, what have you enjoyed

the least?

The majority of their questions may then fall into the types listed below and they may favour one type or

a mixture. We will go through a few of these below.

Eleanor Donoghue, Careers Information Manager At UCC Careers

Services Has Gone Through A Selection Of Types Of Interview In

This Booklet.

We Hope You Find It Useful.

UCC CAREERS SERVICES INTERVIEW GUIDE

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Skills-Based Interviews – or Competency Based Interviews

These can also be called criteria-based interviews and they are usually based around the skills the

employers are seeking. Questions can include:

Provide an illustration of your leadership potential from your summer work experience or

university activities (e.g. UCC Student Societies involvement etc.)

How can you demonstrate you have effective written and oral communication skills?

PREPARING FOR A COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEW:

In preparing for this type of interview, you need to carry out some research into the company, the role

and the type of graduate that the employer is looking for, so that you can anticipate the skills that they

may question you about. You can go about this in a variety of means – such as using Google;

Discussion Boards such as boards.ie; locating the Company Literature that would have been displayed

in the Careers Information Room; having a look at our YouTube channel

http://www.youtube.com/ucccareers at previous ‘Job Roadshows’ to see and hear what employers are

looking for, or using LinkedIn and networking with others.

ELAINE BROWNE, CAREERS ADVISOR IN UCC, TELLS STUDENTS:

“Also, look carefully through your application form and cv to see the skills

that you have mentioned as the interviewer may question you about these

too. You need to provide good examples in order to answer these skills-

based questions and it is helpful to structure your response using the

STAR technique to ensure that you have answered all parts of the

interviewer’s question.”

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STAR is:

Situation – what was the context, where were you – set the scene for the employer!

Task – what was your task, what was the purpose, what were you trying to achieve?

Action – what did you do to ensure that you met your objectives and goals – always relate the situation

back to you and your role?

Result – what was the outcome, how might such an outcome be improved next time; employers want to

see how you learn from what you’ve done in the past as it’s a good indicator of how you may perform in

the future in employment.

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A good way to practice for these skills-based interviews is to sit in front of a mirror and pretend that you

have actually been asked a question about a skill, such as ‘Please can you give us an example of when

you overcame a problem by working as part of a team?’ Then say your answer out loud to the mirror

so that in the actual interview the relevant vocabulary comes to you more easily. Be careful not to

practice overly though as you could appear to be too rehearsed!

Don’t forget to book your careers appointment with us online

http://www.ucc.ie/en/careers/meet/ for practice practice

practice!

JOB CONTENT, DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES/ PERSONALITY TRAITS REQUIRED FOR THIS JOB

Personality

Work experience / job skills

Academic progression – why?

Company / Job on offer - why?

Salary / Conditions

RESEARCH COMPANY

Products / Services / New Ventures / Client Group

Look at:

HR / Careers Service Website

Profile of existing staff members

Selection and recruitment procedure

Training & Development / Career Progression

COMPETENCY BASED INTERVIEWS

Tell the Story - Beginning, Middle and End

Demonstrate Progression through

Demonstrate by Live / Concrete Examples

Highlight skills match between you and job specification

Use language of your Degree

Use STAR FORMAT

SITUATION

TASK

ACTION (skills)

RESULT

MA

TC

H

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How to use the STAR to create excellent answers to tough interview questions.

Situation/Task

Choose a situation that is as similar as possible to the type of situations you

will encounter in the job you seek.

Be very specific rather than general – these specific examples have a much

more powerful impact.

Avoid spending a lot of time describing the problem – state the problem as

briefly as you can while ensuring that the listener understands the situation.

Do not discuss a situation you are angry about.

Do not discuss a problem that you caused.

Action

Describe in detail the positive and appropriate action you took to resolve

the issue or to get the task completed.

This step should be the focus of your answer (60%+).

This part of the story is often overlooked.

Provide good detail – it will show the employer that you know how to take

appropriate steps to resolve work-related issues.

Result

Describe the positive result of your action.

If no positive result, choose a story that does have a positive result!

If you can quantify the result, do so.

Don’t forget to mention the positive result!

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DELOITTE tells us about Competency Interviews

Telling Stories in the Interview

Relatively few people actually blow the

interview!

The problem is that they fail to impress the

interviewer with their capabilities and thus, are

easily forgotten as candidates. This often

occurs because individuals tend to talk in

generalities in the interview rather than

articulating specific accomplishments and

achievements. Describing your past

experiences by using stories or anecdotes is

one of the most effective means of impressing

a recruiter.

Using stories to describe your

accomplishments helps you stand out and be remembered. The reason this is true has to do with one of

the basic premises of adult education. Adults tend to remember examples better than they remember

facts. Thus, if you list off a string of strengths such as resourcefulness, articulate, and pleasant to be

around, no one will remember what you said fifteen minutes after you leave the interview.

Moreover, by simply articulating a laundry list of strengths, you are not backing up your claim. Maybe

these really are strengths, but who knows? By describing situations in which you demonstrated those

strengths, you will both convince the interviewer that these are indeed strengths of yours and you will

have a higher Probability of being remembered after the interview is over.

Telling stories about your background is a skill. Some people are naturally good at it while others are

not. However, it is a skill that most people can master with a little practice. The trick is to establish a

format for your anecdotes. This will enable you to avoid being too brief or overly long-winded. The

acronym STAR is often helpful in providing this framework. First, think about a situation or task that

you faced. Describe this situation in two or three sentences. This establishes the background for your

story so that it can be understood by the recruiter. Next, describe the actions that you took. At this

stage, it is important that you speak about what you specifically did. There is a tendency for candidates

to gloss over their accomplishments, and thus, hide their Light under the proverbial bushel. While you

don’t want to appear arrogant, you do want to take credit for the role that you played. Conclude your

anecdote by describing the results you achieved. Discuss how your work helped your employer.

Whenever possible, try to discuss the result in measurable or quantifiable terms.

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For example, an accountant described a time in which an accounting system he was expected to

implement quickly was threatened by a manager who was slow to commit his support. To convince the

manager to support the accountant’s effort, the accountant proposed a 7.00am meeting to discuss the

project. Both this presentation and the accountant’s willingness to meet so early impressed the manager

who gave his approval. The accounting system was then quickly implemented. As a result, the system

decreased the time it took to process invoices by 25%.

Pretend you were an interviewer who just heard the anecdote from the accountant. You would probably

associate the accountant with such positive traits as initiative, hardworking, detail-oriented, and

resourcefulness. Additionally, you would likely remember this anecdote and the accountant for some

time to some. Thus, it is easy to see why using stories in the interview are such a powerful tool.

Identifying the right stories to tell is a critical step. You will want to prepare an array of anecdotes that

can be used as needed during the interview. The first step is to compile a list of situations or activities in

which you have been successful in the past. These can relate to work, school, or other outside interests.

You should be able to come up with an initial list of at least 30 situations.

For each one of these, write out the corresponding actions what you took and the results you achieved.

Don’t worry if you can’t quantify all of your results. While it makes for a more impressive story if you can,

sometimes the result is simply that the project was completed on time.

A final step before the interview is to put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. If you were hiring someone

or this job, what types of skills would you be looking for?

Write them down. Review your list of anecdotes to identify which stories demonstrate your skills in those

areas.

Finally, practice articulating your accomplishments out loud. There is a world of difference between

thinking how you will say something and actually saying it.

By working on preparing and articulating your anecdotes, you will find that you will be remembered

positively while your competition becomes a blur in the recruiter’s mind.

Some examples of interview questions can be found on page 20 of the guide

UCC CAREERS SERVICES INTERVIEW GUIDE

Page 8

Strengths-Based Interviews

These interviews are increasing in popularity and can be quick-firing and are based on positive

psychology. The style and type of questioning allows employers the chance to see if there is an

accurate match between the candidate’s real strengths and that of the job profile. The hope is that if the

answers are genuine rather than rehearsed (as often found with skills/competency questions) then

enjoyment in the job will be greater and lead to enhanced performance.

DEIRDRE PARKER, CAREERS ADVISOR IN UCC SAYS:

“The questions may include asking candidates to talk about times when they enjoy what they are doing, feel energised, learn quickly or find success. Interviewers will usually be observing non-verbal signals as well as listening to what you have to say and how you say it. Applicants shouldn’t worry about this change in style; reports back from students suggest that talking about things they enjoy is usually a very positive experience. Ernst and young, Aviva, Unilever, and some of the Pharma companies such as Pfizer have changed to using this type of interview”.

PREPARATION FOR A STRENGTHS-BASED INTERVIEW:

It is quite difficult to prepare for this type of interview, it is more about ensuring you are self-aware and

carefully consider aspects of the job role. Check out “GradIreland Careers Report” on this page:

http://www.ucc.ie/en/careers-advice/planning/ to find out more about your skills profile.

The following questions can be helpful in trying to identify your strengths.

What are you good at?

What comes easily to you?

What subjects do you find easiest to learn?

What subjects do you most enjoy studying?

What makes a day successful for you?

When did you achieve something you were really proud of?

When are you at your happiest?

What activities come naturally to you?

What gets done on your ‘to do’ list first and what never gets done?

Do you prefer starting or finishing a task?

If you had 2 hours off work, what would you do with it?

What do you do when something at work bores you?

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Competencies can be defined as “what you CAN do”, while strengths are “what you really

ENJOY doing”.

If you would like more help prior to a Strengths-Based Interview

please book your careers appointment with us online

http://www.ucc.ie/en/careers/meet/ for more help!

Ernst and Young talk about Strengths Based Interviewing:

E&Y receives around 16,000 applications

annually for its Graduate Training

Programmes, which result in about 600

appointments E&Y is now moving to a

strengths-based system, looking at people's

more innate strengths: natural aptitudes that

people have for a role. They think this

system will lead to better recruitment

decisions.

You cannot prepare for a strengths based

assessment other than by your own

reflection.

“We are particularly keen to find out about you as a person, your strengths and attributes, as well as

what you’re interested in. We recommend you think about your hobbies and extra-curricular activities,

as well as any work or other experience you’ve had that you think may be relevant to Ernst & Young”.

www.ey.com/UK/en/Careers/Students/Applying-to-Ernst---Young/Application-process/Application-

process

Ernst & Young identified 16 strengths via focus groups of their high performers that relate to the work

that E&Y does. These include credibility, personal responsibility, analyst, and organiser.

"Some of the strengths that we identify are people's ability, or that people have a sense of pride in what

they do. People's analytical ability is also a strength. Working with others is a strength. So we'll ask

questions around these areas and ask for examples, but in a slightly different way than before."

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Rather than asking applicants a standard set of competency based questions, a broader range of

questions are now asked at a higher pace. Firms are seeing more authentic candidates as they are

less prepared than they would be for a competency-based assessment. Spotting strengths comes from

seeing the energy and enthusiasm of a candidate. It is a better experience for the candidate: they

learn from the sessions and can identify whether they are suited for the role themselves. It's also a more

positive experience as they gain energy from the experience.

Interviewers also look at body language and other signals like tone of voice, to identify whether

someone has pride in what they have been doing or has a specific interest in a subject.

A key driver for Ernst & Young was to be different from the other big 3 accountants by differentiating

themselves via the selection process.

Further resources on strengths-based interviewing:

Life After Competencies: a presentation given by Emma Judge of Ernst & Young and Martin

Galpin, Director at Work Positive

http://www.agr.org.uk/Content/Life-After-Competencies-Using-Strengths-Based-Recruitment-To-

Discover-The-Realcandidate

Playing to your Strengths? a summary of the background to Ernst & Young’s introduction of SBI

by Emma Judge and Martin Galpin

www.work-positive.com/resources/downloads/GraduateRecruiter_Playingtoyourstrengths_full.pdf

Advice on preparation for a strengths-based interview

http://www.scribd.com/doc/10299051/3b-Prepping-for-a-StrengthBased-Interview

The VIA Survey of Character (or VIA-IS) 240 questions; 30-40 minutes to complete. Provides a

free, immediate report with a brief description of each strength in descending order.

http://www.viacharacter.org/VIASurvey/tabid/55/Default.aspx#BST

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From What is Wrong to What is Strong: psychological background to the VIA Survey

http://www.positivepsychology.org.uk/pp-theory/strengths/112-from-what-is-wrong-to-what-is-strong.html

An article from the Financial Times by Stephen Isherwood, E&Y manager of graduate

recruitment, on the strengths-based approach is at

www.ft.com/cms/s/0/00579e56-98be-11dd-ace3-000077b07658.html

Situational Interviews

In situational interviewing, job-seekers are asked to respond to a specific situation they may face on the

job. These types of questions are designed to draw out more of your analytical and problem-solving

skills, as well as how you handle problems with short notice and minimal preparation.

BRENDA NESTOR, CAREERS ADVISOR IN UCC, SAYS

“Situational interviews are similar to competency interviews except they focus on a

hypothetical situation. For example, in a competency interview, the interviewer

might start a question with, "tell me about a time you had to deal with..." in a

situational interview, the interviewer asks, "how would you handle..."

The key to preparation and success in situational interviews is simply to review your past work

experiences and review the steps you took to resolve problems and make corrections. You should also

have short stories of some of these past experiences so you can also incorporate them into your

answers to show that you have experience handling similar situations.

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These questions look at how you would deal with people and specific work-related issues, for example:

You are aware that a member of your team cannot complete their part of an assignment on

time. What would you do about it?

How would you handle an angry customer who was promised delivery of the product on a

certain date, but because of manufacturing delays, the company was not able to deliver on a

timely basis? The customer is demanding some kind of compensation for the unexpected delay.

How would you handle a disgruntled employee in your department who has made a habit of

arriving late to work and causing minor disruptions during the day, as well as a declining morale

among the rest of the staff?

Describe the ideal working environment to do your best work. – (Often on the list of human

resources interview questions, and could be a deal breaker if you don't tell them what they want

to hear.)

Share with me an idea or improvement you implemented that made a difference. – (Employer

interview questions about your ideas or improvements provide you with a tremendous

opportunity to stand out from other candidates.)

Tell me about a time when you had to stick by a decision you made even though it made you

unpopular. – (This is one of those funny interview questions that challenges your resolve to

stand firm when the situation dictates.)

What would you do if the priorities on a major project you were working on were suddenly

changed?

If you would like more help with a Situational Interview please

book your careers appointment with any of us online

http://www.ucc.ie/en/careers/meet/

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Case Study interviews

A case study interview will ask you to go through a particular business scenario. They are most

applicable for UCC students going for roles within Consulting or Investment Banking. The written case

study is normally a description of a typical business situation. Case studies are used to test whether you

have:

the ability to think on your feet

problem solving skills

the ability to synthesise information and work with the

facts provided

an understanding of business issues

numerical and verbal skills

communication skills

Types of case study

Case studies can range from simple ‘guesstimates’, e.g. 'How many taxis are currently driving around

Dublin?', to more in depth cases that require detailed analysis. There are two main kinds of case study

interview:

1. Case studies that you prepare in advance and then discuss with the interviewer. Here you are

given a pack of information prior to the interview and time to prepare (usually about half an hour).

This may involve a presentation to the interviewer or may lead into a role play. It is common for this

type of case study to be provided as a group case study where you work with other candidates to

solve the problem in a group exercise.

2. Role play case studies where the interviewer acts in a role play with you and you work through the

scenario together. In this instance the interviewer supplies you with the information you need to

solve the case - they may volunteer information as you work through the case, but often you need

to ask pertinent questions to extract this information. In this type of case study you are not given

any preparation time.

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Case Study Tips

SHAY NOLAN, CAREERS ADVISOR AT UCC, SAYS

“When practising for case study interviews it is important to consider the

following points:

The interviewer is looking at how you analyse information, conclude, act and recommend actions

Be logical and clear in your reasoning

Ask professional questions to clarify facts, don't just assume facts

Maintain good eye contact and listen carefully to the information you are given

Make sure the interviewer is clear on your thought processes and working out

With written case studies remember to think about your presentation - use paragraphs and bullet points to make your points clear

Resources for Case Study Interviews:

McKinsey and Co: http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/apply/interview_tips

Tips on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--qrJl2Gb8M Assessment Centre Video from AgCAS – available to watch in the Careers Information room

Don’t forget to book your appointment

http://www.ucc.ie/en/careers/meet/ for more help, and call in

anytime to view the video on Assessment Centres in the

Information Room which features Case Studies.

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Structured Interviews

Interviewers will ask a series of questions in a pre-determined order and this can sometimes make you

feel you are not having sufficient time to complete your answers. Usually, experienced interviewers will

have gathered all the information they need, so try not to be concerned. Be prepared, in all interviews,

for the questioner to make notes.

The aim of this approach is to ensure that each interview is presented with exactly the same questions

in the same order. This ensures that answers can be reliably aggregated and that comparisons can be

made with confidence between sample subgroups or between different survey periods.

A structured interview also standardises the order in which questions are asked of survey respondents,

so the questions are always answered within the same context. This is important for minimising the

impact of context effects, where the answers given to a survey question can depend on the nature of

preceding questions. Though context effects can never be avoided, it is often desirable to hold them

constant across all respondents.

URSULA BURKE, CAREERS ADVISOR IN UCC, SAYS

“Structured interviews have been advocated for use in the hiring process–

more common in USA though the practice has not been widely adopted. The

united states postal service uses structured interviews for at least some of its

hiring, and has printed a guide to structured interviews that is publicly available

online”.

HTTPS://APPS.OPM.GOV/ADT/CONTENTFILES/SIGUIDE09.08.08.PDF

Don’t forget to book your appointment

http://www.ucc.ie/en/careers/meet/ for more help, - or even if you

just want to practice your interview.

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Telephone Interviews

Often used as a first, screening interview, a telephone interview can either take the form of a general

first interview, or the questions could be multiple-choice. You are more likely to have a telephone

interview with one of the large corporate recruiters than with a small or medium sized company.

Telephone interviews are used by all kinds of employers – banks, accountancy and law firms,

consultancies, retailers, manufacturing companies etc.

Companies that use telephone interviews include Tesco, HSBC, Corus, BT, Lloyds of London, Shell,

GlaxoSmithKline, Vodaphone, BSkyB and many others.

They are especially common for sales-related jobs, such as recruitment consultancy and particularly

telesales, where verbal communication skills are paramount.

You may also expect a telephone interview if you are applying for jobs abroad – in which case calls may

come in at all hours of the day or night!

MARY COGHLAN, CAREERS ADVISOR, UCC OUTLINES SPECIFIC KEY POINTS:

Choosing a quiet room where you won't be interrupted.

If possible use a land-line rather than a mobile phone: the reception is

likely to be better and you don't run the risk of the battery going flat.

Gathering all your information together, your CV, details of the vacancy

and the company.

Using your voice effectively. You can't rely on body language, so smiling

can lift the tone of your voice.

Speaking confidently and really concentrating on the questions.

How long do they last? UCC Students have told us anything from 20 minutes to 1 hour, with the

average length being half an hour. Many Skype interviews have taken place in the Careers Services

office.

Key aspects of phone interviews:

They are time and cost-effective - most last about 20-25 minutes.

You can quickly refer to your application and take notes

You don't need to dress up in a suit.

You don't need to spend time traveling to interview or wonder if the employer will pay your

expenses.

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However – they can be very distant and cold style of interview, and you can’t make eye contact

or see the interviewers’ body language.

Questions will normally be the same type of questions asked at face to face interviews.

Skype Interviews:

Conducting interviews via Skype are on the increase in

recent times. They are particularly helpful for

international recruitment when interviewing from another

country – e.g. For TEFL teachers, but the trend is

growing, more common now for Work Placements in

another country.

As the candidate, you will have to dress as smartly as you would for a real-life interview and it will be

difficult to refer to your notes during the Skype.

Mary Coghlan offers the tips below:

When preparing for the interview, choose a private room for peace and quiet

Sit at a desk or table so you are upright

Make sure that the interviewer is not going to be distracted by posters or piles of laundry in the

background

Make sure that there is good lighting

Turn off any email programs running on your computer

Smile at the employer as though he/she were in the room and speak clearly!

In case of technical difficulties or power cuts, make sure that you have contact details for your interviewer

Don’t forget to book your appointment

http://www.ucc.ie/en/careers/meet/ for help with any telephone or

skype interviews.

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Postgraduate Course Interviews

When applying for postgraduate study, you will need to demonstrate a strong interest in the programme

to which you are applying and outline why you are a strong applicant. You will not always be interviewed

for a taught Masters, but PhD candidates will usually be interviewed.

Academic interviews are usually less formal than job interviews, but expect probing questions on your

subject knowledge. Smart casual dress is usually acceptable for academic interviews, but business

studies departments might expect more formality than art and design departments. Interviews for

research are likely to require less formal dress, but dress smartly if in doubt.

For most taught programmes you can expect to find the Programme Manager or Head of Department

and/or a member of academic staff on the panel. For research programmes, the Research Supervisor

will sit in on the interview. Remember that academics may not be trained interviewers, so you may

occasionally have to take the initiative.

MARY MCCARTHY, CAREERS ADVISOR IN UCC, SAYS...

“Avoid simple 'yes' or 'no' answers: if you are asked a closed question, such as

'have you enjoyed your course?' open it up. Be polite, and do not be afraid to

enter into discussion and to stand your ground. Some interviewers will

deliberately challenge your replies to see if you can argue your point effectively.

Remember that they will be looking at your ability to think for yourself and will be

more interested in your ideas, attitudes and opinions than getting the 'right

answer'.”

Avoid simple 'yes' or 'no' answers: if you are asked a closed question, such as 'Have you enjoyed your

course?' open it up. Be polite, and do not be afraid to enter into discussion and to stand your ground.

Some interviewers will deliberately challenge your replies to see if you can argue your point effectively.

Remember that they will be looking at your ability to think for yourself and will be more interested in your

ideas, attitudes and opinions than getting the 'right answer'.

Research the department carefully before you go for interview, and note any questions you want to ask.

Check out the research interests of academic staff in the department. Read the draft of your application

again to anticipate questions they may ask you, and work out in advance rough answers to commonly

asked questions. More information on Postgraduate Interview Questions are on

http://postgradireland.com/advice-and-funding/applications/interview-hot-seat

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Your turn to ask the questions

Don't waste this opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the organisation. It can be difficult to think of

appropriate questions that haven't already been covered, and if this is genuinely the case then say so.

You might like to use this time to expand on something you believe to be relevant and which you

haven't been able to bring into your answers!

MARY MCNULTY, DEPUTY HEAD OF CAREERS SERVICES gives these tips: “If you have a relevant

question that has not been covered in the Graduate Recruitment details sent to

you or on the website, then that is great. If you have done a lot research and have

had all your questions answered then tell the interviews the level of research you

carried out and who you spoke too within the organisation.

Remember this is your time to clarify anything you need to know about the job or

the company or to clarify for the interviewers anything you need them to know. I

would recommend that you use the time to make one last effort to sell yourself.

If you made a mistake or forgot a major part of your story in the interview, remedy

it by saying “when we were discussing X I would like to clarify for you that I played

a major role in ….

If they didn’t ask you a question that would have shown some relevant skill for the company, add it in

now by saying “I would like to add that I have relevant experience in the area of X which had developed

my skills in Y.

Don’t leave the interview with any regrets; use the question time to show the interviewers that you are a

confident person and can match their criteria.”

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Sample Interview Questions that you can practice for Competency Based Interviews:

Questions about... Influencing or Persuading Others

You may have strong verbal skills but can you influence another person to change their thinking or take some action - perhaps a colleague follows your advice or a client decides to buy a service or product. At management level have you the skills to persuade and involve rather than coerce and punish? Are you ethical in your dealings with people? • Tell me about a time when you were able to change someone's viewpoint significantly. • Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something that you disagreed with. • See this pen I'm holding…sell it to me. • Tell me about a person or event that has been influential in your personal development. Interpersonal and Team Skills

Employers need people who are socially competent. The desire to build and maintain relationships in and beyond the workplace is critical. Many workplaces function on the basis of project teams. These teams are task oriented and short lived. Those who are highly collaborative and co-operative are most likely to thrive in this type of environment. • What experience have you had working on a team? • What skills and personal qualities have you contributed to the teams you have been part of? • Tell me about a time when you used tact and diplomacy. • Tell me about the last time you had a disagreement with someone. • Tell me about the most difficult person you have worked with. • What have you disliked in your past jobs? • What kinds of people do you enjoy working with? • What kinds of people frustrate you? • What qualities do you admire most in others? Communication Skills

Daniel Goleman writing on Emotional Intelligence suggests that the key to successful communications is being able to listen to all types of communication in an open way. Are you an active listener, do you really listen and do you hear what is actually said. Are you able to read the non-verbal messages that others communicate? Do you communicate in an engaging and convincing way? • Tell me about a time when you were successful in getting crucial information from another person. • Tell me about a time when someone misunderstood what you were attempting to communicate to them. • Tell me about a current event you have been following in the press. • What do you think are the three most important things about communication? • Tell me about a time when you worked with people from a culture unlike your own. What did you do to overcome any perceived barriers to communication? Personal Adaptability, Energy and Resilience

How quickly and how positively will you adapt to changes in work practices, work roles and work environments and the general flux of the modern workplace? How do you manage or avoid stress? • Tell me about a time when your work or an idea was criticised. • Tell me about a time when you felt under pressure. • Tell me about a time when you felt frustrated by your work. • How would you respond if a project you had been working on was re-assigned to someone else or shelved?

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• What do you do for enjoyment in your leisure time? • What makes you laugh? • Describe something creative that you've done. • What has been your most satisfying/ disappointing experience? Self-management, Self-motivation and Self-knowledge

Do you always strive to achieve a standard of excellence, use initiative at the appropriate time, and show persistence in pursuing goals? Accurate self-assessment skills will allow you to be objective and critical in evaluating your strengths and weaknesses. How will your personality and temperament effect the existing team or work group? • Tell me about a time when you acted over and above the expectations of your role. • What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work? • Tell me something about yourself. • How would you describe yourself? • How do you think a close friend who knows you well would describe you? • How do you think an enemy would describe you? • How would you describe your management style? • What are the two most significant accomplishments in your career so far? • What are your three major accomplishments? • What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses? • What's your greatest weakness? • Why do you want to work for us? • What does "success" mean to you? • What does "failure" mean to you? • In the past year, what have you been dissatisfied about in your performance? • What are the most important rewards you expect in your career? • What do you expect to be earning in 5 years? • Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing? • Which is more important to you, the money or the type of job? • What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort? • How has your university experience prepared you for a career in this field? • How do your skills relate to our needs? • What are you passionate about? • What are your interests outside work? • Tell me about a major problem you have encountered and how you dealt with it? • What have you learned from your mistakes? • How do you cope with routine work? Administrative Skills

Generally checking that you have effective work habits, and the knowledge of workplace routines and some experience of common office administration systems. • Tell me how you organise your work and schedule your time. • Tell me about computer software packages you are familiar with and your experience in using them. • Tell me about your experience of managing a budget.

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Problem Solving and Decision Making

What's your problem-solving style? Do you manage your activities to minimise or avoid them? How do you behave in a crisis? • Tell me about a difficult decision that you have made. • Tell me about an unpopular decision you have made. • What significant problems have you faced in the last year? • How do you work under pressure? • Tell me about a time when you had to make a quick decision. What were the circumstances and what did you do? • What impact do you think … will have on our business? • How would you motivate an employee who was performing poorly? • Tell me about a situation where you achieved a satisfactory outcome to a problem that others thought couldn't be solved. What did you do and what was the outcome? • Tell me about a time when you had conflicting priorities and what you did to resolve them. • What kind of problems do you handle best? Conflict Management and Ethics

How do you behave in a crisis? What does it take to shake your poise or self-confidence? What approach do you take to problem solving? • Tell me about a significant crisis you have faced. • Tell me about a difficult customer or a customer complaint that you have dealt with. • How do you resolve conflict in the groups or teams that you have membership of? • How would you resolve a dispute? • Have you ever anticipated a difficult situation before it arose? Describe the situation, the action you took and the outcome. • What would you do if your colleagues were complaining to you about the organisation? • Tell me about a time when you bent the rules. When is it okay to do so? Personal and Career Objectives

Employers are likely to invest money in your training and development and will want to ensure that your objectives don't conflict with theirs. • What are your short and long-term goals? • When and why did you establish these goals and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them? • What do you see yourself doing 5 years from now? • What do you really want to do in life? • What are the most important things you are seeking in a career? • Describe your ideal job. • What salary are you looking for? • What person do you admire most and why? • Why do you want this position? Knowledge of the Organisation and Role

What are your motives in applying to this organisation: Were they well thought out? Do you know enough about this work area and this organisation to be clear about how your skills fit into it? • Why did you apply for this position? • How would you measure your success or failure in this job? • What skills and personal qualities are essential for success in this role?

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• How do you plan to keep up with developments in your field? • What would you like to know about this organisation? • What do you believe you can contribute to this organisation? • What do you know about our industry? • What do you know about our organization? • Why are you interested in working for our organization? • Why should I hire you? • In what kind of a work environment are you most comfortable? • What two or three things are most important to you in a job? • Which three of the competencies required for this position would you prioritise? • Are you seeking employment in a company of a certain size? Why? • What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work? • Do you have a geographical preference? Why? • Will you relocate? Does relocation bother you? • Are you willing to travel? • What do you know of the area and community in which our company is located? • Can you work well to deadlines and under pressure? • If you were offered this role, what would you expect to achieve in the first year? • What hours would you like to work? • How do you believe the performance of the NZ dollar impacts on our organisation? • Tell me about a time when you have been managed in a good or bad way. • What qualities should a successful manager possess? • Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him or her. • What problems do you feel you will have fitting into the job? • Do you know the location of our head office? • What interests you about our product/services? How would you improve them? Work Experience

Do you take responsibility for your own learning and career development? Do you have an understanding of the type of environments in which you are most effective? • Tell me about the best job you've ever had. • What did you enjoy most or least about your last job? • What relevant work experiences have you had? • What extra-curricular activities are you involved in? • What kind of office equipment/technical equipment have you used? • Have you ever been the leader of a team? What did you like and dislike about the role? Academic Experience

An opportunity to find out about you as a person and encourage you to discuss two subjects that you are the authority on, YOU and your studies. If continuing study for professional qualifications or certification is expected then the employer may check that you have effective work and study habits. • Tell me about your academic programme at university. • How did you reach the decision to study at Cork? • Describe your most rewarding university experience. • If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you look for? • What led you to choose your field or major study? • What college subjects did you like best/least? Why? • What changes would you make at your university? Why? • Do you have plans for continued study? • Do you think that your grades are an accurate reflection of your academic ability?

• What have you learned from participation in extra-curricular activities?

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Ability, Competence and Achievement

A chance to discover what inspires you and motivates you to achieve and whether you are a loner or a team person. • What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why? • Describe a time when you led or motivated others. • What do you feel qualifies you for this position? • Tell us about a time when you had more to do than you could complete in the time allocated: tell us what you did about it and what the outcome was. Stress Questions

Designed to test your resilience in the work environment. Are you able to maintain appropriate behaviour in the face of what may seem inappropriate behaviour in others? Are you able to keep inappropriate emotions in check and take responsibility for your own performance? • How do you react to criticism? • Can you accept criticism for poor work? • Describe a time you failed. • What causes you to lose your temper? • Do you really feel that you have enough experience for this role? • Aren't you overqualified for this role? • Why have you decided to change careers? • Why have you changed jobs frequently? • Have you ever been sacked (fired)? • Why should I hire you? • What if I told you that you'd work very hard, but recognition of your contributions would be nil? • How long would you expect to remain with this organisation? • What salary are you expecting? • How long do you see yourself staying with us? • Are there any questions you were expecting that we haven't asked? • Tell me about your diary commitments from Monday to Friday of this week? • How would you describe your work style? • How would you describe your personality type?

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Contact Information

PHONE 021 4902349 EMAIL: CAREERS@UCC.IE WEB: WWW.UCC.IE/CAREERS

Career Services, University College Cork

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