Lesson 4: Knowing what strong interview answers look like
The sound recordings below offer answers to interview questions. Please listen to the recordings and decide whether the answer is strong, whether it uses the STAR method and if there is anything you would do differently.
If you can talk to someone else, discuss with them why it was or wasn’t a good answer. Also talk about how you would change the interview answer to make it better.
Q1 – Tell me about yourself and why you want this particular apprenticeship?
About yourself.
At interview, it is easy to get over-excited with nerves and start talking too fast, which may convey nervousness and lack of confidence. Try to avoid talking too fast to help the interviewer/s understand you properly. Think about what you tend to do when nervous so you can be mindful of these behaviours and try to avoid them.
Q2 – What skills would you like to focus on improving during this apprenticeship?
Skills to develop.
This answer sounds impressive, but it isn’t actually that specific. What skills would this industry require?
Q3 – What are your hobbies and interests?
Volunteering and hobbies.
This is a text book answer! This question is your chance to showcase your personality in a brief, but impressive way. Your extracurricular activities should reflect your strengths and your interests and in particular, any transferable skills you have picked up along the way.
Finally, learning about your interests and hobbies lets the interview assess your fit. For example, if a company values wellness, they may appreciate your dedication to fitness as it makes you look like a better match for the culture.
Q4 – Tell me about a time you worked well as part of a team.
Volunteering and hobbies.
This answer hasn’t been structured using the STAR method, which means it doesn’t flow very well and they have missed out key elements of the answer.
Q5 – How do you manage your time and ensure you meet deadlines?
Manage time.
It is a strong answer, but it could be made even better with evidence
e.g. I always meet deadlines and feel under control with my workload.
Q6 – Tell me about a time you made a mistake and how you rectified it?
Mistake.
This is a great answer, but they haven’t included the R of STAR. You must always talk about the result. This is often missed by interviewees. They could have said, “I am now a valuable part of the team that everyone can rely on and all the customers specifically ask for me to help them because they know I provide the best customer service.”
Q7 – Tell me about a time you had to motivate a team and how you did this.
Motivate a team.
This is an honest answer about a difficult time that required you to step up and motivate others. This example has also talked about teamwork and communication skills, which are really valuable skills for most roles. The answer is structured well using the STAR method, however, when they described the action they used the word “we” instead of “I” so the interviewer wouldn’t know if you led the talk and discussions with the basketball team.