Interview Preparation Worksheet

Your advance preparation greatly increases the probability of interview success. There are several things you can and should do to make sure
you are prepared for your interviews. Consider completing this worksheet before every job interview you plan to attend. Knowing the answers to
these questions in advance will be very beneficial in helping you prepare for a job interview, as well as in helping you decide if a particular job,
company or industry is for you. You can find the answers to these questions by speaking with recruiters or company representatives, reading
company literature or researching on the internet.

You should research three key elements: the company, the position, and yourself. The following worksheet will help guide you in your research.

Position: Company: Industry:

Company – What type of organization will you be working with?

What are their key products or services?

Who is their primary market?
Where are they located?
What are their core values?
What is their company culture like?
What does their competitive landscape look like?
What interests you about this company?

Position – What will you be doing?

What does this position do on a daily basis?

What are they key responsibilities for this position?
What qualifications are required for this position?
What skills (Technical and Soft Skills), or personality
traits are necessary for success in this role?
What opportunities are there for growth or upward
mobility?
What interests you about this position?

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Personal Evaluation – What have you done, and where do you see yourself within the organization?

What is your academic/professional background?

What have you accomplished in your experience?
What are your short and long-term career goals?
What core values define your professional and
personal objectives?
How will this position and company help you meet
your goals?

Behavioral Question Preparation

Look at the qualifications and skills listed previously as necessary or required for success in this position. Think about at least two scenarios from
your past experience that highlights your use or mastery of each skill, trait, or qualification. Make sure you can articulate the details of what
happened, and include all elements of the 4 part STAR format for answering Behavioral Interview questions.

Skill / Trait / Scenario #1 Scenario #2

Qualification Situation Task Action Result Situation Task Action Result

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HOW TO CREATE AN
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  It is a BRIEF introduction to your “professional” self 
  Length:   30 to 90 seconds long 
  Content:   The Fast Five 
 
 
 
Name / Nickname 
Where you are from  (Spain, Japan, etc.) 
Education:  I have a Bachelor’s degree in… 
Work Experience SUMMARY 
WHY you WANT to do an internship at their company 
and what you can OFFER them. (transferable 
skills/strengths/experience) 
 

Name 
Origin 
Education 
Work Experience
Why/What you can OFFER
METHOD: Use the key phrases below in bold to easily identify the Top 10 Situational Questions. Then simply
use the S.T.A.R. method to answer this type of question.

KEYWORDS for SITUATIONAL questions NOTE: The phrasing for most Situational questions
Describe the ideal (present tense) is the same as for Behavioral questions, but they
What would you do if… (conditional tense) are (usually) asked in the PRESENT or CONDITIONAL
English tense.

Top 10 Situational Interview Questions

1. Describe the ideal working environment that allows you to do your best work.
2. Share with me an idea or improvement you would implement for …

3. How would you handle a tough challenge such as …

4. Do you ever support business decisions that you truly believe in, EVEN if the decision makes
you unpopular?

5. Discuss a situation during the past year in which you had to deal with an upset customer or
coworker.

6. Describe the most difficult boss you worked for and how you dealt with them.

7. What would you do if the priorities on a major project you were working on were suddenly
changed?

8. Tell me about a time when your work was criticized.

9. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond the call of duty to get something done or resolve
a problem.

10. Give me an example of an important goal you set and describe your progress in reaching that goal.

University of California, Irvine Extension

© http://www.job-interview-wisdom.com/situational-interview-questions.html Page 1 of 1
Method: Look at the qualifications and skills listed or believe to be necessary or required for success in
this position. Think about at least 2 scenarios from your past experience that highlights your use or
mastery of each skill, trait, or qualification. Make sure you can articulate the details of what happened,
and include all elements of the 4 part STAR format to illustrate your point

Skill / Trait / Qualification:

Scenario#1:

Situation:

Task:

Action:

Result:

Skill / Trait / Qualification:

Scenario#2:

Situation:

Task:

Action:

Result:
 The most important INTERNSHIP questions
Based on past internships, these questions are the most common questions
asked during internship interviews.
HOMEWORK INSTRUCTIONS
Part I: Interview Strategy: Identifying Interview Questions
1) Put an “X” next to all “Direct” questions.
2) Put a “Y” next to all behavioral questions.
3) Put a “Z” next to all situational questions.

Part II: Answer Preparation (We will practice these answers in class)
Write potential answers to each of the following questions.

1. Tell me a little about yourself.

2. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?

3 How would you describe yourself? (This is a DIFFERENT ANSWER than “Tell me a
little about yourself”.)

4. What is your greatest strength?

5. What is your greatest weakness? What have you done to improve it?

1
Method: Below you will find sample questions to ask during an interview. Develop you
own question or select 1 question from each category below which will give a total of 3
questions to ask the interviewer.

Questions about the Position:

What would a normal working day be like?
What kind of projects or tasks would I be responsible for as an intern here?
How much contact will the intern have with other employees?
Will I be working on a team or individually?
During the internship, are interns transferred between functional fields?
What projects and assignments will I be working on the first day?
What feedback/support will I get? Who will determine my work goals?

Questions about the Organization:

Could you describe the organization’s culture?
What do you like the most about working for this company?
What do you consider to be the company’s strengths?
What do you see as the major challenges facing your company over the next year?
What are the company’s long and short term goals?
What is the management style of the organization?
Is your firm doing business overseas?
Are you expanding your market into _____ (Japan/Korea/Brazil/France/Turkey…)?

Questions about the hiring Process:

When shall I expect to hear back from you?
What is the next step in the process?