How to Prepare for Situational Questions

Situational interview questions are based on the way job candidates behaved in the past which
is the single best predictor of the way they'll behave in the future. A situational question allows
interviewers to get their subjects away from canned generalities and prepackaged answers,
forcing job candidates to offer specific examples of how they used job-related skills to solve
real-life problems in the past.

Have answers ready for scenario-oriented situational interview questions about the most
important soft skills. Your stories of the past need to bring out these skills. Based on research,
they are:

List of Soft Skills that need to come through

Strong Work Ethic Time Management Detail Oriented
Dependable Steady Under Pressure Problem Solving
Positive Attitude Communication Decision Making
Self-Motivated Flexibility Customer Service
Team Oriented Confidence Critical Thinking

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

If you’re entering the job market for the first time, consider obstacles you experienced in school
or extracurricular activities such as team sports. Then, break down each experience using the
STAR method:

 SITUATION: Explain the context of the situation you experienced, including relevant details.

 What was the Situation? What went wrong?

 Example: “In my previous role as a customer service manager for a retailer, my team was often
overwhelmed with calls and emails during the busy holiday season. However, we didn’t have the
budget to hire seasonal help.”

 TASK: Discuss your responsibilities or your role in the situation. Your role in the situation

 Example: “I was responsible for making sure the customer service team was able to resolve
customer questions and concerns quickly and effectively and to ensure customers were always
fully satisfied with their experience.”

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 ACTION: Describe how you overcame the challenge or faced the situation. –What did you do?
Why? The Rational behind your actions.

 Example: “To help ease the workload, I created a more condensed version of our phone script
and developed several additional email templates to help my team address customers needs
faster.”

 RESULT: Outcome you achieved and its impact, your take aways
 Example: “By creating better resources, I was able to help increase response time 60 percent
and increase customer satisfaction rates by more than 25 percent year-over-year.”

SOME SITUATION QUESTIONS

1. What is the biggest challenge you have faced while working on a project?
2. Give us an example of a project or a situation where you have been proactive.
3. Have you faced challenges from your peers? How did you overcome them?
4. How do you manage your time?
5. Describe a time when you were given tasks much more than what you usually can handle.
How did you adapt?
6. When was the last time you had to use a new tool/software? How long did you take to
understand its features to use it daily?
7. When you suffer a setback, how does it emotionally affect you and your work?
8. When was the last time you had to complete a task you had little or no experience in doing?
9. What steps do you take to improve yourself?
10. How do you handle criticism?
11. Describe a time when your colleague/friend came to you with a problem? How did you
respond?
12. Tell me about a time when you did or said something that had a positive impact on a
friend/colleague.
13. Describe a decision you made that was a failure. What happened and why?
14. Are you a risk taker?
15. Tell me about a time that you misjudged a person.
16. Have you worked with someone you didn't like? If so, how did you handle it?
17. Tell me about a time when you had to develop a creative approach to problem solving in
order to get the job done.
18. Give an example of a time you identified and fixed a problem before it became urgent.
19. How do you deal with a situation when you cannot find the solution to a problem?
20. Give us an example of a situation which you would do differently if you had another chance.
21. Is there a time when something went wrong and you have taken control?
22. Is there a time when you have initiated and led a task?
23. What’s the most difficult decision you’ve had to make recently and how did you come
to that decision?
24. Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership.

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25. Do you prefer working in a team or independently?
26. Tell about a time when communication became an issue when working in a team project.
27. Have you ever had to adapt your work style to fit the objectives of the team?
28. Could you give me an example of how you have focused on quality in your work.
29. What kind of situation can create stress for you and, when that happens, what do you do to
cope?
30. What personal or professional mistakes have you learned the most from?
31. What are your long-term career goals?
32. What accomplishments are you most proud of?
33. Beyond taking care of individual job responsibilities, what do you believe will make you
successful in this role?
34. How efficient are you? Give an example.
35. How would your family and friends describe you?
36. What kind of people do you like to work with?
37. What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with?
38. Who has/had the most positive influence on your life? Why?
39. Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What was
your role?

SOME SITUATION QUESTIONS ANSWERED

1. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for work.

RIGHT
The boss was away, and we got an order for an extra 300 concrete vibrators. I rallied the team and we focused on
getting them done ahead of time. The customer signed an exclusive contract with us for the next five years.

Remember, problem, solution, benefit.

Figure out a measure for how the company benefited. List dollars saved, revenue earned,
time saved, customer satisfaction increased, etc.

2. Tell me about a time you had to choose something else over doing a good job.

RIGHT
I broke my leg skiing and had to miss two weeks of work. I take it easy on the groomers now. I’m happy to repor
haven’t missed a day of work in five years.

Problem/solution/benefit. That scenario question answer shows a legitimate reason, a solution,

and a benefit.

WRONG
I’ve always put my work first because it’s very important to me.
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Most employers look for employers with a positive attitude. This hypothetical situation question
gauges yours.

3. Describe a situation where you weren’t satisfied with your job. What could have made it
better?

RIGHT
Our online ordering page let clients order incompatible components, causing heavy complaints. I asked if we cou
put a product check in place. The software engineer added warnings when two products weren’t compatible.
Complaints went down by 35%.

That applicant just got the job. Answering situational interview questions like that shows
initiative.

WRONG
Our online order forms created a lot of complaints. Management could have put in some kind of checking algorit
but I guess they didn’t want to waste the time on it.

See the problem? No effort or result.

4. Tell me about a time you reached a big goal at work. How did you reach it?

RIGHT
The company wanted to double our rafting guests for the summer. I put together a 3-part plan with a full-color
calendar, social media campaign, and found-media outreach. We not only hit our goal, we got a 50% budget incr
for the following year.
WRONG
We had to double our clientele. I designed a new marketing strategy we hadn’t tried before. We reached our goal

That’s not a terrible scenarios questions answer, but it lacks detail. Plus, see how the first
example adds additional benefit? That’s interview gold.

5. Describe a situation where you saw a problem and took steps to fix it.

RIGHT
Our rechargeable forklifts had two different plugs. If you used the wrong one, you could wreck a $3,500 battery.
added zip-ties as cord-shorteners so you could only reach the right outlet. We haven’t lost a battery since.
WRONG
I saw one of our ladders had a broken step and marked it for repairs.
See the difference? Scenario-based interview questions are looking for a benefit.
Are you team-oriented? The three collaboration interview questions below try to find out.

6. Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with a coworker who was tough to please.

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RIGHT
The other pharmacy tech in our lab always had to have things her way. I picked my battles and actually found ou
she had some good ideas. When I felt very strongly about making changes to our ordering process, she was eager
help. We decreased our processing time by 25%.
WRONG
I worked with another pharmacy tech who always had to get her way. I kept my head down and did what she said
because it was easier that way. Eventually she moved on to another job.

7. Tell me about a time you had to work with an important customer or a difficult
manager.

RIGHT
I had an editor who always complained about my work no matter how hard I tried. I added a second round of
proofreading on each piece. Since then, I’ve received numerous compliments from editors over my level of “poli
WRONG
I had a boss who was always micromanaging me and everybody else in the department. I stayed out of his way a
got my job done. It wasn’t easy, but I learned to keep my head down.

What’s better, an employee who grows through adversity, or one who hides from it?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………

The scenario-based interview questions below measure your time management. About 57% of
hiring managers list that as a must.

8. Tell me about a time your workload was very heavy.

This is one of those scenarios questions that judge prioritization skills. Spot the difference in
these answers:

RIGHT
We had two big orders at the same time. I delegated one to the assistant lead. He had some problems, but we got
both orders shipped on time. We landed $200,000 in repeat business and the assistant lead turned out to be a capa
leader.
WRONG
We had a couple big orders come in at the same time. I worked overtime and we got everything done.

Delegation shows both dedication and time management. Working overtime? Just dedication.

9. Tell me about a long-running project you handled. How did you manage your time to
meet your deadlines?

RIGHT
My team had to develop a SaaS app for a major client. We used the Agile SLDC model with 2-week sprints and
daily standups/scrums. By delegating time management, we were able to finish the project 20% ahead of time.

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WRONG
We had to develop a SaaS app for a big client. It took a year to get all the kinks worked out. I kept myself on a st
schedule the entire time.

Don’t forget the benefit. Interview situational questions are always digging for your value.

10. Describe a time when you had too many to do items on your list. How did you solve the
problem?

RIGHT
Our department downsized and I got twice my normal workload. I found ways to do things quicker by sourcing n
transcription software and making a new system for sorting interviews. I was able to do twice the work with the
same effort.
WRONG
During the holiday rush, I had a lot more to-dos than normal. I had to work some overtime, but I convinced them
hire a temp assistant.

What was your biggest time management achievement? Have it ready for your situational job
interview.

11. Tell me about a tough challenge you faced. How did you solve it?

RIGHT
We got swamped with a line out the door and every seat and table filled. I asked the boss if we could serve free s
and breadsticks and explain the wait time to each party. We served everyone in order, and our comment cards tha
shift were 95% positive.
WRONG
The elevators went down during a busy check-in. We had to carry all the bags up four flights of stairs all night.

It’s not just “how you handled it,” it’s, “how did your idea help?”

12. Describe your biggest work failure. How did you handle it?

RIGHT
I let a big order of defective parts get all the way to shipping. That was bad and created a lot of scrap. After, I
suggested we install mistake-proofing so it could never happen again. We created some dies with pins in them so
parts can only be put into the machines one way. We haven’t had a single defect since.
WRONG
I shipped a big order of defective parts to a customer. It cost the company a big contract.

Your mechanism for preventing the mistake here is important to highlight.

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13. Tell me about a time you made a great presentation.

RIGHT
We had to convince a big client to go with a costlier alternative that would ultimately make them higher profits. I
together a demonstration based on 10 real-world applications. They not only went with our suggestion, they beca
a long-term client.
WRONG
I had to make a presentation to a client to convince them to pick the costlier of two alternatives. They did, and we
got a bigger payment for the deal.

Some answers to situational interview questions reveal hidden facts about you. Which of the
two applicants above seems more ethical?

Our next situation questions and answers focus on communication and interpersonal skills.

14. Describe a situation where you needed information from a coworker who was slow to
respond. What did you do?

RIGHT
The sound engineer in our company took a long time getting back to me with vital details. I started taking coffee
breaks with him to catch up. I got faster answers and completed projects 15% sooner.
WRONG
Our sound engineer always took a long time getting back to me. I had my manager talk to him about being more
prompt.

There’s nothing wrong with answering situational interview questions like that second example.
However, the first answer shows valuable interpersonal skills.

The next of our scenario interview questions gets at your persuasion skills.

15. Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone to see your side of things.

RIGHT
The owner was convinced our gift shop was a moneymaker. I analyzed our cash flow and found it was running a
10% deficit. I built data visualizations that showed we could increase store revenue 40% through focusing on mo
popular products.
WRONG
The owner thought our gift shop was profitable. I sat him down and explained to him that he was wrong. He saw
side of things and agreed.

The first also shows measurable results plus communication skills.

Pro Tip: All hypothetical questions are a chance to share achievements. “Well actually I faced
that situation and excelled,” beats “I would assess the situation and act accordingly” any day.

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The next of our situational interview questions looks at flexibility. How do you adjust to
change? 51% of hiring managers want to know.

16. Tell me about a situation when your job went through big changes. How did you
adjust?

RIGHT
When our company grew, I went from a network administrator to a full system administrator. I read 5 books on
systems admin and took a class to get a handle on my new responsibilities. I then used automated system monito
and strategic hardware location to save us $50,000 a year in lost time and materials.

WRONG
I was upgraded from a network admin to a systems admin. It was a lot more work and responsibility, but I adjust
well.

Can you see the benefit in example #1? That scenario question unearthed a super-employee.

Next on our list of situations questions and answers: confidence.

17. Describe a situation where your boss was 100% wrong. What did you do?

Are you confident enough to step up to the boss? Do you have the grace to accept when she
says “no” regardless?

RIGHT
My boss said we couldn’t afford a bigger machine, but I knew the small one was hurting production. I took her to
the shop floor during a production run and showed her all the defects and rework caused by forcing our equipme
beyond capacity. She said, “price out the larger one tomorrow. We got one, and our production costs dropped 30
WRONG
I knew we needed a bigger TV to help video sales. My boss said we couldn’t afford it. I said we couldn’t afford n
to. I stood my ground and he finally gave in.