Career Development
This article offers valuable techniques to help graduate students tackle difficult interview questions with confidence. By learning to reframe these challenges, you can turn potential obstacles into opportunities to showcase your strengths and make a lasting impression.
Interviews can be demanding for many individuals. While cultivating job application materials already represents a real struggle for graduate students, the interview can feel intense for even the most experienced public speakers or job market aficionados. Although the career professionals in the GSRC can practice with you before your interviews, here are some approaches to answering classic and difficult hiring questions.
One of the best ways to help yourself prepare for your interview is to ensure you are familiar with your resume and accomplishments. It's much easier to think on the fly and analyze the question if you aren't struggling to remember your past. You can also try practicing with Big Interview, which allows you to browse their question library and practice with AI.
Your greatest strength should be a significant ability and essential for the listed position. Classic examples could include 'organization' or 'passion,' but what matters is the proof behind your strength and how it connects to the job description. What experiences from your resume showcase this strength? How did you learn this about yourself? How do you plan to use this strength in this potential new role?
Your greatest weakness should be honest but not detrimental to the role. However, some flaws could give employers hesitation about hiring you, such as suggesting that your weakness is unchangeable, morally reprehensible, or involves talking badly about others. Try to choose something like 'difficulty in speaking up in meetings when I have a good idea,' which is not an inherently harmful quality but something you can work on. Then, discuss the steps that you have or will take to improve, with particular emphasis on experiences from your resume that have helped you to recognize and better yourself in this area.
The goal of this question is not to regurgitate your entire resume but to help the employer connect your experiences and aspirations to this particular role. Is this your dream job? Does this role use skills you've enjoyed growing in your current job? Talk about your uniqueness and show that you've researched the requirements for this role.
When answering, evoke your passion and the logic behind choosing this field for your career trajectory. Avoid responses that point to financial practicality or being better than other individuals or fields. If you are applying for a role with a less apparent connection to your degree field, this is your time to argue the transferrable skills between positions. For example, if you research cultural studies, it would be wise to emphasize your skills in cross-cultural understanding, linguistic analysis, public speaking, and other noteworthy abilities. If you are a teaching assistant on campus, you likely have excellent leadership/mentorship, planning, organization, and teamwork skills.
Although the company is interested in how you want to grow and improve over time, they also want to ensure that you will stay in the role longer than a few years. Highlight how the company can help you grow over time and what you hope to contribute to the company culture. Many people emphasize that they wish to develop into more mentorship roles. It is okay if you can't speak concretely about growing into the company's hierarchical structure (i.e., I would like to be promoted to XYZ within three years).
Speak about a time when you dealt with a difficult situation with a coworker.
This prompt can be tricky, but you can plan in advance. I like to have a few possible stories in mind before an interview. You want to tell a story where you handle a challenge without seeming like a poor coworker.
Good examples could include a difference in opinion, missed deadlines (by someone else, but it affects you), or unclear expectations. None of the issues should stem directly from you, but you can be a part of the solution with clear communication.
Similarly, interviewers may ask you to recount a time that you failed at something. Just as you can turn the answer about your weakness around to be positive, showcase how you've learned from the experience and the steps you've taken to improve.
Do you have any questions for us?
Yes, you do. Research the company in advance and ask questions or have a few default questions that work for any situation. You don't need a complete laundry list but have a few options. It shows you genuinely care about the position.
About the Author
Dr. Grace Kimball is the Assistant Director of Professional Development in the Graduate Division at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She helps to develop programs and resources that support graduate student success and manages the day-to-day operations of the Graduate Student Resource Center. Grace earned her Ph.D. in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies from UCSB and is passionate about creating opportunities that help graduate students thrive both during their degree programs and in their future careers.