Answering Situational Interview Questions As a Young Professional 

By Toni Frana, Career Expert at Zety.com 

Job interviews are designed to help employers to learn more about each candidate and understand how you would perform in the role they are hiring for. One common way employers do this is to ask questions that require you to share an experience you’ve had as part of your answer. These questions are called situational interview questions (or behavioral-based questions).

This can feel intimidating for anyone, and even more so if you are concerned you don’t have enough experience to draw from to provide meaningful answers. The good news is that interviewers are not just assessing experience, but also potential. Consumer trends identified by resume builder platform MyPerfectResume show that with strong interview preparation and practice, you’ll be able to set yourself up for success and leave a strong impression with employers! 

What are Situational Interview Questions

Situational interview questions are questions that ask you to describe a specific work situation. When an interviewer asks these questions, they are trying to assess a few different things: your problem-solving skills, decision making skills, adaptability, teamwork, and how you work through real-world situations. 

This type of question usually starts with a phrase like: Tell me about a time when…….Describe a time when you had to………..Give me an example of……… 

To prepare to answer this type of question, there is a proven method (and helpful acronym) interviewees can use. Think of the word STAR. For situational interview questions, the acronym breaks down like this: 

• S stands for situation
• T for task 
• A for action
• R for results

With this framework in mind, let’s take a deep dive into four potential situational interview questions you may hear during an interview, and how to answer them: 

Situational Interview Questions for Entry-Level Candidates

While it is hard to predict exactly what questions will be asked in an interview, there are some questions that are more common than others. The following are four situational interview questions that you can work through as part of your interview preparation. Zety’s resume template usage offers a window into how job seekers present themselves during interviews, especially while using the STAR framework. 

1.Tell me about a time you worked on a team

Teamwork is a key skill employers assess in candidates. Having a collaborative and cohesive team helps facilitate the work that needs to get done at an organization. If you haven’t had a formal job previously, but you are asked this question, you should consider group projects, volunteer work, or teams or clubs you participated in to get ideas about how you can answer this question. 

Using the STAR method mentioned above, you should plan to describe your role on the team, the goal of the group, how you contributed, and the overall outcome. 

It may sound something like this:

As a theater student, I was not only a main character but also part of the ensemble cast for a musical. The director asked me to lead a few rehearsals when he couldn’t be there. To make the transition from the full-time director to me, I decided to do an icebreaker before we got started to make sure everyone was relaxed and comfortable. As a result, we were able to get through the critical scenes and fix some staging issues making opening night a huge success. 

2. Describe a situation where you had to meet a tight deadline

Employers will attempt to evaluate your time management skills as well as your ability to work under pressure with a question like this. Thinking about managing your college coursework throughout the semester, or around finals time, along with other extracurricular commitments or  activities should give you ideas on how you’d like to answer this question. 

You could apply the STAR method this way: 

During my last year of college, I decided I wanted to pursue a certificate in Political Communications along with my double major. To finish on time, I had to pick up additional coursework and that really filled my schedule. I made sure to keep a current calendar with important due dates for all my projects and classes, and also learned that keeping a to-do list prioritized with A, B, and C tasks works best for me. That allowed me to work from high-priority (A) tasks, to lower priority (C ) tasks to stay on track and meet deadlines. 

3. Give an example of a time you faced a conflict and how you resolved it

Building relationships and having strong interpersonal skills are key skills employers seek out in candidates they hire. Conflict is a part of life, and understanding how someone resolves it can inform decisions about who would be a great addition to a team. Employers will seek to learn how you problem-solve an issue at work, if you address it with empathy, and whether or not you use active listening skills. 

For this question, you could consider volunteer work, any group projects or situations with friends or family members. Here is an example: 

When I moved to my first apartment in college and had two roommates who were really good friends, we had an adjustment period in living together. I remember the first time one of my roommates cooked dinner. They left everything out in the kitchen and it was a mess for two days. This was bothering me and my other roommate, and I knew I needed to talk to them so we could all come to an understanding. I set up a time for all of us to talk together so we could learn what everyone’s expectations were with chores around the apartment. As a result, we were able to implement reasonable ground rules that we all agreed on. After that meeting, we eliminated any additional uncomfortable situations through the communication we had. 

4. Describe a time when you went above and beyond

This question gives you the opportunity to highlight strengths like problem solving, taking initiative, and prioritization. Each of these skills is important to an employer, and learning how you approach solving an issue on your own, is helpful when employers are trying to decide between candidates. Even without a lot of work experience, you should be able to think back to a time when you made progress on something that wasn’t expected, and highlight some of your transferable skills in the process. 

To answer this question as an entry-level professional, think back to class projects, student activities, an internship, or part-time work experience. It could sound like this: 

Previously, I have been a volunteer at a local food shelter. The holidays are a very busy time both for donations coming in and support for the community in need. The local food shelter needed a better system to organize incoming donations, so I took initiative and implemented a labeling system on the shelves, and also created an overflow area for donations that were not sorted the day of arrival. Once that system was complete, it eased a lot of the challenges to handing out provisions for clients needing the food shelf, and we were able to serve more people each day as a result of the improved organization. 

Strategies for Answering Without Previous Work Experience

These sample questions and answers should give you ideas to help you prepare for your interview. While everyone has their own unique experiences to highlight, using the STAR method as a framework will guide your preparation and thought process for what to discuss during the interview. As a new professional, remembering to focus on your academic, extracurricular, and volunteer experiences are a good place to start. Also, think of the transferable skills you have that are relevant to the role you are applying for and be sure to weave those throughout your answers.

Preparation will give you confidence to go into an interview ready to share why you are the right candidate. Taking these commonly asked questions, writing out your specific situation, task, action, and result, and then practicing are key steps for success. Make time to speak your answers out loud either in front of a mirror, on video (if you are planning for a video interview) or with a friend. This way you can hear how your answer sounds, and work out any issues before the interview. Plus, you won’t be able to read your answers during the interview, so practicing will help ensure a smooth delivery.  

If there is an instance where you are asked a question and you truly cannot provide a specific situation to speak about, then, explain how you would approach it if you were to experience it. This way, the employer can still learn about your thought process and willingness to learn new things. Remember, these questions are designed to teach employers more about you, your skills, and how you would approach your work if you were offered the job. 

Be yourself, be positive, and be clear about who you are, as well as how you work through issues, and you’ll definitely leave a strong first impression with the interviewers!