What is a situational interview and how can I prepare for it?

During your job search, it's likely you’ll experience different styles of interviews - the online interview, the telephone interview and the skills-based interview are just a few. One type of interview that employers use to see how you approach and manage real-life situations in the workplace is the situational interview.  If you’ve never heard of this or haven’t experienced a situational interview before, don’t panic! We’re going to cover what a situational interview is, why employers use this interview format, the type of questions you may be asked in a situational interview and we also give example answers that you can use to show the employer you’re the best candidate for the job.   

What is a situational interview?

What differentiates a situational interview from other forms of interviews like a skills-based interview or task-orientated interview is that it focuses on how you handle and manage real-life situations that may arise at work.  Situational style interviews can be tough as there’s no right or wrong answer. What the employer is interested in is what action you’d take to resolve the situation. Your answers also help the employer to build a fuller picture of you and how you work, so they can determine if you’re a fit for them.  Related: 5 Types Of Interviews And How To Ace Them  

How to prepare for a situational interview 

There’s no way of knowing what you’ll be asked during an interview but you can prepare for situational interviews using the STAR method - Situation, Task, Action, Result.  The STAR method is a step-by-step method for creating examples or mini-stories that describe a situation, the action you took and the outcome that was achieved. The interviewer will be interested in hearing examples that relate to work situations. However, if you have limited work experience, maybe because you’re a recent graduate or because you’re returning to work following a career break, you can use examples from volunteering positions and even from team sports.  STAR method explained: 

• Situation: Describe the situation, include as many details as possible.
• Task: Mention your role or responsibilities in the situation. 
• Action: Detail what you did to resolve the situation. 
• Result: Talk in detail about the outcome that was achieved through the actions you took. 

Related: How To Prepare For A Job Interview  

Types of questions you may be asked (with example answers) 

Here are three questions you may be asked in a situational interview, along with example answers: 

What would you do if there was an aspect of your job you weren’t happy with?

You don’t have to act like you love every part of your job, as the recruiter or employer will know this isn’t the case. But, don’t think it’s OK to rave about how bad your last job was - you’ll end up looking unprofessional.  The answer you give should show an understanding that while some tasks are mundane, they’re also necessary. 

Example answer

“I love working with people and that’s why I chose a career in events, but I don’t enjoy sorting paperwork. Not many people do, right? There are lots of different aspects involved in organising events and this results in a lot of paperwork. As the event coordinator, it was my responsibility to keep this paperwork up-to-date and organised.  Each day after lunch I’d spend 10 minutes filing the paperwork that had come in that morning and making sure copies were sent to relevant people in the company. It wasn’t long before this became routine and my colleagues were mentioning how much easier it was to find the information they needed.”

Tell me about a time when you made a mistake? How did you handle it? 

No matter how focused you are there will be times when you make mistakes. Employers realise this, so don’t be worried about sharing details of a time when things didn’t work out the way they should have.  The reason why interviewers ask you to describe a scenario where you’ve made a mistake is to test your self-awareness and to see if you’re capable of bouncing back stronger from a negative experience. 

Example answer

“I had recently been promoted to regional account manager and in my eagerness to win a large client I stated we’d be able to provide a product at a reduced cost. Unfortunately, I hadn’t checked with the product department, and it turns out we weren’t able to do that. Obviously, the potential client wasn’t happy.  I took full responsibility for this mistake and I was still able to persuade the client to sign with us. From this is mistake I’ve learned to always speak to other departments before promising things.” 

Explain how you handle criticism from a manager? 

Employers will be impressed by people that recognise they could be doing better and that they can take criticism constructively. Your answer should show that you don’t take feedback personally but instead as an opportunity to grow and improve. 

Example answer 

“In my previous job as a marketing manager, I frequently collaborated with external agencies on campaigns. I enjoy working with other creatives and I formed a friendship with some of these agencies. One agency delivered great work but it was regularly late, as the team responsible for our account was short-staffed. My manager noted that my friendship with them might be preventing me from picking them up on the lateness of the work. And, thinking about it, she was right. I hadn’t realised my closeness to the agency was holding me back from addressing this issue. I arranged an informal chat with the account manager and explained how impressed we were with their work but that the delays were causing hold-ups. Following this conversation, an extra member of staff was hired to work on our account and all future work was delivered on time.”

How to keep calm in situational interviews 

When you attend an interview you won’t know the type of questions you’ll be asked. You can still ready yourself for whatever will come your way by being prepared and keeping calm.  Before the interview, think about different scenarios you’ve experienced where you’ve had to resolve or manage situations in the workplace, in volunteering roles or in a group setting. Use the STAR method to make a note of what the situation was, what role you played in resolving it and what the outcome was.  To keep your nerves under control, ensure to arrive at the interview early, glance over your notes while you’re waiting, take a couple of deep breathes and go into the interview with confidence.  Related: Career Experts Share Their 8 Best Interview Tips