INTERVIEW GUIDE CAPSULE

OBJECTIVES:
1. Introduce the importance of preparing for an interview
2. Differentiate and practice the use of Content and Context through PREP and STAR
3. Answer each of the questions fluently and spontaneously by knowing oneself through practice

INTRODUCTION

Being a Fresh Graduate is challenging enough especially if one is looking for a job. For an opening in a
company, there could be an average of thirty for an entry level position, the numbers get lower though
if it is a skill-based or a specialist job. If you search the web, Companies hire people who have a
competitive edge among the other applicants. Applicants that have Skills and Character at the same
time that will contribute to the progress of the company.

But why apply for a Job, make a career? - it is because you have a dream. And the first step in achieving
your dream is to pass the interview for your dream job.

This capsule will help you prepare yourself for an interview. The key is knowing yourself, knowing the
answers to these questions and answering them fluently and spontaneously - meaning, though you
practiced and prepared for it - when you reply - you should sound and look as if this is the first time you
will answer it.

YOU have to be Natural in your delivery.

But being Natural is not the only key, your answers should have content and context. When we say
Content - is the subject matter in a text. Context on the other hand is the circumstance that shapes the
setting for an event, idea or statement and in terms of which it can be fully understood.

To further understand Content and Context, let us look into two (2) very important Format or structure
one can use when replying to a question; these two however are not limited to answering questions
but in conversation and in writing.

Let us get to know PREP and STAR in the Next Section.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS (General)

As I have mentioned earlier, to be successful in an interview, you have to know yourself so that you
know what and how to answer the questions being thrown at you by the interviewer. YOu have to be
fluent and spontaneous. If you do not do preparatory work, you will sound incohesive, no content and
context, and most of all you sound as if you memorized all the answers and not sound convincing
/truthful.

To put in context, let me share how you can evaluate yourself, or how your coaches will evaluate you.
Look at the criteria below (this is not to scare you, but rather to put emphasis on the importance of
being prepared in an interview - what is discussed here in this capsule leads to these Interviewee
Performance Evaluation):

Criteria High Mid Low Comments

Delivery

Content

GAF

ESL

GAF - Grammar, Accent, Fluency

ESL - English as a Second Language

Note: You might be evaluated in the coming days as schedule permits.

1. STRAIGHTFORWARD / INITIAL

Note: No need to answer the questions in a complete sentence, or in PREP or STAR format. Just directly
provide the detail required. Try to answer the whole list in 60 seconds or less. Be calm, serious but
friendly (not cocky).

Goal: Not to be eliminated in the initial screening process. Anything negative here will trigger the
recruiter to eliminate you from the list and prevent you from proceeding to the next level of
recruitment.

● What is your course?

● Where did you graduate?
● What is your GPA?
● Are you free to work during weekends? Nights? 12 hours?
● Render double shift? Work during your birthday? Holidays?
● How did you know about this job?
● Rate your English skills from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest.
● Rate your Project Management Skills From 1 to 10, 10 being the highest.
● Rate your coding skills C++? Java? CSS? HTML? Python? Backend or Frontend Development?
● What is your typing speed?
● Rate your Technical Support skills from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest.
● Who are you at home?
● What is your expected salary?

2. PREP Type Questions

Note: Your answer to each question should not be more than 60 seconds (or 6 complete sentences
maximum). An important measure of fluency is one’s ability to say many things with few words and
little time. When you are asked to expound - that is the time that you elaborate. Do remember that
your 60-second answer must contain “recruiter” catchy words. These are words that will help make
them remember you positively and even force them to ask you a follow-up question.

Goal: Communicate an air of honesty --- that you have the right skills and right will (behavior and work
habits) for the job

● Are your grades a good measure of your ability

● In what areas do you typically have the least amount of patience?
● Why should we hire you?
● What motivates you to do your best work?
● What do you do when you have a great deal of work to accomplish in a short period of time?
● What do you do when you're having trouble solving a problem?
● If your manager was in a rush and didn't give you enough information about your task, what
would you do?

Framework Sample:

Question: Why should we hire you?

Point
● You should hire me because I am ready.

Reason
● I have trained long enough to gain the skills and develop the work habits necessary for
the job.

Example
● For the skills, I know how to execute the end to end of the accounting cycle starting from
transaction identification until bank reconciliation. I also know how to maintain cash
flow books. For work habits, I go with the hard basics. I work fast, hard and smart. If I do
not know something, I ask rather than waste time pretending I know.
Point
● Considering everything, I really think I am ready for the job.

3. STAR Type Questions

Note: Your answer to each question should not be more than 60 seconds (or 6 complete sentences
maximum). An important measure of fluency is one’s ability to say many things with few words and
little time. When you are asked to expound - that is the time that you elaborate. Do remember that
your 60-second answer must contain “recruiter” catchy words. These are words that will help make
them remember you positively and even force them to ask you a follow-up question.

Goal: Communicate an air of honesty --- that you have the right skills and right will (behavior and work
habits) for the job

● Tell me about a time you went “out on a limb” to get the job done.
● Tell me about the last time you made a mistake and how you corrected it.
 ● Give me an example of a technical problem you had to solve. How did you implement the
solution?
● Tell us how you were introduced to the concept of technical support/customer service/sales
delivery and how you've applied it.
● Describe an important project you worked on.
● Describe your experience level for software and hardware troubleshooting?
● Tell me about a time when an emergency caused you to reschedule your work/projects.
● Tell me about the last time you had a conflict with a colleague, what was the conflict and how
did you resolve it?
● Give me an example of when you've demonstrated your technical support/customer
service/sales delivery skills.
● Have you ever had to persuade a group to accept a proposal or idea? How did you go about
doing it?
● Tell me about a time when your trustworthiness was challenged.

Framework Sample:

Question: Give me an example of when you've demonstrated your customer service skills.

Situation
● There was a time I handled a customer who complained about false charges on her
credit card. Her credit card was allegedly charged several fees, namely – late fees, over
limit fees and annual membership fee. Customer contested that all fees were not in
order as she paid her balance on time and in full. She stated further that her annual
membership fee was waived for life as a part of the new joiners promo.
Task
● As a credit and collections specialist, my task was, of course, to get the payment
(commitment) from the customer. However, recognizing that she has lots of issues that
could prove to be valid if verified, I acted on them right away:
Action
● The 1st thing I did was pull up her joining contract
● The 2nd thing was I checked her payment history
● The 3rd thing was I checked the latest payments made against the bills
Result
● After exhausting all the necessary verifications, I learned that indeed payments were
made on time and in full. The annual fee turned out to be waived for life too as claimed.
I reported my initial findings to the customer and committed to submit the contention
report ASAP. In the end, the customer turned from sour and angry to calm and amiable.

TRY TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION – 40 SECONDS MAX.

● Tell me something about yourself that is not on your CV. (PREP)

● How did you find out about this job?
● How do you feel about working nights and weekends?
● What qualifications do you have beyond academics that qualify you to make a successful
transition into business?
● What do you know about the job?
 ● What kinds of work interest you the most?
● What activities at school did you enjoy the most?
● Do you set goals for yourself and how do you do that?
● Tell me something about yourself.
● What have you done to improve your verbal communication skills?
● Are your grades a good measure of your ability? (PREP)
● In what areas do you typically have the least amount of patience? (PREP)
● Why should we hire you? (PREP)
● What motivates you to do your best work? (PREP)
● What do you do when you have a great deal of work to accomplish in a short period of time?
(PREP)
● What do you do when you're having trouble solving a problem? (PREP)
● If your manager was in a rush and didn't give you enough information about your task, what
would you do? (PREP)
● Tell me about a time you went “out on a limb” to get the job done. (STAR)
● Tell me about the last time you made a mistake and how you corrected it. (STAR)
● Give me an example of a technical problem you had to solve. How did you implement the
solution? (STAR)
● Tell us how you were introduced to the concept of customer service and how you've applied it.
(STAR)
● Describe an important project you worked on. (STAR)
● Describe your experience level for software and hardware troubleshooting? (STAR)
● Tell me about a time when an emergency caused you to reschedule your work/projects. (STAR)
● Tell me about the last time you had a conflict with a colleague, what was the conflict and how
did you resolve it? (STAR)
● Give me an example of when you've demonstrated your customer service skills. (STAR)
● Have you ever had to persuade a group to accept a proposal or idea? How did you go about
doing it? (STAR)
● Tell me about a time when your trustworthiness was challenged. (STAR)

TOUGHEST INTERVIEW QUESTION – NEW COLLEGE GRAD SAMPLE

Below are some of the interview questions that fresh graduates like you most often had difficulty
answering or simply not able to provide a good response. Do not memorize, rather come up with your
own version. Use the “Good Answer” as a model in framing your answer.

QUESTION NOTES BAD ANSWER GOOD ANSWER

Question # 1 This apparently innocuous
question is posed to try and
“Tell me relax you at the beginning of
something an interview, but it often has
about the opposite effect. "The
yourself.” impulse is to rattle on about
your life, but the key is to
remember that every
question is an opportunity.
"Talk about achievements
and work experiences that
“I graduated four years ago
from the University of
Michigan, with a Bachelor’s
in Biology – but I decided
that wasn’t the right path for
me. So I switched gears and
got my first job, working in
sales for a startup. Then I
went on to work in marketing
for a law firm. After that, I
took a few months off to
"I am an Accounting
major who is dependable,
conscientious, accurate and
very detail oriented. I am
knowledgeable in accounting
processes particularly on
accounts payable. I am also
a consistent dean’s lister with
a QPI of 3.0. Worthy of note
is that I completed AYALA's
Professional Employment
 are relevant to the job. If you
are a recent graduate and
don't have any work
experience then talk about
the relevant skills you gained
at university such as
researching and analysing
information."
Question # 2 We all have our weaknesses;
even the interviewer has it.
“What are When asked this question,
your don’t fret and more
weaknesses?” importantly, please don’t say
that you don’t have any. That
would just give the
interviewer the impression
that you’re lying. Being
honest is good. You see, the
purpose of asking you this
question is for them not to
judge you but to see how
well you handle these
moments. They want to hear
the steps you took in order to
alleviate these problems of
yours. That will say a lot
about your work ethics.
Question # 3 Fresh graduates should learn
not to expect too much.
“What is your Although you’re the batch
expected valedictorian or the MVP,
salary?” employers see you as any
other fresh graduates. You
just have a longer resume. In
this case, you have no right
to demand a high salary.
Study what kind of job you’re
applying for and do research
on how much fresh grads like
you earn. That way, you’ll
have a basis and you’ll be
able to figure out a range for
this question. Usually,
P12,000 to P20,000 is fine
but do your research!
Question # 4 Usually, when fresh
“Why should graduates or any other
we hire you?” applicants for that matter,
are asked this questions, they
all give generic answers such
travel. Finally, I came back
and worked in marketing
again. And now, here I am,
looking for a more
challenging marketing role.”
"I work too hard. Besides
that, I think I do not have
other weaknesses."
“I expect to get
Php20,000.00”
“I’m the best candidate for
the role.”
Program facilitated by LiveIt
Global Services Management
Institute’s, a subsidiary of
Ayala Corporation. From the
program, I learned critical
employment skills like Sales
Delivery, Customer Service
and Technical Support."
“I have never been very
comfortable with public
speaking – which as you
know, can be a hindrance to
one's goal of having a good
career. Realising the
problem, I took it upon
myself to download audio
books -- lessons on grammar
and vocabulary building.
During my free time, I also
download videos from
youtube of very good
Public Speakers. Just
recently, I hosted a small
social activity in our
community and there, I was
able to test what I know so
far about my lessons."
“I’m more interested in the
role itself than the pay. But
of course, I would expect to
be paid the appropriate
range for this role
considering my background
and the skills I bring.”
“I have the RIGHT attitude to
excel in this position. I
understand what hard work
means and what one must
do to ensure that
 as, “I am versatile and I am a
hard worker” or “I am willing
to learn.” These may be good
answers but everyone tends
to use this to the point that
it’s becoming a cliché. In
order to avoid this, you
should think about your
distinct quality and work on
that. Employers want to hear
what sets you apart and
what you can contribute to
their company. Again, be
careful with words.
Question # 5 When you're asked
behavior-based interview
(STAR) questions, you're asked to
Describe a describe situations in which
project for you've displayed the skills,
which you abilities and personal traits
faced multiple being sought for the position
you're applying for.
deadlines, and
Questions may start with:
how you
Tell me…
handled it. Describe the time when
you…
Questions that start with
"HOW" may also be
answered using the STAR
method.
deliverables are met on time
as expected.
More so, during my senior
year at Jose Rizal University, I
joined AYALA’s Professional
Employment Program
facilitated specifically by
LiveIt Global Services
Management Institute.
Under the certification
program, I learned critical
employment skills such as
Sales Delivery, Customer
Service and Technical
Support.
I understand companies hire
for both the applicant’s
attitude and skills, I believe I
have both.”
“Well, working on projects SITUATION: Last fall I took
with many different the initiative to apply for
deadlines is really hard – you grants to fund a professional
know. I remember before, my speaker for a CLA event. It's
group mates really got angry often difficult to get grants
at me for scolding them for for event funding, and it's
not doing their task. But hey, important to meet various
I have to be strict. I really grant deadlines.
hate it when people do not TASK = I researched grant
focus on the task at hand, options and found several
especially the deadlines. possibilities. Each had a
There were many times, I different deadline and
actually worked alone rather different window of time for
than suffer the headache. which the money could be
used.
ACTION: The varying
timelines required me to
create a small database,
which I organized by grant
deadlines, purposes, and the
windows of time they could
be used. I used this database
to help me apply for the
appropriate grants at the
appropriate times.
RESULT: The primary grant
came through, but a smaller
grant did not. So I quickly
helped find a last-minute

Question # 6 There’s really no right answer
to this question, but the
Where do you interviewer wants to know
see yourself in that you’re
five years? ambitious, career-oriented,
and committed to a future
with the company. So instead
of sharing your dream
for early retirement, or trying
to be funny, give them an
answer that illustrates your
drive and commitment.
Question # 7 While being a good listener is
a great personality trait, your
How would employer probably doesn’t
your care all that much. It’s
friends describ unlikely that they’re hiring
e you? you to be a shoulder to cry
on. You’ll want to keep your
answer relevant to the job
you’re interviewing for – and
as specific as possible. If you
can, insert an example.
“Relaxing on a beach in
Maui,” or “Doing your job.”
"I’m a really good listener.”
event sponsor, then helped
to update the PR materials
and budget accordingly. In
the end, the event was
successful on multiple levels.
We expected about 50
students to attend and got
60. Also, we were able to
provide honorariums to
additional speakers. So I feel
this example highlights not
only my ability to meet
multiple deadlines, but also
to be organized, take
initiative, and be flexible
when handling last-minute
problems and changes.
“In five years I’d like to have
an even better
understanding of this
industry. Also, I really love
working with people.
Ultimately, I’d like to be in
some type of managerial role
at this company, where I can
use my people skills and
industry knowledge to
benefit the people working
for me, and the company as a
whole. I know to get there I
need to work hard. So, I am
willing to learn and unlearn
to get there.”
“My friends would probably
say that I’m extremely
persistent – I’ve never been
afraid to keep going back
until I get what I want. When
I entered AYALA’s
Professional Employment
Program, I really had a hard
time at first. A good number
of my peers were executing
the skills required for the
simulation correctly, while I
was having trouble. There
were a couple of times I felt
embarrassed because I
cannot do it but with
persistence and strategy, I
 learned to catch up and
eventually execute the skill
too. I managed such a
change by not just being
persistent but also asking for
people’s help and
strategically looking for my
Instructor’s available time to
have a coaching session. I
have always believed that
anyone can be an achiever.
One just needs to be
persistent for improvement
and change."

SPECIALIZED QUESTIONS

These are the Technical or Skill-based Questions that are usually asked during interviews for CS/
IT/IS/BLIS/ACT positions. Aside from the previous Questions, it's worth your time to practice and come
up with answers to these questions.

Some questions might not be here, other questions asked in or during an interview are specific to the
expertise / or the nature of the job. These questions let you experience it. These are not necessarily
asked in order or are modified by the interviewer.

● Can you tell me about the software packages you've used over your career?
● Which online resources do you refer to on a regular basis in order to do your job?
● Do you prefer on-site or cloud-based solutions for IT software in the business environment?
● How do you keep your technology and programming skills current so that you can do your job
well?
● Can you tell me about a time that a project did not go as planned and what you did about it to
fix the problem?
● Tell me about some of your most recent computer programming projects.
● Share an experience you had in dealing with a difficult person and how you handled the
situation.
● Tell me how you organize, plan, and prioritize your work.
● Share an experience when you applied new technology or information in your job. How did it
help your company?
● Give me an example of when you thought outside of the box. How did it help your employer?
● Would you consider analyzing data or information a strength? How so?
● In your experience, what is the key to ensuring your company was compliant with all laws,
regulations and standards that were applicable to your area of responsibility?
● Share an example of a time you had to gather information from multiple sources. How did you
determine which information was relevant?
● Provide an example of a project you worked on that demonstrates your programming abilities.
What was your role in the project?
 ● Please share an experience in which you presented to a group. What was the situation and how
did it go?
● Share an experience in which your attention to detail and thoroughness had an impact on your
last company.Tell me about a network or system problem you resolved. How did you diagnose
the problem?
● What is the most challenging part of budgeting for you?
● Please share with me an example of how you helped coach or mentor someone. What
improvements did you see in the person's knowledge or skills?

REMINDER:
Your answers should be honest and based on your experiences during your OJT, group
Projects, Thesis and Research, previous jobs (as a working student), outside school projects
that you were part of.

DO NOT COPY your experience from someone else - you’ll have difficulty remembering the
facts, you will be incoherent, and not convincing.

Also, when you answer. Your approach should be conversational since it will relax both you
and the interviewer. The PREP and STAR Format makes you take control of how the
conversation or the interview will progress because your answers are simple and precise.