How to Handle a Situational Job Interview

Amy writes:

I have been on a lot of job interviews, but I am stumped because I have been told to expect an upcoming interview to be something I think called a situational interview. Is this a new kind of interview? What is involved, and how should I prepare for it?

The Career Doctor responds:

In situational interviewing, job-seekers are asked to respond to a specific situation they may face on the job, and some aspects of it are similar to behavioral interviews. These types of questions are designed to draw out more of your analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as how you handle problems with short notice.

The key to preparation and success in situational interviews is simply to review your past work experiences and review the steps you took to resolve problems and make corrections. You should also have short stories of some of these past experiences so you can also incorporate them into your answers to show that you have experience handling similar situations.

For example, an interviewer might ask an applicant for a customer service manager position: “How would you handle an angry customer who was promised delivery of the product on a certain date, but because of manufacturing delays, the company was not able to deliver on a timely basis? The customer is demanding some kind of compensation for the unexpected delay.”

Or, for a management position, a job-seeker might be asked: “How do you handle a disgruntled employee in your department who has made a habit of arriving late to work and causing minor disruptions during the day, as well as a declining morale among the rest of the staff?”

For more information on interviewing, don’t forget all the tools and resources in this section of Quintessential Careers: Guide to Job Interviewing Resources. See also our Situational Practice Interview