It’s been a while since you applied for a job and now you’ve been invited for an interview. This is an important part of the hiring process that many applicants miss, but it’s necessary for job offers. Embrace your interview by preparing in advance, similar to how you prepare for a final exam. Use this page to interview and respond to job offers with confidence.
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You can’t get ready for every possible interview question, but you can be ready and sure of your answers for the most common ones. To help you identify common questions in your interview, listen carefully for the main focus of each question. The questions you are asked may be worded differently at each interview, but they will usually be some variation of the ones below. For most questions that you are asked, plan to talk for about 1-2 minutes per answer. This lets the interviewers know enough about you to judge your qualifications without going on and on about unimportant details. New studies show that people can only pay attention for less than 10 seconds, which is shorter than a goldfish. So make sure it’s interesting!
It may surprise you to learn that this is the interview question that most people are most afraid of and not ready for. Interestingly, this question comes first in most interviews, making it the most important one to nail so that you get off to a good start.
Whether or not you realize it, you have already practiced answering this question many times in your life. When responding to this question in an interview, most people use an adaptation of their professional introduction. Start by briefly introducing yourself, including where you went to school, what you’ve done before, and why you want this job. It is very important that the information you give is related to the job. If it isn’t, you will miss a great chance to get the interviewers’ attention.
Here’s an example: “I am finishing up my Economics degree at UC Santa Barbara, where I have learned how to use Excel and apply economic theory to real-life situations.” Outside of class, I do things with the Economics Department where I can learn about different parts of the field from working professionals. A local analyst talked about their role in working with the City of Santa Barbara to come up with an economic relief plan during the recent natural disasters at one of the meetings. His story made me want to apply for this job as an Economics Analyst Intern so I could use my skills to help the city and learn more about the field. ”.
Pick two to three strengths that are relevant to the position you are applying to. They could be personal characteristics or skill-based characteristics, but they need to relate specifically to the position. You should give examples of how you’ve used those strengths (for behavioral questions, use the STARS method below).
Here is an example: “There are two strengths I’d like to mention. First, I am a naturally patient team member. While I was at camp last summer, I was in charge of 24 kids ages 8 to 12. It took great patience to keep them productive, entertained, and playing together cooperatively. Second, I have strong verbal communication skills to conduct group presentations and 1-on-1 pitches. I’ve learned how to speak in public through Toastmasters, and I’ve given oral reports in class that got the best grade in the whole class. As a Customer Success Representative, you will be able to use these two skills to help clients fix technical issues. ”.
One of my main skills is being able to clearly and effectively present technical information, which seems very important to work with people from different departments as an engineer.” I’ve been a Lead Teaching Assistant for two years and have had to teach technical topics to groups of fifty students with different levels of understanding. I always try to make sure my information is easy to understand, and my students have given me above-average grades in all of my classes. Second, I have experience presenting my research at two national conferences to technical audiences. Even though they were hard, these challenges helped me become more confident and better at presenting my work to people who could understand it and give me feedback. These two different presentations have given me a strong background that I believe is necessary for this job as an engineer.
While it can be tempting to provide a personal “flaw” for this answer (e. g. , “I’m a perfectionist” or “I take on too much work”), most hiring managers would rather you think about your qualifications for the job in a constructive way.
Read through the job description for the position you have applied to. Are there any qualifications you haven’t had the chance to get yet? Look for an objective qualification, like specific knowledge, training, or experience that you don’t have as a candidate. But don’t say anything that would make you less qualified to do the job. Always keep in mind that most employers only hire people who meet 50 to 75% of the job requirements. This is because they expect new employees to have some areas where they can improve.
In your answer, identify a weakness and then discuss a plan to help you improve in this area. Your answer should end positively so that the interviewer believes in your potential to succeed.
For example: “Overall, it looks like my skills are a good fit for this job. However, I learned from the job description that it requires more experience with Adobe Illustrator and InDesign than I have had in my classes so far.” Anticipating that this would boost my cartography skills, I recently subscribed to Lynda. com to teach myself the software through a 20-hour online course and a trial version. I am already familiar with the software’s tools and functions, and I am sure I will be able to keep learning quickly over the next year. I’m looking forward to using Illustrator and InDesign in my projects in the coming months. They are similar to other skills I have, like using Adobe Photoshop with ArcGIS software to make print maps. ”.
This is an important part of the interview where you can show that you’ve thought about the job you’re applying for. Show that you know something useful about the company, the job, or the industry, and show how this relates to your own skills or interests.
It can help to give more than one reason why you are interested in the job instead of just one. This is because hiring managers are looking for honesty in your answer.
This is an example: “About three years ago, my professional mentor told me to look into professional positions in nonprofits because I was interested in this line of work.” I have always wanted to help people in my community, and for more than five years I volunteered at senior care centers in a variety of roles. I chose to study English at UCSB to improve my written communication skills once I started there. While writing a paper about the nonprofit sector, I learned about the Grant Writing field. It seemed like a great fit for me because I like writing and I want to help small nonprofits. This made me look for an internship where I could help a Grant Writer do research on where a healthcare agency could get money from state grants. Finally, I’m applying for this job because I really want to use my skills to help your nonprofit organization as a Grant Writing Coordinator I. Your organization is a great fit for me because we both care about helping others, which I learned more about in the mission statement on your website. ”.
This type of question is one of the most common types of interview questions that gets asked. These questions usually begin with a phrase like “Tell me about a time when…” or “Describe a situation in which…” that makes you think of a time in the past or a time in the future. ?” or “Give me an example of…”. From these prompts, interviewers can assess how you would approach a situation related to the position. Interviewers often think that how you behaved in the past can tell them a lot about how you will behave in the future, so it’s important to go over these answers in detail.
It’s better to use a specific example to SHOW the interviewers how you would handle these questions than to just TELL them about it. To help you answer the question correctly, this should be written in the form of a story, with a focus on the details that are most important to the point of your story.
The STARS method, which includes one or two sentences about each of the following, is the best way to answer behavioral questions:
Situation (S) Specifically describe an experience that relates to the question asked. What group or organization were you a part of and when did this occur?.
Action (A) Elaborate on the relevant steps you took toward the goal. How did you accomplish it?
Result (R): Talk about what happened because of your work, including any numbers, like grades, or words, like feedback from a friend. What was the outcome?.
So What? (S) Connect this example to something important in the position to which you are applying. In the context of the question that was asked, why should the interviewer care?.
One of the best ways to get ready for an interview is to read the job description and write a STARS-formatted example story for each important duty, responsibility, or qualification that is listed. If you do this, you’ll be ready for most of the questions they might ask you during the interview.
STARS stories can be about many things in your life, but they should mostly be about your education, experience, and other activities that are relevant. And like most interview questions, your answer to a behavioral question should be between 60 and 90 seconds long so that you can give all the information they need.
“Tell me about a time you dealt with stress.” “During my internship last summer, I was in charge of managing a research project with a lot of different people involved.” Before the event, I saw that there was conflict between two groups, and I figured out that it was because they had different ideas about the research question. I decided to get the two participants who were at odds with each other together to try to find a middle ground on the research question and see if they could come to an agreement. Even though starting the conversation was hard, it ended up leading to a better research question that everyone agreed on. It’s important to note that everyone involved was able to move on and work together well to solve the initial problem, and we were able to turn in a written report of our work. ”.
Answering the interview question completely is always a good idea, but most of the time, it’s best to keep your answer general.
When hiring managers ask you about your plans for the future, they want to know if you’ll be a good fit for this job. Different companies have different policies on internal promotions and chances to move up, so you might not want to say exactly what jobs you want in the future (e.g. g. , “My goal is to be a manager here within three years”). Instead, focus on what you want to be learning and contributing toward.
“My immediate goal is to graduate and get a job in higher education where I can use the skills and knowledge I’ve gained at UCSB.” I’m excited to learn more about how to improve my professional development in order to help underrepresented student groups. That is, I want to learn about the specific needs of the students on this campus and help create programs that will meet these needs. In the long run, I want to work on projects that give me more responsibility, so I can be given a budget and be in charge of judging the results of my projects. ”.
It’s smart to be ready with an answer to this question before an interview, even if it’s not asked. If the interviewer does ask you what salary you’d like, the answer you give will probably affect whether or not the company makes you an offer later in the hiring process.
This is why most negotiation experts tell job candidates to wait to talk about pay rates in detail until the company has decided that you are the best person for the job. When you talk about salary too soon, the company usually benefits more than the candidate. If you give them a number that is too high, they might not pursue you as a candidate, and if you give them a number that is too low, they might get you the job for less than you deserve.
In all discussions related to salary, avoid being the first person to state a number. At this point in the hiring process, you might want to go over each answer in the order given below until the interviewer is happy with your answer.
Discussing salary can feel uncomfortable, but it is an important skill to practice for your long-term career success. When in doubt, base your negotiation off of salary data on websites such as Salary. com, Payscale.com, and Glassdoor, and use your own judgment when it comes to how to answer questions about pay in interviews.
After most interviews, you have 5 to 15 minutes to ask questions, but it depends on how much time the employer gives you. During this very important part of the hiring process, you can ask about parts of the job that are important to you and that you want to know more about. Because of this, you will want to brainstorm questions in advance. What do you want to know about?.
When you are getting ready for your interview and doing research, write down any questions that come up about this job opening. At this point in the interview, it’s usually okay to bring a notepad with you to help you remember things when you ask questions. You may even want to take more notes based on the interviewers’ answers!.
Even though it might seem like you can ask any question, most interviewers will look at the questions you ask as a sign of how interested you are in the job. If you want to be successful, you should ALWAYS ask at least one or two questions instead of turning down the chance. Employers often think that turning down a chance to ask questions means “I’m not that interested in this job.” ”.
Regardless of what you ask, it is important that you understand the type of questions that you ask. This can help you think ahead about the impression you are leaving. Making at least five questions ahead of time is a good idea, just in case you need more.
Here are some example questions that could help you decide about your interest in this position:
Here are some example questions that could strike a conversational tone to connect with your interviewers:
Pro Tip: Ask questions that are unbiased and open-ended. Avoid questions that have a simple “yes” or “no” answer.
You could be asked any question in an interview, but here are some common ones you might want to be ready for. As you go through these questions, try to find ones that are more about the job you are applying for. Ultimately, you should be prepared to speak about anything that is written in the job description.
Landing a job at ExamWorks starts with nailing the interview. As a leading provider of independent medical examinations (IMEs), ExamWorks needs candidates who are professional empathetic and adept at navigating complex cases.
In this article, we’ll explore the most frequently asked ExamWorks interview questions along with tips for crafting winning responses. From assessing your clinical knowledge to handling situational scenarios we’ll cover everything you need to stand out and get hired.
Overview of ExamWorks
The ExamWorks company has been around since 2007 and is one of the biggest in the world. They work with insurance companies, law firms, and businesses to offer medical-legal services for personal injury cases, workers’ compensation claims, and disability benefits.
With over 35 acquisitions, ExamWorks has expanded rapidly. They now have a network of thousands of certified examiners who give hundreds of thousands of tests every year.
ExamWorks hires clinicians and staff members who have a lot of experience, are great at communicating, and are always professional. There are usually more than one round of interviews, including a screen by a recruiter, an interview with the hiring manager, and sometimes a final panel interview.
Let’s look at the types of questions asked at each stage and how to craft winning responses.
Initial Recruiter Screen Questions
The initial call with the recruiter screens for basic qualifications and fit. Common questions include:
1. Walk me through your experience conducting IMEs.
Highlight years of experience, types of exams conducted, and domains like workers’ compensation, disability, auto liability, etc. Mention if you have specific training in standardized IME protocols.
2. Why are you interested in this opportunity at ExamWorks?
Show you’ve researched the company by mentioning their industry leadership, commitment to quality, and network of credentialed experts that enable you to focus purely on delivering best-in-class IMEs.
3. Are you comfortable conducting a high volume of diverse exam types?
Assure them you can handle a fast-paced, high-volume caseload. Give examples of different types of impairment rating exams or diagnostic testing you’ve conducted.
4. How do you keep your clinical knowledge up-to-date?
Discuss reading journals, taking CME courses, attending conferences, and consulting peers. Emphasize lifelong learning.
5. Do you have experience utilizing medical scheduling software and dictation tools?
If you have experience with specific systems ExamWorks uses, highlight this. If not, express your ability to quickly learn new technology.
Hiring Manager Interview Questions
The hiring manager will assess your qualifications, communication abilities, and professionalism. Some common questions include:
6. Describe your approach to conducting a thorough musculoskeletal IME.
Walk through your standard process step-by-step from review of records, to in-person exam elements, to report writing. Emphasize being meticulous.
7. How do you handle situations where a patient becomes upset or uncooperative during an exam?
Share examples of employing empathy, active listening, de-escalation techniques, and maintaining professional composure at all times. Emphasize never compromising exam integrity.
8. What do you do if you feel an attorney or claims adjuster is pressuring you to alter your objective findings in an IME report?
Assert that your reports always accurately reflect your clinical judgment based on the evidence. Note how you would escalate ethically questionable requests through proper channels.
9. How do you determine impairment ratings in complicated cases where the patient has multiple comorbidities?
Demonstrate your clinical expertise and critical thinking to systematically evaluate causal relationships between conditions and avoid inappropriate apportionment.
10. Imagine you notice a pattern of insufficient or biased medical records provided for your exams. What would you do?
Discuss proactively raising this issue so steps can be taken to obtain complete record sets, ensuring exams are done with full clinical context.
Final Panel Interview Questions
If you make it to the final round, be ready for deeper questions on medical knowledge, work ethic, and integrity. Some examples include:
11. Explain your methodology for assessing whether subjective complaints match objective findings when examining a claimant.
Illustrate techniques like comparative range of motion testing, palpation, and reviewing diagnostic studies to differentiate exaggerated or falsified symptoms from true clinical findings. Cite examples.
12. A referring attorney frequently sends you cases with very short notice and demanding turnaround times. How do you respond?
Affirm your commitment to maintaining a responsible workload that allows you to conduct comprehensive exams and write detailed reports. Note how you would communicate scheduling realities and hold firm but professional boundaries.
Take Action: Where to Go From Here
Suggested Steps for Success
GO TO INTERVIEW SKILLS
VIEW VIRTUAL WORKSHOP
ATTEND AN EVENT
CONTINUE TO THE FIRST DAY
