Top Ten Qualitative Interview Questions
Depending on the job you are seeking, most interviewers ask both questions that have concrete, measurable answers and those that require answers that will be judged based on their quality rather than their quantity. Questions that do not have concrete, measurable answers are known as "qualitative" questions, and they often make up the bulk of the job interview. While employers may need to test your knowledge, skills and experience by asking you a hand full of factual questions, it is often the answers to your qualitative questions that show whether you will be a good fit with the organization's business philosophy and culture.
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Introduce Yourself and Walk Me through Your Resume
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Often an interviewer's first question, this all-encompassing question seems easy enough to answer. However, thinking about how to introduce yourself in the few seconds you have to prepare your answer is challenging. Because you know some version of this question is probably coming, prepare yourself for it beforehand, and decide what the beginning, middle and end parts are in the story of yourself.
What Are Your Weaknesses?
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According to Career Builder, when interviewers ask this question, they are looking for the plan that you use to determine strengths and weaknesses and that you are willing to admit there is room for growth. Never argue that you don't have weaknesses or dictate a long list of them. Instead, choose a few and discuss how you can turn them into strengths.
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What Are Your Strengths?
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Some interviewers may ask this question alone, while others may pair it with the weaknesses question. Regardless, this is not an opportunity for you to recite a list of your best qualities but instead to take a few of those qualities that make you perfect for the job and explain why that is.
Questions About Your Past
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Interviewers want to know why you are applying for the job. They also want to know what about your past experience prepares you for the position you are seeking. They want to know the circumstances around why you left, unique elements of your past that give you the perfect experience for the job, and how you explain problems in your past.
Questions About Your Future
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Interviewers want to know whether hiring you is a good investment. It takes time and money to do new hire trainings and to patiently wait out those new employee days during which you do not perform your job to the best of your ability. For this reason, interviewers may ask you where you see yourself in five or 10 years, what your goals are, or how working at the company fits into your future plans.
What Are Some of Your Professional Successes and Failures?
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This question asks you to do more than just name the project that you consider a success or a failure. Instead, it asks you to describe the project and your role, the end results, and why you consider it a success or a failure. More importantly, you should explain what the example taught you about working in your industry.
Description Questions
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Some interviewers will ask you to describe yourself, pick a few adjectives that describe yourself, describe your work ethic, or discuss how a close friend would describe you. These questions ask you to show something you can't on your resume -- your personality and habits.
Specific Incident Questions
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Would-be employers often ask questions about specific incidents, saying, "Describe a time when you...." These questions are often specifically geared toward your industry. For example, if you were interviewing for a teaching position, the interviewer might say, "Describe a time when you felt you had lost the students' attention." These questions not only give the interviewer some insight into your past, but they also test your experiences and relevant knowledge because coming up with these examples immediately requires your having lived them.
What Do You Do Outside of Work?
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Although you don't have to tell your employer every single thing you enjoy doing as a hobby, this question is intended to gauge whether you have a balance between work life and home life, your personality and interests, and your professionalism. You should not lie when answering this question, but if you mention inappropriate or illegal activities, you can't expect to get the job.
What Sets You Apart -- Why Should You Get This Job?
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Employers ask this question because they want to know what achievements you might have that you haven't discussed. They also want to find out if you know what they are looking for. This question is one that should be backed up with evidence. Don't just say you are passionate -- prove it.
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References
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