The Situational Interview

Each institution has their own way of interviewing potential candidates prior to inviting them for an on-campus interview. An example involves explaining how you would respond to specific situations that you might encounter in the position. Your future colleagues often create the situations, which can be telling of issues that commonly occur in that department. The committee may send you the situations in advance, so that you have time develop a clear action plan. Here are a couple of tips for preparing for your situational interview:

• Give yourself plenty of time to process each situation
• Talk with your classmates and cohort members about the situations
• Ask your supervisor to discuss the situations and your ideas for responding to each
• Create an outline to respond to each question within the scenario
• Consider the values and mission of the institution and department when responding
• Research department or institution policies that may impact the actions you take
• Finally, practice your answers aloud to ensure that you are concise and to the point

Amy Moreno-Kieffer
Co-Editor
Student Affairs Job Hunting Blog