You finally got a job interview with that audiology clinic — now come the tough questions.
An interviewer can only learn so much from your resume and cover letter. That’s why they include such hard questions in an interview — they want to learn important information they’d never be able to glean from the materials you submitted.
You can rest assured these questions are asked in earnest. They want to know if you react well under pressure, handle surprises well, and think creatively when a problem is thrown at you.
In short, how comfortable and diplomatic are you amid difficulty, especially right next to a patient?
With that in mind, here are general tips for approaching tough questions, followed by concrete examples.
General Tips for Answering Any Interview Question
Take your time
This is a job interview, not the LSAT — there’s no penalty for taking a little time to answer. Someone interviewing you for a job in hearing care will prefer thoughtful, appropriate responses, so go ahead and take a beat before replying to a question.
Be a STAR
If the question asks you about past behavior or a hypothetical situation, it helps to structure your response with the STAR method — situation, task, action, and results. In other words: Set the stage, describe your role and goal, explain the action you took, and lay out the results.
Answer with confidence
Before the day of your interview, choose some tough questions and practice your answers to boost your confidence and help you sound more natural. Now let’s consider some examples.
Example Question 1: A Negative Work Experience
“Have you ever been terminated or asked to resign from a job?” Questions about a negative work experience can be the toughest to answer during a job interview. Many of us have had a job we didn’t enjoy, had a manager we didn’t see eye-to-eye with, or been fired. Remembering some key points, however, can help you navigate these tricky waters.
Keep it honest
Resist the temptation to reframe a firing as a lay-off or dodge the question. The interviewer knows everyone has had an unfortunate experience on the job, so be honest about yours.
Keep it brief
There is such a thing as too much information! This is not the time or place to vent. The interviewer wants to find out if you can critique a past workplace without coming across as unprofessional.
Keep it positive
They’re likely looking for insight on how you handle adversity. Bad-mouthing past employers, supervisors, or patients won’t do — focus on positive outcomes and lessons learned.
Example response:
“Yes, I was terminated from my job at ABC Inc. There was more general administrative work to the position than I anticipated, and I was looking for a specialized role. I enjoyed my time at the company and learned a lot, but ultimately, we agreed it was not the right fit.”
Example Question 2: Your Weaknesses
“Tell me about your biggest weakness.”
This is a tricky interview question that often leads to humble brags, such as, “I’m too dedicated to my team” or “I’m a perfectionist.” But that’s transparent and isn’t appreciated.
The interviewer wants to find out how self-aware you are. They also want to know whether you’re taking concrete steps to improve.
As preparation, think of a real-life weakness you want to overcome — but don’t choose a key job requirement. It should be a nice-to-have skill, like public speaking or delivering feedback to colleagues.
Develop an explanation for how you’re trying to overcome it, ensuring your explanation shows you’re solutions-focused.
Example response:
“I respond best to direct feedback — just the facts, please — so that’s how I used to give feedback. It could be received as blunt or uncaring. I’ve been working hard on being tactful and considerate but still honest. I’ve even read up on emotional intelligence. Obviously, it’s a work in progress, but I try to pause for a moment, then phrase things in a way that balances honesty and compassion.”
Example Question 3: Your Reasons
“Why do you want to work here?” or “Why did you apply for this position?”
This tough interview question isn’t a “maybe” — you’re almost guaranteed to be asked this during the interview process for any position, so prepare for it.
With this question, an interviewer wants to know one thing: Are you interested in furthering their mission and vision? Or are you simply chucking a resume at every open position that isn’t an obvious skills mismatch?
The key to answering this question is research. And not as much as you think — you’re looking for a position in audiology, so that narrows the scope of your task a lot.
Start with their website and determine the mission statement, core values, specialties, and company culture. Do they resonate with what you want in a practice, especially at this stage of your career?
If so, develop a short elevator pitch and sprinkle in what you found in your research. Paint a picture for them of how their practice is a good match for your skills, expertise, and values.
Example response:
“Working with veterans with tinnitus during my VA externship ignited my passion for helping find ways to lessen the tinnitus stress response. Imagine my excitement when I heard about your First Responders Tinnitus Program! It’s also clear from your social media posts that you highly value your employees. Both professionally and personally, your clinic feels like a perfect fit!”
Prepare Your Own Tough Questions
Asking questions shows that you’re well-prepared and curious — but make sure the answers to your questions aren’t in the job description or on the website. For example, you might ask about what a typical day in this role is like or why they think their practice is the right fit for you!