Interview questions at American Cancer Society
We analyzed 348 interview reviews for American Cancer Society from various job sites, social network groups and forums.
Here are the most frequent job interview questions asked by HR managers during initial phone or onsite interviews. This list does not include technical or factual questions.
10 frequent non-technical questions at American Cancer Society:
According to our research, hiring managers at American Cancer Society ask soft skills interview questions 25% more than at other companies.
1. What is your greatest weakness? top question
How to answer
This question ranks as the most challenging for many people. Fortunately, Mr. Simon is here to help!
Interviewers are not out to trick or trap you! They ask this question to gauge your level of self-awareness, your honesty and openness, and your capability for self-improvement.
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About Yourself
No one is perfect and your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect either.
While it is good to be honest and open, it will not help you to put yourself down.
What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome. How you turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.
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About The Company
Research the company (website, social media, etc) to learn about the company culture.
What personal and professional qualities do they value?
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About The Fit
This is the time to clearly state a true weakness that you have overcome.
Be as specific as possible and stay away from vague cliches like “I work too hard.” It would be difficult for anyone to try and explain how they overcame a weakness like that
Mr. Simon emphasizes the Present-Past-Present method of responding to behavioral questions. When you are asked about your greatest weakness, you should be able to successfully use this approach as well. Here is an example of how someone might answer this question.
Present - "I have always had a fear of public speaking, and believe this may have held me back in my career, especially when having to make presentations to management."
Past - "Last year I learned about Toastmasters International and decided to join this group to help me gain confidence in myself and improve my ability to present to others in just about any situation."
Present - "By overcoming this weakness I believe that it has made me a much stronger candidate for this position, someone you can count on to make presentations to management, conduct training and communicate at a high level."
It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally.
Pro Tip
Use this question to sell yourself!
Statistics
This question is asked 10% more frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
2. Tell me about your greatest professional accomplishment
How to answer
Of all your accomplishments (and I am sure you’ve had a great many of them!), you should choose the one most relevant to this job position.
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About Yourself
In preparation for answering this question, list the top 3 professional accomplishments that you are most proud of. No need for lengthy descriptions, just a sentence or two for each one to help you recall each situation.
Write down your Key Selling Points - your top 3-5 skills that make you a strong professional.
Make sure you have developed the story behind each accomplishment and have a strong command of the details of what happened so that you can tell the story clearly and distinctly.
Along with each accomplishment, mark which of your Key Selling Points they showcase. How exactly?
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About The Company
Based on your research of the company, what are their current needs?
- What are the major projects going on?
- What are the expectations for the position you are applying for?
- Think about which of your accomplishment stories best fit their needs and expectations?
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About The Fit
Once you have decided on the appropriate accomplishment story, think how you will relate it in an interview and how you will make it relevant to the the job you are seeking. One approach is to use the Present-Past-Present technique.
Let's say that the accomplishment was leading your team in installing a new billing system and bringing it in on time and under budget.
You might start off in the Present by talking about the importance of having good leadership skills.
Then move to the Past to relate your story about how you successfully lead your team in accomplishing the objective.
Finally, come back to the Present to address how you will be able to help them reach their goals (the ones you learned about when researching the company) going forward.
Be sure to keep practicing your accomplishment story until it flows naturally and convincingly.
Pro Tip
Most enterprises are now going through major transformations, often called Digital Transformation.
Do your research on what it means and what is often involved, to get a better idea of the current goals and environments in companies. But one thing that definitely characterizes this transformation is striving for agility.
Whether the prospective employer is a long-established company or a startup, they are looking for people who demonstrate qualities like agility and adaptability, which are generally considered to be both helpful and quite a safe choice in most circumstances today.
Statistics
This question is asked 3.1x more frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
3. Tell me about a time when you've resolved a problem for a frustrated customer
How to answer
Customers are the lifeblood of any business. How you handle a disgruntled customer can make the difference between closing a sale and failing to do so. Or perhaps even worse the difference between keeping or losing a good customer.
It takes good people skills to handle such situations, and this question is a good opportunity to demonstrate your people skills.
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About Yourself
Think of a time when, as a customer, you had a problem with a company.
- How did you feel?
- How did you want to be treated?
- Was the situation resolved to your satisfaction? If so what was done to resolve it?
- If not, what went wrong?
Have you had experience in the past where you helped a frustrated customer? When you were on the serving side of the table, what did you do to make a real difference to the customer and their experience?
When considering this question, focus on your principles and your approach. You know that when customers are made to feel neglected and unimportant, they tend to get frustrated. You want to demonstrate to the hiring manager that you have the capacity to understand the customer’s problems and issues and can come up with a solution that best addresses their concerns.
Of course, this may not always be possible in your line of business or profession, but I guess you see what I mean - showing full attention greatly improves your chances of mitigating the situation.
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About The Company
Every company relies on customers.
Research the company you are applying to and try to find out what their standards of customer relationship or service are, as well as try to find out some real cases where the customers complained about the company, and what the company did to mitigate the situations (a possible source might be Yelp! or another social media platform).
Based on your research, how does the company treat customers? How do they resolve customer issues?
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About The Fit
How do you demonstrate to the interviewer that you can WOW the customer by making their situation better for them as well as helping the company maintain good customer relations? Mr. Simon recommends using the Present-Past-Present method.
There are many ways to apply this approach. For example you can start with the Present emphasizing that your approach to good customer service always starts with your great listening skills that enable you to fully understand the customer’s situation.
Next go back to the Past for an example of just how you were able to resolve a frustrating situation for a customer. Focus on a situation in which you listened to and understood the problem and were able to resolve it and prevent the loss of the customer’s business.
Finally come back to the Present to discuss how your skills and experience in handling frustrated customers will be a real asset to the company going forward.
Pro Tip
A disgruntled customer generally just needs someone to listen to them.
The three A’s of customer service can help diffuse the difficult situation:
- Acknowledge - what the other person is feeling,
- Apologize - for the way the other person is feeling,
- Admit - that there was an issue that you are working on to get it resolved.
Add the extra “A” - Ask for the customer's contact information so you can update them on any progress on their issue.
Statistics
This question is asked 99% more frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
4. Tell me about a stressful situation and how you dealt with it
How to answer
Stress on the job comes in many forms and from many sources including tight (perhaps impossible) deadlines, difficult bosses and co-workers, family issues, hard-to-please customers and clients and numerous other causes. There are also levels of stress ranging from the ones that are so common that we consider them normal, up to those that can really skyrocket.
Your future employer wants to know how you will behave in such times, whether you will be a helping hand or a burden.
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About Yourself
In order to form a response to this question, think back to a time when you encountered a stressful situation at work, and answer the following questions.
- Was the situation a challenge just to you personally or to your entire team?
- What was your approach to the problem and how did you handle it?
- What role if any did emotions play in the process of dealing with this situation?
- What was the outcome, was it successful?
- Did the outcome meet the company’s expectations as well as your own?
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About The Company
- What do you know about the company, where you may encounter a stressful situation?
- Are they working on a major project which is approaching a due date?
- Are they going through what appears to be a difficult time where cost-saving is a top priority? Perhaps the company culture is full of negativity and mistrust, or they have gone through massive layoffs. Is there any chance that customers are being neglected?
Any of these situations may lead to stressful times at the company, and you should try to know more about their expectations, and how realistic those expectations are.
Or, are they just a dynamic, highly agile company run by smart and creative folks, which may work excellently for some people and be confusing and mind-blowing for others?
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About The Fit
Once you have determined which STAR story will best answer this question, use the Present-Past-Present method for your response. The following is an example of how someone might apply this method.
The candidate started with the Present by telling the interviewer that she is able to rise to the challenge of the situation regardless of the level of stress that may come with an assignment.
She then went back to the Past to describe when she and her team had to hit a tight timeline for a customer that depended on the outcome of her team's work. It was an emotional time in which the team worked long, hard hours with lots of overtime. As hard as it was at the time, in the end they successfully completed the assignment and the customer was so pleased with the results that it increased its business with her company.
Finally, the candidate came back to the Present to explain how much she enjoys taking on challenges because they help her grow as a professional and she knows that she can successfully complete assignments for the company, no matter how stressful or difficult.
Pro Tip
Think of your ideal workplace environment.
- Does this company feel like it would be ideal for you?
- Do you feel excited and enthusiastic about taking on the kinds of stress you may encounter here?
- Would you prefer to work in an environment where the stress levels were lower or at least more manageable?
If you feel compatible with this company culture and enthusiastic about the challenges you expect here, this is a good chance to mention it and to show your excitement.
Explain your approach or rationale when you give your example from the past.
If you cannot remember any stressful situation with a positive outcome, you can use one with a less than positive outcome but it must be accompanied by your lessons learned and how you were able to use the lessons to help you move on.
Statistics
This question is asked 3.0x more frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
How to answer
This question belongs to a family of behavioral, or even more precisely, reflective questions.
The interviewer wants to learn two things about you by asking this question.
- They want to know what you think about the job you are applying for. Remember, they are interviewing you for the job that's open right now. Are you a good fit and will you do a good job for them?
- Just as important, they want to get an idea of your ambitions and goals for yourself and if your goals align with their needs, especially going into the future.
In this way the employer should see how you see yourself today, and whether you are ambitious and strive to grow as a professional, and whether you like to learn and develop your skills.
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About Yourself
What challenges do you like overcoming? Where are you starting from and where might you be going?
For example, let's say the position you are applying for is junior accountant. It includes a wide range of tasks such as basic bookkeeping, financial analysis, and reporting. If accounting is your chosen field, then you would most likely want to move in the direction of obtaining your CPA so that you might step up to more responsibility as an accounting manager or senior auditor within the next 5 years. Your responses should make sense in how you see yourself growing in your professional career.
However, at this point, if you are happy just where you are and want to further your current skills, that is also fine as long as there is a growth path for you that can be imagined and described.
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About The Company
Research the company to learn what career opportunities may be available in the department you are applying to, and what the trends are in the company in general.
- Is the business expanding, are they opening new locations, or starting new projects?
- Or are they heavily automating and cutting staff?
Let’s say you are applying for a UX designer position for a brand-new product.
In the future, if the product becomes a success - which is what the company hopes for - the company will hire more designers and you may become a lead designer, or you may become a product manager.
On a side note: If you train your mind to be open to opportunities you will be amazed at how much this world has to offer to you!
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About The Fit
And, of course, try to see where the perfect fit lies between your own potential and aspirations, and the company’s trends and hopes.
However, beware of the risk of showing too much excitement for future opportunities compared to your attitude towards the current position.
As we said earlier, you must show interest and enthusiasm for the position you are applying for. If the interviewer senses that you are more enthusiastic about future growth than about the current position, they may conclude that you are not the right person for the job at hand.
Pro Tip
This question gives you a good opportunity to showcase your Key Selling Points (e.g. “As I am very good at delegating tasks, I can easily see myself leading a team of software testers in the future…”), and end your statement by asking about current initiatives and goals at the company.
In thinking about the possibilities that may lie ahead, you also might want to consider taking a personality test (I recommend 16Personalities which is based on the Myers-Briggs test), research the internet on what career paths are possible with your skills and current job.
It is generally NOT a good idea to say something like:
“Oh, I cannot imagine what happens to me tomorrow, let alone in 5 years”.
This will show you as a person who is unimaginative and not forward-thinking enough to grow with and be a good fit for the company.
Statistics
This question is asked 32% less frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
6. What did you like or dislike about your last job?
How to answer
Your answer to this question will show the interviewer your overall perspective (positive or negative) of your prior role and your approach to what you liked (or didn’t like) about that aspect of your work. While answering such a question remember that diplomacy is the key to corporate success.
The answer you give to this question can say a lot about you, for example:
- Can you handle situations professionally when you deal with pressure?
- What strong qualities (your Key Selling Points) can you emphasize answering the question?
- Are you a positive person, and not someone who complains, holds grudges or badmouths their co-workers or boss?
- Do you exhibit loyalty, enthusiasm, dedication, and energy?
- Are you easy to work with?
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About Yourself
Reflect on yourself; stick to the facts and don’t go into emotions.
List the things you were responsible for in your last job.
- Which of them did you like most? Why?
- What were the responsibilities you liked less? Why?
- Was there anything you consider completely unacceptable?
If you feel that your answer will not be complete without a nod toward the negative aspects, then keep it focused on tasks, situations, or company structure, and not on people. The overall tone must be positive and friendly.
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About The Company
- What does your research tell you about the company you are applying to?
- Will there be situations like those in your former job you don't want to get into again?
- What are the requirements for the position?
- What challenges will you face there?
- What responsibilities will you be tasked with?
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About The Fit
Which of the responsibilities you liked will also be part of your future responsibilities in your new role? Don’t forget to show your excitement while telling about these.
If there were responsibilities you disliked that are not part of the job description, don’t bring them up.
By asking about your feelings toward a previous job the interviewers often aren’t that interested in the list of actual likes or dislikes you can provide. Rather, they’re trying to judge your character by listening to the tone and **attitude **with which you respond to a tricky question.
However, details of your likes and dislikes can also reveal whether you'll be a good fit culturally at the company at hand. Showing excitement about responsibilities that will most likely be included in the role you are applying for can help strengthen your position as a fit.
Mentioning that you are ready for more challenges and opportunities, that the position you are applying for is a great match for your skillset and that you feel you would be an asset to the company or department is often a safe way to show your excitement.
Pro Tip
Telling your stories, use the “sandwich method”: start off by mentioning a positive, then mention the negative, and try to pivot back around to something positive.
You can do that by talking about how you managed the aspect you disliked, or by making a connection to the job you're interviewing for.
Statistics
This question is asked 5.9x more frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
7. Tell me about a time you had a conflict at work. How did you handle it? What have you learned?
How to answer
Wherever you go, you will always have to work with people. This means that there is a greater chance for conflict to happen. This question helps the interviewer determine how well you would fit within the organization.
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About Yourself
Think of the times you had to deal with conflict.
- What were the different ways you were able to address the situation?
- If you were the cause of the conflict, how did the other person talk you down from the conflict?
- What were the key lessons you learned through your experience?
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About The Company
Research the company and its culture.
- What do they value?
- Is there anything that you can find about how they deal with conflict resolution?
Reading comments to their social media posts often prove helpful to see how they react to customers' complaints.
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About The Fit
- What have you found out about the company’s culture and job description?
- Are they looking for someone who can take charge and resolve conflict?
Tell a story of how you addressed conflict and how it turned a negative into a positive. Try to conclude with your lessons learned or methodology for approaching conflicts - this will show the interviewer that you would be able to apply your methodology to future situations.
Use the STAR method to frame your story.
Pro Tip
A key to addressing conflict is listening, communication and emotional intelligence. Highlight these skills.
If you're able to, turn the question around and ask the interviewer if they have experienced the same thing. This will start a conversation, which is the goal of an interview.
Statistics
This question is asked 3.7x more frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
8. Working in a team, or by yourself - what is your preference?
How to answer
When the interviewers ask this question, they want an insight into your personality, how well you work independently and how well you work with others.
Generally, there's no right or wrong answer to this question, unless the company specifically prefers that you work only in a team or only by yourself.
Luckily, Mr. Simon is here to provide you guidance.
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About Yourself
To prepare for this question, try to think of your previous experiences. Which type of work suited you best and why?
For instance, someone who prefers working by themselves may be able to focus better on the problem, and a person who prefers a team approach may like having others to help figure out problems.
If you're a fresh graduate or someone that does not have much work experience, you can think of schoolwork or the times that you worked with others in an organization.
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About The Company
What has your research found out about the company and its culture?
What have you learned about how the employees work?Review the job description as it may give you clues to whether the job focuses on teams, independence or both.
Try to expand your search into social media posts at Glassdoor or others where employees/former employees may have posted about working conditions you would be working under.
Remember: knowledge is the key! The more you know about the company, the better prepared you will be to answer questions like this.
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About The Fit
Based on your research, what did you find is the company's preference?
- What type of workplace does the company appear to have?
- What kind of challenges could you help the company/department resolve by working as a part of a team?
- What about the challenges that can be resolved by working independently?
Emphasize both independent successes as well as group successes (be sure to mention actions you took to help the team).
Pro Tip
Talk about the benefits of each working style and add to your story by telling them in terms of your STARs.
- What was the Situation/Task you needed to address?
- What Actions/Approach did you take?
- What were the Results? What did you do differently that made you successful?
Statistics
This question is asked 12.1x more frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
9. Tell me about yourself
How to answer
Most job candidates expect this to be one of the first interview questions and probably think of it as an “icebreaker” to get the interview started. It is much more than that! It is your opportunity to show the interviewer your relevance for the job. You want the employer to know that you are qualified to do the job, you are interested in doing the job and capable of getting it done.
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About Yourself
What is your current occupation? Define yourself professionally in one statement.
Pick 3 key skills that make you great at your work (your Key Selling Points). How have you applied these skills?
Try to give some numbers to support your statement.
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About The Company
Your first step is to Research the company to find out as much as you can about what they do and their approach to their business and their employees.
Based on what you know about the company and the job description, why are you interested in the position you are applying for?
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About The Fit
Now is the right time to show the fit between your skills and the company's requirements. Your answer works best if you emphasize your relevance. How do you do this? You will have already researched the company, studied the job description to identify their needs and possible pain points and prepared the relevant Star Stories that show how you addressed similar issues in the past. Your next step is to develop your Present-Past-Present approach.
Start with the Present. Focus on the skills and experience from your most recent positions. What has enabled you to get the job done successfully and how this relates to what the employer is looking to accomplish.
Next go back to the Past. Here is where your Star story comes in. Explain how you were able to use your skills and experience to accomplish a task that relates to an area of concern for the employer.
Finally come back to the Present – summarizing the lessons you learned and how they shaped your response and approach today.
Remember, the whole conversation is about the present, not the past. Just one sentence can summarize why your approach works, and its applicability and relevance to this position.
Pro Tip
You can also end with a question like:
“Do you know what the current needs in the company/department are, where my skills and experience can help?”
That can help you learn more about the company and the job, turn the “interrogation” into a conversation and will allow you to relax some tension.
Read our blog post to learn more about how to answer this question.
Statistics
This question is asked 72% less frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
10. Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult or disruptive person. It may be a client, manager, or coworker. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?
How to answer
People skills are highly valued in a company. It is important to show how you can manage difficult personalities, especially if you are applying for a job that involves teamwork, or a lot of interactions with clients.
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About Yourself
Look back on your experience. Have you worked with a difficult or disruptive person? Remember a few such situations and how you diffused them and turned things around. What are your approaches to resolving conflicting situations at work?
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About The Company
- What have you found about the company and its culture?
- What have you learned about how the employees value each other?
- How do they treat their customers?
- Do they have any specific standards and policies?
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About The Fit
Using what you found about the company, choose one of your examples that fits best with the company standards and share your story.
If it's a customer, how did you turn things around and made a customer happy?
If it's a coworker, how did you diffuse a tense or difficult situation?
Pro Tip
Use the triple A of diffusing a difficult situation:
- Acknowledge - what the other person is feeling,
- Apologize - for the way the other person is feeling,
- Admit - that there was an issue that you are working on to get it resolved.
If it is a customer, it would add that extra touch if you "Ask" for the customer's contact information so you can update them of any progress on their issue.
Statistics
This question is asked 2.3x more frequently at American Cancer Society than at other companies.
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This page has been updated on February 23, 2024.
