While an interview may not formally require a written piece, the same information that you’ve learned about the writing process applies to formal interviews. There may be no way of knowing exactly which questions will be asked; however, there are still ways to prepare for the question and answer portion of the interview. Just as a research paper requires evidence and supporting details, answering these questions will require evidence and detailed examples of what you have done in the past.

Take the following interview prompt:

• Tell me about a time when you were faced with a difficult situation and how you overcame it.

A weak answer may look like this:

• When I was in college, I got fired from my job because I was late to a shift due to car troubles. I overcame it by finding another job.

While this does answer the question, it doesn’t show any detail about the person at all. It shows that they lost their job and found another one. Employers want to see who you are through the questions you are answering. The details you answer with will give insight into your character and how well you fit in with the culture of the company.

Michael Higgins gives an acronym (STAR) that helps ensure the details of the answer are well thought out and thorough. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Activity, and Results. Using this method, each answer should explain the context, tell what your responsibility was, what actually happened, and the result of that.

A stronger answer to the question above (using this STAR acronym) would look like this:

• When I was in college, I worked for a local restaurant as a waitress. Due to the nature of the industry, there were several employees who were chronically late or no shows. At one point, the management decided to enforce a strict late or no show policy that stated the first offense would result in an automatic layoff. This lasted for a few months, and those who were chronically late were slowly weeded out. One week during this time, however, my car broke down on the side of the road. I immediately called my boss, but they told me that I had to be there on time or I would get fired too. I left my car and started walking to work, but didn’t make it there on time, and they fired me.My parents didn’t pay for my college or housing, so I knew I had to shake it off and get back out there. I got my car towed to a shop, had it fixed (thankfully it was just the battery). The next day I went to every restaurant I could and put in applications. Luckily the manager at one of the restaurants was there and was ready to hire new waitresses, so I got an interview on the spot, and I started work the next day. I knew that one small setback couldn’t stop me from working, and I was grateful to get a job so quickly. I ended up staying at that restaurant through the end of my college career, and I think that getting fired was a blessing in disguise because it ended up being a great job.

Though this may seem like a lengthy response, it leaves no detail unturned. It explains exactly why the person was fired, what they did after (how they responded), and the tenacity they had to move forward and look at every possibility until they found a new job. An employer can listen to this answer and get a sense for who the applicant is and their character and goals.

Interview Presentations

In some instances, some employers will require a presentation to be given by the candidate to showcase their abilities or why they are the best candidate for the job. Each presentation may look drastically different depending on what the employer wants, but the same basic tenets should apply.

Evidence must be present. If you are doing a presentation, it is the epitome of persuasion. This means you are selling yourself to the company. Think about writing a persuasive essay. The goal is to showcase the facts, the evidence, show credibility, and possibly bring in emotional appeals (if applicable). Whether the presentation is a PowerPoint or some other medium, the preparation follows the preparation for an essay.

There should be a specific organization that sets a structure for the presentation. Ideally, it should still have an introduction that sets up the purpose of the presentation, then transition into the evidence and information to showcase your strengths, background, or any other information that is necessary to persuade your audience. It should close as a persuasive essay and restate the points made, then transition to a final point that shows why you are the best candidate for the position. The evidence needed is just as important here as in a written essay.

Cover Letters

One common formal piece of writing that you will experience when applying for jobs is the cover letter. Typically, this is submitted with the resume, and is a brief way to give the employer a bit of personal background and evidence of your experience and qualifications for the position to which you are applying.

A cover letter should elaborate on the resume and explain how the experience and skills listed integrate best with the position that is being applied for. A resume is limited, typically in bullet form, and only gives high level background. The cover letter allows the company to see the person who is applying and how their experience will help them excel in the position and within the company. It is another persuasive technique to sell yourself as an employee to a company.

Cover letters should have the following elements:

• A header
• A standard greeting to whom the letter is addressed
• An introduction of who you are
• Detailed explanation of your qualifications
• Discussion on the values and goals that you have and how they align with the company
• Brief suggestion of next steps and gratitude
• A signature

The header should follow the same format as the formal letter and include your name, address, phone number, email address, the date, and the name of the person at the company, the company name, their address, and other contact information. The greeting should address the person to whom you’re writing.

Following the header and greeting, the example below shows specifically how the flow of a standard cover letter should go.

Each letter will vary based on the company and the position being applied for, but the same format should be followed to create a strong first impression.