One of the most common concerns we hear from job seekers is feeling caught unaware by interview questions they didn’t expect. While you can’t predict every question that might come your way, there’s a powerful tool at your disposal that can help you prepare more effectively: the job announcement itself.
Think of a job announcement as more than just a list of requirements – it’s actually a roadmap to your interview preparation. Those carefully crafted qualifications aren’t just telling you what the organization wants; they’re giving you insight into what they’ll ask to determine if you’re the right fit for the role.
Let’s walk through real examples of aligning your preparation with what employers seek, helping you feel more confident and prepared when interview day arrives. These qualifications are from actual job announcements from Movement Talent partner organizations, adapted for use here with their permission. We’ve provided a snippet from an announcement, a question you could anticipate getting, and provided some context for why that question.
Example 1 – Deputy Directors, Senior Directors, etc
The job announcement says: Focus on “the big picture,” including short-and long-term concerns and outcomes, for all those affected by leadership decisions, policies, or practices. Assess perspectives of those likely to be affected by a leader or organization’s decisions, policies, or practices.
You might get asked: Please give us an example of when you had to make a tough decision that would affect folks throughout the organization in different ways. What was your approach to getting input from those who could be impacted by the decision? How did you communicate this feedback to leadership and weigh their input when making the decision?
Why? This question gets at learning how somebody at a certain level of leadership navigates potentially competing interests and balances feedback from multiple stakeholders when tough decisions are made.
Example 2 – Managers
The job announcement says: Provide and cultivate a sense of purpose and direction, development goals and approaches, and the systems and culture of follow-through and accountability in colleagues.
You might get asked: Tell us about a time when you collaborated with or managed a colleague who worked hard and had good intentions but didn’t consistently meet expectations. What specific steps did you take to help this person improve their performance?
Why? Interviewers seek to learn more about management styles and how that might translate into supporting staff to meet their deliverables. As is common, the hiring manager wanted a tangible example of how the candidate navigated a similar scenario.
Example 3 – Development Directors/Fundraisers
The job announcement says: Support the Executive Director with their portfolio of major donors, including strengthening and managing relationships.
You might get asked: What makes a successful partnership between the Executive Director and Development Director? What is your approach to managing up?
Why? Since development leaders often work very closely with executive directors, the organization wants to ensure alignment in approaches and a good working relationship between these two roles. For directors and other leadership roles, the notion of “managing up” – being a resource who creates value for your supervisors and the organization – will often come up in the interview process, so be prepared to respond accordingly.
We can’t say for sure that the examples above will align with your next interview, but we hope this exercise has highlighted the way that employers craft job announcements to get to know candidates better, beyond what their cover letters and resumes might say. Answering questions by providing a real-world example is an effective interview technique:
- Briefly set the context
- Include concise details (without compromising any identifying information)
- Share the outcomes and any lessons learned.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or looking to switch careers, understanding this approach can transform how you prepare for your next opportunity. And as an added bonus? The same careful analysis that helps you anticipate questions will also help you tailor your application materials more effectively.
At Movement Talent, our goal is to prepare candidates (and employers!) for productive initial conversations and interviews that are informative, engaging, and relatively stress free. If you’re ready for your next move, start by filling out our Common Application today.