12 Common Business Analytics Interview Questions

Yesterday I had three different interviews for business analyst roles and today I prepped someone else for his interviews. Its impossible to know exactly what questions interviewers are going to ask, but I want to share the most common questions I have been asked and tips for answering them.

1. Tell me about yourself/walk me through your resume. --- A variation of this question will always be asked and crafting your answer deserves its own post. Hopefully I will be able to write it soon. For now my recommendation is to have 5 points you walk through creating your story and showing off your best qualities.
   

2. What do you know about the company and why are you applying to this role? --- This needs to be thoroughly researched and personalized. Take the extra 2 hours to google the company, role, financials, and interviewer (if you know in advance).

You should be ready to talk about the company's goals, which are usually easily found on its website, LinkedIn or Facebook page.

• Be ready to discuss why these goals draw you to the company and how they fit into your personal career aspirations.

• Don't shy away from discussing recent company news. This lets the interviewer know you're keeping up with the business world around you.

After "Tell me About Yourself" and "Why do you want to work here?" this type of interview questioning -- known as "behavioral interviewing" is what job seekers should expect to hear once they get past that initial phone screen. Why? Behavioral questions probe job candidates’ real-life experiences to gauge their fit for the job and the organization. According to the publication "All Business," behavioral interviewing is 55% predictive of future employee behavior compared with 10% for traditional interviewing.

For job seekers, this underscores the importance of being comfortable with this line of questioning.

1. Describe a situation in which you embraced a new system, process, technology, or idea at work that was a major departure from the old way of doing things. ---This question is asking how did you adapt to change. Also a great place to showoff your technical knowledge.
   

2. Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a colleague’s working style in order to complete a project or achieve your objectives. --- This question is asking for an example of your teamwork and communication skills. Some people are very structured and schedule based while others prefer the freedom to work at their own pace, adding in project leadership and organization will show your skills off.
   

3. Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before. How did you react? What did you learn? ----Any new job will come with a lot of new experiences. Answer this question by showing off your problem-solving skills, adding in initiative is also a great strategy.
   

4. Tell me about a time when you had to work with a large amount of data? --- Use this question to show off your technical knowledge. Talk about dashboards, pivot tables, and databases you have worked with.
   

5. Tell me about a time in the last week when you’ve been satisfied, energized, and productive at work. What were you doing? ---Hard skills can be taught, passion cannot. Answer this question with an experience you loved and were very passionate about. Make sure to include what motivates you within your work.
   

6. Tell me about one of your favorite experiences working with a team and your contribution. ---This question is measuring your leadership skills as well as your teamwork and communication skills. It is perfectly okay to show off an experience where you were not the leader as long as you show the initiative you took.
   

7. What is your biggest strength/weakness? ---I don't think I have been interviewed and not asked about one or both of these. The question is set up to see your self-awareness as well as personal growth. When addressing the biggest weakness make sure you are actually acknowledging a weakness. Interviewers know a BS answer right away.
   

8. When was an opportunity where you went the extra mile? ---I find this to be a tricky question. The interviewer is trying to see your teamwork and intrinsic motivation.
   

9. Describe a time when you volunteered to expand your knowledge at work, as opposed to being directed to do so. ---This is a great question that I wish was asked more often. It is set up for you to talk about your side projects and passions.
   

10. Tell me about a time when you had to juggle several projects at the same time. How did you organize your time? What was the result? ---This question is asking how you manage various priorities. When answering make sure to show how you scheduled your time and successfully prioritized multiple projects at once.