Structured Interview Questions And Answers

In engineering and architecture, a structure is a body or assemblage of bodies in space to form a system capable of supporting loads. Physical structures include man-made and natural arrangements. Buildings, aircraft, soap films, skeletons, anthills, beaver dams and salt domes are all examples of physical structures. The effects of loads on physical structures are determined through structural analysis. Structural engineering refers to engineering of physical structures.

Structure is a fundamental, tangible or intangible notion referring to the recognition, observation, nature, and permanence of patterns and relationships of entities. This notion may itself be an object, such as a built structure, or an attribute, such as the structure of society.

In biology, structures exist at all levels of organization, ranging hierarchically from the atomic and molecular to the cellular, tissue, organ, organismic, population and ecosystem level. Usually, a higher-level structure is composed of multiple copies of a lower-level structure.

Chemistry is a science that treats matter at the atomic to macro molecular scale-the reactions, transformations, and aggregations of matter, and accompanying energy and entropy changes in these processes. Chemical structure refers to both molecular geometry and electronic structure. The structural formula of a chemical compound is a graphical representation of the molecular structure that shows how the atoms are arranged.

A social structure is a pattern of relationships. They are social organizations of individuals in various life situations. Structures are applicable to people in how a society is as a system organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships. This is known as the social organization of the group. Sociologists have studied the changing structure of these groups. Structure and agency are two confronted theories about human behavior.

Software architecture is the act of choosing and excluding specific structural options from possibilities in the design of software. This decision requires the application of principles tailored to serve the purposes of the software.

In computer science, a data structure is a way of storing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently. Often a carefully chosen data structure facilitates using the most efficient algorithm. The choice of the data structure often begins from the choice of an abstract data type.

An interview consists of a series of job-related questions pertaining to the applicant's background, qualifications,
experience, and ability to perform the target job. The interview provides an organization the opportunity to learn about
the candidates' skills and abilities, and assists the supervisor in making a hiring or promotional decision. The interview
also provides the applicant an opportunity to present his/her qualifications and skills to the hiring authority.

A structured interview is an interview in which all candidates are asked the same questions in the same order.

Responses to interview questions are evaluated by qualified individuals who are familiar with the skills and abilities
needed to perform the target job. In some cases, the evaluators are supervisors within the hiring department. In other
cases, the evaluators consist of both internal and external evaluators, with external evaluators coming from community
groups and/or businesses and who have been thoroughly trained in the evaluation process. Evaluators may also be
employees of the Human Resources Department.

Frequently, evaluators use scoring criteria, which are called "benchmarks" to assist them in making their evaluations.
Benchmarks are statements of excellent, average, and poor responses that candidates may make in answer to
interview questions. Benchmarks are designed to "anchor" the ratings made by evaluators, by providing a standard to
judge the responses to questions along with the ratings (or score). The ratings (scores) correspond to these standards,
thus making the rating process more consistent and reliable.

You should dress appropriately depending on the type of position for which you have applied. For example, if you are
interviewing for an office position, professional wear is recommended, whereas "business casual" is appropriate for a
foreman or crew-leader type of position. You should look at how employees in the organization are dressing, and then
dress for the interview at one level higher than what they are wearing.

There are a number of effective methods of preparing for the interview. Examples include the following:
► Brainstorm possible interview questions by reviewing any information you have about the job and anticipating
questions that may be asked.
► Learn all you can about the organization, the position, and the career field.
► Talk to someone that performs the target job or a related position.
► Practice for the interview in front of a mirror, a friend, or a video camcorder.
► Have a friend or family member critique your responses. You should also critique your own responses.
► Make sure that you "put your best foot forward" and use the interview to present your skills and your ideas to the evaluators. Interviewers are not able to assess what they don't see. The responsibility is yours to ensure that your abilities are presented to the evaluators.

► Know your exact appointment time/location, and arrive early. Plan your time wisely.
► If you are asked to bring additional materials, information, and/or references to the interview - be sure to do so.
► Bring a resume and any other information you have that demonstrates your experience, education, or skill knowledge.
► This will provide you with a resource at the interview that you can refer to.
► Be prepared to ask questions about the position you are applying for when the interviewer prompts you for questions.
► Be aware that the City's interviews are not interactive. Interviewers are not allowed to give you more information, or
► clarify questions. Take time to formulate your answers/questions before you speak.

► Dress professionally and conservatively while avoiding extremes. This is not the time to express your individuality/creativity. You can demonstrate uniqueness through conversation, demeanor and your responses to the interview questions.
► Watch your manners! Never chew gum or smoke. Stay focused on the interview and organize your thoughts. Act
► professionally, using a friendly and personable approach.
► Sit comfortably without slouching. Look alert, enthusiastic and maintain eye contact, but don't stare. Don't fidget and try to avoid signs that you are nervous, such as finger tapping, leg swinging, etc.
► Make sure your speech/language is appropriate for the type of interview you will undergo. Avoid slang or wordiness.Speak so that you can be heard, and make sure your responses are clear and concise.
► Relax, smile, and take a deep breath before and during your interview.
► Eye contact is one of the most important aspects of nonverbal communication and can make a significant difference in how you present yourself. If you look away when speaking to someone, you're viewed as lacking confidence or interest. If you have a problem looking into your interviewer's eyes, try looking at the "third eye" right above and between the eyes.
► Smile, nod, and give nonverbal feedback to the interviewer.

Structured settlements are an innovative method of compensating injury victims with the use of annuities. Structured settlement is a voluntary agreement between the injury victim and the defendant for future periodic payments.
A structured settlement may be agreed to privately (for example, in a pre-trial settlement) or it may be required by a court order, which often happens in judgments involving minors.

Structured settlement annuities are exceptionally flexible and can be designed to meet virtually any set of needs. A relatively simple payment schedule can be set up that provides for equal payments at set intervals - for example, every month for 20 years.
Yet payments need not be in equal amounts. Someone who will need a new wheelchair every three years might elect to receive a larger payment every 36 months to help defray the cost. (This would presumably be in addition to the regular payments.)
The inherent flexibility of structured settlements means that they are well-suited to compensate people for a wide variety of injuries. Your attorney or a Millennium consultant will be able to explain additional details as they apply to your case.

In any physical injury case, the plaintiff and defendant negotiate issues such as the victim's medical care and basic living and family needs. Oftentimes, one side (or both) will bring in an expert, such as a structured settlement consultant, who provides calculations on the long-term cost of these needs.
When there is agreement on the amount of damages due the injury victim (which can happen before, during or after a lawsuit), the victim can select a periodic payment plan that meets his or her needs, and the defendant will agree to make the future payments via a structured settlement. The defendant then assigns this obligation to an experienced third party, a life insurance company that funds the damage payments with an annuity.
An annuity has been the preferred way of funding because of its pricing and flexibility. An alternative is a trust fund which invests only in United States Treasuries. However, these trusts are not used very often because they are inflexible and can't provide lifetime income.
As these issues involve complex calculations, you should always consult your attorney and a structured settlement consultant.

► Persons with temporary or permanent disabilities,
► Guardianship cases that may involve minors or persons found to be incompetent,
► Workers' compensation cases,
► Wrongful death cases where the surviving spouse and/or children need monthly or annual income,
► Severe injury, especially with long-term needs for medical care, living expenses and support of family.

► Relieve the financial pressures of medical expenses and living needs,
► Meet long-term rehabilitation or permanent care facility expenses,
► Provide for the future costs of college funds, retirement, down payment on a home, or mortgage payment,
► Provide enhanced protection of the recovery from creditors and predators,
► Provide long-term financial security.

► The periodic payments can't be borrowed against, deferred, accelerated or changed once set up,
► Default risk, meaning the life insurance company that is selected becomes unable to make the payments. However, this risk is small due to the well-capitalized life insurance companies that are used for structured settlement annuities. Additionally, there are state insurance guaranty associations for every state that guarantee annuities up to a certain value (this excludes workers' compensation reinsurance). Finally, settlement proceeds can be spread among several different life insurance companies to lessen default risk.

The defendant or its insurer may transfer the obligation to make future payments through a "qualified assignment" to a financially secure and experienced institution - a life insurance company, for example. The assignment provides the injury victim with strong financial security, and the defendant can close its books on the case.
This process relieves the defendant of further responsibility for the payments and transfers the administration and record-keeping responsibilities. The assignment company specializes in these activities and may offer additional financial security to the claimant.

Some tips for writing structured interview questions include ensuring the questions are:
► Reflective of the job,
► Tied to competencies identified through a job analysis,
► Open-ended,
► Clear and concise,
► At an appropriate reading level,
► Free of jargon or "Governmentese", and
► Written with superlative adjectives (e.g., ask for the most, last, worst, least, or best experience or example that demonstrates the competency).

As a general rule of thumb, structured interviews typically assess 4 - 6 competencies unless the job is unique or at a high level. However, the number of questions must be balanced with the amount of time allotted for the interview.

When it comes to evaluating the advantages of structured interviews as compared to unstructured ones, the main advantage is that all the applicants have an equal opportunity to prove that they have the required skills and experience for the job.
Additionally, as an initial selection process, the structured interview questions are basically set up in a manner which allows the interviewer to obtain all the initial data as well as professional details that he or she would want to know about every applicant.