Interview Pro Tips: How to ace an analytical interview

Analytical interviews evaluate a candidate’s ability to analyze problems, ask questions and propose potential solutions. These interviews are often more focused on how a candidate thinks through a question, rather than the answer they provide.

Companies look for three main things in candidates during analytical interviews: an analytical mindset, communication skills, and potential for growth. Here are the top tips that the hiring experts at Allstate provide to incoming analytical interviewees to help them put their best foot forward during the interview.

1. Think out loud: “Analytical interviews are focused on your thought process. Interviewers want to hear everything you are thinking through, from what information stands out to any additional considerations or assumptions that you are making. Talk through your approach to the problem, even if you don’t have the ‘perfect’ answer formulated.”
2. Consider all information provided: “Questions may have multiple parts or pieces of data to think through. It is important to discuss each piece of information provided in order to fully answer the question.”
3. Don’t hesitate to ask questions: “You may not have all the information you need to come to an answer right away, and that’s okay!”
4. Support your answer: “You may be asked to provide a specific answer to a question that has many possible answers. The support of your answer is often more important than your actual answer.”
5. Don’t let the question distract you:“Analytical interview questions can sometimes involve topics that may seem unfamiliar to you. This is intentional to evaluate how candidates tackle new problems. Focus on what you do know about the question and build from there.”

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Preparing for the different types of interviews with our guide can help ready you for different situations and enviornments.