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Interview Question Quest

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Lesson Plan

Q&A Matching Strategy

Students will learn a step-by-step matching strategy to pair common interview questions with strong sample answers, then practice this skill to build confidence in real-life interview scenarios.

Mastering how to identify key words in questions and select effective responses boosts students’ career readiness, self-assurance, and foundational interview skills.

Audience

7th Grade Class

Time

35 minutes

Approach

Teach and model a matching strategy, then practice in pairs.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up Discussion

5 minutes

  • Ask students if they’ve ever participated in an interview (e.g., for a club, team, or school event).
  • List their experiences and questions on the whiteboard to activate prior knowledge.
  • Explain that today they’ll learn how to match questions with strong answers.

Step 2

Teaching the Matching Strategy

10 minutes

  • Introduce the matching strategy: 1) Read the question fully, 2) Identify keywords, 3) Look for an answer that addresses those keywords with examples.
  • Display the first few slides of Top Interview Questions.
  • Model matching one question to its sample answer: underline keywords on the board and explain your reasoning step by step.

Step 3

Guided Matching Activity

15 minutes

  • Distribute the Interview Question Quest to each student.
  • Have students pair up and match each interview question to the best sample answer using the taught strategy.
  • Circulate and prompt pairs with questions like, “Which keywords did you spot?” and “Why does this answer fit?”
  • Encourage discussion and peer support.

Step 4

Closure and Reflection

5 minutes

  • Invite 2–3 pairs to share one question-answer match and explain their reasoning.
  • Summarize the key matching steps on the whiteboard.
  • Ask students to write one takeaway about effective interview responses in their notebooks.
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Slide Deck

Top Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why do you want this job?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Describe a time you faced a challenge.
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• Why should we hire you?
• Tell me about a time you worked in a team.
• Do you have any questions for us?

Introduce the topic and explain why knowing common interview questions helps build confidence and prepare strong answers.

Q&A Matching Strategy

  1. Read the question fully.
  2. Identify keywords or action words.
  3. Look for an answer that addresses those keywords with clear examples.

Explain each step of the matching strategy before you model it.

Example: Strengths Question

Question: What are your strengths?

A) “I’m good at video games.”
B) “I’m a quick learner. Last month I learned to code a website in one week and helped my class organize a fundraiser online.”
C) “I have many strengths.”

Model underlining keywords (“strengths”) and walking students through why that sample answer fits best.

Practice Match: Why This Job?

Question: Why do you want this job?

A) “I need money for college.”
B) “I read about the company’s mission and want to contribute because I love helping people learn.”
C) “I think it’s a nice job.”

Underline “company’s mission,” “contribute,” and “helping people.” Point out why Answer B is the strongest fit.

Practice Match: Future Goals

Question: Where do you see yourself in five years?

A) “I hope to still be working here, taking on leadership roles and improving my skills over time.”
B) “I want to travel and change jobs often.”
C) “I have no idea yet.”

Prompt students to identify keywords like “five years,” “growth,” and “leadership.” Highlight why Answer A shows planning and commitment.

Questions to Ask Employers

• What does a typical day look like in this role?
• What qualities make someone successful here?
• How does this position contribute to the company’s goals?
• What opportunities are there for growth and learning?

Discuss why asking thoughtful questions shows interest and preparation.

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Worksheet

Interview Question Quest

Match each interview question below with the letter of the best sample answer. Write the letter on the line and use the space to jot any keywords you spotted.

Questions:

  1. Tell me about yourself. _____


  2. Why do you want this job? _____


  3. What are your strengths? _____


  4. Describe a time you faced a challenge. _____


  5. Where do you see yourself in five years? _____


  6. Why should we hire you? _____


  7. Tell me about a time you worked in a team. _____


  8. Do you have any questions for us? _____


Sample Answers:

A. “I’m a seventh grader who loves science, art, and volunteering. I’ve led a community clean-up and organized a book drive at my school.”

B. “I read about the company’s mission and want to contribute because I love helping people learn.”

C. “I’m detail-oriented and organized; for example, I managed my school newspaper layout, catching errors and improving readability.”

D. “During my science fair project, we hit unexpected data errors. I researched solutions and redesigned the experiment, which led to accurate results.”

E. “In my soccer team, I coordinated practice schedules, supported teammates, and helped us win the regional tournament.”

F. “I hope to still be working here, taking on leadership roles and improving my skills over time.”

G. “You should hire me because my dedication, teamwork skills, and passion for learning match this role’s requirements.”

H. “Could you describe a typical day in this role and what success looks like after six months?”

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