How to answer “Could you give an example of helping someone?”
Jordan is interviewing for a weekend shop assistant role. The interviewer wants to hear about one time Jordan helped someone. Listen for what the visitor needed and what Jordan did first.
Listen to the interview
Interviewer
“Could you give an example of helping someone?”
Jordan’s model answer
“At a community event, a visitor couldn’t find the registration desk. I checked the information and showed them where to go.”
Practise saying Jordan’s answer
How to tell a short, specific story
- Set the scene in one sentence
- “At a community event” tells us where it happened. “A visitor couldn’t find the registration desk” tells us why they needed help.
- Say exactly what you did
- Listen for the two past-tense verbs, checked and showed. Checking the information first helped Jordan give directions they could trust.
- Finish with what you know
- Jordan ends with the last action they took. In your own answer, if you saw what happened next, add that detail. For example, “She found the room and joined the meeting.”
A phrase to reuse · “I showed them where to go.” The word them refers to the visitor. You can change the ending to fit another task, as in “I showed them how to sign in.”
Check your understanding
Three questions. Choose an answer to see the explanation. You can listen again or use the written answer.
1. What did the visitor need help with?
Completing a registration form.
Try again. The word “registration” describes the desk the visitor wanted to find. Jordan doesn’t mention a form.
Finding the registration desk.
Correct. The visitor knew where they wanted to go and needed directions to get there.
Setting up a welcome table.
Try again. Setting up a table is a different task. Listen for what the visitor “couldn’t find”.
2. What did Jordan do before giving directions?
Checked the information.
Correct. “I checked the information and showed them where to go” puts the two actions in the order they happened.
Asked the visitor to wait at the entrance.
Try again. Jordan mentions checking something, but says nothing about asking the visitor to wait.
Filled in the visitor’s details.
Try again. Jordan checked where to direct the visitor. The story gives no details about signing them in.
3. Which interview answer gives a specific example of helping a colleague?
“I’d be happy to help anyone who needed me.”
Try again. This shows willingness. The interviewer is asking for a time when you actually helped someone.
“My colleagues are helpful and easy to work with.”
Try again. This describes the team. Give the listener one action you took yourself.
“A new colleague couldn’t find the meeting room. I checked the room number and walked there with them.”
Correct. The listener can picture both the problem and the help you gave. An ordinary example works when the details are clear.
Try your own answer (optional)
Think of one person you helped at work, at school or in your community. Say two sentences aloud. Start with “At …, someone needed help with …”. Then describe your part with “I …”.