Tackling interview questions you’re not prepared for:
Some question hits you off guard during an interview.
Don't panic.
This is not to eliminate you but to give you an opportunity to prove your mettle.
It also speaks about your personality and confidence.
Interviews test your presence of mind, how you tackle questions beyond your knowledge and preparation and the damage control measures after you’re caught off-guard. So obviously, during an interview, questions are hurled to baffle you but not getting panicky, is the key to success. Remember these questions come as an opportunity to showcase your ability to think and react quickly. It’s understandable that you can’t know every question that will be asked, but by being brutally honest with yourself, you’re half way through the target of facing unexpected questions.
These tips should help.
At times, some question hits you off guard during an interview. Don't panic. This is not to eliminate you but to give you an opportunity to prove your mettle. It also speaks about your personality and confidence.
Interviews test your presence of mind, how you tackle questions beyond your knowledge and preparation and the damage control measures after you’re caught off-guard. So obviously, during an interview, questions are hurled to baffle you but not getting panicky, is the key to success. Remember these questions come as an opportunity to showcase your ability to think and react quickly. It’s understandable that you can’t know every question that will be asked, but by being brutally honest with yourself, you’re half way through the target of facing unexpected questions. These tips should help.
*
Your first task is to make a CV and cover letter sans any inconsistency; so that you don’t trip in the first hurdle. Read your CV over and over again with rigid honesty for any problematic issues. Don’t fib the employment gap thinking it’ll be skirted over. Address them in your CV and much before you’re called for an interview.
*
Prepare well in front of the mirror or with friends questions like why do you want to leave your job. Ask yourself firmly, are you moving to enhance your career or is the lure of money tempting? Your getting the job depends on the answer to these questions. Not having clear answers may make apparently simple questions difficult to answer especially during interviews. Being honest helps in encountering a tough question with élan.
*
Be calm even when faced with difficult, unprepared questions. Inconsistent, rushed and confusing answers damage the interview completely. When nervous, we tend to rush, so it’s best to be calm and take deep breaths. Deep breathing helps you answer better as it calms you by sending oxygen to your brain. You also get a little more time to think about your answer. So, never be in a rush to answer. Resist the urge to snap back a hasty answer which is unconvincing. Always collect your thoughts before speaking; that way you’ll be more confident about your answer and hence chances of rambling are less.
*
Never feel threatened as it’s not personal. May be the question was put to you to see how you think on the spot. It’s never a cross-examination and there’s never a time limit attached to a question. You’re never on a buzzer and so never hurry.
*
When uncomfortable, break down the question and tackle it part by part. If you aren’t sure how to answer any question, ask for clarification. If you still can’t make any headway, or if you’re not sure of how to answer, just excuse yourself by saying sorry you don’t know about it. This in fact is much better than waffling your way through with a poor incomprehensible answer.
You’re not expected to be an encyclpedia. So, how you conduct yourself with a critical question is more important than the actual answer. Remember, an unexpected question is a good chance to show off your character and personality. And the old proverb “honesty is the best policy” works best in these situations. But when you’ve something positive to talk about, don’t be overcome by false modesty. Remember, the key is to be honest and be yourself. Then, you’ll be able to stave off the crisis as the interviewer can see through you.
Showing posts with label Interview tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interview tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
What is your greatest achievement? Interview sample
Interview Tips: What is your greatest achievement?- GOOD ex.
Tell me about yourself? Interview sample
Interview Tips: Tell Me About Yourself v2.- the GOOD answer
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Job openings in US for litigation support professionals
LEGAL PROFESSION RECOVERING FROM RECESSION
Esquire Solutions, an Alexander Gallo Holdings company, has multiple job openings for talented litigation support professionals. We are specifically looking for: transcript & exhibits production staff, nationwide sales reps and paralegals.
We are interviewing for production positions (managers and non-managers) this Saturday March 21st. Our doors will open at 8:00A & close promptly at 9:00A. Our address is: 101 Marietta Street, Centennial Towers, Atlanta GA 30303. Please bring a resume and be prepared to interview.
If you can't attend or have additional questions, please contact us at: recruiting@esquiresolutions.com. 404.495.0777
We offer competitive wages, career paths and benefits. Must be legally able to work in the US. EOE
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Shoking Promotion strategy
The boss called one of his employees into the office. "Rob," he said, "you've been with the company for a year. You started off in the mail room, one week later you were promoted to a sales position, and one month after that you were promoted to district manager of the sales department. Just four short months later, you were promoted to vice-president. Now, it's time for me to retire, and I want you to take over the company.
What do you say to that?"
"Thanks," said the employee.
"Thanks?" the boss replied "Is that all you can say?"
"I suppose not," the employee said.
"Thanks, Dad."
What do you say to that?"
"Thanks," said the employee.
"Thanks?" the boss replied "Is that all you can say?"
"I suppose not," the employee said.
"Thanks, Dad."
Unusual Interviews
Vice Presidents and personnel directors of the one hundred largest corporations were asked to describe their most unusual experience interviewing prospective employees.
A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.
Interviewee wore a Walkman, explaining that she could listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.
Candidate fell and broke arm during interview.
Candidate announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interviewers office.
Candidate explained that her long-term goals was to replace the interviewer.
Candidate said he never finished high school because he was kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.
Balding Candidate excused himself and returned to the office a few minutes later wearing a headpiece.
Applicant said if he was hired he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm.
Applicant interrupted interview to phone her therapist for advice on how to answer specific interview questions.
Candidate brought large dog to interview.
Applicant refused to sit down and insisted on being interviewed standing up.
Candidate dozed off during interview.
The employers were also asked to list the "most unusual" questions that have been asked by job candidates.
"What is it that you people do at this company?"
"What is the company motto?"
"Why aren't you in a more interesting business?"
"What are the zodiac signs of all the board members?"
"Why do you want references?"
"Do I have to dress for the next interview?"
"I know this is off the subject, but will you marry me?"
"Will the company move my rock collection from California to Maryland?"
"Will the company pay to relocate my horse?"
"Does your health insurance cover pets?"
"Would it be a problem if I'm angry most of the time?"
"Does your company have a policy regarding concealed weapons?"
A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.
Interviewee wore a Walkman, explaining that she could listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.
Candidate fell and broke arm during interview.
Candidate announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interviewers office.
Candidate explained that her long-term goals was to replace the interviewer.
Candidate said he never finished high school because he was kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.
Balding Candidate excused himself and returned to the office a few minutes later wearing a headpiece.
Applicant said if he was hired he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm.
Applicant interrupted interview to phone her therapist for advice on how to answer specific interview questions.
Candidate brought large dog to interview.
Applicant refused to sit down and insisted on being interviewed standing up.
Candidate dozed off during interview.
The employers were also asked to list the "most unusual" questions that have been asked by job candidates.
"What is it that you people do at this company?"
"What is the company motto?"
"Why aren't you in a more interesting business?"
"What are the zodiac signs of all the board members?"
"Why do you want references?"
"Do I have to dress for the next interview?"
"I know this is off the subject, but will you marry me?"
"Will the company move my rock collection from California to Maryland?"
"Will the company pay to relocate my horse?"
"Does your health insurance cover pets?"
"Would it be a problem if I'm angry most of the time?"
"Does your company have a policy regarding concealed weapons?"
Friday, December 12, 2008
Tying Ties: Pratt Knot-Shelby Knot
Tying Ties: Pratt Knot-Shelby Knot
Tying Ties: The Pratt/Shelby knot is Semi-wide knot, when beginning to tie this knot the tie is turned outward. 
1. Begin with the inside of your tie facing outward and the wide end on your right and extending about a foot below the narrow end of your tie. (Pictures are mirror images, in other words images are what you would see if you were looking in a mirror.)
2. Bring the wide end of the tie under the narrow (right side to left side). 
3. Bring the wide end of the tie over the narrow end and through the loop (left side to left side).
4. Bring the wide end of the tie through the back of the loop (left side to center).
5. Hold the front of the knot loose with your index finger; pass the wide end down through the loop (created in step 3) in front.
6. Remove your finger and tighten the knot. 
7. Hold the narrow end and slide the knot up to the collar. Necktie Knots: Windsor Knot
Necktie Knots: Windsor Knot
Necktie Knots: The windsor knot is a wide triangular knot that is usually worn for formal occasions, this type of knot should be worn with wide spread collar shirts. 
1. Begin with the wide end on your right and extending real low leaving the narrow end quite short. (Pictures are mirror images, in other words images are what you would see if you were looking in a mirror.)
2. Bring the wide end of the tie over the narrow (right side to left side).
3. Bring the wide end up through the middle of the loop and to the left (left side to left side).
4. Bring the wide end behind the narrow end (left side to right side).
5. Bring the wide end of the tie through the middle of the loop (right side to left side).
6. Bring the wide end around the front (left side to right side).
7. Bring the wide end of the tie through the back of the loop (right side to center).
8. Hold the front of the knot loose with your index finger; pass the wide end down through the loop (created in step 6) in front.
9. Remove your finger and tighten the knot 
10. Hold the narrow end and slide the knot up to the collar.Tie a Necktie: Half-Windsor Knot
Tie a Necktie: Half-Windsor Knot
Tie a Necktie: The Half-Windsor knot is a medium triangular knot that is considered more formal than the four-in-hand. 
1. Begin with the wide end on your right and extending about a foot below the narrow end of your tie. (Pictures are mirror images, in other words images are what you would see if you were looking in a mirror.)
2. Bring the wide end of the tie over the narrow (right side to left side).
3. Bring the wide end back underneath (left side to right side).
4. Bring the wide end of the tie through the middle of the loop (right side to left side).
5. Bring the wide end around the front (left side to right side).
6. Bring the wide end of the tie through the back of the loop (right side to center).
7. Hold the front of the knot loose with your index finger; pass the wide end down through loop (created in step 5) in the front.
8. Remove your finger and tighten the knot 
9. Hold the narrow end of the tie and slide the knot up to the collar.Tying a Necktie: Four-in-Hand Knot
Tying a Necktie: Four-in-Hand Knot
Tying a Necktie: The Four-in-Hand Knot is the most popular type of necktie knot and easiest to learn, probably over 80% of tie wearers knot their ties with this. The knot is long and straight but slightly lopsided. 
1. Begin with the wide end on your right and extending about a foot below the narrow end of your tie. (Pictures are mirror images, in other words images are what you would see if you were looking in a mirror.)
2. Bring the wide end of the tie over the narrow (right side to left side).
3. Bring the wide end underneath the narrow end (left side to right side).
4. Bring the wide end of the tie over the narrow again (right side to left side).
5. Bring the wide end of the tie through the back of the loop (left side to center).
6. Hold the front of the knot loose with your index finger; pass the wide end down through the loop (created in step 4) in front.
7. Remove your finger and tighten the knot. 
8. Hold the narrow end of the tie and slide the knot up to the collar. Friday, December 5, 2008
Effective Communication Tell Them What Time It Is, Not How to Build a Watch
Effective Communication
Tell Them What Time It Is, Not How to Build a Watch
We’ve all had people like this working for us, or with us. People who couldn’t communicate their knowledge in a way that was effective, engaging, informative and interesting.
What a waste of talent!
Do we have an obligation to make what we say interesting? No, but if we want people to listen to us, we must!
Do we have an obligation to make our knowledge accessible and informative to others? No, but what use is it if we
don’t?
Did you ever work with someone who knew their stuff but turned you off so completely you didn’t want to stick around to get the valuable information or assistance you needed? In fact you avoided them and so did other colleagues and customers?
Do you have someone working for you now who is just so academic about things, even though you know they’re an expert, you can’t ever ‘get’ anything that’s useful in real time?
Or maybe you know someone who simply bores you to tears, droning on and on, making you hunt through a bog of verbiage for what you need. This is the person who, when you ask what time it is, tells you how to build a watch. Way more than you needed, or wanted, and they waste so much of your valuable time.
Definitions
Pedantic - Boringly scholarly or academic; narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned, as in showy or vainglorious.
Erudite - Possessing or displaying extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books; profound, recondite (difficult) or bookish learning; to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
Comparisons
Turns people off vs. Turns people on
Self-centered vs. Helpful
Disliked vs. Liked
Example
Alistair droned on, turning the presentation into a pedantic ego-trip, showing off how much he knew. He argued points that were strictly academic to the poor people trying to understand the theory of Emotional Intelligence and use it in real time. The HR Director watched the participants eyes glaze over and knew she had just wasted the company’s valuable time and money, and probably turned the employees off to the idea of Emotional Intelligence as well.
Graciella, on the other hand, was a coach who was clearly erudite and really knew her stuff. She was able to engage the group and excite them about the practical possibilities of applying emotional intelligence to their work culture. They hung on her every word -- and most of her words were one-syllable! The HR Director knew they would leave the meeting with a clear understanding of the major points, and enthusiasm for applying what they’d learned.
Key Point
It's okay to know a lot, in fact it's a good thing and makes you a valuable employee and partner, but only if you use it in conjunction with your Emotional Intelligence. If you are arrogant about it, or unable to express your valuable knowledge in a way that engages other people, it won't matter what you know. No one will be listening. (EQ matters more than IQ.)
It's okay to know a lot, but it's not okay to be a "know-it-all."
Benefits
Better communication and teamwork.
Tell Them What Time It Is, Not How to Build a Watch
We’ve all had people like this working for us, or with us. People who couldn’t communicate their knowledge in a way that was effective, engaging, informative and interesting.
What a waste of talent!
Do we have an obligation to make what we say interesting? No, but if we want people to listen to us, we must!
Do we have an obligation to make our knowledge accessible and informative to others? No, but what use is it if we
don’t?
Did you ever work with someone who knew their stuff but turned you off so completely you didn’t want to stick around to get the valuable information or assistance you needed? In fact you avoided them and so did other colleagues and customers?
Do you have someone working for you now who is just so academic about things, even though you know they’re an expert, you can’t ever ‘get’ anything that’s useful in real time?
Or maybe you know someone who simply bores you to tears, droning on and on, making you hunt through a bog of verbiage for what you need. This is the person who, when you ask what time it is, tells you how to build a watch. Way more than you needed, or wanted, and they waste so much of your valuable time.
Definitions
Pedantic - Boringly scholarly or academic; narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned, as in showy or vainglorious.
Erudite - Possessing or displaying extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books; profound, recondite (difficult) or bookish learning; to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
Comparisons
Turns people off vs. Turns people on
Self-centered vs. Helpful
Disliked vs. Liked
Example
Alistair droned on, turning the presentation into a pedantic ego-trip, showing off how much he knew. He argued points that were strictly academic to the poor people trying to understand the theory of Emotional Intelligence and use it in real time. The HR Director watched the participants eyes glaze over and knew she had just wasted the company’s valuable time and money, and probably turned the employees off to the idea of Emotional Intelligence as well.
Graciella, on the other hand, was a coach who was clearly erudite and really knew her stuff. She was able to engage the group and excite them about the practical possibilities of applying emotional intelligence to their work culture. They hung on her every word -- and most of her words were one-syllable! The HR Director knew they would leave the meeting with a clear understanding of the major points, and enthusiasm for applying what they’d learned.
Key Point
It's okay to know a lot, in fact it's a good thing and makes you a valuable employee and partner, but only if you use it in conjunction with your Emotional Intelligence. If you are arrogant about it, or unable to express your valuable knowledge in a way that engages other people, it won't matter what you know. No one will be listening. (EQ matters more than IQ.)
It's okay to know a lot, but it's not okay to be a "know-it-all."
Benefits
Better communication and teamwork.
Job Analysis and Hiring the Right Person
Job Analysis and Hiring the Right Person
Let's say you're a small business owner and you need to hire someone to support your growing business. You might not be able to afford to hire a full time Human Resources Manager, but you feel you need a little more expertise to help you find the right person for the job.
Job analysis may just be the solution you need.
Job analysis is simply defined as the collection and organization of critical information about a job. When doing a job analysis, you take into account the job's tasks and activities, any management or supervision requirements, the products and services that result from the job, equipment and materials necessary to complete the job, and the job's working conditions.
After completing the following 5 important job analysis steps, you'll be much more knowledgeable about what qualifications the right person to fill the job should have. If you do it reasonably well, finding the right person for the job will be considerably easier...
...because you'll know exactly who you're looking for! Here are the steps to job analysis:
1. Ask yourself: What do you want your new employee to accomplish on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis? The answer to this question will inform the next step of your job analysis.
2. Identify the tasks and responsibilities that will need to be a part of the new job to make sure it accomplishes your desired result.
Here are some questions to consider that will help you get this information.
What will your new employee do on a day to day basis? What equipment will he use? Will there be different tasks to do on different days? Will your new employee be supervising any people or processes?
3. Once you think you know all the tasks your new employee will need to perform on a regular basis, you're ready to start thinking about the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) necessary to successfully complete the tasks and responsibilities of the position.
What knowledge will your new employee have to have?
Knowledge is factual information that your employee has acquired through education and experience, which she'll need to use during the course of a normal work day.
For example, perhaps the right person would have a strong knowledge of accounting principles. Or they might need a specific knowledge of your target market.
What skills will your new employee have to have?
Skills are techniques your employee will have learned and honed through repetition and experience for completing specific tasks.
For example, do they need to have the skill to run or fix your machinery? Maybe she needs to have excellent managerial skills to be able to run your new branch office, or closing skills for a high-level sales position.
And finally, what abilities should your employee have?
Abilities are the natural gifts that we're all born with.
For example, some positions require a high level of interpersonal intuition, others a high level of mechanical ability, some may require an employee to remain cool under pressure, etc.
4. Get together a group of subject matter experts. People who already hold similar jobs, supervisors and managers are typically included in your group of job experts. In certain circumstances, important customers can be included as well.
Call a meeting of your experts and discuss everything important to the position. Talk about the tasks, responsibilities and KSAs that you've already come up with, and ask for their thoughts and ideas about the list.
Then, use your group to prioritize the requirements of the job. You want to make sure you hire someone who meets your top requirements.
5. Discuss with your team if there will be any differences between the job to be filled now, and the same job in the future. If you're going to be implementing new procedures, new software, new products, etc., you need to take those KSAs into account, too.
Prioritize your list once more, and presto! Your job analysis is done, and you now have all the information you need for a solid job description!
If you want to be very thorough, you can ask yourself (and maybe a select few of your experts) these questions about your new job description: Is it realistic? Can any one person do all the tasks and have all the skills you've listed?
Don't strike anything from your list if you think the job description might be unreasonable, just write notes on any reservations you have and adjust your results accordingly if your job opening isn't immediately filled, or if your new employee seems overwhelmed.
Now you're ready to start the hiring process, which is where your job analysis really makes things work better for you.
You can use it to help you write a targeted job listing in your local paper or industry periodical. This will help you weed out prospective employees who you don't want to interview, and will attract those you do want to interview.
Once you've got a good pool of resumes, use the job analysis to narrow your pool to a manageable list of people who you want to interview. Most businesses don't have time to interview more than a half dozen people for a job, so shoot for that number of top candidates, or less if you can.
Keep your job analysis handy during your interview. If you use it to ask each qualified applicant how they meet your needs, you'll be more likely to be comparing "apples to apples" when you make your hiring decision.
Once the hiring decision is made, share the job description you've made with your new employee, and then keep it on file for performance reviews. This can help your employee to know exactly what you expect of them, and will help you to know if they're on the right track.
Good luck!
Let's say you're a small business owner and you need to hire someone to support your growing business. You might not be able to afford to hire a full time Human Resources Manager, but you feel you need a little more expertise to help you find the right person for the job.
Job analysis may just be the solution you need.
Job analysis is simply defined as the collection and organization of critical information about a job. When doing a job analysis, you take into account the job's tasks and activities, any management or supervision requirements, the products and services that result from the job, equipment and materials necessary to complete the job, and the job's working conditions.
After completing the following 5 important job analysis steps, you'll be much more knowledgeable about what qualifications the right person to fill the job should have. If you do it reasonably well, finding the right person for the job will be considerably easier...
...because you'll know exactly who you're looking for! Here are the steps to job analysis:
1. Ask yourself: What do you want your new employee to accomplish on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis? The answer to this question will inform the next step of your job analysis.
2. Identify the tasks and responsibilities that will need to be a part of the new job to make sure it accomplishes your desired result.
Here are some questions to consider that will help you get this information.
What will your new employee do on a day to day basis? What equipment will he use? Will there be different tasks to do on different days? Will your new employee be supervising any people or processes?
3. Once you think you know all the tasks your new employee will need to perform on a regular basis, you're ready to start thinking about the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) necessary to successfully complete the tasks and responsibilities of the position.
What knowledge will your new employee have to have?
Knowledge is factual information that your employee has acquired through education and experience, which she'll need to use during the course of a normal work day.
For example, perhaps the right person would have a strong knowledge of accounting principles. Or they might need a specific knowledge of your target market.
What skills will your new employee have to have?
Skills are techniques your employee will have learned and honed through repetition and experience for completing specific tasks.
For example, do they need to have the skill to run or fix your machinery? Maybe she needs to have excellent managerial skills to be able to run your new branch office, or closing skills for a high-level sales position.
And finally, what abilities should your employee have?
Abilities are the natural gifts that we're all born with.
For example, some positions require a high level of interpersonal intuition, others a high level of mechanical ability, some may require an employee to remain cool under pressure, etc.
4. Get together a group of subject matter experts. People who already hold similar jobs, supervisors and managers are typically included in your group of job experts. In certain circumstances, important customers can be included as well.
Call a meeting of your experts and discuss everything important to the position. Talk about the tasks, responsibilities and KSAs that you've already come up with, and ask for their thoughts and ideas about the list.
Then, use your group to prioritize the requirements of the job. You want to make sure you hire someone who meets your top requirements.
5. Discuss with your team if there will be any differences between the job to be filled now, and the same job in the future. If you're going to be implementing new procedures, new software, new products, etc., you need to take those KSAs into account, too.
Prioritize your list once more, and presto! Your job analysis is done, and you now have all the information you need for a solid job description!
If you want to be very thorough, you can ask yourself (and maybe a select few of your experts) these questions about your new job description: Is it realistic? Can any one person do all the tasks and have all the skills you've listed?
Don't strike anything from your list if you think the job description might be unreasonable, just write notes on any reservations you have and adjust your results accordingly if your job opening isn't immediately filled, or if your new employee seems overwhelmed.
Now you're ready to start the hiring process, which is where your job analysis really makes things work better for you.
You can use it to help you write a targeted job listing in your local paper or industry periodical. This will help you weed out prospective employees who you don't want to interview, and will attract those you do want to interview.
Once you've got a good pool of resumes, use the job analysis to narrow your pool to a manageable list of people who you want to interview. Most businesses don't have time to interview more than a half dozen people for a job, so shoot for that number of top candidates, or less if you can.
Keep your job analysis handy during your interview. If you use it to ask each qualified applicant how they meet your needs, you'll be more likely to be comparing "apples to apples" when you make your hiring decision.
Once the hiring decision is made, share the job description you've made with your new employee, and then keep it on file for performance reviews. This can help your employee to know exactly what you expect of them, and will help you to know if they're on the right track.
Good luck!
What to Ask Before You Hire
What to Ask Before You Hire
Few things can waste more valuable time and resources or cause more morale problems than mismatching the person and the job. As a busy executive, you want to get the most out of your people while protecting your investment in their training.
Good employees turn up, not by magic, but through good hiring practices, and smart hiring starts with smart interviewing. After you've asked the usual "resume" questions -- job history, education, salary expectations, etc. -- probe your prospect with questions that will illuminate their hopes, goals, inclinations, and reservations.
1. "Tell me about yourself. All the exciting and interesting things."
People offer revealing replies to that question. So many people, even some top executives, say, "Oh, there's nothing exciting about me." You learn a lot about people's self-esteem when they answer that question.
2. "If you could wave a magic wand and create a perfect environment to work in, what would it be like?"
Suppose the potential employee answers, "I don't like to have someone breathing down my neck. I like to be left on my own, to make up my mind how to do things." You know immediately that this is the wrong person for a job that's heavily supervised. (Choose someone who says, "I enjoy a lot of feedback" instead.)
Consider both the demands of the job and the working environment. If a quiet, personable individual replies, "I love working with people, but I'd like to have my own space," be sure that's possible. Work areas quickly become private domains, and rightly so or people wouldn't take pride in them. But if the job requires sharing a table with the coffee machine, your employee may not last or do the job well.
3. "Describe the best boss you ever had. What made him or her so special? Describe the worst boss."
If the description of the worst boss sounds anything like you, you know that person won't be happy working with you.
4. "What's your hobby?"
There are many questions the law does not allow an employer to ask -- whether a person is married for instance. But you may want to know something about a person's private life to determine if the hours or job demands are going to stressful. For instance, if you need an employee who is bright and alert at an early hour and his hobby will keep him up late on week nights, you both may have a problem. Or if her hobby requires occasional time off to participate, the time to discuss the appropriateness of this is now.
Some Questions to Ask Yourself
Before you sit down with a potential employee, ask yourself:
5. "What am I offering this person besides money?"
What opportunities for growth, excitement, achievement, and fulfillment go along with the paycheck? Enthusiasm, motivation, and persistence are rarely proportional to salary. Often they are in inverse ratio. (Why else would anyone choose to be an artist, performer, teacher, or writer?) Self-motivated employees are great, but it never hurts to spotlight some incentives.
But once you've got the right people in the right jobs, your own job still isn't over. Ask yourself:
6. "How do I keep my people highly motivated, productive, and eager to come to work in the morning?"
Your answers can be critical to a happy, productive, low-turnover organization. Here are some suggestions.
Start by making the job fun whenever possible to keep employees from getting stale. Share the big picture with them, so they realize their contribution is part of an important whole. Solicit their feedback and act on it to prove to them that they are really making a difference. Then watch your people respond with hard work, loyalty, and enthusiasm.
Few things can waste more valuable time and resources or cause more morale problems than mismatching the person and the job. As a busy executive, you want to get the most out of your people while protecting your investment in their training.
Good employees turn up, not by magic, but through good hiring practices, and smart hiring starts with smart interviewing. After you've asked the usual "resume" questions -- job history, education, salary expectations, etc. -- probe your prospect with questions that will illuminate their hopes, goals, inclinations, and reservations.
1. "Tell me about yourself. All the exciting and interesting things."
People offer revealing replies to that question. So many people, even some top executives, say, "Oh, there's nothing exciting about me." You learn a lot about people's self-esteem when they answer that question.
2. "If you could wave a magic wand and create a perfect environment to work in, what would it be like?"
Suppose the potential employee answers, "I don't like to have someone breathing down my neck. I like to be left on my own, to make up my mind how to do things." You know immediately that this is the wrong person for a job that's heavily supervised. (Choose someone who says, "I enjoy a lot of feedback" instead.)
Consider both the demands of the job and the working environment. If a quiet, personable individual replies, "I love working with people, but I'd like to have my own space," be sure that's possible. Work areas quickly become private domains, and rightly so or people wouldn't take pride in them. But if the job requires sharing a table with the coffee machine, your employee may not last or do the job well.
3. "Describe the best boss you ever had. What made him or her so special? Describe the worst boss."
If the description of the worst boss sounds anything like you, you know that person won't be happy working with you.
4. "What's your hobby?"
There are many questions the law does not allow an employer to ask -- whether a person is married for instance. But you may want to know something about a person's private life to determine if the hours or job demands are going to stressful. For instance, if you need an employee who is bright and alert at an early hour and his hobby will keep him up late on week nights, you both may have a problem. Or if her hobby requires occasional time off to participate, the time to discuss the appropriateness of this is now.
Some Questions to Ask Yourself
Before you sit down with a potential employee, ask yourself:
5. "What am I offering this person besides money?"
What opportunities for growth, excitement, achievement, and fulfillment go along with the paycheck? Enthusiasm, motivation, and persistence are rarely proportional to salary. Often they are in inverse ratio. (Why else would anyone choose to be an artist, performer, teacher, or writer?) Self-motivated employees are great, but it never hurts to spotlight some incentives.
But once you've got the right people in the right jobs, your own job still isn't over. Ask yourself:
6. "How do I keep my people highly motivated, productive, and eager to come to work in the morning?"
Your answers can be critical to a happy, productive, low-turnover organization. Here are some suggestions.
Start by making the job fun whenever possible to keep employees from getting stale. Share the big picture with them, so they realize their contribution is part of an important whole. Solicit their feedback and act on it to prove to them that they are really making a difference. Then watch your people respond with hard work, loyalty, and enthusiasm.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Interview Questions _position wise
Interview Questions
For Recruiter Post
1: What's the most number of phone calls you make in a day. What's the average number of phone calls you make in a day, and how do you track your phone calls.
2: In your past positions, how did you come up with lists to call? What are the most effective way to find candidates, and what percentages would you assign to each method?
3: Do you learn more from candidates in face-to-face interviews, or do you think that they waste too much time? Have you ever measured the difference in success rates between face-to-face and phone screening interviews.
4: What would you prefer to work on - a few hard-to-find positions with large payoffs or numerous easy-to-fill positions with low payoffs.
5: How familiar are you with social networks, blogs, and online communities. Which ones are you currently a part of, and have you ever used them to recruit?
For HR Position
As you are well aware there is a shortage of information technology professionals. What steps can we take to attract qualified information technology professionals?
What role does the Internet have in recruiting?
Name five recruitment incentives that can improve our company's competitive recruiting position?
What experience have you had in personnel administration?
Tell us about the personnel functions that you have been responsible for.
Tell us about your experience in employee negotiations.
What experience have you had in handling a complaint from an employee?
What are the pros and cons of a team interview?
Name five illegal interview questions.
How steps would you take in improving our supervisors' ability to hire the best possible candidates?
What are the steps in processing a suspension or termination of an employee?
Tell us about a situation where you counseled a supervisor on discipline?
What are the benefits of progressive discipline?
What experience have you with the meet and confer process?
What are the components of an effective performance review program?
Tell us about a performance review program that you developed and implemented.
Tell us about a time when you advised a supervisor and the supervisor chose to ignore your counsel. Knowing what you know today, what would you have done differently?
What tools do you use in determining the salary for a position?
What are the benefits of a merit pay plan?
What are the components of an effective merit pay plan?
What methods would you recommend for educating our employees regarding the company's sexual harassment policy?
One of the difficulties our company has is evaluating suggestions in a timely manner. What changes would you make to expedite evaluations?
Your organization has implemented an employee involvement program. What are some of the measurements that may be used to determine the success of the program?
What were your expectations for your most recent job and to what extent were they met?
What were your responsibilities?
What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
Which challenge/problem was the most/least rewarding?
What was the biggest accomplishment/failure in your most recent position?
What previous job was the most satisfying and why?
What previous job was the most frustrating and why?
What motivates you?
What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?
If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?
Do you prefer to work independently or on a team and why?
Describe a difficult work situation/project and how you overcame it.
What interests you about this job?
Why are you the best person for this job?
What challenges are you looking for in a position?
What is important to you in your next job?
What are your goals for the next five years/ten years?
If you had to describe yourself in only three words, what would those words be?
When I call your references, what will they say is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
What are two or three examples of tasks that you do not particularly enjoy doing?
What are two or three examples of tasks that you particularly enjoy doing?
Tell me about a work situation that irritated you.
Tell me about a recent time when you resolved a conflict with a co-worker.
What is your management style? How do you think your subordinates perceive you?
Tell me about the best boss you ever had. Now tell me about the worst. What made it tough to work for her or him?
Give a specific example of something you have done at work that you consider innovative.
If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?
Describe a situation in which you had a difficult (management) problem. How did you solve it?
What is the most difficult decision you’ve had to make? How did you arrive at your decision?
Describe some situations in which you worked under pressure or met deadlines.
How do you measure your own success?
What are your short-term or long-term career goals?
Why should we hire you?
What are you most proud of?
What type of approach to solving work problems seems to work best for you? Give me an example of when you solved a tough problem.
Is there anything you wanted me to know about you that we haven’t discussed?
Do you have any questions for me?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
What applicable attributes or experience do you have that you can bring to this job?
Why are you the best person for this job?
Describe a situation in which you had to work with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation? Is there anything you would have done differently in hindsight?
Describe the largest and most complex project (>$1 M budget and has > 5 direct reports) you have managed from start to finish? How did you get the group to work towards a common goal?
Building rapport is sometimes a very challenging thing to do. Give an example of a time when you were able to build rapport with an individual group member, even when the situation was a difficult one?
Describe your experience in using (Your Field) Ex: standard desktop applications and specifically your experience in using (Your Field) Ex: software packages such as MS Project. How you you rate your skill level?
Describe a specific time when you feel your communication and interpersonal skills really paid off for you in dealing with difficult clients or team members?
Describe your presentation experience that you made on a large project. Who were the various audiences, what was the size of the audience and how did the audience dictate your presentation style? What was the end result?
Junior Manager Qs
1.Where do you expect to be in five years?
2.Give me a list of your strengths and weaknesses?
3.What do you think it takes to be successful in this position?
4.Tell me about your work experience. What did you accomplish?
5.Give me three reasons why you are interested in our company?
6.Which course did you like the best and why?
7.Describe the kind of your boss you prefer?
8.Give me an example of a situation which upsets you in either your school or your place of work?
9.What do you know about our company?
10.Do you prefer working alone or with others?
11.Which of your college years was the most difficult?
12.Can you get recommendations from all your previous employers?
13.D o you like routine work?
14.Define cooperation for me.
15.What the last book you read?
16.What is your major weakness
Re: Junior Manager Qs
1.reputed company
2.self confidence,positive thinking and weak nesses are sometimes i cant give ansewrs on that place
3.i wil do
4.im a fresher
5.got interview,through internet i got good result for this company,and i hope i can learn here
6.ias these peoples (100%) intelligent peoples
7.state forward and dont mine to say wat he want about the work
8.i hope some times in gd
9.this company is now going good
10.work wit alone and share things or take the suggestions wit others
11.12 th year,but i got more knowledge from that year really
12.no im fresher
13.ya obiously....i like
14.dedicated in my work
15.bussiness word
16.i ca nt explain wit so many words
For Recruiter Post
1: What's the most number of phone calls you make in a day. What's the average number of phone calls you make in a day, and how do you track your phone calls.
2: In your past positions, how did you come up with lists to call? What are the most effective way to find candidates, and what percentages would you assign to each method?
3: Do you learn more from candidates in face-to-face interviews, or do you think that they waste too much time? Have you ever measured the difference in success rates between face-to-face and phone screening interviews.
4: What would you prefer to work on - a few hard-to-find positions with large payoffs or numerous easy-to-fill positions with low payoffs.
5: How familiar are you with social networks, blogs, and online communities. Which ones are you currently a part of, and have you ever used them to recruit?
For HR Position
As you are well aware there is a shortage of information technology professionals. What steps can we take to attract qualified information technology professionals?
What role does the Internet have in recruiting?
Name five recruitment incentives that can improve our company's competitive recruiting position?
What experience have you had in personnel administration?
Tell us about the personnel functions that you have been responsible for.
Tell us about your experience in employee negotiations.
What experience have you had in handling a complaint from an employee?
What are the pros and cons of a team interview?
Name five illegal interview questions.
How steps would you take in improving our supervisors' ability to hire the best possible candidates?
What are the steps in processing a suspension or termination of an employee?
Tell us about a situation where you counseled a supervisor on discipline?
What are the benefits of progressive discipline?
What experience have you with the meet and confer process?
What are the components of an effective performance review program?
Tell us about a performance review program that you developed and implemented.
Tell us about a time when you advised a supervisor and the supervisor chose to ignore your counsel. Knowing what you know today, what would you have done differently?
What tools do you use in determining the salary for a position?
What are the benefits of a merit pay plan?
What are the components of an effective merit pay plan?
What methods would you recommend for educating our employees regarding the company's sexual harassment policy?
One of the difficulties our company has is evaluating suggestions in a timely manner. What changes would you make to expedite evaluations?
Your organization has implemented an employee involvement program. What are some of the measurements that may be used to determine the success of the program?
What were your expectations for your most recent job and to what extent were they met?
What were your responsibilities?
What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
Which challenge/problem was the most/least rewarding?
What was the biggest accomplishment/failure in your most recent position?
What previous job was the most satisfying and why?
What previous job was the most frustrating and why?
What motivates you?
What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?
If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?
Do you prefer to work independently or on a team and why?
Describe a difficult work situation/project and how you overcame it.
What interests you about this job?
Why are you the best person for this job?
What challenges are you looking for in a position?
What is important to you in your next job?
What are your goals for the next five years/ten years?
If you had to describe yourself in only three words, what would those words be?
When I call your references, what will they say is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
What are two or three examples of tasks that you do not particularly enjoy doing?
What are two or three examples of tasks that you particularly enjoy doing?
Tell me about a work situation that irritated you.
Tell me about a recent time when you resolved a conflict with a co-worker.
What is your management style? How do you think your subordinates perceive you?
Tell me about the best boss you ever had. Now tell me about the worst. What made it tough to work for her or him?
Give a specific example of something you have done at work that you consider innovative.
If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?
Describe a situation in which you had a difficult (management) problem. How did you solve it?
What is the most difficult decision you’ve had to make? How did you arrive at your decision?
Describe some situations in which you worked under pressure or met deadlines.
How do you measure your own success?
What are your short-term or long-term career goals?
Why should we hire you?
What are you most proud of?
What type of approach to solving work problems seems to work best for you? Give me an example of when you solved a tough problem.
Is there anything you wanted me to know about you that we haven’t discussed?
Do you have any questions for me?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
What applicable attributes or experience do you have that you can bring to this job?
Why are you the best person for this job?
Describe a situation in which you had to work with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation? Is there anything you would have done differently in hindsight?
Describe the largest and most complex project (>$1 M budget and has > 5 direct reports) you have managed from start to finish? How did you get the group to work towards a common goal?
Building rapport is sometimes a very challenging thing to do. Give an example of a time when you were able to build rapport with an individual group member, even when the situation was a difficult one?
Describe your experience in using (Your Field) Ex: standard desktop applications and specifically your experience in using (Your Field) Ex: software packages such as MS Project. How you you rate your skill level?
Describe a specific time when you feel your communication and interpersonal skills really paid off for you in dealing with difficult clients or team members?
Describe your presentation experience that you made on a large project. Who were the various audiences, what was the size of the audience and how did the audience dictate your presentation style? What was the end result?
Junior Manager Qs
1.Where do you expect to be in five years?
2.Give me a list of your strengths and weaknesses?
3.What do you think it takes to be successful in this position?
4.Tell me about your work experience. What did you accomplish?
5.Give me three reasons why you are interested in our company?
6.Which course did you like the best and why?
7.Describe the kind of your boss you prefer?
8.Give me an example of a situation which upsets you in either your school or your place of work?
9.What do you know about our company?
10.Do you prefer working alone or with others?
11.Which of your college years was the most difficult?
12.Can you get recommendations from all your previous employers?
13.D o you like routine work?
14.Define cooperation for me.
15.What the last book you read?
16.What is your major weakness
Re: Junior Manager Qs
1.reputed company
2.self confidence,positive thinking and weak nesses are sometimes i cant give ansewrs on that place
3.i wil do
4.im a fresher
5.got interview,through internet i got good result for this company,and i hope i can learn here
6.ias these peoples (100%) intelligent peoples
7.state forward and dont mine to say wat he want about the work
8.i hope some times in gd
9.this company is now going good
10.work wit alone and share things or take the suggestions wit others
11.12 th year,but i got more knowledge from that year really
12.no im fresher
13.ya obiously....i like
14.dedicated in my work
15.bussiness word
16.i ca nt explain wit so many words
Fifty Standard Interview Questions
Fifty Standard Interview Questions
It is not enough to have solid answers for only the above questions. You need to be prepared for the full spectrum of questions that may be presented. For further practice, make sure you go through the required mock interview (see the Competitive Interview Prep chapter); and for further review, look at some of the following questions:
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Tell me about your experience.
3. What is your most important accomplishment to date?
4. How would you describe your ideal job?
5. Why did you choose this career?
6. When did you decide on this career?
7. What goals do you have in your career?
8. How do you plan to achieve these goals?
9. How do you personally define success?
10. Describe a situation in which you were successful.
11. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
12. What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction in your life?
13. If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?
14. Would you rather work with information or with people?
15. Are you a team player?
16. What motivates you?
17. Why should I hire you?
18. Are you a goal-oriented person?
19. Tell me about some of your recent goals and what you did to achieve them.
20. What are your short-term goals?
21. What is your long-range objective?
22. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
23. Where do you want to become ten years from now?
24. Do you handle conflict well?
25. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How did you resolve it?
26. What major problem have you had to deal with recently?
27. Do you handle pressure well?
28. What is your greatest strength?
29. What is your greatest weakness?
30. If I were to ask one of your professors (or a boss) to describe you, what would he or she say?
31. Why did you choose to attend your college?
32. What changes would you make at your college?
33. How has your education prepared you for your career?
34. What were your favorite classes? Why?
35. Do you enjoy doing independent research?
36. Who were your favorite professors? Why?
37. Why is your GPA not higher?
38. Do you have any plans for further education?
39. How much training do you think you’ll need to become a productive employee?
40. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
41. Why do you want to work in the _____ industry?
42. What do you know about our company?
43. Why are you interested in our company?
44. Do you have any location preferences?
45. How familiar are you with the community that we’re located in?
46. Are you willing to relocate? In the future?
47. Are you willing to travel? How much?
48. Is money important to you?
49. How much money do you need to make to be happy?
50. What kind of salary are you looking for?
Don’t just read these questions—practice and rehearse the answers. Don’t let the employer interview be the first time you actually formulate an answer in spoken words. It is not enough to think about them in your head—practice! Sit down with a friend, a significant other, or your roommate (an especially effective critic, given the amount of preparation to date) and go through all of the questions. If you have not yet completed a mock interview, do it now. Make the most of every single interview opportunity by being fully prepared!
It is not enough to have solid answers for only the above questions. You need to be prepared for the full spectrum of questions that may be presented. For further practice, make sure you go through the required mock interview (see the Competitive Interview Prep chapter); and for further review, look at some of the following questions:
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Tell me about your experience.
3. What is your most important accomplishment to date?
4. How would you describe your ideal job?
5. Why did you choose this career?
6. When did you decide on this career?
7. What goals do you have in your career?
8. How do you plan to achieve these goals?
9. How do you personally define success?
10. Describe a situation in which you were successful.
11. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
12. What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction in your life?
13. If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?
14. Would you rather work with information or with people?
15. Are you a team player?
16. What motivates you?
17. Why should I hire you?
18. Are you a goal-oriented person?
19. Tell me about some of your recent goals and what you did to achieve them.
20. What are your short-term goals?
21. What is your long-range objective?
22. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
23. Where do you want to become ten years from now?
24. Do you handle conflict well?
25. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How did you resolve it?
26. What major problem have you had to deal with recently?
27. Do you handle pressure well?
28. What is your greatest strength?
29. What is your greatest weakness?
30. If I were to ask one of your professors (or a boss) to describe you, what would he or she say?
31. Why did you choose to attend your college?
32. What changes would you make at your college?
33. How has your education prepared you for your career?
34. What were your favorite classes? Why?
35. Do you enjoy doing independent research?
36. Who were your favorite professors? Why?
37. Why is your GPA not higher?
38. Do you have any plans for further education?
39. How much training do you think you’ll need to become a productive employee?
40. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
41. Why do you want to work in the _____ industry?
42. What do you know about our company?
43. Why are you interested in our company?
44. Do you have any location preferences?
45. How familiar are you with the community that we’re located in?
46. Are you willing to relocate? In the future?
47. Are you willing to travel? How much?
48. Is money important to you?
49. How much money do you need to make to be happy?
50. What kind of salary are you looking for?
Don’t just read these questions—practice and rehearse the answers. Don’t let the employer interview be the first time you actually formulate an answer in spoken words. It is not enough to think about them in your head—practice! Sit down with a friend, a significant other, or your roommate (an especially effective critic, given the amount of preparation to date) and go through all of the questions. If you have not yet completed a mock interview, do it now. Make the most of every single interview opportunity by being fully prepared!
Interview questions and answers
1. Tell me about yourself.
It seems like an easy interview question. It’s open ended. I can talk about whatever I want from the birth canal forward. Right?
Wrong. What the hiring manager really wants is a quick, two- to three-minute snapshot of who you are and why you’re the best candidate for this position.
So as you answer this question, talk about what you’ve done to prepare yourself to be the very best candidate for the position. Use an example or two to back it up. Then ask if they would like more details. If they do, keep giving them example after example of your background and experience. Always point back to an example when you have the opportunity.
“Tell me about yourself” does not mean tell me everything. Just tell me what makes you the best.
2. Why should I hire you?
The easy answer is that you are the best person for the job. And don’t be afraid to say so. But then back it up with what specifically differentiates you.
For example: “You should hire me because I’m the best person for the job. I realize that there are likely other candidates who also have the ability to do this job. Yet I bring an additional quality that makes me the best person for the job--my passion for excellence. I am passionately committed to producing truly world class results. For example . . .”
Are you the best person for the job? Show it by your passionate examples.
3. What is your long-range objective?
Make my job easy for me. Make me want to hire you.
The key is to focus on your achievable objectives and what you are doing to reach those objectives.
For example: “Within five years, I would like to become the very best accountant your company has on staff. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I’ll be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities which might be presented in the long term. For example, here is what I’m presently doing to prepare myself . . .”
Then go on to show by your examples what you are doing to reach your goals and objectives.
4. How has your education prepared you for your career?
This is a broad question and you need to focus on the behavioral examples in your educational background which specifically align to the required competencies for the career.
An example: “My education has focused on not only the learning the fundamentals, but also on the practical application of the information learned within those classes. For example, I played a lead role in a class project where we gathered and analyzed best practice data from this industry. Let me tell you more about the results . . .”
Focus on behavioral examples supporting the key competencies for the career. Then ask if they would like to hear more examples.
5. Are you a team player?
Almost everyone says yes to this question. But it is not just a yes/no question. You need to provide behavioral examples to back up your answer.
A sample answer: “Yes, I’m very much a team player. In fact, I’ve had opportunities in my work, school and athletics to develop my skills as a team player. For example, on a recent project . . .”
Emphasize teamwork behavioral examples and focus on your openness to diversity of backgrounds. Talk about the strength of the team above the individual. And note that this question may be used as a lead in to questions around how you handle conflict within a team, so be prepared.
6. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How was it resolved?
Note that if you say no, most interviewers will keep drilling deeper to find a conflict. The key is how you behaviorally reacted to conflict and what you did to resolve it.
For example: “Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but there have been disagreements that needed to be resolved. I've found that when conflict occurs, it helps to fully understand the other person’s perspective, so I take time to listen to their point of view, then I seek to work out a collaborative solution. For example . . .”
Focus your answer on the behavioral process for resolving the conflict and working collaboratively.
7. What is your greatest weakness?
Most career books tell you to select a strength and present it as a weakness. Such as: “I work too much. I just work and work and work.” Wrong. First of all, using a strength and presenting it as a weakness is deceiving. Second, it misses the point of the question.
You should select a weakness that you have been actively working to overcome. For example: “I have had trouble in the past with planning and prioritization. However, I’m now taking steps to correct this. I just started using a pocket planner . . .” then show them your planner and how you are using it.
Talk about a true weakness and show what you are doing to overcome it.
8. If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?
This is a threat of reference check question. Do not wait for the interview to know the answer. Ask any prior bosses or professors in advance. And if they’re willing to provide a positive reference, ask them for a letter of recommendation.
Then you can answer the question like this:
“I believe she would say I'm a very energetic person, that I’m results oriented and one of the best people she has ever worked with. Actually, I know she would say that, because those are her very words. May I show you her letter of recommendation?”
So be prepared in advance with your letters of recommendation.
9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
Focus on two words: leadership and vision.
Here is a sample of how to respond: “The key quality in a successful manager should be leadership--the ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I'd like to tell you about a person whom I consider to be a true leader . . .”
Then give an example of someone who has touched your life and how their impact has helped in your personal development.
10. If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?
Focus on a key turning point in your life or missed opportunity. Yet also tie it forward to what you are doing to still seek to make that change.
For example: “Although I’m overall very happy with where I’m at in my life, the one aspect I likely would have changed would be focusing earlier on my chosen career. I had a great internship this past year and look forward to more experience in the field. I simply wish I would have focused here earlier. For example, I learned on my recent internship…” …then provide examples.
Stay focused on positive direction in your life and back it up with examples.
In reviewing these responses, please remember that they are only to be viewed samples. Please do not rehearse them verbatim or adopt them as your own. They are meant to stir your creative juices and get you thinking about how to properly answer the broader range of questions that you will face.
It seems like an easy interview question. It’s open ended. I can talk about whatever I want from the birth canal forward. Right?
Wrong. What the hiring manager really wants is a quick, two- to three-minute snapshot of who you are and why you’re the best candidate for this position.
So as you answer this question, talk about what you’ve done to prepare yourself to be the very best candidate for the position. Use an example or two to back it up. Then ask if they would like more details. If they do, keep giving them example after example of your background and experience. Always point back to an example when you have the opportunity.
“Tell me about yourself” does not mean tell me everything. Just tell me what makes you the best.
2. Why should I hire you?
The easy answer is that you are the best person for the job. And don’t be afraid to say so. But then back it up with what specifically differentiates you.
For example: “You should hire me because I’m the best person for the job. I realize that there are likely other candidates who also have the ability to do this job. Yet I bring an additional quality that makes me the best person for the job--my passion for excellence. I am passionately committed to producing truly world class results. For example . . .”
Are you the best person for the job? Show it by your passionate examples.
3. What is your long-range objective?
Make my job easy for me. Make me want to hire you.
The key is to focus on your achievable objectives and what you are doing to reach those objectives.
For example: “Within five years, I would like to become the very best accountant your company has on staff. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I’ll be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities which might be presented in the long term. For example, here is what I’m presently doing to prepare myself . . .”
Then go on to show by your examples what you are doing to reach your goals and objectives.
4. How has your education prepared you for your career?
This is a broad question and you need to focus on the behavioral examples in your educational background which specifically align to the required competencies for the career.
An example: “My education has focused on not only the learning the fundamentals, but also on the practical application of the information learned within those classes. For example, I played a lead role in a class project where we gathered and analyzed best practice data from this industry. Let me tell you more about the results . . .”
Focus on behavioral examples supporting the key competencies for the career. Then ask if they would like to hear more examples.
5. Are you a team player?
Almost everyone says yes to this question. But it is not just a yes/no question. You need to provide behavioral examples to back up your answer.
A sample answer: “Yes, I’m very much a team player. In fact, I’ve had opportunities in my work, school and athletics to develop my skills as a team player. For example, on a recent project . . .”
Emphasize teamwork behavioral examples and focus on your openness to diversity of backgrounds. Talk about the strength of the team above the individual. And note that this question may be used as a lead in to questions around how you handle conflict within a team, so be prepared.
6. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How was it resolved?
Note that if you say no, most interviewers will keep drilling deeper to find a conflict. The key is how you behaviorally reacted to conflict and what you did to resolve it.
For example: “Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but there have been disagreements that needed to be resolved. I've found that when conflict occurs, it helps to fully understand the other person’s perspective, so I take time to listen to their point of view, then I seek to work out a collaborative solution. For example . . .”
Focus your answer on the behavioral process for resolving the conflict and working collaboratively.
7. What is your greatest weakness?
Most career books tell you to select a strength and present it as a weakness. Such as: “I work too much. I just work and work and work.” Wrong. First of all, using a strength and presenting it as a weakness is deceiving. Second, it misses the point of the question.
You should select a weakness that you have been actively working to overcome. For example: “I have had trouble in the past with planning and prioritization. However, I’m now taking steps to correct this. I just started using a pocket planner . . .” then show them your planner and how you are using it.
Talk about a true weakness and show what you are doing to overcome it.
8. If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?
This is a threat of reference check question. Do not wait for the interview to know the answer. Ask any prior bosses or professors in advance. And if they’re willing to provide a positive reference, ask them for a letter of recommendation.
Then you can answer the question like this:
“I believe she would say I'm a very energetic person, that I’m results oriented and one of the best people she has ever worked with. Actually, I know she would say that, because those are her very words. May I show you her letter of recommendation?”
So be prepared in advance with your letters of recommendation.
9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
Focus on two words: leadership and vision.
Here is a sample of how to respond: “The key quality in a successful manager should be leadership--the ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I'd like to tell you about a person whom I consider to be a true leader . . .”
Then give an example of someone who has touched your life and how their impact has helped in your personal development.
10. If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?
Focus on a key turning point in your life or missed opportunity. Yet also tie it forward to what you are doing to still seek to make that change.
For example: “Although I’m overall very happy with where I’m at in my life, the one aspect I likely would have changed would be focusing earlier on my chosen career. I had a great internship this past year and look forward to more experience in the field. I simply wish I would have focused here earlier. For example, I learned on my recent internship…” …then provide examples.
Stay focused on positive direction in your life and back it up with examples.
In reviewing these responses, please remember that they are only to be viewed samples. Please do not rehearse them verbatim or adopt them as your own. They are meant to stir your creative juices and get you thinking about how to properly answer the broader range of questions that you will face.
Face interview boldly
1. So, tell me a little about yourself.
I’d be very surprised if you haven’t been asked this one at every interview. It’s probably the most asked question because it sets the stage for the interview and it gets you talking. Be careful not to give the interviewer your life story here. You don’t need to explain everything from birth to present day. Relevant facts about education, your career and your current life situation are fine.
2. Why are you looking (or why did you leave you last job)?
This should be a straightforward question to answer, but it can trip you up. Presumably you are looking for a new job (or any job) because you want to advance your career and get a position that allows you to grow as a person and an employee. It’s not a good idea to mention money here, it can make you sound mercenary. And if you are in the unfortunate situation of having been downsized, stay positive and be as brief as possible about it. If you were fired, you’ll need a good explanation. But once again, stay positive.
3. Tell me what you know about this company.
Do your homework before you go to any interview. Whether it’s being the VP of marketing or the mailroom clerk, you should know about the company or business you’re going to work for. Has this company been in the news lately? Who are the people in the company you should know about? Do the background work, it will make you stand out as someone who comes prepared, and is genuinely interested in the company and the job.
4. Why do you want to work at X Company?
This should be directly related to the last question. Any research you’ve done on the company should have led you to the conclusion that you’d want to work there. After all, you’re at the interview, right? Put some thought into this answer before you have your interview, mention your career goals and highlight forward-thinking goals and career plans.
5. What relevant experience do you have?
Hopefully if you’re applying for this position you have bags of related experience, and if that’s the case you should mention it all. But if you’re switching careers or trying something a little different, your experience may initially not look like it’s matching up. That’s when you need a little honest creativity to match the experiences required with the ones you have. People skills are people skills after all, you just need to show how customer service skills can apply to internal management positions, and so on.
6. If your previous co-workers were here, what would they say about you?
Ok, this is not the time for full disclosure. If some people from your past are going to say you’re a boring A-hole, you don’t need to bring that up. Stay positive, always, and maybe have a few specific quotes in mind. “They’d say I was a hard worker” or even better “John Doe has always said I was the most reliable, creative problem-solver he’d ever met.”
7. Have you done anything to further your experience?
This could include anything from night classes to hobbies and sports. If it’s related, it’s worth mentioning. Obviously anything to do with further education is great, but maybe you’re spending time on a home improvement project to work on skills such as self-sufficiency, time management and motivation.
8. Where else have you applied?
This is a good way to hint that you’re in demand, without sounding like you’re whoring yourself all over town. So, be honest and mention a few other companies but don’t go into detail. The fact that you’re seriously looking and keeping your options open is what the interviewer is driving at.
9. How are you when you’re working under pressure?
Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should all be positive. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under pressure, and you may actually PREFER working under pressure. If you say you crumble like aged blue cheese, this is not going to help you get your foot in the door.
10. What motivates you to do a good job?
The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be motivated by life’s noble pursuits. You want recognition for a job well done. You want to become better at your job. You want to help others or be a leader in your field.
11. What’s your greatest strength?
This is your chance to shine. You’re being asked to explain why you are a great employee, so don’t hold back and stay do stay positive. You could be someone who thrives under pressure, a great motivator, an amazing problem solver or someone with extraordinary attention to detail. If your greatest strength, however, is to drink anyone under the table or get a top score on Mario Kart, keep it to yourself. The interviewer is looking for work-related strengths.
12. What’s your biggest weakness?
If you’re completely honest, you may be kicking yourself in the butt. If you say you don’t have one, you’re obviously lying. This is a horrible question and one that politicians have become masters at answering. They say things like “I’m perhaps too committed to my work and don’t spend enough time with my family.” Oh, there’s a fireable offense. I’ve even heard “I think I’m too good at my job, it can often make people jealous.” Please, let’s keep our feet on the ground. If you’re asked this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you’re working hard to improve. Example: “I’ve been told I occasionally focus on details and miss the bigger picture, so I’ve been spending time laying out the complete project every day to see my overall progress.”
13. Let’s talk about salary. What are you looking for?
Run for cover! This is one tricky game to play in an interview. Even if you know the salary range for the job, if you answer first you’re already showing all your cards. You want as much as possible, the employer wants you for as little as you’re willing to take. Before you apply, take a look at salary.com for a good idea of what someone with your specific experience should be paid. You may want to say, “well, that’s something I’ve thought long and hard about and I think someone with my experience should get between X & Y.” Or, you could be sly and say, “right now, I’m more interested in talking more about what the position can offer my career.” That could at least buy you a little time to scope out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure in mind and you are confident that you can get it, I’d say go for it. I have on many occasions, and every time I got very close to that figure (both below and sometimes above).
14. Are you good at working in a team?
Unless you have the I.Q. of a houseplant, you’ll always answer YES to this one. It’s the only answer. How can anyone function inside an organization if they are a loner? You may want to mention what part you like to play in a team though; it’s a great chance to explain that you’re a natural leader.
15. Tell me a suggestion you have made that was implemented.
It’s important here to focus on the word “implemented.” There’s nothing wrong with having a thousand great ideas, but if the only place they live is on your notepad what’s the point? Better still, you need a good ending. If your previous company took your advice and ended up going bankrupt, that’s not such a great example either. Be prepared with a story about an idea of yours that was taken from idea to implementation, and considered successful.
16. Has anything ever irritated you about people you’ve worked with?
Of course, you have a list as long as your arm. But you can’t say that, it shows you as being negative and difficult to work with. The best way to answer this one is to think for a while and then say something like “I’ve always got on just fine with my co-workers actually.”
17. Is there anyone you just could not work with?
No. Well, unless you’re talking about murderers, racists, rapists, thieves or other dastardly characters, you can work with anyone. Otherwise you could be flagged as someone who’s picky and difficult if you say, “I can’t work with anyone who’s a Bronco’s fan. Sorry.”
18. Tell me about any issues you’ve had with a previous boss.
Arrgh! If you fall for this one you shouldn’t be hired anyway. The interviewer is testing you to see if you’ll speak badly about your previous supervisor. Simply answer this question with exteme tact, diplomacy and if necessary, a big fat loss of memory. In short, you’ve never had any issues.
19. Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?
It’s not a very fair question is it? We’d all love to get paid a Trump-like salary doing a job we love but that’s rare indeed. It’s fine to say money is important, but remember that NOTHING is more important to you than the job. Otherwise, you’re just someone looking for a bigger paycheck.
20. Would you rather be liked or feared?
I have been asked this a lot, in various incarnations. The first time I just drew a blank and said, “I don’t know.” That went over badly, but it was right at the start of my career when I had little to no experience. Since then I’ve realized that my genuine answer is “Neither, I’d rather be respected.” You don’t want to be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You may got the job done but at what cost? Similarly, if you’re everyone’s best friend you’ll find it difficult to make tough decisions or hit deadlines. But when you’re respected, you don’t have to be a complete bastard or a lame duck to get the job done.
21. Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead of your own?
Again, another nasty question. If you say yes, you’re a corporate whore who doesn’t care about family. If you say no, you’re disloyal to the company. I’m afraid that you’ll probably have to say yes to this one though, because you’re trying to be the perfect employee at this point, and perfect employees don’t cut out early for Jimmy’s baseball game.
22. So, explain why I should hire you.
As I’m sure you know, “because I’m great” or “I really need a job” are not good answers here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry list of your greatest talents that just so happen to match the job description. It’s also good to avoid taking potshots at other potential candidates here. Focus on yourself and your talents, not other people’s flaws.
23. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?
I’ll finish the way I started, with one of the most common questions asked in interviews. This directly relates to the research you’ve done on the company and also gives you a chance to show how eager and prepared you are. You’ll probably want to ask about benefits if they haven’t been covered already. A good generic one is “how soon could I start, if I were offered the job of course.” You may also ask what you’d be working on. Specifically, in the role you’re applying for and how that affects the rest of the company. Always have questions ready, greeting this one with a blank stare is a rotten way to finish your interview. Good luck and happy job hunting.
Mental fear of the unknown is often what produces the physical symptoms of nervousness. In addition to preparing yourself physically, you need to prepare yourself mentally. The best way to prepare mentally is to know what may be coming. Fear of the unknown can only exist when there is an unknown. Take the time to understand some of the “standards” when it comes to interviewing questions.
The following are some of the most difficult questions you will face in the course of your job interviews. Some questions may seem rather simple on the surface—such as “Tell me about yourself”—but these questions can have a variety of answers. The more open ended the question, the wider the variation in the answers. Once you have become practiced in your interviewing skills, you will find that you can use almost any question as a launching pad for a particular topic or compelling story.
Others are classic interview questions, such as “What is your greatest weakness?” Questions most people answer improperly. In this case, the standard textbook answer for the “greatest weakness” question is to provide a veiled positive such as: “I work too much. I just work and work and work.” Wrong. Either you are lying or, worse yet, you are telling the truth, in which case you define working too much as a weakness and really do not want to work much at all.
The following answers are provided to give you a new perspective on how to answer tough interview questions. They are not there for you to lift from the page and insert into your next interview. They are provided for you to use as the basic structure for formulating your own answers. While the specifics of each reply may not apply to you, try to follow the basic structure of the answer from the perspective of the interviewer. Answer the questions behaviorally, with specific examples that show that clear evidence backs up what you are saying about yourself. Always provide information that shows you want to become the very best _____ for the company and that you have specifically prepared yourself to become exactly that. They want to be sold. They are waiting to be sold. Don’t disappoint them!
I’d be very surprised if you haven’t been asked this one at every interview. It’s probably the most asked question because it sets the stage for the interview and it gets you talking. Be careful not to give the interviewer your life story here. You don’t need to explain everything from birth to present day. Relevant facts about education, your career and your current life situation are fine.
2. Why are you looking (or why did you leave you last job)?
This should be a straightforward question to answer, but it can trip you up. Presumably you are looking for a new job (or any job) because you want to advance your career and get a position that allows you to grow as a person and an employee. It’s not a good idea to mention money here, it can make you sound mercenary. And if you are in the unfortunate situation of having been downsized, stay positive and be as brief as possible about it. If you were fired, you’ll need a good explanation. But once again, stay positive.
3. Tell me what you know about this company.
Do your homework before you go to any interview. Whether it’s being the VP of marketing or the mailroom clerk, you should know about the company or business you’re going to work for. Has this company been in the news lately? Who are the people in the company you should know about? Do the background work, it will make you stand out as someone who comes prepared, and is genuinely interested in the company and the job.
4. Why do you want to work at X Company?
This should be directly related to the last question. Any research you’ve done on the company should have led you to the conclusion that you’d want to work there. After all, you’re at the interview, right? Put some thought into this answer before you have your interview, mention your career goals and highlight forward-thinking goals and career plans.
5. What relevant experience do you have?
Hopefully if you’re applying for this position you have bags of related experience, and if that’s the case you should mention it all. But if you’re switching careers or trying something a little different, your experience may initially not look like it’s matching up. That’s when you need a little honest creativity to match the experiences required with the ones you have. People skills are people skills after all, you just need to show how customer service skills can apply to internal management positions, and so on.
6. If your previous co-workers were here, what would they say about you?
Ok, this is not the time for full disclosure. If some people from your past are going to say you’re a boring A-hole, you don’t need to bring that up. Stay positive, always, and maybe have a few specific quotes in mind. “They’d say I was a hard worker” or even better “John Doe has always said I was the most reliable, creative problem-solver he’d ever met.”
7. Have you done anything to further your experience?
This could include anything from night classes to hobbies and sports. If it’s related, it’s worth mentioning. Obviously anything to do with further education is great, but maybe you’re spending time on a home improvement project to work on skills such as self-sufficiency, time management and motivation.
8. Where else have you applied?
This is a good way to hint that you’re in demand, without sounding like you’re whoring yourself all over town. So, be honest and mention a few other companies but don’t go into detail. The fact that you’re seriously looking and keeping your options open is what the interviewer is driving at.
9. How are you when you’re working under pressure?
Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should all be positive. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under pressure, and you may actually PREFER working under pressure. If you say you crumble like aged blue cheese, this is not going to help you get your foot in the door.
10. What motivates you to do a good job?
The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be motivated by life’s noble pursuits. You want recognition for a job well done. You want to become better at your job. You want to help others or be a leader in your field.
11. What’s your greatest strength?
This is your chance to shine. You’re being asked to explain why you are a great employee, so don’t hold back and stay do stay positive. You could be someone who thrives under pressure, a great motivator, an amazing problem solver or someone with extraordinary attention to detail. If your greatest strength, however, is to drink anyone under the table or get a top score on Mario Kart, keep it to yourself. The interviewer is looking for work-related strengths.
12. What’s your biggest weakness?
If you’re completely honest, you may be kicking yourself in the butt. If you say you don’t have one, you’re obviously lying. This is a horrible question and one that politicians have become masters at answering. They say things like “I’m perhaps too committed to my work and don’t spend enough time with my family.” Oh, there’s a fireable offense. I’ve even heard “I think I’m too good at my job, it can often make people jealous.” Please, let’s keep our feet on the ground. If you’re asked this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you’re working hard to improve. Example: “I’ve been told I occasionally focus on details and miss the bigger picture, so I’ve been spending time laying out the complete project every day to see my overall progress.”
13. Let’s talk about salary. What are you looking for?
Run for cover! This is one tricky game to play in an interview. Even if you know the salary range for the job, if you answer first you’re already showing all your cards. You want as much as possible, the employer wants you for as little as you’re willing to take. Before you apply, take a look at salary.com for a good idea of what someone with your specific experience should be paid. You may want to say, “well, that’s something I’ve thought long and hard about and I think someone with my experience should get between X & Y.” Or, you could be sly and say, “right now, I’m more interested in talking more about what the position can offer my career.” That could at least buy you a little time to scope out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure in mind and you are confident that you can get it, I’d say go for it. I have on many occasions, and every time I got very close to that figure (both below and sometimes above).
14. Are you good at working in a team?
Unless you have the I.Q. of a houseplant, you’ll always answer YES to this one. It’s the only answer. How can anyone function inside an organization if they are a loner? You may want to mention what part you like to play in a team though; it’s a great chance to explain that you’re a natural leader.
15. Tell me a suggestion you have made that was implemented.
It’s important here to focus on the word “implemented.” There’s nothing wrong with having a thousand great ideas, but if the only place they live is on your notepad what’s the point? Better still, you need a good ending. If your previous company took your advice and ended up going bankrupt, that’s not such a great example either. Be prepared with a story about an idea of yours that was taken from idea to implementation, and considered successful.
16. Has anything ever irritated you about people you’ve worked with?
Of course, you have a list as long as your arm. But you can’t say that, it shows you as being negative and difficult to work with. The best way to answer this one is to think for a while and then say something like “I’ve always got on just fine with my co-workers actually.”
17. Is there anyone you just could not work with?
No. Well, unless you’re talking about murderers, racists, rapists, thieves or other dastardly characters, you can work with anyone. Otherwise you could be flagged as someone who’s picky and difficult if you say, “I can’t work with anyone who’s a Bronco’s fan. Sorry.”
18. Tell me about any issues you’ve had with a previous boss.
Arrgh! If you fall for this one you shouldn’t be hired anyway. The interviewer is testing you to see if you’ll speak badly about your previous supervisor. Simply answer this question with exteme tact, diplomacy and if necessary, a big fat loss of memory. In short, you’ve never had any issues.
19. Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?
It’s not a very fair question is it? We’d all love to get paid a Trump-like salary doing a job we love but that’s rare indeed. It’s fine to say money is important, but remember that NOTHING is more important to you than the job. Otherwise, you’re just someone looking for a bigger paycheck.
20. Would you rather be liked or feared?
I have been asked this a lot, in various incarnations. The first time I just drew a blank and said, “I don’t know.” That went over badly, but it was right at the start of my career when I had little to no experience. Since then I’ve realized that my genuine answer is “Neither, I’d rather be respected.” You don’t want to be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You may got the job done but at what cost? Similarly, if you’re everyone’s best friend you’ll find it difficult to make tough decisions or hit deadlines. But when you’re respected, you don’t have to be a complete bastard or a lame duck to get the job done.
21. Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead of your own?
Again, another nasty question. If you say yes, you’re a corporate whore who doesn’t care about family. If you say no, you’re disloyal to the company. I’m afraid that you’ll probably have to say yes to this one though, because you’re trying to be the perfect employee at this point, and perfect employees don’t cut out early for Jimmy’s baseball game.
22. So, explain why I should hire you.
As I’m sure you know, “because I’m great” or “I really need a job” are not good answers here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry list of your greatest talents that just so happen to match the job description. It’s also good to avoid taking potshots at other potential candidates here. Focus on yourself and your talents, not other people’s flaws.
23. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?
I’ll finish the way I started, with one of the most common questions asked in interviews. This directly relates to the research you’ve done on the company and also gives you a chance to show how eager and prepared you are. You’ll probably want to ask about benefits if they haven’t been covered already. A good generic one is “how soon could I start, if I were offered the job of course.” You may also ask what you’d be working on. Specifically, in the role you’re applying for and how that affects the rest of the company. Always have questions ready, greeting this one with a blank stare is a rotten way to finish your interview. Good luck and happy job hunting.
Mental fear of the unknown is often what produces the physical symptoms of nervousness. In addition to preparing yourself physically, you need to prepare yourself mentally. The best way to prepare mentally is to know what may be coming. Fear of the unknown can only exist when there is an unknown. Take the time to understand some of the “standards” when it comes to interviewing questions.
The following are some of the most difficult questions you will face in the course of your job interviews. Some questions may seem rather simple on the surface—such as “Tell me about yourself”—but these questions can have a variety of answers. The more open ended the question, the wider the variation in the answers. Once you have become practiced in your interviewing skills, you will find that you can use almost any question as a launching pad for a particular topic or compelling story.
Others are classic interview questions, such as “What is your greatest weakness?” Questions most people answer improperly. In this case, the standard textbook answer for the “greatest weakness” question is to provide a veiled positive such as: “I work too much. I just work and work and work.” Wrong. Either you are lying or, worse yet, you are telling the truth, in which case you define working too much as a weakness and really do not want to work much at all.
The following answers are provided to give you a new perspective on how to answer tough interview questions. They are not there for you to lift from the page and insert into your next interview. They are provided for you to use as the basic structure for formulating your own answers. While the specifics of each reply may not apply to you, try to follow the basic structure of the answer from the perspective of the interviewer. Answer the questions behaviorally, with specific examples that show that clear evidence backs up what you are saying about yourself. Always provide information that shows you want to become the very best _____ for the company and that you have specifically prepared yourself to become exactly that. They want to be sold. They are waiting to be sold. Don’t disappoint them!
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