General Guidelines in Answering Interview Question
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Printed Date: 21Dec2024 at 3:29pm
Topic: General Guidelines in Answering Interview Question
Posted By: Mithi25
Subject: General Guidelines in Answering Interview Question
Date Posted: 16Nov2009 at 9:44pm
Everyone is nervous on interviews. If you simply allow yourself
to feel nervous, you'll do much better. Remember also that it's difficult for
the interviewer as well.
{mosgoogle left}
In general, be upbeat and positive. Never be
negative.
Rehearse your answers and time them. Never talk for more than
2 minutes straight.
Don't try to memorize answers word for word. Use the
answers shown here as a guide only, and don't be afraid to include your own
thoughts and words. To help you remember key concepts, jot down and review a few
key words for each answer. Rehearse your answers frequently, and they will come
to you naturally in interviews.
As you will read in the accompanying
report, the single most important strategy in interviewing, as in all phases of
your job search, is what we call: "The Greatest Executive Job Finding Secret."
And that is...
{mosgoogle left}
Find out what people want, than show them how you can
help them get it.
Find out what an employer wants most in his or her
ideal candidate, then show how you meet those qualifications.
In other
words, you must match your abilities, with the needs of the employer. You must
sell what the buyer is buying. To do that, before you know what to emphasize in
your answers, you must find out what the buyer is buying... what he is looking
for. And the best way to do that is to ask a few questions yourself.
You
will see how to bring this off skillfully as you read the first two questions of
this report. But regardless of how you accomplish it, you must remember this
strategy above all: before blurting out your qualifications, you must get some
idea of what the employer wants most. Once you know what he wants, you can then
present your qualifications as the perfect “key” that fits the “lock” of that
position.
1. Other important interview strategies:
2. Turn
weaknesses into strengths (You'll see how to do this in a few moments.)
3. Think before you answer. A pause to collect your thoughts is a
hallmark of a thoughtful person.
As a daily exercise, practice being
more optimistic. For example, try putting a positive spin on events and
situations you would normally regard as negative. This is not meant to turn you
into a Pollyanna, but to sharpen your selling skills. The best salespeople, as
well as the best liked interview candidates, come off as being naturally
optimistic, "can do" people. You will dramatically raise your level of
attractiveness by daily practicing to be more optimistic.
Be
honest...never lie.
Keep an interview diary. Right after each interview
note what you did right, what could have gone a little better, and what steps
you should take next with this contact. Then take those steps. Don't be like the
95% of humanity who say they will follow up on something, but never do.
1. Tell me about yourself.
TRAPS:
Beware,
about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many
candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling,
recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal
matters.
BEST ANSWER:
Start with the present and tell why
you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all successful
interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking
for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single
most important strategy in job hunting.
So, before you answer this or
any question it's imperative that you try to uncover your interviewer's greatest
need, want, problem or goal.
To do so, make you take these two steps:
* Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this
person's wants and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or company)
* As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete
description of what the position entails. You might say: “I have a number of
accomplishments I'd like to tell you about, but I want to make the best use of
our time together and talk directly to your needs. To help me do, that, could
you tell me more about the most important priorities of this position? All I
know is what I (heard from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.)”
Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to
draw out his needs even more. Surprisingly, it's usually this second or third
question that unearths what the interviewer is most looking for.
You
might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there anything else you
see as essential to success in this position?:
This process will not
feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier simply to answer questions,
but only if you uncover the employer's wants and needs will your answers make
the most sense. Practice asking these key questions before giving your answers,
the process will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the
other job candidates you're competing with.
After uncovering what the
employer is looking for, describe why the needs of this job bear striking
parallels to tasks you've succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with
specific examples of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all
of which are geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has
just described.
2. What are your greatest strengths?
TRAPS:
This question seems like a softball lob, but be
prepared. You don't want to come across as egotistical or arrogant. Neither is
this a time to be humble.
BEST ANSWER:
You know that your
key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs
before you answer questions. And from Question 1, you know how to do this.
Prior to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your
greatest strengths. You should also have, a specific example or two, which
illustrates each strength, an example chosen from your most recent and most
impressive achievements.
You should, have this list of your greatest
strengths and corresponding examples from your achievements so well committed to
memory that you can recite them cold after being shaken awake at 2:30AM.
Then, once you uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs, you
can choose those achievements from your list that best match up.
As a
general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to see
in their employees are:
1. A proven track record as an
achiever...especially if your achievements match up with the employer's greatest
wants and needs.
2. Intelligence...management "savvy".
3.
Honesty...integrity...a decent human being.
4. Good fit with corporate
culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team player who meshes well with
interviewer's team.
5. Likeability...positive attitude...sense of humor.
6. Good communication skills.
7. Dedication...willingness to
walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.
8. Definiteness of
purpose...clear goals.
9. Enthusiasm...high level of motivation.
10. Confident...healthy...a leader.
3. What are your greatest
weaknesses?
TRAPS:
Beware - this is an eliminator
question, designed to shorten the candidate list. Any admission of a weakness or
fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview.
PASSABLE ANSWER:
Disguise a strength as a weakness.
Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a
sense of urgency and everyone is not always on the same wavelength.”
Drawback: This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it's so
widely used, it is transparent to any experienced interviewer.
BEST
ANSWER:
(and another reason it's so important to get a thorough
description of your interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the
interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your
performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest
qualifications.
Example: “Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've
told me about this position, I believe I' d make an outstanding match. I know
that when I hire people, I look for two things most of all. Do they have the
qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation to do it well? Everything
in my background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to
achieve excellence in whatever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that I see
nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strong
desire to perform this job with excellence.”
Alternate strategy (if you
don't yet know enough about the position to talk about such a perfect fit):
Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like
least, making sure that what you like most matches up with the most important
qualification for success in the position, and what you like least is not
essential.
Example: Let's say you're applying for a teaching position.
“If given a choice, I like to spend as much time as possible in front of my
prospects selling, as opposed to shuffling paperwork back at the office. Of
course, I long ago learned the importance of filing paperwork properly, and I do
it conscientiously. But what I really love to do is sell (if your interviewer
were a sales manager, this should be music to his ears.)
4. Tell me
about something you did - or failed to do - that you now feel a little ashamed
of.
TRAPS:
There are some questions your interviewer
has no business asking, and this is one. But while you may feel like answering,
“none of your business,” naturally you can’t. Some interviewers ask this
question on the chance you admit to something, but if not, at least they’ll see
how you think on your feet.
Some unprepared candidates, flustered by
this question, unburden themselves of guilt from their personal life or career,
perhaps expressing regrets regarding a parent, spouse, child, etc. All such
answers can be disastrous.
BEST ANSWER:
As with faults
and weaknesses, never confess a regret. But don’t seem as if you’re stonewalling
either.
Best strategy: Say you harbor no regrets, then add a principle
or habit you practice regularly for healthy human relations.
Example:
Pause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you. Then say, “You
know, I really can’t think of anything.” (Pause again, then add): “I would add
that as a general management principle, I’ve found that the best way to avoid
regrets is to avoid causing them in the first place. I practice one habit that
helps me a great deal in this regard. At the end of each day, I mentally review
the day’s events and conversations to take a second look at the people and
developments I’m involved with and do a doublecheck of what they’re likely to be
feeling. Sometimes I’ll see things that do need more follow-up, whether a pat on
the back, or maybe a five minute chat in someone’s office to make sure we’re
clear on things…whatever.”
“I also like to make each person feel like a
member of an elite team, like the Boston Celtics or LA Lakers in their prime.
I’ve found that if you let each team member know you expect excellence in their
performance…if you work hard to set an example yourself…and if you let people
know you appreciate and respect their feelings, you wind up with a highly
motivated group, a team that’s having fun at work because they’re striving for
excellence rather than brooding over slights or regrets.”
5. Why are
you leaving (or did you leave) this position?
TRAPS:
Never badmouth your previous industry, company, board, boss, staff,
employees or customers. This rule is inviolable: never be negative. Any mud you
hurl will only soil your suit.
Especially avoid words like “personality
clash”, “didn’t get along”, or others which cast a shadow on your competence,
integrity, or temperament.
BEST ANSWER:
(If you have a
job presently)
If you’re not yet 100% committed to leaving your present
post, don’t be afraid to say so. Since you have a job, you are in a stronger
position than someone who does not. But don’t be coy either. State honestly what
you’d be hoping to find in a new spot. Of course, as stated often before, you
answer will all the stronger if you have already uncovered what this position is
all about and you match your desires to it.
(If you do not presently
have a job.)
Never lie about having been fired. It’s unethical - and too
easily checked. But do try to deflect the reason from you personally. If your
firing was the result of a takeover, merger, division wide layoff, etc., so much
the better.
But you should also do something totally unnatural that will
demonstrate consummate professionalism. Even if it hurts , describe your own
firing - candidly, succinctly and without a trace of bitterness - from the
company’s point-of-view, indicating that you could understand why it happened
and you might have made the same decision yourself.
Your stature will
rise immensely and, most important of all, you will show you are healed from the
wounds inflicted by the firing. You will enhance your image as first-class
management material and stand head and shoulders above the legions of firing
victims who, at the slightest provocation, zip open their shirts to expose their
battle scars and decry the unfairness of it all.
For all prior
positions:
Make sure you’ve prepared a brief reason for leaving. Best
reasons: more money, opportunity, responsibility or growth.
6. The
“Silent Treatment”
TRAPS:
Beware - if you are
unprepared for this question, you will probably not handle it right and possibly
blow the interview. Thank goodness most interviewers don’t employ it. It’s
normally used by those determined to see how you respond under stress. Here’s
how it works:
You answer an interviewer’s question and then, instead of
asking another, he just stares at you in a deafening silence.
You wait,
growing a bit uneasy, and there he sits, silent as Mt. Rushmore, as if he
doesn’t believe what you’ve just said, or perhaps making you feel that you’ve
unwittingly violated some cardinal rule of interview etiquette.
When you
get this silent treatment after answering a particularly difficult question ,
such as “tell me about your weaknesses”, its intimidating effect can be most
disquieting, even to polished job hunters.
Most unprepared candidates
rush in to fill the void of silence, viewing prolonged, uncomfortable silences
as an invitation to clear up the previous answer which has obviously caused some
problem. And that’s what they do - ramble on, sputtering more and more
information, sometimes irrelevant and often damaging, because they are suddenly
playing the role of someone who’s goofed and is now trying to recoup. But since
the candidate doesn’t know where or how he goofed, he just keeps talking,
showing how flustered and confused he is by the interviewer’s unmovable silence.
BEST ANSWER:
Like a primitive tribal mask, the Silent
Treatment loses all it power to frighten you once you refuse to be intimidated.
If your interviewer pulls it, keep quiet yourself for a while and then ask, with
sincere politeness and not a trace of sarcasm, “Is there anything else I can
fill in on that point?” That’s all there is to it.
Whatever you do,
don’t let the Silent Treatment intimidate you into talking a blue streak,
because you could easily talk yourself out of the position.
7. Why
should I hire you?
TRAPS:
Believe it or not, this is
a killer question because so many candidates are unprepared for it. If you
stammer or adlib you’ve blown it.
BEST ANSWER:
By now you
can see how critical it is to apply the overall strategy of uncovering the
employer’s needs before you answer questions. If you know the employer’s
greatest needs and desires, this question will give you a big leg up over other
candidates because you will give him better reasons for hiring you than anyone
else is likely to…reasons tied directly to his needs.
Whether your
interviewer asks you this question explicitly or not, this is the most important
question of your interview because he must answer this question favorably in is
own mind before you will be hired. So help him out! Walk through each of the
position’s requirements as you understand them, and follow each with a reason
why you meet that requirement so well.
Example: “As I understand your
needs, you are first and foremost looking for someone who can manage the sales
and marketing of your book publishing division. As you’ve said you need someone
with a strong background in trade book sales. This is where I’ve spent almost
all of my career, so I’ve chalked up 18 years of experience exactly in this
area. I believe that I know the right contacts, methods, principles, and
successful management techniques as well as any person can in our industry.”
“You also need someone who can expand your book distribution channels.
In my prior post, my innovative promotional ideas doubled, then tripled, the
number of outlets selling our books. I’m confident I can do the same for you.”
“You need someone to give a new shot in the arm to your mail order
sales, someone who knows how to sell in space and direct mail media. Here, too,
I believe I have exactly the experience you need. In the last five years, I’ve
increased our mail order book sales from $600,000 to $2,800,000, and now we’re
the country’s second leading marketer of scientific and medical books by mail.”
Etc., etc., etc.,
Every one of these selling “couplets” (his need
matched by your qualifications) is a touchdown that runs up your score. IT is
your best opportunity to outsell your competition.
8. Aren’t you
overqualified for this position?
TRAPS:
The employer
may be concerned that you’ll grow dissatisfied and leave.
BEST
ANSWER:
As with any objection, don’t view this as a sign of imminent
defeat. It’s an invitation to teach the interviewer a new way to think about
this situation, seeing advantages instead of drawbacks.
Example: “I
recognize the job market for what it is - a marketplace. Like any marketplace,
it’s subject to the laws of supply and demand. So ‘overqualified’ can be a
relative term, depending on how tight the job market is. And right now, it’s
very tight. I understand and accept that.”
“I also believe that there
could be very positive benefits for both of us in this match.”
“Because
of my unusually strong experience in ________________ , I could start to
contribute right away, perhaps much faster than someone who’d have to be brought
along more slowly.”
“There’s also the value of all the training and
years of experience that other companies have invested tens of thousands of
dollars to give me. You’d be getting all the value of that without having to pay
an extra dime for it. With someone who has yet to acquire that experience, he’d
have to gain it on your nickel.”
“I could also help you in many things
they don’t teach at the Harvard Business School. For example…(how to hire,
train, motivate, etc.) When it comes to knowing how to work well with people and
getting the most out of them, there’s just no substitute for what you learn over
many years of front-line experience. You company would gain all this, too.”
“From my side, there are strong benefits, as well. Right now, I am
unemployed. I want to work, very much, and the position you have here is exactly
what I love to do and am best at. I’ll be happy doing this work and that’s what
matters most to me, a lot more that money or title.”
“Most important,
I’m looking to make a long term commitment in my career now. I’ve had enough of
job-hunting and want a permanent spot at this point in my career. I also know
that if I perform this job with excellence, other opportunities cannot help but
open up for me right here. In time, I’ll find many other ways to help this
company and in so doing, help myself. I really am looking to make a long-term
commitment.”
NOTE: The main concern behind the “overqualified” question
is that you will leave your new employer as soon as something better comes your
way. Anything you can say to demonstrate the sincerity of your commitment to the
employer and reassure him that you’re looking to stay for the long-term will
help you overcome this objection.
9. Where do you see yourself five
years from now?
TRAPS:
One reason interviewers ask
this question is to see if you’re settling for this position, using it merely as
a stopover until something better comes along. Or they could be trying to gauge
your level of ambition. If you’re too specific, i.e., naming the promotions you
someday hope to win, you’ll sound presumptuous. If you’re too vague, you’ll seem
rudderless.
BEST ANSWER:
Reassure your interviewer that
you’re looking to make a long-term commitment…that this position entails exactly
what you’re looking to do and what you do extremely well. As for your future,
you believe that if you perform each job at hand with excellence, future
opportunities will take care of themselves.
Example: “I am definitely
interested in making a long-term commitment to my next position. Judging by what
you’ve told me about this position, it’s exactly what I’m looking for and what I
am very well qualified to do. In terms of my future career path, I’m confident
that if I do my work with excellence, opportunities will inevitable open up for
me. It’s always been that way in my career, and I’m confident I’ll have similar
opportunities here.”
10. Describe your ideal company, location and
job.
TRAPS:
This is often asked by an experienced
interviewer who thinks you may be overqualified, but knows better than to show
his hand by posing his objection directly. So he’ll use this question instead,
which often gets a candidate to reveal that, indeed, he or she is looking for
something other than the position at hand.
BEST ANSWER:
The only right answer is to describe what this company is offering,
being sure to make your answer believable with specific reasons, stated with
sincerity, why each quality represented by this opportunity is attractive to
you.
Remember that if you’re coming from a company that’s the leader in
its field or from a glamorous or much admired company, industry, city or
position, your interviewer and his company may well have an “Avis” complex. That
is, they may feel a bit defensive about being “second best” to the place you’re
coming from, worried that you may consider them bush league.
This
anxiety could well be there even though you’ve done nothing to inspire it. You
must go out of your way to assuage such anxiety, even if it’s not expressed, by
putting their virtues high on the list of exactly what you’re looking for,
providing credible reason for wanting these qualities.
If you do not
express genuine enthusiasm for the firm, its culture, location, industry, etc.,
you may fail to answer this “Avis” complex objection and, as a result, leave the
interviewer suspecting that a hot shot like you, coming from a Fortune 500
company in New York, just wouldn’t be happy at an unknown manufacturer based in
Topeka, Kansas.
11. Why do you want to work at our company?
TRAPS:
This question tests whether you’ve done any
homework about the firm. If you haven’t, you lose. If you have, you win big.
BEST ANSWER:
This question is your opportunity to hit the
ball out of the park, thanks to the in-depth research you should do before any
interview.
Best sources for researching your target company: annual
reports, the corporate newsletter, contacts you know at the company or its
suppliers, advertisements, articles about the company in the trade press.
12. What are your career options right now?
TRAPS:
The interviewer is trying to find out, “How desperate are you?”
BEST ANSWER:
Prepare for this question by thinking of how
you can position yourself as a desired commodity. If you are still working,
describe the possibilities at your present firm and why, though you’re greatly
appreciated there, you’re looking for something more (challenge, money,
responsibility, etc.). Also mention that you’re seriously exploring
opportunities with one or two other firms.
If you’re not working, you
can talk about other employment possibilities you’re actually exploring. But do
this with a light touch, speaking only in general terms. You don’t want to seem
manipulative or coy.
13. Why have you been out of work so long?
TRAPS:
A tough question if you’ve been on the beach a
long time. You don’t want to seem like damaged goods.
BEST
ANSWER:
You want to emphasize factors which have prolonged your job
search by your own choice.
Example: “After my job was terminated, I made
a conscious decision not to jump on the first opportunities to come along. In my
life, I’ve found out that you can always turn a negative into a positive IF you
try hard enough. This is what I determined to do. I decided to take whatever
time I needed to think through what I do best, what I most want to do, where I’d
like to do it…and then identify those companies that could offer such an
opportunity.”
“Also, in all honesty, you have to factor in the recession
(consolidation, stabilization, etc.) in the (banking, financial services,
manufacturing, advertising, etc.) industry.”
“So between my being
selective and the companies in our industry downsizing, the process has taken
time. But in the end, I’m convinced that when I do find the right match, all
that careful evaluation from both sides of the desk will have been well
worthwhile for both the company that hires me and myself.
14. Tell me
honestly about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company,
management team, etc.)…
TRAPS:
Skillfull interviewers
sometimes make it almost irresistible to open up and air a little dirty laundry
from your previous position. DON’T
BEST ANSWER:
Remember
the rule: Never be negative. Stress only the good points, no matter how
charmingly you’re invited to be critical.
Your interviewer doesn’t care
a whit about your previous boss. He wants to find out how loyal and positive you
are, and whether you’ll criticize him behind his back if pressed to do so by
someone in this own company. This question is your opportunity to demonstrate
your loyalty to those you work with.
15. What good books have you
read lately?
TRAPS:
As in all matters of your
interview, never fake familiarity you don’t have. Yet you don’t want to seem
like a dullard who hasn’t read a book since Tom Sawyer.
BEST
ANSWER:
Unless you’re up for a position in academia or as book
critic for The New York Times, you’re not expected to be a literary lion. But it
wouldn’t hurt to have read a handful of the most recent and influential books in
your profession and on management.
Consider it part of the work of your
job search to read up on a few of these leading books. But make sure they are
quality books that reflect favorably upon you, nothing that could even remotely
be considered superficial. Finally, add a recently published bestselling work of
fiction by a world-class author and you’ll pass this question with flying
colors.
16. Tell me about a situation when your work was
criticized.
TRAPS:
This is a tough question because
it’s a more clever and subtle way to get you to admit to a weakness. You can’t
dodge it by pretending you’ve never been criticized. Everybody has been. Yet it
can be quite damaging to start admitting potential faults and failures that
you’d just as soon leave buried.
This question is also intended to probe
how well you accept criticism and direction.
BEST ANSWER:
Begin by emphasizing the extremely positive feedback you’ve gotten
throughout your career and (if it’s true) that your performance reviews have
been uniformly excellent.
Of course, no one is perfect and you always
welcome suggestions on how to improve your performance. Then, give an example of
a not-too-damaging learning experience from early in your career and relate the
ways this lesson has since helped you. This demonstrates that you learned from
the experience and the lesson is now one of the strongest breastplates in your
suit of armor.
If you are pressed for a criticism from a recent
position, choose something fairly trivial that in no way is essential to your
successful performance. Add that you’ve learned from this, too, and over the
past several years/months, it’s no longer an area of concern because you now
make it a regular practice to…etc.
Another way to answer this question
would be to describe your intention to broaden your master of an area of growing
importance in your field. For example, this might be a computer program you’ve
been meaning to sit down and learn… a new management technique you’ve read
about…or perhaps attending a seminar on some cutting-edge branch of your
profession.
Again, the key is to focus on something not essential to
your brilliant performance but which adds yet another dimension to your already
impressive knowledge base.
17. What are your outside interests?
TRAPS:
You want to be a well-rounded, not a drone. But
your potential employer would be even more turned off if he suspects that your
heavy extracurricular load will interfere with your commitment to your work
duties.
BEST ANSWER:
Try to gauge how this company’s
culture would look upon your favorite outside activities and be guided
accordingly.
You can also use this question to shatter any stereotypes
that could limit your chances. If you’re over 50, for example, describe your
activities that demonstrate physical stamina. If you’re young, mention an
activity that connotes wisdom and institutional trust, such as serving on the
board of a popular charity.
But above all, remember that your employer
is hiring your for what you can do for him, not your family, yourself or outside
organizations, no matter how admirable those activities may be.
18.
The “Fatal Flaw” question
TRAPS:
If an interviewer
has read your resume carefully, he may try to zero in on a “fatal flaw” of your
candidacy, perhaps that you don’t have a college degree…you’ve been out of the
job market for some time…you never earned your CPA, etc.
A fatal flaw
question can be deadly, but usually only if you respond by being overly
defensive.
BEST ANSWER:
As every master salesperson
knows, you will encounter objections (whether stated or merely thought) in every
sale. They’re part and parcel of the buyer’s anxiety. The key is not to
exacerbate the buyer’s anxiety but diminish it. Here’s how…
Whenever you
come up against a fatal flaw question:
* Be completely honest, open and
straightforward about admitting the shortcoming. (Showing you have nothing to
hide diminishes the buyer’s anxiety.)
* Do not apologize or try to
explain it away. You know that this supposed flaw is nothing to be concerned
about, and this is the attitude you want your interviewer to adopt as well.
* Add that as desirable as such a qualification might be, its lack has
made you work all the harder throughout your career and has not prevented you
from compiling an outstanding tack record of achievements. You might even give
examples of how, through a relentless commitment to excellence, you have
consistently outperformed those who do have this qualification.
Of
course, the ultimate way to handle “fatal flaw” questions is to prevent them
from arising in the first place. You will do that by following the master
strategy described in Question 1, i.e., uncovering the employers needs and them
matching your qualifications to those needs.
Once you’ve gotten the
employer to start talking about his most urgently-felt wants and goals for the
position, and then help him see in step-by-step fashion how perfectly your
background and achievements match up with those needs, you’re going to have one
very enthusiastic interviewer on your hands, one who is no longer looking for
“fatal flaws”.
19. How do you feel about reporting to a younger
person (minority, woman, etc)?
TRAPS:
It’s a shame
that some interviewers feel the need to ask this question, but many understand
the reality that prejudices still exist among some job candidates, and it’s
better to try to flush them out beforehand.
The trap here is that in
today’s politically sensitized environment, even a well-intentioned answer can
result in planting your foot neatly in your mouth. Avoid anything which smacks
of a patronizing or an insensitive attitude, such as “I think they make terrific
bosses” or “Hey, some of my best friends are…”
Of course, since almost
anyone with an IQ above room temperature will at least try to steadfastly affirm
the right answer here, your interviewer will be judging your sincerity most of
all. “Do you really feel that way?” is what he or she will be wondering.
So you must make your answer believable and not just automatic. If the
firm is wise enough to have promoted peopled on the basis of ability alone,
they’re likely quite proud of it, and prefer to hire others who will
wholeheartedly share their strong sense of fair play.
BEST
ANSWER:
You greatly admire a company that hires and promotes on
merit alone and you couldn’t agree more with that philosophy. The age (gender,
race, etc.) of the person you report to would certainly make no difference to
you.
Whoever has that position has obviously earned it and knows their
job well. Both the person and the position are fully deserving of respect. You
believe that all people in a company, from the receptionist to the Chairman,
work best when their abilities, efforts and feelings are respected and rewarded
fairly, and that includes you. That’s the best type of work environment you can
hope to find.
20. On confidential matters…
TRAPS:
When an interviewer presses you to reveal confidential information about
a present or former employer, you may feel it’s a no-win situation. If you
cooperate, you could be judged untrustworthy. If you don’t, you may irritate the
interviewer and seem obstinate, uncooperative or overly suspicious.
BEST ANSWER:
Your interviewer may press you for this
information for two reasons.
First, many companies use interviews to
research the competition. It’s a perfect set-up. Here in their own lair, is an
insider from the enemy camp who can reveal prized information on the
competition’s plans, research, financial condition, etc.
Second, the
company may be testing your integrity to see if you can be cajoled or bullied
into revealing confidential data.
What to do? The answer here is easy.
Never reveal anything truly confidential about a present or former employer. By
all means, explain your reticence diplomatically. For example, “I certainly want
to be as open as I can about that. But I also wish to respect the rights of
those who have trusted me with their most sensitive information, just as you
would hope to be able to trust any of your key people when talking with a
competitor…”
And certainly you can allude to your finest achievements in
specific ways that don’t reveal the combination to the company safe.
But
be guided by the golden rule. If you were the owner of your present company,
would you feel it ethically wrong for the information to be given to your
competitors? If so, steadfastly refuse to reveal it.
Remember that this
question pits your desire to be cooperative against your integrity. Faced with
any such choice, always choose integrity. It is a far more valuable commodity
than whatever information the company may pry from you. Moreover, once you
surrender the information, your stock goes down. They will surely lose respect
for you.
One President we know always presses candidates unmercifully
for confidential information. If he doesn’t get it, he grows visibly annoyed,
relentlessly inquisitive, It’s all an act. He couldn’t care less about the
information. This is his way of testing the candidate’s moral fiber. Only those
who hold fast are hired.
21. Would you lie for the company?
TRAPS:
This another question that pits two values against
one another, in this case loyalty against integrity.
BEST ANSWER:
Try to avoid choosing between two values, giving a positive statement
which covers all bases instead.
Example: “I would never do anything to
hurt the company..”
If aggressively pressed to choose between two
competing values, always choose personal integrity. It is the most prized of all
values.
22. Looking back, what would you do differently in your
life?
TRAPS:
This question is usually asked to
uncover any life-influencing mistakes, regrets, disappointments or problems that
may continue to affect your personality and performance.
You do not want
to give the interviewer anything negative to remember you by, such as some great
personal or career disappointment, even long ago, that you wish could have been
avoided.
Nor do you wish to give any answer which may hint that your
whole heart and soul will not be in your work.
BEST ANSWER:
Indicate that you are a happy, fulfilled, optimistic person and that, in
general, you wouldn’t change a thing.
Example: “It’s been a good life,
rich in learning and experience, and the best it yet to come. Every experience
in life is a lesson it its own way. I wouldn’t change a thing."
23.
Could you have done better in your last job?
TRAPS:
This is no time for true confessions of major or even minor problems.
BEST ANSWER:
Again never be negative.
Example: “I
suppose with the benefit of hindsight you can always find things to do better,
of course, but off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything of major
consequence.”
(If more explanation seems necessary)
Describer a
situation that didn’t suffer because of you but from external conditions beyond
your control.
For example, describe the disappointment you felt with a
test campaign, new product launch, merger, etc., which looked promising at
first, but led to underwhelming results. “I wish we could have known at the
start what we later found out (about the economy turning, the marketplace
changing, etc.), but since we couldn’t, we just had to go for it. And we did
learn from it…”
24. Can you work under pressure?
TRAPS:
An easy question, but you want to make your answer
believable.
BEST ANSWER:
Absolutely…(then prove it with a
vivid example or two of a goal or project accomplished under severe pressure.)
25. What makes you angry?
TRAPS:
You don’t
want to come across either as a hothead or a wimp.
BEST ANSWER:
Give an answer that’s suited to both your personality and the management
style of the firm. Here, the homework you’ve done about the company and its
style can help in your choice of words.
Examples: If you are a reserved
person and/or the corporate culture is coolly professional:
“I’m an
even-tempered and positive person by nature, and I believe this helps me a great
deal in keeping my department running smoothly, harmoniously and with a genuine
esprit de corps. I believe in communicating clearly what’s expected, getting
people’s commitment to those goals, and then following up continuously to check
progress.”
“If anyone or anything is going off track, I want to know
about it early. If, after that kind of open communication and follow up, someone
isn’t getting the job done, I’ll want to know why. If there’s no good reason,
then I’ll get impatient and angry…and take appropriate steps from there. But if
you hire good people, motivate them to strive for excellence and then follow up
constantly, it almost never gets to that state.”
If you are feisty by
nature and/or the position calls for a tough straw boss.
“You know what
makes me angry? People who (the fill in the blanks with the most objectionable
traits for this type of position)…people who don’t pull their own weight, who
are negative, people who lie…etc.”
26. Why aren’t you earning more
money at this stage of your career?
TRAPS:
You don’t
want to give the impression that money is not important to you, yet you want to
explain why your salary may be a little below industry standards.
BEST ANSWER:
You like to make money, but other factors
are even more important.
Example: “Making money is very important to me,
and one reason I’m here is because I’m looking to make more. Throughout my
career, what’s been even more important to me is doing work I really like to do
at the kind of company I like and respect.
(Then be prepared to be
specific about what your ideal position and company would be like, matching them
as closely as possible to the opportunity at hand.
27. Who has
inspired you in your life and why?
TRAPS:
The two
traps here are unpreparedness and irrelevance. If you grope for an answer, it
seems you’ve never been inspired. If you ramble about your high school
basketball coach, you’ve wasted an opportunity to present qualities of great
value to the company.
BEST ANSWER:
Have a few heroes in
mind, from your mental “Board of Directors” - Leaders in your industry, from
history or anyone else who has been your mentor.
Be prepared to give
examples of how their words, actions or teachings have helped inspire your
achievements. As always, prepare an answer which highlights qualities that would
be highly valuable in the position you are seeking.
28. What was the
toughest decision you ever had to make?
TRAPS:
Giving
an unprepared or irrelevant answer.
BEST ANSWER:
Be
prepared with a good example, explaining why the decision was difficult…the
process you followed in reaching it…the courageous or effective way you carried
it out…and the beneficial results.
29. Tell me about the most boring
job you’ve ever had.
TRAPS:
You give a very memorable
description of a very boring job. Result? You become associated with this boring
job in the interviewer’s mind.
BEST ANSWER:
You have
never allowed yourself to grow bored with a job and you can’t understand it when
others let themselves fall into that rut.
Example: “Perhaps I’ve been
fortunate, but that I’ve never found myself bored with any job I have ever held.
I’ve always enjoyed hard work. As with actors who feel there are no small parts,
I also believe that in every company or department there are exciting challenges
and intriguing problems crying out for energetic and enthusiastic solutions. If
you’re bored, it’s probably because you’re not challenging yourself to tackle
those problems right under your nose.”
30. Have you been absent from
work more than a few days in any previous position?
TRAPS:
If you’ve had a problem, you can’t lie. You could easily be found out.
Yet admitting an attendance problem could raise many flags.
BEST
ANSWER:
If you have had no problem, emphasize your excellent and
consistent attendance record throughout your career.
Also describe how
important you believe such consistent attendance is for a key executive…why it’s
up to you to set an example of dedication…and why there’s just no substitute for
being there with your people to keep the operation running smoothly, answer
questions and handle problems and crises as they arise.
If you do have a
past attendance problem, you want to minimize it, making it clear that it was an
exceptional circumstance and that it’s cause has been corrected.
To do
this, give the same answer as above but preface it with something like, “Other
that being out last year (or whenever) because of (your reason, which is now in
the past), I have never had a problem and have enjoyed an excellent attendance
record throughout my career. Furthermore, I believe, consistent attendance is
important because…” (Pick up the rest of the answer as outlined above.).
31. What changes would you make if you came on board?
TRAPS:
Watch out! This question can derail your candidacy
faster than a bomb on the tracks - and just as you are about to be hired.
Reason: No matter how bright you are, you cannot know the right actions
to take in a position before you settle in and get to know the operation’s
strengths, weaknesses key people, financial condition, methods of operation,
etc. If you lunge at this temptingly baited question, you will probably be seen
as someone who shoots from the hip.
Moreover, no matter how comfortable
you may feel with your interviewer, you are still an outsider. No one, including
your interviewer, likes to think that a know-it-all outsider is going to come
in, turn the place upside down and with sweeping, grand gestures, promptly
demonstrate what jerks everybody’s been for years.
BEST ANSWER:
You, of course, will want to take a good hard look at everything the
company is doing before making any recommendations.
Example: “Well, I
wouldn’t be a very good doctor if I gave my diagnosis before the examination.
Should you hire me, as I hope you will, I’d want to take a good hard look at
everything you’re doing and understand why it’s being done that way. I’d like to
have in-depth meetings with you and the other key people to get a deeper grasp
of what you feel you’re doing right and what could be improved.
“From
what you’ve told me so far, the areas of greatest concern to you are…” (name
them. Then do two things. First, ask if these are in fact his major concerns. If
so then reaffirm how your experience in meeting similar needs elsewhere might
prove very helpful).
32. I’m concerned that you don’t have as much
experience as we’d like in…
TRAPS:
This could be a
make-or-break question. The interviewer mostly likes what he sees, but has
doubts over one key area. If you can assure him on this point, the job may be
yours.
BEST ANSWER:
This question is related to “The
Fatal Flaw” (Question 18), but here the concern is not that you are totally
missing some qualifications, such as CPA certification, but rather that your
experience is light in one area.
Before going into any interview, try to
identify the weakest aspects of your candidacy from this company’s point of
view. Then prepare the best answer you possible can to shore up your defenses.
To get past this question with flying colors, you are going to rely on
your master strategy of uncovering the employer’s greatest wants and needs and
then matching them with your strengths. Since you already know how to do this
from Question 1, you are in a much stronger position.
More specifically,
when the interviewer poses as objection like this, you should…
* Agree
on the importance of this qualification.
* Explain that your strength
may be indeed be greater than your resume indicates because…
* When this
strength is added to your other strengths, it’s really your combination of
qualifications that’s most important.
Then review the areas of your
greatest strengths that match up most favorably with the company’s most
urgently-felt wants and needs.
This is powerful way to handle this
question for two reasons. First, you’re giving your interviewer more ammunition
in the area of his concern. But more importantly, you’re shifting his focus away
from this one, isolated area and putting it on the unique combination of
strengths you offer, strengths which tie in perfectly with his greatest wants.
33. How do you feel about working nights and weekends?
TRAPS:
Blurt out “no way, Jose” and you can kiss the job
offer goodbye. But what if you have a family and want to work a reasonably
normal schedule? Is there a way to get both the job and the schedule you want?
BEST ANSWER:
First, if you’re a confirmed workaholic,
this question is a softball lob. Whack it out of the park on the first swing by
saying this kind of schedule is just your style. Add that your family
understands it. Indeed, they’re happy for you, as they know you get your
greatest satisfaction from your work.
If however, you prefer a more
balanced lifestyle, answer this question with another: “What’s the norm for your
best people here?”
If the hours still sound unrealistic for you, ask,
“Do you have any top people who perform exceptionally for you, but who also have
families and like to get home in time to see them at night?” Chances are this
company does, and this associates you with this other
“top-performers-who-leave-not-later-than-six” group.
Depending on the
answer, be honest about how you would fit into the picture. If all those extra
hours make you uncomfortable, say so, but phrase your response positively.
Example: “I love my work and do it exceptionally well. I think the
results speak for themselves, especially in …(mention your two or three
qualifications of greater interest to the employer. Remember, this is what he
wants most, not a workaholic with weak credentials). Not only would I bring
these qualities, but I’ve built my whole career on working not just hard, but
smart. I think you’ll find me one of the most productive people here.
I
do have a family who likes to see me after work and on weekends. They add
balance and richness to my life, which in turn helps me be happy and productive
at work. If I could handle some of the extra work at home in the evenings or on
weekends, that would be ideal. You’d be getting a person of exceptional
productivity who meets your needs with strong credentials. And I’d be able to
handle some of the heavy workload at home where I can be under the same roof as
my family. Everybody would win.”
34. Are you willing to relocate or
travel?
TRAPS:
Answer with a flat “no” and you may
slam the door shut on this opportunity. But what if you’d really prefer not to
relocate or travel, yet wouldn’t want to lose the job offer over it?
BEST ANSWER:
First find out where you may have to
relocate and how much travel may be involved. Then respond to the question.
If there’s no problem, say so enthusiastically.
If you do have a
reservation, there are two schools of thought on how to handle it.
One
advises you to keep your options open and your reservations to yourself in the
early going, by saying, “no problem”. You strategy here is to get the best offer
you can, then make a judgment whether it’s worth it to you to relocate or
travel.
Also, by the time the offer comes through, you may have other
offers and can make a more informed decision. Why kill of this opportunity
before it has chance to blossom into something really special? And if you’re a
little more desperate three months from now, you might wish you hadn’t slammed
the door on relocating or traveling.
The second way to handle this
question is to voice a reservation, but assert that you’d be open to relocating
(or traveling) for the right opportunity.
The answering strategy you
choose depends on how eager you are for the job. If you want to take no chances,
choose the first approach.
If you want to play a little harder-to-get in
hopes of generating a more enticing offer, choose the second.
35. Do
you have the stomach to fire people? Have you had experience firing many
people?
TRAPS:
This “innocent” question could be a
trap door which sends you down a chute and lands you in a heap of dust outside
the front door. Why? Because its real intent is not just to see if you’ve got
the stomach to fire, but also to uncover poor judgment in hiring which has
caused you to fire so many. Also, if you fire so often, you could be a tyrant.
So don’t rise to the bait by boasting how many you’ve fired, unless
you’ve prepared to explain why it was beyond your control, and not the result of
your poor hiring procedures or foul temperament.
BEST ANSWER:
Describe the rational and sensible management process you follow in both
hiring and firing.
Example: “My whole management approach is to hire the
best people I can find, train them thoroughly and well, get them excited and
proud to be part of our team, and then work with them to achieve our goals
together. If you do all of that right, especially hiring the right people, I’ve
found you don’t have to fire very often.
“So with me, firing is a last
resort. But when it’s got to be done, it’s got to be done, and the faster and
cleaner, the better. A poor employee can wreak terrible damage in undermining
the morale of an entire team of good people. When there’s no other way, I’ve
found it’s better for all concerned to act decisively in getting rid of
offenders who won’t change their ways.”
36. Why have you had so many
jobs?
TRAPS:
Your interviewer fears you may leave
this position quickly, as you have others. He’s concerned you may be unstable,
or a “problem person” who can’t get along with others.
BEST
ANSWER:
First, before you even get to the interview stage, you
should try to minimize your image as job hopper. If there are several entries on
your resume of less than one year, consider eliminating the less important ones.
Perhaps you can specify the time you spent at previous positions in rounded
years not in months and years.
Example: Instead of showing three
positions this way:
6/1982 - 3/1983, Position A;
4/1983 - 12/1983,
Position B;
1/1984 - 8/1987, Position C;
…it would be better to show
simply:
1982 - 1983, Position A;
1984 - 1987 Position C.
In
other words, you would drop Position B altogether. Notice what a difference this
makes in reducing your image as a job hopper.
Once in front of the
interviewer and this question comes up, you must try to reassure him. Describe
each position as part of an overall pattern of growth and career destination.
Be careful not to blame other people for your frequent changes. But you
can and should attribute certain changes to conditions beyond your control.
Example: Thanks to an upcoming merger, you wanted to avoid an ensuing
bloodbath, so you made a good, upward career move before your department came
under the axe of the new owners.
If possible, also show that your job
changes were more frequent in your younger days, while you were establishing
yourself, rounding out your skills and looking for the right career path. At
this stage in your career, you’re certainly much more interested in the best
long-term opportunity.
You might also cite the job(s) where you stayed
the longest and describe that this type of situation is what you’re looking for
now.
37. What do you see as the proper role/mission of…
…a good
(job title you’re seeking);
…a good manager;
…an executive in serving
the community;
…a leading company in our industry; etc.
TRAPS:
These and other “proper role” questions are
designed to test your understanding of your place in the bigger picture of your
department, company, community and profession….as well as the proper role each
of these entities should play in its bigger picture.
The question is
most frequently asked by the most thoughtful individuals and companies…or by
those concerned that you’re coming from a place with a radically different
corporate culture (such as from a big government bureaucracy to an aggressive
small company).
The most frequent mistake executives make in answering
is simply not being prepared (seeming as if they’ve never giving any of this a
though.)…or in phrasing an answer best suited to their prior organization’s
culture instead of the hiring company’s.
BEST ANSWER:
Think of the most essential ingredients of success for each category
above - your job title, your role as manager, your firm’s role, etc.
Identify at least three but no more than six qualities you feel are most
important to success in each role. Then commit your response to memory.
Here, again, the more information you’ve already drawn out about the
greatest wants and needs of the interviewer, and the more homework you’ve done
to identify the culture of the firm, the more on-target your answer will be.
38. What would you say to your boss if he’s crazy about an idea, but
you think it stinks?
TRAPS:
This is another question
that pits two values, in this case loyalty and honesty, against one another.
BEST ANSWER:
Remember the rule stated earlier: In any
conflict between values, always choose integrity.
Example: I believe
that when evaluating anything, it’s important to emphasize the positive. What do
I like about this idea?”
“Then, if you have reservations, I certainly
want to point them out, as specifically, objectively and factually as I can.”
“After all, the most important thing I owe my boss is honesty. If he
can’t count on me for that, then everything else I may do or say could be
questionable in his eyes.”
“But I also want to express my thoughts in a
constructive way. So my goal in this case would be to see if my boss and I could
make his idea even stronger and more appealing, so that it effectively overcomes
any initial reservation I or others may have about it.”
“Of course, if
he overrules me and says, ‘no, let’s do it my way,’ then I
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