How to Answer The 64 Toughest
Interview Questions
Dedication: This report is dedicated to courage and knowledge, the
two qualities most needed to succeed in any human challenge, especially a job
search.
Contents
General Guidelines in Answering Interview Questions
Q1
Tell me about yourself.......
Q2
What are your greatest strengths?
Q3
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Q4
Tell me about something you did – or failed to do – that you now feel a little
ashamed of......
Q5
Why are you leaving (or did you leave) this position?
Q6
The “Silent Treatment”......
Q7
Why should I hire you?
Q8
Aren’t you overqualified for this position?
Q9
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Q10
Describe your ideal company, location and job........
Q11
Why do you want to work at our company?
Q12
What are your career options right now?
Q13
Why have you been out of work so long?
Q14
Tell me honestly about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company,
management team, etc.)
Q15
What good books have you read lately?
Q16
Tell me about a situation when your work was criticized.....
Q17
What are your outside interest?
Q18
The “Fatal Flaw” question......
Q19
How do you feel about reporting to a younger person (minority, woman, etc.)?
Q20
On confidential matters…...
Q21
Would you lie for the company?
Q22
Looking back, what would you do differently in your life?
Q23
Could you have done better in your last job?
Q24
Can you work under pressure?
Q25
What makes you angry?
Q26
Why aren’t you earning more money at this stage of your career?
Q27
Who has inspired you in your life and why?
Q28
What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?
Q29
Tell me about the most boring job you’ve ever had.....
Q30
Have you been absent from work more than a few days in any previous position?
Q31
What changes would you make if you came on board?
Q32
I’m concerned that you don’t have as much experience as we’d like in…...
Q33
How do you feel about working nights and weekends?
Q34
Are you willing to relocate or travel?
Q35
Do you have the stomach to fire people? Have you had experience firing
many people?
Q36
Why have you had so many jobs?
Q37
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?
Q38
What would you say to your boss if he’s crazy about an idea, but you think it
stinks?
Q39
How could you have improved your career progress?
Q40
What would you do if a fellow executive on your own corporate level wasn’t
pulling his/her weight…and this was hurting your department?
Q41
You’ve been with your firm a long time. Won’t it be hard switching to a
new company?
Q42
May I contact your present employer for a reference?
Q43
Give me an example of your creativity (analytical skill…managing ability,
etc.).....
Q44
Where could you use some improvement?
Q45
What do you worry about?
Q46
How many hours a week do you normally work?
Q47
What’s the most difficult part of being a (job title)?
Q48
The “Hypothetical Problem”........
Q49
What was the toughest challenge you’ve ever faced?
Q50
Have you consider starting your own business?
Q51
What are your goals?
Q52
What do you for when you hire people?
Q53
Sell me this stapler… (this pencil…this clock…or some other object on
interviewer’s desk).....
Q54
“The Salary Question” – How much money do you want?
Q55
The Illegal Question.......
Q56
The “Secret” Illegal Question.......
Q57
What was the toughest part of your last job?
Q58
How do you define success…and how do you measure up to your own definition?
Q59
“The Opinion Question” – What do you think about …Abortion…The President…The
Death Penalty…(or any other controversial subject)?
Q60
If you won $10 million lottery, would you still work?
Q61
Looking back on your last position, have you done your best work?
Q62
Why should I hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from
within?
Q63
Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company….
Q64
On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer......
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.
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...
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.
· Other important interview strategies:
· Turn weaknesses into strengths (You'll see how to do this in
a few moments.)
· 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.
About
the 64 Questions...
You might feel that the answers to
the following questions are “canned”, and that they will seldom match up with
the exact way you are asked the questions in actual interviews. The questions and
answers are designed to be as specific and realistic as possible. But no
preparation can anticipate thousands of possible variations on these questions.
What's important is that you thoroughly familiarize yourself with the main
strategies behind each answer. And it will be invaluable to you if you
commit to memory a few key words that let you instantly call to mind your best
answer to the various questions. If you do this, and follow the principles of
successful interviewing presented here, you're going to do very well.
Good
luck...and good job-hunting!
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:
1. 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)
2. 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.
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.
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.)
Question 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 double check 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.”
Question 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.
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.
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 his 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.”
Question 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.
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.
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.
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.
Question 14 Tell me honestly
about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company, management team,
etc.)…
TRAPS: Skillful 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.
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.
Question 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 ANSWERS: 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.
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 ANSWERS: 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.
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 ANSWERS: 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:
1. Be completely honest, open and
straightforward about admitting the shortcoming. (Showing you have
nothing to hide diminishes the buyer’s anxiety.)
2. 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.
3. 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 track
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”.
Question 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.
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, stead fastly 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.
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.
Question 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.”
Question 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…”
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.)
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.”
Question 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.
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.
Question 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.
Question 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.”
Question 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.).
Question 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).
Question 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…
1. Agree on the importance of this
qualification.
2. Explain that your strength may be
indeed be greater than your resume indicates because…
3. 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.
Question 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.”
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.
Question 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.”
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.
Question 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.
Question 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 owe him my full and enthusiastic support
to make it work as best it can.”
Question 39 How could you
have improved your career progress?
TRAPS: This is another variation on the question, “If you
could, how would you live your life over?” Remember, you’re not going to
fall for any such invitations to rewrite person history. You can’t win if you
do.
BEST ANSWER: You’re generally quite happy with your career
progress. Maybe, if you had known something earlier in life (impossible
to know at the time, such as the booming growth in a branch in your industry…or
the corporate downsizing that would phase out your last job), you might have
moved in a certain direction sooner.
But all things considered, you take
responsibility for where you are, how you’ve gotten there, where you are
going…and you harbor no regrets.
Question 40 What would you
do if a fellow executive on your own corporate level wasn’t pulling his/her
weight…and this was hurting your department?
TRAPS: This question and other hypothetical ones test your
sense of human relations and how you might handle office politics.
BEST ANSWER: Try to gauge the political style of the firm and be
guided accordingly. In general, fall back on universal principles of
effective human relations – which in the end, embody the way you would like to
be treated in a similar circumstance.
Example: “Good human relations would call for me to go
directly to the person and explain the situation, to try to enlist his help in
a constructive, positive solution. If I sensed resistance, I would be as
persuasive as I know how to explain the benefits we can all gain from working
together, and the problems we, the company and our customers will experience if
we don’t.”
POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: And what would you do if he still did not change his
ways?
ANSWER: “One thing I wouldn’t do is let the problem slide,
because it would only get worse and overlooking it would set a bad
precedent. I would try again and again and again, in whatever way I
could, to solve the problem, involving wider and wider circles of people, both
above and below the offending executive and including my own boss if necessary,
so that everyone involved can see the rewards for teamwork and the drawbacks of
non-cooperation.”
“I might add that I’ve never yet
come across a situation that couldn’t be resolved by harnessing others in a
determined, constructive effort.”
Question 41 You’ve been
with your firm a long time. Won’t it be hard switching to a new company?
TRAPS: Your interviewer is worried that this old dog will
find it hard to learn new tricks.
BEST ANSWER: To overcome this objection, you must point to the
many ways you have grown and adapted to changing conditions at your present
firm. It has not been a static situation. Highlight the different
responsibilities you’ve held, the wide array of new situations you’ve faced and
conquered.
As a result, you’ve learned to adapt
quickly to whatever is thrown at you, and you thrive on the stimulation of new
challenges.
To further assure the interviewer,
describe the similarities between the new position and your prior one.
Explain that you should be quite comfortable working there, since their needs
and your skills make a perfect match.
Question 42 May I contact
your present employer for a reference?
TRAPS: If you’re trying to keep your job search private,
this is the last thing you want. But if you don’t cooperate, won’t you
seem as if you’re trying to hide something?
BEST ANSWER: Express your concern that you’d like to keep your job
search private, but that in time, it will be perfectly okay.
Example: “My present employer is not aware of my job search
and, for obvious reasons; I’d prefer to keep it that way. I’d be most
appreciative if we kept our discussion confidential right now. Of course,
when we both agree the time is right, then by all means you should contact them.
I’m very proud of my record there.
Question 43 Give me an
example of your creativity (analytical skill…managing ability, etc.)
TRAPS: The worst offense here is simply being
unprepared. Your hesitation may seem as if you’re having a hard time
remembering the last time you were creative, analytical, etc.
BEST ANSWER: Remember from Question 2 that you should commit to
memory a list of your greatest and most recent achievements, ever ready on the
tip of your tongue.
If you have such a list, it’s easy
to present any of your achievements in light of the quality the interviewer is
asking about. For example, the smashing success you orchestrated at last
year’s trade show could be used as an example of creativity, or analytical
ability, or your ability to manage.
TRAPS: Another tricky way to get you to admit
weaknesses. Don’t fall for it.
BEST ANSWER: Keep this answer, like all your answers,
positive. A good way to answer this question is to identify a
cutting-edge branch of your profession (one that’s not essential to your
employer’s needs) as an area you’re very excited about and want to explore more
fully over the next six months.
TRAPS: Admit to worrying and you could sound like a
loser. Saying you never worry doesn’t sound credible.
BEST ANSWER: Redefine the word ‘worry’ so that it does not reflect
negatively on you.
Example: “I wouldn’t call it worry, but I am a strongly
goal-oriented person. So I keep turning over in my mind anything that
seems to be keeping me from achieving those goals, until I find a
solution. That’s part of my tenacity, I suppose.”
Question 46 How many hours
a week do you normally work?
TRAPS: You don’t want to give a specific number. Make
it to low, and you may not measure up. Too high, and you’ll forever feel
guilty about sneaking out the door at 5:15.
BEST ANSWER: If you are in fact a workaholic and you sense this
company would like that: Say you are a confirmed workaholic, that you
often work nights and weekends. Your family accepts this because it makes
you fulfilled.
If you are not a workaholic: Say you have always worked hard and put in long
hours. It goes with the territory. It one sense, it’s hard to keep
track of the hours because your work is a labor of love, you enjoy nothing more
than solving problems. So you’re almost always thinking about your
work, including times when you’re home, while shaving in the morning, while
commuting, etc.
Question 47 What’s the most
difficult part of being a (job title)?
TRAPS: Unless you phrase your answer properly, your
interviewer may conclude that whatever you identify as “difficult” is where you
are weak.
BEST ANSWER: First, redefine “difficult” to be “challenging” which
is more positive. Then, identify an area everyone in your profession
considers challenging and in which you excel. Describe the process you
follow that enables you to get splendid results…and be specific about those
results.
Example: “I think every sales manager finds it challenging to
motivate the troops in a recession. But that’s probably the strongest test of a
top sales manager. I feel this is one area where I excel.”
“When I see the first sign that
sales may slip or that sales force motivation is flagging because of a downturn
in the economy, here’s the plan I put into action immediately…” (followed by a
description of each step in the process…and most importantly, the
exceptional results you’ve achieved.).
TRAPS: Sometimes an interviewer will describe a difficult
situation and ask, “How would you handle this?” Since it is
virtually impossible to have all the facts in front of you from such a short
presentation, don’t fall into the trap of trying to solve this problem and
giving your verdict on the spot. It will make your decision-making process seem
woefully inadequate.
BEST ANSWER: Instead, describe the rational, methodical process
you would follow in analyzing this problem, who you would consult with, generating
possible solutions, choosing the best course of action, and monitoring the
results.
Remember, in all such, “What
would you do?” questions, always describe your process or working
methods, and you’ll never go wrong.
Question 49 What was the toughest challenge you’ve ever faced?
TRAPS: Being unprepared or citing an example from so early
in your life that it doesn’t score many points for you at this stage of your
career.
BEST ANSWER: This is an easy question if you’re prepared. Have a
recent example ready that demonstrates either:
1. A quality most important to the
job at hand; or
2. A quality that is always
in demand, such as leadership, initiative, managerial skill, persuasiveness,
courage, persistence, intelligence, etc.
Question 50 Have you
consider starting your own business?
TRAPS: If you say “yes” and elaborate enthusiastically, you
could be perceived as a loose cannon in a larger company, too entrepreneurial
to make a good team player…or someone who had to settle for the corporate life
because you couldn’t make a go of your own business.
Also too much enthusiasm in
answering “yes” could rouse the paranoia of a small company indicating that you
may plan to go out on your own soon, perhaps taking some key accounts or trade
secrets with you.
On the other hand, if you answer
“no, never” you could be perceived as a security-minded drone who never dreamed
a big dream.
BEST ANSWER: Again it’s best to:
1. Gauge this company’s corporate
culture before answering and…
2. Be honest (which doesn’t
mean you have to vividly share your fantasy of the franchise or
bed-and-breakfast you someday plan to open).
In general, if the corporate culture
is that of a large, formal, military-style structure, minimize any indication
that you’d love to have your own business. You might say, “Oh, I may have
given it a thought once or twice, but my whole career has been in larger
organizations. That’s where I have excelled and where I want to be.”
If the corporate culture is closer
to the free-wheeling, everybody’s-a-deal-maker variety, then emphasize that in
a firm like this, you can virtually get the best of all worlds, the excitement
of seeing your own ideas and plans take shape…combined with the resources and
stability of a well-established organization. Sounds like the
perfect environment to you.
In any case, no matter what the
corporate culture, be sure to indicate that any desires about running your own
show are part of your past, not your present or future.
The last thing you want to project
is an image of either a dreamer who failed and is now settling for the
corporate cocoon…or the restless maverick who will fly out the door with key
accounts, contacts and trade secrets under his arms just as soon as his
bankroll has gotten rebuilt.
Always remember: Match what
you want with what the position offers. The more information you’ve
uncovered about the position, the more believable you can make your case.
TRAPS: Not having any…or having only vague generalities, not
highly specific goals.
BEST ANSWER: Many executives in a position to hire you are strong
believers in goal-setting. (It’s one of the reason they’ve achieved so
much). They like to hire in kind.
If you’re vague about your career
and personal goals, it could be a big turn-off to many people you will
encounter in your job search.
Be ready to discuss your goals for
each major area of your life: career, personal development and learning,
family, physical (health), community service and (if your interviewer is
clearly a religious person) you could briefly and generally allude to your
spiritual goals (showing you are a well-rounded individual with your values in
the right order).
Be prepared to describe each goal in
terms of specific milestones you wish to accomplish along the way, time periods
you’re allotting for accomplishment, why the goal is important to you, and the
specific steps you’re taking to bring it about. But do this concisely, as
you never want to talk more than two minutes straight before letting your
interviewer back into the conversation.
TRAPS: Being unprepared for the question.
BEST ANSWER: Speak your own thoughts here, but for the best answer
weave them around the three most important qualifications for any
position.
1. Can the
person do the work (qualifications)?
2. Will the
person do the work (motivation)?
3. Will the
person fit in (“our kind of team player”)?
Question 53 Sell me this
stapler… (this pencil…this clock…or some other object on interviewer’s desk).
TRAPS: Some interviewers, especially business owners and
hard-changing executives in marketing-driven companies, feel that good
salesmanship is essential for any key position and ask for an instant
demonstration of your skill. Be ready.
BEST ANSWER: Of course, you already know the most important secret
of all great salesmanship – “find out what people want, then show them how
to get it.”
If your interviewer picks up his
stapler and asks, “sell this to me,” you are going to demonstrate this proven
master principle. Here’s how:
“Well, a good salesman must know
both his product and his prospect before he sells anything. If I were
selling this, I’d first get to know everything I could about it, all its
features and benefits.”
“Then, if my goal were to sell it you,
I would do some research on how you might use a fine stapler like this.
The best way to do that is by asking some questions. May I ask you a few
questions?”
Then ask a few questions such as,
“Just out of curiosity, if you didn’t already have a stapler like this, why
would you want one? And in addition to that? Any other
reason? Anything else?”
“And would you want such a stapler
to be reliable?...Hold a good supply of staples?” (Ask more questions
that point to the features this stapler has.)
Once you’ve asked these questions,
make your presentation citing all the features and benefits of this stapler and
why it’s exactly what the interviewer just told you he’s looking for.
Then close with, “Just out of
curiosity, what would you consider a reasonable price for a quality stapler
like this…a stapler you could have right now and would (then repeat all
the problems the stapler would solve for him)? Whatever he says, (unless
it’s zero), say, “Okay, we’ve got a deal.”
NOTE: If your interviewer
tests you by fighting every step of the way, denying that he even wants
such an item, don’t fight him. Take the product away from him by
saying, “Mr. Prospect, I’m delighted you’ve told me right up front that there’s
no way you’d ever want this stapler. As you well know, the first rule of
the most productive salespeople in any field is to meet the needs of people who
really need and want our products, and it just wastes everyone’s time if
we try to force it on those who don’t. And I certainly wouldn’t want to
waste your time. But we sell many items. Is there any
product on this desk you would very much like to own…just one item?” When
he points something out, repeat the process above. If he knows anything
about selling, he may give you a standing ovation.
Question 54 “The Salary
Question” – How much money do you want?
TRAPS: May also be phrases as, “What salary are you
worth?”…or, “How much are you making now?” This is your most
important negotiation. Handle it wrong and you can blow the job offer or go to
work at far less than you might have gotten.
BEST ANSWER: For maximum salary negotiating power, remember these
five guidelines:
1. Never bring up salary. Let
the interviewer do it first. Good salespeople sell their products
thoroughly before talking price. So should you. Make the
interviewer want you first, and your bargaining position will be much stronger.
2. If your interviewer raises the
salary question too early, before you’ve had a chance to create desire for your
qualifications, postpone the question, saying something like, “Money is
important to me, but is not my main concern. Opportunity
and growth are far more important. What I’d rather do, if you don’t mind,
is explore if I’m right for the position, and then talk about money. Would that
be okay?”
3. The #1 rule of any negotiation
is: the side with more information wins. After you’ve done a
thorough job of selling the interviewer and it’s time to talk salary, the
secret is to get the employer talking about what he’s willing to pay before
you reveal what you’re willing to accept. So, when asked about
salary, respond by asking, “I’m sure the company has already established a
salary range for this position. Could you tell me what that is?”
Or, “I want an income commensurate with my ability and qualifications. I
trust you’ll be fair with me. What does the position pay?” Or, more
simply, “What does this position pay?”
4. Know beforehand what you’d
accept. To know what’s reasonable, research the job market and this
position for any relevant salary information. Remember that most
executives look for a 20-25%$ pay boost when they switch jobs. If you’re
grossly underpaid, you may want more.
5. Never lie about what you
currently make, but feel free to include the estimated cost of all your
fringes, which could well tack on 25-50% more to your present “cash-only”
salary.
TRAPS: Illegal questions include any regarding your
age…number and ages of your children or other dependents…marital status…maiden
name…religion…political affiliation…ancestry…national
origin…birthplace…naturalization of your parents, spouse or
children…diseases…disabilities…clubs…or spouse’s occupation…unless any of
the above are directly related to your performance of the job. You
can’t even be asked about arrests, though you can be asked about convictions.
BEST ANSWER: Under the ever-present threat of lawsuits, most
interviewers are well aware of these taboos. Yet you may encounter,
usually on a second or third interview, a senior executive who doesn’t
interview much and forgets he can’t ask such questions.
You can handle an illegal question
in several ways. First, you can assert your legal right not to answer. But this
will frighten or embarrass your interviewer and destroy any rapport you had.
Second, you could swallow your
concerns over privacy and answer the question straight forwardly if you feel
the answer could help you. For example, your interviewer, a devout
Baptist, recognizes you from church and mentions it. Here, you could gain by
talking about your church.
Third, if you don’t want your
privacy invaded, you can diplomatically answer the concern behind the
question without answering the question itself.
Example: If you are over 50 and are asked, “How old are
you?” you can answer with a friendly, smiling question of your own
on whether there’s a concern that your age my affect your performance.
Follow this up by reassuring the interviewer that there’s nothing in this job
you can’t do and, in fact, your age and experience are the most important advantages
you offer the employer for the following reasons…
Another example: If asked, “Do you plan to have children?” you
could answer, “I am wholeheartedly dedicated to my career“, perhaps adding, “I
have no plans regarding children.” (You needn’t fear you’ve pledged
eternal childlessness. You have every right to change your plans
later. Get the job first and then enjoy all your options.)
Most importantly, remember that
illegal questions arise from fear that you won’t perform well. The best
answer of all is to get the job and perform brilliantly. All concerns and fears
will then varnish, replaced by respect and appreciation for your work.
TRAPS: Much more frequent than the Illegal question (see
Question 55) is the secret illegal question. It’s
secret because it’s asked only in the interviewer’s mind. Since it’s not
even expressed to you, you have no way to respond to it, and it can there be
most damaging.
Example: You’re physically challenged, or a single mother
returning to your professional career, or over 50, or a member of an ethnic
minority, or fit any of a dozen other categories that do not strictly conform
to the majority in a given company.
Your interviewer wonders, “Is this
person really able to handle the job?”…”Is he or she a ‘good fit’ at a place
like ours?”…”Will the chemistry ever be right with someone like this?”
But the interviewer never raises such questions because they’re illegal.
So what can you do?
BEST ANSWER: Remember that just because the interviewer doesn’t
ask an illegal question doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it. More than
likely, he is going to come up with his own answer. So you might as well
help him out.
How? Well, you obviously can’t
respond to an illegal question if he hasn’t even asked. This may well
offend him. And there’s always the chance he wasn’t even concerned about
the issue until you brought it up, and only then begins to wonder.
So you can’t address “secret”
illegal questions head-on. But what you can do is make sure
there’s enough counterbalancing information to more than reassure him
that there’s no problem in the area he may be doubtful about.
For example, let’s say you’re a
sales rep who had polio as a child and you need a cane to walk. You know
your condition has never impeded your performance, yet you’re concerned that
your interviewer may secretly be wondering about your stamina or ability to
travel. Well, make sure that you hit these abilities very hard, leaving
no doubt about your capacity to handle them well.
So, too, if you’re in any different
from what passes for “normal”. Make sure, without in any way seeming defensive
about yourself that you mention strengths, accomplishments, preferences and
affiliations that strongly counterbalance any unspoken concern your interviewer
may have.
Question 57 What was the
toughest part of your last job?
TRAPS: This is slightly different from the question raised
earlier, “What’s the most difficult part of being a (job title…)”
because this asks what you personally have found most difficult in your
last position. This question is more difficult to redefine into something
positive. Your interviewer will assume that whatever you found toughest
may give you a problem in your new position.
BEST ANSWER: State that there was nothing in your prior position
that you found overly difficult, and let your answer go at that. If
pressed to expand your answer, you could describe the aspects of the position
you enjoyed more than others, making sure that you express maximum
enjoyment for those tasks most important to the open position, and you enjoyed
least those tasks that are unimportant to the position at hand.
Question 58 How do you
define success…and how do you measure up to your own definition?
TRAPS: Seems like an obvious enough question. Yet many
executives, unprepared for it, fumble the ball.
BEST ANSWER: Give a well-accepted definition of success that leads
right into your own stellar collection of achievements.
Example: “The best definition I’ve come across is that success
is the progressive realization of a worthy goal.”
“As to how I would measure up to
that definition, I would consider myself both successful and fortunate…”(Then
summarize your career goals and how your achievements have indeed represented a
progressive path toward realization of your goals.)
Question 59 “The Opinion
Question” – What do you think about …Abortion…The President…The Death Penalty…
(or any other controversial subject)?
TRAPS: Obviously, these and other “opinion” questions should
never be asked. Sometimes they come up over a combination
dinner/interview when the interviewer has had a drink or two, is feeling
relaxed, and is spouting off about something that bugged him in today’s
news. If you give your opinion and it’s the opposite of his, you won’t
change his opinions, but you could easily lose the job offer.
BEST ANSWER: In all of these instances, just remember the tale
about student and the wise old rabbi. The scene is a seminary, where an
overly serious student is pressing the rabbi to answer the ultimate questions
of suffering, life and death. But no matter how hard he presses, the wise
old rabbi will only answer each difficult question with a question of his own.
In exasperation, the seminary
student demands, “Why, rabbi, do you always answer a question with another
question?” To which the rabbi responds, “And why not?”
If you are ever uncomfortable with any
question, asking a question in return is the greatest escape hatch ever
invented. It throws the onus back on the other person, sidetracks the
discussion from going into an area of risk to you, and gives you time to think
of your answer or, even better, your next question!
In response to any of the “opinion”
questions cited above, merely responding, “Why do you ask?” will usually
be enough to dissipate any pressure to give your opinion. But if your
interviewer again presses you for an opinion, you can ask another question.
Or you could assert a generality
that almost everyone would agree with. For example, if your interviewer
is complaining about politicians then suddenly turns to you and asks if you’re
a Republican or Democrat, you could respond by saying, “Actually, I’m finding
it hard to find any politicians I like these days.”
(Of course, your best question of
all may be whether you want to work for someone opinionated.)
Question 60 If you won $10
million lottery, would you still work?
TRAPS: Your totally honest response might be, “Hell, no,
are you serious?” That might be so, but any answer which shows you as
fleeing work if given the chance could make you seem lazy. On the other
hand, if you answer, “Oh, I’d want to keep doing exactly what I am doing,
only doing it for your firm,” you could easily inspire your interviewer to
silently mutter to himself, “Yeah, sure. Gimme a break.”
BEST ANSWER: This type of question is aimed at getting at your
bedrock attitude about work and how you feel about what you do. Your best
answer will focus on your positive feelings.
Example: “After I floated down from cloud nine, I think I
would still hold my basic belief that achievement and purposeful work are
essential to a happy, productive life. After all, if money alone bought
happiness, then all rich people would be all happy, and that’s not true.
“I love the work I do, and I think
I’d always want to be involved in my career in some fashion. Winning the
lottery would make it more fun because it would mean having more flexibility,
more options...who knows?”
“Of course, since I can’t count on
winning, I’d just as soon create my own destiny by sticking with what’s worked
for me, meaning good old reliable hard work and a desire to achieve. I
think those qualities have built many more fortunes that all the lotteries put
together.”
Question 61 Looking back on
your last position, have you done your best work?
TRAPS: Tricky question. Answer “absolutely” and
it can seem like your best work is behind you. Answer, “no, my best
work is ahead of me,” and it can seem as if you didn’t give it your all.
BEST ANSWER: To cover both possible paths this question can take,
your answer should state that you always try to do your best, and the best of
your career is right now. Like an athlete at the top of his game, you are
just hitting your career stride thanks to several factors. Then, recap
those factors, highlighting your strongest qualifications.
Question 62 Why should I
hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from within?
TRAPS: This question isn’t as aggressive as it sounds.
It represents the interviewer’s own dilemma over this common problem.
He’s probably leaning toward you already and for reassurance, wants to hear
what you have to say on the matter.
BEST ANSWER: Help him see the qualifications that only you
can offer.
Example: “In general, I think it’s a good policy to hire from
within – to look outside probably means you’re not completely comfortable
choosing someone from inside.
“Naturally, you want this department
to be as strong as it possibly can be, so you want the strongest
candidate. I feel that I can fill that bill because… (then recap your
strongest qualifications that match up with his greatest needs).”
Question 63 Tell me
something negative you’ve heard about our company…
TRAPS: This is a common fishing expedition to see what the
industry grapevine may be saying about the company. But it’s also a trap
because as an outsider, you never want to be the bearer of unflattering news or
gossip about the firm. It can only hurt your chances and sidetrack the
interviewer from getting sold on you.
BEST ANSWER: Just remember the rule – never be negative – and
you’ll handle this one just fine.
Question 64 On a scale of
one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.
TRAPS: Give a perfect “10,” and you’ll seem too easy to
please. Give anything less than a perfect 10, and he could press you as
to where you’re being critical, and that road leads downhill for you.
BEST ANSWER: Once again, never be negative. The
interviewer will only resent criticism coming from you. This is the time
to show your positivism.
However, don’t give a numerical
rating. Simply praise whatever interview style he’s been using.
If he’s been tough, say “You have
been thorough and tough-minded, the very qualities needed to conduct a good
interview.”
If he’s been methodical, say, “You
have been very methodical and analytical, and I’m sure that approach results in
excellent hires for your firm.”
In other words, pay him a sincere
compliment that he can believe because it’s anchored in the behavior
you’ve just seen.
Good
luck in your job search!
The Editor
