Some Very Tough Job Interview Questions (and How to Answer Them).

You’ve toiled for months, sending dozens of resumes and cover letters, and your hard work has finally paid off. You got the job interview and now it’s time to prepare for your big day. You have a killer suit picked out, your hair is perfect, and you know everything there is to know about the company. There’s some good news and bad news. The good news: You’re going to look really good and sound knowledgeable. The bad news: It’s not enough to look good and be able to recite company facts. Your interviewer is likely preparing some difficult interview questions in an effort to weed out the best from the worst. Career counselor Thomas J. Denham advises being prepared by practicing some common questions and answers beforehand. 

The purpose of an interviewer asking you questions is to evaluate: 1) How prepared and motivated you are for the job? and 2) How you would fit in with the company/department. Prepare a brief statement about yourself and say it over and over, so you get used to talking about your strengths in a succinct way. However, memorizing your answers will sound too “canned.” 

How can you demonstrate you’re the right person for the job? Here are some of the toughest interview questions you’ll face and tips for how to best answer them.

What is your greatest weakness: This is an interviewer favorite because your answer can help uncover flaws that may help the interviewer come to the conclusion you’re not the right person for the job. Career coach Mike Simpson refers to this as an “onion question” partly due to the question’s layers of complexity and the variety of ways it can be answered. An onion question is a question with multiple layers … just like, well … an onion! And like an onion it can make you cry, but only if you tackle it unprepared. First off, this isn’t a simple question you can rattle off a quick answer to or parrot back some easy-to-memorize statistics or facts and move on. It’s a question meant to make you think, and think hard.

Simpson advises resisting the urge to deny you have any weaknesses. He says this is a slick way to avoid answering the question, and interviewers will see right through this tactic. Instead, Simpson recommends mentioning a real weakness that you’ve learned to overcome and are working toward overcoming. However, make sure the weakness is minor enough not to raise red flags and that it’s a problem that actually has a solution. 

Why should we hire you: This question will likely catch you off guard. The key is to know exactly why you’re the best pick. Answering this question will require a delicate balance. The goal is to communicate confidence without sounding conceited. You also don’t want to appear to be begging for the job. “Every organization has a specific set of qualities that the potential hire needs to have in order to be successful in the position. It’s up to you to demonstrate that you have these qualities, and the most important place to do this is in your answers to the interview questions,” said Simpson. He continued: Chances are you are going up against a group of candidates that all have very similar skills and experience.  The trick is to set yourself apart, and you can do this by highlighting a unique trait that you have that will contribute positively to the position. For example, everyone who is competing for an administrative assistant role will have experience with answering phones, word processing and filing. But let’s say you also had some project management experience. You could really emphasize your elevated skill at maintaining schedules and calendars, delegating tasks, and making deadlines. This little emphasis could really set you apart from the other candidates and leave you as a front-runner for the position.

Tell me about yourself: Interviewing expert Laura DeCarlo said this question might also be phrased as “What should I know about you?” or “What would you like me to know about you?” This question gives you an opportunity to explain why you are the most qualified candidate. It will be important for you to take a close look at the job description so you can make sure you’re clearly demonstrating how your skills align with what the employer seeks. Review your resume and speak about past experiences that show you have the skills necessary for the position. 

“This is an opportunity to market yourself, presenting yourself as the solution (right candidate) for their problem (a job to fill),” said DeCarlo. “In the interview, tell them the things that emphasize how your accomplishments and experience make you an ideal candidate for the job you are seeking,” DeCarlo continued. 

Where do you see yourself in five years: Never say you don’t know where you see yourself in the future. This shows lack of planning and a general attitude of not caring about your career. Not having an answer also suggests you don’t plan to stay with the company very long if you’re hired. You should be able to communicate your career goals and how you plan to reach those goals. An employer wants to see how passionate you are, not only about the job, but also your chosen career. Such a question measures your commitment to your future career,” said Ball State University professor and internship coordinator Sheryl Swingley. She added: When you are hired, companies want to keep you as long as they can. It’s expensive to search for new talent … I know a newspaper editor who asks this question of every young journalist he interviews. If interviewees indicate they hope to go to law school or move into public relations or advertising/marketing in a few years, which a number of journalists do, he won’t hire them for a job — or an internship. He doesn’t want to waste his time training someone who doesn’t plan to stay in journalism — his chosen profession …Whoever is doing the hiring wants people who are committed to a lifelong career in their area of specialization. 

Why do you want to work in this industry: The answer to this question will reveal whether you’re just job hopping or if you’re truly invested in your career and working toward a specific goal. When answering this question, be able to explain your career path and what prompted you to continue along the particular path you chose. Lauren Crane, a sales recruiter at Betts Recruiting, said this answer will require you to be specific. “Taking experience from your previous position, or time at school, is an easy way to ground your answer. Knowing what type of environment you excel in can be a great reason as to why you are interested in an industry,” Crane told The Cheat Sheet. “Take the time before an interview to understand distinctly why you are interested in the position, the company, and the industry.” 

Why have you changed jobs so frequently: Switching jobs every few months doesn’t look so great on your resume. However, if you have a good answer, you’ll be able to navigate this potential interview question with ease. When it comes to answering this question, your best bet is to be honest. Perhaps the company culture was a bad fit, one or two companies shut down, or you received a better offer soon after starting another job. Whatever happened, describe the situation in a positive light. Another option would be to omit some of these jobs from your resume. If the start and end dates on these jobs are very close, there will be no noticeable gaps. 

Why is there a large gap in your experience: If there are large gaps in your work history, you’ll need a good answer. Your interviewer is likely to notice this right away. Take this time to explain how you filled those gap years. For example, if you went back to school or chose to take on a volunteer opportunity, talk about how that experience has strengthened you not only in your personal life but also as an employee. Make a connection showing how your time off has helped bolster your professional skills. 

Why did you leave your last job: Unless you were laid off, answering this questions isn’t always simple. You’ll have to think of an honest way to answer this question without placing blame on your employer or looking entitled. Cheryl E. Palmer, certified career coach and founder of Call to Career, says candidates should also be careful not to offer an answer that leads to more questions. The basic rule of thumb here is to never speak negatively about your previous employer. What you should say is that as human beings we all sometimes see the same situation differently, but you have learned from all the bosses that you have had. Even if you did not get along with your boss at all, you can still usually say something positive about what that person brought to the table.

Why are you interested in this position: You’ll need to be more creative than saying you wanted a change. Most job candidates want a change and that’s why they’re interviewing for a new job (unless they were fired or laid off). Instead, discuss the attributes of the organization that are important to you. Show that you did your research and tell your interviewer why you’re excited about working for the employer. 

Do you have any questions: This question sounds deceptively easy, but don’t be fooled. The worst thing you can do is say you don’t have any questions. The second-worst thing you can do is ask questions that show you’ve put very little thought into preparing for the interview or questions that are self-serving. Instead, ask questions about how you can contribute to the company’s success. 

Barry Maher, founder of Barry Maher and Associates, told The Cheat Sheet that a job candidate should make sure questions focus less on what the company can do for him or her and more on what the candidate can do for the company. “I was involved in an interview recently where the first three questions from the applicant were, in order: ‘How much vacation time do I get? How long do I have to be here before I’m eligible for a vacation? How long before I start to accrue additional weeks of vacation?'” Maher said. “What had looked like a great applicant now looked like someone who couldn’t wait to get out of work.”

Job Interview Tips: 5 Things Most Job Seekers Don’t Know.

The internet is brimming with interview tips — those for the seasoned job market vet, and those for the young men and women entering the workforce for the first time. By now, everyone knows the basics. You need to show up on time, for example, and run a comb through your hair. Practice keeping your body language in check, and have your resume and cover letter in tip-top shape. Everybody knows that stuff. Interviewers expect it. Show up late or look like a slob? You might not even get through the door for your scheduled meeting.

But what about some of the lesser-known tips and tricks? Are there some still scant talked-about job interview tips that you can use to gain an advantage over the toughest interviewer? There are, and you can see them on the following pages. Whether you’re in a powerful position with many employers swooning after you, or trying to gain the mental edge by figuring out when you should schedule an interview, these five tips should help you get that job. 

Everything is negotiable (sometimes): If you’re a top-caliber candidate, employers are going to want you — and that means that they may be willing to bend and twist to get you on the payroll. Remember that everything is negotiable, given you’re in a position of power. Typically, you will go back and forth over salary, and leave it at that. But you can start making all kinds of demands — additional vacation days, ability to work remotely, free bus pass, etc. — and see what you can get. Of course, if your skill set is a dime a dozen, you could be laughed out of the office. 

Opposition research goes both ways: You can bet that your interviewer is digging up the dirt on you, so you better be damn sure you’re researching them, as well. With so many resources available to you these days (Glassdoor, PayScale, etc.), there’s no reason you shouldn’t have some valuable intel going into an interview. You can look up the person you’re meeting with on LinkedIn, for starters. And check out the company’s background and common gripes from past employees. Take the time, and go in with a mental dossier prepared. 

Craft and use a narrative: “Tell me about yourself” is an invitation to take your interviewer on a journey. A journey they won’t forget, and that they’ll remember when it comes time to trim the list of candidates. Don’t just list off the things on your resume when an interviewer asks about your past. Use the chance to weave a narrative, or build yourself a story — a story about a guy or gal who is hungry, can pick up new skills, and who has many accomplishments under their belt. You don’t need to be Tolkien, but this is a method that will help you appear more confident and accomplished.

Take your nonverbal weaknesses seriously: You know that you need to dress to impress when you go in for an interview, but your nonverbal communication goes much deeper than what you’re wearing. Hiring managers are turned off by anxious, nervous candidates. Though you’re not going to be able to rid yourself completely of those feelings, the ability to manage and control yourself will get you a long way. Watch your body language, of course, and you can even take measures to help keep excess sweat at bay with certain articles of clothing. 

Timing is everything: There actually is a perfect time to schedule an interview, and though you’re going to be subject to the whims and schedule of your interviewer, try and aim for a specific day and time: Tuesday, around 10:30. Seriously, there’s scientific evidence to back this up. If you can’t make that work, then try for a time that you know you’ll be the most alert and ready to go. If you’re a morning person, try for an earlier appointment, for example. There are numerous ways to turn the table on a hiring manager, and using some of these tactics to the best of your ability can and will help you land the job. 

Courtesy: CheatSheet.

Can’t Get a Job? 4 Mistakes That Can Get You on the ‘No Hire List’.

Finding a good job is tough. You have to send out dozens of resumes, connect with your network, say the right things, spin around three times, and then pray really hard that the interviewer likes you enough to score an interview. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your interviews go nowhere. Weeks turn into months, and despite your best efforts, you’re still at square one. If your job hunt has been taking longer than usual and your search seems to be leading from one dead end to another, the sobering truth is you may be causing your own misfortune. Here are some the biggest mistakes that could result in you being placed on the “no hire list.”

1. Showing up in a bad mood: No matter what happened to you immediately before the interview, and no matter how tiring your job search has been, don’t come to the interview with a sour attitude. No one wants to work with someone who is always scowling and complaining. Your interviewer cares about your skills, but he or she also wants to work with someone who won’t negatively affect team morale.

Corporate trainer Chavaz Kingman said if you want the job, you’ll have to fix your attitude. “One thing people don’t often think of before a job interview is the mood they are in. If you have friends or relatives who are not your greatest cheerleaders, then don’t speak to them before the job interview. You want to be as uplifted and as focused as possible. Get rid of the negative voices before walking into the interview,” Kingman told The Cheat Sheet. 

 

2. Being unprepared: Before you go to your interview, make sure you take care of the basics. It’s not enough to wear a new suit and have perfect hair. At the very least, you should know some information about the company as well as a few things about your interviewer, such as his or her work experience. Life and career coach Maggie Reyes said preparation is as simple as doing an internet search. It only takes a few minutes to look this information up on the corporate web page. “Well-prepared candidates review the company website. If they know who they will be meeting, they look them up on LinkedIn or Google and learn about their interviewer. They prepare questions about the role and the company ahead of time and ask intelligent, relevant questions during the interview,” Reyes told The Cheat Sheet.

3. Disregarding the phone interview: Don’t take the phone interview lightly. Your success or failure could determine whether you are granted a face-to-face interview. Just because the interview is over the phone doesn’t mean you don’t have to prepare. Do your best to sound enthusiastic and do enough research so that you can ask and answer a variety of questions. “Candidates should never discount a phone interview as just a screening call. Today, many employers conduct a series of phone interviews before inviting candidates to meet in person. It’s important to prepare for a phone interview just as you would for an in-person meeting,” Annette Richmond, a former recruiter and founder of Career Intelligence Resume Writing and Career Services, told The Cheat Sheet. 

4. Not reading the job description: Applying blindly to every job you see won’t get you very far. Take time to thoroughly review the job description and think about how your skills match what the employer is requesting from candidates. Reyes said analyzing the description and reviewing how you can deliver on the employer’s request may help you not only sell yourself but also answer tough questions during the interview. “Prepared candidates review the job description and make notes about what portions of their experience are transferable to the role they are applying for. Those notes may or may not come up in the interview, but it helps to be prepared. If there is any part of your experience that isn’t immediately obvious in the resume, but is highly relevant, make a note of that so you can bring it up organically during the conversation,” advised Reyes.

Courtesy: The Cheat Sheet.



The Perfect Way to Answer one of the Trickiest Job-interview Questions you may be Asked.

 

There are many types of interview questions: easy ones, challenging ones, oddball ones, brain teasing ones, and, perhaps the worst kind of all: trick ones.  

Take, for example, "Would you rather be liked or feared?" 

This is a trick question because neither option is the right answer.

James Reed, author of "Why You?: 101 Interview Questions You'll Never Fear Again," and chairman of Reed, a top job site in the UK and Europe, writes in his book that what the hiring manager really wants to know here is: "What's your leadership style?" and "Do you have the poise to wriggle out of a trick question?"

Reed says the best way to answer this one is to opt for the unsaid option: "I'd rather be respected."

He explains that this is one of the few instances in which it's OK to dodge the options given by the hiring manager, and to choose another adjective, so long as you acknowledge the original framing of the question.

Here's the full response Reed recommends you try: 

"Hmmm, well I certainly wouldn't want to be feared. I think fear is a terrible motivator: people are often feared because they're irrational and acting for personal and unpredictable reasons. I definitely don't operate that way and I wouldn't like anyone to think I did.

"Everyone wants to be liked, but I don't think being liked per se is enough. You can like someone and still think they're no good at their job. Also, sometimes you need to do unpopular things to get the job done. I'd sooner aim to be respected. That's a good mix of personal connection — being liked; the ability to get done what's necessary — being feared; and making my co-workers understand that I do whatever's best for the team as a whole."

Ultimately, Reed writes, hiring managers want to get a better sense of your character, "in particular your integrity," he says. And to do that, they'll often ask questions that come in the form of moral dilemmas.

"The best way to tackle a character question is to show that you make conscious and clear decisions according to a set of values that you'll bring with you to the new company," he explains.

Courtesy:   Lifestyle



Four Toughest Questions That Can be Asked at a Job Interview.

You’ve toiled for months, sending dozens of resumes and cover letters, and your hard work has finally paid off. You got the job interview and now it’s time to prepare for your big day. You have a killer suit picked out, your hair is perfect, and you know everything there is to know about the company. There’s some good news and bad news. The good news: you’re going to look really good and sound knowledgeable. The bad news: it’s not enough to look good and be able to recite company facts. Your interviewer is likely preparing some difficult interview questions in an effort to weed out the best from the worst. 

1. What is your greatest weakness: This is an interviewer favorite because your answer can help uncover flaws that may help the interviewer come to the conclusion you’re not the right person for the job. Career coach Mike Simpson refers to this as an “onion question” partly due to the question’s layers of complexity and the variety of ways it can be answered. “An onion question is a question with multiple layers…just like, well…an onion! And like an onion it can make you cry, but only if you tackle it unprepared. First off, this isn’t a simple question you can rattle off a quick answer to or parrot back some easy-to-memorize statistics or facts and move on. It’s a question meant to make you think, and think hard,” said Simpson. 

Simpson advises resisting the urge to deny you have any weaknesses. He says this is a slick way to avoid answering the question, and interviewers will see right through this tactic. Instead, Simpson recommends mentioning a real weakness that you’ve learned to overcome and are working toward overcoming. However, make sure the weakness is minor enough not to raise red flags and that it’s a problem that actually has a solution.



 

2. Why should we hire you: This question will likely catch you off guard. The key is to know exactly why you’re the best pick. Answering this question will require a delicate balance. The goal is to communicate confidence without sounding conceited. You also don’t want to appear to be begging for the job. “Every organization has a specific set of qualities that the potential hire needs to have in order to be successful in the position.  It’s up to you to demonstrate that you have these qualities, and the most important place to do this is in your answers to the interview questions,” said Simpson.

 

“Chances are you are going up against a group of candidates that all have very similar skills and experience.  The trick is to set yourself apart, and you can do this by highlighting a unique trait that you have that will contribute positively to the position. For example, everyone who is competing for an administrative assistant role will have experience with answering phones, word processing and filing. But let’s say you also had some project management experience. You could really emphasize your elevated skill at maintaining schedules and calendars, delegating tasks, and making deadlines. This little emphasis could really set you apart from the other candidates and leave you as a front-runner for the position,” Simpson said.

3. Tell me about yourself: Interviewing expert Laura DeCarlo said this question might also be phrased as “What should I know about you?” or “What would you like me to know about you?” This question gives you an opportunity to explain why you are the most qualified candidate. It will be important for you to take a close look at the job description so you can make sure you’re clearly demonstrating how your skills align with what the employer seeks. Review your resume and speak about past experiences that show you have the skills necessary for the position. “This is an opportunity to market yourself, presenting yourself as the solution (right candidate) for their problem (a job to fill),” said DeCarlo. “In the interview, tell them the things that emphasize how your accomplishments and experience make you an ideal candidate for the job you are seeking,” DeCarlo continued.

4. Where do you see yourself in five years: Never say you don’t know where you see yourself in the future. This shows lack of planning and a general attitude of not caring about your career. Not having an answer also suggests you don’t plan to stay with the company very long if you’re hired. You should be able to communicate your career goals and how you plan to reach those goals. An employer wants to see how passionate you are not only about the job but also your chosen career.

“Such a question measures your commitment to your future career. When you are hired, companies want to keep you as long as they can. It’s expensive to search for new talent…I know a newspaper editor who asks this question of every young journalist he interviews. If interviewees indicate they hope to go to law school or move into public relations or advertising/marketing in a few years, which a number of journalists do, he won’t hire them for a job—or an internship. He doesn’t want to waste his time training someone who doesn’t plan to stay in journalism—his chosen profession…Whoever is doing the hiring wants people who are committed to a lifelong career in their area of specialization,” said Ball State University professor and internship coordinator Sheryl Swingley.

Courtesy: Cheat Sheet.