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4 Job Interview Questions That People Screw up the Most.

When it comes to acing your job interview, one important piece of the puzzle is how well you answer each question. An insufficient answer could make or break your chances of snagging the job.

Career expert Lavie Margolin said practice makes perfect when it comes to wowing the hiring managers. “Advanced practice will give you an opportunity to think through your work history to have the points you are most proud of and those that apply to your present job search at the forefront of your memory. It will also help you research any information about the position you are interviewing for in advance so that you come across as a serious applicant,” said Margolin in Winning Answers to 500 Interview Questions. 

The Cheat Sheet chatted with Lorna Hagen, senior vice president of People Operations at OnDeck, for more insight into the questions to watch out for and how to answer them with grace. Here are the questions Hagen says many candidates don’t get right.



Question: Can I get you a cup of coffee? Water?:  

Common mistake in answering: “Oh, no thank you, I’m fine!” 

Example of better way to address the question: “Yes!” Walk with the interviewer to retrieve. This is usually in a separate room from where you’ll be interviewed, so it will give the candidate an opportunity to see more of the office and understand more of the perks and culture. Is there a kitchen with free beverages? Is the office quiet? Are people working in offices, cubicles or community desks? Having this first-hand look allows the candidate to assess the space, the people, the vibe and the culture. It also allows the candidate to determine if it feels like it might be a good fit.

 

Question: Why didn’t you graduate college? 

Common mistake in answering: An emotional response usually happens (financial difficulties, family issues, etc.) 

Example of better way to address the question: Candidates need to recall the reason why they left school and then own the decision. Candidates should talk about the personal growth that came from having to make the decision, the lessons learned and experiences gained from the time out of school until present. Showcasing continued learning and advancement regardless of an earned degree can prove attributes that are normally associated with traditional schooling.

Question: Why are you leaving your current job? What’s wrong with it?

Common mistake in answering: Talking about the misfortunes of the previous company (I don’t agree with management’s decisions. My boss left so I left. The company was going down the toilet) is never the way to go.

Example of better way to address the question: Candidates need to pivot the conversation and talk about their personal growth, professional goals, and how the new organization can help them achieve this. Talking down about a current or previous employer is an indication that the candidate might do the same to a future employer.

Future employers are testing for judgment with this type of question. Does the candidate know what to share and what not to share? Will the candidate be trustworthy with confidential and proprietary information? At OnDeck, openness is a core value. We also trust our team members to be responsible with proprietary information and to use good judgement when talking about our products, people and processes. It’s paramount for us to find someone who shares these same qualities 

Question: Tell me about yourself.

Common mistake in answering: Most candidates begin with personal information such as “I was born…” or “My parents…”

Example of a better way to address the question: Although this sounds like a personal question, it’s not. This type of question provides a window into a candidate’s life and offers the opportunity to highlight professional successes and achievements. Candidates should think about the timeline of their professional life and walk the interviewer through the highlights of their resume, but with added context and color. For instance, you can offer a story or anecdote to fill in the blanks as to why you left a certain company or why you relocated.

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.