Difficult
Interview Questions (and Answers)
Why do you want to work here? How can you help our
company? Why should we be interested in you?
Answer is always based on information you’ve researched in advance about the
company and their needs. Align your experience, skills and attributes to the
company’s problems, challenges and issues. Convey selected accomplishment
stories that directly address the employer’s stated needs.
If you were choosing someone for this job, what
kind of person would you select?
Answer is to state your own general qualifications, without being too
“obvious.” Leave out the details.
If you could have any job which one would you want
at this company?
Answer has to do with the most general description of the job you desire at the
company – NOT A SPECIFIC JOB TITLE.
What weaknesses do you have for this job?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Answer is to ponder for a while
and then state that you can’t think of any weaknesses that would compromise
your performance at this job; or negatively impact your performance of the
job’s responsibilities.
What do you expect to get in this job that you
haven’t gotten in you current/previous job?
TRAP QUESTION. Do not say anything negative. State that your current/previous
jobs have met or exceeded your expectations. With the new position you would
hope to have broader responsibilities and make greater contributions.
What do you see as your future here?
I would expect to be contributing at higher levels and have increased
responsibility over time.
Are you considering other positions at this time?
TRAP QUESTION. Simply say “yes.”
How does this opportunity compare?
From what I’ve heard so far, very favorably … and I would like to learn more.
What other companies/opportunities are you looking
at now?
As I’m sure you can appreciate, I’m not at liberty
to say as I am still in discussions with these companies. I need to protect
their privacy, as I would protect yours if they asked me the same question.
What are your short and long term goals?
Short range: To
secure an appropriate new position where I can apply my skills and experience
to increase the company’s success and help achieve it’s business objectives.
Long
range: Assume more responsibility and make greater
contributions over time for my employer.
What motivates you?
Focus the answer on your core values, and also on the values and priorities of
the company you are interviewing with (which you should have identified through
your preliminary research).
What have you done to improve yourself during the
last year?
Talk about professional development, training programs, educational curricula,
study in your field, on-the-job training, skill-building, relevant books you’ve
read, etc.
How do you spend your spare time?
Say something inoffensive, apolitical and innocuous (reading, exercise, travel,
home projects, gardening, family activities, etc.)
Tell me about your health.
My health is excellent.
If you could re-live your last 15 years, what
changes would you make?
Nothing is perfect, but overall I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the
way my life and career have developed – so I wouldn’t make any significant
changes.
Tell me about your greatest
achievement/disappointment in your life.
Give one personal example (like meeting your spouse and getting married;
putting yourself through college and graduate school; or saving-up to buy your
first house, etc.). Then give your best professional accomplishment story. As
for the disappointment, give an answer similar to the one above, implying that
“overall, I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career
have been developing, so I really can’t think of any major disappointments.”
What did you like best/least about your last job?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Explain what you
liked best. Then say that while every job has its challenges, you have been
fortunate enough to learn and grow professionally in each of the positions you
have held.
In your last position, how much of the work did you
do on your own, and how much as part of a team? Which did you enjoy more?
Talk in terms of your flexibility and adaptability – your ability to work in
whatever mode seems appropriate to the situation. Make it clear that you have
been equally effective in teams or working independently, as each case
demanded. You enjoy both; it’s more about what will work best for the project
and the company at that time.
What are some of the more difficult problems you
have encountered in your past jobs? How did you solve them?
Tell two or more pre-prepared accomplishment stories. Keep it POSITIVE!
Did you ever make suggestions to senior management?
What happened?
Say “yes.” Tell some accomplishment stories and results, in which you
positively influenced senior management.
At your previous job(s), what did you think
management could have done to make you function more effectively as an
employee?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that the
employer was very good in providing resources and support to your position, and
that you have no complaints about this.
What has kept you from progressing faster and
farther in your career?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! State: “I
don’t know what could have given you the impression that I am dissatisfied with
the progress and pace of my career. I am quite satisfied with where my career
is at this point in my life. However, I am certainly ready to take on greater
challenges and offer a higher level of contribution.”
What else should we know about you?
Tell one or two more of your best accomplishment stories. You can also repeat
how well-suited you think you are for the opportunity, and how interested you
are in the job.
Tell me about the best/worst boss you’ve ever had.
TRAP QUESTION: Never state anything negative! Say that while
every boss has been different, you have worked productively with, and learned
something from, each one. (Be prepared to give some examples of what you have
learned.)
Everybody likes to criticize. What do people
criticize about you?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that you can’t
think of any criticisms you have received from colleagues on the job. Of
course, there have been areas for development – such as when your supervisors
would have given you your “employee review,” and they might have made a
suggestion for improvement. State that you have always taken these kinds of
suggestions seriously and have taken steps to make the improvements that were
requested, and that this has made you stronger as a professional. (State at
least one example).
Everyone has pet peeves. What are yours?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Turn this question
around, by talking about your high professional standards. Your only “pet
peeves” are with yourself – pushing yourself hard and not accepting mediocrity,
for example – or how you are always striving to reach your full potential on
the job, etc.
What is your leadership style?
Talk in terms of your flexibility and adaptability – your ability to lead in
whatever mode seems appropriate to the situation. Explain that it’s more about
what approach will work best for the project and the company at that time. Give
an example or two, demonstrating different leadership styles, using your
accomplishment stories.
Are you geographically mobile? (or) Are you willing
to put in a lot of extra time?
Ask for clarification – what exactly does the interviewer mean? Then, according
to their answer, either say, “that would be no problem at all,” or tell them
“you’d like to give it some thought and get back to them within 24 hours.”
You don’t have the experience/background for this
position. How could you handle it?
Say you’re confused by their comment, that you’re quite confident that you DO
have the experience and background for this position, and that you’re a very
strong match for the responsibilities. Ask what specifically concerns them
about your background; what’s missing in your experience? (Sometimes the
interviewer is just testing you.) Re-state your qualifications as needed, tying
your accomplishment stories to the employer’s requirements.
You’re overqualified for this position, aren’t you?
(even if you are slightly overqualified)
State: “No – I see a lot of challenges in this
opportunity, and I’m sure that I would find the work extremely interesting.”
Give some examples of what you mean, and talk about the new dimensions of
experience and skill that you would bring to the position, almost as though you
would expand the scope of responsibilities and level of contribution in this
job, thus making it more than it is at present.
We have all the information we need. We’ll be in
touch.
Take the initiative. Ask such questions as: “Where do I stand? Am I being
considered as a strong candidate? When should I expect to hear from you, or
would you prefer that I contact you in a day or two? What is your time-frame
for making a final decision? Is there anything else I can provide to facilitate
the process?” etc. Then re-state your strong interest in the position and your
confidence that your background is an ideal match to the job.