There's no worse feeling than when
you're in an interview and the
interviewer asks you a question to
which you don't know the answer.
The best way to handle this dreaded
debacle is to go into the interview
prepared. Familiarize yourself with a
few common difficult questions and
arm yourself with answers prepared
ahead of time.
Check out these tough interview
questions and some suggested
responses in order to avoid an
interview disaster:
Tough question No. 1: "Tell me
about yourself."
This is usually the opening question
in an interview and it's the perfect
moment for you to toot your own
horn -- not to tell your life history.
Your answers should be a quick
rundown of your qualifications and
experience. Talk about your
education, work history, recent
career experience and future goals.
Suggested answer: "I graduated from
University X and since then, I have
been working in public relations
with an agency where I have
generated millions of PR hits for my
clients. While I've enjoyed working
on the agency side, I'm looking to
expand my horizons and start doing
PR for corporate companies such as
this one."
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Tough question No. 2: "Why did
you leave your last job?"
This is your chance to talk about
your experience and your career
goals, not to badmouth a former
boss or give a laundry list of reasons
for your exit. Instead, focus on what
you learned in your previous
position and how you are ready to
use those skills in a new position.
Suggested answer: "The company
just wasn't a good fit for my
creativity, but I learned that
organizations have distinct
personalities just like people do.
Now I know where I'll be a better
fit."
Tough question No. 3: "Where do
you see yourself in five years?"
Let the employer know that you're
stable and you want to be with this
company for the long haul. Keep
your aspirations to take over the firm
with which you are interviewing, own
your own company, retire at 40 or be
married with five children to
yourself.
Suggested answer: "I want to secure
a civil engineering position with a
national firm that concentrates on
retail development. Ideally, I would
like to work for a young company,
such as this one, so I can get in on
the ground floor and take advantage
of all the opportunities a growing
firm has to offer."
Tough question No. 4: "What are
your weaknesses?"
The key to answering this age-old
question is not to respond literally.
Your future employer most likely
won't care if your weak spot is that
you can't cook, nor do they want to
hear the generic responses, like
you're "too detail oriented" or "work
too hard."
Respond to this query by identifying
areas in your work where you can
improve and figure out how they can
be assets to a future employer. If
you didn't have the opportunity to
develop certain skills at your
previous job, explain how eager you
are to gain that skill in a new
position.
Suggested answer: "In my last
position, I wasn't able to develop my
public-speaking skills. I'd really like
to be able to work in a place that
will help me get better at giving
presentations and talking in front of
others."
Tough question No. 5: "Why were
you laid off?"
This question will become more
common as the economy continues
to slow down. It's a tough question,
however, especially because many
workers aren't told exactly why they
were laid off. The best way to tackle
this question is to answer as
honestly as possible.
Suggested answer: "As I'm sure
you're aware, the economy is tough
right now and my company felt the
effects of it. I was part of a large
staff reduction and that's really all I
know. I am confident, however, that
it had nothing to do with my job
performance, as exemplified by my
accomplishments. For example..."
Tough question No. 6: "Tell me
about the worst boss you ever
had."
Never, ever talk badly about your
past bosses. A potential boss will
anticipate that you'll talk about him
or her in the same manner
somewhere down the line.
Suggested answer: "While none of
my past bosses were awful, there are
some who taught me more than
others did. I've definitely learned
what types of management styles I
work with the best."
Tough question No. 7: "How would
others describe you?"
You should always be asking for
feedback from your colleagues and
supervisors in order to gauge your
performance; this way, you can
honestly answer the question based
on their comments. Keep track of the
feedback to be able to give to an
employer, if asked. Doing so will also
help you identify strengths and
weaknesses.
Suggested answer: "My former
colleagues have said that I'm easy to
do business with and that I always
hit the ground running with new
projects. I have more specific
feedback with me, if you'd like to
take a look at it."
Tough question No. 8: "What can
you offer me that another person
can't?"
This is when you talk about your
record of getting things done. Go
into specifics from your résumé and
portfolio; show an employer your
value and how you'd be an asset.
Suggested answer: "I'm the best
person for the job. I know there are
other candidates who could fill this
position, but my passion for
excellence sets me apart from the
pack. I am committed to always
producing the best results. For
example..."
Tough question No. 9: "If you
could choose any company to work
for, where would you go?"
Never say that you would choose any
company other than the one where
you are interviewing. Talk about the
job and the company for which you
are being interviewed.
Suggested answer: "I wouldn't have
applied for this position if I didn't
sincerely want to work with your
organization." Continue with specific
examples of why you respect the
company with which you are
interviewing and why you'll be a
good fit.
Tough question No. 10: "Would you
be willing to take a salary cut?"
Salary is a delicate topic. In today's
tough economy though, how much a
company can afford to pay you might
be the deal breaker in whether or
not you are offered a position.
Suggested answer: "I'm making $X
now. I understand that the salary
range for this position is $XX - $XX.
Like most people, I would like to
improve on my salary, but I'm more
interested in the job itself than the
money. I would be open to
negotiating a lower starting salary
but would hope that we can revisit
the subject in a few months after
I've proved myself to you." E-mail to
a friend
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