Infographic 25 Tricky Interview Questions
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The document provides guidance on navigating tricky interview questions by suggesting strategies for answering them effectively. It emphasizes the importance of preparation, focusing on personal strengths and weaknesses, and keeping responses constructive and relevant to the position. The tips include deferring salary discussions, highlighting accomplishments, and discussing motivations in relation to the company’s goals.
Infographic 25 Tricky Interview Questions
- 1. 13 25 TRICKY INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Follow these tips to stand out in a crowded field By: Peter Studner 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 What salary are you looking for? What were you making in your last job? Have you ever been fired? Can you work under pressure? What did you think of your last supervisor? What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness? You’ve moved around a lot; how long would you stay with us? What motivates you? What do you not like to do? How would your boss, coworkers, and subordinates describe you? What is the toughtest part of being a manager? Why do you want to work for our company? Why should we hire you? What has been your biggest failure? What kind of day-to-day schedule did you have in your last job? How do you feel about the progress you made in your last position? Did you have any frustrations in your last job? Do you like to compete? How long until you think you could make a contribution to our company? What was the last book you read? Don’t you feel that you are overqualified for the position? Do you mind working for someone of the opposite sex or younger than you? How do you take criticism? How do you spend your free time? Whenever possible, candidates should not provide a specific answer to this question until the negotiations phase, after a position has already been offered. To defer the discussion, try returning the focus back to the interviewer noting: “It’s hard to discuss salary withoutn knowing more about the job or responsibilities.” Or, if you are discussing a specific job: “What is your range?” Then relate your experience to the salary range without being precise: “I think my experience would put me near the high end of your range, don’t you?” If at all possible, do not volunteer information about your past salary. A diplomatic way to put the salary question aside is to reply, “I was well compensated in my previous company, but really do not wish to prejudice myself here by being too high or low. can we delay this until after we’ve look at all the aspects of your current needs? What is your range for this job?” Indicate that you can and ask the interviewer how much pressure is involved in the position. Learn what the interviewer means by pressure. The definition can vary significantly from person to person and company to company. If you are a pro at pressure jobs, describe a few accomplishments. Whatever your true feelings might be, stay positive. This is not the time or place to list your boss’s shortcomings or frustrating behaviors. Your response you be something like: “She was the kind of person I could learn from.” Or: “We were able to communicate well and things got done quickly.” Before interviewing, reflect on your personal strengths and make a list of them (e.g., “natural number sense,” “able to multitask,” “good with people,” “able to teach others,” etc.) Then tie each of them to a professional accomplishment. When asked this question in an interview, answer with the strength you feel best fits with the position being discussed, and be sure to offer the anecdote that goes with it. Conclude your response by asking the interviewer if this is the kind of quality that would help his or her company. As with your stengths, prepare a list of weaknesses beforehand. This time, tie each weakness back to what could also be considered a strength. Your answer can be, for example, “I like to get things done. Sometimes I get impatient, but I’m getting a handle on it.” Or maybe you have actually come up with a way to mitigate your weakness: “I’m a stickler for details, but I do not want to be a micromanager. So at my last job, I asked each staff member to devise their own checklist of weekly tasks. It gave them some autonomy and satisfied my desire for quality control.” Make sure that your answer doesn’t make you seem indecisive, fickle, or uncommited. A good answer might be, “I’m seeking a long-term opportunity where I can learn and grow. Does this come with the position we are discussing?” Resist the temptation to joke, “A steady paycheck!” Try to tie your motivation to the work being done at this specific company. In addition you could mention things like the opportunity to learn and grow, to work with smart people who are passionate about their jobs, to innovate, and to contribute to the success of an organization. This is a loaded question. A positive reply might be, “I’m the kind of person who does whatever is necessary to get the job done. When I do run into something disagreeable, I try to do it first and get it behind me. I have no particular dislikes.” Be ready to give some examples of the kind of team player you represent. If you are not into office politics and have harbored good relationships at work, mention it. And remember that the interviewer may ask your references the same question. Meet with your references before the interview stage in order to talk through your career goals and how they can best support them. A good reply is: “To surround myself with people who are better than I am in their individual specialties.” Your reply could be based on the company’s reputation for products, management, international scope, technology, or as a nice place to work and grow. The most important thing is to avoid generic answers. Know the company’s products, policies, and potential for you. If you know the job requirements and can match them with some accomplishments, briefly share those anecdotes. Then say, “If there are opportunities to do that and more here, then this is a great fit. What do you think?” Discuss this question with friends, mentors, and possibly your refer- ences before the interview. If at all possible, think of something you were later able to correct. Then the story isn’t just about a failure, but also about a learning experience. The interviewer isn’t looking for a minute-by-minute breakdown of a typical day. Stress action, performance, and results rather than administrative work. Rather than discuss your feelings, per se, stress your accomplish- ments. For instance: “When I started with the Blake Company, I was given the responsibility for their operations in Mexico and Costa Rica. After I turned them around, they made me general manager for Mexico and Central America. How are your international operations performing?” An answer like this communicates great information about your value as an employee while still conveying positive feelings about your progress. Frustrations are a normal part of any job, and interviewers know this -- so don’t claim you didn’t have any. Relate some of the bottlenecks you experienced, but more important, indicate what you did to overcome them. Competition is great as long as it does not sacrafice the rest of the team. If you are competitive, I suggest relating that quality to the total company effort and not to your personal ambitions. Don’t be in a hurry when providing an answer to a question. There normally is a period of transition before a new hire learns the ropes. You might say, “If the transition goes according to plan, I would guess relatively soon. What would you expect?” You do read. Saying that you don’t in this setting is a misstep. But be careful not to fib. Your interviewer may have read the same book! Ouch! If you have a lot of experience and the company is thinking of hiring a younger person, you may get this kind of query. A good answer is: “I imagine my experience would make me more valuable sooner!” It’s the job that counts. Stick to the job specification and don’t get sidetracked on implications. Most people have problems taking criticism. If the criticism is part of a formal evaluation program where you can learn and improve, that is fine. “I would welcome the opportunity to learn how to do my job better. Do you have a formal program for employee evaluation?” Be reasonable. This is not the time to mention that you like jumping out of planes, even if it is true. If the answer is yes, have a good explanation worked out and tested with friends. For instance, “We had a change in general managers, and although I had been doing a great job as you can see from my accom- plishments, I was let for for one of his former associates.” Or: “The company decided to close down its California operation and offered be a job in Chicago. We would like to stay in this area, so that’s why I’m looking around.”