Interview Questions with Answers -

 

Interview Questions with Answers

7/2013

 

Tell me about yourself.  Confine your answer to work-related stuff.  Never go much into the personal details unless the panel asks you.  Your answer should relate to the skills, experience and characteristics that the employer is seeking.  Your answer should be organized and concise, 60-90 seconds.

Tell me about your dream job.  Think about the job you're applying for – your answer should describe it.  Don't include a laundry list of things you expect to have – you may be seen as a diva.  You could also talk about things you liked about previous jobs.

Why did you leave your last job?  Give a positive reply that is short and sweet.  Your answer shouldn’t be long and it shouldn’t be negative.  But do be prepared to give additional details if asked.  Practice this one a lot if you were fired or left under negative circumstances.  Never talk badly about previous employers.

What is your weakness?  Have an answer prepared for this.  Pick something that won't get you disqualified.  Show that you've really analyzed the job.  Lead and finish your answer with positives.  State how you've improved or what you learned.  Don't ramble on.  Only offer one weakness, but have others prepared in case you're asked for more.  Example:  "One weakness as it pertains to this job is I would have to learn more about your culture and processes before I'd be running at 100%.  But I'm a quick learner and have a track record of taking a short time to get up to speed, so I'm sure this won't be a problem."  Or…"In my last job my supervisor really liked the fact that I strived for perfection, but she pointed out that some of my assignments were late and it was more important to her that I complete projects on time, even if they weren't perfect.  So I learned to break projects into parts and assigned a timeframe for each one.  I set a final deadline for myself that was before the actual due date, to allow myself some time to review my work and look for errors.  The result was that I was able to finish projects on time and still maintain nearly flawless results."

What are your strengths?  Have three prepared along with examples of how each strength helped your company.  Pick strengths that will help you in the role you're applying for.

What do you know about the type of work that we do?  Do your homework by navigating through the company’s website.  Google the company for recent news articles.  Talk to people who work there (find them on LinkedIn).

Why should we hire you?  Articulate the strengths, experience and characteristics that make you an ideal candidate.  Your answer should be organized and concise, and should exude confidence.

Do you consider yourself successful?  Invariably say yes.  Success does not mean getting control over the whole world.  Discuss your major achievements at your recent jobs.

Why have you been unemployed for such a long time?  Answer the question with any productive activity that you have done during the time like attending courses to improve skills, volunteering in your community, professional development, etc.

What do co-workers say about you?  Think about compliments you received from colleagues.  What were you the go-to person for at your company?  What were you the best at?  How did you approach the job differently than your colleagues?

Do you think you are overqualified for this position?  Convince the recruiter that you are appropriate for the job.  Speak in positive terms regarding why you're a good fit, instead of negative terms, like seeking less responsibility.  Show enthusiasm for the work you'd be doing instead of disdain for higher-level work you've done.  You may be prompted to provide reasons why you're not seeking a higher-level job, so have a short positive answer ready to share.

Describe your management style.  Focus on communication which should include active listening.  If you never had a supervisory position, be prepared to share examples of how you took a leadership role in recent jobs.

Are you a team player?  Once again a firm yes is necessary for this question!  Give one or two examples where you have succeeded as part of a team.  Include your role and the results.

What is your philosophy toward work?   Speak about your basic values and how they have benefited previous employers.

What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?  Create a sense of a feeling that you are flexible and don’t mind whether you have to follow or lead.

What irritates you about co-workers?  Tell the panel that you've successfully worked with diverse and challenging personalities by keeping an open mind, trying to understand more than seeking to be understood, and finding things to like about people you disagree with people.  You might name a specific characteristic, but speak softly about it (don’t show a great deal of irritation) and how you worked around it.

Why do you think you would do well at this job?  To answer this well, you have to know what you’re getting in to.  When offered an interview, you should request a copy of the job description if it hasn’t already been made available.  You may find it differs greatly from the help wanted ad.  Highlight relevant skills and experience from previous jobs along with personal characteristics that show you’re a good fit.

What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?  Mention 2-3 characteristics and have examples to share about how they positively impacted your employer.  Show letters of recommendation or performance evaluations to the recruitment panel for reference.

Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.  Share examples where you have thrived under pressure and achieved better results.

How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?  Highlight your transferable skills and achievements to create a sense of confidence.  Mention some similar roles you have succeeded at.  Have an example prepared of how you quickly succeeded at something you had no previous experience with.

What motivates you to do your best on the job?  Answers that include salary or benefits will decrease your chances of being hired.  Quote some positive things like being part of a productive team, achieving strong results (be specific), etc.

When do you feel successful in this job?  You may answer, “When I exceed expectations and establish a relationship as the go-to-person for (list strengths here).”

Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?  A simple yes, followed by an example or two of how you’ve gone above and beyond in previous jobs.  This is a test of how far you integrate with the company and take things seriously to meet and achieve the organizational goals.

What qualities do you look for in a boss?  Think about a previous boss with qualities you admired, and discuss those, rather than stating what you want to avoid.  Don’t include an entire laundry list – just 2 or 3 qualities.

How do you see yourself five years from now?  Employers want to hear that you still plan on working at their company in 5 years, that you achieved competency in your job and assumed extra responsibilities.

What have you learned from mistakes on the job?  Don’t just disclose blunders at previous workplaces.  Be sure to share what you learned from your mistakes.  Don’t pick examples that ended very badly or would eliminate you from consideration.

If you were hiring a person for this position, what would you look for?  Look for areas where your experience and the job description overlap and focus on them.

Why do you think you can succeed in this job?  Your answer should highlight the similarities between the job requirements and the skills you possess.

What do you think of the last company you worked for?  Showcase it as a great platform that helped you improve your skills and avoid any sort of negative spin.

How do you handle criticism?  Speak out as if the criticism is the best way to improve.  Say that you never take criticism personally and quote a few instances that depict your ability to handle criticism and use it to improve your performance.