Tips For HR Interview Entering the room Prior to the entering the door, adjust your attire so that

it falls well. Before entering enquire by saying, May I come in sir/madam. If the door was closed before you entered, ma e sure you shut the door behind you softly. !ace the "anel and confidently say #$ood day sir/madam%. If the members of the inter&iew board want to sha e hands, then offer a firm gri" first maintaining eye contact and a smile. 'ee "ermission to sit down. If the inter&iewers are standing, wait for them to sit down first before sitting. (n alert inter&iewee would diffuse the tense situation with light)hearted humor and immediately set ra""ort with the inter&iewers. Enthusiasm *he inter&iewer normally "ays more attention if you dis"lay an enthusiasm in whate&er you say. *his enthusiasm come across in the energetic way you "ut forward your ideas. +ou should maintain a cheerful dis"osition throughout the inter&iew, i.e. a "leasant countenance hold s the inter&iewers interest. Humor ( little humor or wit thrown in the discussion occasionally enables the inter&iewers to loo at the "leasant side of your "ersonality,. If it does not come naturally do not contri&e it. By injecting humor in the situation doesn%t mean that you should ee" telling jo es. It means to ma e a "assing comment that, "erha"s, ma es the inter&iewer smile. Eye contact +ou must maintain eye contact with the "anel, right through the inter&iew. *his shows your self)confidence and honesty. Many inter&iewees while answering, tend to loo away. *his con&eys you are concealing your own an,iety, fear and lac of confidence. Maintaining an eye contact is a difficult "rocess. (s the circumstances in an inter&iew are different, the &alue of eye contact is tremendous in ma ing a "ersonal im"act. Be natural Many inter&iewees ado"t a stance which is not their natural self. It is amusing for inter&iewers when a candidate launches into an accent which he or she cannot sustain consistently through the inter&iew or ado"t mannerisms that are inconsistent with his/her "ersonality. Inter&iewers a""reciate a natural "erson rather than an actor. It is best for you to tal in natural manner because then you a""ear genuine. Tell me about yourself ? 'tart with the "resent and tell why you are well qualified for the "osition. -emember that the ey to all successful inter&iewing is to match your qualifications to what the inter&iewer is loo ing for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. *his is the single most im"ortant strategy in job hunting.

'o, before you answer this or any question it.s im"erati&e that you try to unco&er your inter&iewer.s greatest need, want, "roblem or goal. *o do so, ma e you ta e these two ste"s/ 0o all the homewor you can before the hr interview to unco&er this "erson.s wants and needs 1not the generali2ed needs of the industry or com"any3 (s early as you can in the interview, as for a more com"lete descri"tion of what the "osition entails. +ou might say/ I ha&e a number of accom"lishments I.d li e to tell you about, but I want to ma e the best use of our time together and tal directly to your needs. *o hel" me do, that, could you tell me more about the most im"ortant "riorities of this "osition4 (ll I now is what I 1heard from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.3 *hen, (56(+' follow)u" with a second and "ossibly, third question, to draw out his needs e&en more. 'ur"risingly, it.s usually this second or third question that unearths what the inter&iewer is most loo ing for. +ou might as sim"ly, 7(nd in addition to that4...7 or, 7Is there anything else you see as essential to success in this "osition4/ *his "rocess will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier sim"ly to answer questions, but only if you unco&er the em"loyer.s wants and needs will your answers ma e the most sense. Practice as ing these ey questions before gi&ing your answers, the "rocess will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates you.re com"eting with. (fter unco&ering what the em"loyer is loo ing for, describe why the needs of this job bear stri ing "arallels to tas s you.&e succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with s"ecific e,am"les of your res"onsibilities and es"ecially your achie&ements, all of which are geared to "resent yourself as a "erfect match for the needs he has just described.
2. Why Should We Employ You? For this question, your answer should list out strengths that you feel are relevant to the job. Given below are some answers which could help you with your answers. However, structure them to suit your requirements. I have good co-ordination s ills Good analytical s ills I can persuade people to see my point of view, and get the wor done !y greatest asset is my ability to motivate people "ven during emergencies, I do not loose my cool I have good entrepreneurial s ills I have consistently met my deadlines and targets #an say $no% to people when required to do so& I am very co-operative with my sub-ordinates, and would li e to see them grow I am a good team player I am very fle'ible, and have the ability to wor hard under difficult wor conditions I have the

What are your greatest strengths ? +ou now that your ey strategy is to first unco&er your inter&iewer.s greatest wants

and needs before you answer questions. (nd from 8uestion 9, you now how to do this. Prior to any inter&iew, you should ha&e a list mentally "re"ared of your greatest strengths. +ou should also ha&e, a s"ecific e,am"le or two, which illustrates each strength, an e,am"le chosen from your most recent and most im"ressi&e achie&ements. +ou should, ha&e this list of your greatest strengths and corres"onding e,am"les from your achie&ements so well committed to memory that you can recite them cold after being sha en awa e at :/;<(M. *hen, once you unco&er your inter&iewer.s greatest wants and needs, you can choose those achie&ements from your list that best match u". (s a general guideline, the 9< most desirable traits that all em"loyers lo&e to see in their em"loyees are/ ( "ro&en trac record as an achie&er...es"ecially if your achie&ements match u" with the em"loyer.s greatest wants and needs. Intelligence...management 7sa&&y7. =onesty...integrity...a decent human being. $ood fit with cor"orate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team "layer who meshes well with inter&iewer.s team. 5i eability..."ositi&e attitude...sense of humor. $ood communication s ills. 0edication...willingness to wal the e,tra mile to achie&e e,cellence. 0efiniteness of "ur"ose...clear goals. >nthusiasm...high le&el of moti&ation. ?onfident...healthy...a leader. What are your greatest weaknesses ? 0isguise a strength as a wea ness. >,am"le/ I sometimes "ush my "eo"le too hard. I li e to wor with a sense of urgency and e&eryone is not always on the same wa&elength. 0rawbac / *his strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it.s so widely used, it is trans"arent to any e,"erienced inter&iewer. B>'* (@'6>-/ 1and another reason it.s so im"ortant to get a thorough descri"tion of your inter&iewer.s needs before you answer questions3/ (ssure the inter&iewer that you can thin of nothing that would stand in the way of your "erforming in this "osition with e,cellence. *hen, quic ly re&iew you strongest qualifications. >,am"le/ @obody.s "erfect, but based on what you.&e told me about this "osition, I

belie&e I. d ma e an outstanding match. I now that when I hire "eo"le, I loo for two things most of all. 0o they ha&e the qualifications to do the job well, and the moti&ation to do it well4 >&erything in my bac ground shows I ha&e both the qualifications and a strong desire to achie&e e,cellence in whate&er I ta e on. 'o I can say in all honesty that I see nothing that would cause you e&en a small concern about my ability or my strong desire to "erform this job with e,cellence. (lternate strategy 1if you don.t yet now enough about the "osition to tal about such a "erfect fit3/ Instead of confessing a wea ness, describe what you li e most and li e least, ma ing sure that what you li e most matches u" with the most im"ortant qualification for success in the "osition, and what you li e least is not essential. >,am"le/ 5et.s say you.re a""lying for a teaching "osition. If gi&en a choice, I li e to s"end as much time as "ossible in front of my "ros"ects selling, as o""osed to shuffling "a"erwor bac at the office. Af course, I long ago learned the im"ortance of filing "a"erwor "ro"erly, and I do it conscientiously. But what I really lo&e to do is sell 1if your inter&iewer were a sales manager, this should be music to his ears.3 Tell me about something you i ! or faile to o ! that you now feel a little ashame of ? (s with faults and wea nesses, ne&er confess a regret. But don%t seem as if you%re stonewalling either. Best strategy/ 'ay you harbor no regrets, then add a "rinci"le or habit you "ractice regularly for healthy human relations. >,am"le/ Pause for reflection, as if the question ne&er occurred to you. *hen say to hr, +ou now, I really can%t thin of anything. 1Pause again, then add3/ I would add that as a general management "rinci"le, I%&e found that the best way to a&oid regrets is to a&oid causing them in the first "lace. I "ractice one habit that hel"s me a great deal in this regard. (t the end of each day, I mentally re&iew the day%s e&ents and con&ersations to ta e a second loo at the "eo"le and de&elo"ments I%m in&ol&ed with and do a double chec of what they%re li ely to be feeling. 'ometimes I%ll see things that do need more follow)u", whether a "at on the bac , or maybe a fi&e minute chat in someone%s office to ma e sure we%re clear on thingsBwhate&er. I also li e to ma e each "erson feel li e a member of an elite team, li e the Boston ?eltics or 5( 5a ers in their "rime. I%&e found that if you let each team member now you e,"ect e,cellence in their "erformanceBif you wor hard to set an e,am"le yourselfBand if you let "eo"le now you a""reciate and res"ect their feelings, you wind u" with a highly moti&ated grou", a team that%s ha&ing fun at wor because they%re stri&ing for e,cellence rather than brooding o&er slights or regrets. Why are you leaving "or i you leave# this position ? 1If you ha&e a job "resently tell the hr3 If you%re not yet 9<<C committed to lea&ing your "resent "ost, don%t be afraid to say so. 'ince you ha&e a job, you are in a stronger "osition than someone who does not. But don%t be coy either. 'tate honestly what you%d be ho"ing to find in a new s"ot. Af course, as stated often before, you answer will all the stronger if you ha&e already unco&ered what this "osition is all about and you match your desires to it. 1If you do not "resently ha&e a job tell the hr.3

@e&er lie about ha&ing been fired. It%s unethical D and too easily chec ed. But do try to deflect the reason from you "ersonally. If your firing was the result of a ta eo&er, merger, di&ision wide layoff, etc., so much the better. But you should also do something totally unnatural that will demonstrate consummate "rofessionalism. >&en if it hurts , describe your own firing D candidly, succinctly and without a trace of bitterness D from the com"any%s "oint)of)&iew, indicating that you could understand why it ha""ened and you might ha&e made the same decision yourself. +our stature will rise immensely and, most im"ortant of all, you will show you are healed from the wounds inflicted by the firing. +ou will enhance your image as first) class management material and stand head and shoulders abo&e the legions of firing &ictims who, at the slightest "ro&ocation, 2i" o"en their shirts to e,"ose their battle scars and decry the unfairness of it all. !or all "rior "ositions/ Ma e sure you%&e "re"ared a brief reason for lea&ing. Best reasons/ more money, o""ortunity, res"onsibility or growth. The $%ilent Treatment$ 5i e a "rimiti&e tribal mas , the 'ilent *reatment loses all it "ower to frighten you once you refuse to be intimidated. If your inter&iewer "ulls it, ee" quiet yourself for a while and then as , with sincere "oliteness and not a trace of sarcasm, Is there anything else I can fill in on that "oint4 *hat%s all there is to it. 6hate&er you do, don%t let the 'ilent *reatment intimidate you into tal ing a blue strea , because you could easily tal yourself out of the "osition. Why shoul I hire you? By now you can see how critical it is to a""ly the o&erall strategy of unco&ering the em"loyer%s needs before you answer questions. If you now the em"loyer%s greatest needs and desires, this question will gi&e you a big leg u" o&er other candidates because you will gi&e him better reasons for hiring you than anyone else is li ely toB reasons tied directly to his needs. 6hether your inter&iewer as s you this question e,"licitly or not, this is the most im"ortant question of your inter&iew because he must answer this question fa&orably in is own mind before you will be hired. 'o hel" him outE 6al through each of the "osition%s requirements as you understand them, and follow each with a reason why you meet that requirement so well. >,am"le/ (s I understand your needs, you are first and foremost loo ing for someone who can manage the sales and mar eting of your boo "ublishing di&ision. (s you%&e said you need someone with a strong bac ground in trade boo sales. *his is where I%&e s"ent almost all of my career, so I%&e chal ed u" 9F years of e,"erience e,actly in this area. I belie&e that I now the right contacts, methods, "rinci"les, and successful management techniques as well as any "erson can in our industry. +ou also need someone who can e,"and your boo distribution channels. In my "rior "ost, my inno&ati&e "romotional ideas doubled, then tri"led, the number of outlets selling our boo s. I%m confident I can do the same for you.

+ou need someone to gi&e a new shot in the arm to your mail order sales, someone who nows how to sell in s"ace and direct mail media. =ere, too, I belie&e I ha&e e,actly the e,"erience you need. In the last fi&e years, I%&e increased our mail order boo sales from GH<<,<<< to G:,F<<,<<<, and now we%re the country%s second leading mar eter of scientific and medical boo s by mail. >tc., etc., etc., >&ery one of these selling cou"lets 1his need matched by your qualifications3 is a touchdown that runs u" your score. I* is your best o""ortunity to outsell your com"etition. &ren't you over(ualifie for this position? (s with any objection, don%t &iew this as a sign of imminent defeat. It%s an in&itation to teach the inter&iewer a new way to thin about this situation, seeing ad&antages instead of drawbac s. >,am"le/ I recogni2e the job mar et for what it is D a mar et"lace. 5i e any mar et"lace, it%s subject to the laws of su""ly and demand. 'o #o&erqualified% can be a relati&e term, de"ending on how tight the job mar et is. (nd right now, it%s &ery tight. I understand and acce"t that. I also belie&e that there could be &ery "ositi&e benefits for both of us in this match. Because of my unusually strong e,"erience in IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII , I could start to contribute right away, "erha"s much faster than someone who%d ha&e to be brought along more slowly. *here%s also the &alue of all the training and years of e,"erience that other com"anies ha&e in&ested tens of thousands of dollars to gi&e me. +ou%d be getting all the &alue of that without ha&ing to "ay an e,tra dime for it. 6ith someone who has yet to acquire that e,"erience, he%d ha&e to gain it on your nic el.

I could also hel" you in many things they don%t teach at the =ar&ard Business 'chool. !or e,am"leB1how to hire, train, moti&ate, etc.3 6hen it comes to nowing how to wor well with "eo"le and getting the most out of them, there%s just no substitute for what you learn o&er many years of front)line e,"erience. +ou com"any would gain all this, too. !rom my side, there are strong benefits, as well. -ight now, I am unem"loyed. I want to wor , &ery much, and the "osition you ha&e here is e,actly what I lo&e to do and am best at. I%ll be ha""y doing this wor and that%s what matters most to me, a lot more that money or title. Most im"ortant, I%m loo ing to ma e a long term commitment in my career now. I%&e had enough of job)hunting and want a "ermanent s"ot at this "oint in my career. I also now that if I "erform this job with e,cellence, other o""ortunities cannot hel" but o"en u" for me right here. In time, I%ll find many other ways to hel" this com"any and in so doing, hel" myself. I really am loo ing to ma e a long)term commitment. @A*>/ *he main concern behind the o&erqualified question is that you will lea&e your new em"loyer as soon as something better comes your way. (nything you can say to demonstrate the sincerity of your commitment to the em"loyer and reassure

him that you%re loo ing to stay for the long)term will hel" you o&ercome this objection. Where o you see yourself five years from now? -eassure your inter&iewer that you%re loo ing to ma e a long)term commitmentB that this "osition entails e,actly what you%re loo ing to do and what you do e,tremely well. (s for your future, you belie&e that if you "erform each job at hand with e,cellence, future o""ortunities will ta e care of themsel&es. >,am"le/ I am definitely interested in ma ing a long)term commitment to my ne,t "osition. Judging by what you%&e told me about this "osition, it%s e,actly what I%m loo ing for and what I am &ery well qualified to do. In terms of my future career "ath, I%m confident that if I do my wor with e,cellence, o""ortunities will ine&itable o"en u" for me. It%s always been that way in my career, and I%m confident I%ll ha&e similar o""ortunities here. )escribe your i eal company* location an +ob, *he only right answer is to describe what this com"any is offering, being sure to ma e your answer belie&able with s"ecific reasons, stated with sincerity, why each quality re"resented by this o""ortunity is attracti&e to you. -emember that if you%re coming from a com"any that%s the leader in its field or from a glamorous or much admired com"any, industry, city or "osition, your inter&iewer and his com"any may well ha&e an (&is com"le,. *hat is, they may feel a bit defensi&e about being second best to the "lace you%re coming from, worried that you may consider them bush league. *his an,iety could well be there e&en though you%&e done nothing to ins"ire it. +ou must go out of your way to assuage such an,iety, e&en if it%s not e,"ressed, by "utting their &irtues high on the list of e,actly what you%re loo ing for, "ro&iding credible reason for wanting these qualities. If you do not e,"ress genuine enthusiasm for the firm, its culture, location, industry, etc., you may fail to answer this (&is com"le, objection and, as a result, lea&e the inter&iewer sus"ecting that a hot shot li e you, coming from a !ortune K<< com"any in @ew +or , just wouldn%t be ha""y at an un nown manufacturer based in *o"e a, Lansas. Why o you want to work at our company? *his question is your o""ortunity to hit the ball out of the "ar , than s to the in)de"th research you should do before any inter&iew. Best sources for researching your target com"any/ annual re"orts, the cor"orate newsletter, contacts you now at the com"any or its su""liers, ad&ertisements, articles about the com"any in the trade "ress. What are your career options right now? Pre"are for this question by thin ing of how you can "osition yourself as a desired commodity. If you are still wor ing, describe the "ossibilities at your "resent firm and why, though you%re greatly a""reciated there, you%re loo ing for something more

1challenge, money, res"onsibility, etc.3. (lso mention that you%re seriously e,"loring o""ortunities with one or two other firms. If you%re not wor ing, you can tal about other em"loyment "ossibilities you%re actually e,"loring. But do this with a light touch, s"ea ing only in general terms. +ou don%t want to seem mani"ulati&e or coy. Why have you been out of work so long ? +ou want to em"hasi2e factors which ha&e "rolonged your job search by your own choice. >,am"le/ (fter my job was terminated, I made a conscious decision not to jum" on the first o""ortunities to come along. In my life, I%&e found out that you can always turn a negati&e into a "ositi&e I! you try hard enough. *his is what I determined to do. I decided to ta e whate&er time I needed to thin through what I do best, what I most want to do, where I%d li e to do itBand then identify those com"anies that could offer such an o""ortunity. (lso, in all honesty, you ha&e to factor in the recession 1consolidation, stabili2ation, etc.3 in the 1ban ing, financial ser&ices, manufacturing, ad&ertising, etc.3 industry. 'o between my being selecti&e and the com"anies in our industry downsi2ing, the "rocess has ta en time. But in the end, I%m con&inced that when I do find the right match, all that careful e&aluation from both sides of the des will ha&e been well worthwhile for both the com"any that hires me and myself. Tell me honestly about the strong points an weak points of your boss "company* management team* etc,# -emember the rule/ @e&er be negati&e. 'tress only the good "oints, no matter how charmingly you%re in&ited to be critical. +our inter&iewer doesn%t care a whit about your "re&ious boss. =e wants to find out how loyal and "ositi&e you are, and whether you%ll critici2e him behind his bac if "ressed to do so by someone in this own com"any. *his question is your o""ortunity to demonstrate your loyalty to those you wor with. What goo books have you rea lately? Mnless you%re u" for a "osition in academia or as boo critic for *he @ew +or *imes, you%re not e,"ected to be a literary lion. But it wouldn%t hurt to ha&e read a handful of the most recent and influential boo s in your "rofession and on management. ?onsider it "art of the wor of your job search to read u" on a few of these leading boo s. But ma e sure they are quality boo s that reflect fa&orably u"on you, nothing that could e&en remotely be considered su"erficial. !inally, add a recently "ublished bestselling wor of fiction by a world)class author and you%ll "ass this question with flying colors. Tell me about a situation when your work was critici-e ? Begin by em"hasi2ing the e,tremely "ositi&e feedbac you%&e gotten throughout your career and 1if it%s true3 that your "erformance re&iews ha&e been uniformly e,cellent. Af course, no one is "erfect and you always welcome suggestions on how to im"ro&e

your "erformance. *hen, gi&e an e,am"le of a not)too)damaging learning e,"erience from early in your career and relate the ways this lesson has since hel"ed you. *his demonstrates that you learned from the e,"erience and the lesson is now one of the strongest breast"lates in your suit of armor. If you are "ressed for a criticism from a recent "osition, choose something fairly tri&ial that in no way is essential to your successful "erformance. (dd that you%&e learned from this, too, and o&er the "ast se&eral years/months, it%s no longer an area of concern because you now ma e it a regular "ractice toBetc. (nother way to answer this question would be to describe your intention to broaden your master of an area of growing im"ortance in your field. !or e,am"le, this might be a com"uter "rogram you%&e been meaning to sit down and learnB a new management technique you%&e read aboutBor "erha"s attending a seminar on some cutting)edge branch of your "rofession. (gain, the ey is to focus on something not essential to your brilliant "erformance but which adds yet another dimension to your already im"ressi&e nowledge base. What are your outsi e interests ? *ry to gauge how this com"any%s culture would loo u"on your fa&orite outside acti&ities and be guided accordingly. +ou can also use this question to shatter any stereoty"es that could limit your chances. If you%re o&er K<, for e,am"le, describe your acti&ities that demonstrate "hysical stamina. If you%re young, mention an acti&ity that connotes wisdom and institutional trust, such as ser&ing on the board of a "o"ular charity. But abo&e all, remember that your em"loyer is hiring your for what you can do for him, not your family, yourself or outside organi2ations, no matter how admirable those acti&ities may be. The .Fatal Flaw/ (uestion (s e&ery master sales"erson nows, you will encounter objections 1whether stated or merely thought3 in e&ery sale. *hey%re "art and "arcel of the buyer%s an,iety. *he ey is not to e,acerbate the buyer%s an,iety but diminish it. =ere%s howB 6hene&er you come u" against a fatal flaw question/ Be com"letely honest, o"en and straightforward about admitting the shortcoming. 1'howing you ha&e nothing to hide diminishes the buyer%s an,iety.3 0o not a"ologi2e or try to e,"lain it away. +ou now that this su""osed flaw is nothing to be concerned about, and this is the attitude you want your inter&iewer to ado"t as well. (dd that as desirable as such a qualification might be, its lac has made you wor all the harder throughout your career and has not "re&ented you from com"iling an outstanding tac record of achie&ements. +ou might e&en gi&e e,am"les of how, through a relentless commitment to e,cellence, you ha&e consistently out"erformed those who do ha&e this qualification. Af course, the ultimate way to handle fatal flaw questions is to "re&ent them from arising in the first "lace. +ou will do that by following the master strategy described in 8uestion 9, i.e., unco&ering the em"loyers needs and them matching your

qualifications to those needs. Ance you%&e gotten the em"loyer to start tal ing about his most urgently)felt wants and goals for the "osition, and then hel" him see in ste")by)ste" fashion how "erfectly your bac ground and achie&ements match u" with those needs, you%re going to ha&e one &ery enthusiastic inter&iewer on your hands, one who is no longer loo ing for fatal flaws. How o you feel about reporting to a younger person "minority* woman* etc#? +ou greatly admire a com"any that hires and "romotes on merit alone and you couldn%t agree more with that "hiloso"hy. *he age 1gender, race, etc.3 of the "erson you re"ort to would certainly ma e no difference to you. 6hoe&er has that "osition has ob&iously earned it and nows their job well. Both the "erson and the "osition are fully deser&ing of res"ect. +ou belie&e that all "eo"le in a com"any, from the rece"tionist to the ?hairman, wor best when their abilities, efforts and feelings are res"ected and rewarded fairly, and that includes you. *hat%s the best ty"e of wor en&ironment you can ho"e to find. 0n confi ential matters1 +our inter&iewer may "ress you for this information for two reasons. !irst, many com"anies use inter&iews to research the com"etition. It%s a "erfect set) u". =ere in their own lair, is an insider from the enemy cam" who can re&eal "ri2ed information on the com"etition%s "lans, research, financial condition, etc. 'econd, the com"any may be testing your integrity to see if you can be cajoled or bullied into re&ealing confidential data. 6hat to do4 *he answer here is easy. @e&er re&eal anything truly confidential about a "resent or former em"loyer. By all means, e,"lain your reticence di"lomatically. !or e,am"le, I certainly want to be as o"en as I can about that. But I also wish to res"ect the rights of those who ha&e trusted me with their most sensiti&e information, just as you would ho"e to be able to trust any of your ey "eo"le when tal ing with a com"etitorB (nd certainly you can allude to your finest achie&ements in s"ecific ways that don%t re&eal the combination to the com"any safe. But be guided by the golden rule. If you were the owner of your "resent com"any, would you feel it ethically wrong for the information to be gi&en to your com"etitors4 If so, steadfastly refuse to re&eal it. -emember that this question "its your desire to be coo"erati&e against your integrity. !aced with any such choice, always choose integrity. It is a far more &aluable commodity than whate&er information the com"any may "ry from you. Moreo&er, once you surrender the information, your stoc goes down. *hey will surely lose res"ect for you. Ane President we now always "resses candidates unmercifully for confidential information. If he doesn%t get it, he grows &isibly annoyed, relentlessly inquisiti&e, It%s all an act. =e couldn%t care less about the information. *his is his way of testing the candidate%s moral fiber. Anly those who hold fast are hired.

What woul you say to your boss if he's cra-y about an i ea* but you think it stinks ? -emember the rule stated earlier/ In any conflict between &alues, always choose integrity. >,am"le/ I belie&e that when e&aluating anything, it%s im"ortant to em"hasi2e the "ositi&e. 6hat do I li e about this idea4 *hen, if you ha&e reser&ations, I certainly want to "oint them out, as s"ecifically, objecti&ely and factually as I can. (fter all, the most im"ortant thing I owe my boss is honesty. If he can%t count on me for that, then e&erything else I may do or say could be questionable in his eyes. But I also want to e,"ress my thoughts in a constructi&e way. 'o my goal in this case would be to see if my boss and I could ma e his idea e&en stronger and more a""ealing, so that it effecti&ely o&ercomes any initial reser&ation I or others may ha&e about it. Af course, if he o&errules me and says, #no, let%s do it my way,% then I owe him my full and enthusiastic su""ort to ma e it wor as best it can. How coul you have improve your career progress ? +ou%re generally quite ha""y with your career "rogress. Maybe, if you had nown something earlier in life 1im"ossible to now at the time, such as the booming growth in a branch in your industryBor the cor"orate downsi2ing that would "hase out your last job3, you might ha&e mo&ed in a certain direction sooner. But all things considered, you ta e res"onsibility for where you are, how you%&e gotten there, where you are goingBand you harbor no regrets. What woul you o if a fellow e2ecutive on your own corporate level wasn't pulling his3her weight1an this was hurting your epartment? *ry to gauge the "olitical style of the firm and be guided accordingly. In general, fall bac on uni&ersal "rinci"les of effecti&e human relations D which in the end, embody the way you would li e to be treated in a similar circumstance. >,am"le/ $ood human relations would call for me to go directly to the "erson and e,"lain the situation, to try to enlist his hel" in a constructi&e, "ositi&e solution. If I sensed resistance, I would be as "ersuasi&e as I now how to e,"lain the benefits we can all gain from wor ing together, and the "roblems we, the com"any and our customers will e,"erience if we don%t. 40%%IB5E F0550W674 87E%TI09 &n what woul you o if he still i not change his ways? (@'6>-/ Ane thing I wouldn%t do is let the "roblem slide, because it would only get worse and o&erloo ing it would set a bad "recedent. I would try again and again and again, in whate&er way I could, to sol&e the "roblem, in&ol&ing wider and wider circles of "eo"le, both abo&e and below the offending e,ecuti&e and including my own boss if necessary, so that e&eryone in&ol&ed can see the rewards for teamwor and the drawbac s of non)coo"eration. I might add that I%&e ne&er yet come across a situation that couldn%t be resol&ed by harnessing others in a determined, constructi&e effort.

:ou've been with your firm a long time, Won't it be har switching to a new company ? *o o&ercome this objection, you must "oint to the many ways you ha&e grown and ada"ted to changing conditions at your "resent firm. It has not been a static situation. =ighlight the different res"onsibilities you%&e held, the wide array of new situations you%&e faced and conquered. (s a result, you%&e learned to ada"t quic ly to whate&er is thrown at you, and you thri&e on the stimulation of new challenges. *o further assure the inter&iewer, describe the similarities between the new "osition and your "rior one. >,"lain that you should be quite comfortable wor ing there, since their needs and your s ills ma e a "erfect match. ;ay I contact your present employer for a reference ? >,"ress your concern that you%d li e to ee" your job search "ri&ate, but that in time, it will be "erfectly o ay. >,am"le/ My "resent em"loyer is not aware of my job search and, for ob&ious reasonsN I%d "refer to ee" it that way. I%d be most a""reciati&e if we e"t our discussion confidential right now. Af course, when we both agree the time is right, then by all means you should contact them. I%m &ery "roud of my record there. $i&e me an e,am"le of your creati&ity 1analytical s illBmanaging ability, etc.3 -emember from 8uestion : that you should commit to memory a list of your greatest and most recent achie&ements, e&er ready on the ti" of your tongue. If you ha&e such a list, it%s easy to "resent any of your achie&ements in light of the quality the inter&iewer is as ing about. !or e,am"le, the smashing success you orchestrated at last year%s trade show could be used as an e,am"le of creati&ity, or analytical ability, or your ability to manage. Where coul you use some improvement ? Lee" this answer, li e all your answers, "ositi&e. ( good way to answer this question is to identify a cutting)edge branch of your "rofession 1one that%s not essential to your em"loyer%s needs3 as an area you%re &ery e,cited about and want to e,"lore more fully o&er the ne,t si, months. What o you worry about ? -edefine the word #worry% so that it does not reflect negati&ely on you. >,am"le/ I wouldn%t call it worry, but I am a strongly goal)oriented "erson. 'o I ee" turning o&er in my mind anything that seems to be ee"ing me from achie&ing those goals, until I find a solution. *hat%s "art of my tenacity, I su""ose. I'm concerne that you on't have as much e2perience as we' like in,,, *his question is related to *he !atal !law , but here the concern is not that you are totally missing some qualifications, such as ?P( certification, but rather that your e,"erience is light in one area. Before going into any inter&iew, try to identify the wea est as"ects of your candidacy from this com"any%s "oint of &iew. *hen "re"are the best answer you "ossible can to shore u" your defenses.

*o get "ast this question with flying colors, you are going to rely on your master strategy of unco&ering the em"loyer%s greatest wants and needs and then matching them with your strengths. 'ince you already now how to do this from 8uestion 9, you are in a much stronger "osition. More s"ecifically, when the inter&iewer "oses as objection li e this, you shouldB (gree on the im"ortance of this qualification. >,"lain that your strength may be indeed be greater than your resume indicates becauseB 6hen this strength is added to your other strengths, it%s really your combination of qualifications that%s most im"ortant. *hen re&iew the areas of your greatest strengths that match u" most fa&orably with the com"any%s most urgently)felt wants and needs. *his is "owerful way to handle this question for two reasons. !irst, you%re gi&ing your inter&iewer more ammunition in the area of his concern. But more im"ortantly, you%re shifting his focus away from this one, isolated area and "utting it on the unique combination of strengths you offer, strengths which tie in "erfectly with his greatest wants. How o you feel about working nights an weeken s ? !irst, if you%re a confirmed wor aholic, this question is a softball lob. 6hac it out of the "ar on the first swing by saying this ind of schedule is just your style. (dd that your family understands it. Indeed, they%re ha""y for you, as they now you get your greatest satisfaction from your wor . If howe&er, you "refer a more balanced lifestyle, answer this question with another/ 6hat%s the norm for your best "eo"le here4 If the hours still sound unrealistic for you, as , 0o you ha&e any to" "eo"le who "erform e,ce"tionally for you, but who also ha&e families and li e to get home in time to see them at night4 ?hances are this com"any does, and this associates you with this other to")"erformers)who)lea&e)not)later)than)si, grou". 0e"ending on the answer, be honest about how you would fit into the "icture. If all those e,tra hours ma e you uncomfortable, say so, but "hrase your res"onse "ositi&ely. >,am"le/ I lo&e my wor and do it e,ce"tionally well. I thin the results s"ea for themsel&es, es"ecially in B1mention your two or three qualifications of greater interest to the em"loyer. -emember, this is what he wants most, not a wor aholic with wea credentials3. @ot only would I bring these qualities, but I%&e built my whole career on wor ing not just hard, but smart. I thin you%ll find me one of the most "roducti&e "eo"le here. I do ha&e a family who li es to see me after wor and on wee ends. *hey add balance and richness to my life, which in turn hel"s me be ha""y and "roducti&e at wor . If I could handle some of the e,tra wor at home in the e&enings or on wee ends, that would be ideal. +ou%d be getting a "erson of e,ce"tional "roducti&ity who meets your needs with strong credentials. (nd I%d be able to handle some of the

hea&y wor load at home where I can be under the same roof as my family. >&erybody would win. &re you willing to relocate or travel ? !irst find out where you may ha&e to relocate and how much tra&el may be in&ol&ed. *hen res"ond to the question. If there%s no "roblem, say so enthusiastically. If you do ha&e a reser&ation, there are two schools of thought on how to handle it. Ane ad&ises you to ee" your o"tions o"en and your reser&ations to yourself in the early going, by saying, no "roblem. +ou strategy here is to get the best offer you can, then ma e a judgment whether it%s worth it to you to relocate or tra&el. (lso, by the time the offer comes through, you may ha&e other offers and can ma e a more informed decision. 6hy ill of this o""ortunity before it has chance to blossom into something really s"ecial4 (nd if you%re a little more des"erate three months from now, you might wish you hadn%t slammed the door on relocating or tra&eling. *he second way to handle this question is to &oice a reser&ation, but assert that you%d be o"en to relocating 1or tra&eling3 for the right o""ortunity. *he answering strategy you choose de"ends on how eager you are for the job. If you want to ta e no chances, choose the first a""roach. If you want to "lay a little harder)to)get in ho"es of generating a more enticing offer, choose the second. )o you have the stomach to fire people? Have you ha e2perience firing many people ? 0escribe the rational and sensible management "rocess you follow in both hiring and firing. >,am"le/ My whole management a""roach is to hire the best "eo"le I can find, train them thoroughly and well, get them e,cited and "roud to be "art of our team, and then wor with them to achie&e our goals together. If you do all of that right, es"ecially hiring the right "eo"le, I%&e found you don%t ha&e to fire &ery often. 'o with me, firing is a last resort. But when it%s got to be done, it%s got to be done, and the faster and cleaner, the better. ( "oor em"loyee can wrea terrible damage in undermining the morale of an entire team of good "eo"le. 6hen there%s no other way, I%&e found it%s better for all concerned to act decisi&ely in getting rid of offenders who won%t change their ways. Why have you ha so many +obs ? !irst, before you e&en get to the inter&iew stage, you should try to minimi2e your image as job ho""er. If there are se&eral entries on your resume of less than one year, consider eliminating the less im"ortant ones. Perha"s you can s"ecify the time you s"ent at "re&ious "ositions in rounded years not in months and years. >,am"le/ Instead of showing three "ositions this way/ H/9OF: D ;/9OF;, Position (N P/9OF; D 9:/9OF;, Position BN 9/9OFP D F/9OFQ, Position ?N Bit would be better to show sim"ly/ 9OF: D 9OF;, Position (N 9OFP D 9OFQ Position ?. In other words, you would dro" Position B altogether. @otice what a difference this ma es in reducing your image as a job ho""er. Ance in front of the inter&iewer and this question comes u", you must try to reassure him. 0escribe each "osition as "art of an o&erall "attern of growth and career destination. Be careful not to blame other "eo"le for your frequent changes. But you can and

should attribute certain changes to conditions beyond your control. >,am"le/ *han s to an u"coming merger, you wanted to a&oid an ensuing bloodbath, so you made a good, u"ward career mo&e before your de"artment came under the a,e of the new owners. If "ossible, also show that your job changes were more frequent in your younger days, while you were establishing yourself, rounding out your s ills and loo ing for the right career "ath. (t this stage in your career, you%re certainly much more interested in the best long)term o""ortunity. +ou might also cite the job where you stayed the longest and describe that this ty"e of situation is what you%re loo ing for now. What o you see as the proper role3mission of1 1a goo "+ob title you're seeking#< 1a goo manager< 1an e2ecutive in serving the community< 1a lea ing company in our in ustry< etc, *hin of the most essential ingredients of success for each category abo&e D your job title, your role as manager, your firm%s role, etc. Identify at least three but no more than si, qualities you feel are most im"ortant to success in each role. *hen commit your res"onse to memory. =ere, again, the more information you%&e already drawn out about the greatest wants and needs of the inter&iewer, and the more homewor you%&e done to identify the culture of the firm, the more on)target your answer will be. Woul you lie for the company ? *ry to a&oid choosing between two &alues, gi&ing a "ositi&e statement which co&ers all bases instead. >,am"le/ I would ne&er do anything to hurt the com"any.. If aggressi&ely "ressed to choose between two com"eting &alues, always choose "ersonal integrity. It is the most "ri2ed of all &alues. 5ooking back* what woul you o ifferently in your life ? Indicate that you are a ha""y, fulfilled, o"timistic "erson and that, in general, you wouldn%t change a thing. >,am"le/ It%s been a good life, rich in learning and e,"erience, and the best it yet to come. >&ery e,"erience in life is a lesson it its own way. I wouldn%t change a thing. =oul you have one better in your last +ob ? (gain ne&er be negati&e. >,am"le/ I su""ose with the benefit of hindsight you can always find things to do better, of course, but off the to" of my head, I can%t thin of anything of major consequence. 1If more e,"lanation seems necessary3 )escriber a situation that i n't suffer because of you but from e2ternal con itions beyon your control ? !or e,am"le, describe the disa""ointment you felt with a test cam"aign, new "roduct launch, merger, etc., which loo ed "romising at first, but led to underwhelming

results. I wish we could ha&e nown at the start what we later found out 1about the economy turning, the mar et"lace changing, etc.3, but since we couldn%t, we just had to go for it. (nd we did learn from itB =an you work un er pressure ? (bsolutelyB1then "ro&e it with a &i&id e,am"le or two of a goal or "roject accom"lished under se&ere "ressure.3 What makes you angry ? $i&e an answer that%s suited to both your "ersonality and the management style of the firm. =ere, the homewor you%&e done about the com"any and its style can hel" in your choice of words. >,am"les/ If you are a reser&ed "erson and/or the cor"orate culture is coolly "rofessional/ I%m an e&en)tem"ered and "ositi&e "erson by nature, and I belie&e this hel"s me a great deal in ee"ing my de"artment running smoothly, harmoniously and with a genuine es"rit de cor"s. I belie&e in communicating clearly what%s e,"ected, getting "eo"le%s commitment to those goals, and then following u" continuously to chec "rogress. If anyone or anything is going off trac , I want to now about it early. If, after that ind of o"en communication and follow u", someone isn%t getting the job done, I%ll want to now why. If there%s no good reason, then I%ll get im"atient and angryBand ta e a""ro"riate ste"s from there. But if you hire good "eo"le, moti&ate them to stri&e for e,cellence and then follow u" constantly, it almost ne&er gets to that state. If you are feisty by nature and/or the "osition calls for a tough straw boss. +ou now what ma es me angry4 Peo"le who 1the fill in the blan s with the most objectionable traits for this ty"e of "osition3B"eo"le who don%t "ull their own weight, who are negati&e, "eo"le who lieBetc. Why aren't you earning more money at this stage of your career ? +ou li e to ma e money, but other factors are e&en more im"ortant. >,am"le/ Ma ing money is &ery im"ortant to me, and one reason I%m here is because I%m loo ing to ma e more. *hroughout my career, what%s been e&en more im"ortant to me is doing wor I really li e to do at the ind of com"any I li e and res"ect. 1*hen be "re"ared to be s"ecific about what your ideal "osition and com"any would be li e, matching them as closely as "ossible to the o""ortunity at hand. Who has inspire you in your life an why? =a&e a few heroes in mind, from your mental Board of 0irectors D 5eaders in your industry, from history or anyone else who has been your mentor. Be "re"ared to gi&e e,am"les of how their words, actions or teachings ha&e hel"ed ins"ire your achie&ements. (s always, "re"are an answer which highlights qualities that would be highly &aluable in the "osition you are see ing.

What was the toughest ecision you ever ha to make? Be "re"ared with a good e,am"le, e,"laining why the decision was difficultBthe "rocess you followed in reaching itBthe courageous or effecti&e way you carried it outBand the beneficial results. *ell me about the most boring job you%&e e&er had. +ou ha&e ne&er allowed yourself to grow bored with a job and you can%t understand it when others let themsel&es fall into that rut. >,am"le/ Perha"s I%&e been fortunate, but that I%&e ne&er found myself bored with any job I ha&e e&er held. I%&e always enjoyed hard wor . (s with actors who feel there are no small "arts, I also belie&e that in e&ery com"any or de"artment there are e,citing challenges and intriguing "roblems crying out for energetic and enthusiastic solutions. If you%re bored, it%s "robably because you%re not challenging yourself to tac le those "roblems right under your nose. Have you been absent from work more than a few ays in any previous position? If you ha&e had no "roblem, em"hasi2e your e,cellent and consistent attendance record throughout your career. (lso describe how im"ortant you belie&e such consistent attendance is for a ey e,ecuti&eBwhy it%s u" to you to set an e,am"le of dedicationBand why there%s just no substitute for being there with your "eo"le to ee" the o"eration running smoothly, answer questions and handle "roblems and crises as they arise. If you do ha&e a "ast attendance "roblem, you want to minimi2e it, ma ing it clear that it was an e,ce"tional circumstance and that it%s cause has been corrected. *o do this, gi&e the same answer as abo&e but "reface it with something li e, Ather that being out last year 1or whene&er3 because of 1your reason, which is now in the "ast3, I ha&e ne&er had a "roblem and ha&e enjoyed an e,cellent attendance record throughout my career. !urthermore, I belie&e, consistent attendance is im"ortant becauseB 1Pic u" the rest of the answer as outlined abo&e.3. What changes woul you make if you came on boar ? You, of course, will want to ta e a good hard loo at e&erything the com"any is doing before ma ing any recommendations. >,am"le/ 6ell, I wouldn%t be a &ery good doctor if I ga&e my diagnosis before the e,amination. 'hould you hire me, as I ho"e you will, I%d want to ta e a good hard loo at e&erything you%re doing and understand why it%s being done that way. I%d li e to ha&e in)de"th meetings with you and the other ey "eo"le to get a dee"er gras" of what you feel you%re doing right and what could be im"ro&ed. !rom what you%&e told me so far, the areas of greatest concern to you areB 1name them. *hen do two things. !irst, as if these are in fact his major concerns. If so then reaffirm how your e,"erience in meeting similar needs elsewhere might "ro&e &ery hel"ful3. How many hours a week o you normally work? If you are in fact a wor aholic and you sense this com"any would li e that/ 'ay you are a confirmed wor aholic, that you often wor nights and wee ends. +our family acce"ts this because it ma es you fulfilled.

If you are not a wor aholic/ 'ay you ha&e always wor ed hard and "ut in long hours. It goes with the territory. It one sense, it%s hard to ee" trac of the hours because your wor is a labor of lo&e, you enjoy nothing more than sol&ing "roblems. 'o you%re almost always thin ing about your wor , including times when you%re home, while sha&ing in the morning, while commuting, etc. What's the most ifficult part of being a "+ob title#? !irst, redefine difficult to be challenging which is more "ositi&e. *hen, identify an area e&eryone in your "rofession considers challenging and in which you e,cel. 0escribe the "rocess you follow that enables you to get s"lendid resultsBand be s"ecific about those results. >,am"le/ I thin e&ery sales manager finds it challenging to moti&ate the troo"s in a recession. But that%s "robably the strongest test of a to" sales manager. I feel this is one area where I e,cel. 6hen I see the first sign that sales may sli" or that sales force moti&ation is flagging because of a downturn in the economy, here%s the "lan I "ut into action immediatelyB 1followed by a descri"tion of each ste" in the "rocessBand most im"ortantly, the e,ce"tional results you%&e achie&ed.3. *he =y"othetical Problem Instead, describe the rational, methodical "rocess you would follow in analy2ing this "roblem, who you would consult with, generating "ossible solutions, choosing the best course of action, and monitoring the results. -emember, in all such, 6hat would you do4 questions, always describe your "rocess or wor ing methods, and you%ll ne&er go wrong. What was the toughest challenge you've ever face ? *his is an easy question if you%re "re"ared. =a&e a recent e,am"le ready that demonstrates either/ ( quality most im"ortant to the job at handN or ( quality that is always in demand, such as leadershi", initiati&e, managerial s ill, "ersuasi&eness, courage, "ersistence, intelligence, etc. Have you consi er starting your own business? (gain it%s best to/ $auge this com"any%s cor"orate culture before answering andB Be honest 1which doesn%t mean you ha&e to &i&idly share your fantasy of the franchise or bed)and)brea fast you someday "lan to o"en3. In general, if the cor"orate culture is that of a large, formal, military)style structure, minimi2e any indication that you%d lo&e to ha&e your own business. +ou might say, Ah, I may ha&e gi&en it a thought once or twice, but my whole career has been in larger organi2ations. *hat%s where I ha&e e,celled and where I want to be. If the cor"orate culture is closer to the free)wheeling, e&erybody%s)a)deal)ma er &ariety, then em"hasi2e that in a firm li e this, you can &irtually get the best of all worlds, the e,citement of seeing your own ideas and "lans ta e sha"eBcombined

with the resources and stability of a well)established organi2ation. 'ounds li e the "erfect en&ironment to you. In any case, no matter what the cor"orate culture, be sure to indicate that any desires about running your own show are "art of your "ast, not your "resent or future. *he last thing you want to "roject is an image of either a dreamer who failed and is now settling for the cor"orate cocoonBor the restless ma&eric who will fly out the door with ey accounts, contacts and trade secrets under his arms just as soon as his ban roll has gotten rebuilt. (lways remember/ Match what you want with what the "osition offers. *he more information you%&e unco&ered about the "osition, the more belie&able you can ma e your case. What are your goals? Many e,ecuti&es in a "osition to hire you are strong belie&ers in goal)setting. 1It%s one of the reason they%&e achie&ed so much3. *hey li e to hire in ind. If you%re &ague about your career and "ersonal goals, it could be a big turnoff to may "eo"le you will encounter in your job search. Be ready to discuss your goals for each major area of your life/ career, "ersonal de&elo"ment and learning, family, "hysical 1health3, community ser&ice and 1if your inter&iewer is clearly a religious "erson3 you could briefly and generally allude to your s"iritual goals 1showing you are a well)rounded indi&idual with your &alues in the right order3. Be "re"ared to describe each goal in terms of s"ecific milestones you wish to accom"lish along the way, time "eriods you%re allotting for accom"lishment, why the goal is im"ortant to you, and the s"ecific ste"s you%re ta ing to bring it about. But do this concisely, as you ne&er want to tal more than two minutes straight before letting your inter&iewer bac into the con&ersation. What o you for when you hire people? '"ea your own thoughts here, but for the best answer wea&e them around the three most im"ortant qualifications for any "osition. ?an the "erson do the wor 1qualifications34 6ill the "erson do the wor 1moti&ation34 6ill the "erson fit in 1our ind of team "layer34 %ell me this stapler1"this pencil1this clock1or some other ob+ect on interviewer's esk#, Af course, you already now the most im"ortant secret of all great salesmanshi" D find out what "eo"le want, then show them how to get it. If your inter&iewer "ic s u" his sta"ler and as s, sell this to me, you are going to demonstrate this "ro&en master "rinci"le. =ere%s how/ 6ell, a good salesman must now both his "roduct and his "ros"ect before he sells anything. If I were selling this, I%d first get to now e&erything I could about it, all its features and benefits.

*hen, if my goal were to sell it you, I would do some research on how you might use a fine sta"ler li e this. *he best way to do that is by as ing some questions. May I as you a few questions4 *hen as a few questions such as, Just out of curiosity, if you didn%t already ha&e a sta"ler li e this, why would you want one4 (nd in addition to that4 (ny other reason4 (nything else4 (nd would you want such a sta"ler to be reliable4...=old a good su""ly of sta"les4 1(s more questions that "oint to the features this sta"ler has.3 Ance you%&e as ed these questions, ma e your "resentation citing all the features and benefits of this sta"ler and why it%s e,actly what the inter&iewer just told you he%s loo ing for. *hen close with, Just out of curiosity, what would you consider a reasonable "rice for a quality sta"ler li e thisBa sta"ler you could ha&e right now and would 1then re"eat all the "roblems the sta"ler would sol&e for him34 6hate&er he says, 1unless it%s 2ero3, say, A ay, we%&e got a deal. @A*>/ If your inter&iewer tests you by fighting e&ery ste" of the way, denying that he e&en wants such an item, don%t fight him. *a e the "roduct away from him by saying, Mr. Pros"ect, I%m delighted you%&e told me right u"front that there%s no way you%d e&er want this sta"ler. (s you well now, the first rule of the most "roducti&e sales"eo"le in any field is to meet the needs of "eo"le who really need and want our "roducts, and it just wastes e&eryone%s time if we try to force it on those who don%t. (nd I certainly wouldn%t want to waste your time. But we sell many items. Is there any "roduct on this des you would &ery much li e to ownBjust one item4 6hen he "oints something out, re"eat the "rocess abo&e. If he nows anything about selling, he may gi&e you a standing o&ation. .The %alary 8uestion/ ! How much money o you want ?

For maximum salary negotiating power, remember these five guidelines @e&er bring u" salary. 5et the inter&iewer do it first. $ood sales"eo"le sell their "roducts thoroughly before tal ing "rice. 'o should you. Ma e the inter&iewer want you first, and your bargaining "osition will be much stronger. If your inter&iewer raises the salary question too early, before you%&e had a chance to create desire for your qualifications, "ost"one the question, saying something li e, Money is im"ortant to me, but is not my main concern. A""ortunity and growth are far more im"ortant. 6hat I%d rather do, if you don%t mind, is e,"lore if I%m right for the "osition, and then tal about money. 6ould that be o ay4 *he R9 rule of any negotiation is/ the side with more information wins. (fter you%&e done a thorough job of selling the inter&iewer and it%s time to tal salary, the secret is to get the em"loyer tal ing about what he%s willing to "ay before you re&eal what you%re willing to acce"t. 'o, when as ed about salary, res"ond by as ing, I%m sure the com"any has already established a salary range for this "osition. ?ould you tell me what that is4 Ar, I want an income commensurate with my ability and qualifications. I trust you%ll be fair with me. 6hat does the "osition "ay4 Ar, more sim"ly, 6hat does this "osition "ay4

Lnow beforehand what you%d acce"t. *o now what%s reasonable, research the job mar et and this "osition for any rele&ant salary information. -emember that most e,ecuti&es loo for a :<):KCG "ay boost when they switch jobs. If you%re grossly under"aid, you may want more. @e&er lie about what you currently ma e, but feel free to include the estimated cost of all your fringes, which could well tac on :K)K<C more to your "resent cash)only salary. The Illegal 8uestion Illegal questions include any regarding your ageBnumber and ages of your children or other de"endentsBmarital statusBmaiden nameBreligionB"olitical affiliationB ancestryBnational originBbirth"laceBnaturali2ation of your "arents, s"ouse or childrenBdiseasesBdisabilitiesBclubsBor s"ouse%s occu"ationBunless any of the abo&e are directly related to your "erformance of the job. +ou can%t e&en be as ed about arrests, though you can be as ed about con&ictions. (@'6>-/ Mnder the e&er)"resent threat of lawsuits, most inter&iewers are well aware of these taboos. +et you may encounter, usually on a second or third inter&iew, a senior e,ecuti&e who doesn%t inter&iew much and forgets he can%t as such questions. +ou can handle an illegal question in se&eral ways. !irst, you can assert your legal right not to answer. But this will frighten or embarrass your inter&iewer and destroy any ra""ort you had. 'econd, you could swallow your concerns o&er "ri&acy and answer the question straight forwardly if you feel the answer could hel" you. !or e,am"le, your inter&iewer, a de&out Ba"tist, recogni2es you from church and mentions it. =ere, you could gain by tal ing about your church. *hird, if you don%t want your "ri&acy in&aded, you can di"lomatically answer the concern behind the question without answering the question itself. >,am"le/ If you are o&er K< and are as ed, =ow old are you4 you can answer with a friendly, smiling question of your own on whether there%s a concern that your age my affect your "erformance. !ollow this u" by reassuring the inter&iewer that there%s nothing in this job you can%t do and, in fact, your age and e,"erience are the most im"ortant ad&antages you offer the em"loyer for the following reasonsB (nother e,am"le/ If as ed, 0o you "lan to ha&e children4 you could answer, I am wholeheartedly dedicated to my career, "erha"s adding, I ha&e no "lans regarding children. 1+ou needn%t fear you%&e "ledged eternal childlessness. +ou ha&e e&ery right to change your "lans later. $et the job first and then enjoy all your o"tions.3 Most im"ortantly, remember that illegal questions arise from fear that you won%t "erform well. *he best answer of all is to get the job and "erform brilliantly. (ll concerns and fears will then &arnish, re"laced by res"ect and a""reciation for your wor . The .%ecret/ Illegal 8uestion Much more frequent than the Illegal question 1see 8uestion KK3 is the secret illegal question. It%s secret because it%s as ed only in the inter&iewer%s mind. 'ince it%s not

e&en e,"ressed to you, you ha&e no way to res"ond to it, and it can there be most damaging. >,am"le/ +ou%re "hysically challenged, or a single mother returning to your "rofessional career, or o&er K<, or a member of an ethnic minority, or fit any of a do2en other categories that do not strictly conform to the majority in a gi&en com"any. :our interviewer won ers* .Is this person really able to han le the +ob?/1/Is he or she a >goo fit' at a place like ours?/1/Will the chemistry ever be right with someone like this?/ But the interviewer never raises such (uestions because they're illegal, %o what can you o?

(@'6>-/ -emember that just because the inter&iewer doesn%t as an illegal question doesn%t mean he doesn%t ha&e it. More than li ely, he is going to come u" with his own answer. 'o you might as well hel" him out. =ow4 6ell, you ob&iously can%t res"ond to an illegal question if he hasn%t e&en as ed. *his may well offend him. (nd there%s always the chance he wasn%t e&en concerned about the issue until you brought it u", and only then begins to wonder. 'o you can%t address secret illegal questions head)on. But what you can do is ma e sure there%s enough counterbalancing information to more than reassure him that there%s no "roblem in the area he may be doubtful about. !or e,am"le, let%s say you%re a sales re" who had "olio as a child and you need a cane to wal . +ou now your condition has ne&er im"eded your "erformance, yet you%re concerned that your inter&iewer may secretly be wondering about your stamina or ability to tra&el. 6ell, ma e sure that you hit these abilities &ery hard, lea&ing no doubt about your ca"acity to handle them well. 'o, too, if you%re in any different from what "asses for normal. Ma e sure, without in any way seeming defensi&e about yourself that you mention strengths, accom"lishments, "references and affiliations that strongly counterbalance any uns"o en concern your inter&iewer may ha&e. What was the toughest part of your last +ob? 'tate that there was nothing in your "rior "osition that you found o&erly difficult, and let your answer go at that. If "ressed to e,"and your answer, you could describe the as"ects of the "osition you enjoyed more than others, ma ing sure that you e,"ress ma,imum enjoyment for those tas s most im"ortant to the o"en "osition, and you enjoyed least those tas s that are unim"ortant to the "osition at hand. =ow do you define successBand how do you measure u" to your own definition4 $i&e a well)acce"ted definition of success that leads right into your own stellar collection of achie&ements. >,am"le/ *he best definition I%&e come across is that success is the "rogressi&e reali2ation of a worthy goal. (s to how I would measure u" to that definition, I would consider myself both successful and fortunateB1*hen summari2e your career goals and how your

achie&ements ha&e indeed re"resented a "rogressi&e "ath toward reali2ation of your goals.3 .The 0pinion 8uestion/ ! What o you think about 1&bortion1The 4resi ent1The )eath 4enalty1"or any other controversial sub+ect#? In all of these instances, just remember the tale about student and the wise old rabbi. *he scene is a seminary, where an o&erly serious student is "ressing the rabbi to answer the ultimate questions of suffering, life and death. But no matter how hard he "resses, the wise old rabbi will only answer each difficult question with a question of his own. In e,as"eration, the seminary student demands, 6hy, rabbi, do you always answer a question with another question4 *o which the rabbi res"onds, (nd why not4 If you are e&er uncomfortable with any question, as ing a question in return is the greatest esca"e hatch e&er in&ented. It throws the onus bac on the other "erson, sidetrac s the discussion from going into an area of ris to you, and gi&es you time to thin of your answer or, e&en better, your ne,t questionE In res"onse to any of the o"inion questions cited abo&e, merely res"onding, 6hy do you as 4 will usually be enough to dissi"ate any "ressure to gi&e your o"inion. But if your inter&iewer again "resses you for an o"inion, you can as another question. Ar you could assert a generality that almost e&eryone would agree with. !or e,am"le, if your inter&iewer is com"laining about "oliticians then suddenly turns to you and as s if you%re a -e"ublican or 0emocrat, you could res"ond by saying, (ctually, I%m finding it hard to find any "oliticians I li e these days. 1Af course, your best question of all may be whether you want to wor for someone o"inionated.3 If you won ?@A million lottery* woul you still work? *his ty"e of question is aimed at getting at your bedroc attitude about wor and how you feel about what you do. +our best answer will focus on your "ositi&e feelings. >,am"le/ (fter I floated down from cloud nine, I thin I would still hold my basic belief that achie&ement and "ur"oseful wor are essential to a ha""y, "roducti&e life. (fter all, if money alone bought ha""iness, then all rich "eo"le would be all ha""y, and that%s not true. I lo&e the wor I do, and I thin I%d always want to be in&ol&ed in my career in some fashion. 6inning the lottery would ma e it more fun because it would mean ha&ing more fle,ibility, more o"tions...who nows4 Af course, since I can%t count on winning, I%d just as soon create my own destiny by stic ing with what%s wor ed for me, meaning good old reliable hard wor and a desire to achie&e. I thin those qualities ha&e built many more fortunes that all the lotteries "ut together. 5ooking back on your last position* have you one your best work?

*o co&er both "ossible "aths this question can ta e, your answer should state that you always try to do your best, and the best of your career is right now. 5i e an athlete at the to" of his game, you are just hitting your career stride than s to se&eral factors. *hen, reca" those factors, highlighting your strongest qualifications. 6hy should I hire you from the outside when I could "romote someone from within4 =el" him see the qualifications that only you can offer. >,am"le/ In general, I thin it%s a good "olicy to hire from within D to loo outside "robably means you%re not com"letely comfortable choosing someone from inside. @aturally, you want this de"artment to be as strong as it "ossibly can be, so you want the strongest candidate. I feel that I can fill that bill becauseB1then reca" your strongest qualifications that match u" with his greatest needs3. Tell me something negative you've hear about our company1 Just remember the rule D ne&er be negati&e D and you%ll handle this one just fine. 0n a scale of one to ten* rate me as an interviewer, Ance again, ne&er be negati&e. *he inter&iewer will only resent criticism coming from you. *his is the time to show your "ositi&ism. =owe&er, don%t gi&e a numerical rating. 'im"ly "raise whate&er inter&iew style he%s been using. If he%s been tough, say +ou ha&e been thorough and tough)minded, the &ery qualities needed to conduct a good inter&iew. If he%s been methodical, say, +ou ha&e been &ery methodical and analytical, and I%m sure that a""roach results in e,cellent hires for your firm. In other words, "ay him a sincere com"liment that he can belie&e because it%s anchored in the beha&ior you%&e just seen.