JOB INTERVIEW FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Overall, what the interview questions are trying to do is a few things:

• See if you have the skills and experience to conduct the job on offer
• Check your enthusiasm, motivation and interest for the job
• See whether you will blend in with the working environment, style and teams

“Tell me about yourself.”

• Usually the first question that is asked
• While this isn’t exactly a question, answering this the wrong way could really hurt your
chances of getting a job, Teach says. “I was once told by an HR executive that this can
actually be a trick question. Hiring managers can’t ask you certain questions legally but if
you go off on a tangent when answering, you may tell them some things about you
that are better left unsaid.”
• Talk in 1-3 minutes about where you grew up, your education, and any relevant work
experience you have.
• It is important that you deliver a brief, clearly expressed, and confident but not overly
conceited answer to this so it is advised that you rehearse before the interview.
• The worst way to approach this request is to tell them your life story, which is something
they’re definitely not interested in.
• The best way to approach this is to only discuss what your interests are relating to the
job and why your background makes you a great candidate.

“What are your strengths?”

• When answering this question, it is important that you respond with relevant skills and
strengths that make you suited to the job.
• Doing research beforehand can help prepare an answer to this question. By studying the
job advert and person specification, it can help you think about the requirements that
make you relevant and appropriate for the job role.
• When answering this question, pick up to 3 of your best attributes and expand on
them with some specific examples.
• Stay focused on a couple key strengths that relate directly to the position and the
company. A focused, relevant answer with one or two examples will impress your
interviewer.
• Be careful to walk that fine line between bragging and selling yourself.
• Example: I have an extremely strong work ethic. When I'm working on a project, I don't
want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of
schedule. Last year, I even earned a bonus for completing my three most recent reports
one week ahead of time.
• Another example: If you are applying as a tax accountant, then being "detailed and
thorough" may be a strength that you can talk about.
“What are your weaknesses?”
• Usually the toughest one to answer
• Try not to be too critical when answering this question, but be honest anyway.
• Instead pick some of your weaknesses and try to turn them into a positive by
highlighting how you're trying to overcome it.
• Take this question as an opportunity to prove that you’re a great problem solver.
• Never talk about a real weakness unless it’s something you’ve defeated.
• “Many hiring managers are used to the overused responses, such as, ‘Well, my biggest
weakness is that I work too hard so I need try to take it easy once in a while.’ or 'I'm a
perfectionist.' You can be sure that almost everyone on the interviewing pool will be
saying that.
• The best answer is to discuss a weakness that you’ve turned around, such as, you
used to come in late to work a lot but after your supervisor explained why it was
necessary for you to come in on time, you were never late again.”
• Employers love employees who take the initiative to improve upon themselves.
• Another example: You can say that you are not a particularly good at public speaking,
however you can say that you are taking steps towards being more comfortable on stage
by volunteering for more speaking engagements or even taking a public speaking class.

“Describe your work style.”

• During an interview, an employer may ask about your work style to decide whether you
will fit in well with the company culture and the particular job.
• This question also reveals to the employer whether or not you are self-aware enough to
recognize and clearly communicate your work style.
• Be brief. Focus on a couple elements that you think demonstrate your best qualities and
that fit with the job at hand. If you have a little extra time, consider including a brief
example or two that emphasize your work style.
• When answering this question, it is important to keep the particular job in mind. Avoid
clichés (like “hard worker” and “good communication skills”) and focus on specific
elements of your work style that fit the position and company. Below are a few aspects
of work style that you might want to focus on in your answer:
! Speed and accuracy – If you work quickly and efficiently, you might mention this
in your answer, especially if the job requires meeting tight deadlines. However,
it's important to impress the interviewer with your competency and accuracy,
rather than just your speed. If you say you work at a fast and steady pace,
emphasize the strategies you use to avoid making mistakes.
! Structuring your day – You may want to focus on how you organize your day.
Do you prefer to do your most difficult tasks in the morning? Do you prefer to
focus on one assignment at a time, or multitask? You might also mention how
many hours you typically work. If you are someone who always goes above and
beyond, and stays late to complete tasks, say so.
! Working alone or in collaboration – The employer might want to know if you
prefer to work solo or in collaboration. Think carefully about the job before
 answering this question. Most jobs require at least some collaboration, so even if
you prefer working alone, emphasize that you value others’ input.
! Taking direction – Another important element of your work style is how you like
to communicate with your boss. Do you prefer to take constant direction, or do
you like to be given a task and left alone to complete it? Thinking about your
ideal relationship with your employer will help both you and the interviewer
decide if you are a good fit for the job.
! Your communication style – If this job requires constant communication, you
might want to emphasize how you communicate with employers, staff, and
clients throughout the workday. Do you prefer email, phone conversations, or in-
person meetings? Again, think about what this job requires before you answer.
• Example: I am extremely dependable. I have rarely missed a day of work, and am
known for coming in early and staying late to finish important tasks and achieve results.
This dependability extends to my collaborative work as well. I always meet deadlines,
and help my teammates to meet theirs as well. For example, on my last project, a
teammate was struggling to complete his assignment for the team, and I stayed late
every day that week to help him not only complete his assignment, but exceed our initial
estimations for the project.
• Another example: My work style is extremely flexible – working on so many different
projects requires me to be adaptive. In general, I try to work on one project at a time,
working as quickly but efficiently as possible to achieve the highest results. All of my
projects require collaboration, so I use the team environment to check for errors. I am a
perfectionist and a driven worker, and I think my clear communication skills allow me to
bring out the best in any team, in any project.

“What do you know about this organization?”

• Do your homework. “One of the biggest complaints of hiring managers is that many job
interview candidates know very little about the company they’re interviewing for,”
says Andy Teach, author of From Graduation to Corporation: The Practical Guide to
Climbing the Corporate Ladder One Rung at a Time.
• Google the company you’re interviewing with and read some of the articles that pop up;
study the company’s website; know the company’s mission, its products and
services, its locations, and who their top executives are.
• Also look into areas such as the company structure, finances, customers,
competitors and market trends as these are the key areas.
• You need to show you have a thorough understanding of what the company is about and
how they work. If not, it will look like you have no interest in working for the company.
“How are you different from the competition?”
• It's not uncommon for employers to receive hundreds of applications from eager job
seekers.
• Employers make hiring decisions by comparing these various candidates who are
applying for a position, and sometimes they will ask you to help them to assess what is
distinctive or advantageous about hiring you.
• Make a List of the Priority Job Requirements: Start preparing by analyzing the
requirements for the job that seem to have the highest priority. A detailed job
description within the listing for the position will give you some cues about what the
organization values most from candidates.
• Be prepared to reference each asset and to describe a situation where you used that
strength and any results you helped generate or how your organization has benefited
from your actions.
• For example, your answer might begin with an acknowledgement like, "Of course, I am
not aware of the other candidates in the applicant pool, but I can say that my skills in
Excel are quite advanced. I have created complex macros to track seasonal variations in
sales and expenses which have helped my department to save money."

“Why do you want this job?”

• Answer this question with a response that highlights why you would be a good
candidate for the job and how enthusiastic you are about it.
• Ensure that you show an interest in the job sector, understand the company and their
ethos and show how your skills match their requirements.
• Even if the job comes with a great salary package and amazing benefits, we
suggest not listing these as your biggest motivators.
• Ahead of the interview, spend time checking out the company’s website, press
coverage, and social media pages to get a solid idea about the company’s culture and
vision.
• Focus on how the company’s vision aligns with your professional goals and on what you
can offer the company, not just what the company can offer you.
• Be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role, and mention aspects of the
company and position that appeal to you.
• Example: This is not only a fine opportunity, but this company is a place where my
qualifications can make a difference. As a finance executive well versed in the new stock
options law, I see this position as made to order. It contains the challenge to keep me on
my toes. That's the kind of job I like to anticipate every morning.

“Give us an example of a difficult situation/task and how you dealt with it.”
• This is often asked so that you can express situations in which you used problem-
solving and communication skills to help resolver the situation. It is suggested that
you identify a situation that you assisted in settling through showing emotional
intelligence.
• Employers simply want to see that, when you face a difficult decision or situation, you
are able to handle it. They also want to see what kind of decisions you consider difficult.
 • The logic behind these types of questions is that how you behaved in the past is a
predictor of what you will do in the future.
• When answering these questions, give one or two concrete examples of difficult
situations you have actually faced at work. Then discuss what decisions you had
to make to remedy the situations.
• You want to come across as confident and capable of making big decisions. Avoid
examples that make you seem indecisive or uncertain.
• Also keep your answers positive ("Even though it was a difficult decision to lay off that
particular employee, I did so in an extremely professional manner, and this decision
ultimately led to improvements in efficiency and productivity throughout our
department”). Whatever answer you give, be specific. Itemize what you did and how you
did it.
• The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions is
to refresh your memory. Skim through your resume and reflect on some special
situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on.
• You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when
you have successfully solved a difficult situation.
• Example: Decisions I have to make within a team are difficult, only because these
decisions take more time and require deliberate communication between team
members. For example, I was working on a team project, and my colleagues and I had
to make a number of choices about how to use our limited budget. Because these
decisions involved group conversations, our team learned how to communicate
effectively with one another, and I believe we ultimately made the best decisions for the
team.

“What are your goals for the next 5/10 years?”

• Employers want to be sure that you won't be moving on to another job right away. This
question is also a good way for them to determine if your career goals are a good fit for
the company.
• “What employers are really asking is, ‘Is this job even close to your presumed career
path? Are you just applying to this job because you need something? Are your long-term
career plans similar to what we see for this role? How realistic are your expectations for
your career? Have you even thought about your career long-term? Are you going to quit
after a year or two?’” says Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of FlexJobs.
• Show them that you’ve done some self-assessment and career planning. Let them
know that you hope to develop professionally and take on additional
responsibilities at that particular company.
• Reassure them by explaining how the job role fits your career plan, as this will
display your long-term commitment to the job, the company, and the industry.
• Don't discuss your goals for returning to school or having a family - they are not relevant
and could knock you out of contention for the job. Rather, you want to connect your
answer to the job you are applying for.
• Example: My long-term goals involve growing with a company where I can continue to
learn, take on additional responsibilities, and contribute as much of value as I can.
 • Another example: I see myself as a top performing employee in a well-established
organization, like this one. I plan on enhancing my skills and continuing my involvement
in professional associations.

“How do you plan to achieve those goals?”

• Give concrete examples based on your answer to the previous question.
• A good answer to this question will speak specifically about what you are going to
accomplish and how you are going to accomplish it.
• Examples of good responses include:
! I plan on gaining additional skills by taking related classes and continuing my
involvement with a variety of professional associations.
! I noticed that XYZ company (the company you are interviewing with) provides in-
house training for employees and I would certainly be interested in taking classes
that would be relevant.
! I will continue my professional development my participating in conferences,
attending seminars, and continuing my education.

“Do you work well with other people?”

• Companies want to know how you work well with other people and you'll need to say
more than that you enjoy working with others, which is the standard response.
• It's important to think about how you work with others because even if your role in the
company doesn't require a lot of communication, you will still need to deal with those you
work with in a professional and personable manner. In addition, regardless of the job,
employers don't want to hire people who are difficult to get along with because that will
cause workplace issues and conflicts. It can make sense to screen out applicants who
don't have strong people skills, even if they have solid qualifications for the job.
• Anyone can say that they work well with people, but it's important to show hiring
managers how you accomplish it.
• In addition to specifying how you work well with managers, co-workers, customers,
vendors, and others, you should also speak to what you accomplish during those
interactions. Here are some examples of what your people skills might allow you to do:
! Motivate subordinates to improve performance.
! Lead group discussions in a way that incorporates diverse views and draws
consensus.
! Develop a comfortable rapport with clients and determine their preferences for
products and services.
! Listen actively and emphatically to encourage clients to share their feelings and
problems.
! Create and delivering training sessions which engage the audience in active
learning.
! Provide difficult news to employees targeted for layoffs.
! Mediate conflicts between employees or with clients.
! Resolve customer complaints with patience and creativity.
 • The next key to interview success is to give examples of situations at work where
you have used these people skills. Prepare concrete examples to convince employers
that you actually possess those strengths.
• Your examples should convey how, when, and where you applied your skills or
interests and the outcomes. Personalize your examples so they reflect your skills and
experience as they relate to the job for which you are applying.
• Example: Working on a number of team projects has allowed me to develop my ability to
communicate clearly with others, and mediate conflicts between team members. For
example, on a recent project, two of my teammates were having trouble coming to an
agreement about how to approach an element of the project. I listened to each of their
concerns, and got everyone to sit down and come up with a solution that would make
everyone happy. Because of my ability to listen to others and mediate conflict, we were
able to finish our project ahead of schedule, and even received commendation from our
employer for the high quality of our project.

“How do you handle failure/criticism?”

• Speak out as if failure/criticism is the best way to learn and improve.
• Criticism: Say that you never take criticism personally and quote a few instances that
depicts your capacity in handling criticism.
• Failure: They will want to learn how you maintain your composure, attitude, energy and
focus when you aren't successful.
• Recruiters will also want to determine if you have the confidence to admit your failings
and learn from your mistakes.
• The best approach to this kind of question is to identify some scenarios when you
came up short on the job in advance of your interview. Choose situations where you
took responsibility for your failure, learned from it and took steps to avoid
recurrences of similar failures.
• Typically it is safer to cite failures that were not very recent. Be ready to describe your
strategy for self-improvement in detail and to reference subsequent successes you
achieved after taking those steps.
• Your response to this question can begin with a general summary of your approach.
! For example, you might lead with a statement like: "I have always lived by the
maxim that nobody is perfect, so I am relatively comfortable taking responsibility
for my shortcomings. My approach is to figure out what I could change to avoid
similar circumstances in the future. I look to my professional colleagues in
similar jobs and co-workers at my organization for suggestions on how to
improve. I am aggressive about taking workshops, training seminars and online
tutorials to upgrade my skills."
• Share an Example
! Employers will likely follow up with a request for you to provide an example of a
failure that you addressed, so be ready to furnish something like this: "When I
was managing the Park Side Restaurant in 2010, I experienced a year without
revenue growth after several years of substantial increases. As I analyzed the
situation, I realized that some of my competitors were grabbing a segment of my
 customers by using online advertising/promotions and implementing a social
media strategy. I recognized the need to move aggressively into the future, and
mastered some digital marketing skills. I attended several workshops at the
annual conference, took a class in digital marketing and hired a tech savvy intern
to help introduce a new marketing strategy. We restructured our website,
instituted a loyalty program, partnered with Groupon and initiated a Facebook
campaign. After implementing these changes, our revenues increased by 15% in
the next quarter.”
• What Not to Say
! Finally, avoid references to any failures that expose inadequacies that limit your
ability to carry out core components of the job.
! The only exception to this rule would be if you could tell a very compelling story
about how you eliminated those weaknesses. But again, be careful. You don’t
want to leave the employer with the impression that you don’t have the
qualifications to succeed on the job.

“What motivates you?”

• No right or wrong answer
• The interviewer is just trying to understand the key to your being successful in the job.
This question also shows interviewer whether or not you are aware of what you value in
a job and work environment.
• A good answer to this question will provide an honest assessment of what motivates
you, but is still connected to the particular job and/or company. Your answer
should also include examples from previous jobs or volunteer work to demonstrate your
experience.
• Example: I have always been motivated by the desire to meet a deadline. Setting and
reaching deadlines gives me such a sense of accomplishment. I love creating an
organized schedule for completing a task, and achieving my deadlines. For example,
when I ran a fundraising event last year, I set multiple deadlines for a variety of tasks
leading up to the event. Achieving each deadline motivated me to keep working, and
made the event run smoothly.

“Why should we hire you?”

• A hiring manager may not ask you this question directly but every question you answer
in the interview should contribute to helping them understand why you’re the best person
for the job. “Stay focused on why your background makes you an ideal candidate and
tell them how you are going to contribute to that department and that company,” Teach
says. “Let the interviewer know that one of your goals is to make their job easier by
taking on as much responsibility as possible and that you will be excited about this job
starting on day one.”
• Match Your Qualifications to the Job Listing: Salpeter suggests you print and
highlight the job description, looking for the top three or four most important details. “Do
they include terms such as, ‘cross-functional team,’ ‘team work,’ and ‘team player’
 several times?” If so, your answer to, “Why should we hire you?” (asked directly or as an
underlying question) should mention and focus on your abilities as they relate to teams.
• Keep it Concise: You want your answer to be brief – no more than a minute or two
long. Therefore, select one or two specific qualities from the list you created to
emphasize in your “sales pitch.” Begin by explaining what you believe the employer is
looking for, and how you fulfill that need.
• Your answer to this question should be a concise “sales pitch” that explains what you
have to offer the employer.
• The best way to respond is to give concrete examples of why your skills and
accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job. Take a few moments to
compare the job description with your abilities, as well as mentioning what you have
accomplished in your other positions.

“Why shouldn't we hire you?”

• This is a tricky question that can force you to think on your feet if you aren't prepared.
• The best answers start with the phrase, "You shouldn't hire me if ...." Then, complete
that phrase with a quality that can be seen as a strength within the right corporate
culture or work role. In another corporate setting or job, this same quality might not be
embraced.
• For example, if you prefer jobs and companies that reward independent thinking, you
might say, "You shouldn't hire me if you are looking someone who thrives in an
environment where management strictly prescribes how each task should be performed.
I work better when given some general guidelines with a desired outcome and then am
allowed some leeway regarding how I would carry out that task".
• Another example might be to emphasize a personality trait that might be viewed
favorably in some jobs, but not in others. For example, you might say, "You shouldn't
hire me if an extrovert wouldn't fit in well at your company or in this job. I thrive on
interaction with colleagues and customers. I can stay on task, but building positive
relationships with people is my clear priority."