Question 1

Tell me about yourself.

TRAPS
: Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this innocent question. Manycandidates, unreared for the question, s!ewer the"selves by ra"bling,
recaingtheir life story, delving into ancient wor! history or ersonal "atters.
BEST ANSWER:
#tart with the resent and tell why you are well qualified for theosition. $e"e"ber that the !ey to all successful interviewing is to "atch your qualifications to
what the interviewer is loo!ing for. %n other words
you must sell what thebuyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.
#o, before you answer this or
any
question it&s i"erative that you try to uncover your interviewer&s greatest need, want, roble" or goal.'o do so, "a!e you ta!e these two stes:
(.
)o all the ho"ewor! you can before the interview to uncover
this person's
wantsand needs *not the generali+ed needs of the industry or co"any,-..s early as you can in the interview, as! for a "ore co"lete descrition of
whatthe osition entails. /ou "ight say: % have a nu"ber of acco"lish"ents %&d li!eto tell you about, but % want to "a!e the best use of our ti"e together
and tal!directly to your needs. 'o hel "e do, that, could you tell "e "ore about the"ost i"ortant riorities of this osition0 .ll % !now is what % *heard fro"
therecruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.,'hen,
ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly third !uestion
, to draw out hisneeds even "ore. #urrisingly, it&s usually this
second
or
third
question that unearthswhat the interviewer is
most
loo!ing for./ou "ight as! si"ly, 1.nd in addition to that0...1 or, 1%s there anything else you see asessential to success in this osition0:'his rocess will not
feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier si"ly to answer questions, but only if you uncover the e"loyer&s wants and needs will your answers"a!e
the "ost sense. 2ractice as!ing these !ey questions before giving your answers,the rocess will feel "ore natural
and you will be light years ahead of the other jobcandidates you're competing with
..fter uncovering what the e"loyer is loo!ing for, describe why the needs of this 3obbear stri!ing arallels to tas!s you&ve succeeded at before. Be sure to
illustrate withsecific e4a"les of your resonsibilities and esecially your achieve"ents, all of whichare geared to resent yourself as a erfect "atch for the
needs he has 3ust described.
Question 2
What are your greatest strengths"
TRAPS:
'his question see"s li!e a softball lob, but be reared. /ou don&t want toco"e across as egotistical or arrogant. 5either is this a ti"e to be hu"ble.
BEST ANSWER:
/ou !now that your !ey strategy is to first uncover your interviewer&sgreatest wants and needs before you answer questions. .nd fro" 6uestion (, you
!nowhow to do this.2rior to any interview, you should have a list "entally reared of your greateststrengths. /ou should also have, a secific e4a"le or
two, which illustrates eachstrength, an e4a"le chosen fro" your "ost recent and "ost i"ressive achieve"ents./ou should, have this list of your greatest
strengths and corresonding e4a"les fro"your achieve"ents so well co""itted to "e"ory that you can recite the" cold after being sha!en awa!e at
-:70.M.'hen, once you uncover your interviewer&s greatest wants and needs, you can choosethose achieve"ents fro" your list that best "atch u..s a
general guideline, the (0 "ost desirable traits that all e"loyers love to see in their e"loyees are:
(.
. roven trac! record as an achiever...
especially if your achie#ements matchup with the employer's greatest wants and needs.
- . % n t e l l i g e n c e . . . " a n a g e " e n t 1 s a v v y 1 . 7 . 8 o n e s t y . . . i n t e g r i t y . . . a d e c e n t h u "a n b e i n g . 9. :ood f i t wi t h
cor or at e cul t ur e. . . s o"eone t o f eel co"f or t abl e wi t h. . . a t ea"layer who "eshes well with interviewer&s
tea".; . < i ! e a b i l i t y. . . o s i t i v e a t t i t u d e . . . s e n s e o f h u "o r . = . : o o d c o " " u n i c a t i o n
s ! i l l s . >. )edi cat i on. . . wi l l i ngnes s t o wal ! t he e4 t r a "i l e t o achi ev e
e4 cel l ence. 8 . ) e f i n i t e n e s s o f u r o s e . . . c l e a r g o a l s . ? . @ n t h u s i a s " . . . h i g h l e v e l o f "o t i v a t i o n . ( 0 . A o n f i d e n
t . . . h e a l t h y . . . a l e a d e r .
Question 3
What are your greatest wea$nesses"

TRAPS
: Beware B this is an eli"inator question, designed to shorten the candidate list..ny ad"ission of a wea!ness or fault will earn you an . for honesty, but an
C for theinterview.
PASSABLE ANSWER:
)isguise a strength as a wea!ness.
%&ample'
% so"eti"es ush "y eole too hard. % li!e to wor! with a sense of urgencyand everyone is not always on the sa"e wavelength.
(rawbac$'
'his strategy is better than ad"itting a flaw, but it&s so widely used, it istransarent to any e4erienced interviewer
BEST ANSWER
: *and another reason it&s so i"ortant to get a thorough descrition of your interviewer&s needs
before
you answer questions,: .ssure the interviewer that youcan thin! of nothing that would stand in the way of your erfor"ing in this osition withe4cellence.
'hen, quic!ly review you strongest qualifications.
%&ample'
5obody&s erfect, but based on what you&ve told "e about this osition, %believe %& d "a!e an outstanding "atch. % !now that when % hire eole, % loo! for
twothings "ost of all. )o they have the
!ualifications
to do the 3ob well, and the
moti#ation
to do it well0 @verything in "y bac!ground shows % have both the qualifications and astrong desire to achieve e4cellence in whatever % ta!e on. #o % can say
in all honesty that% see nothing that would cause you even a s"all concern about "y ability or "y strongdesire to erfor" this 3ob with e4cellence.
Alternate strategy
*if you don&t yet !now enough about the osition to tal! about such aerfect fit,:%nstead of confessing a wea!ness, describe what you
li$e most
and
li$e least
, "a!ingsure that what you li!e "ost "atches u with the "ost i"ortant qualification for success in the osition, and what you li!e least is not essential.
%&ample'
<et&s say you&re alying for a teaching osition. %f given a choice, % li!e tosend as "uch ti"e as ossible in front of "y rosects selling, as oosed to
shufflingaerwor! bac! at the office. Df course, % long ago learned the i"ortance of filingaerwor! roerly, and % do it conscientiously. But what % really
love to do is sell *if your interviewer were a sales "anager, this should be "usic to his ears.,
Question 4
Tell me about something you did ) or failed to do )that you now feel a little ashamed of.
TRAPS:
'here are so"e questions your interviewer has no business as!ing, and this isone. But while you "ay feel li!e answering,
none of your business*
naturally you canEt.#o"e interviewers as! this question on the chance you ad"it to so"ething, but if not, atleast theyEll see how you thin! on your feet.#o"e
unreared candidates, flustered by this question, unburden the"selves of guiltfro" their ersonal life or career, erhas e4ressing regrets regarding a
arent,souse, child, etc. .ll such answers can be disastrous.
BEST ANSWER:
.s with faults and wea!nesses,
ne#er confess a regret.
But donEtsee" as if youEre stonewalling either.
+est strategy'
#ay you harbor no regrets, then add a rincile or habit you racticeregularly for healthy hu"an relations.
%&ample'
2ause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you. 'hen say, /ou!now, % really canEt thin! of anything. *2ause again, then add,: % would add that
as ageneral "anage"ent rincile, %Eve found that the best way to avoid regrets is to avoidcausing the" in the first lace. % ractice one habit that hels "e a
great deal in thisregard. .t the end of each day, % "entally review the dayEs events and conversations tota!e a second loo! at the eole and develo"ents
%E" involved with and do a
doublechec! of what theyEre li!ely to be feeling. #o"eti"es %Ell see things that do need"ore followBu, whether a at on the bac!, or "aybe a five "inute chat
in so"eoneEsoffice to "a!e sure weEre clear on thingsFwhatever.% also li!e to "a!e each erson feel li!e a "e"ber of an elite tea", li!e the BostonAeltics
or <. <a!ers in their ri"e. %Eve found that if you let each tea" "e"ber !nowyou e4ect e4cellence in their erfor"anceFif you wor! hard to set an
e4a"leyourselfFand if you let eole !now you areciate and resect their feelings, you windu with a highly "otivated grou, a tea" thatEs having fun at
wor! because theyErestriving for e4cellence rather than brooding over slights or regrets.
Question 5
Why are you lea#ing ,or did you lea#e- this position"
TRAPS:
5ever bad"outh your revious industry, co"any, board, boss, staff,e"loyees or custo"ers. 'his rule is inviolable:
ne#er be negati#e.
.ny "ud you hurlwill only soil your suit.@secially avoid words li!e ersonality clash, didnEt get along, or others which cast ashadow on your co"etence,
integrity, or te"era"ent.
BEST ANSWER:
,.f you ha#e a job presently-
%f youEre not yet (00% co""itted to leaving your resent ost, donEt be afraid to say so.#ince you have a 3ob, you are in a stronger osition than so"eone
who does not. ButdonEt be coy either. #tate honestly what youEd be hoing to find in a new sot. Df course, as stated often before, you answer will all the
stronger if you have alreadyuncovered what this osition is all about and you "atch your desires to it.
,.f you do not presently ha#e a job.-
5ever lie about having been fired. %tEs unethical G and too easily chec!ed. But do try todeflect the reason fro" you ersonally. %f your firing was the result of a
ta!eover,"erger, division wide layoff, etc., so "uch the better.But you should also do so"ething totally unnatural that will de"onstrate
consu""aterofessionalis". @ven
if it
hurts , describe your own firing G candidly, succinctly andwithout a trace of bitterness G fro" the
company/s
ointBofBview, indicating that youcould understand why it haened and you "ight have "ade the sa"e decisionyourself./our stature will rise i""ensely and,
"ost i"ortant of all, you will show you are healedfro" the wounds inflicted by the firing. /ou will enhance your i"age as firstBclass"anage"ent "aterial and
stand head and shoulders above the legions of firing victi"swho, at the slightest rovocation, +i oen their shirts to e4ose their battle scars anddecry the
unfairness of it all.
0or all prior positions'
Ma!e sure youEve reared a brief reason for leaving.
+est reasons'
"ore "oney,oortunity, resonsibility or growth
.
Question 6
The 1Silent Treatment*
TRAPS:

+eware
G if you are unreared for this question, you will robably not handleit right and ossibly blow the interview. 'han! goodness "ost interviewers donEt
e"loyit. %tEs nor"ally used by those deter"ined to see how you resond under stress. 8ereEshow it wor!s:/ou answer an interviewerEs question and then,
instead of as!ing another, he 3ust staresat you in a deafening silence./ou wait, growing a bit uneasy, and there he sits, silent as Mt. $ush"ore, as if hedoesnEt
believe what youEve 3ust said, or erhas "a!ing you feel that youEve unwittinglyviolated so"e cardinal rule of interview etiquette.Hhen you get this
silent treat"ent after answering a articularly difficult question , suchas tell "e about your wea!nesses, its inti"idating effect can be "ost
disquieting, evento olished 3ob hunters.Most unreared candidates rush in to fill the void of silence, viewing rolonged,unco"fortable silences as an
invitation to clear u the revious answer which hasobviously caused so"e roble". .nd thatEs what they do G ra"ble on, suttering "oreand "ore
infor"ation, so"eti"es irrelevant and often da"aging, because they aresuddenly laying the role of so"eone whoEs goofed and is now trying to
recou. Butsince the candidate doesnEt !now where or how he goofed, he 3ust !ees tal!ing,showing how flustered and confused he is by the interviewerEs
un"ovable silence.
BEST ANSWER:
<i!e a ri"itive tribal "as!, the #ilent 'reat"ent loses all it ower tofrighten you once you refuse to be inti"idated. %f your interviewer ulls it, !ee
quietyourself for a while and then as!, with sincere oliteness and not a trace of sarcas",
1.sthere anything else . can fill in on that point"*
'hatEs all there is to it.Hhatever you do, donEt let the #ilent 'reat"ent inti"idate you into tal!ing a blue strea!,because you could easily tal! yourself out of the
osition.
Question 7
Why should . hire you"
TRAPS:
Believe it or not, this is a !iller question because so "any candidates areunreared for it. %f you sta""er or adlib youEve blown it.
BEST ANSWER:
By now you can see how critical it is to aly the overall strategy of uncovering the e"loyerEs needs
before
you answer questions. %f you !now thee"loyerEs greatest needs and desires, this question will give you a big leg u over other candidates because you will
give hi" better reasons for hiring you than anyone else isli!ely toFreasons tied directly to his needs.Hhether your interviewer as!s you this question
e&plicitly
or not, this is the "osti"ortant question of your interview because he
must
answer this question favorably inis own "ind before you will be hired.
So help him out2
Hal! through each of the
ositionEs require"ents as you understand the", and follow each with a reason why you"eet that require"ent so well.
%&ample'
.s % understand your needs, you are first and fore"ost loo!ing for so"eonewho can "anage the sales and "ar!eting of your boo! ublishing division. .s
youEvesaid you need so"eone with a strong bac!ground in trade boo! sales. 'his is where%Eve sent al"ost all of "y career, so %Eve chal!ed u (8 years of
e4erience e4actly inthis area. % believe that % !now the right contacts, "ethods, rinciles, and successful"anage"ent techniques as well as any erson can
in our industry./ou also need so"eone who can e4and your boo! distribution channels. %n "y rior ost, "y innovative ro"otional ideas doubled, then
triled, the nu"ber of outlets sellingour boo!s. %E" confident % can do the sa"e for you./ou need so"eone to give a new shot in the ar" to your "ail order
sales, so"eonewho !nows how to sell in sace and direct "ail "edia. 8ere, too, % believe % havee4actly the e4erience you need. %n the last five years, %Eve
increased our "ail order boo! sales fro" I=00,000 to I-,800,000, and now weEre the countryEs second leading"ar!eter of scientific and "edical boo!s
by "ail.
%tc. etc. etc.
@very one of these selling coulets *his need "atched by your qualifications, is atouchdown that runs u your score. %' is your best oortunity to outsell
your co"etition.
Question 8
Aren/t you o#er!ualified for this position"
TRAPS:
'he e"loyer "ay be concerned that youEll grow dissatisfied and leave.
BEST ANSWER:
.s with any ob3ection, donEt view this as a sign of i""inent defeat.%tEs an invitation to teach the interviewer a new way to thin! about this situation,
seeingadvantages instead of drawbac!s.
%&ample'
% recogni+e the 3ob "ar!et for what it is G a "ar!etlace. <i!e any"ar!etlace, itEs sub3ect to the laws of suly and de"and. #o JoverqualifiedE can be
arelative ter", deending on how tight the 3ob "ar!et is. .nd right now, itEs very tight. %understand and accet that.% also believe that there could be very
ositive benefits for both of us in this "atch.Because of "y unusually strong e4erience in KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK , % could start tocontribute right away,
erhas "uch faster than so"eone whoEd have to be broughtalong "ore slowly.'hereEs also the value of all the training and years of e4erience that other
co"anieshave invested tens of thousands of dollars to give "e. /ouEd be getting all the value of that without having to ay an e4tra di"e for it. Hith
so"eone who has yet to acquirethat e4erience, heEd have to gain it on
your

nic$el.
% could also hel you in "any things they donEt teach at the 8arvard Business #chool.Cor e4a"leF*how to hire, train, "otivate, etc., Hhen it co"es to
!nowing how to wor!well with eole and getting the "ost out of the", thereEs 3ust no substitute for what youlearn over "any years of frontBline
e4erience. /ou co"any would gain all this, too.Cro" "y side, there are strong benefits, as well. $ight now, % a" une"loyed. % wantto wor!,
#ery much
, and the osition you have here is e4actly what % love to do and a"best at. %Ell be hay doing this wor! and thatEs what "atters "ost to "e, a lot "ore
that"oney or title.Most i"ortant, %E" loo!ing to "a!e a long ter" co""it"ent in "y career now. %Eve hadenough of 3obBhunting and want a er"anent sot
at this oint in "y career. % also !nowthat if % erfor" this 3ob with e4cellence, other oortunities cannot hel but oen u for "e right here. %n ti"e, %Ell find
"any other ways to hel this co"any and in so doing,hel "yself. % really a" loo!ing to "a!e a longBter" co""it"ent.5D'@: 'he "ain concern behind
the overqualified question is that you will leave your new e"loyer as soon as so"ething better co"es your way. .nything you can say tode"onstrate the
sincerity of your co""it"ent to the e"loyer and reassure hi" thatyouEre loo!ing to stay for the longBter" will hel you overco"e this ob3ection.
Question 9
Where do you see yourself fi#e years from now"
TRAPS:
Dne reason interviewers as! this question is to see if youEre settling for thisosition, using it "erely as a stoover until so"ething better co"es along. Dr
theycould be trying to gauge your level of a"bition.%f youEre too secific, i.e., na"ing the ro"otions you so"eday hoe to win, youEll soundresu"tuous. %f
youEre too vague, youEll see" rudderless.
BEST ANSWER:
$eassure your interviewer that youEre loo!ing to "a!e a longBter"co""it"entFthat this osition entails e4actly what youEre loo!ing to do and what you
doe4tre"ely well. .s for your future, you believe that if you erfor" each 3ob at hand withe4cellence, future oortunities will ta!e care of the"selves.
%&ample'
% a" definitely interested in "a!ing a longBter" co""it"ent to "y ne4tosition. Ludging by what youEve told "e about this osition, itEs e4actly what %E"
loo!ingfor and what % a" very well qualified to do. %n ter"s of "y future career ath, %E"confident that if % do "y wor! with e4cellence, oortunities will
inevitable oen u for "e. %tEs always been that way in "y career, and %E" confident %Ell have si"ilar oortunities here.
Question 10
(escribe your ideal company location and job.
TRAPS:
'his is often as!ed by an e4erienced interviewer who thin!s you "ay beoverqualified, but !nows better than to show his hand by osing his ob3ection
directly.#o heEll use this question instead, which often gets a candidate to reveal that, indeed, heor she is loo!ing for so"ething other than the osition at
hand.
BEST ANSWER:
'he only right answer is to describe what this co"any is offering,being sure to "a!e your answer believable with secific reasons, stated with sincerity,why
each quality reresented by this oortunity is attractive to you.$e"e"ber that if youEre co"ing fro" a co"any thatEs the leader in its field or fro"
agla"orous or "uch ad"ired co"any, industry, city or osition, your interviewer and hisco"any "ay well have an .vis co"le4. 'hat is, they "ay feel a
bit defensive aboutbeing second best to the lace youEre co"ing fro", worried that you "ay consider the" bush league.'his an4iety could well be there
even though youEve done nothing to insire it. /ou "ustgo out of your way to assuage such an4iety, even if itEs not e4ressed, by utting
their
virtues high on the list of e4actly what youEre loo!ing for, roviding credible reason for wanting these qualities.%f you do not e4ress genuine enthusias" for
the fir", its culture, location, industry, etc.,you "ay fail to answer this .vis co"le4 ob3ection and, as a result, leave theinterviewer susecting that a hot shot
li!e you, co"ing fro" a Cortune ;00 co"any in5ew /or!, 3ust wouldnEt be hay at an un!nown "anufacturer based in 'oe!a,Mansas.
Question 11
Why do you want to wor$ at our company"
TRAPS:
'his question tests whether youEve done any ho"ewor! about the fir". %f youhavenEt, you lose. %f you have, you win big.
BEST ANSWER:
'his question is your oortunity to hit the ball out of the ar!, than!sto the inBdeth research you should do before any interview.Best sources
for researching your target co"any: annual reorts, the cororatenewsletter, contacts you !now at the co"any or its suliers, advertise"ents,
articlesabout the co"any in the trade ress.
Question 12
What are your career options right now"
TRAPS:
'he interviewer is trying to find out,
13ow desperate are you"*
BEST ANSWER:
2reare for this question by thin!ing of how you can osition yourself as a desired co""odity. %f you are still wor!ing, describe the ossibilities at
your resent fir" and why, though youEre greatly areciated there, youEre loo!ing for so"ething "ore *challenge, "oney, resonsibility, etc.,. .lso "ention
that youEreseriously e4loring oortunities with one or two other fir"s.
%f youEre not wor!ing, you can tal! about other e"loy"ent ossibilities youEre actuallye4loring. But do this with a light touch, sea!ing only in general
ter"s. /ou donEt wantto see" "aniulative or coy.
Question 13
Why ha#e you been out of wor$ so long"
TRAPS:
. tough question if youEve been on the beach a long ti"e. /ou donEt want tosee" li!e da"aged goods.
BEST ANSWER:
/ou want to e"hasi+e factors which have rolonged your 3ob searchby your own choice.
%&ample'
.fter "y 3ob was ter"inated, % "ade a conscious decision not to 3u" on thefirst oortunities to co"e along. %n "y life, %Eve found out that you can always
turn anegative into a ositive %C you try hard enough. 'his is what % deter"ined to do. %decided to ta!e whatever ti"e % needed to thin! through what % do best,
what % "ost wantto do, where %Ed li!e to do itFand then identify those co"anies that could offer such anoortunity..lso, in all honesty, you have to factor
in the recession *consolidation, stabili+ation, etc.,in the *ban!ing, financial services, "anufacturing, advertising, etc., industry.#o between "y being selective
and the co"anies in our industry downsi+ing, therocess has ta!en ti"e. But in the end, %E" convinced that when % do find the right"atch, all that careful
evaluation fro" both sides of the des! will have been wellworthwhile for both the co"any that hires "e and "yself.
Question 14
Tell me honestly about the strong points and wea$ points of your boss ,company management teametc.-4
TRAPS:
#!illfull interviewers so"eti"es "a!e it al"ost irresistible to oen u and air alittle dirty laundry fro" your revious osition. )D5E'
BEST ANSWER:
$e"e"ber the rule: 5ever be negative. #tress only the good oints,no "atter how char"ingly youEre invited to be critical./our interviewer doesnEt care a whit
about your revious boss. 8e wants to find out howloyal and ositive you are, and whether youEll critici+e hi" behind his bac! if ressed todo so by so"eone
in this own co"any. 'his question is your oortunity tode"onstrate your loyalty to those you wor! with
Question 15
What good boo$s ha#e you read lately"
TRAPS:
.s in all "atters of your interview, never fa!e fa"iliarity you donEt have. /etyou donEt want to see" li!e a dullard who hasnEt read a boo! since
Tom Sawyer.
BEST ANSWER:
Nnless youEre u for a osition in acade"ia or as boo! critic for
The5ew Yor$ Times
, youEre not e4ected to be a literary lion. But it wouldnEt hurt to haveread a handful of the "ost recent and influential boo!s in your rofession and
on"anage"ent.Aonsider it art of the wor! of your 3ob search to read u on a few of these leadingboo!s. But "a!e sure they are
!uality
boo!s that reflect favorably uon you, nothingthat could even re"otely be considered suerficial. Cinally, add a recently ublishedbestselling wor! of fiction by
a worldBclass author and youEll ass this question with flyingcolors.
Question 16
Tell me about a situation when your wor$ wascritici6ed.
TRAPS:
'his is a tough question because itEs a "ore clever and subtle way to get youto ad"it to a wea!ness. /ou canEt dodge it by retending youEve never been
critici+ed.@verybody has been. /et it can be quite da"aging to start ad"itting otential faults andfailures that youEd 3ust as soon leave buried.'his question is
also intended to robe how well you accet criticis" and direction.
BEST ANSWERS:
Begin by e"hasi+ing the e4tre"ely ositive feedbac! youEve gottenthroughout your career and *if itEs true, that your erfor"ance reviews have
beenunifor"ly e4cellent.Df course, no one is erfect and you always welco"e suggestions on how to i"roveyour erfor"ance. 'hen, give an e4a"le of a
notBtooBda"aging learning e4eriencefro"
early
in your career and relate the ways this lesson has since heled you. 'hisde"onstrates that you learned fro" the e4erience and the lesson is now one of
thestrongest breastlates in your suit of ar"or.%f you are ressed for a criticis" fro" a
recent
osition, choose so"ething fairly trivialthat in no way is essential to your successful erfor"ance. .dd that youEve learned fro"this, too, and over the ast
several yearsO"onths, itEs no longer an area of concernbecause you now "a!e it a regular ractice toFetc..nother way to answer this question would be to
describe your intention to broaden your "aster of an area of growing i"ortance in your field. Cor e4a"le, this "ight be aco"uter rogra" youEve been
"eaning to sit down and learnF a new "anage"enttechnique youEve read aboutFor erhas attending a se"inar on so"e cuttingBedgebranch of your
rofession..gain, the !ey is to focus on so"ething
not essential
to your brilliant erfor"ance butwhich adds yet another di"ension to your already i"ressive !nowledge base
Question 17
What are your outside interests"
TRAPS:
/ou want to be a wellBrounded, not a drone. But your otential e"loyer would be even "ore turned off if he susects that your heavy e4tracurricular load
willinterfere with your co""it"ent to your wor! duties.
BEST ANSWERS:
'ry to gauge how this co"anyEs culture would loo! uon your favorite outside activities and be guided accordingly./ou can also use this question to shatter
any stereotyes that could li"it your chances.%f youEre over ;0, for e4a"le, describe your activities that de"onstrate hysicalsta"ina. %f youEre young,
"ention an activity that connotes wisdo" and institutionaltrust, such as serving on the board of a oular charity.But above all, re"e"ber that your e"loyer
is hiring your for what you can do
for him
,not your fa"ily, yourself or outside organi+ations, no "atter how ad"irable thoseactivities "ay be.
Question 18
The 10atal 0law* !uestion
TRAPS:
%f an interviewer has read your resu"e carefully, he "ay try to +ero in on afatal flaw of your candidacy, erhas that you donEt have a college degreeF
youEvebeen out of the 3ob "ar!et for so"e ti"eFyou never earned your A2., etc.. fatal flaw question can be deadly, but usually only if you resond by being
overlydefensive.
BEST ANSWERS:
.s every "aster saleserson !nows, you will encounter ob3ections*whether stated or "erely thought, in
e#ery
sale. 'heyEre art and arcel of the buyerEsan4iety. 'he !ey is not to
e&acerbate
the buyerEs an4iety but
diminish
it. 8ereEs howFHhenever you co"e u against a fatal flaw question:( . B e c o " l e t e l y h o n e s t , o e n a n d s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d
a b o u t a d "i t t i n g t h e shortco"ing. *#howing you have nothing to hide di"inishes the buyerEsan4iety.,
-.
)o
not
aologi+e or try to e4lain it away. /ou !now that this suosed flawis nothing to be concerned about, and this is the attitude you want your interviewer to
adot as well.7 . . d d t h a t a s d e s i r a b l e a s s u c h a q u a l i f i c a t i o n "i g h t b e , i t s l a c ! h a s "a d e y o u wor! all the harder
throughout your career and has not revented you fro"co"iling an outstanding tac! record of achieve"ents. /ou "ight even givee4a"les of how, through
a relentless co""it"ent to e4cellence, you haveconsistently outerfor"ed those who do have this qualification.Df course, the ulti"ate way to handle fatal
flaw questions is to
pre#ent them from
arising in the first lace. /ou will do that by following the "aster strategy described in6uestion (, i.e., uncovering the e"loyers needs and the" "atching
your qualificationsto those needs
Dnce youEve gotten the e"loyer to start tal!ing about his "ost urgentlyBfelt wants andgoals for the osition, and then hel hi" see in steBbyBste fashion
how erfectly your bac!ground and achieve"ents "atch u with those needs, youEre going to have onevery enthusiastic interviewer on your hands, one who
is no longer loo!ing for fatalflaws.
Question 19
3ow do you feel about reporting to a younger person,minority woman etc-"
TRAPS:
%tEs a sha"e that so"e interviewers feel the need to as! this question, but"any understand the reality that re3udices still e4ist a"ong so"e 3ob candidates,
anditEs better to try to flush the" out beforehand.'he tra here is that in todayEs olitically sensiti+ed environ"ent, even a
well-intentioned
answer can result in lanting your foot neatly in your "outh. .void anything whichs"ac!s of a atroni+ing or an insensitive attitude, such as % thin! they
"a!e terrificbosses or 8ey, so"e of "y best friends areFDf course, since al"ost anyone with an %6 above roo" te"erature will at least try tosteadfastly
affir" the right answer here, your interviewer will be 3udging your
sincerity
"ost of all.
1(o you really feel that way"*
is what he or she will be wondering.#o you "ust "a!e your answer believable and not 3ust auto"atic. %f the fir" is wiseenough to have ro"oted eoled on
the basis of ability alone, theyEre li!ely quite roudof it, and refer to hire others who will wholeheartedly share their strong sense of fair lay.
BEST ANSWER:
/ou greatly ad"ire a co"any that hires and ro"otes on "erit aloneand you couldnEt agree "ore with that hilosohy. 'he age *gender, race, etc., of
theerson you reort to would
certainly
"a!e no difference to you.Hhoever has that osition has obviously earned it and !nows their 3ob well. Both theerson and the osition are fully deserving of
resect. /ou believe that all eole in aco"any, fro" the recetionist to the Ahair"an, wor! best when their abilities, effortsand feelings are resected and
rewarded fairly, and that includes you. 'hatEs the besttye of wor! environ"ent you can hoe to find.
Question 20
7n confidential matters4
TRAPS:
Hhen an interviewer resses you to reveal confidential infor"ation about aresent or for"er e"loyer, you "ay feel itEs a noBwin situation. %f you cooerate,
youcould be 3udged untrustworthy. %f you donEt, you "ay irritate the interviewer and see"obstinate, uncooerative or overly susicious.
BEST ANSWER:
/our interviewer "ay ress you for this infor"ation for two reasons.Cirst, "any co"anies use interviews to research the co"etition. %tEs a erfect setB
u.8ere in their own lair, is an insider fro" the ene"y ca" who can reveal ri+edinfor"ation on the co"etitionEs lans, research, financial condition, etc
#econd, the co"any "ay be testing your integrity to see if you can be ca3oled or bulliedinto revealing confidential data.Hhat to do0 'he answer here is
easy.
5e#er
reveal anything truly confidential about aresent or for"er e"loyer. By all "eans, e4lain your reticence
diplomatically
. Cor e4a"le, % certainly want to be as oen as % can about that. But % also wish to resectthe rights of those who have trusted "e with their "ost sensitive
infor"ation, 3ust as youwould hoe to be able to trust any of your !ey eole when tal!ing with a co"etitorF.nd certainly you can allude to your finest
achieve"ents in secific ways that donEtreveal the co"bination to the co"any safe.But be guided by the golden rule. %f you were the owner of your resent
co"any, wouldyou feel it ethically wrong for the infor"ation to be given to your co"etitors0 %f so,steadfastly refuse to reveal it.$e"e"ber that this question
its your desire to be cooerative against your integrity.Caced with any such choice,
always choose integrity.
%t is a far "ore valuableco""odity than whatever infor"ation the co"any "ay ry fro" you. Moreover, onceyou surrender the infor"ation, your stoc! goes
down. 'hey will surely lose resect for you.Dne 2resident we !now always resses candidates un"ercifully for confidentialinfor"ation. %f he doesnEt get it, he
grows visibly annoyed, relentlessly inquisitive,
.t/s all an act.
8e couldnEt care less about the infor"ation. 'his is his way of testing thecandidateEs "oral fiber. Dnly those who hold fast are hired.
Question 21
Would you lie for the company"
TRAPS:
'his another question that its two values against one another, in this caseloyalty against integrity.
BEST ANSWER:
'ry to avoid choosing between two values, giving a ositive state"entwhich covers all bases instead.
%&ample'
% would never do anything to hurt the co"any..%f aggressively ressed to choose between two co"eting values,
always choose personal integrity.
%t is the "ost ri+ed of all values.
Question 22
Loo$ing bac$ what would you do differently in your life"
TRAPS:
'his question is usually as!ed to uncover any lifeBinfluencing "ista!es, regrets,disaoint"ents or roble"s that "ay continue to affect your ersonality
anderfor"ance
/ou do not want to give the interviewer anything negative to re"e"ber you by, such asso"e great ersonal or career disaoint"ent, even long ago, that
you wish could havebeen avoided.5or do you wish to give any answer which "ay hint that your whole heart and soul willnot be in your wor!.
BEST ANSWER:
%ndicate that you are a hay, fulfilled, oti"istic erson and that, ingeneral, you wouldnEt change a thing.
%&ample'
%tEs been a good life, rich in learning and e4erience, and the best it yet toco"e. @very e4erience in life is a lesson it its own way. % wouldnEt change a thing.
Question 23
8ould you ha#e done better in your last job"
TRAPS:
'his is no ti"e for true confessions of "a3or or even "inor roble"s.
BEST ANSWER:
.gain
ne#er be negati#e.%&ample'
% suose with the benefit of hindsight you can always find things to dobetter, of course, but off the to of "y head, % canEt thin! of anything of
"a3or consequence.
,.f more e&planation seems necessary-
)escriber a situation that didnEt suffer because of you but fro" e4ternal conditionsbeyond your control.Cor e4a"le, describe the disaoint"ent you felt with
a test ca"aign, new roductlaunch, "erger, etc., which loo!ed ro"ising at first, but led to underwhel"ing results. %wish we could have !nown at the start
what we later found out *about the econo"yturning, the "ar!etlace changing, etc.,, but since we couldnEt, we 3ust had to go for it..nd we did learn fro" itF
Question 24
8an you wor$ under pressure"
TRAPS:
.n easy question, but you want to "a!e your answer
belie#able.
BEST ANSWER:
.bsolutelyF*then rove it with a vivid e4a"le or two of a goal or ro3ect acco"lished under severe ressure.,
Question 25
What ma$es you angry"
TRAPS:
/ou donEt want to co"e across either as a hothead or a wi".
BEST ANSWER:
:ive an answer thatEs suited to both your ersonality and the"anage"ent style of the fir". 8ere, the ho"ewor! youEve done about the co"any andits style
can hel in your choice of words
%&amples' .f you are a reser#ed person and9or the corporate culture is coolly professional'
%E" an evenBte"ered and ositive erson by nature, and % believe this hels "e a greatdeal in !eeing "y deart"ent running s"oothly, har"oniously and
with a genuine
esprit de corps.
% believe in co""unicating clearly whatEs e4ected, getting eoleEsco""it"ent to those goals, and then following u continuously to chec! rogress.%f
anyone or anything is going off trac!, % want to !now about it early. %f, after that !indof oen co""unication and follow u, so"eone isnEt getting the 3ob done,
%Ell want to!now why. %f thereEs no good reason, then %Ell get i"atient and angryFand ta!earoriate stes fro" there. But if you hire good eole, "otivate
the" to strive for e4cellence and then follow u constantly, it al"ost never gets to that state.
.f you are feisty by nature and9or the position calls for a tough straw boss.
/ou !now what "a!es "e angry0 2eole who *the fill in the blan!s with the "ostob3ectionable traits for this tye of osition,Feole who donEt ull their own
weight, whoare negative, eole who lieFetc.
Question 26
Why aren/t you earning more money at this stage of your career"
TRAPS:
/ou donEt want to give the i"ression that "oney is not i"ortant to you, yetyou want to e4lain why your salary "ay be a little below industry standards.
BEST ANSWER:
/ou li!e to "a!e "oney, but other factors are even "ore i"ortant.
%&ample'
Ma!ing "oney is very i"ortant to "e, and one reason %E" here is because%E" loo!ing to "a!e "ore. 'hroughout "y career, whatEs been even
"ore i"ortant to"e is doing wor! % really li!e to do at the !ind of co"any % li!e and resect.*'hen be reared to be secific about what your ideal osition
and co"any would beli!e, "atching the" as closely as ossible to the oortunity at hand.
Question 27
Who has inspired you in your life and why"
TRAPS:
'he two tras here are unrearedness and irrelevance. %f you groe for ananswer, it see"s youEve never been insired. %f you ra"ble about your high
schoolbas!etball coach, youEve wasted an oortunity to resent qualities of great value to theco"any.
BEST ANSWER:
8ave a few heroes in "ind, fro" your "ental Board of )irectors G<eaders in your industry, fro" history or anyone else who has been your "entor.Be
reared to give e4a"les of how their words, actions or teachings have heledinsire your achieve"ents. .s always, reare an answer which
highlights qualities thatwould be highly valuable in the osition you are see!ing
Question 28
What was the toughest decision you e#er had toma$e"
TRAPS:
:iving an unreared or irrelevant answer.
BEST ANSWER:
Be reared with a good e4a"le, e4laining why the decision wasdifficultFthe rocess you followed in reaching itFthe courageous or effective way
youcarried it outFand the beneficial results.
Question 29
Tell me about the most boring job you/#e e#er had.
TRAPS:
/ou give a very "e"orable descrition of a very boring 3ob. $esult0 /oubeco"e associated with this boring 3ob in the interviewerEs "ind.
BEST ANSWER:
/ou have never allowed yourself to grow bored with a 3ob and youcanEt understand it when others let the"selves fall into that rut.
%&ample' 1
2erhas %Eve been fortunate, but that %Eve never found "yself bored with any 3ob % have ever held. %Eve always en3oyed hard wor!. .s with actors who feel
there areno s"all arts, % also believe that in every co"any or deart"ent there are e4citingchallenges and intriguing roble"s crying out for energetic and
enthusiastic solutions. %f youEre bored, itEs robably because youEre not challenging yourself to tac!le thoseroble"s right under your nose.
Question 30
3a#e you been absent from wor$ more than a few days in any pre#ious position"
TRAPS:
%f youEve had a roble", you canEt lie. /ou could easily be found out. /etad"itting an attendance roble" could raise "any flags.
BEST ANSWER:
%f you have had
no
roble", e"hasi+e your e4cellent and consistentattendance record throughout your career..lso describe how i"ortant you believe such consistent
attendance is for a !eye4ecutiveFwhy itEs u to you to set an e4a"le of dedicationFand why thereEs 3ust nosubstitute for being there with your eole to
!ee the oeration running s"oothly,answer questions and handle roble"s and crises as they arise.%f you
do
have a ast attendance roble", you want to "ini"i+e it, "a!ing it clear that itwas an e4cetional circu"stance and that itEs cause has been corrected.'o do
this, give the sa"e answer as above but reface it with so"ething li!e, Dther thatbeing out last year *or whenever, because of *your reason, which is now in
the ast,, %have never had a roble" and have en3oyed an e4cellent attendance record throughout"y career. Curther"ore, % believe, consistent attendance is
i"ortant becauseF *2ic!u the rest of the answer as outlined above.,.
Question 31
What changes would you ma$e if you came on board"
TRAPS:
Hatch outP 'his question can derail your candidacy faster than a bo"b on thetrac!s G and
just as you are about to be hired.:eason'
5o "atter how bright you are, you cannot !now the right actions to ta!e in aosition before you settle in and get to !now the oerationEs strengths,
wea!nesses !eyeole, financial condition, "ethods of oeration, etc. %f you lunge at this te"tinglybaited question, you will robably be seen as so"eone
who shoots fro" the hi.Moreover, no "atter how co"fortable you "ay feel with your interviewer, you are still an
outsider.
5o one, including your interviewer, li!es to thin! that a !nowBitBall outsider isgoing to co"e in, turn the lace uside down and with sweeing, grand
gestures,ro"tly de"onstrate what 3er!s everybodyEs been for years.
BEST ANSWER:
/ou, of course, will want to ta!e a good hard loo! at everything theco"any is doing before "a!ing any reco""endations.
%&ample'
Hell, % wouldnEt be a very good doctor if % gave "y diagnosis
before
thee4a"ination. #hould you hire "e, as % hoe you will, %Ed want to ta!e a good hard loo! ateverything youEre doing and understand why itEs being done
that way. %Ed li!e to have inBdeth "eetings with you and the other !ey eole to get a deeer gras of what you feelyouEre doing right and what could be
i"roved.Cro" what youEve told "e so far, the areas of greatest concern to you areF *na"ethe". 'hen do two things. Cirst, as! if these are in fact his
"a3or concerns. %f so thenreaffir" how your e4erience in "eeting si"ilar needs elsewhere "ight rove veryhelful,.
Question 32
./m concerned that you don/t ha#e as much e&perienceas we/d li$e in4
TRAPS:
'his could be a "a!eBorBbrea! question. 'he interviewer
mostly
li!es what hesees, but has doubts over one !ey area. %f you can assure hi" on this oint, the 3ob "aybe yours.
BEST ANSWER:
'his question is related to 'he Catal Claw *6uestion (8,, but herethe concern is not that you are
totally missing
so"e qualifications, such as A2.certification, but rather that your e4erience is
light
in one area.Before going into any interview, try to identify the wea!est asects of your candidacyfro" this co"anyEs oint of view. 'hen reare the best
answer you ossible can toshore u your defenses.'o get ast this question with flying colors, you are going to rely on your "aster strategyof
unco#ering the employer/s greatest wants and needs and then matching them withyour strengths.
#ince you already !now how to do this fro" 6uestion (, you are in a"uch stronger osition
More secifically, when the interviewer oses as ob3ection li!e this, you shouldF( . . g r e e o n t h e i " o r t a n c e o f t h i s
q u a l i f i c a t i o n . - . @ 4 l a i n t h a t y o u r s t r e n g t h "a y b e i n d e e d b e g r e a t e r t h a n y o u r r e s u "e indicates becauseF
7.
Hhen this strength is added to your other strengths, itEs really your
combination
of qualifications thatEs "ost i"ortant.'hen review the areas of your greatest strengths that "atch u "ost favorably with theco"anyEs "ost urgentlyBfelt
wants and needs.'his is owerful way to handle this question for two reasons. Cirst, youEre giving your interviewer "ore a""unition in the area of
his concern. But "ore i"ortantly, youEreshifting his focus
away
fro" this one, isolated area and utting it on the
uni!uecombination
of strengths you offer, strengths which tie in erfectly with his greatestwants.
Question 33
3ow do you feel about wor$ing nights and wee$ends"
TRAPS:
Blurt out no way, Lose and you can !iss the 3ob offer goodbye. But what if you have a fa"ily and want to wor! a reasonably nor"al schedule0 %s there a way
toget both the 3ob and the schedule you want0
BEST ANSWER:
Cirst, if youEre a confir"ed wor!aholic, this question is a softball lob.Hhac! it out of the ar! on the first swing by saying this !ind of schedule is 3ust
your style. .dd that your fa"ily understands it. %ndeed, theyEre hay for you, as they !nowyou get your greatest satisfaction fro" your wor!.%f however, you
refer a "ore balanced lifestyle, answer this question with another:
What/s the norm for your best people here"
%f the hours still sound unrealistic for you, as!, )o you have any to eole who erfor"e4cetionally for you, but who also have fa"ilies and li!e to get
ho"e in ti"e to seethe" at night0 Ahances are this co"any does, and this associates you with this other toBerfor"ersBwhoBleaveBnotBlaterBthanBsi4
grou.)eending on the answer, be honest about how you would fit into the icture. %f allthose e4tra hours "a!e you unco"fortable, say so, but hrase
your resonse ositively.
%&ample'
% love "y wor! and do it e4cetionally well. % thin! the results sea! for the"selves, esecially in F*"ention your two or three qualifications of greater
interestto the e"loyer. $e"e"ber, this is what he wants "ost, not a wor!aholic with
wea$
credentials,. 5ot only would % bring these qualities, but %Eve built "y whole career onwor!ing not 3ust hard, but
smart.
% thin! youEll find "e one of the "ost
producti#e
eolehere.%
do
have a fa"ily who li!es to see "e after wor! and on wee!ends. 'hey add balanceand richness to "y life, which in turn hels "e be hay and roductive at
wor!. %f %could handle so"e of the e4tra wor! at ho"e in the evenings or on wee!ends, that
would be ideal. /ouEd be getting a erson of e4cetional roductivity who "eets your needs with strong credentials. .nd %Ed be able to handle so"e of the
heavy wor!load atho"e where % can be under the sa"e roof as "y fa"ily. @verybody would win.
Question 34
Are you willing to relocate or tra#el"
TRAPS:
.nswer with a flat no and you "ay sla" the door shut on this oortunity.But what if youEd really refer not to relocate or travel, yet wouldnEt want to lose the
3oboffer over it0
BEST ANSWER:

Cirst find out where you "ay have to relocate and how "uch travel"ay be involved. 'hen resond to the question.%f thereEs no roble", say so
enthusiastically.%f you do have a reservation, there are two schools of thought on how to handle it.Dne advises you to !ee your otions oen and your
reservations to yourself in the earlygoing, by saying, no roble". /ou strategy here is to get the best offer you can, then"a!e a 3udg"ent whether itEs worth
it to you to relocate or travel..lso, by the ti"e the offer co"es through, you "ay have other offers and can "a!e a"ore infor"ed decision. Hhy !ill of this
oortunity before it has chance to blosso" intoso"ething really secial0 .nd if youEre a little "ore deserate three "onths fro" now,you "ight wish you
hadnEt sla""ed the door on relocating or traveling.'he second way to handle this question is to voice a reservation, but assert that youEdbe oen to
relocating *or traveling, for the right oortunity.'he answering strategy you choose deends on how eager you are for the 3ob. %f youwant to ta!e no chances,
choose the first aroach.%f you want to lay a little harderBtoBget in hoes of generating a "ore enticing offer,choose the second.
Question 35
(o you ha#e the stomach to fire people" 3a#e you had e&perience firing many people"
TRAPS:
'his innocent question could be a tra door which sends you down a chuteand lands you in a hea of dust outside the front door. Hhy0 Because its
real intent isnot 3ust to see if youEve got the sto"ach to fire, but also to uncover
poor judgment inhiring
which has caused you to fire so "any. .lso, if you fire so often, you could be atyrant.#o donEt rise to the bait by boasting how "any youEve fired, unless
youEve reared toe4lain why it was beyond your control, and not the result of your oor hiring roceduresor foul te"era"ent.

BEST ANSWER:
)escribe the rational and sensible "anage"ent rocess you followin both hiring and firing.
%&ample'
My whole "anage"ent aroach is to hire the best eole % can find, trainthe" thoroughly and well, get the" e4cited and roud to be art of our tea", and
thenwor! with the" to achieve our goals together. %f you do all of that right, esecially hiringthe right eole, %Eve found you donEt have to fire very often.#o
with "e, firing is a last resort. But when itEs got to be done, itEs got to be done, andthe faster and cleaner, the better. . oor e"loyee can wrea! terrible
da"age inunder"ining the "orale of an entire tea" of good eole. Hhen thereEs no other way,%Eve found itEs better for all concerned to act decisively in
getting rid of offenders whowonEt change their ways.
Question 36
Why ha#e you had so many jobs"
TRAPS:
/our interviewer fears you "ay leave this osition quic!ly, as you have others.8eEs concerned you "ay be unstable, or a roble" erson who canEt get
along withothers.
BEST ANSWER:
Cirst, before you even get to the interview stage, you should try to"ini"i+e your i"age as 3ob hoer. %f there are several entries on your resu"e of lessthan
one year, consider eli"inating the less i"ortant ones. 2erhas you can secifythe ti"e you sent at revious ositions in
rounded years
not in "onths and years.
%&ample'
%nstead of showing three ositions this way:=O(?8- G 7O(?87, 2osition .Q9O(?87 G (-O(?87, 2osition BQ(O(?89 G 8O(?8>, 2osition AQFit would be better to
show si"ly:(?8- G (?87, 2osition .Q(?89 G (?8> 2osition A.%n other words, you would dro 2osition B altogether. 5otice what a difference this"a!es in
reducing your i"age as a 3ob hoer.Dnce in front of the interviewer and this question co"es u, you "ust try to reassurehi". )escribe each osition as art
of an overall attern of growth and career destination.Be careful not to bla"e other eole for your frequent changes. But you can and shouldattribute certain
changes to conditions beyond your control.
%&ample'
'han!s to an uco"ing "erger, you wanted to avoid an ensuing bloodbath,so you "ade a good, uward career "ove before your deart"ent ca"e under
the a4eof the new owners
%f ossible, also show that your 3ob changes were "ore frequent in your younger days,while you were establishing yourself, rounding out your s!ills and
loo!ing for the rightcareer ath. .t this stage in your career, youEre certainly "uch "ore interested in thebest
long-term
oortunity./ou "ight also cite the 3ob*s, where you stayed the longest and describe that this tye of situation is what youEre loo!ing for now.
Question 37
What do you see as the proper role9mission of44a good ,job title you/re see$ing-;4a good manager;4an e&ecuti#e in ser#ing the community;4a leading company in our industry; etc.
TRAPS:
'hese and other roer role questions are designed to test your understanding of your lace in the bigger icture of your deart"ent, co"any,co""unity
and rofessionF.as well as the roer role each of these entities should layin
its
bigger icture.'he question is "ost frequently as!ed by the "ost
thoughtful
individuals andco"aniesFor by those concerned that youEre co"ing fro" a lace with a radicallydifferent cororate culture *such as fro" a big govern"ent
bureaucracy to an aggressives"all co"any,.'he "ost frequent "ista!e e4ecutives "a!e in answering is si"ly not being reared*see"ing as if theyEve
never giving any of this a though.,For in hrasing an answer bestsuited to their
prior
organi+ationEs culture instead of the hiring co"anyEs.
BEST ANSWER:
'hin! of the "ost essential ingredients of success for each categoryabove G your 3ob title, your role as "anager, your fir"Es role, etc.%dentify at least three but
no "ore than si4 qualities you feel are "ost i"ortant tosuccess in each role. 'hen co""it your resonse to "e"ory.8ere, again, the "ore infor"ation
youEve already drawn out about the greatest wantsand needs of the interviewer, and the "ore ho"ewor! youEve done to identify the cultureof the fir", the
"ore onBtarget your answer will be.
Question 38
What would you say to your boss if he/s cra6y about an idea but you thin$ it stin$s"
TRAPS:
'his is another question that its two values, in this case loyalty and honesty,against one another.
BEST ANSWER:
$e"e"ber the rule stated earlier: %n any conflict between values,
always choose integrity
%&ample'
% believe that when evaluating anything, itEs i"ortant to e"hasi+e theositive. Hhat do % li!e about this idea0'hen, if you have reservations, % certainly
want to oint the" out, as secifically,ob3ectively and factually as % can..fter all, the "ost i"ortant thing % owe "y boss is
honesty
. %f he canEt count on "e for that, then everything else % "ay do or say could be questionable in his eyes.But % also want to e4ress "y thoughts in a
constructive way. #o "y goal in this casewould be to see if "y boss and % could "a!e his idea even stronger and "ore aealing,so that it effectively
overco"es any initial reservation % or others "ay have about it.Df course, if he overrules "e and says, Jno, letEs do it "y way,E then % owe hi" "y fulland
enthusiastic suort to "a!e it wor! as best it can.
Question 39
3ow could you ha#e impro#ed your career progress"
TRAPS:
'his is another variation on the question, %f you could, how would you live your life over0 $e"e"ber, youEre not going to fall for any such invitations to
rewrite ersonhistory. /ou canEt win if you do.
BEST ANSWER:
/ouEre generally quite hay with your career rogress. Maybe, if you had !nown so"ething earlier in life *i"ossible to !now at the ti"e, such as
theboo"ing growth in a branch in your industryFor the cororate downsi+ing that wouldhase out your last 3ob,, you "ight have "oved in a certain direction
sooner.But all things considered, you ta!e resonsibility for where you are, how youEve gottenthere, where you are goingFand you harbor no regrets.
Question 40
What would you do if a fellow e&ecuti#e on your owncorporate le#el wasn/t pulling his9her weight4and thiswas hurting your department"
TRAPS:
'his question and other hyothetical ones test your sense of hu"an relationsand how you "ight handle office olitics.
BEST ANSWER:
'ry to gauge the olitical style of the fir" and be guided accordingly.%n general, fall bac! on universal rinciles of effective hu"an relations G which in
theend, e"body the way you would li!e to be treated in a si"ilar circu"stance.
%&ample'
:ood hu"an relations would call for "e to go directly to the erson ande4lain the situation, to try to enlist his hel in a constructive, ositive solution. %f
%sensed resistance, % would be as ersuasive as % !now how to e4lain the benefits wecan all gain fro" wor!ing together, and the roble"s we, the co"any
and our custo"ers will e4erience if we donEt.
POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION:
.nd what would you do if he still did not changehis ways0
ANSWER:
Dne thing % wouldnEt do is let the roble" slide, because it would only getworse and overloo!ing it would set a bad recedent. % would try again and again
andagain, in whatever way % could, to solve the roble", involving wider and wider circles of eole, both above and below the offending e4ecutive and
including "y own boss if necessary, so that everyone involved can see the rewards for tea"wor! and thedrawbac!s of nonBcooeration.% "ight add that %Eve
never yet co"e across a situation that couldnEt be resolved byharnessing others in a deter"ined, constructive effort.
Question 41
You/#e been with your firm a long time. Won/t it behard switching to a new company"
TRAPS:
/our interviewer is worried that this old dog will find it hard to learn new tric!s.
BEST ANSWER:
'o overco"e this ob3ection, you "ust oint to the "any ways youhave grown and adated to changing conditions at your resent fir". %t has
not
been astatic situation. 8ighlight the different resonsibilities youEve held, the wide array of newsituations youEve faced and conquered..s a result, youEve
learned to adat quic!ly to whatever is thrown at you, and you thriveon the sti"ulation of new challenges.'o further assure the interviewer, describe the
si"ilarities between the new osition andyour rior one. @4lain that you should be quite co"fortable wor!ing there, since their needs and your s!ills "a!e a
erfect "atch.
Question 42
<ay . contact your present employer for a reference"
TRAPS:
%f youEre trying to !ee your 3ob search rivate, this is the last thing you want.But if you donEt cooerate, wonEt you see" as if youEre trying to hide so"ething0
BEST ANSWER:
@4ress your concern that youEd li!e to !ee your 3ob search rivate,but that in ti"e, it will be erfectly o!ay.
%&ample'
My resent e"loyer is not aware of "y 3ob search and, for obvious reasonsQ%Ed refer to !ee it that way. %Ed be "ost areciative if we !et our
discussionconfidential right now. Df course, when we both agree the ti"e is right, then by all"eans you should contact the". %E" very roud of "y record
there
Question 43
=i#e me an e&ample of your creati#ity ,analytical s$ill4managing ability etc.-
TRAPS:
'he worst offense here is si"ly being unreared. /our hesitation "ay see"as if youEre having a hard ti"e re"e"bering the last ti"e you were creative,
analytical,etc.
BEST ANSWER:
$e"e"ber fro" 6uestion - that you should co""it to "e"ory a listof your greatest and "ost recent achieve"ents, ever ready on the ti of your tongue.%f
you have such a list, itEs easy to resent any of your achieve"ents in light of thequality the interviewer is as!ing about. Cor e4a"le, the s"ashing success
youorchestrated at last yearEs trade show could be used as an e4a"le of creativity, or analytical ability, or your ability to "anage.
Question 44
Where could you use some impro#ement"
TRAPS:
.nother tric!y way to get you to ad"it wea!nesses. )onEt fall for it.
BEST ANSWER:
Mee this answer, li!e all your answers, ositive. . good way toanswer this question is to identify a cuttingBedge branch of your rofession *one thatEsnot
essential to your e"loyerEs needs, as an area youEre very e4cited about and want toe4lore "ore fully over the ne4t si4 "onths.
Question 45
What do you worry about"
TRAPS:
.d"it to worrying and you could sound li!e a loser. #aying you never worrydoesnEt sound credible.
BEST ANSWER:
$edefine the word JworryE so that it does not reflect negatively on you.
%&ample'
% wouldnEt call it worry, but % a" a strongly goalBoriented erson. #o % !eeturning over in "y "ind anything that see"s to be !eeing "e fro" achieving
thosegoals, until % find a solution. 'hatEs art of "y tenacity, % suose.
Question 46
3ow many hours a wee$ do you normally wor$"
TRAPS:
/ou donEt want to give a secific nu"ber. Ma!e it to low, and you "ay not"easure u. 'oo high, and youEll forever feel guilty about snea!ing out the door at
;:(;.
BEST ANSWER:

.f you are in fact a wor$aholic and you sense this company would li$ethat'
#ay you are a confir"ed wor!aholic, that you often wor! nights and wee!ends./our fa"ily accets this because it "a!es you fulfilled.
.f you are not a wor$aholic'
#ay you have always wor!ed hard and ut in long hours. %tgoes with the territory. %t one sense, itEs hard to !ee trac! of the hours because your wor! is a
labor of love, you en3oy nothing "ore than solving roble"s. #o youEre al"ost
always
thin!ing about your wor!, including ti"es when youEre ho"e, while shaving in the"orning, while co""uting, etc.
Question 47
What/s the most difficult part of being a ,job title-"
TRAPS:
Nnless you hrase your answer roerly, your interviewer "ay conclude thatwhatever you identify as difficult is where you are wea!.
BEST ANSWER:
Cirst, redefine difficult to be challenging which is "ore ositive.'hen, identify an area everyone in your rofession considers challenging and in whichyou
e4cel. )escribe the rocess you follow that enables you to get slendid resultsFand be secific about those results.
%&ample'
% thin! every sales "anager finds it challenging to "otivate the troos in arecession. But thatEs robably the strongest test of a to sales "anager. % feel this
isone area where % e4cel.Hhen % see the first sign that sales "ay sli or that sales force "otivation is flaggingbecause of a downturn in the econo"y, hereEs
the lan % ut into action i""ediatelyF*followed by a descrition of each ste in the rocessFand
most importantly
thee4cetional results youEve achieved.,.
Question 48
The 13ypothetical >roblem*
TRAPS:
#o"eti"es an interviewer will describe a difficult situation and as!,
13ow would you handle this"*
#ince it is virtually i"ossible to have all the facts in front of youfro" such a short resentation, donEt fall into the tra of trying to solve this roble" andgiving
your verdict on the sot. %t will "a!e your decisionB"a!ing rocess see" woefullyinadequate.
BEST ANSWER:
%nstead, describe the rational, "ethodical rocess you would follow inanaly+ing this roble", who you would consult with, generating ossible
solutions,choosing the best course of action, and "onitoring the results.$e"e"ber, in all such,
1What would you do"*
questions, always describe your
processor wor$ing methods
and youEll never go wrong.
Question 49
What was the toughest challenge you/#e e#er faced"
TRAPS:
Being unreared or citing an e4a"le fro" so early in your life that it doesnEtscore "any oints for you at this stage of your career.
BEST ANSWER:
'his is an easy question if youEre reared. 8ave a recent e4a"leready that de"onstrates either:(. . qual i t y "ost i "or t ant t o t he 3 o b at handQ
or
-.
. quality that is
always
in de"and, such as leadershi, initiative, "anagerial s!ill,ersuasiveness, courage, ersistence, intelligence, etc.
Question 50
3a#e you consider starting your own business"
TRAPS:
%f you say yes and elaborate enthusiastically, you could be erceived as aloose cannon in a larger co"any, too entrereneurial to "a!e a good tea"
layerFor so"eone who had to settle for the cororate life because you couldnEt "a!e a go of your own business..lso too "uch enthusias" in answering
yes could rouse the aranoia of a s"allco"any indicating that you "ay lan to go out on your own soon, erhas ta!ing so"e!ey accounts or trade
secrets with you.Dn the other hand, if you answer no, never you could be erceived as a securityB"inded drone who never drea"ed a big drea".
BEST ANSWER:
.gain itEs best to:(.:auge thi s co"anyEs cororate cul ture before answering andF-.Be honest *whi ch doesnE t "ean you have to vi vi dl y
share your fantasy of thefranchise or bedBandBbrea!fast you so"eday lan to oen,.%n general, if the cororate culture is that of a large, for"al, "ilitaryB
style structure,"ini"i+e any indication that youEd love to have your own business. /ou "ight say, Dh,% "ay have given it a thought once or twice, but "y
whole career has been in larger organi+ations. 'hatEs where % have e4celled and where % want to be.%f the cororate culture is closer to the freeBwheeling,
everybodyEsBaBdealB"a!er variety,then e"hasi+e that in a fir" li!e this, you can virtually get the best of all worlds, thee4cite"ent of seeing your own ideas
and lans ta!e shaeFco"bined with theresources and stability of a wellBestablished organi+ation. #ounds li!e the erfectenviron"ent to you.%n any case,
no "atter what the cororate culture, be sure to indicate that any desiresabout running your own show are art of your
past
, not your resent or future.'he last thing you want to ro3ect is an i"age of either a drea"er who failed and is nowsettling for the cororate cocoonFor the
restless "averic! who will fly out the door with!ey accounts, contacts and trade secrets under his ar"s 3ust as soon as his ban!roll hasgotten rebuilt..lways
re"e"ber: Match what you want with what the osition offers. 'he "oreinfor"ation youEve uncovered about the osition, the "ore believable you can "a!e
your case
Question 51
What are your goals"
TRAPS:
5ot having anyFor having only vague generalities, not
highly specific
goals.
BEST ANSWER:
Many e4ecutives in a osition to hire you are strong believers in goalBsetting. *%tEs one of the reason theyEve achieved so "uch,. 'hey li!e to hire in !ind.%f
youEre vague about your career and ersonal goals, it could be a big turnoff to "ayeole you will encounter in your 3ob search.Be ready to discuss your
goals for each "a3or area of your life: career, ersonaldevelo"ent and learning, fa"ily, hysical *health,, co""unity service and *if your interviewer is
clearly a religious erson, you could briefly and generally allude to your siritual goals *showing you are a wellBrounded individual with your values in the
rightorder,.Be reared to describe each goal in ter"s of secific "ilestones you wish toacco"lish along the way, ti"e eriods youEre allotting for
acco"lish"ent, why thegoal is i"ortant to you, and the secific stes youEre ta!ing to bring it about. But do thisconcisely, as you never want to tal! "ore
than two "inutes straight before letting your interviewer bac! into the conversation.
Question 52
What do you for when you hire people"
TRAPS:
Being unreared for the question.
BEST ANSWER:
#ea! your own thoughts here, but for the best answer weave the"around the three "ost i"ortant qualifications for
any
osition.(. Aan t he er son do t he wor ! * qual i f i cat i ons, 0-. Hi l l t he er son do t he wor ! * "ot i vat i on, 07.Hill the erson f i t i n
*our !i nd of tea" layer,0
Question 53
Sell me this stapler4,this pencil4this cloc$4or someother object on inter#iewer/s des$-.
TRAPS:
#o"e interviewers, esecially business owners and hardBchanging e4ecutivesin "ar!etingBdriven co"anies, feel that good sales"anshi is
essential
for any !eyosition and as! for an instant de"onstration of your s!ill. Be ready.
BEST ANSWER:
Df course, you already !now the "ost i"ortant secret of all greatsales"anshi G
find out what people want then show them how to get it.*
%f your interviewer ic!s u his staler and as!s, sell this to "e, you are going tode"onstrate this roven "aster rincile.
3ere/s how'
Hell, a good sales"an "ust !now both his roduct and his rosect before he sellsanything. %f % were selling this, %Ed first get to !now everything % could about
it, all itsfeatures and benefits.'hen, if "y goal were to sell it
you
, % would do so"e research on how you "ight use afine staler li!e this. 'he best way to do that is by as!ing so"e questions. May % as!you a few
questions0'hen as! a few questions such as, Lust out of curiosity, if you didnEt already have astaler li!e this, why would you want one0 .nd in addition to
that0 .ny other reason0.nything else0.nd would you want such a staler to be reliable0...8old a good suly of stales0*.s! "ore questions that oint to
the features this staler has.,Dnce youEve as!ed these questions, "a!e your resentation citing all the features andbenefits of this staler and why itEs e4actly
what the interviewer 3ust told you heEs loo!ingfor.'hen close with, Lust out of curiosity, what would you consider a reasonable rice for aquality staler li!e
thisFa staler you could have
right now
and would *then reeat allthe roble"s the staler would solve for hi",0 Hhatever he says, *unless itEs +ero,, say,D!ay, weEve got a deal.5D'@: %f
your interviewer tests you by
fighting
every ste of the way, denying that heeven wants such an ite",
don/t fight him.
'a!e the roduct away fro" hi" by saying,Mr. 2rosect, %E" delighted youEve told "e right ufront that thereEs no way youEd ever want this staler. .s you
well !now, the first rule of the "ost roductive saleseole inany field is to "eet the needs of eole who really
need and want
our roducts, and it 3ust wastes everyoneEs ti"e if we try to force it on those who donEt. .nd % certainlywouldnEt want to waste your ti"e. But we sell "any
ite"s. %s there
any
roduct on thisdes! you would very "uch li!e to ownF3ust one ite"0 Hhen he oints so"ething out,reeat the rocess above. %f he !nows anything about
selling, he "ay give you astanding ovation
Question 54
1The Salary ?uestion* ) 3ow much money do you want"
TRAPS:
May also be hrases as,
1What salary are you worth"*
For,
13ow much areyou ma$ing now"*
'his is your "ost i"ortant negotiation. 8andle it wrong and you canblow the 3ob offer or go to wor! at far less than you "ight have gotten.
BEST ANSWER:
Cor "a4i"u" salary negotiating ower, re"e"ber these fiveguidelines:
(.
5ever bring u salary. <et the interviewer do it first. :ood saleseole sell their roducts thoroughly before tal!ing rice.
So should you.
Ma!e the interviewer want you first, and your bargaining osition will be "uch stronger.
-.
%f your interviewer raises the salary question too early, before youEve had achance to create desire for your qualifications,
postpone
the question, sayingso"ething li!e, Money is i"ortant to "e, but is
not
"y "ain concern.Dortunity and growth are far "ore i"ortant. Hhat %Ed rather do, if you donEt"ind, is e4lore if %E" right for the osition, and then tal!
about "oney. Houldthat be o!ay0
7.
'he R( rule of any negotiation is:
the side with more information wins.
.fter youEve done a thorough 3ob of selling the interviewer and itEs ti"e to tal! salary,the secret is to get the e"loyer tal!ing about what heEs willing to ay
before
youreveal what
you/re
willing to accet. #o, when as!ed about salary, resond byas!ing, %E" sure the co"any has already established a salary range for thisosition. Aould you
tell "e what that is0 Dr, % want an inco"e co""ensuratewith "y ability and qualifications. % trust youEll be fair with "e. Hhat does theosition ay0 Dr,
"ore si"ly, Hhat does this osition ay09.Mnow bef orehand what youEd accet. 'o !now whatEs reasonabl e, research the 3ob "ar!et and this
osition for any relevant salary infor"ation. $e"e"ber that"ost e4ecutives loo! for a -0B-;%I ay boost when they switch 3obs. %f youEregrossly underaid,
you "ay want "ore.;.5ever l ie about what you currentl y "a!e, but f eel free to include the esti "atedcost of all your fringes, which could well
tac! on -;B;0% "ore to your resentcashBonly salary.
Question 55
The .llegal ?uestion
TRAPS:
%llegal questions include any regarding your ageFnu"ber and ages of your children or other deendentsF"arital statusF"aiden na"eFreligionF
oliticalaffiliationFancestryFnational originFbirthlaceFnaturali+ation of your arents, souseor childrenFdiseasesFdisabilitiesFclubsFor souseEs
occuationF
unless any of theabo#e are directly related to your performance of the job.
/ou canEt even be as!edabout
arrests
, though you can be as!ed about
con#ictions
.
BEST ANSWER:
Nnder the everBresent threat of lawsuits, "ost interviewers are wellaware of these taboos. /et you "ay encounter, usually on a second or third interview,
asenior e4ecutive who doesnEt interview "uch and forgets he canEt as! such questions
/ou can handle an illegal question in several ways. Cirst, you can assert your legal rightnot to answer. But this will frighten or e"barrass your interviewer and
destroy anyraort you had.#econd, you could swallow your concerns over rivacy and answer the question straightforwardly if you feel the answer could
hel you. Cor e4a"le, your interviewer, a devoutBatist, recogni+es you fro" church and "entions it. 8ere, you could gain by tal!ingabout your
church.'hird, if you donEt want your rivacy invaded, you can dilo"atically answer the
concern
behind the question without answering the question itself.
%&ample'
%f you are over ;0 and are as!ed,
3ow old are you"*
you can answer with afriendly,

s"iling question of your own on whether thereEs a concern that your age "yaffect your erfor"ance. Collow this u by reassuring the interviewer that
thereEsnothing in this 3ob you canEt do and, in fact, your age and e4erience are the "osti"ortant
ad#antages
you offer the e"loyer for the following reasonsF
Another e&ample'
%f as!ed,
1(o you plan to ha#e children"*
you could answer, % a"wholeheartedly dedicated to "y career, erhas adding, % have no lans regardingchildren. */ou neednEt fear youEve ledged
eternal childlessness. /ou have every rightto change your lans later. :et the 3ob first and then en3oy all your otions.,Most i"ortantly, re"e"ber that illegal
questions arise fro" fear that you wonEt erfor"well. 'he best answer of all is to get the 3ob and erfor" brilliantly. .ll concerns andfears will then varnish,
relaced by resect and areciation for your wor!.
Question 56
The 1Secret* .llegal ?uestion
TRAPS:
Much "ore frequent than the %llegal question
,see ?uestion @@-
is the secret illegal question. %tEs secret because itEs as!ed only in the interviewerEs "ind. #ince itEsnot even e4ressed to you, you have no way to resond to
it, and it can there be "ostda"aging.
%&ample'
/ouEre hysically challenged, or a single "other returning to your rofessionalcareer, or over ;0, or a "e"ber of an ethnic "inority, or fit any of a do+en
other categories that do not strictly confor" to the "a3ority in a given co"any./our interviewer wonders, %s this erson really able to handle the 3ob0F%s
he or she aJgood fitE at a lace li!e ours0FHill the che"istry ever be right with so"eone li!e this0But the interviewer never raises such questions because
theyEre illegal. #o what canyou do0
BEST ANSWER:
$e"e"ber that 3ust because the interviewer doesnEt as! an illegalquestion doesnEt "ean he doesnEt have it. More than li!ely, he is going to co"e u withhis
own answer. #o you "ight as well hel hi" out.
8ow0 Hell, you obviously canEt resond to an illegal question if he hasnEt even as!ed.'his "ay well offend hi". .nd thereEs always the chance he wasnEt
even concernedabout the issue until you brought it u, and only then begins to wonder.#o you canEt address secret illegal questions
head-on.
But what you can do is "a!esure thereEs enough
counterbalancing
infor"ation to "ore than reassure hi" that thereEsno roble" in the area he
may
be doubtful about.Cor e4a"le, letEs say youEre a sales re who had olio as a child and you need a caneto wal!. /ou !now your condition has never i"eded
your erfor"ance, yet youEreconcerned that your interviewer "ay secretly be wondering about your sta"ina or abilityto travel. Hell, "a!e sure that you
hit these abilities very hard, leaving no doubt aboutyour caacity to handle the" well.#o, too, if youEre in any different fro" what asses for nor"al. Ma!e
sure, without inany way see"ing
defensi#e
about yourself that you "ention strengths,acco"lish"ents, references and affiliations that strongly counterbalance anyunso!en concern your interviewer
"ay have.
Question 57
What was the toughest part of your last job"
TRAPS:
'his is slightly different fro" the question raised earlier,
1What/s the most difficult part of being a ,job title4-*
because this as!s what you
personally
have found"ost difficult in your last osition. 'his question is "ore difficult to redefine intoso"ething ositive. /our interviewer will assu"e that whatever you
found toughest "aygive you a roble" in your new osition.
BEST ANSWER:
#tate that there was nothing in your rior osition that you foundoverly difficult, and let your answer go at that. %f ressed to e4and your answer, youcould
describe the asects of the osition you
enjoyed
"ore than others, "a!ing surethat you e4ress "a4i"u" en3oy"ent for those tas!s "ost i"ortant to the oenosition, and you en3oyed least those tas!s
that are uni"ortant to the osition at hand.
Question 58
3ow do you define success4and how do you measure up to your own definition"
TRAPS:
#ee"s li!e an obvious enough question. /et "any e4ecutives, unreared for it, fu"ble the ball.
BEST ANSWER:
:ive a wellBacceted definition of success that leads right into your own stellar collection of achieve"ents.
%&ample'
'he best definition %Eve co"e across is that success is the rogressivereali+ation of a worthy goal..s to how % would "easure u to that definition, % would
consider "yself both successfuland fortunateF*'hen su""ari+e your career goals and how your achieve"ents haveindeed reresented a rogressive ath
toward reali+ation of your goals.,
Question 59
1The 7pinion ?uestion* ) What do you thin$ about 4 Abortion4The >resident4The (eath >enalty4,or any other contro#ersial subject-"
TRAPS:
Dbviously, these and other oinion questions should never be as!ed.#o"eti"es they co"e u over a co"bination dinnerOinterview when the interviewer
hashad a drin! or two, is feeling rela4ed, and is souting off about so"ething that buggedhi" in todayEs news. %f you give your oinion and itEs the oosite of
his, you wonEtchange his oinions, but you could easily lose the 3ob offer.
BEST ANSWER:
%n all of these instances, 3ust re"e"ber the tale about student and thewise old rabbi. 'he scene is a se"inary, where an overly serious student is ressing
therabbi to answer the ulti"ate questions of suffering, life and death. But no "atter howhard he resses, the wise old rabbi will only answer each difficult
question with aquestion of his own.%n e4aseration, the se"inary student de"ands,
1Why rabbi do you always answer a!uestion with another !uestion"*
'o which the rabbi resonds,
1And why not"*
%f you are ever unco"fortable with
any
question, as!ing a question in return is thegreatest escae hatch ever invented. %t throws the onus bac! on the other erson,sidetrac!s the discussion fro"
going into an area of ris! to you, and gives you ti"e tothin! of your answer or, even better,
your ne&t !uestion2
%n resonse to any of the oinion questions cited above, "erely resonding,
1Why doyou as$"*
will usually be enough to dissiate any ressure to give your oinion. But if your interviewer again resses you for an oinion, you can as! another
question.Dr you could assert a generality that al"ost everyone would agree with. Cor e4a"le, if your interviewer is co"laining about oliticians then
suddenly turns to you and as!s if youEre a $eublican or )e"ocrat, you could resond by saying, .ctually, %E" finding ithard to find any oliticians % li!e these
days.*Df course, your best question of all "ay be whether you want to wor! for so"eoneoinionated.,
Question 60
.f you won ABC million lottery would you still wor$"
TRAPS:
/our totally honest resonse "ight be,
13ell no are you serious"*
'hat "ightbe so, but any answer which shows you as fleeing wor! if given the chance could "a!eyou see" la+y. Dn the other hand, if you answer,
17h ./d want to $eep doing e&actly what . am doing only doing it for your firm*
you could easily insire your interviewer tosilently "utter to hi"self,
1Yeah sure. =imme a brea$.*
BEST ANSWER:
'his tye of question is ai"ed at getting at your bedroc! attitudeabout wor! and how you feel about what you do. /our best answer will focus on your ositive
feelings
%&ample'
.fter % floated down fro" cloud nine, % thin! % would still hold "y basic belief that achieve"ent and uroseful wor! are essential to a hay, roductive
life. .fter all,if "oney alone bought hainess, then all rich eole would be all hay, and thatEs nottrue.% love the wor! % do, and % thin! %Ed always want to be
involved in "y career in so"efashion. Hinning the lottery would "a!e it "ore fun because it would "ean having "orefle4ibility, "ore otions...who
!nows0Df course, since % canEt count on winning, %Ed 3ust as soon create "y own destiny bystic!ing with whatEs wor!ed for "e, "eaning good old reliable
hard wor! and a desire toachieve. % thin! those qualities have built "any "ore fortunes that all the lotteries uttogether.
Question 61
Loo$ing bac$ on your last position ha#e you doneyour best wor$"
TRAPS:
'ric!y question. .nswer
1absolutely*
and it can see" li!e your best wor! isbehind you. .nswer,
1no my best wor$ is ahead of me*
and it can see" as if you didnEtgive it your all.
BEST ANSWER:
'o cover 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.<i!e
an athlete at the to of his ga"e, you are 3ust hitting your career stride than!s toseveral factors. 'hen, reca those factors, highlighting your strongest
qualifications.
Question 62
Why should . hire you from the outside when . could promote someone from within"
TRAPS:
'his question isnEt as aggressive as it sounds. %t reresents the interviewerEsown dile""a over this co""on roble". 8eEs robably leaning toward you
already andfor reassurance, wants to hear what you have to say on the "atter.
BEST ANSWER:
8el hi" see the qualifications that
only
you can offer.
%&ample'
%n general, % thin! itEs a good olicy to hire fro" within G to loo! outsiderobably "eans youEre not co"letely co"fortable choosing so"eone fro"
inside.5aturally, you want this deart"ent to be as strong as it ossibly can be, so you wantthe strongest candidate. % feel that % can fill that bill becauseF
*then reca your strongestqualifications that "atch u with his greatest needs,.
Question 63
Tell me something negati#e you/#e heard about our company4
TRAPS:
'his is a co""on fishing e4edition to see what the industry graevine "ay besaying about the co"any. But itEs also a tra because as an outsider, you
never wantto be the bearer of unflattering news or gossi about the fir". %t can only hurt your chances and sidetrac! the interviewer fro" getting sold on you.
BEST ANSWER:
Lust re"e"ber the rule G never be negative G and youEll handle thisone 3ust fine.
Question 64
7n a scale of one to ten rate me as an inter#iewer.
TRAPS:
:ive a erfect (0, and youEll see" too easy to lease. :ive anything lessthan a erfect (0, and he could ress you as to where youEre being critical, and
that roadleads
downhill
for you.
BEST ANSWER:
Dnce again,
ne#er be negati#e.
'he interviewer will only resentcriticis" co"ing fro" you. 'his is the ti"e to show your ositivis".8owever, donEt give a nu"erical rating. #i"ly raise
whatever interview style heEs beenusing.%f heEs been tough, say /ou have been thorough and toughB"inded, the very qualitiesneeded to conduct a good
interview.%f heEs been "ethodical, say, /ou have been very "ethodical and analytical, and %E"sure that aroach results in e4cellent hires for your fir".%n
other words, ay hi" a sincere co"li"ent
that he can belie#e
because itEs anchoredin the behavior youEve 3ust seen.
:ood luc! in your 3ob searchP'he @ditors