Interview questions

Disciplines > Job-finding > Interview questions

Job interviews are often the most feared aspect of finding yourself employment, and yet they need not be that way. A critical trick is to know what questions you might be asked and hence have great answers already prepared for those tough questions you may be asked.

This section not only tells you how to answer interview questions, it also explains what they are looking for and hence lets you answer difficult questions with effective answers. Please do note: the answers offered here are to help you think and understand and may the right things to say in all situations.

Big picture

Big picture questions seek to understand the whole person, their overall motivations and their general approaches to work.

Tell me about yourself: A classic opening question.
Tell me about your last job: Seeking perspective and detail.
Tell me about your career so far: Seeking patterns and themes.
Please describe a typical day: Looking for what really happens.
How does your current job fit into the overall business: Seeking strategic understanding.
Tell me about your ideal job: Looking for key motivation.

Strengths

Strength questions effectively ask 'Why should we employ you?' If these are not answered well then there is no chance you will get the job.

What has made you successful?: Examples and reasons for success.
What interests you most about this job?: Show your motivation.
What is your greatest strength?: What you think you're good at.
Tell me about when you were particularly challenged: Challenge brings out the real person.
Tell me of a time when things went really well: ...and it was more than luck.
Would you call yourself ...?: Probing for named qualities.
What have you done that you are proud of?: Motivation and concern for self.
What did you learn in that job?: Openness, learning, risk bias.
Why should I employ you?: Show fit and motivation.
What would you do if you got the job?: Strategic and tactical detail.

Possible weaknesses

Weakness questions seek to understand where you might not fit with the job. They are also a test of character, including how you face up to weaknesses and how you manage and improve them.

What are your weaknesses?: Admit non-important weaknesses.
What skills would you like to develop?: Motivation and new areas.
Tell me about when something you did didn't work: Coping with failure.
What did you like least about that job?: Checking the range of your motivation.
What do you find difficult?: Show you can handle difficulties.
How do you approach risks?: Show foresight and planning.
What have you done that you are not proud of?: Exposing shame and values.
Have you ever lost your job?: Show positive attitude.
Do you take your work home with you?: Show both organization and passion for work.

Stress

Stress is a killer at work and many jobs are very stressful. People who are seeking stressful jobs and who cannot handle stress well are obviously not good candidates. This is also test of how honest you are with yourself - interviewers will watch for correlation of body language and answers.

Can you work under pressure?: Demonstrate control and fortitude.
What keeps you awake at night?: Whether you can relax or how you prioritize.
What annoys you?: Show control and calm.
How do you handle stressful situations?: Show that you are calm under fire.
How do you handle criticism?: Positive learning or robust response.
How do you respond to change?: Contribution, collaboration, leadership.
Have you ever had to dismiss someone?: With sensitivity and due process.
Do you plan to have children?: Respond carefully to this.
What do you do to relax?: Show that you have a life!
Do you take your work home?: Be willing to work extra when needed.
That was stupid!: Assertive reframing or questioning back.

Working with others

Many jobs need you to work in teams and across departments. These questions seek to find out how good you are at this.

Would you say that you stand out as an individual?: Be individual, but not anti-others.
How do you work in teams?: Leader, follower, collaborator -- as appropriate.
How do you handle conflict?: Show emotional maturity in mediation.
What sorts of people do you not get on with?: Make it a bad person.
Tell me about a time when you influenced someone else.: Show subtle changing of minds.
What do you do when you disagree with others?: Manage emotions.
How do you get on with others at work?: Sociability and assertiveness.
What do you think about your manager?: Show you're a good employee.
Tell me about the best manager you had: Describe good management.

Constraints

If they like you, they may ask questions to determine what would stop you from working with them. This also helps them match the person with the job.

Why are you looking for another job?: Tell reasons for leaving.
What particularly attracted you to this job?: Tell reasons for joining.
Are you prepared to travel?: Because this job has lots of it!
What did you like/dislike about that job?: Show positive motivations.
Why do you want to leave your current job?: Need to grow, etc.
Which job did you like least?: Give good reasons.
What salary are you seeking?: Don't be greedy and don't be timid.
How long would it take to get up to speed in this job?: Be realistic. Show competence.
What are your career aspirations?: Show good sense of the future.
Do you work much outside normal hours?: Show control and flexibility.

And...

Do you have any questions?: Go out on a high note with great questions!

Do remember that although the truth may be extended a little to help you get the job, outright lying and excessive exaggeration is unlikely to help you in the longer term. For example, if you cannot handle stress and land a high-pressure job, then you are unlikely to survive for long.

Note also that although there are many ideas here, they do not cover the whole show. More questions can be asked and there can be other purpose to the questioning. The bottom line is to be calm, positive, interested, enthusiastic or otherwise the ideal employee they are seeking!