64 interview answers you need to know

8/12/2019 64 Interview Answers You Need to Know

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64 Interview answers you need to know.

Q1. 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, recaing their lifestory, delving into ancient wor! history or ersonal "atters.

BEST ANSWER: #tart with the resent and tell why you are well qualified for the osition.$e"e"ber that the !ey to allsuccessful interviewing is to "atch your qualifications to whatthe interviewer is loo!ing for. &n other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This isthe single most important strategy in job hunting.

#o, before you answer this or any question it's i"erative that you try to uncover yourinterviewer's greatest need, want, roble" or goal.(o do so, "a!e you ta!e these two stes:

1. )o all the ho"ewor! you can before the interview to uncover this person's wants andneeds *not the generali+ed needs of the industry or co"any

2. -s early as you can in the interview, as! for a "ore co"lete descrition of what theosition entails. ou "ight say: “& have a nu"ber of acco"lish"ents &'d li!e to tell youabout, but & want to "a!e the best use of our ti"e together and tal! directly to yourneeds. (o hel "e do, that, could you tell "e "ore about the "ost i"ortant rioritiesof this osition/ -ll & !now is what & *heard fro" the recruiter, read in the classified ad,etc.”

(hen, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly third !uestion, to draw out his needseven "ore. #urrisingly, it's usually this second or third question that unearths what the

interviewer is most loo!ing for.ou "ight as! si"ly, -nd in addition to that/... or, &s there anything else you see asessential to success in this osition/:(his rocess will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier si"ly to answerquestions, but only if you uncover the e"loyer's wants and needs will your answers "a!ethe "ost sense. 1ractice 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 job candidates you'recompeting with.-fter uncovering what the e"loyer is loo!ing for, describe why the needs of this 2ob bearstri!ing arallels to tas!s you've succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with secifice3a"les of your resonsibilities and esecially your achieve"ents, all of which are geared to

resent yourself as a erfect "atch for the needs he has 2ust described.

Q2. What are your greatest strengths?

TRAPS: This question seems like a softball lob, but be prepared. You don't want to come across asegotistical or arrogant. Neither is this a time to be humble.

BST A!SWR"



You know that our ke strateg is to first unco!er our inter!iewer's greatest wants and needs beforeou answer questions. "nd from #uestion 1, ou know how to do this.

$rior to an inter!iew, ou should ha!e a list mentall prepared of our greatest strengths. You shouldalso ha!e, a specific e%ample or two, which illustrates each strength, an e%ample chosen from ourmost recent and most impressi!e achie!ements.

You should, ha!e this list of our greatest strengths and corresponding e%amples from ourachie!ements so well committed to memor that ou can recite them cold after being shaken awake at2:&"(.

Then, once ou unco!er our inter!iewer's greatest wants and needs, ou can choose thoseachie!ements from our list that best match up.

"s a general guideline, the 1 most desirable traits that all emploers lo!e to see in their emploeesare:

1. " pro!en track record as an achie!er...especially if your achievements match up with the

employer's greatest wants and needs. 2. )ntelligence...management *sa!!*.&. +onest...integrit...a decent human being.. -ood fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team plaer who meshes

well with inter!iewer's team.. /ikeabilit...positi!e attitude...sense of humor.0. -ood communication skills.. edication...willingness to walk the e%tra mile to achie!e e%cellence.3. efiniteness of purpose...clear goals.4. 5nthusiasm...high le!el of moti!ation.1.6onfident...health...a leader.

Q3. What are your greatest weakesses!TRAPS: Beware this is an eli"inator question, designed to shorten the candidate list. -nyad"ission of a wea!ness or fault will earn you an “-” for honesty, but an “4” for the interview.

PASSAB"E ANSWER: )isguise a strength as a wea!ness.

53a"le: “& so"eti"es ush "y eole too hard. & li!e to wor! with a sense of urgency andeveryone 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 e3erienced interviewer.

BEST ANSWER: *and another reason it's so i"ortant to get a thorough descrition of yourinterviewer's needs before you answer questions: -ssure the interviewer that you can thin!of nothing that would stand in the way of your erfor"ing in this osition with e3cellence.(hen, quic!ly review you strongest qualifications.

53a"le: “6obody'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 two things "ost of all.)o they have the qualifications to do the 2ob well, and the "otivation to do it well/ 5verythingin "y bac!ground shows & have both the qualifications and a strong desire to achievee3cellence in whatever & ta!e on. #o & can say in all honesty that & see nothing that wouldcause you even a s"all concern about "y ability or "y strong desire to erfor" this 2ob withe3cellence.”

-lternate 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 "ost and li!e least, "a!ing surethat what you li!e "ost "atches u with the "ost i"ortant qualification for success in theosition, and what you li!e least is not essential.53a"le: 7et's say you're alying for a teaching osition. “&f given a choice, & li!e to sendas "uch ti"e as ossible in front of "y rosects selling, as oosed to shuffling aerwor!bac! at the office. f course, & long ago learned the i"ortance of filing aerwor! 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.

Q#. Tell me about someth$g you %$% & or fa$le% to %o & thatyou ow feel a l$ttle ashame% ofTRAPS: (here are so"e questions your interviewer has no business as!ing, and this is one.But while you "ay feel li!e answering, “none of your business,” naturally you can9t. #o"einterviewers as! this question on the chance you ad"it to so"ething, but if not, at least they9llsee how you thin! on your feet.#o"e unreared candidates, flustered by this question, unburden the"selves of guilt fro"

their ersonal life or career, erhas e3ressing regrets regarding a arent, souse, child, etc.-ll such answers can be disastrous.

BEST ANSWER: -s with faults and wea!nesses, never confess a regret. But don9t see" asif you9re stonewalling either.

Best strategy: #ay you harbor no regrets, then add a rincile or habit you ractice regularlyfor healthy hu"an relations.

53a"le: 1ause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you. (hen say, “ou !now,& really can9t thin! of anything.” *1ause again, then add: “& would add that as a general"anage"ent rincile, &9ve found that the best way to avoid regrets is to avoid causing the"in the first lace. & ractice one habit that hels "e a great deal in this regard. -t the end ofeach day, & "entally review the day9s events and conversations to ta!e a second loo! at theeole and develo"ents &9" involved with and do a doublechec! of what they9re li!ely to befeeling. #o"eti"es &9ll see things that do need "ore followu, whether a at on the bac!, or"aybe a five "inute chat in so"eone9s office to "a!e sure we9re clear on thingswhatever.”

“& also li!e to "a!e each erson feel li!e a "e"ber of an elite tea", li!e the Boston ;eltics or7- 7a!ers in their ri"e. &9ve found that if you let each tea" "e"ber !now you e3ecte3cellence in their erfor"anceif you wor! hard to set an e3a"le yourselfand if you let



eole !now you areciate and resect their feelings, you wind u with a highly "otivatedgrou, a tea" that9s having fun at wor! because they9re striving for e3cellence rather thanbrooding over slights or regrets.”

Q'. Why are you lea($g )or %$% you lea(e* th$s +os$t$o!TRAPS: 6ever bad"outh your revious industry, co"any, board, boss, staff, e"loyees orcusto"ers. (his rule is inviolable: never be negative. -ny "ud you hurl will only soil your suit.

5secially avoid words li!e “ersonality clash”, “didn9t get along”, or others, which cast ashadow on your co"etence, integrity, or te"era"ent.

BEST ANSWER: *&f you have a 2ob resently&f you9re not yet <00% co""itted to leaving your resent ost, don9t be afraid to say so. #inceyou have a 2ob, you are in a stronger osition than so"eone who does not. But don9t be coyeither. #tate honestly what you9d be hoing to find in a new sot. f course, as stated oftenbefore, you answer will all the stronger if you have already uncovered what this osition is all

about and you "atch your desires to it.

*&f you do not resently have a 2ob.6ever lie about having been fired. &t9s unethical = and too easily chec!ed. But do try to deflectthe 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". 5ven if it hurts, describe your own firing = candidly, succinctly and without atrace of bitterness = fro" the co"any9s ointofview, indicating that you could understand

why it haened and you "ight have "ade the sa"e decision yourself.

our stature will rise i""ensely and, "ost i"ortant of all, you will show you are healed fro"the wounds inflicted by the firing. ou will enhance your i"age as firstclass "anage"ent"aterial and stand head and shoulders above the legions of firing victi"s who, at the slightestrovocation, +i oen their shirts to e3ose their battle scars and decry the unfairness of it all.

4or all rior ositions:

Ma!e sure you9ve reared a brief reason for leaving. Best reasons: "ore "oney, oortunity,resonsibility or growth.

Q,. The -S$let TreatmetTRAPS: Beware = if you are unreared for this question, you will robably not handle it rightand ossibly blow the interview. (han! goodness "ost interviewers don9t e"loy it. &t9snor"ally used by those deter"ined to see how you resond under stress. >ere9s how it

wor!s:

ou answer an interviewer9s question and then, instead of as!ing another, he 2ust stares at



you in a deafening silence.

ou wait, growing a bit uneasy, and there he sits, silent as Mt. $ush"ore, as if he doesn9tbelieve what you9ve 2ust said, or erhas "a!ing you feel that you9ve unwittingly violatedso"e cardinal rule of interview etiquette.

?hen you get this silent treat"ent after answering a articularly difficult question, such as “tell"e about your wea!nesses”, its inti"idating effect can be "ost disquieting, even to olished 2ob 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 has obviouslycaused so"e roble". -nd that9s what they do = ra"ble on, suttering "ore and "oreinfor"ation, so"eti"es irrelevant and often da"aging, because they are suddenly laying therole of so"eone who9s goofed and is now trying to recou. But since the candidate doesn9t!now where or how he goofed, he 2ust !ees tal!ing, showing how flustered and confused heis by the interviewer9s un"ovable silence.

BEST ANSWER: 7i!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 quiet yourselffor a while and then as!, with sincere oliteness and not a trace of sarcas", “&s thereanything else & can fill in on that oint/” (hat9s all there is to it.

?hatever you do, don9t let the #ilent (reat"ent inti"idate you into tal!ing a blue strea!,because you could easily tal! yourself out of the osition.

Q/. Why shoul% 0 h$re you!TRAPS: Believe it or not, this is a !iller question because so "any candidates are unrearedfor it. &f you sta""er or adlib you9ve blown it.

BEST ANSWER: By now you can see how critical it is to aly the overall strategy ofuncovering the e"loyer9s needs before you answer questions. &f you !now the e"loyer9sgreatest needs and desires, this question will give you a big leg u over other candidatesbecause you will give hi" better reasons for hiring you than anyone else is li!ely toreasonstied directly to his needs.

?hether your interviewer as!s you this question e3licitly or not, this is the "ost i"ortantquestion of your interview because he "ust answer this question favorably in is own "indbefore you will be hired. #o hel hi" out@ ?al! through each of the osition9s require"ents asyou understand the", and follow each with a reason why you "eet that require"ent so well.

53a"le: “-s & understand your needs, you are first and fore"ost loo!ing for so"eone whocan "anage the sales and "ar!eting of your boo! ublishing division. -s you9ve said youneed so"eone with a strong bac!ground in trade boo! sales. (his is where &9ve sent al"ostall of "y career, so &9ve chal!ed u <8 years of e3erience e3actly in this 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 e3and your boo! distribution channels. &n "y rior ost,"y innovative ro"otional ideas doubled, then triled, the nu"ber of outlets selling ourboo!s. &9" 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"eone who

!nows how to sell in sace and direct "ail "edia. >ere, too, & believe & have e3actly thee3erience you need. &n the last five years, &9ve increased our "ail order boo! sales fro"A00,000 to AC,800,000, and now we9re the country9s second leading "ar!eter of scientificand "edical boo!s by "ail.” 5tc., etc., etc.,

5very one of these selling “coulets” *his need "atched by your qualifications is a touchdownthat runs u your score. &( is your best oortunity to outsell your co"etition.

Q. Are2t you o(erual$f$e% for th$s +os$t$o!

TRAPS: (he e"loyer "ay be concerned that you9ll grow dissatisfied and leave.BEST ANSWER: -s with any ob2ection, don9t view this as a sign of i""inent defeat. &t9s aninvitation to teach the interviewer a new way to thin! about this situation, seeing advantagesinstead of drawbac!s.

53a"le: “& recogni+e the 2ob "ar!et for what it is = a "ar!etlace. 7i!e any "ar!etlace, it9ssub2ect to the laws of suly and de"and. #o Doverqualified9 can be a relative ter",deending on how tight the 2ob "ar!et is. -nd right now, it9s very tight. & understand andaccet that.”“& also believe that there could be very ositive benefits for both of us in this "atch.”

“Because of "y unusually strong e3erience in EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE , & could start tocontribute right away, erhas "uch faster than so"eone who9d have to be brought along"ore slowly.”

“(here9s also the value of all the training and years of e3erience that other co"anies haveinvested tens of thousands of dollars to give "e. ou9d be getting all the value of that withouthaving to ay an e3tra di"e for it. ?ith so"eone who has yet to acquire that e3erience, he9dhave to gain it on your nic!el.”

“& could also hel you in "any things they don9t teach at the >arvard Business #chool. 4ore3a"le*how to hire, train, "otivate, etc. ?hen it co"es to !nowing how to wor! well with

eole and getting the "ost out of the", there9s 2ust no substitute for what you learn over"any years of frontline e3erience. ou co"any would gain all this, too.”

“4ro" "y side, there are strong benefits, as well. $ight now, & a" une"loyed. & want to wor!, very "uch, and the osition you have here is e3actly what & love to do and a" best at.&9ll be hay doing this wor! and that9s what "atters "ost to "e, a lot "ore that "oney ortitle.”

“Most i"ortant, &9" loo!ing to "a!e a long ter" co""it"ent in "y career now. &9ve had



enough of 2obhunting and want a er"anent sot at this oint in "y career. & also !now that if& erfor" this 2ob with e3cellence, other oortunities cannot hel but oen u for "e righthere. &n ti"e, &9ll find "any other ways to hel this co"any and in so doing, hel "yself. &really a" loo!ing to "a!e a longter" co""it"ent.”

"#T$ : (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 to de"onstratethe sincerity of your co""it"ent to the e"loyer and reassure hi" that you9re loo!ing to stayfor the longter" will hel you overco"e this ob2ection.

Q4. Where %o you see yourself f$(e years from ow!TRAPS: ne reason interviewers as! this question is to see if you9re settling for this osition,using it "erely as a stoover until so"ething better co"es along. r they could be trying togauge your level of a"bition.

&f you9re too secific, i.e., na"ing the ro"otions you so"eday hoe to win, you9ll soundresu"tuous. &f you9re too vague, you9ll see" rudderless.

BEST ANSWER: $eassure your interviewer that you9re loo!ing to "a!e a longter"co""it"entthat this osition entails e3actly what you9re loo!ing to do and what you doe3tre"ely well. -s for your future, you believe that if you erfor" each 2ob at hand withe3cellence, future oortunities will ta!e care of the"selves.

53a"le: “& a" definitely interested in "a!ing a longter" co""it"ent to "y ne3t osition.Fudging by what you9ve told "e about this osition, it9s e3actly what &9" loo!ing for and what &a" very well qualified to do. &n ter"s of "y future career ath, &9" confident that if & do "y

wor! with e3cellence, oortunities will inevitable oen u for "e. &t9s always been that way in

"y career, and &9" confident &9ll have si"ilar oortunities here.”

Q15. 6es7r$be your $%eal 7om+ay8 lo7at$o a% 9obTRAPS: (his is often as!ed by an e3erienced interviewer who thin!s you "ay beoverqualified, but !nows better than to show his hand by osing his ob2ection directly. #o he9lluse this question instead, which often gets a candidate to reveal that, indeed, he or she isloo!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, beingsure to "a!e your answer believable with secific reasons, stated with sincerity, why eachquality reresented by this oortunity is attractive to you.

$e"e"ber that if you9re co"ing fro" a co"any that9s 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"le3. (hat is, they "ay feel a bit defensive about being“second best” to the lace you9re co"ing fro", worried that you "ay consider the" bushleague.



(his an3iety could well be there even though you9ve done nothing to insire it. ou "ust goout of your way to assuage such an3iety, even if it9s not e3ressed, by utting their virtueshigh on the list of e3actly what you9re loo!ing for, roviding credible reason for wanting thesequalities.

&f you do not e3ress genuine enthusias" for the fir", its culture, location, industry, etc., you"ay fail to answer this “-vis” co"le3 ob2ection and, as a result, leave the interviewersusecting that a hot shot li!e you, co"ing fro" a 4ortune G00 co"any in 6ew or!, 2ust

wouldn9t be hay at an un!nown "anufacturer based in (oe!a, Hansas.

Q11. Why %o you wat to work at our 7om+ay!TRAPS: (his question tests whether you9ve done any ho"ewor! about the fir". &f youhaven9t, you lose. &f you have, you win big.

BEST ANSWER: (his question is your oortunity to hit the ball out of the ar!, than!s to the

indeth research you should do before any interview.Best sources for researching your target co"any: annual reorts, the cororate newsletter,contacts you !now at the co"any or its suliers, advertise"ents, articles about theco"any in the trade ress.

Q1. What are your 7areer o+t$os r$ght ow!TRAPS: (he interviewer is trying to find out, “>ow deserate are you/”

BEST ANSWER: 1reare 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 you9re greatly areciated there, you9re loo!ing for so"ething "ore *challenge,"oney, resonsibility, etc.. -lso "ention that you9re seriously e3loring oortunities with oneor two other fir"s.

&f you9re not wor!ing, you can tal! about other e"loy"ent ossibilities you9re actuallye3loring. But do this with a light touch, sea!ing only in general ter"s. ou don9t want tosee" "aniulative or coy.

Q13. Why ha(e you bee out of work so log!TRAPS: - tough question if you9ve been on the beach a long ti"e. ou don9t want to see"li!e da"aged goods.

BEST ANSWER: ou want to e"hasi+e factors which have rolonged your 2ob search byyour own choice.

53a"le: “-fter "y 2ob was ter"inated, & "ade a conscious decision not to 2u" on the firstoortunities to co"e along. &n "y life, &9ve found out that you can always turn a negative into



a ositive &4 you try hard enough. (his is what & deter"ined to do. & decided to ta!e whateverti"e & needed to thin! through what & do best, what & "ost want to do, where &9d li!e to do itand then identify those co"anies that could offer such an oortunity.”

“-lso, in all honesty, you have to factor in the recession *consolidation, stabili+ation, etc. inthe *ban!ing, financial services, "anufacturing, advertising, etc. industry.”

“#o between "y being selective and the co"anies in our industry downsi+ing, the rocesshas ta!en ti"e. But in the end, &9" convinced that when & do find the right "atch, all thatcareful evaluation fro" both sides of the des! will have been well worthwhile for both theco"any that hires "e and "yself.

Q1#. Tell me hoestly about the strog +o$ts a% weak+o$ts of your boss )7om+ay8 maagemet team8 et7.*;TRAPS: #!illfull interviewers so"eti"es "a!e it al"ost irresistible to oen u and air a little

dirty laundry fro" your revious osition. )69(

BEST ANSWER: $e"e"ber the rule: 6ever be negative. #tress only the good oints, no"atter how char"ingly you9re invited to be critical.

our interviewer doesn9t care a whit about your revious boss. >e wants to find out how loyaland ositive you are, and whether you9ll critici+e hi" behind his bac! if ressed to do so byso"eone in this own co"any. (his question is your oortunity to de"onstrate your loyaltyto those you wor! with.

Q1'. What goo% books ha(e you rea% lately!TRAPS: -s in all "atters of your interview, never fa!e fa"iliarity you don9t have. et you don9t

want to see" li!e a dullard who hasn9t read a boo! since (o" #awyer.

BEST ANSWER: Inless you9re u for a osition in acade"ia or as boo! critic for (he 6ewor! (i"es, you9re not e3ected to be a literary lion. But it wouldn9t hurt to have read ahandful of the "ost recent and influential boo!s in your rofession and on "anage"ent.

;onsider it art of the wor! of your 2ob search to read u on a few of these leading boo!s. But"a!e sure they are quality boo!s that reflect favorably uon you, nothing that could evenre"otely be considered suerficial. 4inally, add a recently ublished bestselling wor! of fiction

by a worldclass author and you9ll ass this question with flying colors.

Q1,. Tell me about a s$tuat$o whe your work was7r$t$7$<e%.TRAPS: (his is a tough question because it9s a "ore clever and subtle way to get you toad"it to a wea!ness. ou can9t dodge it by retending you9ve never been critici+ed.



5verybody has been. et it can be quite da"aging to start ad"itting otential faults andfailures that you9d 2ust as soon leave buried.

(his question is also intended to robe how well you accet criticis" and direction.

BEST ANSWER: Begin by e"hasi+ing the e3tre"ely ositive feedbac! you9ve gottenthroughout your career and *if it9s true that your erfor"ance reviews have been unifor"ly

e3cellent.

f course, no one is erfect and you always welco"e suggestions on how to i"rove yourerfor"ance. (hen, give an e3a"le of a nottooda"aging learning e3erience fro" early inyour career and relate the ways this lesson has since heled you. (his de"onstrates that youlearned fro" the e3erience and the lesson is now one of the strongest breastlates in yoursuit of ar"or.

&f you are ressed for a criticis" fro" a recent osition, choose so"ething fairly trivial that inno way is essential to your successful erfor"ance. -dd that you9ve learned fro" this, too,and over the ast several yearsJ"onths, it9s no longer an area of concern because you now

"a!e it a regular ractice toetc.

-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. 4or e3a"le, this "ight be a co"uterrogra" you9ve been "eaning to sit down and learn a new "anage"ent technique you9veread aboutor erhas attending a se"inar on so"e cuttingedge branch of your rofession.

-gain, the !ey is to focus on so"ething not essential to your brilliant erfor"ance but whichadds yet another di"ension to your already i"ressive !nowledge base.

Q1/. What are your outs$%e $terests!TRAPS: ou want to be a wellrounded, not a drone. But your otential e"loyer would beeven "ore turned off if he susects that your heavy e3tracurricular load will interfere with yourco""it"ent to your wor! duties.

BEST ANSWER: (ry to gauge how this co"any9s culture would loo! uon your favoriteoutside activities and be guided accordingly.

ou can also use this question to shatter any stereotyes that could li"it your chances. &fyou9re over G0, for e3a"le, describe your activities that de"onstrate hysical sta"ina. &fyou9re young, "ention an activity that connotes wisdo" and institutional trust, such as servingon 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 hi", notyour fa"ily, yourself or outside organi+ations, no "atter how ad"irable those activities "aybe.



Q1. The -=atal =law uest$oTRAPS: &f an interviewer has read your resu"e carefully, he "ay try to +ero in on a “fatalflaw” of your candidacy, erhas that you don9t have a college degreeyou9ve been out ofthe 2ob "ar!et for so"e ti"eyou never earned your ;1-, etc.

- fatal flaw question can be deadly, but usually only if you resond by being overly defensive.

BEST ANSWER: -s every "aster saleserson !nows, you will encounter ob2ections *whetherstated or "erely thought in every sale. (hey9re art and arcel of the buyer9s an3iety. (he!ey is not to e3acerbate the buyer9s an3iety but di"inish it. >ere9s how?henever you co"e u against a fatal flaw question:

<. Be co"letely honest, oen and straightforward about ad"itting the shortco"ing.*#howing you have nothing to hide di"inishes the buyer9s an3iety.

C. )o not aologi+e or try to e3lain it away. ou !now that this suosed flaw is nothingto be concerned about, and this is the attitude you want your interviewer to adot as

well.K. -dd that as desirable as such a qualification "ight be, its lac! has "ade you wor! all

the harder throughout your career and has not revented you fro" co"iling anoutstanding tac! record of achieve"ents. ou "ight even give e3a"les of how,through a relentless co""it"ent to e3cellence, you have consistently outerfor"edthose who do have this qualification.

f course, the ulti"ate way to handle “fatal flaw” questions is to revent the" fro" arising inthe first lace. ou will do that by following the "aster strategy described in Luestion <, i.e.,uncovering the e"loyers needs and the" "atching your qualifications to those needs.

nce you9ve gotten the e"loyer to start tal!ing about his "ost urgentlyfelt wants and goalsfor the osition, and then hel hi" see in stebyste fashion how erfectly your bac!ground

and achieve"ents "atch u with those needs, you9re going to have one very enthusiasticinterviewer on your hands, one who is no longer loo!ing for “fatal flaws”.

Q14. >ow %o you feel about re+ort$g to a youger +erso)m$or$ty8 woma8 et7*!TRAPS: &t9s a sha"e that so"e interviewers feel the need to as! this question, but "anyunderstand the reality that re2udices still e3ist a"ong so"e 2ob candidates, and it9s better totry to flush the" out beforehand.

(he tra here is that in today9s olitically sensiti+ed environ"ent, even a wellintentionedanswer can result in lanting your foot neatly in your "outh. -void anything which s"ac!s ofa atroni+ing or an insensitive attitude, such as “& thin! they "a!e terrific bosses” or “>ey,so"e of "y best friends are”

f course, since al"ost anyone with an &L above roo" te"erature will at least try tosteadfastly affir" the right answer here, your interviewer will be 2udging your sincerity "ost ofall. “)o you really feel that way/” is what he or she will be wondering.



#o you "ust "a!e your answer believable and not 2ust auto"atic. &f the fir" is wise enoughto have ro"oted eoled on the basis of ability alone, they9re li!ely quite roud of it, andrefer 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 alone andyou couldn9t agree "ore with that hilosohy. (he age *gender, race, etc. of the erson youreort to would certainly "a!e no difference to you.

?hoever has that osition has obviously earned it and !nows their 2ob well. Both the ersonand the osition are fully deserving of resect. ou believe that all eole in a co"any, fro"the recetionist to the ;hair"an, wor! best when their abilities, efforts and feelings areresected and rewarded fairly, and that includes you. (hat9s the best tye of wor!environ"ent you can hoe to find.

Q5. ? 7of$%et$al matters;TRAPS: ?hen an interviewer resses you to reveal confidential infor"ation about a resent

or for"er e"loyer, you "ay feel it9s a nowin situation. &f you cooerate, you could be 2udgeduntrustworthy. &f you don9t, you "ay irritate the interviewer and see" obstinate, uncooerativeor overly susicious.

BEST ANSWER: our interviewer "ay ress you for this infor"ation for two reasons.

4irst, "any co"anies use interviews to research the co"etition. &t9s a erfect setu. >erein their own lair, is an insider fro" the ene"y ca" who can reveal ri+ed infor"ation on theco"etition9s lans, research, financial condition, etc.#econd, the co"any "ay be testing your integrity to see if you can be ca2oled or bullied intorevealing confidential data.

?hat to do/ (he answer here is easy. 6ever reveal anything truly confidential about a resentor for"er e"loyer. By all "eans, e3lain your reticence dilo"atically. 4or e3a"le, “&certainly want to be as oen as & can about that. But & also wish to resect the rights of those

who have trusted "e with their "ost sensitive infor"ation, 2ust as you would hoe to be ableto trust any of your !ey eole when tal!ing with a co"etitor”

-nd certainly you can allude to your finest achieve"ents in secific ways that don9t reveal theco"bination to the co"any safe.

But be guided by the golden rule. &f you were the owner of your resent co"any, would youfeel it ethically wrong for the infor"ation to be given to your co"etitors/ &f so, steadfastlyrefuse to reveal it.

$e"e"ber that this question its your desire to be cooerative against your integrity. 4aced with any such choice, always choose integrity. &t is a far "ore valuable co""odity than whatever infor"ation the co"any "ay ry fro" you. Moreover, once you surrender theinfor"ation, your stoc! goes down. (hey will surely lose resect for you.

ne 1resident we !now always resses candidates un"ercifully for confidential infor"ation. &fhe doesn9t get it, he grows visibly annoyed, relentlessly inquisitive, &t9s all an act. >e couldn9t



care less about the infor"ation. (his is his way of testing the candidate9s "oral fiber. nlythose who hold fast are hired.

Q1. Woul% you l$e for the 7om+ay!

TRAPS: (his another question that its two values against one another, in this case loyaltyagainst integrity.

BEST ANSWER: (ry to avoid choosing between two values, giving a ositive state"ent which 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 ersonalintegrity. &t is the "ost ri+ed of all values.

Q. "ook$g ba7k8 what woul% you %o %$fferetly $ yourl$fe!TRAPS: (his question is usually as!ed to uncover any lifeinfluencing "ista!es, regrets,disaoint"ents or roble"s that "ay continue to affect your ersonality and erfor"ance.ou do not want to give the interviewer anything negative to re"e"ber you by, such as so"egreat ersonal or career disaoint"ent, even long ago, that you wish could have beenavoided.6or do you wish to give any answer which "ay hint that your whole heart and soul will not bein your wor!..

BEST ANSWER: &ndicate that you are a hay, fulfilled, oti"istic erson and that, ingeneral, you wouldn9t change a thing.

53a"le: “&t9s been a good life, rich in learning and e3erience, and the best it yet to co"e.5very e3erience in life is a lesson it its own way. & wouldn9t change a thing.”

Q3. @oul% you ha(e %oe better $ your last 9ob!TRAPS: (his is no ti"e for true confessions of "a2or or even "inor roble"s.

BEST ANSWER: Again never be negative.

5%ample: 7) suppose with the benefit of hindsight ou can alwas find things to do better, of course,but off the top of m head, ) can8t think of anthing of ma9or consequence.

;)f more e%planation seems necessar<

escriber a situation that didn8t suffer because of ou but from e%ternal conditions beond ourcontrol.



=or e%ample, describe the disappointment ou felt with a test campaign, new product launch, merger,etc., which looked promising at first, but led to underwhelming results. 7) wish we could ha!e known atthe start what we later found out ;about the econom turning, the marketplace changing, etc.<, but sincewe couldn8t, we 9ust had to go for it. "nd we did learn from it>

Q#. @a you work u%er +ressure!TRAPS: -n easy question, but you want to "a!e your answer believable

BEST ANSWER: "bsolutel>;then pro!e it with a !i!id e%ample or two of a goal or pro9ectaccomplished under se!ere pressure.<

Q'. What makes you agry!TRAPS: ou don9t want to co"e across either as a hothead or a wi".

BEST ANSWER: -i!e an answer that8s suited to both our personalit and the management stle ofthe firm. +ere, the homework ou8!e done about the compan and its stle can help in our choice ofwords.

5%amples: )f ou are a reser!ed person and?or the corporate culture is cooll professional:7)8m an e!en@tempered and positi!e person b nature, and ) belie!e this helps me a great deal inkeeping m department running smoothl, harmoniousl and with a genuine esprit de corps. ) belie!ein communicating clearl what8s e%pected, getting people8s commitment to those goals, and thenfollowing up continuousl to check progress.

7)f anone or anthing is going off track, ) want to know about it earl. )f, after that kind of opencommunication and follow up, someone isn8t getting the 9ob done, )8ll want to know wh. )f there8s nogood reason, then )8ll get impatient and angr>and take appropriate steps from there. Aut if ou hiregood people, moti!ate them to stri!e for e%cellence and then follow up constantl, it almost ne!er getsto that state.

)f ou are feist b nature and?or the position calls for a tough straw boss.7You know what makes me angrB $eople who ;the fill in the blanks with the most ob9ectionable traitsfor this tpe of position<>people who don8t pull their own weight, who are negati!e, people who lie>etc.

Q,. Why are2t you ear$g more moey at th$s stage ofyour 7areer!TRAPS: ou don9t want to give the i"ression that "oney is not i"ortant to you, yet you

want to e3lain why your salary "ay be a little below industry standards.

BEST ANSWER: You like to make mone, but other factors are e!en more important.



5%ample: 7(aking mone is !er important to me, and one reason )8m here is because )8m looking tomake more. Throughout m career, what8s been e!en more important to me is doing work ) reall liketo do at the kind of compan ) like and respect.

;Then be prepared to be specific about what our ideal position and compan would be like, matchingthem as closel as possible to the opportunit at hand.

Q/. Who has $s+$re% you $ your l$fe a% why!TRAPS: (he two tras here are unrearedness and irrelevance. &f you groe for an answer,it see"s you9ve never been insired. &f you ra"ble about your high school bas!etball coach,you9ve wasted an oortunity to resent qualities of great value to the co"any.

BEST ANSWER: +a!e a few heroes in mind, from our mental 7Aoard of irectors C /eaders inour industr, from histor or anone else who has been our mentor.

Ae prepared to gi!e e%amples of how their words, actions or teachings ha!e helped inspire our

achie!ements. "s alwas, prepare an answer which highlights qualities that would be highl !aluable inthe position ou are seeking

Q. What was the toughest %e7$s$o you e(er ha% tomake!TRAPS: iving an unreared or irrelevant answer.

BEST ANSWER: Ae prepared with a good e%ample, e%plaining wh the decision was difficult>theprocess ou followed in reaching it>the courageous or effecti!e wa ou carried it out>and the

beneficial results.

Q4. Tell me about the most bor$g 9ob you2(e e(er ha%TRAPS: ou give a very "e"orable descrition of a very boring 2ob. $esult/ ou beco"eassociated with this boring 2ob in the interviewer9s "ind.

BEST ANSWER: You ha!e ne!er allowed ourself to grow bored with a 9ob and ou can8t understandit when others let themsel!es fall into that rut.

5%ample: 7$erhaps )8!e been fortunate, but that )8!e ne!er found mself bored with an 9ob ) ha!e e!erheld. )8!e alwas en9oed hard work. "s with actors who feel there are no small parts, ) also belie!ethat in e!er compan or department there are e%citing challenges and intriguing problems cring outfor energetic and enthusiastic solutions. )f ou8re bored, it8s probabl because ou8re not challengingourself to tackle those problems right under our nose.



Q35. >a(e you bee abset from work more tha a few%ays $ ay +re($ous +os$t$o!TRAPS: &f you9ve had a roble", you can9t lie. ou could easily be found out. et ad"ittingan attendance roble" could raise "any flags.

BEST ANSWER: )f ou ha!e had no problem, emphasiDe our e%cellent and consistent attendancerecord throughout our career."lso describe how important ou belie!e such consistent attendance is for a ke e%ecuti!e>wh it8sup to ou to set an e%ample of dedication>and wh there8s 9ust no substitute for being there with ourpeople to keep the operation running smoothl, answer questions and handle problems and crises asthe arise.

)f ou do ha!e a past attendance problem, ou want to minimiDe it, making it clear that it was ane%ceptional circumstance and that it8s cause has been corrected.

To do this, gi!e the same answer as abo!e but preface it with something like, 7Ether that being out lastear ;or whene!er< because of ;our reason, which is now in the past<, ) ha!e ne!er had a problem andha!e en9oed an e%cellent attendance record throughout m career. =urthermore, ) belie!e, consistentattendance is important because> ;$ick up the rest of the answer as outlined abo!e.<.

Q31. What 7hages woul% you make $f you 7ame o boar%!TRAPS: ?atch out@ (his question can derail your candidacy faster than a bo"b on the trac!s= and 2ust as you are about to be hired.

&eason: 6o "atter how bright you are, you cannot !now the right actions to ta!e in a ositionbefore you settle in and get to !now the oeration9s strengths, wea!nesses !ey eole,financial condition, "ethods of oeration, etc. &f you lunge at this te"tingly baited 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 anoutsider. 6o one, including your interviewer, li!es to thin! that a !nowitall outsider is going toco"e in, turn the lace uside down and with sweeing, grand gestures, ro"tlyde"onstrate what 2er!s everybody9s been for years..

BEST ANSWER: You, of course, will want to take a good hard look at e!erthing the compan isdoing before making an recommendations.

5%ample: 7Fell, ) wouldn8t be a !er good doctor if ) ga!e m diagnosis before the e%amination.Ghould ou hire me, as ) hope ou will, )8d want to take a good hard look at e!erthing ou8re doingand understand wh it8s being done that wa. )8d like to ha!e in@depth meetings with ou and the otherke people to get a deeper grasp of what ou feel ou8re doing right and what could be impro!ed.

7=rom what ou8!e told me so far, the areas of greatest concern to ou are> ;name them. Then dotwo things. =irst, ask if these are in fact his ma9or concerns. )f so then reaffirm how our e%perience inmeeting similar needs elsewhere might pro!e !er helpful<.



Q3. 02m 7o7ere% that you %o2t ha(e as mu7he+er$e7e as we2% l$ke $;TRAPS: (his could be a "a!eorbrea! question. (he interviewer "ostly li!es what he sees,

but has doubts over one !ey area. &f you can assure hi" on this oint, the 2ob "ay be yours.BEST ANSWER: This question is related to 7The =atal =law ;#uestion 13<, but here the concern isnot that ou are totall missing some qualifications, such as 6$" certification, but rather that oure%perience is light in one area.Aefore going into an inter!iew, tr to identif the weakest aspects of our candidac from thiscompan8s point of !iew. Then prepare the best answer ou possible can to shore up our defenses.

To get past this question with fling colors, ou are going to rel on our master strateg of unco!eringthe emploer8s greatest wants and needs and then matching them with our strengths. Gince oualread know how to do this from #uestion 1, ou are in a much stronger position.

(ore specificall, when the inter!iewer poses as ob9ection like this, ou should>

1. "gree on the importance of this qualification.2. 5%plain that our strength ma be indeed be greater than our resume indicates because>&. Fhen this strength is added to our other strengths, it8s reall our combination of qualificationsthat8s most important.

Then re!iew the areas of our greatest strengths that match up most fa!orabl with the compan8s mosturgentl@felt wants and needs.

This is powerful wa to handle this question for two reasons. =irst, ou8re gi!ing our inter!iewer

more ammunition in the area of his concern. Aut more importantl, ou8re shifting his focus awa fromthis one, isolated area and putting it on the unique combination of strengths ou offer, strengths whichtie in perfectl with his greatest wants.

Q33. >ow %o you feel about work$g $ghts a% weeke%s!TRAPS: Blurt out “no way, Fose” and you can !iss the 2ob offer goodbye. But what if you havea fa"ily and want to wor! a reasonably nor"al schedule/ &s there a way to get both the 2oband the schedule you want/.

BEST ANSWER: =irst, if ou8re a confirmed workaholic, this question is a softball lob. Fhack it outof the park on the first swing b saing this kind of schedule is 9ust our stle. "dd that our familunderstands it. )ndeed, the8re happ for ou, as the know ou get our greatest satisfaction from ourwork.)f howe!er, ou prefer a more balanced lifestle, answer this question with another: 7Fhat8s the normfor our best people hereB

)f the hours still sound unrealistic for ou, ask, 7o ou ha!e an top people who performe%ceptionall for ou, but who also ha!e families and like to get home in time to see them at nightB



6hances are this compan does, and this associates ou with this other 7top@performers@who@lea!e@not@later@than@si% group.

epending on the answer, be honest about how ou would fit into the picture. )f all those e%tra hoursmake ou uncomfortable, sa so, but phrase our response positi!el.

5%ample: 7) lo!e m work and do it e%ceptionall well. ) think the results speak for themsel!es,especiall in >;mention our two or three qualifications of greater interest to the emploer.Hemember, this is what he wants most, not a workaholic with weak credentials<. Not onl would )bring these qualities, but )8!e built m whole career on working not 9ust hard, but smart. ) think ou8llfind me one of the most producti!e people here.

) do ha!e a famil who likes to see me after work and on weekends. The add balance and richness tom life, which in turn helps me be happ and producti!e at work. )f ) could handle some of the e%trawork at home in the e!enings or on weekends, that would be ideal. You8d be getting a person ofe%ceptional producti!it who meets our needs with strong credentials. "nd )8d be able to handle someof the hea! workload at home where ) can be under the same roof as m famil. 5!erbod wouldwin.

Q3#. Are you w$ll$g to relo7ate or tra(el!TRAPS: -nswer with a flat “no” and you "ay sla" the door shut on this oortunity. But whatif you9d really refer not to relocate or travel, yet wouldn9t want to lose the 2ob offer over it/.

BEST ANSWER: =irst find out where ou ma ha!e to relocate and how much tra!el ma bein!ol!ed. Then respond to the question.

)f there8s no problem, sa so enthusiasticall.

)f ou do ha!e a reser!ation, there are two schools of thought on how to handle it.

Ene ad!ises ou to keep our options open and our reser!ations to ourself in the earl going, bsaing, 7no problem. You strateg here is to get the best offer ou can, then make a 9udgment whetherit8s worth it to ou to relocate or tra!el.

"lso, b the time the offer comes through, ou ma ha!e other offers and can make a more informeddecision. Fh kill of this opportunit before it has chance to blossom into something reall specialB"nd if ou8re a little more desperate three months from now, ou might wish ou hadn8t slammed thedoor on relocating or tra!eling.

The second wa to handle this question is to !oice a reser!ation, but assert that ou8d be open torelocating ;or tra!eling< for the right opportunit.The answering strateg ou choose depends on how eager ou are for the 9ob. )f ou want to take nochances, choose the first approach.

)f ou want to pla a little harder@to@get in hopes of generating a more enticing offer, choose thesecond.



Q3'. 6o you ha(e the stoma7h to f$re +eo+le! >a(e youha% e+er$e7e f$r$g may +eo+le!TRAPS: (his “innocent” question could be a tra door which sends you down a chute and

lands you in a hea of dust outside the front door. ?hy/ Because its real intent is not 2ust tosee if you9ve got the sto"ach to fire, but also to uncover oor 2udg"ent in hiring which hascaused you to fire so "any. -lso, if you fire so often, you could be a tyrant.

#o don9t rise to the bait by boasting how "any you9ve fired, unless you9ve reared to e3lain why it was beyond your control, and not the result of your oor hiring rocedures or foulte"era"ent..

BEST ANSWER: escribe the rational and sensible management process ou follow in both hiringand firing.

5%ample: 7( whole management approach is to hire the best people ) can find, train them thoroughland well, get them e%cited and proud to be part of our team, and then work with them to achie!e ourgoals together. )f ou do all of that right, especiall hiring the right people, )8!e found ou don8t ha!eto fire !er often.

7Go with me, firing is a last resort. Aut when it8s got to be done, it8s got to be done, and the faster andcleaner, the better. " poor emploee can wreak terrible damage in undermining the morale of an entireteam of good people. Fhen there8s no other wa, )8!e found it8s better for all concerned to actdecisi!el in getting rid of offenders who won8t change their was.

Q3,. Why ha(e you ha% so may 9obs!TRAPS: our interviewer fears you "ay leave this osition quic!ly, as you have others. >e9sconcerned you "ay be unstable, or a “roble" erson” who can9t get along with others.

BEST ANSWER: =irst, before ou e!en get to the inter!iew stage, ou should tr to minimiDe ourimage as 9ob hopper. )f there are se!eral entries on our resume of less than one ear, considereliminating the less important ones. $erhaps ou can specif the time ou spent at pre!ious positions inrounded ears not in months and ears.

5%ample: )nstead of showing three positions this wa:

To #ro$ Postion0?1442 &?144& $osition "?144& 12?144& $osition A1?144 3?144 $osition 6>it would be better to show simpl:

To #ro$ Postion

0?1442 &?144& $osition "1?144 3?144 $osition 6



)n other words, ou would drop $osition A altogether. Notice what a difference this makes in reducingour image as a 9ob hopper.

Ence in front of the inter!iewer and this question comes up, ou must tr to reassure him. escribeeach position as part of an o!erall pattern of growth and career destination.

Ae careful not to blame other people for our frequent changes. Aut ou can and should attributecertain changes to conditions beond our control.5%ample: Thanks to an upcoming merger, ou wanted to a!oid an ensuing bloodbath, so ou made agood, upward career mo!e before our department came under the a%e of the new owners.

)f possible, also show that our 9ob changes were more frequent in our ounger das, while ou wereestablishing ourself, rounding out our skills and looking for the right career path. "t this stage inour career, ou8re certainl much more interested in the best long@term opportunit.

You might also cite the 9ob;s< where ou staed the longest and describe that this tpe of situation iswhat ou8re looking for now.

Q3/. What %o you see as the +ro+er rolem$ss$o of;

%a goo% )9ob t$tle you2re seek$g*C;a goo% maagerC;a ee7ut$(e $ ser($g the 7ommu$tyC;a lea%$g 7om+ay $ our $%ustryC et7.

TRAPS: (hese and other “roer role” questions are designed to test your understanding ofyour lace in the bigger icture of your deart"ent, co"any, co""unity and rofession.as

well as the roer role each of these entities should lay in its bigger icture.

(he question is "ost frequently as!ed by the "ost thoughtful individuals and co"aniesorby those concerned that you9re co"ing fro" a lace with a radically different cororate culture*such as fro" a big govern"ent bureaucracy to an aggressive s"all co"any.

(he "ost frequent "ista!e e3ecutives "a!e in answering is si"ly not being reared*see"ing as if they9ve never giving any of this a though.or in hrasing an answer bestsuited to their rior organi+ation9s culture instead of the hiring co"any9s.

BEST ANSWER: Think of the most essential ingredients of success for each categor abo!e C our 9ob title, our role as manager, our firm8s role, etc.)dentif at least three but no more than si% qualities ou feel are most important to success in each role.Then commit our response to memor.+ere, again, the more information ou8!e alread drawn out about the greatest wants and needs of theinter!iewer, and the more homework ou8!e done to identif the culture of the firm, the more on@targetour answer will be.



Q3. What woul% you say to your boss $f he2s 7ra<y abouta $%ea8 but you th$k $t st$ks!

TRAPS: (his is another question that its two values, in this case loyalty and honesty, against

one another.

BEST ANSWER: Hemember the rule stated earlier: )n an conflict between !alues, alwas chooseintegrit.

5%ample: ) belie!e that when e!aluating anthing, it8s important to emphasiDe the positi!e. Fhat do )like about this ideaB

7Then, if ou ha!e reser!ations, ) certainl want to point them out, as specificall, ob9ecti!el andfactuall as ) can.

7"fter all, the most important thing ) owe m boss is honest. )f he can8t count on me for that, thene!erthing else ) ma do or sa could be questionable in his ees.

7Aut ) also want to e%press m thoughts in a constructi!e wa. Go m goal in this case would be to seeif m boss and ) could make his idea e!en stronger and more appealing, so that it effecti!el o!ercomesan initial reser!ation ) or others ma ha!e about it.

7Ef course, if he o!errules me and sas, Ino, let8s do it m wa,8 then ) owe him m full andenthusiastic support to make it work as best it can.

Q34. >ow 7oul% you ha(e $m+ro(e% your 7areer +rogress!

TRAPS: (his is another variation on the question, “&f you could, how would you live your lifeover/” $e"e"ber, you9re not going to fall for any such invitations to rewrite erson history.ou can9t win if you do.

BEST ANSWER: You8re generall quite happ with our career progress. (abe, if ou had knownsomething earlier in life ;impossible to know at the time, such as the booming growth in a branch inour industr>or the corporate downsiDing that would phase out our last 9ob<, ou might ha!e mo!edin a certain direction sooner.

Aut all things considered, ou take responsibilit for where ou are, how ou8!e gotten there, whereou are going>and ou harbor no regrets.



Q#5. What woul% you %o $f a fellow ee7ut$(e o your ow7or+orate le(el was2t +ull$g h$sher we$ght;a% th$s washurt$g your %e+artmet!

TRAPS: (his question and other hyothetical ones test your sense of hu"an relations andhow you "ight handle office olitics.

BEST ANSWER: Tr to gauge the political stle of the firm and be guided accordingl. )n general,fall back on uni!ersal principles of effecti!e human relations C which in the end, embod the wa ouwould like to be treated in a similar circumstance.

5%ample: 7-ood human relations would call for me to go directl to the person and e%plain thesituation, to tr to enlist his help in a constructi!e, positi!e solution. )f ) sensed resistance, ) would beas persuasi!e as ) know how to e%plain the benefits we can all gain from working together, and theproblems we, the compan and our customers will e%perience if we don8t.

P&SSIB' #&''&W()P Q)STI&!" "nd what would ou do if he still did not change his wasB

A!SWR : 7Ene thing ) wouldn8t do is let the problem slide, because it would onl get worse ando!erlooking it would set a bad precedent. ) would tr again and again and again, in whate!er wa )could, to sol!e the problem, in!ol!ing wider and wider circles of people, both abo!e and below theoffending e%ecuti!e and including m own boss if necessar, so that e!erone in!ol!ed can see therewards for teamwork and the drawbacks of non@cooperation.

7) might add that )8!e ne!er et come across a situation that couldn8t be resol!ed b harnessing othersin a determined, constructi!e effort.

Q#1. Dou2(e bee w$th your f$rm a log t$me. Wo2t $t behar% sw$t7h$g to a ew 7om+ay!TRAPS: our interviewer is worried that this old dog will find it hard to learn new tric!s.

BEST ANSWER: To o!ercome this ob9ection, ou must point to the man was ou ha!e grown andadapted to changing conditions at our present firm. )t has not been a static situation. +ighlight thedifferent responsibilities ou8!e held, the wide arra of new situations ou8!e faced and conquered.

"s a result, ou8!e learned to adapt quickl to whate!er is thrown at ou, and ou thri!e on thestimulation of new challenges.

To further assure the inter!iewer, describe the similarities between the new position and our prior one.5%plain that ou should be quite comfortable working there, since their needs and our skills make aperfect match



Q#. ay 0 7ota7t your +reset em+loyer for a refere7e!TRAPS: &f you9re trying to !ee your 2ob search rivate, this is the last thing you want. But ifyou don9t cooerate, won9t you see" as if you9re trying to hide so"ething/

BEST ANSWER: 5%press our concern that ou8d like to keep our 9ob search pri!ate, but that intime, it will be perfectl oka.

5%ample: 7( present emploer is not aware of m 9ob search and, for ob!ious reasonsJ )8d prefer tokeep it that wa. )8d be most appreciati!e if we kept our discussion confidential right now. Ef course,when we both agree the time is right, then b all means ou should contact them. )8m !er proud of mrecord there.

Q#3. F$(e me a eam+le of your 7reat$($ty )aalyt$7alsk$ll;maag$g ab$l$ty8 et7.*

TRAPS: (he worst offense here is si"ly being unreared. our hesitation "ay see" as ifyou9re having a hard ti"e re"e"bering the last ti"e you were creative, analytical, etc.

BEST ANSWER: Hemember from #uestion 2 that ou should commit to memor a list of ourgreatest and most recent achie!ements, e!er read on the tip of our tongue.

)f ou ha!e such a list, it8s eas to present an of our achie!ements in light of the qualit theinter!iewer is asking about. =or e%ample, the smashing success ou orchestrated at last ear8s tradeshow could be used as an e%ample of creati!it, or analtical abilit, or our abilit to manage

Q##. Where 7oul% you use some $m+ro(emet!TRAPS: -nother tric!y way to get you to ad"it wea!nesses. )on9t fall for it..

BEST ANSWER: Keep this answer, like all our answers, positi!e. " good wa to answer thisquestion is to identif a cutting@edge branch of our profession ;one that8s not essential to ouremploer8s needs< as an area ou8re !er e%cited about and want to e%plore more full o!er the ne%t si%months.

Q#'. What %o you worry about!

TRAPS: -d"it to worrying and you could sound li!e a loser. #aying you never worry doesn9tsound credible.

BEST ANSWER: Hedefine the word Iworr8 so that it does not reflect negati!el on ou.

Example: 7) wouldn8t call it worr, but ) am a strongl goal@oriented person. Go ) keep turning o!er inm mind anthing that seems to be keeping me from achie!ing those goals, until ) find a solution.That8s part of m tenacit, ) suppose.



Q#,. >ow may hours a week %o you ormally work!TRAPS: ou don9t want to give a secific nu"ber. Ma!e it to low, and you "ay not "easureu. (oo high, and you9ll forever feel guilty about snea!ing out the door at G:<G.

BEST ANSWER: )f ou are in fact a workaholic and ou sense this compan would like that: Ga ouare a confirmed workaholic, that ou often work nights and weekends. Your famil accepts this because

it makes ou fulfilled.

)f ou are not a workaholic: Ga ou ha!e alwas worked hard and put in long hours. )t goes with theterritor. )t one sense, it8s hard to keep track of the hours because our work is a labor of lo!e, ouen9o nothing more than sol!ing problems. Go ou8re almost alwas thinking about our work,including times when ou8re home, while sha!ing in the morning, while commuting, etc.

Q#/. What2s the most %$ff$7ult +art of be$g a )9ob t$tle*!TRAPS: Inless you hrase your answer roerly, your interviewer "ay conclude that

whatever you identify as “difficult” is where you are wea!.

BEST ANSWER: =irst, redefine 7difficult to be 7challenging which is more positi!e. Then, identifan area e!erone in our profession considers challenging and in which ou e%cel. escribe the processou follow that enables ou to get splendid results>and be specific about those results.5%ample: 7) think e!er sales manager finds it challenging to moti!ate the troops in a recession. Autthat8s probabl the strongest test of a top sales manager. ) feel this is one area where ) e%cel.

7Fhen ) see the first sign that sales ma slip or that sales force moti!ation is flagging because of adownturn in the econom, here8s the plan ) put into action immediatel> ;followed b a descriptionof each step in the process>and most importantl, the e%ceptional results ou8!e achie!ed.<

Q#. The ->y+othet$7al ProblemTRAPS: #o"eti"es an interviewer will describe a difficult situation and as!, “>ow would youhandle this/” #ince it is virtually i"ossible to have all the facts in front of you fro" such ashort resentation, don9t fall into the tra of trying to solve this roble" and giving your verdicton the sot. &t will "a!e your decision"a!ing rocess see" woefully inadequate.

BEST ANSWER: )nstead, describe the rational, methodical process ou would follow in analDingthis problem, who ou would consult with, generating possible solutions, choosing the best course ofaction, and monitoring the results.

Hemember, in all such, 7Fhat would ou doB questions, alwas describe our process or workingmethods, and ou8ll ne!er go wrong.

Q#4. What was the toughest 7hallege you2(e e(er fa7e%!TRAPS: Being unreared or citing an e3a"le fro" so early in your life that it doesn9t score"any oints for you at this stage of your career.



BEST ANSWER:This is an eas question if ou8re prepared. +a!e a recent e%ample read thatdemonstrates either:

1. " qualit most important to the 9ob at handJ or2. " qualit that is alwas in demand, such as leadership, initiati!e, managerial skill, persuasi!eness,courage, persistence, intelligence, etc.

Q'5. >a(e you 7os$%er start$g your ow bus$ess!TRAPS: &f you say “yes” and elaborate enthusiastically, you could be erceived as a loosecannon in a larger co"any, too entrereneurial to "a!e a good tea" layeror so"eone

who had to settle for the cororate life because you couldn9t "a!e a go of your own business.

-lso too "uch enthusias" in answering “yes” could rouse the aranoia of a s"all co"anyindicating that you "ay lan to go out on your own soon, erhas ta!ing so"e !ey accountsor trade secrets with you.

n the other hand, if you answer “no, never” you could be erceived as a security"indeddrone who never drea"ed a big drea"

BEST ANSWER: "gain it8s best to:

1. -auge this compan8s corporate culture before answering and>2. Ae honest ;which doesn8t mean ou ha!e to !i!idl share our fantas of the franchise or bed@and@breakfast ou someda plan to open<.

)n general, if the corporate culture is that of a large, formal, militar@stle structure, minimiDe anindication that ou8d lo!e to ha!e our own business. You might sa, 7Eh, ) ma ha!e gi!en it a

thought once or twice, but m whole career has been in larger organiDations. That8s where ) ha!ee%celled and where ) want to be.

)f the corporate culture is closer to the free@wheeling, e!erbod8s@a@deal@maker !ariet, thenemphasiDe that in a firm like this, ou can !irtuall get the best of all worlds, the e%citement of seeingour own ideas and plans take shape>combined with the resources and stabilit of a well@establishedorganiDation. Gounds like the perfect en!ironment to ou.

)n an case, no matter what the corporate culture, be sure to indicate that an desires about runningour own show are part of our past, not our present or future.

The last thing ou want to pro9ect is an image of either a dreamer who failed and is now settling for thecorporate cocoon>or the restless ma!erick who will fl out the door with ke accounts, contacts andtrade secrets under his arms 9ust as soon as his bankroll has gotten rebuilt.

"lwas remember: (atch what ou want with what the position offers. The more information ou8!eunco!ered about the position, the more belie!able ou can make our case.



Q'1. What are your goals!TRAPS: 6ot having anyor having only vague generalities, not highly secific goals.

BEST ANSWER: (an e%ecuti!es in a position to hire ou are strong belie!ers in goal@setting. ;)t8sone of the reason the8!e achie!ed so much<. The like to hire in kind.

)f ou8re !ague about our career and personal goals, it could be a big turnoff to ma people ou willencounter in our 9ob search.

Ae read to discuss our goals for each ma9or area of our life: career, personal de!elopment andlearning, famil, phsical ;health<, communit ser!ice and ;if our inter!iewer is clearl a religiousperson< ou could briefl and generall allude to our spiritual goals ;showing ou are a well@roundedindi!idual with our !alues in the right order<.

Ae prepared to describe each goal in terms of specific milestones ou wish to accomplish along thewa, time periods ou8re allotting for accomplishment, wh the goal is important to ou, and thespecific steps ou8re taking to bring it about. Aut do this concisel, as ou ne!er want to talk more than

two minutes straight before letting our inter!iewer back into the con!ersation.

Q'. What %o you for whe you h$re +eo+le!TRAPS: Being unreared for the question.

BEST ANSWER: Gpeak our own thoughts here, but for the best answer wea!e them around the threemost important qualifications for an position.

1. 6an the person do the work ;qualifications<B2. Fill the person do the work ;moti!ation<B

&. Fill the person fit in ;7our kind of team plaer<B

Q'3. Sell me th$s sta+ler;)th$s +e7$l;th$s 7lo7k;or some other ob9e7to $ter($ewer2s %esk*.

TRAPS: #o"e interviewers, esecially business owners and hardchanging e3ecutives in"ar!etingdriven co"anies, feel that good sales"anshi is essential for any !ey ositionand as! for an instant de"onstration of your s!ill. Be ready.

BEST ANSWER: Ef course, ou alread know the most important secret of all great salesmanship C7find out what people want, then show them how to get it.)f our inter!iewer picks up his stapler and asks, 7sell this to me, ou are going to demonstrate thispro!en master principle. +ere8s how:

7Fell, a good salesman must know both his product and his prospect before he sells anthing. )f ) wereselling this, )8d first get to know e!erthing ) could about it, all its features and benefits.

7Then, if m goal were to sell it ou, ) would do some research on how ou might use a fine staplerlike this. The best wa to do that is b asking some questions. (a ) ask ou a few questionsB



Then ask a few questions such as, 7Lust out of curiosit, if ou didn8t alread ha!e a stapler like this,wh would ou want oneB "nd in addition to thatB "n other reasonB "nthing elseB

7"nd would ou want such a stapler to be reliableB...+old a good suppl of staplesB ;"sk morequestions that point to the features this stapler has.<

Ence ou8!e asked these questions, make our presentation citing all the features and benefits of thisstapler and wh it8s e%actl what the inter!iewer 9ust told ou he8s looking for.

Then close with, 7Lust out of curiosit, what would ou consider a reasonable price for a qualit staplerlike this>a stapler ou could ha!e right now and would ;then repeat all the problems the stapler wouldsol!e for him<B Fhate!er he sas, ;unless it8s Dero<, sa, 7Eka, we8!e got a deal.

NOTE: )f our inter!iewer tests ou b fighting e!er step of the wa, dening that he e!en wants suchan item, don8t fight him. Take the product awa from him b saing, 7(r. $rospect, )8m delightedou8!e told me right upfront that there8s no wa ou8d e!er want this stapler. "s ou well know, thefirst rule of the most producti!e salespeople in an field is to meet the needs of people who reall needand want our products, and it 9ust wastes e!erone8s time if we tr to force it on those who don8t. "nd )certainl wouldn8t want to waste our time. Aut we sell man items. )s there an product on this deskou would !er much like to own>9ust one itemB Fhen he points something out, repeat the processabo!e. )f he knows anthing about selling, he ma gi!e ou a standing o!ation.

Q'#. -The Salary Quest$o & >ow mu7h moey %o you wat!TRAPS: May also be hrases as, “?hat salary are you worth/”or, “>ow "uch are you"a!ing now/” (his is your "ost i"ortant negotiation. >andle it wrong and you can blow the

2ob offer or go to wor! at far less than you "ight have gotten.

BEST ANSWER: =or ma%imum salar negotiating power, remember these fi!e guidelines:

1. Ne!er bring up salar. /et the inter!iewer do it first. -ood salespeople sell their products thoroughlbefore talking price. Go should ou. (ake the inter!iewer want ou first, and our bargaining positionwill be much stronger.

2. )f our inter!iewer raises the salar question too earl, before ou8!e had a chance to create desirefor our qualifications, postpone the question, saing something like, 7(one is important to me, but isnot m main concern. Epportunit and growth are far more important. Fhat )8d rather do, if ou don8tmind, is e%plore if )8m right for the position, and then talk about mone. Fould that be okaB

&. The M1 rule of an negotiation is: the side with more information wins. "fter ou8!e done a thorough 9ob of selling the inter!iewer and it8s time to talk salar, the secret is to get the emploer talking aboutwhat he8s willing to pa before ou re!eal what ou8re willing to accept. Go, when asked about salar,respond b asking, 7)8m sure the compan has alread established a salar range for this position.6ould ou tell me what that isB Er, 7) want an income commensurate with m abilit andqualifications. ) trust ou8ll be fair with me. Fhat does the position paB Er, more simpl, 7Fhat doesthis position paB



. Know beforehand what ou8d accept. To know what8s reasonable, research the 9ob market and thisposition for an rele!ant salar information. Hemember that most e%ecuti!es look for a 2@2O paboost when the switch 9obs. )f ou8re grossl underpaid, ou ma want more.

. Ne!er lie about what ou currentl make, but feel free to include the estimated cost of all our

fringes, which could well tack on 2@ more to our present 7cash@onl salar.

Q''. The 0llegal Quest$oTRAPS: &llegal questions include any regarding your agenu"ber and ages of your childrenor other deendents"arital status"aiden na"e religion olitical affiliationancestrynational originbirthlacenaturali+ation of your arents, souse or childrendiseasesdisabilitiesclubs or souse9s occuationunless any of the above are directlyrelated to your erfor"ance of the 2ob. ou can9t even be as!ed about arrests, though youcan be as!ed about convictions.

BEST ANSWER: Pnder the e!er@present threat of lawsuits, most inter!iewers are well aware of thesetaboos. Yet ou ma encounter, usuall on a second or third inter!iew, a senior e%ecuti!e who doesn8tinter!iew much and forgets he can8t ask such questions.

You can handle an illegal question in se!eral was. =irst, ou can assert our legal right not to answer.Aut this will frighten or embarrass our inter!iewer and destro an rapport ou had.

Gecond, ou could swallow our concerns o!er pri!ac and answer the question straight forwardl ifou feel the answer could help ou. =or e%ample, our inter!iewer, a de!out Aaptist, recogniDes oufrom church and mentions it. +ere, ou could gain b talking about our church.

Third, if ou don8t want our pri!ac in!aded, ou can diplomaticall answer the concern behind thequestion without answering the question itself.

5%ample: )f ou are o!er and are asked, 7+ow old are ouB ou can answer with a friendl, smilingquestion of our own on whether there8s a concern that our age m affect our performance. =ollowthis up b reassuring the inter!iewer that there8s nothing in this 9ob ou can8t do and, in fact, our ageand e%perience are the most important ad!antages ou offer the emploer for the following reasons>

"nother e%ample: )f asked, 7o ou plan to ha!e childrenB ou could answer, 7) am wholeheartedldedicated to m career7, perhaps adding, 7) ha!e no plans regarding children. ;You needn8t fearou8!e pledged eternal childlessness. You ha!e e!er right to change our plans later. -et the 9ob first

and then en9o all our options.<

(ost importantl, remember that illegal questions arise from fear that ou won8t perform well. The bestanswer of all is to get the 9ob and perform brilliantl. "ll concerns and fears will then !arnish, replacedb respect and appreciation for our work.



Q',. The -Se7ret 0llegal Quest$oTRAPS: Much "ore frequent than the &llegal question *see Luestion GG is the secret illegalquestion. &t9s secret because it9s as!ed only in the interviewer9s "ind. #ince it9s not evene3ressed to you, you have no way to resond to it, and it can there be "ost da"aging.

$%ample: ou9re hysically challenged, or a single "other returning to your rofessionalcareer, or over G0, or a "e"ber of an ethnic "inority, or fit any of a do+en other categoriesthat do not strictly confor" to the "a2ority in a given co"any.

our interviewer wonders, “&s this erson really able to handle the 2ob/””&s he or she a Dgoodfit9 at a lace li!e ours/””?ill the che"istry ever be right with so"eone li!e this/” But theinterviewer never raises such questions because they9re illegal. #o what can you do/

BEST ANSWER: Hemember that 9ust because the inter!iewer doesn8t ask an illegal question doesn8tmean he doesn8t ha!e it. (ore than likel, he is going to come up with his own answer. Go ou mightas well help him out.

+owB Fell, ou ob!iousl can8t respond to an illegal question if he hasn8t e!en asked. This ma welloffend him. "nd there8s alwas the chance he wasn8t e!en concerned about the issue until ou broughtit up, and onl then begins to wonder.

Go ou can8t address 7secret illegal questions head@on. Aut what ou can do is make sure there8senough counterbalancing information to more than reassure him that there8s no problem in the area hema be doubtful about.

=or e%ample, let8s sa ou8re a sales rep who had polio as a child and ou need a cane to walk. Youknow our condition has ne!er impeded our performance, et ou8re concerned that our inter!iewerma secretl be wondering about our stamina or abilit to tra!el. Fell, make sure that ou hit these

abilities !er hard, lea!ing no doubt about our capacit to handle them well.

Go, too, if ou8re in an different from what passes for 7normal. (ake sure, without in an waseeming defensi!e about ourself that ou mention strengths, accomplishments, preferences andaffiliations that strongl counterbalance an unspoken concern our inter!iewer ma ha!e.

Q'/. What was the toughest +art of your last 9ob!TRAPS: (his is slightly different fro" the question raised earlier, “?hat9s the "ost difficult artof being a *2ob title” because this as!s what you ersonally have found "ost difficult in your

last osition. (his question is "ore difficult to redefine into so"ething ositive. ourinterviewer will assu"e that whatever you found toughest "ay give you a roble" in yournew osition.

BEST ANSWER: Gtate that there was nothing in our prior position that ou found o!erl difficult,and let our answer go at that. )f pressed to e%pand our answer, ou could describe the aspects of theposition ou en9oed more than others, making sure that ou e%press ma%imum en9oment for thosetasks most important to the open position, and ou en9oed least those tasks that are unimportant to theposition at hand.



Q'. >ow %o you %ef$e su77ess;a% how %o youmeasure u+ to your ow %ef$$t$o!TRAPS: #ee"s li!e an obvious enough question. et "any e3ecutives, unreared for it,

fu"ble the ball.BEST ANSWER: -i!e a well@accepted definition of success that leads right into our own stellarcollection of achie!ements.

Example: 7The best definition )8!e come across is that success is the progressi!e realiDation of a worthgoal.

7"s to how ) would measure up to that definition, ) would consider mself both successful andfortunate>;Then summariDe our career goals and how our achie!ements ha!e indeed represented aprogressi!e path toward realiDation of our goals.<

Q'4. -The ?+$$o Quest$o & What %o you th$k about ;Abort$o;The Pres$%et;The 6eath Pealty;)or ayother 7otro(ers$al sub9e7t*!TRAPS: bviously, these and other “oinion” questions should never be as!ed. #o"eti"esthey co"e u over a co"bination dinnerJinterview when the interviewer has had a drin! ortwo, is feeling rela3ed, and is souting off about so"ething that bugged hi" in today9s news.&f you give your oinion and it9s the oosite of his, you won9t change his oinions, but youcould easily lose the 2ob offer.

BEST ANSWER: )n all of these instances, 9ust remember the tale about student and the wise oldrabbi. The scene is a seminar, where an o!erl serious student is pressing the rabbi to answer theultimate questions of suffering, life and death. Aut no matter how hard he presses, the wise old rabbiwill onl answer each difficult question with a question of his own.

)n e%asperation, the seminar student demands, 7Fh, rabbi, do ou alwas answer a question withanother questionB To which the rabbi responds, 7"nd wh notB

)f ou are e!er uncomfortable with an question, asking a question in return is the greatest escape hatche!er in!ented. )t throws the onus back on the other person, sidetracks the discussion from going into an

area of risk to ou, and gi!es ou time to think of our answer or, e!en better, our ne%t questionQ)n response to an of the 7opinion questions cited abo!e, merel responding, 7Fh do ou askB willusuall be enough to dissipate an pressure to gi!e our opinion. Aut if our inter!iewer again pressesou for an opinion, ou can ask another question.

Er ou could assert a generalit that almost e!erone would agree with. =or e%ample, if ourinter!iewer is complaining about politicians then suddenl turns to ou and asks if ou8re a Hepublicanor emocrat, ou could respond b saing, 7"ctuall, )8m finding it hard to find an politicians ) likethese das.



;Ef course, our best question of all ma be whether ou want to work for someone opinionated.<

Q,5. 0f you wo G15 m$ll$o lottery8 woul% you st$ll work!TRAPS: our totally honest resonse "ight be, “>ell, no, are you serious/” (hat "ight be so,

but any answer which shows you as fleeing wor! if given the chance could "a!e you see"la+y. n the other hand, if you answer, “h, &9d want to !ee doing e3actly what & a" doing,only doing it for your fir",” you could easily insire your interviewer to silently "utter tohi"self, “eah, sure. i""e a brea!.”

BEST ANSWER: This tpe of question is aimed at getting at our bedrock attitude about work andhow ou feel about what ou do. Your best answer will focus on our positi!e feelings.

5%ample: 7"fter ) floated down from cloud nine, ) think ) would still hold m basic belief thatachie!ement and purposeful work are essential to a happ, producti!e life. "fter all, if mone alonebought happiness, then all rich people would be all happ, and that8s not true.

7) lo!e the work ) do, and ) think )8d alwas want to be in!ol!ed in m career in some fashion.Finning the lotter would make it more fun because it would mean ha!ing more fle%ibilit, moreoptions...who knowsB

7Ef course, since ) can8t count on winning, )8d 9ust as soon create m own destin b sticking withwhat8s worked for me, meaning good old reliable hard work and a desire to achie!e. ) think thosequalities ha!e built man more fortunes that all the lotteries put together.

Q,1. "ook$g ba7k o your last +os$t$o8 ha(e you %oe

your best work!TRAPS: (ric!y question. -nswer “absolutely” and it can see" li!e your best wor! is behindyou. -nswer, “no, "y best wor! is ahead of "e,” and it can see" as if you didn9t give it yourall.

BEST ANSWER: To co!er both possible paths this question can take, our answer should state thatou alwas tr to do our best, and the best of our career is right now. /ike an athlete at the top of hisgame, ou are 9ust hitting our career stride thanks to se!eral factors. Then, recap those factors,highlighting our strongest qualifications

Q,. Why shoul% 0 h$re you from the outs$%e whe 0 7oul%+romote someoe from w$th$!TRAPS: (his question isn9t as aggressive as it sounds. &t reresents the interviewer9s owndile""a over this co""on roble". >e9s robably leaning toward you already and forreassurance, wants to hear what you have to say on the "atter.

BEST ANSWER: +elp him see the qualifications that onl ou can offer.



5%ample: 7)n general, ) think it8s a good polic to hire from within C to look outside probabl meansou8re not completel comfortable choosing someone from inside.

7Naturall, ou want this department to be as strong as it possibl can be, so ou want the strongestcandidate. ) feel that ) can fill that bill because>;then recap our strongest qualifications that match upwith his greatest needs<.

Q,3. Tell me someth$g egat$(e you2(e hear% about our7om+ay;TRAPS: (his is a co""on fishing e3edition to see what the industry graevine "ay besaying about the co"any. But it9s also a tra because as an outsider, you never want to bethe bearer of unflattering news or gossi about the fir". &t can only hurt your chances andsidetrac! the interviewer fro" getting sold on you.

BEST ANSWER: Lust remember the rule C ne!er be negati!e C and ou8ll handle this one 9ust fine.

Q,#. ? a s7ale of oe to te8 rate me as a $ter($ewer.TRAPS: ive a erfect “<0,” and you9ll see" too easy to lease. ive anything less than aerfect <0, and he could ress you as to where you9re being critical, and that road leadsdownhill for you.

BEST ANSWER: Ence again, ne!er be negati!e. The inter!iewer will onl resent criticism comingfrom ou. This is the time to show our positi!ism.

+owe!er, don8t gi!e a numerical rating. Gimpl praise whate!er inter!iew stle he8s been using.

)f he8s been tough, sa 7You ha!e been thorough and tough@minded, the !er qualities needed toconduct a good inter!iew.

)f he8s been methodical, sa, 7You ha!e been !er methodical and analtical, and )8m sure thatapproach results in e%cellent hires for our firm.

)n other words, pa him a sincere compliment that he can belie!e because it8s anchored in the beha!iorou8!e 9ust seen.

64 interview answers you need to know

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