10 Killer Job Interview questions and Answers
Behind every interview question there is a concern or
another question. Your job is to process the question
thinking about what the interviewer’s concern might be. In
other words, why is the interviewer asking you this
question?
Q#1 - How long have you been looking for a job? (Concern –
is there something wrong with you that other employers have
picked up?)
A#1 - “After I was laid off from my last job, I took the
opportunity to take some time out to examine my career
goals and where I was going with my life. I have just begun
my search in the last few weeks. I have a definite goal in
mind and have been selective about the positions I
consider. Your company and this position are of great
interest to me.”
Q#2 - How did you prepare for this interview? (Concern –
are you interested enough to do some research, or are you
going to “wing it”?)
A#2 - “When I found this position posted on the internet
(monster.com) I was immediately interested. I checked out
the company website and mission statement, looked at the
bios of company founders and executives, and was impressed.
Once I had the interview appointment, I talked with friends
and acquaintances in the industry. And, I’m sure I’ll find
out a lot more in today’s meetings.”
Q#3 - What is your salary expectation for this job?
(Concern – Can we afford you? Can we get you for less than
budgeted?)
A#3 - “I’ll need more information about the job and the
responsibilities involved before we can begin to discuss
salary. Can you give me an idea of the range budgeted for
this position?”
Q#4 - How do you keep current and informed about your job
and the industries that you have worked in? (Concern – Once
you get the job do you continue to learn and grow – stay
challenged and motivated?)
A#4 - “I pride myself on my ability to stay on top of what
is happening in my industry. I do a lot of reading – the
business section of the newspapers and magazines. I belong
to a couple of professional organizations and network with
colleagues at the meetings. I take classes and seminars
whenever they are of interest, or offer new information or
technology.”
Q#5 - Tell me about a time when you had to plan and
coordinate a project from start to finish. (Concern –
behavioral questions – seeking an example of specific past
behavior)
A#5 - ” I headed up a project which involved customer
service personnel and technicians. I organized a meeting to
get everyone together to brainstorm and get his or her
input. From this meeting I drew up a plan, taking the best
of the ideas. I organized teams, balancing the mixture of
technical and non-technical people. We had a deadline to
meet, so I did periodic checks with the teams. After three
weeks, we were exceeding expectations, and were able to
begin implementation of the plan. It was a great team
effort, and a big success. I was commended by management
for my leadership, but I was most proud of the team spirit
and cooperation which it took to pull it off.”
Q#6 - What kinds of people do you have difficulties
working with? (Concern – ability to be flexible and work in
a diverse environment?)
A#6 - “In my last three jobs I have worked with men and
women from very diverse backgrounds and cultures. The only
time I had difficulty was with people who were dishonest
about work issues. I worked with one woman who was taking
credit for work that her team accomplished. I had an
opportunity to talk with her one day and explained how she
was affecting the morale. She became very upset that others
saw her that way, and said she was unaware of her behavior
or the reactions of others. Her behavior changed after our
talk. What I learned from that experience is that sometimes
what we perceive about others is not always the case if we
check it out.”
Q#7 - We expect managers to work more than 8 hours a day.
Do you have a problem with that? (Concern – are you a
work-aholic or a person who requires balance?)
A#7 - “I have no problem working long hours. I have worked
12 or 14 hour days. What I have found works for me is to
work smarter, not necessarily longer. My goal is to get the
job done, whatever that takes, in the most efficient
manner.”
Q#8 - When have you been most satisfied in your career?
(Concern – what motivates you? Or demotivates you?)
A#8 - “The job before the one I am currently at, was my
most rewarding experience for me. I worked in a wonderful
team environment. There was a lot of camaraderie. I worked
with a team of four people and we did some really original
thinking. It is that kind of environment I want to be
involved in again.”
Q#9 - Why do you want this job? (Concern – are you using
the shot-gun approach to job search or do you really know
what you want?)
A#9 – “I’ve been very careful about the companies where I
have applied. When I saw the ad for this position, I knew I
found what I was looking for. What I can bring to this job
is my seven years of experience, and knowledge of the
industry, plus my ability to communicate and build customer
relationships. That, along with my flexibility and
organizational skills, makes me a perfect match for this
position. I see some challenges ahead of me here, and
that’s what I thrive on. I have what you need, and you have
what I want.”
Q#10 - We are ready to make an offer. Are you ready to
accept today? (Concern – we don’t want you to go away and
think about it and change your mind – we want you.)
A#10 - “Based on my research and the information I have
gathered during the interview process, I feel I am in a
position to consider an offer. I do, however, have a
personal policy that I give myself at least 24 hours to
make major life decisions. I could let you know by
tomorrow.”
There is no way you can accurately predict the questions
that will be asked in an interview, but you can be ready
and prepared by thinking about the factors that might
concern an interviewer or employer before the interview.
—————————————————-
Carole Martin, America’s #1 Interview Coach, is a
celebrated author, trainer, and mentor. Carole can give you
interviewing tips like no one else can. Get a copy of her
FREE 9-part “Interview Success Tips” report by visiting
Carole on the web at The Interview Coach
http://www.interviewcoach.com
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August 22nd, 2007 at 4:13 pm
sure, your points help, am currently looking for another job myself
August 22nd, 2007 at 9:48 pm
You know how you can tell a good potential employee from a bad one? When they start speaking in an indirect, artificial manner and give these wattered-down, ingenuine, responses such as the one in this article. What do you have to hide from telling the truth? Afraid they might find out your dangerously unqualified, or have huge character deficiencies?
There is no real reason to be indirect in an interview. If you’re right for the job given your character and skill set, you’ll be hired. If not, then you probably need to improve your skill set or change your attitude. Certainly, there is nothing to gain from being thrust into a position that isn’t suited for you. A good employer is one that accepts you for what you are.
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:17 pm
[…] CEOConsultant.com » Business » 10 Killer Job Interview questions and Answers - Your Complete Sourc… (tags: career interview job questions work) […]
August 23rd, 2007 at 12:51 am
quite inspiring me !! Thx
August 23rd, 2007 at 12:52 am
quite inspiring and helping me !! Thx
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:03 am
Nice article, i am currently interviewing for a new position myself at the moment so this info is very handy. Especially the response for salary expectations i have always hated that question with a passion.
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:42 am
its helpful, thanks
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:24 am
How do tackle questions where u have to tell the expected salary? and u have to give some figure
- range between x to y or
- % rise or
- figure + kind of reply
how can u tell the folks jusdege based on what i have ot offer rather than % of earlier salary?
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:22 am
[…] hacer una entrevista de trabajo hay muchas preguntas que son totalmente predecibles y en el blog de CEO Consultant tenemos las 10 que podrían marcar la diferencia, las preguntas con las respuestas sugeridas, muy […]
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:32 am
@AM: You missed the important keyword in Question #7, “manager.”
Direct talk is for employees; managers use rheotoric, misdirection, disambiguation, and abstraction in their conversations with other Management types.
Its how you can tell the real bullshitters from the fake bullshitters, ya know?
August 23rd, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Nice post…
I don’t quite agree that those are all the best answers to the questions, a good interviewer could easily play the game and turn tables on a person using some of these answers.
Like for example the one on salary expectations; the answer provided leaves enough space for the interviewer to get out of answering it, and turn the question around again to the interviewee, only the second time around there’ll be much less room for leverage as the interviewee supposedly doesn’t know enough about the job to ask for a high salary.
Anyway, job interviews are a tricky game, and a lot of it is played psychologically and through reading the person in front of you and asserting control over the process.
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Great list. Q#3’s answer about salary expectation is rather contradictive, though:
“I’ll need more information about the job and the
responsibilities involved BEFORE we can begin to discuss
salary. Can you give me an idea of the range budgeted for
this position?” (emphasis added)
It implies that we only want to focus on the job and responsibilities but yet still talk about figures (range). Or did I miss something?
August 24th, 2007 at 4:19 am
The job interview is really about figuring whether you two match (the job and you, the employer and you) and I feel it’s best to be as honest and straightforward as possible to ensure the best result. You don’t want to trick your way into a job.
The salary thing is always tricky. I’ve asked around to get some idea and then made sure I’m asking enough to be happy with and leave some room to negotiate it down, based on bonuses and benefits.
Of course YMMV; I haven’t ever been to carbon copy interviews. With the places I’ve got, the interviewer has made up his mind within minutes, relying on the chemistry. If you’re getting as far as the interview, you’re already basically qualified. Just be confident and honest.
August 24th, 2007 at 7:58 am
You forgot the major question they all ask: Where would you like to be in 5 years?
There are two obvious answers they don’t want to hear - “I’d like to be on a tropical beach drinking margaritas” and “I’ve found in this industry it’s impossible to forecast that far ahead”.
I have yet to find a really good answer to this one…
August 24th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Great ideas thanks so much ..
www.deborahmarcotte.com
August 24th, 2007 at 10:28 am
[…] read this article, and then I suddenly knew why I didn’t get the offer I wanted before. I never read out what […]
August 24th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Dana,
That’s a great question. A lot would be dependant on the size of the company. If there’s room for growth inside the company a good answer would be:
(if you’re interviewing for an entry level position)
“I see myself growing inside the company and there seems to be a lot of growth opportunities here. I see myself being a manager here and leading others to the company’s goals.
(if you’re interviewing for the management position)
“I see myself growing inside the company and there seems to be a lot of growth opportunities here. I see myself becoming a vice president and leading the company into new targeted areas through our strategy plan to gain market share”
August 24th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
[…] 10 Killer Job Interview Questions and Answers (tags: interview job business work career) […]
August 24th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
These seem like pretty standard answers and questions to me. Nothing too impressive here.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Anonymous,
Yes, they are canned questions and answers. You can read what I wrote about that specific issue here
August 24th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Damon,
Yeah, I sort of tried that answer, that I wanted to be a team lead (I’ve been a developer for decades) and was told that there wouldn’t be any chance of advancement for at least the next two years. However, they did hire me, at something a bit more than the original budgeted range, and after one week on the job I can say it’s a totally awesome place to work. And they’re looking to hire another 100 people this year…
Not sure what your policy is on mentioning it, but their web site is www.imagenow.com.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:28 am
Dana,
Congrats on the new job. It sounds like a great place to work and I checked out the website and it seems that they have locations all around the world.
I’m all about the link love and a big supporter of the “do follow” movement. So if you have other valuable websites that others would enjoy, I don’t mind.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:22 am
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August 28th, 2007 at 3:37 am
What about the:
Where do you see yourself in 5 years ?
… to me that’s always the toughest question to not sound stupid answering
August 29th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Nice article
January 7th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
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February 13th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
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February 24th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
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March 1st, 2008 at 3:34 am
cheers mate!!
It helped finding myself the job I was looking for years but couldnot do good in interviews. This time i made it.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Personally, I do think that these suggestions are absolutely great that Carole has given! People shouldn’t be so negative in life all the time. If you have not got the position you worked so hard for (face it everyone has had that) it’s just called luck. Having actual people that want to make a difference in helping a person get that “dream job” they have always wanted is wonderful! People shouldn’t nag at someones talent on the ability and drive to help someone in need. And yes, this response that Carole has posted up did HELP ME. If something went wrong per say in the interview that you went to, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should pin the blame on someone else.
Thank you Carole for this post. I truly believe that you are Americas #1 Interview Coach, and I thank you for wanting to help me and everyone else who has been searching for that long, desired job. Thanks to you, I GOT THE JOB!
March 27th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Dear friends
I nead some adviser for interview because my english understanding level good but talking level has some problem.
So who has free time sent to me mail, i will explain exacly what kind of problem i have.
thanks
March 31st, 2008 at 9:41 am
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April 30th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
BRILLIANT,,,,I HAVE AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW FOR THE FIRST TIME,,I WAS CONFUSED UNTILL I SAW YOUR WEB,,,THANK YOU SO MUCH,,,I WISH YOU CAN HAVE MORE QUES & ANSWERS,,,,,THANK YOU
June 11th, 2008 at 12:02 am
[…] Killer job interview questions and answers […]
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:56 am
Good article, i am looking for another job myself
July 5th, 2008 at 2:35 am
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July 8th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
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