FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Tell me about yourself.
Just talk for 2 minutes. Be logical. Ask for clarification: “Would you like me to start from college or from the first position I held?” The interviewer is looking for communication skills and linear thinking. Describe a major personal attribute.
2. Why are you leaving your current position?
This is a very critical question. Don’t “bad-mouth” your previous employer. Don’t sound too opportunistic. Best when there are major problems, a buy-out, or shut-down. Also, it is good to state that after long personal consideration, the chance to make a contribution is very low due to company changes.
3. What do you consider your most significant accomplishment?
This can get you the job. Prepare extensively. Score points. Tell a 2-minute story with details and discuss personal involvement. Make the accomplishment worth achieving. Discuss hard work, long hours, pressure and important company issues at stake.
4. Why do you believe you are qualified for this position?
Pick two or three main factors about the job and about that are most relevant. Discuss for 2 minutes with specific details. Select a technical skill, a specific management skill (organizing, staffing, planning), and a personal success attribute to mention. Prepare success stories for the interviewer.
5. Have you ever accomplished something you didn’t think you could?
Interviewer is trying to determine your goal orientation, work ethic, personal commitment, and integrity. Provide a good example where you overcame numerous difficulties to succeed. Prove you’re not a quitter, and that you’ll get going when the going gets tough.
6. What do you like and dislike most about your current position?
Interviewer is trying to determine compatibility with open position. If you have an interest in the position, be careful. Stating you dislike overtime or getting into the details, or that you like “management” can cost you the position. There is nothing wrong with liking challenges, pressure situations, opportunity to grow, or disliking bureaucracy and frustrating situations.
7. How do you handle pressure? Do you like or dislike these situations?
High achievers tend to perform well in high pressure situations. Conversely, questions also could imply that position is pressure-packed and “out of control”. There is nothing wrong with this if you know what you’re getting into. If you do perform well under stress, provide a good example with details, giving an overview of the stress situation. Let the interviewer “feel” the stress by your description of it.
8. What are your career goals? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 10 years?
“I see myself with the same company in five years. I hope to have received new responsibilities and to have become more of an asset to the company.”
9. Why do you want to work here?
Avoid the obvious, e.g. good location. Compliment the interviewer on the company, “I’m familiar with your company’s excellent reputation and would like to be a part of your organization”.
10. What do you consider your most significant strengths?
Be prepared. Know your 4 to 5 key strengths. Be able to discuss each with a specific example. Select those attributes that are most compatible with the job opening. Most people say “management” or “good interpersonal skills” in answer to this. Don’t unless you can describe the specific characteristics of management (planning, organizing, results, staffing, etc.) or how your relationship skills have proven critical to your success.
11. What do you consider your most significant weaknesses?
Don’t reveal deep character flaws. You would rather discuss tolerable faults that you are working to improve. Show by specific example how this has changed over time. Better still; show how a weakness can be turned into strength. For example, how a concentration on the details results in higher quality work even though it requires much overtime.
12. The sign of a good employee is the ability to take the initiative. Can you describe situations like this about yourself?
A proactive, results-oriented person doesn’t have to be told what to do. This is one of the major success attributes. To convince the interviewer you possess this trait you must give a series of short examples describing your self-motivation. Try to discuss at least one example in-depth. The extra effort, strong work ethic and creative side of you must be demonstrated.
13. What’s the worst or most embarrassing aspect of your business career? How would you have done things differently now with 20/20 hindsight?
This is a general question to learn how introspective you are. Also, to see if you can learn from your mistakes. If you can, it indicates an open, more flexible personality. Don’t be afraid to talk about your failures, particularly if you’ve learned from them. This is a critical aspect of high potential individuals.
14. How have you grown or changed over the past few years?
This requires thought. Maturation increased technical skills, or increased self-confidence are important aspects of human development. To discuss this effectively is indicative of a well-balanced, intelligent individual. Overcoming personal obstacles or recognizing manageable weaknesses can brand you as an approachable and desirable employee.
15. Deadlines, frustration, difficult people, and silly rules can make a job difficult. How do you handle these types of situations?
Most companies, unfortunately, face these types of problems daily. If you can’t deal with petty frustrations, you’ll be a problem. You certainly can state your displeasure at the petty side of these issues, but how you overcome them is more important. Diplomacy, perseverance, and common-sense can often prevail even in difficult circumstances. This is a part of corporate America and you must be able to deal with it on a regular basis.
16. One of our biggest problems is_________. What has been your experience with this? How would you deal with it?
Think on your feet. Ask questions to get details. Break it into sub-parts. It is highly likely that you have some experience with the sub-sections. Answer these and summarize the total. State how you would go about solving the problem, if you can’t answer directly. Show your organizational and analytical skills.
17. How do you compare your technical skills to your management skills?
Many people tend to minimize their technical skills, either because they don’t have any, or they don’t like getting into the details. Most successful managers possess good technical skills and get into enough detail to make sure they understand the information being presented by their group. Try for good balance here if you want to be seriously considered for the position.
18. How has your technical ability been important in accomplishing results?
Clearly the interviewer believes he needs a strong level of technical competence. Most strong managers have good technical backgrounds, even if they have gotten away from the detail. Describe specific examples of your technical ability, but don’t be afraid to say you are not current. You could also give examples of how you resolve technical issues by “accelerated research”.
19. How would you handle a situation with tight deadlines, low employee morale, and inadequate resources?
If you pull this off effectively, it indicates you have strong management skills. You need to be creative. An example would be great. Relate your toughest management task, even if it doesn’t meet all the criteria. Most situations don’t. Organizational skills, interpersonal skills, and handling pressure are key elements of effective management. Good managers should be able to address each issue, even if they were not concurrent. Skillfully handling the question indicates your skills, also.
20. Why should we hire you for this position? What kind of contribution would you make?
Good chance to summarize. By now you know the key problems. Re-state and show how you would address these problems. Relate to specific attributes and specific accomplishments. Qualify responses with the need to gather information. Don’t be cocky. Demonstrate a thoughtful, organized, strong effort kind of attitude.
