3 Tricky Job Interview Questions and the Best Answers
Sep 19th, 2008 | By Bill | Category: Employment NewsWhen it comes to job interviews preparation is the key. One of the most important things to prepare for is tough job interview questions and the potential answers you might give.
Use these examples of tricky job interview questions to prepare for your next job interview. Above all, make sure that you don’t over-prepare and end up sounding like a scripted robot. The key is to get the answers prepared mentally in a brief outline.
“What kind of salary are you looking for?”
Although this is often one of the last questions you might be asked, you need to treat this one with utmost care. If you don’t know what sort of salary is reasonable for the position, then you will have to ask the employer what their range is and then simply work from there. Do not start negotiating off the back of this question…wait until you are actually offered the position first, before you make any salary negotiations!
Remember, the salary you can command is directly related to your suitability and skills for the job.
“Are you a team player?”
If you’ve worked with colleagues in the past, then you are indeed a team player. The employer will gladly (and often expect) some real life examples. Use your job interview preparation to think of a few.
However, do not rule out the possibility of working alone. The idea is to come across as flexible and adaptive as possible. In other words, do not say that you only work well in a team, as this might hinder your chances if the job also requires solitary work.
“What is your greatest strength?”
This is your chance to shine, your greatest window to impress the employer above all else. However, don’t get carried away and go overboard here, as you might come off as a little phoney.
Try to be concise and list a handful of your strengths such as:
- Ability to work well under pressure
- Ability to train other people
- Problem solving skills
- Positive attitude
- Organizational skills
- Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers
The way to make this answer really pack a punch is to provide examples. Remember not to ramble on too much, but simply give a brief example for each strength.
Of course, the more you are able to align and tie in your strengths with that particular job position the better, which is explained in much more detail in in this guide.
Did you know that the number of unemployed job seekers in the UK is rising, and in the US the unemployment rate has recently risen to over 5%?
This means that you now face even tougher competition for your dream job and more brutal hiring managers who cannot afford to hire anyone less than a perfect match for the job.
Does that make you nervous about your next job interview? Did you already have difficulty in job interviews? If so, then it’s time to fight back and win that dream job over the ruthless competition, so click here to discover the guaranteed formula for job interview success.
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A serious mistake job seekers make is assuming the interviewer is competent or properly trained in how to conduct job interviews! In my experience as an employment mediator, ill-trained job interviewers are all too common. Companies routinely find themselves in legal hot water promoting individuals into management and then “turning them loose†in job interview settings.
The one thing that has been consistent is the inconsistency of job interview questions. Job seekers should understand that the person doing the interview might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer. He or she may not have been adequately trained. Job interviewers routinely ask illegal or improper questions either out of ignorance or deliberately with the intent to discriminate against certain groups. That makes learning to give good job interview answers and asking good job interview questions so important. The questions asked at job interviews often hide what the job interviewer really wants or needs to know! One of the things in the job interview process for the applicant involves discovering what that is. As a job seeker, why am I being asked these interview questions?
For example, the interviewer asks, “Have you had challenges working in various cultural workplace settings?†From my experience, here is what the job interviewer is really asking. “Have you had trouble dealing with different racial groups?†When preparing for a job interview spend time investigating the business. You should learn about the company’s history and what it does for the industry. Review the company’s website and its about us page. I would be looking at how well it treated its employees with things like salaries, benefits and promotional opportunities. Ask the interviewer questions such as:
“What are the company’s goals?â€
“Where does the company see itself in five, ten years?â€
“Why is the company a good fit for you?â€
“Why will the company be a good fit for me?â€
Try to find out how well the company is doing financially. It would be to the job interviewee’s advantage to know if the company is going to be around for a while. You could do some research with the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau. I would make inquiries with local, state and federal consumer advocacy groups for any complaints filed against the employer.
Is it on the verge of layoffs that could include the position applied for?
Is the business going to be sold in the near future?
Are their any bankruptcy issues?
Does the organization have a history of employment complaints on file with state and federal agencies?
Are there any employees that you know personally, who could give some insight into the “culture†of the organization and its management?
Interviewees are not just interviewing to get a job; they should interview the company and job to get them!
A serious mistake job seekers make is assuming the interviewer is competent or properly trained in how to conduct job interviews! In my experience as an employment mediator, ill-trained job interviewers are all too common. Companies routinely find themselves in legal hot water promoting individuals into management and then “turning them loose†in job interview settings.
The one thing that has been consistent is the inconsistency of job interview questions. Job seekers should understand that the person doing the interview might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer. He or she may not have been adequately trained. Job interviewers routinely ask illegal or improper questions either out of ignorance or deliberately with the intent to discriminate against certain groups. That makes learning to give good job interview answers and asking good job interview questions so important. The questions asked at job interviews often hide what the job interviewer really wants or needs to know! One of the things in the job interview process for the applicant involves discovering what that is. As a job seeker, why am I being asked these interview questions?
For example, the interviewer asks, “Have you had challenges working in various cultural workplace settings?†From my experience, here is what the job interviewer is really asking. “Have you had trouble dealing with different racial groups?†When preparing for a job interview spend time investigating the business. You should learn about the company’s history and what it does for the industry. Review the company’s website and its about us page. I would be looking at how well it treated its employees with things like salaries, benefits and promotional opportunities. Ask the interviewer questions such as:
“What are the company’s goals?â€
“Where does the company see itself in five, ten years?â€
“Why is the company a good fit for you?â€
“Why will the company be a good fit for me?â€
Try to find out how well the company is doing financially. It would be to the job interviewee’s advantage to know if the company is going to be around for a while. You could do some research with the Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau. I would make inquiries with local, state and federal consumer advocacy groups for any complaints filed against the employer.
Is it on the verge of layoffs that could include the position applied for?
Is the business going to be sold in the near future?
Are their any bankruptcy issues?
Does the organization have a history of employment complaints on file with state and federal agencies?
Are there any employees that you know personally, who could give some insight into the “culture†of the organization and its management?
Interviewees are not just interviewing to get a job; they should interview the company and job to get them!
It is also a good idea to prepare interview answers to the flip side question, “What are your weaknesses?” This is often even more difficult to formulate an answer to in the interview situation than the strengths question. It is important to prepare properly for this questions because the ability to acknowledge a weakness is seen as a sign of maturity and wisdom. Refer to a true weakness but then turn it into a positive by describing it as an area for development.What are Your Weaknesses?
It is also a good idea to prepare interview answers to the flip side question, “What are your weaknesses?” This is often even more difficult to formulate an answer to in the interview situation than the strengths question. It is important to prepare properly for this questions because the ability to acknowledge a weakness is seen as a sign of maturity and wisdom. Refer to a true weakness but then turn it into a positive by describing it as an area for development.What are Your Weaknesses?
Hey Bill, thanks for the article, found it very helpful. I think “Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers” is an very important point, being able to work in a team is a big plus!
Interview Questions’s last blog post..Re: Well paying job or course related job?
Hey Bill, thanks for the article, found it very helpful. I think “Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers” is an very important point, being able to work in a team is a big plus!
Interview Questions’s last blog post..Re: Well paying job or course related job?
The advice provided is really helpful and is supposed to be really efficient now as under the conditions of the crisis it’s more and more difficult to get a job and when it comes to the stage of the interview, it’s even more scary!
Very good advice and it is very effective. in these days of new hiring is going on we need to take care of all the above said point to get job. These are very tricky questions and we need to handle them. to get a good job