interview questions that really work

8/3/2019 Interview Questions That Really Work

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Interview questions that really work!

By Teresa Howe, CHRP

August 18, 2003

Imagine making your decision to hire someone solely based on a one-hour meeting. Whathappens when a candidate is schooled in the art of interviewing and masterfully maneuversaround all of your standard questions? Do you really know what this person is like? Making a

great hire is one of the most important things that you do but it can also be one of the most costlymistakes that you make. There is so much at stake for both the employer and candidate. As the

employer you want to find the right fit, the matching skill set and a future employee who will bean asset to your organization. The candidate has reasons for applying to your organization which

you need to uncover. If you truly only have one hour or one meeting to make that all-importantdecision, how confident are you in the strength of your interview questions? Are they able to

unearth true character and predict future behaviours? The questions that you ask are critical toyour success.

However, there are some ways of asking questions and probing styles that will assist you. The

premise is that past performance is the best predictor of future performance.

Behavioural Interviews

Candidates are asked to describe situations where they have demonstrated a particular behaviour.

This interview typically includes questions where the candidate is asked to express both positiveand negative aspects of their work lives. An interviewer can create these types of questions by

reflecting upon specific work scenarios. The advantage of these questions is that they challengethe candidate to describe, in detail, real work examples, and to use their communications skills in

a positive way. Here are a few samples:

y Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get

a job done.

y Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfullyconvince someone to see things your way.

y Tell me about your worst "nightmare" project. What went wrong and what didyou do? What did you learn from this situation?

Situational Interviews

Various "real life" situations are presented to candidates and in turn, they are asked to predictwhat they would do in such situations. Situational interviews are ideal for determining problem-

solving skills, interpersonal relationships, management styles and basic common sense.

y Assume you are a supervisor and one of your employees consistently arrives late

to work. What action would you take?


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y It is 5:00pm on a Friday. You're working on a tight deadline for your Manager,but the Director suddenly asks you to drop everything and deal with a customer

complaint. What do you do?

y A co-worker tells you in confidence that he suspects another colleague of stealing.

What would your actions be?

Semi-Structured Interviews

The Interviewer prepares questions which are directly related to the specifics of the job. Answerscan be scored or ranked.

y What experience have you had working with budgets?

y What was the most challenging fundraising campaign that you have worked on?

What was the outcome?

y Describe how you use the performance appraisal process in your currentorganization.

y While working at the front desk, please describe a situation where a client has

reacted in a negative or threatening manner. How did you deal with the situation?

Unstructured Interviews

Typically these represent the most basic of interview styles where often there is little advancepreparation. Unfortunately with these types of questions, it is easy to go off topic and

information received is often fairly superficial. Another drawback is that an experienced

candidate will be well prepared for these questions and the interviewer may learn little about thereal person. They are useful, however, in preliminary screening of candidates and in combinationwith other interview styles. Common questions are:

y What are your major strengths?

y Why did you apply for this position?

y Where do you see yourself in five years' time?

y What are some of the frustrations that you want to avoid in a new job?

Soft Skill Assessment Interviews

A good interviewer also knows that besides technical and job specific questions, the assessment

of soft skills is equally critical, but difficult to do. Soft skills or lack of them usually separate acandidate that will fit in to the organization and be a solid contributor or become a bad hire. Here

are some questions that work well for HR practitioners around the country:


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y (To reveal past mistakes) - If you could change one (managerial) decision youmade during the past two years, what would that be?

y (To reveal creativity & problem solving) - What was the wildest idea that you hadin the past year? What did you do about it?

y (To reveal integrity & honesty) - What would you do if someone asked you to dosomething unethical?

y (To reveal personality & temperament) - What brings you joy?

y (To reveal diplomacy) - Have you ever had to resolve a conflict with a co-worker

or client? How did you resolve it?

Favourite Interview Questions

"If you were a car, what kind would you be?" A market research company asks this question to

learn about personalities and to determine how articulate and thoughtful candidates are. They askthis question early in the interview to relax the candidate and to see how creative they are.

"How do you feel about your accomplishments to date? If you had a chance to make a change,what would you do differently? What are you satisfied with?" A large hospital always includes

these questions to probe problem-solving skills and self-awareness.

"If you had the chance to create an environment in which you would be most successful, whatwould it be?" One of a consulting firm's favourite questions, it is particularly good at exploring

the issue of "fit" since the candidate's answer will paint a picture of an organization's culture andmanagement style where he or she would function best.

While this represents only a sampling of many interview styles and questions, the key to success

is preparation. With well-conceived questions, using a variety of behavioural-based, situational,structured and soft skill assessment approaches, your candidate will open up and do most of the

talking (at least 80%). If you truly want to be confident and successful in the art of interviewingand selection, if you only have one hour or one meeting to make that all-important decision,

ensure that you can uncover true character and predict future behaviours.

***********Source: "Job Interviews: Employers' Favourite Interview Questions", Vicki Kramer.

Source: "Assessing soft skills in Candidates", Monster.ca.

Source: "Interview Preparation", Madison Macarthur.***********

Teresa Howe, CHRP, is an independent HR consultant and writer. As an HR executive with 15

years of generalist experience, she has contributed to several successful organizations beingrecognized as Canada's Top 100 Employers and created meaningful change. As a long-standing

member of the HRPAO, she also serves as president of the Board of Directors for Jobstart, a


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not-for-profit organization, speaks at conferences and creates workshops on HR related issues.Teresa can be reached [email protected].

9. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?

Sample excellent response:

I believe successful salespeople put forth that extra effort that turns potential clients into first-time

customers. Salespeople who attend to the details by doing whatever it takes to win over a prospective

customer distinguish themselves from the countless others who don't go to any extra effort. Second, I

think that if you label success as an attainable goal, you will never consistently remain successful. You

can only succeed if you learn all there is to learn about your product, your competitors, and personal

selling. Since this learning process is continuous, it's an unattainable goal. With good reason, salespeople

should not consider success an attainable ending point but an objective that will always linger slightly

beyond their reach.

10. How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successfulaccomplishments.


Last semester I was hired by by university's Council for Student Activities. The group negotiates contracts

of entertainers, sets up sound equipment, markets the entertainers to students, and generally decides

what kind of programming should be done. When I got hired, I didn't know the first thing about how fill any

of those responsibilities. I decided, however, that I wasn't going to fail. Four months later, I have become

the Webmaster for the group. I also write our campus newsletter and created Game Night, a student

competition of table games. That event yielded the biggest audience ever for a non-concert event.

11. Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your

chosen career?


I believe I have a combination of qualities to be successful in this career. First, I have a strong interest,

backed by a solid, well-rounded, state-of-the-art education, especially in a career that is technically

oriented. This basic ingredient, backed by love of learning, problem-solving skills, well-rounded interests,

determination to succeed and excel, strong communication skills, and the ability to work hard, are the

most important qualities that will help me succeed in this career. To succeed, you also need a natural

curiosity about how systems work -- the kind of curiosity I demonstrated when I upgraded my two

computers recently. Technology is constantly changing, so you must a fast learner just to keep up or you

will be overwhelmed. All of these traits combine to create a solid team member in the ever-changing field

of information systems. I am convinced that I possess these characteristics and am ready to be a

successful team member for your firm.

Questions that require knowledge of the company:

y What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?y Do you enjoy doing independent research?y Do you have any plans for further education?y Why do you want to work in the _____________ industry?


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y What do you know about our company?y Why are you interested in our company?

If you've researched the company... you'll have no trouble with this kind of question.

12. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?


A recent satisfying accomplishment I was sent to one of our branch banks that was notorious for not

growing their loan base. The branch had logged $75,000 in new loans in an 18-month period prior to my

arrival. Having a reputation as a "hired gun" when it came to loan production I was successful in the

solicitation and booking of $700,000 in my first six months at the branch.

13. If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently?

Sample excellent response:I wouldn't change anything. All that I have done was a great learning experience that I will carry forward

throughout the rest of my life.

Answering "off-the-wall" questions:

Example: If you had to live your life over again, what would you change?

Example: If you were a color, what color would you be -- and why?

Example: If they were making a movie of your life, who should be hired to play you in it?

"Off-the-wall" questions -- also referred to as Wild Card questions -- are asked by interviewers to see howwell you think on your feet, whether you will get flustered.

The trick is to keep your cool and your sense of humor.

Generally speaking, there are no wrong answers.

Don't Get Stumped by Off-the-Wall Job Interview Questions

by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

Picture yourself in this scene: You're in a job interview. Everything is going betterthan you imagined it could. You look professional and fabulous. You are totallyprepared. You are on a roll. You're nailing every interview question. You feelwonderful rapport with your interviewer. Suddenly, out of the blue she asks you:

"Imagine you could trade places with anyone for just a week. The person could be famous or not famous,living or from history, real or fictional. With whom would you trade places?"

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It's all you can do to keep your jaw from dropping. You're stunned. You feel your mouth drying up andsweat forming on your forehead. Your head is spinning, and your mind is a blank. You're thinking, why inthe world is she asking me this absurd question?

Welcome to the world of the off-the-wall interview question -- weird, wacky, gimmicky, and off-beat "wildcard" questions that seem to have nothing to do with your ability to handle a job. If they're irrelevant to job

performance, why do employers ask them?

They want to see how well you can think on your feet. They want to see if you'll get rattled. They maywant to test your creativity or sense of humor. They want to challenge you. Employers who ask thesegoofy questions no doubt may feel the questions do relate to job performance. In creating stress byasking you a weird question, the interviewer may be testing how well you'll respond to the stress of theworkplace.

And let's face it; job-seekers have vast resources at their disposal in the form of books, articles, and Websites on how to respond to traditional and even those tricky behavioral interview questions (See ourJobInterview Questions Database and Interview Question Collections.). So interviewers sometimes want tolob a curve ball at you by asking a question that you probably didn't prepare for. In his book, College GradJob Hunter, Brian Krueger calls these question "dumb" questions, whose purpose, Krueger writes "is to

get past your pre-programmed answers to find out if you are capable of an original thought."

Of course, we won't refute the possibility that some employers may just be sadistic and want to see yousquirm, or they relish the amusement of seeing how you'll answer an oddball question.

Because an off-the-wall question can be virtually anything, they are nearly impossible to prepare for. Still,some, like the question about being/meeting/dining with a famous person, have been around for awhileand are worth preparing an answer for -- just in case.

The key to responding to an off-the-wall question is not to let it rattle you. Don't adopt a deer-in-the-headlights look if you get hit with one of these funky queries. Simply smile, take a deep breathe, and takea moment to compose your response. A little bit of silence is better than blurting out something evensillier than the question. You don't have to brilliant. You don't have to be witty. Just be yourself and give

an honest response. If worse comes to worst, and you absolutely cannot think of an answer, ask if youcan come back to that question later. You may lose a few thinking-on-your-feet points, but you'll gainpoints for handling a difficult situation with poise.

Above all, take comfort in the fact that there is rarely a wrong answer to these offbeat questions. True,some responses can raise eyebrows. When I taught college students and conducted mock interviewswith them, I would occasionally get "Adolph Hitler" as a response to the famous-person question. Ratherthan thinking the student was a Neo-Nazi, I chalked up that answer to a student who probably knows solittle about history that Hitler was the only person he or she could think of.

If you can turn your answer into something job-related, that's a bonus, but it's probably above theexpectations of the interviewer. For example, if you're interviewing for a finance job and are asked whatyou'd do with a large windfall of money, you could give a clever response about how you'd invest thecash.

Below, we've provided some sample off-the-wall questions. The first group are questions submitted byreaders, along with the answers they used. Be aware that studying this list of questions may be no help atall if you're ever asked a weird question because you may be asked something totally different from anyof these questions. The point is to expect the unexpected, and looking over these questions will at leastgive you the flavor of what might be asked and enable you to do a little out-of-the-box thinking about howyou might respond when you're asked a question as strange as these:


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Shelley Feakes, resource navigator at Queens Career Resource Center in Nova Scotia, Canada, wasasked: "If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any positionon their planet, what would you want?"

"I thought about this question for a minute," Feakes recalls, "then responded: 'First I would want to gochange my clothes since the aliens just scared the crap out of me! ... then I would for a job as Chief

Navigator so I could enjoy coming to Earth and scaring the crap out of other human beings."

Explains Feakes: "My strategy was this: I first thought that it was a psychological question, that theinterviewer was trying to see how far up the ladder I desired to be ... then I thought twice and decided thatI would express my creativity and go for an answer that was just as odd as the question itself. It musthave worked ... I got the job!"

Another reader was not happy about the odd questions she was asked. "I was asked who my heroeswere and how I felt about affirmative action in the same interview. Talk about loaded questions! Lookingback, it was obvious that I would be required to be very [politically correct] and think just like them to workthere. If I hadn't been a single mother and desperate for work, I would have answered, 'I think thisinterview is over.'" She doesn't remember how she actually did answer, but notes that "Those questionshave nothing to do with the ability to do a job and are out of line. I'm probably lucky they didn't hire me

because I'm sure I would have been unhappy there."

Still another reader was asked "if you could be any animal in the jungle what would it be?" He answered:"I would be a gorilla so I could be the king of the jungle because it is survival of the fittest in the jungle. Iwould also be able to climb trees well and get a bird's eye view of what is going on so I could stay abreastof what was happening in the jungle scene." The reader felt the employer liked his response because hegot a second interview. "I thought it was a pretty good answer myself," he observed.

More off-the-wall "wild card" job interview questions:

y If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be?y If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?y If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?y If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?y If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs - such as food and

water - were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?y If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with the

time?y If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time?y If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be, and why?y If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?y If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?y If you won $20 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?y If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?y How do I rate as an interviewer?y

If you were a car, what kind would you be?y Who do you admire the most and why?

y In the news story about your life, what would the headline say?

Final ThoughtsAfter reading this article, you should be ready to test your ability to answer some wild card questions. Areyou? If so, go to: Job-Seeker Interview Database: Off-the-Wall/Wild Card Interview Practice Questions.Once you submit your answers, you'll receive an email with sample excellent responses.


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Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links)on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to ourJob-Seeker's Glossary of Job-HuntingTerms.

Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of QuintessentialCareers, is an educator, author, andblogger who provides content for QuintessentialCareers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, andblogs aboutstorytelling in the job search atA Storied Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD inorganizationalbehavior from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author ofDynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates andA Foot in the Door: Networking YourWay into the Hidden Job Market (both publishedby Ten Speed Press), as well asTop Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.,Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), andTheComplete Idiot's Guide to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit herpersonal Website or reachherby e-mail atkathy(at)quintcareers.com.

Have you taken advantage of all of ourjob interviewing resources?

Try http://www.quintcareers.com/intvres.html

14. Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?


I like the validity of information and also like the energy that comes with working with people. The best

thing about working in a group is combining the great minds from different perspectives and coming up

with something extremely great, compared with when you're working alone. At the same time, information

can generate vitality in the project you're working on. No matter how many heads you've got together,

without information, you can't go very far. The perfect situation would be a combination of working withinformation and people, and I'm confident of my abilities in both areas.

[Submitted by "Stacey"]

Would your rather work with information or with people?

Ideally, both, but tailor response to job and describe strengths in each area.

Don't make yourself sound weak in either area.

15. How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team?


I have had many opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my skills as a team player. My

tenure as a rower with my college's crew team serves as a good example. I learned a great deal about

teamwork while rowing because all the rowers in the boat must act as one, which meant that we


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incessantly worked to keep each movement in the boat synchronized. On an individual basis, we still

worked toward group goals through weightlifting and land-rowing. My experience as a marketing research

team leader also helped me to learn the role of "team player." I viewed my position as that of group leader

and of group member. I ensured that everyone in the group had equal opportunity to contribute,

maintained excellent communication among group members, and coordinated their energies toward

reaching our team's goal.

16. What motivates you to put forth you greatest effort?


You would think that because I am interested in sales, only financial compensation would motivate me to

achieve. Although monetary rewards are important to me, I am driven to succeed internally. More than

anything, I want to be respected by my friends and coworkers for being the best at what I do. Whether I

am considered to be the best car detailer in my hometown or the best columnist for my college

newspaper, I want to be recognized as the best.

Handling frequently asked interview questions

"Thought" questions:

y What goals do you have in your career?y What motivates you?y What changes would you make at your college?y What were your favorite classes? Why?

y Who were your favorite professors? Why?

These questions require:

y Thoughtful responses

y Responses that are not self-servingy Responses that are specific to the job, if possible

Q: "So, tell me about yourself"

This question may be used to assess your personality, preparation, communication skills and ability to think on yourfeet. Prepare a list of what you do (your current or last job), your strengths (stick to job-focussed skills), and asummary of your career trajectory, linking your experience to the job at hand.

Q: "Why do you want to do this job / work for this company?"

Demonstrate your knowledge of the company and re-emphasise your suitability for the position.

Q: "What do you think you have to offer this company?"

This is a chance to sing your own praises concentrating on the skills you have that are required for the position.


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E.g. "I have strong sales skills, am a good team player and am very keen to be involved in the new markets you are

developing in the Asian region."

Q: "What do you think this position involves?"

This question is designed to reveal if you have thought about the position, done some research, listened to the

interviewer, and can summarise all of this information clearly.

Q: "What do you know about the company?"

Demonstrate your interest in the job, and your understanding of the organisation and industry. Talk about theresearch you did into the company's key areas of interest, its size, its main customers or current status, makingreference to your source of information.

Q: "Do you have any questions you would like to ask?"

Always prepare a question to ask the interviewer. Ask about the position, request clarification of general informationabout the company, or summarise your understanding and request confirmation. If they have already answered yourquestions tell them (be specific) so they know that you have thought about the position in preparing for the interview.

For example:

"What do you see as being the main focus of this role?"

"Am I correct in saying that the position involves mediating between A and B departments and monitoring anddeveloping new approaches to...?"

"I'd like to ask about the organisational structure... are the publications produced on a national basis or individually byeach regional office? How are budgets controlled and allocated?"

Q: "What do you believe are your key strengths?"

Prepare responses that give specific examples of your strengths at previous positions that will support your jobapplication.

Q: "What do you believe are your weaknesses?"

No-one readily admits real weaknesses in an interview situation. It is general knowledge that this is an opportunity toturn the question into a positive. Think of something that relates to your experience of work that is plausible as aweakness but is not really a negative point. Eg; "I am very particular about detail", "I become very focussed on theprojects I am involved in"

Q: "What do you enjoy most about your current / last job?"

The trick with this question is to list what you have enjoyed about work that strongly relate to the key competencies ofthe position in question, and mention that you are looking forward to expanding your experience / scope in theseareas.

Q: A question requesting confidential information about a previous employer

This may be a testing of your discretion and professionalism. It is best to reply that you would prefer not to divulgeany confidential information (sales figures, for instance), citing the fact that you are sure your interviewer wouldexpect the same discretion from their employees.


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Q: "Where do you see yourself in five years time?"

This is an assessment of the extent of your ambition and career planning. You should demonstrate that your longterm goals are appropriate for the position being discussed and your commitment to them.

Q: "Can you give me an example of your creativity / managerial / organisational skills?"

Think of some examples that prove that you possess the key attributes and competencies requested in the job adand description. These are probably the areas on which your interviewer will probably focus.

Q: "Do you work well under pressure?"

Answer with a 'yes', and give a specific example of a time when you were under pressure and how you rose to thechallenge.

Q: "Tell me about when something went wrong"Q: "Tell me about a time when you have encountered conflict in the workplace"Q: "Have you ever had to deal with conflicting deadlines? How did you decide which task to complete?"

These are behavioural questions designed to elicit information about the required competencies for the position. Citeexperiences in your past jobs, and always try to inject a positive note into your answer (e.g. that you learnt from theexperience).

Inappropriate questions

Equal Opportunity (EO) guidelines limit the questions that can be asked in job interviews. By being aware of EOconsiderations you can recognise possibly discriminatory questions when they are asked. If asked a question thatyou consider inappropriate or that you suspect may be the basis for discrimination, you are under no obligation toanswer it.

For example, an employer may ask whether you have children as part of idle chatter, or they may be motivated bytheir prejudice that working mothers are not able to commit fully to a full-time position. Alternatively, in asking aboutyour childcare arrangements they may for be trying to assess your level of preparation and professionalism.

If you are uncomfortable with any question, politely and professionally refuse to answer it or request clarification on itsrelevance to the position. Some suggestions are:

"I don't think we need to talk about this. I would rather focus on issues relevant to the position and the requirementsof your organisation."

"I don't understand how this question is relevant to the position or my ability to perform in the role. Could you clarifyfor me why you think it is important, and I will try to provide you with the relevant information."

'Difficult' questions

If you have had a negative experience with an employer (retrenchment or redundancy, sexual harassment, or clashes

with colleagues), prepare to be asked about them in job interviews. The best strategy is to be honest, positive, and toavoid criticising former employers or expressing grudges.

For example:

Termination:

"I was asked to leave that company. The grounds my employers gave were dissatisfaction with myperformance / attitude...


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y "but I disagreed with their assessment and believe that the termination was based on personal differencesrather than performance issues. If you check with my referees from other positions you will find that I havenot had problems of a similar nature anywhere else and I am confident that they will not occur again."

y "Unfortunately, that year I had some personal commitments that I had to deal with. I had to make a choice tofocus on these commitments or on my job, and I chose to concentrate on personal commitments.Unfortunately, this did mean that my work suffered, but I am now able to fully commit myself to my workagain and am confident that I will be able to meet your performance requirements"

Sexual harassment / personal clashes:

"I decided to leave because of some personal issues within the workplace which I would rather not discuss."

If legal proceedings took place: "There have been some legal proceedings regarding my position there andso for confidentiality reasons I would prefer not to discuss it."

Mock Sales Presentation Interviews

A friend of mine is interviewing for a new sales job. Today he received the following

instructions for his upcoming interview. I like this format a lot. Take a look ...

Instructions to Candidates for "MockSales Presentation"

Assignment: Select a product or service you know well or have sold before. The product neednot be related to our product or industry. It is best to select a topic that enables you to

demonstrate strong product knowledge and confidence.

Prepare a 15-minute presentation intended to educate and convince prospective customers aboutthe benefits of using your product/service.

As part of our selection process, you will deliver a mock sales presentation to an audience of 2-3members of the Senior Sales Management Team, who will play the role of your prospective

customers.

Note: Please come ready to present. You will not have time to prepare for this during yourvisit.

Objective: This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your skill at presenting product or

service information in small group settings. You will be assessed on your performance in sixdimensions:

1. Builds rapport and engages others2. Demonstrates product knowledge and personal confidence3. Educates the customer


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4. Presents in a focused and succinct manner5. Effectively handles objections6. Conveys a professional image

Try to close the deal.

Guidelines: Your presentation cannot exceed 15 minutes, so carefully select and narrow your

topic. Your presentation will conclude at 15 minutes, whether you are finished or not. There isno separate Question and Answer period, so you will want to build some time for this into yourpresentation. Seek opportunities for give-and-take with your customers rather than a straight

presentation.

At a minimum, please provide your audience an agenda for your presentation. You may use aproduct sample if demonstration is necessary to your presentation. You may also prepare and

use up to two handouts (e.g., related notes or charts) if you wish. Other materials, such asflipcharts or professionally printed brochures, are not allowed. You may NOT use Power Point

presentations.

My Two Cents: I'd be interested to see how every candidate who applies for any job would dowith this exercise. At Disney, all employees are called "cast members." When they clock-in, all

employees are "in character." In a sense, everyone sells.

Would your accounting people know how to cross-sell or up-sell your company's products and

services if the occasion arose? What about your truckers? All things being equal, wouldn't yourather work for a company that understands the importance of appropriate yet opportunistic

selling?

In a tough economy, my money's on the companies that know how to engage the client acrossevery customer touch point. You know I'm right. Now ...

Can I get you anything else?

Markket

research

interview

Question

1. Briefly walk me through your academic and professional history, I am particularly interested

in why you have chosen marketing. Share your salary expectations.


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2. How would you go about identifying consumer / customer needs and wants?

3. What methods have you used, would you use to measure customer satisfaction? How

would you go about validating your findings?

4. What methods have you used to gather information on competitor products and services?


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5. If we were to ask your previous employers, professors, co-workers and peers about your

computer/technology skills what would they say are your three greatest strengths?

y

y

y6. Now, if we asked the same folks to share three areas that you need to work on or develop

further professionally to be viewed as more computer/technology literate, what would they

say?

y

y

y7. What are the key components of product testing? How would you go about validating?

8. What are the key components necessary for effectively conducting market research? What

methods have you used in the past? Which do you feel have been most effective?

9. How would you communicate research findings?


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10. What have you found to be the least effective approach to gathering market research?

Why?

11. Tell me about a significant accomplishment or goal you achieved as a result of market

research.

12. What tools or systems do you use to organize your work? (Pause, let explain) How do you

prioritize?


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13. How do ensure that what you start gets finished on time and on budget?

14. How do you set goals? What goal are you particularly proud of accomplishing?

15. What processes have you used to analyze research data?


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16. Tell me about a time when the research differed from you intuition? What did you learn

from that experience?

17. Why monitor your competitors products /services?

18. Why do market research?

19. How do you go about making decisions? Tell me about your thought process.


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20. In conducting professional references, what are the best and worst things were going to

hear?

Best:

Worst:

1) Anticipate likely questions;

(2) Develop excellent answers;

(3) Practice!

Be enthusiastic and confident when responding to questions. Don't

rush your answers, but don't ramble on and on, either. Try to, um,

avoid, like, using unnecessary words, right? And um, repeating

yourself or, like, annoying phrases, you know?

A good technique is to write out your answers to the questions you

anticipate, then edit them to make them more concise. Thenpractice your polished answers out loud, over and over. If you can

have someone help you do a "mock interview," that would be the

best way to do this.

Most questions will relate either to your ability to do the job or to

the type of employee you will be. Here's one that is very commonly

used to help the interviewer learn about both:

"Tell me a little about yourself."

When responding to this request, you should focus on both your


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personal and professional values. Always be honest, but talk about

your best traits only, especially those that relate to the position for

which you are applying. Highlight experiences and

accomplishments you are most proud of. Here's an example:

"I'm an experienced communications specialist with extensiveknowledge of public information tools and techniques. I've

developed comprehensive communication plans for major public

events, written dozens of articles accepted by worldwidepublications, and created specialized educational programs for

adults and students. I am always eager to learn new methods and

procedures, and have implemented continuous improvement

techniques in my past positions that saved money and increased

productivity. I like working with people and enjoy group projects,but am also a self-starter who doesn't mind working on my own.

I'm a volunteer with the local chapter of Special Olympics and

enjoy participating in community events. My goals are to complete

my Master's Degree and broaden my experiences with communityrelations."

Remember to tailor your response to the specific job. By studying

the job announcement, you'll get a good idea of the skills and

experience being sought. Work those into your response.

Consider this your own personal commercial. If the interview

consisted of only this ONE chance to sell yourself, what would you

say?

"What do you feel has been your greatest work-related

accomplishment?"

Choose one example from your past that was important to you andhelped the company you worked for. Give specific details about

what you did, how you did it, and what the results were. Try to pick

an accomplishment that relates to the position for which you are

applying. Employers like to hear about accomplishments thatreduced expenses, raised revenues, solved problems or enhanced a

company's reputation.

"What is your greatest strength?"

This is a great chance to highlight your best skills. Don't pick just

one, focus on your top three or four. Some examples are:leadership skills, team-building skills, and organizational skills.


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Determine which strengths would fit best with the position for

which you are applying. For example, if the job announcement

stresses the ability to handle multiple tasks, you could say: "I'mgood at organizational skills, prioritization and time management.

But my greatest strength is my ability to effectively handle multiple

projects and deadlines."

"What is your greatest weakness?"

Be careful with this one. Most interview guides will tell you to

answer it with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. Forexample, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'ma bit of a perfectionist." Interviewers have heard these "canned"answers over and over again. To stand out, be more original and

state a true weakness, but then emphasize what you've done to

overcome it. For example: "I've had trouble delegating duties toothers because I felt I could do things better myself. This has

sometimes backfired because I'd end up with more than I could

handle and the quality of my work would suffer. But I've taken

courses in time management and learned effective delegationtechniques, and I feel I've overcome this weakness."

IMPORTANT: Be sure the weakness you talk about is NOT a key

element of the position!

"How do you handle stressful situations?"

Give some examples of stressful situations you've dealt with in the

past. Tell how you use time management, problem-solving ordecision-making skills to reduce stress. For example, tell them that

making a "to-do" list helps. Site stress-reducing techniques such as

stretching and taking a break. Don't be afaid to admit that you will

ask for assistance if you are feeling overwhelmed.

If it's true, say you actually work better under pressure.

"What is the toughest problem you've had to face, and how

did you overcome it?"

Try to make this about a problem that faced your company and not

just you or your particular work group. The bigger the problem, thebetter. Give specific examples of the skills and techniques you used

to resolve this problem. Emphasize the successful results. Begenerous in sharing credit if it was a team effort, but be sure to


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highlight your specific role.

"Have you ever had to discipline a problem employee? If so,

how did you handle it?"

This is a likely question if the position for which you are applyingrequires supervisory duties. Explain how you used problem-solvingskills, listening skills, and coaching skills to help the employee. If

those techniques turned the employee around, be sure to say so. If

those techniques failed, tell how you followed the company's

policies and what the end result was.

"Why do you want this position?"

Here's where your research about the company will help you standout among the other candidates. Explain how you've always wanted

the opportunity to work with a company that... provides a vitalpublic service, leads the industry in innovative products,

whatever... find something specific about that company that you

can tie in with your answer. Explain how your qualifications and

goals complement the company's mission, vision and values (usespecific examples). If you are applying for a position in a company

for which you already work, explain how you'll be able to apply and

expand on the knowledge and experience you've gained from your

current position, and will be able to increase your contributions and

value to the company through your new responsibilities.

"Why are you the best

person for this job?"

As with all other questions, be confident and enthusiastic when you

answer this. Don't try to say you are the best qualified person,

because you don't know the qualifications of the other applicants.Instead, emphasize several reasons why you should be hired. Forexample: "I've got extensive experience in [name the appropriatefield] and have the specific skills you are looking for. I'm a fast

learner who adapts quickly to change and will hit the ground

running. I'm dedicated and enthusiastic about helping yourcompany meet its goals, and will provide top-quality results withminimal oversite. I'm an outstanding performer who takes pride in

my work. You won't have any regrets when you hire me."

UNEXPECTED QUESTIONS


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Interview questions and answers can only be predicted andprepared for to a certain extent. There are endless variations andno way to know every question in advance. But that doesn't

matter. Because you know there will be unexpected questions, you

will not cringe or freak out when they pop up, as some applicantswill. Instead, you will turn them into opportunities to shine even

more brightly.

No one knows you better than you. Memorize a list of your best

features, your best selling points. Use every opportunity and

unexpected question to mention these.

Realize that sometimes what you say isn't as important as how you

say it. Be confident, enthusiastic, and remember to smile often.

QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK

Often the interviewer's last question is, "Do you have any questionsfor me?" Candidates who do not have questions show a lack of

initiative and give the impression that they have minimal interest in

the position. Stand out from those lazy job seekers by asking

questions!

Have your questions ready in advance. Relate them to the company

or its accomplishments/challenges (your research of the company

will show and further impress the interviewer). Don't ask anyquestion that shows that you have not done your research about

the company.

Do not ask questions related to you, such as "When will I be

eligible for my first raise?" or "How often will I be subjected to aperformance review?" Don't bring up money. (You can do that after

you are offered the job.)

In addition to specific questions you develop based on what the

company does, here are some sample generic questions:

What do you enjoy most about working here?

Be sure the person you ask actually works for the company. Some

organizations, especially public agencies, have interview panels in

which employees from other agencies participate.


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Is there anything I've mentioned that makes you think I'm

not the best candidate for this job?

If they do mention something that's bothering them about you,

such as lack of specific experience, this gives you a last-ditch effort

to change their opinion about you. If you've thought about yourpossible weaknesses in advance, you should have a prepared

answer to those weaknesses. For example, "I know I have limited

experience in this field, but what I lack in specific experience Imake up for in enthusiasm and desire to excel. I'm a fast learner

and I'll work harder than anyone else to be a top producer on your

team."

When do you expect to make your final decision?

Be sure to ask that! Failure to do so may give the impression that

you're not that interested, and you need to know when to follow

up.

Good Interview Questions That Are Resume-Related

With any job interview, the resume plays an integral role. From the very

first phone interview to the very end, interviewers will ask a number of

good interview questions based on your resume. These can take several

forms; however, they will tend to be focused on getting more information

on your background and trying to determine whether you have fudged onyour resume. Here, are some good interview questions that are usually

asked:

1. Tell Me About Yourself?2.

a. A good answer should be concise (between thirty seconds to aminute and a half)

b. Avoid talking about where you were born or went to high schoolunless this would be beneficial to the job position.

c. Instead, focus on what your current career track is and how yourrecent background has led to that path. In other words, if you arepersonal banker, state you have been working as a personalbanker for the last two years at such and such and have beenworking on X,Y, and Z. You can even add you went to such andsuch college if it is relevant.

d. Add in something that is safe, personal and not controversial. Forinstance, if you enjoy playing weekend basketball, or painting, orbowling, or whatever, be sure to say this. This is designed to


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make you appear more well rounded.e. Ex. I am a business analyst who enjoys data compilation. I first

got started in this field after graduating from State U with a MISdegree. Since then, I have been doing this type of research fortwo years at ABC Corporation and have really enjoyed theopportunity to help create databases and reports. In my free time,

I enjoy following the Redskins and running. I am an avid joggerwho tries to run 3 miles almost every day.

2. What did you do in your first job?3.

a. State generally what your basic job duties were.b. If you have any accomplishments state those as well.c. Mainly, you want to tie in whatever you did to how that relates to

the current role you are looking for.d. Ex. "My first job with ABC Corporation was as a customer service

representative. I would routinely take customer call-ins and helpanswer their questions or direct them to other representatives whocould. I took a great deal of satisfaction with meeting externalcustomers and would enjoy using that experience as a salesmanfor your company."

3. What are your career goals?4.

a. The safest answer here is to stay humble. You do not want to goon record for making statements like wanting to be a VP in 5years. It is far better to remain general and state how you believethe current position would be a wonderful opportunity to grow andthat your focus is on doing your next job the best you can. If you

can take on additional responsibilities at a later time, that wouldbe just fine with you.

b. Ex. "I would like to continue getting more experience working onprojects that are process improvement oriented. I really enjoy theframework of process improvement projects and would like to seemyself take an increasingly more job responsibilities as a projectmanager over the course of the next five years. I think yourcompany has an excellent reputation in this area and, would enjoylearning from your company."

4. There appears to be a 6 month gap in your resume history. Whathappened during this time?

5.a. How you answer this depends somewhat on what the reason was

for the gap. If the gap was for a serious reason like you were injail, you really need to be the first one to bring this issue up.However, if the reason is less serious like you were having troublefinding another job or you just didnt feel like working. I wouldtailor your question a little differently.

b. In those cases, I would state what things you did during that timeif anything: helped the family through errands and research, it


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gave you the opportunity to travel, gave you an opportunity toreevaluate your career. In other words, you dont want to give offthe impression that you were sitting at home playing video gamesand eating chips all day.

c. Ex. "Since leaving XYZ Corp, I had the opportunity to reflect on mycareer goals and determine which direction I wanted to take with

my career. This time also allowed me to spend time with my sisterand strengthen my relationship with her. The time away has beengreat for me as I'm very excited about this opportunity and lookforward to the next step in the interview process."

5. What role did you play in this organization?6.

a. Briefly state what was the purpose of the organization. If youplayed a minor role say so but, state what benefit you got out ofthe organization.

b. If you played a major role, such as was an officer. Be sure tostate this as well and state the type of things you did and how itrelates to the position you are applying for.

c. Ex. "I was a treasurer for the Spotted Owls Society. This gave mean opportunity to blend my analytical skills with my love fornature. In addition, I was able to meet a number of interestingpeople and gain some additional business skills regardingrecordkeeping."

6. Why did you leave this type of role and move over to another role?7.

a. The two biggest concerns here are you do not want to disclose thatyou are (1) a flake who has no plan and is jumping around from

job to job and (2) dont bad mouth your prior company.b. The best way to address this question is to show how it fits into

some bigger career plan. For instance, the new position gave youmore responsibilities or it gave you an opportunity to learn X skill.

c. If you are a career changer, it is ok to say why you are changingcareers. The important point is to key that the move is in yourbest interest and one you really want to do.

d. Ex. "I finally had to admit that my current position was not what Iwanted to do with my life. Instead of trudging along for 10 moreyears in a job I did not like, I decided it was far better to startdoing what I am really interested in. That is why I am talking toyou today. I believe this position is in line with my ultimate careergoal of becoming a business director."

7. What did you like best about a certain position? What did you likeleast?

8.a. Your answer for what you like best should tie back into the position

you are interviewing for if possible. For instance, if your currentjob requires giving presentations, be sure to highlight thoseexamples from prior work experience and why you enjoyed them.


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b. Your answer for what you like least should be something that isnot directly related to the position you are applying for. Forinstance, if you are applying for a marketing position and yourformer position was as a personal banker, it would be ok to sayyou didnt like all the necessary attention of detail required to be apersonal banker. This is ok for this interview because a marketing

position tends to be more high level rather than detail specific.c. Be Honest. As the old saying goes, it is hard to fake honesty and

sincerity. Be sincere in what you liked about the position ratherthan trying to fake it. Regardless of what you may think, theinterviewer is likely to know something is amiss.

d. Ex. "I enjoyed being a salesman because it gave me theopportunity to interact with people. I thrive off this and enjoy theinteraction. Unfortunately, I had difficulty dealing with the quotasas I did not enjoy doing the paperwork to get my sales passedthrough. For this reason, I believe being a trainer will be a muchbetter fit because it keys on one of my biggest strengths which isdealing with people and, it requires little paperwork as the trainingmaterial has already been made.

Naturally, you can add a number of questions to this list. However, this

is a good starter list to help get you thinking on how you are going to

answer these questions. Remember the key here is to learn the skills on

answering questions generally rather than being able to answer any one

individual question. The overall flow of your interview will matter far

more than having one killer answer to a tough question.

interview questions that really work

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