Give me an example of a problem you faced on the job, and tell me how you solved it.

DISCUSSION: This is a problem solving question that tests your critical thinking skills. This is a great question for showing that you are a creative and capable problem solver. The problem you select to use as an example should be as similar as possible to a problem that you are likely to face at the job you are interviewing for. 1) LISTEN for their "pain points," 2) give an example of your experience where you solved something similar, then 3) get them to agree with you that such experience would be beneficial to the company. "I try to take a systematic approach to problem solving. I take the time to gather the relevant information and clearly define the problem or goal. I think it is important to get the information and clarify the problem first before you start coming up with possible solutions, or wasting other people's time. FOR EXAMPLE, when I was at Job "X" ... What kinds of challenges are YOU currently facing in your department? How tough a position does that put you in? What could the ideal candidate do to help solve this problem in their first couple months on the job?" "Sure, at my last job we had a problem where the situation was "X" ... the action I took was "Y" ... and the positive outcome was "Z" ... I was commended by Susan in Accounting for solving the problem and getting the project back on track. I think that's the type of experience you are looking to bring to your team ... isn't it? "You would agree that having this type of experience will help me succeed in this position, wouldn't you?" "... How to best tell your "experience stories" and then get them to agree with you that such experience would be huge asset for the company ..." What did you like best and least about your previous job? DISCUSSION: This question reveals a lot about you. You want to indicate that what you liked best about your last job are things that will appeal to the Hiring Manager. Show that your last job allowed you to demonstrate many of the positive and desirable Behavioral Competencies that are discussed at the beginning of this Guide. Give specific examples of how your last job allowed you to flex your skills and show your maturity. Never make statements like "I like that my last company gave me a lot of vacation days," or something similar. When answering about what you liked least, keep it short and do not be negative. "What I liked about my last job was the fact that there was good on the job training. I was able to really develop my "X" skills, which I know will help me succeed here if I am fortunate enough to be able to join your team. What are the qualities and skills of the people who have been most successful at this company?"

Here's an example of how you might answer this tough job interview question. "Well, first of all, I'm pleased to be here meeting you because I've long been an admirer of your company and of the work you personally have done. I believe I have what you're looking for. I'm currently working with ABC Corporation where I head the accounts team. I have 8 years experience in accounts and internal audit with two Fortune 500 companies. In my performance appraisals, my bosses have remarked that I'm an effective manager and a good problem solver and that I have an excellent ability to create and implement office procedures and systems. I'd be happy to elaborate on any of these, if you'd like me to." Not such a tough interviewing question to answer after all, is it? Here's another tough question asked at job interviews: "What are your weaknesses?" It's another question interviewees cringe at. A few points about this question. First of all, don't try to mention a strength and present it as a weakness. Trying to say that you're a workaholic or that you're a stickler for detail and how that's a weakness will not work well. It will be seen as an attempt to dodge the question. The weakness you mention should not be critical to the job you'll be doing. If you're interviewing for the job of an insurance actuary, don't tell them you're weak at statistics! Talk about a weakness in content knowledge rather than a basic personal quality or skill. Because lack of content knowledge is much easier to remedy than a personality trait. For instance, say that your weakness is that you're not familiar with a particular software application. That's much better than saying you find it difficult to manage people. You should also mention what you are doing to remedy the weakness. If lack of knowledge of a computer application is your weakness, talk about how you're attending evening classes to learn more about it. As you see, it's not very difficult to come up with good answers even to tough questions asked at interviews. It just needs some preparation and forethought before the interviews.

"I've got some of those skills as well. I think that's something that could benefit your department, isn't it?" "One thing I liked about my last job was that it allowed me to develop my leadership skills. FOR EXAMPLE, I was put in charge of a project where I had to earn the "buy-in" of people from multiple different departments including Marketing, IT, Product Development, and even HR. I held all the responsibility for getting this project completed on time, even though I had no real authority over my teammates since they did not report to me. I was able to create a project vision that the team agreed on, and then day-to-day I made sure that each team member completed their work on time. I did this in most cases by appealing to my teammates' own self-interests. FOR EXAMPLE ... "

"Did I answer that question to your satisfaction?" "What I liked least about my last job was that the management style was pretty hands off, and this was fine for me because I am self-motivated and work hard to achieve. But the lack of structure sometimes allowed some of my teammates to slack off from time to time and I often ended up having to pick up the extra work. I would not mind that SOMETIMES, but it got old after a while. I had to constructively approach my manager and let her know what was going on WITHOUT creating any friction between me and the slacker teammates, who I actually liked as people. In the end, it worked out well, because I was proactive. Have you ever run into that type of situation as a manager?" "... A Full Explanation Of What You Need To Say To Get Hired ..." What have you learned from your mistakes? DISCUSSION: Show that you are able to learn from your mistakes, but don't offer up any negative examples concerning your past performance. Show that you have been successful, but that you have the maturity it takes to examine your own behavior so that you can learn and grow and be a better employee. Be brief. "Good question. Well, I have been successful at every job I have had, but I have had the normal ups and downs. I'd say that I do actively try to monitor my work habits and the quality of my work so that I can constantly be improving myself. FOR EXAMPLE, I have had one or two hiccups with customers where their satisfaction was not where I thought it was. I learned that I have to really monitor certain difficult customers closely and "take their temperature" so I can keep their satisfaction level as high as possible. Have YOU had any customers like that here?" "... Learn The 'Mind-Set' Of Successful Interviewing ..." Describe a situation when working with a team produced more successful results than if you had completed the project on your own. DISCUSSION: This is a "behavioral interviewing" style of question. The Hiring Manager wants to learn more about your thought process, and how well you can form examples to answer this teamwork related question. You will want to show your ability to solicit ideas from others, listen carefully, and persuade people to your point of view. "Well, I have worked both independently and as a member of team, throughout my career. I enjoy both, and I can do both equally well. I will have to say, though, that working with others has often yielded great results for projects I have worked on specifically when it comes to brainstorming. I try to get everyone involved in coming up with new

solutions by making time for sessions where "there are no wrong ideas or answers." The creativity of a group of people is always going to be greater than that of one person, and thus the results will be more successful. I did that a lot a Job "Y". FOR EXAMPLE ..." "Working with others allows you data-mine other people's skills and experiences, get perspectives and ideas that you would not have on your own , and check the quality of your own work before it goes out the door. FOR EXAMPLE, at Job "X" I worked with many great people. I was able to "pick their brains" so to speak about the effectiveness of various techniques, estimates on how long it would take to get various things done, etc. I would not have been able to do my job as effectively without them ... Will there be the opportunity to work in team situations at this job?" "... Eliminate Any "Fear of Interviewing" Once And for All ..." Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses at work that tested your coping skills. What did you do? DISCUSSION: Workplace stress is an issue for everyone. Don't pretend that you never get stressed out. You want to show that you can deal with stress and cope with difficult situations. Show that you are calm under pressure, and know how to avoid stress in the first place through planning and time management. "Well I think it is important to remember that stress effects everyone, and it is inevitable that sometimes people are going to have bad days. That is why I try to give people the benefit of the doubt when they seem to have a short fuse. What I do personally is try to control my response to a situation. You can't necessarily control what happens to you, but you CAN control your own response. What I try to do is lengthen the time between the stressful situation and my response so that I can identify the cause of the stress and decide what I can do about it ... Would you say it is a stressful environment here? ... I see. I'm sure I can handle it. I have been tested like that before ... FOR EXAMPLE ...." "FOR EXAMPLE, on several occasions I have had to deal with very irate customers who actually yelled at me. What I did was stay calm and not let them get under my skin. I really tried to listen and decide exactly what it was that was at the root of their problem. Then I provided solutions that could be completed within a specific time-frame. I always find that it is best to face those types of situations head-on and be objective about them. I do my best to be professional and not get my emotions involved. Also, I try to avoid stress in the first place by tackling difficult tasks or conversations sooner rather than later. Does that make sense? ... I hope I've answered that question to your satisfaction?" "... This Download Will Fill You With Motivation And Confidence ..."

What was your role in your department's most recent success? DISCUSSION: You'll want to be very specific here, and frame your answer in terms of how you saved time and money. The Hiring Manager is looking for a pattern of success, and you need to describe recent successes in detail. Use the S.T.A.R. Statement formula for your examples. Be prepared with at least three examples concerning your recent successes, and make sure at least one of them relates to teamwork and something you accomplished as part of a group. Make sure you address how your work made other people FEEL, as well as the time you saved and the revenue or cost-savings you generated. "I guess that would be a recent project for client "X." I handled all of the communication with the client for our last project. It was a three month long project where my team had to build a custom package based on the needs of client. I was instrumental in translating the client's business needs into detailed product features. I had to make sure that my team understood what the client wanted, and then check the quality to make sure that we were delivering a quality product with the features that the client was expecting." "Well, it was an ongoing process that required a lot of communication and teamwork with my team as well as the client. I think my role really was to clarify the scope of the project, and then "manage the client's expectations." We were able to deliver on time, and the client was thrilled! I was able to make sure no time was wasted on adding unnecessary features, and since we were working on a fixed bid price, we saved my company time and money. My manager and everybody on my team felt great because the project went so smoothly ... Is that the kind of experience that would help me be successful here?" "... Don't Let Another Day Go By Before You Take Action ... Give Yourself An Advantage So You Get The Job! ..."

How would you react if I told you that your interview, so far, was terrible?

Stop for a moment and really think how would you react if your interviewer said that to you. Would you get angry and annoyed and maybe insult the interviewer back. If so, you would have fallen for the trap. Listen to the question again and this time pay close attention to the most important word in the question -'If'. The interviewer is not saying that your interview is terrible, he is asking: "How would you react IF I said your interview was terrible." In other words, he is trying to find out how you react to criticism. In the daily grind of the real business world people lose their tempers and shout and criticize each other. The interviewer wants to judge how you might react to such situations in the work place. So listen carefully to the question and don't fall for the bait. Let the interviewer see you calmly considering the question and then begin your respond:

Well, I'd be quite surprised and rather sad. I have put a lot of work into preparing for this interview and getting this job is very important to me. May I ask you, what parts of my presentation did you consider were not up to an acceptable standard? If you could pinpoint these areas to me, maybe I could go over them again and clear up any misunderstandings that might exist. I'm sure that's where the problem lies"

Try to respond to this question along the above diplomatic lines. In fact, what you say in response to this question is not nearly as important as your original emotional response. You have not got angry, emotional, upset, depressed or defeatist. You have not thrown in the towel despite the interviewer's apparent criticism of your performance - but you have come out fighting. Unknown to yourself you have already passed the interviewer's real test What is the worst thing you have heard about our company?

This is known as a 'shock' question. It is designed to throw you off balance to make you uncomfortable and then to see how you will react.

Although, at first glance it may seem a difficult question it is quite simple to answer once you don't fall in to the trap of trying to answer it objectively. It is a trick question injected into the interview to test you. The interviewer is an old pro. He knows the questions that can unnerve interviewees. He is carefully watching for your reaction. However you have done your homework, too, and instead of getting hot and bothered you smile and simply say:

"The worse thing I have heard about your company is how hard it is to get a job there and how tough, detailed and rigorous their job interviews are.!" A simple but effective answer. Now watch your interviewer respond to that!

What was the last book you read or the last movie you saw and how did it affect you?

Are you surprised by this question? It's strange but 5-10 years ago it's not a question you would have expected to get during an interview but to-day it is quite popular. Most interviewers, however think it is quite original and that they are the only ones to use it but it is now a common question now so be prepared for it or a variation of it and select your book or film beforehand. However, there is no need to tell them about the very latest film you have seen or book you have read. Select a book or film that you really like and genuinely know about. Of course the smart interviewer will use this question as another golden opportunity to illustrate to the employer that he has the exact skills and talents the company is looking for. For example, our chef being interviewed by the restaurant might say:

"Oh, that's an unusual question I love reading biographies and the last book that I read was the autobiography of the famous French Chef, Jean X. The book was fascinating as it detailed his rise from nowhere to the top of his profession and it gave incredible details of the long hours he worked and the incredible pressure he put himself through and that no matter how difficult it got he always maintained the highest standards. He put the same

effort and care into his very last meal of the day, even if it was meal 580 as he did into the first meal of the day. They, too are the standards I would like to aspire to and I believe I have the capability of reaching the same standard "

I'm still not really sure if you are suitable for this job. What do you think?

Don't take this question at face-value. Although the tone of the question may sound critical and uncertain the interviewer is really asking you to finally convince him once and for all that you are the right person for the job. The question is asked in this format to see if you are easily intimidated and defeated by blatant negative criticism. The interviewer wants to gauge how determined you are - to really discover how much you will fight to get this job. So tackle the question head-on. Don't let the way it is phased knock your confidence or poise. Begin your response with a question of your own:

"May I ask why you believe that?" This simple question will force the interviewer to reveal why he may think you are unsuitable. Usually he will refer to a lack of some skill or other or a lack of experience. I n fact he will, probably be quite deliberately vague as his question is really a request for you to finally convince him that you are right for the job. Nevertheless, use what he says as an opportunity to emphasize again all the main reasons why you believe you can do the job. By now you should have these reasons off by heart. This question, if you use it rightly is simply another opportunity to press these reasons home. When you do that, the interviewer will be impressed not only by your answer but also by the way you turned an apparently negative question around and skillfully used it in such a positive way. 1. Tell me about yourself. My background to date has been centered around preparing myself to become the very best _____ I can become. Let me tell you specifically how I've prepared myself . . .

2. Why should I hire you? Because I sincerely believe that I'm the best person for the job. I realize that there are many other college students who have the ability to do this job. I also have that ability. But I also bring an additional quality that makes me the very best person for the job--my attitude for excellence. Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In _____ and _____ I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can become by doing the following . . . 3. What is your long-range objective? Where do you want to be 10 or 15 years from now? Although it's certainly difficult to predict things far into the future, I know what direction I want to develop toward. Within five years, I would like to become the very best _____ your company has. In fact, my personal career mission statement is to become a world-class _____ in the _____ industry. I will work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I will be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities that might be presented in the long term. 4. How has your education prepared you for your career? As you will note on my resume, I've taken not only the required core classes in the _____ field, I've also gone above and beyond. I've taken every class the college has to offer in the field and also completed an independent study project specifically in this area. But it's not just taking the classes to gain academic knowledge--I've taken each class, both inside and outside of my major, with this profession in mind. So when we're studying _____ in _____, I've viewed it from the perspective of _____. In addition, I've always tried to keep a practical view of how the information would apply to my job. Not just theory, but how it would actually apply. My capstone course project in my final semester involved developing a real-world model of _____, which is very similar to what might be used within your company. Let me tell you more about it . . . 5. Are you a team player? Very much so. In fact, I've had opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my skills as a team player. I was involved in _____ at the intramural level, including leading my team in assists during the past year--I always try to help others achieve their best. In academics, I've worked on several team projects, serving as both a member and team leader. I've seen the value of working together as a team to achieve a greater goal than any one of us could have achieved individually. As an example . . . 6. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How was it resolved? Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but certainly there have been situations where there was a disagreement that needed to be resolved. I've found that when conflict occurs, it's because of a failure to see both sides of the situation. Therefore, I ask the other person to give me their perspective and at the same time ask that they allow me to fully explain my perspective. At that point, I would work with the person to find out if a compromise could be reached. If not, I would submit to their decision because they are my superior. In the end, you have to be willing to submit yourself to the directives of your superior, whether you're in full agreement or not. An example of this was when . . . 7. What is your greatest weakness? I would say my greatest weakness has been my lack of proper planning in the past. I would overcommit myself with too many variant tasks, then not be able to fully accomplish each as I would like. However, since I've come to recognize that weakness, I've taken steps to correct it. For example, I now carry a planning

calendar in my pocket so that I can plan all of my appointments and "to do" items. Here, let me show you how I have this week planned out . . . 8. If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say? I believe they would say I'm a very energetic person, that I put my mind to the task at hand and see to it that it's accomplished. They would say that if they ever had something that needed to be done, I was the person who they could always depend on to see that it was accomplished. They would say that I always took a keen interest in the subjects I was studying and always sought ways to apply the knowledge in real world settings. Am I just guessing that they would say these things? No, in fact, I'm quite certain they would say those things because I have with me several letters of recommendation from my professors, and those are their very words. Let me show you . . . 9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have? The key quality should be leadership--the ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. A manager should also be a positive role model for others to follow. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I'd like to tell you about a person who I consider to be a true leader . . . 10. If you had to live your life over again, what would you change? That's a good question. I realize that it can be very easy to continually look back and wish that things had been different in the past. But I also realize that things in the past cannot be changed, that only things in the future can be changed. That's why I continually strive to improve myself each and every day and that's why I'm working hard to continually increase my knowledge in the _____ field. That's also the reason why I want to become the very best _____ your company has ever had. To make positive change. And all of that is still in the future. So in answer to your question, there isn't anything in my past that I would change. I look only to the future to make changes in my life. In reviewing the above responses, please remember that these are sample answers. Please do not rehearse them verbatim or adopt them as your own. They are meant to stir your creative juices and get you thinking about how to properly answer the broader range of questions that you will face.