http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.

htm
ExampleJobInterviewQuestionsandAnswers
Congratulations!Youhaveappliedforajobandnowyouaregettingreadyforthatimportantjobinterview.YourEnglishis
excellentandyouarelookingforwardtomakingagoodimpressiononyourfuture(hopefully)boss.Now,youneedtomake
surethatyoualsohavetherighttypeofEnglishforthatjobinterview.
ThejobinterviewinEnglishcontainsspecificquestionsandappropriateanswers.Italsorequiresacertainflexibilityinyour
usageoftenses.ThisfeatureprovidestipsonjobinterviewquestionsandanswersinEnglish.
Whenyouwalkintheroomtheveryfirstimpressionyoumakeontheinterviewercanhaveagreatinfluenceontherestof
theinterview.Itisimportantthatyouintroduceyourself,shakehands,andarefriendly.Thefirstquestionisoftena"breaking
theice"(establisharapport)typeofquestion.Don'tbesurprisediftheinterviewerasksyousomethinglike:

Howareyoutoday?
Didyouhaveanytroublefindingus?
Whatdoyouthinkoftheweatherlately?

Don't be surprised by the friendly tone. The interviewer wants to put you at ease (help you relax). Answer the question
withoutgoingintotoomuchdetail.Thelanguageyouuseshouldbesimplebutpolite,forexample;
Howareyoutoday?
GOOD
I'mfinethankyou,andyou?
I'mwellthankyou.
BAD
So,so
OK
Notsowell
Whatismostimportant?
Talkingaboutyourexperienceandcredentials(qualifications)isthemostimportantpartofanyjobinterview.Your
qualificationsincludeyourEducationfromHighSchoolonandanyspecialtrainingyoumayhavedoneinthepast.Your
experienceisanyworkthatyouhavedonethatisdirectlyorindirectlyrelatedtothejobyouareapplyingfor.

Education

Rememberthatyoureducationtookplaceinthepast.Thereforeyouneedtousethepasttenses,forexample:

IattendedtheUniversityofHelsinkifrom1987to1993.
Igraduatedwithadegreeinagriculturalplanning.
Etc.

Ifyouarecurrentlyastudentyoushouldusethefollowingpresenttenses:

IamcurrentlystudyingattheUniversityofNewYorkandwillgraduatewithadegreeinEconomicsinthespring.
IamstudyingEnglishattheBoroughCommunityCollege.
Etc.

Remembertoincludeanytrainingyoumayhavehadwhentalkingaboutyoureducation.Thisincludesanycomputertraining,
correspondencecourses,etc.MakesuretomentionyourEnglishstudies.ThisisveryimportantasEnglishisnotyourfirst
languageandtheemployermaybeconcernedaboutthisfact.Assuretheemployerthatyouarecontinuingtoimproveyour
Englishskillsbyanycoursesyoumaybetaking,orbysayingthatyoustudyacertainnumberofhoursaweektoimproveyour
Page 1

skills.

ExperienceandQualifications

Workexperienceisbyfarthemostimportanttopicofanyjobinterview(atleastintheUnitedStatesandBritain).Therefore,
itisimportanttoexplainwhatexperienceyouhaveindetail.Generally,employerswanttoknowexactlywhatyoudidand
howwellyouaccomplishedyourtasks.Thisisnotthetimetobemodest.Beconfident,andtalkfreelyaboutyour
accomplishmentsinpastemployment.

Thetensesyoushouldusearethefollowing:

Whentalkingaboutcurrentemploymentbecarefultousethepresentperfectorpresentperfectcontinuous.Thissignalsthat
youarestillperformingthesetasksatyourcurrentjob,forexample:

SmithandCo.haveemployedmeforthelast3yearsasasalesperson.
Ihavebeencreatingcustomercontactsfor6months.
Etc.

Whentalkingaboutpastemployersusethepasttensestosignalthatyouarenolongerworkingforthatcompany,for
example:

IwasemployedbyJackson'sfrom1989to1992asaclerk.
IworkedasareceptionistattheRitzwhileIwaslivinginNewYork.
Etc.

TalkingaboutResponsibilities

Mostimportantly,youwillneedtodemonstrateyourqualificationsandskills,whicharerequiredforthejobyouareapplying
for.Thejobskillsthatyouhaveacquiredinthepastmaynothavebeenforthesameexactjob.Therefore,itisimportantto
showhowthecapabilitiesyoudohaverelatetothejobyouareapplyingfor.

Irememberawonderfulexampleofadaptingskillstofitthejobdesired.IhadastudentfromMoscowwhohadworkedasthe
managerofanimportanttheaterinMoscow.Unfortunately,hehadtostartfromthebeginninginNewYorkandtherefore
wantedtogetajobasarodentexterminator(someonewhokillsrats!).Whenaskedwhatkindofexperiencehehad,he
repliedthat,asthemanagerofthetheater,hehadhadtomakesurethatthetheaterwasalwaysrodentfreeandwas
thereforecapableofdoingthejobwell!ThisisafantasticexampleofthetypeofadaptabilitymostemployersintheUnited
Statesarelookingfor.

UsetheRightWord

Belowisalistofgreatverbstohelpyouexpressjustexactlywhatyoudidwithimpressivevocabulary.Theseverbsareusedto
expressresponsibilitiesandtasksperformed:

acted
brought
cooperated
discovered
facilitated
indexed
accomplishe
built
coordinated
distributed
finalized
initiated
d
carriedout
corrected
documented
formulated
inspected
adapted
catalogued
counseled
doubled
founded
installed
administered
changed
created
edited
functioned
instituted
advanced
classified
dealt
encouraged
governed
interpreted
advised
collaborated
decided
engineered
grouped
introduced
allocated
compared
decreased
enlarged
guided
invented
analyzed
completed
defined
escalated
handled
investigated
applied
computed
delegated
established
harmonized
justified
approved
conceived
derived
estimated
harnessed
led
arbitrated
conducted
designated
evaluated
headed
localized
arranged
constructed
detected
examined
identified
located
assisted
consulted
developed
expanded
implemented
made
attained
contracted
devised
experienced
improved
managed
blended
controlled
directed
explored
increased
maintained
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mechanized
merged
moderated
motivated
negotiated
opened
operated
organized
originated
overcame
perceived

performed
pioneered
planned
prepared
presented
presided
processed
programmed
promoted
provided
purchased

raised
recommende
d
recorded
recruited
rectified
redesigned
repaired
replaced
restored
reversed

reviewed
revised
saved
screened
selected
serviced
setup
solved
sorted
sparked
specified

started
stimulated
strengthened
summarized
supervised
supported
systematized
tested
trained
transacted
transcribed

transformed
tripled
upgraded
validated
varied
verified
vitalized
won
wrote

Todescribeyourskillsthefollowingadjectivesareuseful

accurate
s
enterprising
logical
pleasant
senseof
active
creative
enthusiastic
loyal
positive
humor
adaptable
dependable
experienced
mature
practical
sensitive
adept
determined
fair
methodical
productive
sincere
broad
diplomatic
firm
motivated
reliable
successful
minded
discreet
genuine
objective
resourceful
tactful
competent
efficient
honest
outgoing
self
trustworthy
conscientiou
energetic
innovative
personable
disciplined

Usetheseverbsandadjectivesandreallysellyourself.Youonlyhaveafewminutestoshowhowgoodyoureallyare.Byusing
thisprecisevocabularyandbeingconfidentcanhelpyoumakethebestimpressionpossible.

InterviewQuestions:WorkHistory
JobInterviewAnswer:DescribeYourEmploymentHistory
Nameofcompany,positiontitleanddescription,datesofemployment.
Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to be able to review their work history in detail. Be prepared to tell the
interviewerthenamesofthecompaniesyouworkedfor,yourjobtitle,yourstartingandendingdatesofemployment,how
muchyouearnedandwhatyourjobentailed.
You'dbesurprisedhowmanyjobapplicantsfumblewhenaskedaboutprioremployment.Don'tbeoneofthem!Refreshyour
memory prior to the interview by reviewing your resume, so, you can speak about your prior work history in detail and
accurately.
Ifyoudon'thavearesume,makesurewhatyoutelltheinterviewermatcheswhatyoufilledoutonyourjobapplication.The
bestwaytoprepareistodownloadasamplejobapplicationaheadoftime.Completethesampleapplicationandbringitwith
you when you are applying for employment. This way you will be able to copy the information rather than having to
rememberdatesandotheremploymentinformation.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatWereYourExpectationsfortheJob?
Whatwereyourexpectationsforthejobandtowhatextentweretheymet?
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Inmanycases,interviewerswillwanttoknowwhatyouexpectedfromyourlastjobwhenyouwerehired,so,bebeprepared
toanswertheinterviewquestion"Whatwereyourexpectationsforthejobandtowhatextentweretheymet?"
Thereisn'tarightorwronganswertothisquestion.Thebestwaytorespondistodiscusswhatyouexpectedwhenyoutook
thejobandgiveexamplesofhowthepositionworkedoutforyou.Ifthejobwasn'texactlywhatyouexpected,it'sfineto
mentionthat.However,youshouldfocusonthejobitself,notthecompany,yourboss,oryourcoworkers(iftheywerea
problem).Dobecarefulhowyouansweranddon'tfocustoomuchonthenegative.Instead,addressthehighlightsofthejob.
When responding, be specific. Prepare some examples to share with the interviewer in advance. For example, if your job
involvedcreatingwebapplicationsusingColdFusion,discussthespecificprogramsyoudevelopedandtheresponsibilitiesyou
were given. If you were provided training and opportunities for professional development to help you achieve your goals,
mentionthat,aswell.

JobInterviewAnswer:Whatwereyourstartingandfinallevelsofcompensation?
Whatwereyourstartingandfinallevelsofcompensation?
Interviewersexpectacandidateforemploymenttobeabletoprovidethedetailsoftheircompensationhistory.Beprepared
totelltheinterviewerhowmuchyouearnedateachofyourpriorpositions.
Makesurethatwhatyoutelltheinterviewermatcheswhatyoulistedonyourjobapplication.Refreshyourmemorypriorto
theinterviewbyreviewingyourcompensationhistory,so,youcanspeakindetailandaccurately.Don'texaggerateorinflate
your earnings. Many employers will check references and confirm your salary history prior to making a job offer. A
discrepancybetweenwhatyoureportedandwhattheemployersayscouldknockyououtofcontentionforthejob.
Thebestwaytoprepareistodownloadasamplejobapplicationaheadoftime.Completethesampleapplicationandreview
itpriortotheinterview.

JobInterviewAnswers:YourResponsibilities
Whatwereyourresponsibilities?
Whenyouareaskedquestionsrelatedtoyourcurrentorpreviouspositions,it'simportanttobespecificandtobepositive
aboutwhatyoudidinyourpreviousposition(s).
Thebestwaytorespondistodescribeyourresponsibilitiesindetailandtoconnectthemtothejobyouareinterviewingfor.
Trytotieyourresponsibilitiesinwiththoselistedinthejobdescriptionforthenewposition.Thatway,theemployerwillsee
thatyouhavethequalificationsnecessarytodothejob.Focusmostonyourresponsibilitiesthataredirectlyrelatedtothe
newjob'srequirements.
It'salsoimportanttobehonest.Don'tembellishyourjob,becauseyoudon'tknowwhothehiringmanagerwillbechecking
withwhentheycheckyourreferences.

JobInterviewAnswer:HowDidYouHandleChallenges
Whatmajorchallengesandproblemsdidyouface?Howdidyouhandlethem?
Whenaskedthejobinterviewquestion"Howdidyouhandleachallenge?"besuretoincludespecificexamplesofhowyou
handledaparticulardifficultsituation.Discusshowyouresearchedtheissueandcontributedtofindingasolution.Examples
ofgoodresponsesinclude:

During a difficult financial period, I was able to satisfactorily negotiate repayment schedules with multiple
vendors.

Page 4

Whenthesoftwaredevelopmentofournewproductstalled,Icoordinatedtheteamwhichmanagedtogetthe
schedulebackontrack.Wewereabletosuccessfullytroubleshoottheissuesandsolvetheproblems,withina
veryshortperiodoftime.
Alongtermclientwasabouttotaketheirbusinesstoacompetitor.Imetwiththecustomerandwasableto
changehowwehandledtheaccountonadaytodaybasis,inordertokeepthebusiness.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatWasMost/LeastRewarding?
Whichwasmost/leastrewarding?
Thisinterviewquestioncanbetricky.Youwanttomakesurethatthethingsyousayareleastrewardingaren'tresponsibilities
thataregoingtobeamajorpartofthejobyouareinterviewingfor.Forexample,ifthelastjobyouhadinvolvedextensive
customerservicetelephoneworkthatyouhated,andifbeingonthephonedoingsomethingsimilarisevenaminorpartof
thenewjob,don'tmentionit.Instead,focusonthethetasksthatweremostrewardingandhighlightthose.
When interviewing, always be cognizant of the job you are interviewing for and tailor your response accordingly. Try to
accentuate the positive, regardless of what question you have been asked, because you don't want to be construed as
someonewhoisnegativeaboutwork,ingeneral.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatWastheBiggestAccomplishmentinThisPosition?
Whatwasthebiggestaccomplishment/failureinthisposition?
Yourpotentialemployerwillwanttoknowwhatyouaccomplished,andwhatyoudidn't,inyourcurrentorlastposition.
The best way to respond is to give an example of something you accomplished that is directly related to the job you are
interviewingfor.Reviewyourresumeandreviewthejobposting.Findthebestmatchandusethattoshowhowwhatyou
accomplishedwillbebeneficialtothecompanyyouareinterviewingwith.
Ifyouwroteatargetedcoverletterwhenapplyingforthejobusetheinformationyouincludedtocreateyourresponse.For
example, if you are interviewing for a job at a school where you will need to manage student registration, explain to the
interviewer how you registered students for courses, designed and managed registration software, and solved customer
problems.
Ifyoudidn'tfailatanything,sayso.Ifyoucanthinkofanexample,besurethatit'saminoroneandturnitintoapositive.For
example, if you were working on a project that was behind deadline, explain to the interviewer how you adjusted the
workloadandthetimelinetogetbackontrackandaheadofschedule.

JobInterviewAnswerstoQuestionsAboutYourSupervisor
Questionsaboutyoursupervisorsandcoworkers.
Forthemostpart,thefollowingquestionsmaybeaskedtodetermineifyouareateamplayer.Takeafewseconds,when
askedadifficultquestion,beforeyouanswer.Aninterviewerisnotexpectingyoutohaveareadyanswer.However,theBoy
ScoutMottoBePreparedcertainlyapplieshereaswell.
Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouhadtodealwithacoworkerwhowasn'tdoinghis/herfairshareofthework.Whatdidyou
doandwhatwastheoutcome?
IworkedcloselywithAnnwho,forthemostpart,alwayscarriedherfairshareoftheworkload.Duringastressfultime,
workingonaprojectwithadeadline,IrealizedAnn'scontributionstotheprojectwerealmostminimal.Imadethedecisionto
waituntilaftertheprojecttospeakwithher.I'mgladIdid,becauseIlearnedshe'dbeengoingthroughaverytoughtimein
herpersonallifeandsheappreciatedmywillingnesstogotheextramilesotheprojectwascompletedontime.Asaresult,
ourabilitytoworkwelltogethersignificantlyincreased.

Page 5

Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyoutookthetimetoshareacoworker'sorsupervisor'sachievementswithother?
Atmymostrecentposition,oneofmycoworkers,Dan,didanoutstandingjobofcalminganiratecustomer,solvingthe
customer'sproblemandcompletingasale.Whenourbossaskedmehowthingsweregoing,Itoldhimeverythingwasgoing
fineandthatDanhadjustcompletedcalminganiratecustomerandclosingasale.Itwasawinwinwinforourboss,Dan
andthecustomer.
Tellmeaboutatimethatyoudidn'tworkwellwithasupervisor.Whatwastheoutcomeandhowwouldyouhavechanged
theoutcome?
Earlyinmycareer,Ihadasupervisor(Judy)whowasinafairlygoodmoodonMonday,butitdeterioratedeachdayuntilby
Friday,thesupervisorwasfindingfaultwitheverythingIdid.Ididn'trealize,untilIleftthatposition,thatIhadbeena
contributortothedeclineinhermood.Judywouldaskmehowmyweekendwas(onMonday)andduringtheweekshe
wouldaskhowitwasgoing.IwouldtellherhowmuchfunIwashaving(Iwassingle)andhowIwaslookingforwardtothe
weekendplans.AfterIleft,IrealizedmylifewasincompletecontrasttohersandIremindedherofitalmostdaily.Whenshe
askedthequestions,Ishouldhavehadaquickanswer,andthenaskedherhowshewasdoing!!!!
Haveyouworkedwithsomeoneyoudidn'tlike?Ifso,howdidyouhandleit?
Yes,I'veworkedwithsomeonewhomIfounddifficulttolikeasaperson.However,whenIfocusedontheskillstheybrought
tothejob,theirabilitytosolveproblemsandthetwothingsIdidappreciate,slowlymyattitudetowardsthemchanged.We
wereneverfriends,butwedidworkwelltogether.
Tellmeaboutatimethatyouhelpedsomeone.
Mostrecently,wehadanewhire(Paul)thatwasreallystrugglingwithgettingtoworkontime,andIknewtheboss(Harry)
wasgettingirritated.OverlunchonedayIexplainedtoPaulhowimportantitwastoourbossforeveryonetobethereat
least10minutesearly.ItwaspersonalwiththeHarry,butyoucouldreallygetonhisbadsidewhenyouwerefrequentlylate.
Thenewemployeewasgratefulfortheadvice.Athispreviousemployment,thebosswasonlyconcernedaboutthework
gettingdoneontime;he/shedidnot"watchtheclock".
Tellmeaboutatimethatyoumisjudgedaperson.
Therewasalongtimeemployee(George)atmysecondcompanywhowasverygruffwhenhespoketome.Atfirst,Iwent
outofmywaytowintheGeorge'sapproval.ThenIrealizedthatwascompoundingtheproblem.SoIobservedhowhe
interactedwithotheremployeesanddiscoveredIwasn'talone.Hewasgrufftomostpeople.Iquittryingtogainhisapproval
and,intheprocess,discoveredhe'dlearnedhisbehaviorfromaformerbosshe'dhadwhomheadmired.
Howdoyougetalongwitholder(younger)coworkers?
Suggestedanswerifyourcoworkersareolder:TherearetimeswhenIjustknowthatanewwayofdoingsomethingmakes
moresensetome;but,firsthand,Ilearnedthatmy"betterway"maynotbethebestwaytogetthejobdone.Asa
consequence,IrespectmyoldercoworkersknowledgeandI'velearnedhowtomakeasuggestionattheappropriatetime.
Suggestedanswerifyourcoworkersareyounger:Iquicklyrealizeditwasnotmyjobto"parent"theyoungerpeoplewith
whomIwork;itwasmyjobtogettoknowthemandforustofindcommongroundwherewecouldeffectivelywork
together.Ittooktime,buttheresultwasworththeeffort.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatWasitLikeWorkingforYourSupervisor?
Whatwasitlikeworkingforyoursupervisor?Whatwerehisstrengthsandshortcomings?
Atypicalinterviewquestionis"WhatWasitLikeWorkingforYourSupervisor?"Thereasonit'saskedittofindouthowyou
gotalongwithyourboss.Becarefulhowyouranswer.Interviewersdon'tliketoheartoomuch(ormuchatall)aboutbad
bossesbecauseitcouldbesomeonefromtheircompanythatyou'retalkingaboutnexttimearound.
Ioncehadajobapplicantwhospent10minutesrespondingtothisquestion.Shetoldmehowawfulherbosswasandhow
hercompanywasaterribleplacetowork.Itsohappenedthatherbosswasagoodfriendandgolfingbuddyofmybossour
company'sCEOandthecompanywasoneofourbiggestclients.Ofcourse,shedidn'tgetthejob.
Don't make the same mistake she did. Instead, accentuate the positive and minimize any difficult situations. Discuss the
strengthsyourpastsupervisorshadandhowtheyhelpedyousucceedinyourpositions.
Page 6

JobInterviewAnswer:WhoWasYourBestBoss?
Whowasyourbestbossandwhowastheworst?
Withthequestion"Whowasyourbestbossandwhowastheworst?"theintervieweristryingtodiscoverifyouassessblameorcarrya
grudge.
BestAnswers

I'velearnedfromeachbossI'vehad.Fromthegoodones,whattodo,fromthechallengingoneswhatnottodo.
Earlyinmycareer,Ihadamentorwhohelpedmeagreatdeal,westillstayintouch.I'vehonestlylearnedsomethingfrom
eachbossI'vehad.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhyAreYouLeavingYourJob?
Whyareyouleavingyourjob?
Oneofthequestionsthatistypicallyaskedinaninterviewis"Whyareyouleavingyourjob?"or"Whydidyouleaveyour
job?"ifyouhavealreadymovedon.Ifyouwerefiredfromyourjob,usetheseanswerstorespond.Ifyouleftofyourown
accord,reviewthesesuggestionsonhowbesttoanswerandtailoryourresponsetomeetyourparticularsituation.Bedirect
andfocusyourinterviewansweronthefuture,especiallyifyourleavingwasn'tunderthebestofcircumstances.
Don'tBadmouthYourBoss
Regardlessofwhyyouleft,don'tspeakbadlyaboutyourpreviousemployer.Theinterviewermaywonderifyouwillbebad
mouthinghiscompanynexttimeyou'relookingforwork.Ionceinterviewedapersonwhotoldmethatherlastemployerwas
terrible. They didn't pay her enough, the hours were awful and she hated the job. That company happened to be my
company's biggest, and most important, customer. And there is no way I would have hired someone who felt that way,
justifiedornot,aboutourvaluableclient.So,shegaveupanyopportunityofgettingthejobassoonassheansweredthe
"Whydidyouleave?"question.
Prepareanswerstotypicaljobinterviewquestions,likethisone,inadvance.Practiceyourresponsessoyousoundpositive,
andclear,aboutyourcircumstancesandyourgoalsforthefuture.
Sampleanswerstotheinterviewquestion"Whydidyouleaveyourjob?

Ifoundmyselfboredwiththeworkandlookingformorechallenges.IamanexcellentemployeeandIdidn't
wantmyunhappinesstohaveanyimpactonthejobIwasdoingformyemployer.
Thereisn'troomforgrowthwithmycurrentemployerandI'mreadytomoveontoanewchallenge.
I'mlookingforabiggerchallengeandtogrowmycareerandIcouldn'tjobhuntparttimewhileworking.It
didn'tseemethicaltousemyformeremployer'stime.
Iwaslaidofffrommylastpositionwhenourdepartmentwaseliminatedduetocorporaterestructuring.
I'mrelocatingtothisareaduetofamilycircumstancesandleftmypreviouspositioninordertomakethemove.
I'vedecidedthatisnotthedirectionIwanttogoinmycareerandmycurrentemployerhasnoopportunitiesin
thedirectionI'dliketohead.
Afterseveralyearsinmylastposition,I'mlookingforancompanywhereIcancontributeandgrowinateam
orientedenvironment.
Iaminterestedinanewchallengeandanopportunitytousemytechnicalskillsandexperienceinadifferent
capacitythanIhaveinthepast.
IrecentlyreceivedmydegreeandIwanttoutilizemyeducationalbackgroundinmynextposition.
Iaminterestedinajobwithmoreresponsibility,andIamveryreadyforanewchallenge.

Page 7

Ileftmylastpositioninordertospendmoretimewithmyfamily.CircumstanceshavechangedandI'mmore
thanreadyforfulltimeemploymentagain.
Iamseekingapositionwithastablecompanywithroomforgrowthandopportunityforadvancement.
Iwascommutingtothecityandspendingasignificantamountoftimeeachdayontravel.Iwouldprefertobe
closertohome.
Tobehonest,Iwasn'tconsideringamove,but,Isawthisjobpostingandwasintriguedbythepositionandthe
company.Itsoundslikeanexcitingopportunityandanidealmatchwithmyqualifications.
ThispositionseemedlikeanexcellentmatchformyskillsandexperienceandIamnotabletofullyutilizethem
inmypresentjob.
Thecompanywascuttingbackand,unfortunately,myjobwasoneofthoseeliminated.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatHaveYouBeenDoingSinceYourLastJob?
Whathaveyoubeendoingsinceyourlastjob?
Ifyouhaveanemploymentgaponyourresume,theinterviewerwillprobablyaskyouwhatyouhavebeendoingwhileyou
wereoutofwork.
Thebestwaytoanswerthisquestionistobehonest,butdohaveananswerprepared.Youwillwanttolettheinterviewer
know thatyou were busy and active, regardless of whether you wereout of workbychoice, or otherwise. Here are some
suggestionsonhowtoexplainwhatyoudidwhileyouwereoutoftheworkforce.

Iworkedonseveralfreelanceprojects,whileactivelyjobseeking.
Ivolunteeredforaliteracyprogramthatassistsdisadvantagedchildren.
MyagingparentsneededatemporarycaregiverandIspenttimelookingafterthem.
Ispenttimebeingastayathomemomandvolunteeringatmydaughter'sschool.
Itooksomecontinuingeducationclassesandseminars.

AsIsaid,itdoesn'treallymatterwhatyoudid,aslongasyouhaveanexplanation.Hiringmanagersunderstandthatpeople
lose their job it can happen to anyone and it's not always easy to find a new job fast. Also, there are legitimate non
employmentreasonsforbeingoutoftheworkforce.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhyWereYouFired?
Whywereyoufired?
Fired from your job? Don't know what to say in an interview? Career expert and author, Joyce Lain Kennedy, shares her
twelvebestjobinterviewanswerstothequestion"Whywereyoufired?"
JoyceLainKennedyisthenation'sfirstsyndicatedcareerscolumnist.HerworkisdistributedbyTribuneMediaServicesand
appearsinmorethan100newspapersandWebsites.Inaddition,JoyceisauthorofeightcareerrelatedbooksincludingJob
InterviewsforDummies,whereyoucanreadadditionalexcellentinterviewadvice,CoverLettersforDummiesandResumes
forDummies.
JoyceLainKennedy'ssampleanswerstotheinterviewquestion"Whywereyoufired?"

Being cut loose was a blessing in disguise. Now I have an opportunity to explore jobs that better suit my
qualifications and interests. My research suggests that such an opportunity may be the one on your table.
Wouldyouliketohearmoreaboutmyskillsinworkingwithnewtechnology?
Mycompetencieswerenottherightmatchformypreviousemployer'sneedsbutitlookslikethey'dbeagood
fitinyourorganization.Inadditiontomarketingandadvertising,wouldskillsinpromotionbevaluedhere?
Althoughcircumstancescausedmetoleavemyfirstjob,Iwasverysuccessfulinschoolandgotalongwellwith
bothstudentsandfaculty.PerhapsIdidn'tfullyunderstandmyboss'sexpectationsorwhyhereleasedmeso
quicklybeforeIhadachancetoprovemyself.
Thejobwasn'tworkingoutsomybossandIagreedthatitwastimeformetomoveontoapositionthatwould
showabetterreturnforbothofus.SohereIam,readytowork.
Page 8

After thinking about why I left, I realize I should have done some things differently. That job was a learning
experienceandIthinkI'mwisernow.I'dlikethechancetoprovethattoyou.
Anewmanagercameinandcleanedhouseinordertobringinmembersofhisoldteam.Thatwashisrightbut
itclearedmyheadtoenvisionbetteropportunitieselsewhere.
Certain personal problems, which I now have solved, unfortunately upset my work life. These problems no
longerexistandI'mupandrunningstrongtoexceedexpectationsinmynewjob.
Iwantedmycareertomoveinadifferentdirection,andIguessmymentalseparationsetuptheconditions
that led to my departure. But by contrast, the opportunity we're discussing seems to be made for me and I
hopetoeventuallygrowintoapositionofresponsibility.
I usually hit it off very well with my bosses, but this case was the exception that proved my rule of good
relationships.Wejustdidn'tgetonwell.I'mnotsurewhy.
MyjobwasoffshoredtoIndia.That'stoobadbecausepeoplefamiliarwithmyworksayitissuperiorandfairly
priced.
Ioutlastedseveraldownsizingsbutthelastoneincludedme.Signofthetimes,Iguess.
Iwasdesperateforworkandtookthewrongjobwithoutlookingaroundthecorner.Iwon'tmakethatmistake
again. I'd prefer an environment that is congenial, structured and teamoriented, where my best talents can
shineandmakeasubstantialcontribution.

Kennedy also says, "Practice in advance what you'll say. Then keep it brief, keep it honest and keep it moving." That way,
you'llgetpastthestickyissueofgettingfiredandcanmoveontoyourskillsandwhyyou'requalifiedforthejob.

JobInterviewQuestionsAboutYou
JobInterviewAnswer:DescribeaTypicalWorkWeek
Describeatypicalworkweek.
Interviewersexpectacandidateforemploymenttodiscusswhattheydowhiletheyareworkingindetail.Beforeyouanswer,
considerthepositionyouareapplyingforandhowyourcurrentorpastpositionsrelatetoit.Themoreyoucanconnectyour
pastexperiencewiththejobopening,themoresuccessfulyouwillbeatansweringthequestions.
Itshouldbeobviousthatit'snotagoodideatalkaboutnonworkrelatedactivitiesthatyoudooncompanytime,but,I'vehad
applicantstellmehowtheyareoftenlatebecausetheyhavetodriveachildtoschoolorliketotakealonglunchbreakto
workatthegym.
Keepyouranswersfocusedonworkandshowtheinterviewerthatyou'reorganized("ThefirstthingIdoonMondaymorning
ischeckmyvoicemailandemail,thenIprioritizemyactivitiesfortheweek.")andefficient.

JobInterviewAnswer:DoYouTakeWorkHomeWithYou?
Doyoutakeworkhomewithyou?
Doyoutakeworkhomewithyouisatrickyquestion,beready.Thelongertheanswer,thebiggertheholeyou'vedug.
BestAnswer
WhenIneedto,noproblem.Irealizetheimportanceofmeetingdeadlinesandgettingworkdoneontime.

JobInterviewAnswer:HowManyHoursDoYouWork
Howmanyhoursdoyounormallywork?

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Becarefulbeforeyouanswerquestionsabouthowmanyhoursaweekyouwork.Youdon'twanttobeconstruedasaslacker
or as someone who workstoo many hours. At somecompanies, thenorm is a40hour week and everyonegoes home on
time.Atothers,everyonemightwork50or60hoursaweek.
However,workingalotofhoursisn'tnecessarilyagoodthingitcouldmeanyou'renotproductiveenoughtogetthejob
doneinareasonableamountoftime.
So,unlessyou'resureaboutthecompanycultureandexpectations,thesafestanswerisnottomentionacertainnumberof
hours.Rather,mentionthatyouworkasmuchasnecessarytogetthejobdone.

JobInterviewAnswer:DescribethePaceatWhichYouWork
Howwouldyoudescribethepaceatwhichyouwork?
When you're asked to describe the pace at which you work, be careful how you respond. This is another question where
fasterisn'tnecessarilybetter.Mostemployerswouldratherhireemployeeswhoworkatasteadypace.Someonewhoistoo
slow to get the job done in a reasonable time frame isn't going to be a good hire. Neither is a candidate who works
freneticallyallday.
Optionsforansweringthisquestionincludesayingthatyouworkatasteadypace,butusuallycompleteworkinadvanceof
thedeadline.Discussyourabilitytomanageprojectsandgetthemdoneon,orahead,ofschedule.Ifyouworkatajobwhere
you have set criteria (i.e. number of calls made or responsed to) that measures accomplishments, discuss how you have
achievedorexceededthosegoals.

JobInterviewAnswer:HowDoYouHandleStress/Pressure?
Howdoyouhandlestressandpressure?
A typical interview question, asked to get a sense of how you handle onthejob stress, is "How do you handle pressure?"
Examplesofgoodresponsesinclude:

Stressisveryimportanttome.Withstress,Idothebestpossiblejob.Theappropriatewaytodealwithstressis
to make sure I have the correct balance between good stress and bad stress. I need good stress to stay
motivatedandproductive.
Ireacttosituations,ratherthantostress.Thatway,thesituationishandledanddoesn'tbecomestressful.
IactuallyworkbetterunderpressureandI'vefoundthatIenjoyworkinginachallengingenvironment.
Fromapersonalperspective,Imanagestressbyvisitingthegymeveryevening.It'sagreatstressreducer.
PrioritizingmyresponsibilitiessoIhaveaclearideaofwhatneedstobedonewhen,hashelpedmeeffectively
managepressureonthejob.
IfthepeopleIammanagingarecontributingtomystresslevel,Idiscussoptionsforbetterhandlingdifficult
situationswiththem.

It'sagoodideatogiveexamplesofhowyouhavehandledstresstoyourinterviewer.Thatway,theygetaclearpicturehow
wellyoucanworkinstressfulsituations.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatMotivatesYou?
Whatmotivatesyou?
Thereisn'tarightorwronganswertointerviewquestionsaboutwhatmotivatesyou.Theintervieweristryingtounderstand
thekeytoyourbeingsuccessfulinthejobheisinterviewingfor,andwantstomakesureit'sagoodfit.Consider,inadvance
ofinterviewing,whatactuallydoesmotivateyouandcomeupwithsomespecificexamplestoshareduringtheinterview.
Yourresponsewillvarybasedonyourbackgroundandexperiences,but,youwillwanttoshareyourenthusiasmandwhat
youlike(d)bestaboutyourjob.Herearesomeexamples:
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I was responsible for several projects where I directed development teams and implemented repeatable
processes. The teams achieved 100% ontime delivery of software products. I was motivated both by the
challengeoffinishingtheprojectsaheadofscheduleandbymanagingtheteamsthatachievedourgoals.
I'vealwaysbeenmotivatedbythedesiretodoagoodjobatwhateverpositionI'min.Iwanttoexcelandtobe
successfulinmyjob,bothformyownpersonalsatisfactionandformyemployer.
I have always wanted to ensure that my company's clients get the best customer service I can provide. I've
alwaysfeltthatit'simportant,bothtomepersonally,andforthecompanyandtheclients,toprovideapositive
customerexperience.
Ihavespentmycareerinsales,typicallyincommissionbasedpositions,andcompensationhasalwaysbeena
strongfactorinmotivatingmetobethetopsalespersonatmyprioremployers.

SalaryNegotiation
Whatareyoursalaryexpectations?
Beforeyoustarttalkingpay(andsalarynegotiations)withaprospectiveemployer,youneedtofindouthowmuchthejob
(andyou)areworth.Youwillneedtotakethetimetoresearchsalaries,so,youarepreparedtogetwhatyou'reworthanda
jobofferthat'srealisticandreasonable.
SalaryNegotiations
Onceyouknowwhatyoushouldbeearning,howdoyougoaboutgettingit?Startbybeingverypatient.Wheninterviewing
foranewposition,doyourbestnottobringupcompensationuntiltheemployermakesyouanoffer.Ifyou'reaskedwhat
yoursalaryrequirementsare,saythattheyareopenbaseduponthepositionandtheoverallcompensationpackage.Ortell
the employer you'd like to know more about the responsibilities and the challenges of the job prior to discussing salary.
Another option is to give the employer a salary range based upon the salary research you've done up front. Once you've
receivedtheofferyoudon'tneedtoaccept(orreject)itrightaway.Asimple"Ineedtothinkitover"cangetyouanincrease
intheoriginaloffer.
Andifyou'reambivalentaboutthepositiona"no"canbringyouabetteroffertoo.IturneddownapositionIknewIdidn't
want,regardlessofsalary,andreceivedthreefollowupphonecallsuppingthecompensationpackage.Becarefulthough,if
youdodefinitelyneedthatnewjobthere'sariskthattheemployermayacceptyourdecliningthepositionandmoveonto
thenextcandidate.
NegotiatingaRaise
If you are currently employed and want a raise, start by being prepared. Gather your salary survey information, recent
performanceappraisalsthatdocumentthejobyou'redoing,andanyotherrelevantinformation.Beawareofcompanypolicy
regardingcompensation.Someemployersarelimitedbybudgetconstraintsandcanonlygiveraisesatcertaintimesofthe
year,regardlessofthecircumstances.Haveaclearideaofwhatyouwant.Determinethesalaryrangeyou'relookingforand
justificationfortheincreaseandhavebothreadytoreviewwithyoursupervisor.Beflexible.Wouldyouconsideranextra
coupleofweeksvacationinsteadofaraise?Iknowsomeonewho'sregularlytakentimeoffinsteadofmoneyandnowhassix
vacation weeks a year... Then, ask your supervisor for a meeting to discuss salary. Present your request, supported by
documentation,calmlyandrationally.Don'taskforanimmediateanswer.Yourbossismostlylikelygoingtohavetodiscussit
withHumanResourcesand/orothercompanymanagers.
Despite your best efforts, there may simply not be enough money in the budget to increase your salary or compensation
package offer. The company may also not want to create inequities by paying one person more than others in a similar
position.Inthatcase,youcanatleastknowyoutried.Plus,ifthisisajobyoureallythinkthatyou'regoingtolove,consider
whetherthecompanyculture,thebenefits,andthejobitselfareworthitregardlessofthesalary.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhataretheMostDifficultDecisionstoMake?
Whatdoyoufindarethemostdifficultdecisionstomake?

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Thereisnorightorwronganswertoquestionslike"Whatarethemostdifficultdecisionstomake?"or"Describeadifficult
worksituation/projectandhowyouovercameit."Thesearebehavioralinterviewquestionsdesignedtodiscoverhowyou
handledcertainsituations.Thelogicbehindthesetypeofquestionsisthathowyoubehavedinthepastisapredictorofwhat
youwilldointhefuture.
Giveconcreteexamplesofdifficultsituationsthatactuallyhappenedatwork.Thendiscusswhatyoudidtosolvetheproblem.
Keepyouranswerspositive("EventhoughitwasdifficultwhenJaneDoequitwithoutnotice,wewereabletorearrangethe
departmentworkloadtocoverthepositionuntilareplacementwashired.")andbespecific.Itemizewhatyoudidandhow
youdidit.
The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions, is to refresh your memory and
consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame
responses.Preparestoriesthatillustratetimeswhenyouhavesuccessfullysolvedadifficultsituation.

JobInterviewAnswer:TellMeAboutYourself
Tellmeaboutyourself
You walk into the interview room, shake hands with your interviewer and sit down with your best interviewing smile on.
Guesswhattheirfirstquestionis?"Tellmeaboutyourself."
Doyou"wingit"andactuallytellallmannerofthingsaboutyourself?Willyouspendthenext5minutesramblingonabout
what an easygoing, loyal, dedicated, hard working employee you've been? If this is the case, you stand a good chance of
havingboredyourinterviewertodeaththuscreatinganegativefirstimpression.
Becauseit'ssuchacommoninterviewquestion,it'sstrangethatmorecandidatesdon'tspendthetimetoprepareforexactly
howtoanswerit.Perhapsbecausethequestionseemssodisarmingandinformal,wedropourguardandshiftintoramble
mode.Resistalltemptationtodoso.
Yourinterviewerisnotlookingfora10minutedissertationhere.Instead,offerarazorsharpsentenceortwothatsetsthe
stageforfurtherdiscussionandsetsyouapartfromyourcompetitors.
YourUniqueSellingProposition(USP)
Givethem"yoursynopsisaboutyou"answer,specificallyyourUniqueSellingProposition.Knownasapersonalbrandingora
valueaddedstatement,theUSPisasuccinct,onesentencedescriptionofwhoyouare,yourbiggeststrengthandthemajor
benefitthatacompanywillderivefromthisstrength.HereisanexampleofaUniqueSellingProposition:"I'maseasoned
RetailManagerstrongindevelopingtrainingprogramsandlosspreventiontechniquesthathaveresultedinrevenuesavings
ofover$2.3Millionfor(employer'sname)duringthepast11years."
Whatadifferenceyou'vemadewiththisstatement.Yourinterviewerisnowsittingforwardinherchairgivingyouherfull
attention.Atthispoint,youmightaddthefollowingsentence:"I'dliketodiscusshowImightbeabletodosomethinglike
that for you." The ball is now back in her court and you have the beginnings of a real discussion and not an interrogation
process.
BeSpecific
Thekeyisthatyoumustleadwithyourstrongestbenefittotheemployer.Bespecificanddon'twanderaboutwithsome
laundrylistofskillsortalents.Besuretoputamonetaryvalueonyourworkifatallpossibleandbereadywithdetailswhen
you'recalledupon.Giveanestimatedvaluetothe$$you'veeitherhelpedtomakeorsaveforyouremployer.
BePrepared
Whenyouwalkintoaninterview,remembertoalwaysexpectthe"tellmeaboutyourself"question.Prepareaheadoftimeby
developingyourownpersonalbrandingstatementthatclearlytellswhoyouare,yourmajorstrengthandtheclearbenefit
thatyouremployerreceived.Theadvantagesofthisapproacharethatyou'llquicklygaintheirattentionandinterestthemin
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knowing more. You'll separate yourself from your competitors. You'll also have a higher chance of being positively
rememberedandhired.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatHasBeenTheGreatestDisappointmentInYourLife?
Whathasbeenthegreatestdisappointmentinyourlife?
Yourresponsetothequestion"Whathasbeenthegreatestdisappointmentinyourlife?"willhelptheinterviewerdetermine
knowhoweasilyyouarediscouraged.
BestAnswer
Ifpossible,tellaboutapersonaldisappointmenti.e.theearlydeathofaparent,child,orschoolfriend.Believeitornot,itis
okaytohavenothada"greatest"disappointment.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatAreYourPetPeeves?
Whatareyourpetpeeves?
Yourresponsetothequestion"Whatareyourpetpeeves?"willhelptheinterviewerdetermineifyouwouldbeagoodfit
withthecompanyculture.
BestAnswer
Idonothaveapetpeeve.Ifsomethingisbotheringme,Istepback,analyze"why"andfindagoodsolution.Ifyouaskedmy
teenagedaughtershewouldtellyoumypetpeeveisthevolumeonherradio!

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatDoPeopleMostOftenCriticizeAboutYou?
Whatdopeoplemostoftencriticizeaboutyou?
Theinterviewquestion"WhatDoPeopleMostOftenCriticizeAboutYou?"isaskedtofindouthowsensitivetoyouare.
BestAnswers
There'snoongoingcriticism.I'mopentopersonalandprofessionalgrowthandwelcometheopportunitytoimprove.
Ifhumorisappropriate,thisisagoodtimetouseit.Example:IhaveateenagedaughterfewthingsIdoareokayonher
radarscreen.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhenWasTheLastTimeYouWereAngry?WhatHappened?
Whenwasthelasttimeyouwereangry?Whathappened?
Whentheinterviewerasks"WhenWasTheLastTimeYouWereAngry?WhatHappened?"heorshewantstoknowifyou
losecontrol.Therealmeaningoftheword"angry",toaninterviewer,islossofcontrolandit'simportanttoknowhowyou
handlesituationswhenyou'reangry.
BestAnswer
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Angertomemeanslossofcontrol.Idonotlosecontrol.WhenIgetstressed,Istepback,takeadeepbreath,thoughtfully
thinkthroughthesituationandthenbegintoformulateaplanofaction.

JobInterviewAnswer:IfYouCouldReliveTheLast10YearsOfYourLife
Ifyoucouldrelivethelast10yearsofyourlife,whatwouldyoudodifferently?
Whenaskingwhatyouwoulddoifyoucouldreliveyourlife,theinterviewerislookingforaflawinyourinterview.Always
remember,thegoalforthefirstfewinterviewsistogetthenextinterview.Fortheinterviewer,itistoweedoutasmany
applicantsaspossible.Here'swhereapersonalanswercouldwork.
PersonalAnswer
IlostmymothertoAlzheimer's.IwishI'dknownmoreaboutthediseasetohelpmethroughthatdifficulttime.
NonpersonalAnswer
Really,nothing.I'velearnedfromeachexperienceI'vehad.

JobInterviewAnswer:Whyshouldyoubehired?
Ifthepeoplewhoknowyouwereaskedwhyyoushouldbehired,whatwouldtheysay?
Whentheinterviewerasks"Ifthepeoplewhoknowyouwereaskedwhyyoushouldbehired,whatwouldtheysay?"heor
shewantstoknowwhatyourperceptionisofwhatothersthinkaboutyourqualificationsandabilities.
BestAnswer
I'msureifyouaskedmyfriendsthatquestiontheywouldsayyoushouldhiremebecauseIhavetheskillsoutlinedinthejob
description and I bring 10+ years of expertise to this position. Words they've used to describe me are: hard working,
professional,trustedandateamplayer.

JobInterviewAnswer:Doyouprefertoworkindependentlyoronateam?
Doyouprefertoworkindependentlyoronateam?
Whentheinterviewerasks"Doyouprefertoworkindependentlyoronateam?"heorshewantstoknowifyou'reateam
playerorwouldratherworkonyourown.
BestAnswers
Iamequallycomfortableworkingasamemberofateamandindependently.InresearchingtheLMNcompany,yourmission
statementandthejobdescription,Icouldseesimilaritiestomypreviouspositionwherethereweresomeassignmentsthat
requiredagreatdealofindependentworkandresearchandotherswheretheteameffortwasmosteffective.AsIsaid,I'm
comfortablewithboth.
Inhighschool,Ienjoyedplayingsoccerandperformingwiththemarchingband.Eachrequiredadifferentkindofteamplay,
buttheoverallgoaloflearningtobeamemberofagroupwasinvaluable.Icontinuedtogrowasteammemberwhileonmy
sorority's debate team and through my advanced marketing class where we had numerous team assignments. I'm very
comfortablyworkingonateam,butIcanalsoworkindependently,aswell.

JobInterviewAnswer:GiveSomeExamplesofTeamwork
Givesomeexamplesofteamwork.
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Atypicalinterviewquestiontodiscoverhowwellyouwouldworkwithotherpeopleis"Givesomeexamplesofteamwork."
Companies,forthemostpart,donotwant"LoneRangers"theyarelookingforemployeeswhowilladapttothecompany
cultureandgetalongwithothers.
SampleAnswers
Inhighschool,Ienjoyedplayingsoccerandperformingwiththemarchingband.Eachrequiredadifferentkindofteamplay,
buttheoverallgoaloflearningtobeamemberofagroupwasinvaluable.Icontinuedtogrowasteammemberwhileonmy
sorority'sdebateteamandthroughmyadvancedmarketingclasswherewehadnumerousteamassignments.
In my last postion, I was part of a software implementation team. We all worked together to plan and manage the
implementationschedule,toprovidecustomertraining,andensureasmoothtransitionforourcustomers.Ourteamalways
completedourprojectsaheadofschedulewithverypositivereviewsfromourclients.

JobInterviewAnswer:Whattypeofworkenvironmentdoyouprefer?
Whattypeofworkenvironmentdoyouprefer?
BestAnswer
Icanbeflexiblewhenitcomestomyworkenvironment.WhatistheenvironmentintheEngineeringdepartmenthereatRRS,
Inc?(Oncethey'vedescribedtheworkenvironment,includekeyphrasesthey'veusedwhenyoudescribeyourpreferredwork
environment).

JobInterviewAnswer:Howdoyouevaluatesuccess?
Howdoyouevaluatesuccess?
BestAnswer
Ievaluatesuccessindifferentways.Atwork,itismeetingthegoalssetbymysupervisorsandmyfellowworkers.Itismy
understanding, from talking to other employees, that the GGR company is recognized for not only rewarding success, but
giving employees opportunity to grow as well. After work, I enjoy playing softball, so success on the field is catching the
winningpopup.

JobInterviewAnswer:HowDoYouHandleitiftheBossisWrong?
Ifyouknowyourbossis100%wrongaboutsomethinghowwouldyouhandleit?
Thequestion"Ifyouknowyourbossis100%wrongaboutsomething,howwouldyouhandlethis?"isaskedtofindouthow
youdealwithadifficultsituation.
BestAnswers
Ananswerthatworkswellis:"Itdependsonthesituationandthepersonalityofthesupervisor."Toelaborate,giveexamples:
Mypresentsupervisordoesnotliketohavehisauthorityquestioned.He'sfairlynewonthejobandalmostallofthepeople
hesuperviseshavebeenonthejoblongerthanhehas.He'sneverbotheredtolearntheprocedures,howthingsaredoneor
howthecomputersystemworks.Butifanyofustellhimthathowhewantssomethingdonewon'twork,hegetsextremely
angry.So,Inevertellhimhe'swrong.Never.Whateverhetellsmetodo,Ismileandsay"okay."ThenifIknowawaytogetit
donethatwillwork,Idoitthatway,givehimtheresultshewantsandnevertellhimIdidn'tdoitthewayhetoldmeto.He
gottheresultsandishappy.Isavedmyselfthestressofbeingyelledatandgavehimwhathewanted,soI'mhappy.

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MypriorsuperviserwasmoreeasygoingandifItoldher"youknow,IthinkitmightworkbetterifIdowhatyouaskedin
suchandsuchaway,"shesay"okay,tryit."
IfIwereanewhireonajob,IwouldprobablynotquestionasupervisorbecauseImightthinkIdidn'tknowenough.Except
onthenewjobI'mgoingto.Thedirectorhasadmittedthatshe'snewonthejobandtherearealotofthingsthatasecretary
doesthatshedoesn'tknowhowtodo,soshewillbedependingonmetoknowhowtokeeptheofficerunning.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhataretheMostDifficultDecisionstoMake?
Describeadifficultworksituation/projectandhowyouovercameit
Thereisnorightorwronganswertoquestionslike"Whatarethemostdifficultdecisionstomake?"or"Describeadifficult
worksituation/projectandhowyouovercameit."Thesearebehavioralinterviewquestionsdesignedtodiscoverhowyou
handledcertainsituations.Thelogicbehindthesetypeofquestionsisthathowyoubehavedinthepastisapredictorofwhat
youwilldointhefuture.
Giveconcreteexamplesofdifficultsituationsthatactuallyhappenedatwork.Thendiscusswhatyoudidtosolvetheproblem.
Keepyouranswerspositive("EventhoughitwasdifficultwhenJaneDoequitwithoutnotice,wewereabletorearrangethe
departmentworkloadtocoverthepositionuntilareplacementwashired.")andbespecific.Itemizewhatyoudidandhow
youdidit.
The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions, is to refresh your memory and
consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame
responses.Preparestoriesthatillustratetimeswhenyouhavesuccessfullysolvedadifficultsituation.

JobInterviewAnswer:DescribeaTimeWhenYourWorkloadwasHeavy
Describeatimewhenyourworkloadwasheavyandhowyouhandledit.
Atypicalinterviewquestiontodiscoverhowyoumanageyourworkis"Describeatimewhenyourworkloadwasheavyand
howyouhandledit."
SampleAnswers
While at the HKL plant, we were faced with a sudden order increase for the jball bearing. It was for a new customer. I
immediatelysatdownwiththeproductionsupervisor,ourmaterials/supplymanager,andtheunionsteward.Wewereable
to lay out a workable plan that maximized hourly costs, guaranteed materials were available and, with only a slight
adjustment, meet the production deadline. While it was challenging and involved long hours, the payoff was a signed
contractwithanewcustomer.
When I was working on a software implementation team at ABC Company, we took over another company and had to
transitionmanyclientstoanewproductinashortamountoftime.Ittookalotofplanning,time,hardwork,andeffort,but
wewereabletocompletetheprojectinatimelymanner.

JobInterviewAnswerstoQuestionsAboutYourAbilities
Morejobinterviewquestionsaboutyourabilities.
Tellmeaboutatimethatyouworkedconveyingtechnicalinformationtoanontechnicalaudience.
TheInterviewerwantstoknowhowyourelatetopeopleoutsideyourareaofexpertise.
WhileIworkedforMr.Smithintheaccountingdepartment,Iwasselectedtoexplainthefinancialsectionoftheemployee's
paychecktoallnewhires.Aftermyfirsttwosessions,IrealizedIneededtoreframemyinformationsothenewhireswould
haveanaccurateunderstandingoftheimpactoftheirdecisionsasitrelatedtotheirpay.Iworkedwithcolleaguesinhuman
Page 16

resourcesandmarketing,anddevelopedatrainingoutlinethatwasimplementedattheotherlocationsthroughoutthe
company.
Tellmeaboutatimethatyouworkedwithdata,interpretingdata,andpresentingdata.
Ifyouareinanontechnicalprofession,thisquestionisdesignedtoseeifyouarecomfortablewithinformationnotdirectly
relatedtoyourposition.
WhileattheGHIcorporation,oneofmyjobassignmentswastoworkwiththeITdepartmenttopreparetheannualmeeting
brochurecompletewithfinancialdata,graphsandrelatedSECrequirements.Ibecameproficientatdesigninggraphsthat
gaveanaccuratepictureofthefinancialdata,aswellaseditingthelegalinformationintoamorereadableformat.
Whydoyouthinkyouwillbesuccessfulatthisjob?
Theinterviewerisconcernedastowhetheryouseethisasacareermove,orstopgapemployment.
Asmyresumereflects,Ihavebeensuccessfulateachofmypreviousplacesofemployment.Myresearchofyourcompany,
thejobdescriptionoutlined,andtheinformationwe'veexchangedtoday,leadmetobelieveIhavetheskillsandexperience
forwhichyouarelooking;andI'meagertobeacontributingemployee.
Tellmeaboutatimethatyouparticipatedinateam,whatwasyourrole?Companies,forthemostpart,donotwant"Lone
Rangers"theyarelookingforemployeeswhowilladapttothecompanycultureandgetalongwithothers.
Inhighschool,Ienjoyedplayingsoccerandperformingwiththemarchingband.Eachrequiredadifferentkindofteamplay,
buttheoverallgoaloflearningtobeamemberofagroupwasinvaluable.Icontinuedtogrowasteammemberwhileonmy
sorority'sdebateteamandthroughmyadvancedmarketingclasswherewehadnumerousteamassignments.

JobInterviewAnswerstoQuestionsAboutYou
Morejobinterviewquestionsaboutyou.
Whenthequestionsare"personal",aboutyou,itcanbeaveryslipperyslope.Theanswersbelowareguidelinessoyoucan
writeoutyouranswerslongbeforeyougototheinterview.Then,whenthequestionisasked,youcantakethefewseconds
(expectedbytheinterviewer)tothinkaboutthequestionandhowyouwillframeyouranswer(whichyoualreadyknow).
Whatwouldyoudodifferentlyifyoucouldstartyourworkinglifeover?
Theinterviewerislookingforadetourthatcontinuestobeaprofessionalblockinyourcareer.
Lookingbackovermycareer,IwouldhavereturnedtoschoolmuchearliertocompletemyMastersdegree.EventhoughIgot
mydegreelaterthanIhadoriginallyanticipated,Ineverlostsightofthegoal.
Howdoyoubalancelifeandwork?
Theinterviewerwondersifyou'vemadearrangementsforthedayswhenyourchildistoosicktogotoschooland/ordaycare
orifyou're"outofthere"assoonasit'squittingtime.
BestAnswer:Beingorganizedhelpsmebalancemyprofessionallifeandpersonallife.Consequently,Icanbefullyengaged
whileI'matwork.Forthoseunexpectedtimes,Ihaveagoodbackupsystemofchildcareformychildren.
Whatisyourpreferredwaytocommunicate?
Thisisagoodopportunitytoshowyouunderstandtheimportanceofadjustingyourpreferenceswhennecessary.
Athome,Ienjoytalkingonthephoneandemails.Atwork,Ifollowtheestablishedpattern.Eachofmybosses,inthepast,
hashadapreferredmethodI'vefollowedtheirlead.
Doyoucheckvoicemailandemailwhenonvacation?
Theintervieweriswonderingwhethertheywillalwaysbeabletofindyou.
BestAnswer:Whileonvacation,Icanbereachedforemergencies;however,IalsoknowthepeoplewithwhomIworkare
verycapableofmakinggooddecisionswhileI'maway.Iunderstandtheimportanceofrechargingmybattery.
Whatisyourfavoritebook?Howaboutyourfavoritemovie?Theinterviewerwantstoknowwhetheryoureadtostay
currentandifyouwillyoufitintothecompanyculture.
BestAnswer(includeyourpersonalfavorites):Ireadmanydifferentkindsofbooks.Mycurrent"favorite"bookisTheWorld
isFlatbyThomasFriedman.Myfavoritemovie?MiracleonIce.

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Whathistoricalfiguredoyouadmireandwhy?
Theinterviewerwantstoknowwhetheryouarewellreadandwhatcharacteristicsyouadmire.
BestAnswer(includehistoricalfiguresyoupersonallyadmire):Personally,ImostadmireAbigailAdams,JohnAdam'swife;
professionallyIadmiredtheleadershipstyleofRonaldReagan.
Whatdidyoudoduringthissixmonthgapinemployment?
Everyone,atsomepoint,willprobablyhaveagapinemployment.Donot"wasteit".
BestAnswer:Forthefirstmonth,Iworkedonmy"todolist"athomeandaccomplishedagreatdeal.ThenIbeganbuildinga
plantoreentertheworkplace.WhileittookalittlelongerthanI'danticipated,I'velearnedagreatdealaboutmyself,am
restedandlookingforwardtonewchallengesintheworkplace.
Whatledyoutothispointinyourlife?
Theinterviewerwantstoknowifyouareunhappy,frustrated,orlost?
My"roadoflife"hasbeeninteresting,sometimeschallengingandalwaysrewarding.Thestepsalongthewaythathaveledto
thispointinmylifeare,insomeways,verydifferentthanIhadimagined;however,IlikewhoIamtodayinpartbecauseof
mypast.Anexampleiswhenthesecondcompanyonmyresumesuddenlyclosedtheirdoorsduringadownturninthe
economy.Foraverybrieftime,theroadaheadwasunknown;however,IdiscoveredIhadpreviouslyuntappedstrengths
suchasperseverance.

JobInterviewQuestionsAbouttheNewJobandtheCompany
JobInterviewAnswer:WhatInterestsYouAboutThisJob?
Whatinterestsyouaboutthisjob?
Whenyou'reaskedwhatinterestsyouaboutthepositionyouareinterviewingfor,thebestwaytorespondistodescribethe
qualificationslistedinthejobposting,thenconnectthemtoyourskillsandexperience.Thatway,theemployerwillseethat
youknowaboutthejobyou'reinterviewingfor(noteveryonedoes)andthatyouhavethequalificationsnecessarytodothe
job.
Forexample,ifyouwereinterviewingforaHumanResourcesManagerjobwhereyouwouldberesponsibleforrecruiting,
orientation,andtraining,youwillwanttodiscusshowyouwereresponsibleforthesefunctionsinyourpastpositions,and
whyyouareinterestedincontinuingtodevelopyourexpertiseinHumanResourcesmanagement.
AnotherexamplewouldbeifyouwereinterviewingforaProgrammer/Analystposition.Inthatcase,youwouldmention
yourinterestinlearningandexcellingatnewtechnologies,yourexperienceinprogrammingbothnewapplications,andyour
interestinandyourabilitytoproblemsolve.
Inallcases,youwillwanttoconveyyourenthusiasmfortheopportunitytointerview,alongwithyoursolidabilitytodothe
job.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhyDoYouWantThisJob?
Whydoyouwantthisjob?
Whydoyouwantthisjob?Areyoupreparedtoanswerthisquestioninaninterview?Careerexpertandauthor,JoyceLain
Kennedy,sharesherbestjobinterviewanswerstothequestion"Whydoyouwantthisjob?"
JoyceLainKennedyisthenation'sfirstsyndicatedcareerscolumnist.HerworkisdistributedbyTribuneMediaServicesand
appearsinmorethan100newspapersandwebsites.Inaddition,JoyceisauthorofeightcareerrelatedbooksincludingJob
InterviewsforDummies,whereyoucanreadadditionalexcellentinterviewadvice,CoverLettersforDummiesandResumes
forDummies.

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Keepinmindthatyoucancustomizetheseanswerstofityourparticularcircumstancesandthejobyouareapplyingfor.
JoyceLainKennedy'ssampleanswerstotheinterviewquestion"Whydoyouwantthisjob?"

Thisisnotonlyafineopportunity,butthiscompanyisaplacewheremyqualificationscanmakeadifference.Asa
finance executive well versed in the new stock options law, I see this position as made to order. It contains the
challengetokeepmeonmytoes.That'sthekindofjobIliketoanticipateeverymorning.
Iwantthisjobbecauseitseemstailoredtomycompetencies,whichincludesalesandmarketing.AsIsaidearlier,in
apreviouspositionIcreatedanannualgrowthrateof22percentinaflatindustry.Additionally,theteamIwould
workwithlooksterrific.
Iwellunderstandthatthisisacompanyonthewayup.YourWebsitesaysthelaunchofseveralnewproductsis
imminent.Iwantbeapartofthisbusinessasitgrows.
Havingworkedthroughacollegebusinessmajorbuildingdecksandporchesforneighbors,thisentryleveljobforthe
area'smostrespectedhomebuilderhasmynameonit.
Asadedicatedtechnician,Ilikedoingessentialresearch.BeingpartofabreakthroughteamisanexperienceI'dlove
torepeat.
ThisjobisagoodfitforwhatI'vebeeninterestedinthroughoutmycareer.Itoffersanicemixofshortandlong
termactivities.Myshorttermachievementskeepmecrankedupandthelongtermaccomplishmentsmakemefeel
likeabillionbucks.
IwantthisjobsellingtheaterticketsbecauseI'dbegoodatit.I'mgoodatspeakingtopeopleandhandlingcash.I
wouldlikeajobwithregularhoursandI'malwaysontime.
Although some companies are replacing Americans with imported lowwage workers, you are standing tall. This
company'ssuccessfulstrategies,goodreputationandvaluesmakeitheadsandshouldersaboveitscompetition.
I'd fit right in as a counter clerk in your fine drycleaners. I have observed that the counter clerk position requires
competence at handling several activities in quick order customer service, payments, bagging and phones. I like
multitaskingand,asahomemaker,Ihavealotofpracticeinkeepingalltheballsintheair.
TheworkIfindmoststimulatingallowsmetousebothmycreativeandresearchskills.Thebuzzonthiscompanyis
thatitrewardspeoplewhodeliversolutionstosubstantialproblems.

JobInterviewAnswers:YourResponsibilities
Whatapplicableattributes/experiencedoyouhave?
Whenyouareaskedquestionsrelatedtotheexperiencethatqualifiesyouforthejob,it'simportanttobeveryspecificabout
yourskillsandexperience.
Thebestwaytorespondistodescribeyourresponsiblilitiesindetailandtoconnectthemtothejobyouareinterviewingfor.
Tieyourresponsibilitiesinwiththoselistedinthejobdescriptionforthenewposition.Thatway,theemployerwillseethat
youhavethequalificationsnecessarytodothejob.Focusmostonyourresponsibilitiesthataredirectlyrelatedtothenew
job'srequirements.
It'salsoimportanttobehonestandaccurate.Don'tembellishyourjob,becauseyoudon'tknowwhothehiringmanagerwill
becheckingwithwhentheycheckyourreferences.

JobInterviewAnswer:AreYouOverqualifiedforThisJob?
Areyouoverqualifiedforthisjob?
Are you overqualified for this job? Are you prepared to respond when an interviewer asks if you're overqualified? Career
expertandauthor,JoyceLainKennedy,sharesherbestjobinterviewanswerstothequestion"Areyouoverqualifiedforthis
job?"
JoyceLainKennedyisthenation'sfirstsyndicatedcareerscolumnist.HerworkisdistributedbyTribuneMediaServicesand
appearsinmorethan100newspapersandwebsites.Inaddition,JoyceisauthorofeightcareerrelatedbooksincludingJob
InterviewsforDummies,whereyoucanreadadditionalexcellentinterviewadvice,CoverLettersforDummiesandResumes
forDummies.
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Keepinmindthatyoucancustomizetheseanswerstofityourparticularcircumstancesandthejobyouareapplyingfor.
JoyceLainKennedy'ssampleanswerstotheinterviewquestion"Areyouoverqualifiedforthisjob?"

Overqualified?SomewouldsaythatI'mnotoverqualifiedbutfullyqualified.Withduerespect,couldyouexplainthe
problemwithsomeonedoingthejobbetterthanexpected?
Fortunately,I'velivedenoughyearstohavedevelopedthejudgmentthatallowsmetofocusonthefuture.Before
wespeakofpastyears,pasttitlesandpastsalaries,canwelookatmystrengthsandabilitiesandhowI'vestayedon
thecuttingedgeofmycareerfield,includingitstechnology?
I hopeyou'renot concerned thathiring someone with my solid experience andcompetencies would look like age
biasifonceonthejobyoudecidedyou'dmadeamistakeandIhadtogo.CanIpresentacreativeidea?Whydon'tI
work on a trial basis for a month no strings which would give you a chance to view me up close? This
immediatelysolvesyourstaffingproblematnorisktoyou.Icanhitthefloorrunningandrequirelesssupervision
thanalessexperiencedworker.WhencanIstart?
IwasproudtobeachargenursebutIreallylikegettingbacktoworkingwithpatients.
I'mflatteredthatyouthinkI'mheadhunterbaitandwillleaptoanotherjobwhenanofferappears.Notreally.This
jobissoattractivetomethatI'mwillingtosignacontractcommittingtostayforaminimumof12months.There's
noobligationonyourpart.HowelsecanIconvinceyouthatI'mthebestpersonforthisposition?
I'm here because this is a company on the move and I want to move up with you. With more than the minimal
experiencetojustskimby,Iofferimmediatereturnsonyourinvestment.Don'tyouwantawinnerwiththeskillsets
andattitudestodojustthat?
Myfamily'sgrown.AndIamnolongerconcernedwithtitleandsalaryIliketokeepbusy.Areferencecheckwill
showIdomyworkontime,anddoitwellasateammember.I'msurewecanagreeonasalarythatfitsyourbudget.
Whencanwemakemytimeyourtime?
Downsizingshaveleftgenerationalmemorygapsintheworkforceandknowledgedoesn'talwaysgetpassedonto
thepeoplecomingup.Icouldbeananchorormentorcalm,stable,reliableandprovidingdaytodaycontinuityto
the younger team. For my last employer, I provided the history of a failed product launch to a new marketing
manager,whothenavoidedmakingthesamemistakes.
Asyounote,I'veworkedatahigherlevelbutthispositionisexactlywhatI'mlookingfor.Youofferopportunityto
achievethemagicword:balance.I'mscoutingforsomethingchallengingbutalittlelessintensesoIcanspendmore
timewithmyfamily.
Salary is not my top priority. Not that I have a trust fund but I will work for less money, will take direction from
managersofanyage,willcontinuetostaycurrentontechnologyandwillnotleaveyouinthelurchifHollywoodcalls
tomakemeastar.AndIdon'tinsistthatit'smywayorthehighway.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatCanYouDoforThisCompany?
Whatcanyoudoforthiscompany?
Atypicalinterviewquestiontodiscoverwhatassetsyouhavethatarespecifictothecompany'sgoalsis"Whatcanyoudofor
thiscompany?"
Firstofall,besuretohaveresearchedthecompanypriortotheinterview,soyouarefamiliarwiththecompany'smission.
Respond by giving examples why your education, skills, accomplishments, and experience will make you an asset for the
employer.
Takeafewmomentstocompareyourgoalswithobjectivesofthecompanyandtheposition,aswellasmentioningwhatyou
haveaccomplishedinyourotherjobs.Bepositiveandreiterateyourinterestinthecompany,aswellasthejob.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhyShouldWeHireYou?
Whyshouldwehireyou?
Atypicalinterviewquestion,askedtogetyouropinion,ortovalidatetheinterviewer'sopinion,onwhyyouwouldbethebest
candidatefortheposition,is"Whyshouldwehireyou?"

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Thebestwaytorespondistogiveconcreteexamplesofwhyyourskillsandaccomplishmentsmakeyouthebestcandidate
for the job. Take a few moments to compare the job description with your abilities, as well as mentioning what you have
accomplishedinyourotherpositions.Bepositiveandreiterateyourinterestinthecompanyandtheposition.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatDoYouKnowAboutThisCompany?
Whatdoyouknowaboutthiscompany?
Atypicaljobinterviewquestion,askedtofindouthowmuchcompanyresearchyouhaveconducted,is"Whatdoyouknow
aboutthiscompany?"
Prepareinadvance,andinaword,research,so,youcanproviderelevantandcurrentinformationaboutyourprospective
employertotheinterviewer.Startbyresearchingthecompanyonline.Reviewthe"AboutUs"sectionofthecompanyweb
site.Googlethecompany,readblogsthatmentionit,andcheckDiscussionBoardsandsocialnetworkingsites.
Ifyou'reacollegegraduatecheckwiththeCareerOfficeatyourschooltoseeifyoucangetalistofalumniwhoworkforthe
company. That's an ideal way to get an insider's view of the employer, and to get information thatmight notbe available
elsewhere.
Usetheinformationyouhavegatheredtocreateabulletedlistofrelevantinformationthatyoucaneasilyrememberduring
the interview. Taking the time to research will help you make a good impression with how much you know about the
company.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhyDoYouWanttoWorkHere?
Whydoyouwanttoworkhere?
Atypicalinterviewquestion,askedtoensurethatyouareseriouslyinterestedinthejobandthecompany,andtofindout
howmuchyouknowaboutthecompany,is"Whydoyouwanttoworkhere?"
Thebestwaytoanswerthisquestionis,firstofall,tobepreparedandknowledgeableaboutthecompany.Spendsometime
researchingthecompany(theAboutUssectionofthewebsiteisagoodplacetostart)soyoucantalkaboutthebenefitsof
workingforthisemployer.
Compare your goals with objectives of the company and the position, then reiterate why you would be an asset to the
employer.Lettheinterviewerknowwhatyoucandoforthecompany,ifyougetajoboffer.
Eventhoughthequestionisaboutwhyyouwanttoworkhere,youstillneedtoconvincetheinterviewerthathiringyouwill
benefitthecompany.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatChallengesAreyouLookingFor?
Whatchallengesareyoulookingforinaposition?
Atypicalinterviewquestiontodeterminewhatyouarelookingforyourinnextjob,andwhetheryouwouldbeagoodfitfor
thepositionbeinghiredfor,is"Whatchallengesareyoulookingforinaposition?"
The best way to answer questions about the challenges you are seeking is to discuss how you would like to be able to
effectivelyutilizeyourskillsandexperienceifyouwerehiredforthejob.
You can also mention that you are motivated by challenges, have the ability to effectively meet challenges, and have the
flexibilityandskillsnecessarytohandleachallengingjob.
Youcancontinuebydescribingspecificexamplesofchallengesyouhavemetandgoalsyouhaveachievedinthepast.
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JobInterviewAnswer:WhatCanYouContributetotheCompany?
Whatcanyoucontributetothiscompany?
A typical interview question to discover how hiring you would benefit the company is "What can you contribute to this
company?"
The best way to answer questions about your contributions to the company is to give examples of what you have
accomplishedinthepast,andtorelatethemtowhatyoucanachieveinthefuture.
Describespecificexamplesofhoweffectiveyouhavebeeninyourotherpositions,changeyouhaveimplemented,andgoals
youhaveachieved.Talkaboutthedepthandbreadthofrelatedexperiencethatyouhave.
Also,relateyourabilitiestotheemployer'sgoals.Youwillwanttolettheinterviewerknowthatyouhavetheskillsnecessary
todothejobtheyarehiringfor,theabilityeffectivelymeetchallenges,andtheflexibilityanddiplomacytoworkwellwith
otheremployeesandwithmanagement.

JobInterviewAnswer:AreYouWillingtoTravel?
Areyouwillingtotravel?
Whenyouareaskedaboutyourwillingnesstotravelduringaninterview,behonest.There'snopointinsaying"yes"ifyou
wouldprefertobehomefivenightsaweek.
Itisperfectlyacceptabletoaskhowmuchtravelisinvolved.Thatway,youcanweighhowmuchyouwouldneedtobeonthe
roadandmakeaneducateddecisionastowhethertheamountoftravelrequiredfitsinwithyourlifestyle.
What'smostimportantistogetagoodunderstandingofwhat'sinvolvedbeforeyouareofferedthejob,ratherthanbeing
(unpleasantly)surprisedafteryouhavealreadybeenhired.

InterviewQuestionsandAnswersInterviewQuestionstoAsktheInterviewer
IsthereanythingIhaven'ttoldyouaboutthejoborcompanythatyouwouldliketoknow?
It'syourturn!Astheinterviewcomestoaclose,oneofthefinalquestionsyoumaybeaskedis"WhatcanIanswerforyou?"
Have interview questionsof your own readyto ask. You aren't simply tryingtoget this job you are also interviewing the
employertoassesswhetherthiscompanyandthepositionareagoodfitforyou.
InterviewQuestionstoAsk~

Howwouldyoudescribetheresponsibilitiesoftheposition?
Howwouldyoudescribeatypicalweek/dayinthisposition?
Isthisanewposition?Ifnot,whatdidthepreviousemployeegoontodo?
Whatisthecompany'smanagementstyle?
Whodoesthispositionreportto?IfIamofferedtheposition,canImeethim/her?
Howmanypeopleworkinthisoffice/department?
Howmuchtravelisexpected?
Isrelocationapossibility?
Whatisthetypicalworkweek?Isovertimeexpected?
Whataretheprospectsforgrowthandadvancement?
Howdoesoneadvanceinthecompany?
Arethereanyexamples?
Whatdoyoulikeaboutworkinghere?
Whatdon'tyoulikeaboutworkinghereandwhatwouldyouchange?
Wouldyoulikealistofreferences?
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IfIamextendedajoboffer,howsoonwouldyoulikemetostart?
WhatcanItellyouaboutmyqualifications?
WhencanIexpecttohearfromyou?
ArethereanyotherquestionsIcananswerforyou?

InterviewQuestionsNOTtoAsk~

Whatdoesthiscompanydo?(Doyourresearchaheadoftime!)
IfIgetthejobwhencanItaketimeoffforvacation?(Waituntilyougettheoffertomentionpriorcommitments)
CanIchangemyscheduleifIgetthejob?(Ifyouneedtofigureoutthelogisticsofgettingtoworkdon'tmentionit
now...)
DidIgetthejob?(Don'tbeimpatient.They'llletyouknow.)

InterviewQuestions:TheFuture
JobInterviewAnswer:Whatareyoulookingforinyournextjob?
Whatareyoulookingforinyournextjob?Whatisimportanttoyou?
BestAnswers
Youcanbeginyouranswerwiththisquestion:Tellme,Mr./Ms.Interviewer,whatisatypicalcareerpathatOPLforsomeone
withmyskillsandexperience?
(Based on the answer you can then respond to the original question using the phrases from the answer to frame your
response).
Whatisimportanttoyou?Twothingsareveryimportanttome.Oneismyprofessionalismatwork;thesecondismyfamily
life.

JobInterviewAnswer:WhatAreYourGoalsfortheFuture?
Whatareyourgoalsforthenextfiveyears/tenyears?
bestwaytorespondtotheinterviewquestion"Whatareyourgoalsforthefuture?"or"Wheredoyouseeyourselfinfive
years?"istorefertothepositionandthecompanyyouareinterviewingwith.
Don't discuss your goals for returning to school or having a family, they are not relevant and could knock you out of
contentionforthejob.Rather,youwanttoconnectyouranswertothejobyouareapplyingfor.Examplesofgoodresponses
include:

My longterm goals involve growing with a company where I can continue to learn, take on additional
responsibilities,andcontributeasmuchofvalueasIcan.
Iseemyselfasatopperformingemployeeinawellestablishedorganization,likethisone.Iplanonenhancingmy
skillsandcontinuingmyinvolvementin(related)professionalassociations.
OnceIgainadditionalexperience,Iwouldliketomoveonfromatechnicalpositiontomanagement.
IntheXYZCorporation,whatisatypicalcareerpathforsomeonewithmyskillsandexperiences?ContributedbyKay
Stout,AnotherPointofView.

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JobInterviewAnswer:HowWillYouAchiveYourGoals?
Howdoyouplantoachievethosegoals?
Asafollowuptotheinterviewquestion"Whatareyourgoalsforthefuture?"theinterviewerwilloftenaskhowyouplanon
achievingthosegoals.Agoodanswertothisquestionwillspeakspecificallyaboutwhatyouaregoingtoaccomplishandhow
youaregoingtoaccomplishit.Examplesofgoodresponsesinclude:

I plan on gaining additional skills by taking related classes and continuing my involvement with a variety of
professionalassociations.
InoticedthatXYZcompany(thecompanyyouareinterviewingwith)providesinhousetrainingforemployeesandI
wouldcertainlybeinterestedintakingclassesthatwouldberelevant.
Iwillcontinuemyprofessionaldevelopmentmyparticipatinginconferences,attendingseminars,andcontinuingmy
education.

SalaryNegotiation
Whatareyoursalaryrequirementsbothshorttermandlongterm?
HowtoNegotiateaCompensationPackage
Beforeyoustarttalkingpay(andsalarynegotiations)withaprospectiveemployer,youneedtofindouthowmuchthejob
(andyou)areworth.Youwillneedtotakethetimetoresearchsalaries,so,youarepreparedtogetwhatyou'reworthanda
jobofferthat'srealisticandreasonable.
SalaryNegotiations
Onceyouknowwhatyoushouldbeearning,howdoyougoaboutgettingit?Startbybeingverypatient.Wheninterviewing
foranewposition,doyourbestnottobringupcompensationuntiltheemployermakesyouanoffer.Ifyou'reaskedwhat
yoursalaryrequirementsare,saythattheyareopenbaseduponthepositionandtheoverallcompensationpackage.Ortell
theemployeryou'dliketoknowmoreabouttheresponsibilitiesandthechallengesofthejobpriortodiscussingsalary.
Anotheroptionistogivetheemployerasalaryrangebaseduponthesalaryresearchyou'vedoneupfront.Onceyou've
receivedtheofferyoudon'tneedtoaccept(orreject)itrightaway.Asimple"Ineedtothinkitover"cangetyouanincrease
intheoriginaloffer.
Andifyou'reambivalentaboutthepositiona"no"canbringyouabetteroffertoo.IturneddownapositionIknewIdidn't
want,regardlessofsalary,andreceivedthreefollowupphonecallsuppingthecompensationpackage.Becarefulthough,if
youdodefinitelyneedthatnewjobthere'sariskthattheemployermayacceptyourdecliningthepositionandmoveonto
thenextcandidate.
NegotiatingaRaise
Ifyouarecurrentlyemployedandwantaraise,startbybeingprepared.Gatheryoursalarysurveyinformation,recent
performanceappraisalsthatdocumentthejobyou'redoing,andanyotherrelevantinformation.Beawareofcompanypolicy
regardingcompensation.Someemployersarelimitedbybudgetconstraintsandcanonlygiveraisesatcertaintimesofthe
year,regardlessofthecircumstances.Haveaclearideaofwhatyouwant.Determinethesalaryrangeyou'relookingforand
justificationfortheincreaseandhavebothreadytoreviewwithyoursupervisor.Beflexible.Wouldyouconsideranextra
coupleofweeksvacationinsteadofaraise?Iknowsomeonewho'sregularlytakentimeoffinsteadofmoneyandnowhassix
vacationweeksayear...Then,askyoursupervisorforameetingtodiscusssalary.Presentyourrequest,supportedby
documentation,calmlyandrationally.Don'taskforanimmediateanswer.Yourbossismostlylikelygoingtohavetodiscussit
withHumanResourcesand/orothercompanymanagers.
Despiteyourbestefforts,theremaysimplynotbeenoughmoneyinthebudgettoincreaseyoursalaryorcompensation
packageoffer.Thecompanymayalsonotwanttocreateinequitiesbypayingonepersonmorethanothersinasimilar
position.Inthatcase,youcanatleastknowyoutried.Plus,ifthisisajobyoureallythinkthatyou'regoingtolove,consider
whetherthecompanyculture,thebenefits,andthejobitselfareworthitregardlessofthesalary.

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JobInterviewAnswerstoQuestionsAboutYourCareerGoals
Questionsaboutyourcareergoals
JobInterviewQuestionsAboutYourCareerGoalsandSampleAnswers
Theoverallthemeforeachoftheanswersbelowis:haveyouthoughtabouttheimpactofyourdecisionsatthetimeyou
madethemordoyouhaveareactiveresponsetomostsituations.Fartoooften,aperson'scareerappearstohave
happenedbychance.Intodaysfastpaced,everchangingworldofwork,employer'swanttoknowiftheycancountonyouto
makegooddecisions,notkneejerkreactions.
Startwithyourgraduationfromcollegeandexplaintherationalebehindeachofyourcareermoves.
WhenIgraduatedfromcollege,IwasimmediatelyrecruitedbytheABCCompany.Asmyresumereflects,Ireceivedtwo
promotionsandthenarecruitercontactedforthepositionattheXYZCompany.
I'vebeenthereforthepast4yearsandhavelearnedagreatdeal,whilemakingsignificantcontributionstomydepartment.
Also,explainthethinkingprocessthatwentintomakeeachofthosedecisions.
Formyfirstjob,IwashappytoknowIwouldbeworkinginajobthatutilizedmyeducation.Itwasexcitingtoknowthat
withinjustafewweeksofgraduation,Ihadmyfirstpaycheck.MythinkingbehindtheXYZpositioncenteredonthefactthat
theyhaveaglobalpresence,itwasadefinitepromotionandpositionedmetobeaviablecandidateforthemarketing
positionwithyourcompany.
Howmanyhoursaday/weekdoyouneedtoworktogetthejobdone?
Iusemytimeefficientlyatworkand,forthemostpart,it'snotthenumberofhoursIwork;buthoweffectivemytimehas
beentoaccomplishthejob.I'msuremyreferenceswilltellyouIwasmorethanwillingtoputinthetimetobesurethejob
wascompletedasquicklyandasprofessionallyaspossible.
Ifyoustayedwithyourcurrentcompany,whatwouldbeyournextmove?
Theupwardmobilityatmycurrentcompanywouldmostlikelybeintheglobalmarketingdepartment.
Howdoyoumeasuresuccess?
ImeasureprofessionalsuccessbythestandardsofthecompanyforwhichIwork,thefeedbackIreceivefrommypeers,
supervisorsandsubordinates.Personally,itistoknowI'mregardedasagoodhusband,fatherandmemberofsociety.
Describeyourdreamjob.
Asachild,IdreamedofbeingthestartingpitcherfortheChicagoCubs.WhenIrealizedIdidnothaveafastball,orachange
up;IconcentratedonmyskillsinmarketingbecauseIrealizeditisanareawhereInotonlycanmakesignificant
contributions,butIenjoyusingmytalentinacorporateenvironment.

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