Interview questions that really work!

By Teresa Howe, CHRP August 18, 2003 Imagine making your decision to hire someone solely based on a one-hour meeting. What happens when a candidate is schooled in the art of interviewing and masterfully maneuvers around all of your standard questions? Do you really know what this person is like? Making a great hire is one of the most important things that you do but it can also be one of the most costly mistakes that you make. There is so much at stake for both the employer and candidate. As the employer you want to find the right fit, the matching skill set and a future employee who will be an asset to your organization. The candidate has reasons for applying to your organization which you need to uncover. If you truly only have one hour or one meeting to make that all-important decision, how confident are you in the strength of your interview questions? Are they able to unearth true character and predict future behaviours? The questions that you ask are critical to your success. However, there are some ways of asking questions and probing styles that will assist you. The premise is that past performance is the best predictor of future performance. Behavioural Interviews Candidates are asked to describe situations where they have demonstrated a particular behaviour. This interview typically includes questions where the candidate is asked to express both positive and negative aspects of their work lives. An interviewer can create these types of questions by reflecting upon specific work scenarios. The advantage of these questions is that they challenge the candidate to describe, in detail, real work examples, and to use their communications skills in a positive way. Here are a few samples:
y

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. Tell me about your worst "nightmare" project. What went wrong and what did you do? What did you learn from this situation?

Situational Interviews Various "real life" situations are presented to candidates and in turn, they are asked to predict what they would do in such situations. Situational interviews are ideal for determining problemsolving skills, interpersonal relationships, management styles and basic common sense.
y

Assume you are a supervisor and one of your employees consistently arrives late to work. What action would you take?

It is 5:00pm on a Friday. You're working on a tight deadline for your Manager, but the Director suddenly asks you to drop everything and deal with a customer complaint. What do you do? A co-worker tells you in confidence that he suspects another colleague of stealing. What would your actions be?

Semi-Structured Interviews The Interviewer prepares questions which are directly related to the specifics of the job. Answers can be scored or ranked.
y y

What experience have you had working with budgets? What was the most challenging fundraising campaign that you have worked on? What was the outcome? Describe how you use the performance appraisal process in your current organization. While working at the front desk, please describe a situation where a client has reacted in a negative or threatening manner. How did you deal with the situation?

Unstructured Interviews Typically these represent the most basic of interview styles where often there is little advance preparation. Unfortunately with these types of questions, it is easy to go off topic and information received is often fairly superficial. Another drawback is that an experienced candidate will be well prepared for these questions and the interviewer may learn little about the real person. They are useful, however, in preliminary screening of candidates and in combination with other interview styles. Common questions are:
y y y y

What are your major strengths? Why did you apply for this position? Where do you see yourself in five years' time? What are some of the frustrations that you want to avoid in a new job?

Soft Skill Assessment Interviews A good interviewer also knows that besides technical and job specific questions, the assessment of soft skills is equally critical, but difficult to do. Soft skills or lack of them usually separate a candidate that will fit in to the organization and be a solid contributor or become a bad hire. Here are some questions that work well for HR practitioners around the country:

(To reveal past mistakes) - If you could change one (managerial) decision you made during the past two years, what would that be? (To reveal creativity & problem solving) - What was the wildest idea that you had in the past year? What did you do about it? (To reveal integrity & honesty) - What would you do if someone asked you to do something unethical? (To reveal personality & temperament) - What brings you joy? (To reveal diplomacy) - Have you ever had to resolve a conflict with a co-worker or client? How did you resolve it?

y y

Favourite Interview Questions "If you were a car, what kind would you be?" A market research company asks this question to learn about personalities and to determine how articulate and thoughtful candidates are. They ask this question early in the interview to relax the candidate and to see how creative they are. "How do you feel about your accomplishments to date? If you had a chance to make a change, what would you do differently? What are you satisfied with?" A large hospital always includes these questions to probe problem-solving skills and self-awareness. "If you had the chance to create an environment in which you would be most successful, what would it be?" One of a consulting firm's favourite questions, it is particularly good at exploring the issue of "fit" since the candidate's answer will paint a picture of an organization's culture and management style where he or she would function best. While this represents only a sampling of many interview styles and questions, the key to success is preparation. With well-conceived questions, using a variety of behavioural-based, situational, structured and soft skill assessment approaches, your candidate will open up and do most of the talking (at least 80%). If you truly want to be confident and successful in the art of interviewing and selection, if you only have one hour or one meeting to make that all-important decision, ensure that you can uncover true character and predict future behaviours. *********** Source: "Job Interviews: Employers' Favourite Interview Questions", Vicki Kramer. Source: "Assessing soft skills in Candidates", Monster.ca. Source: "Interview Preparation", Madison Macarthur. *********** Teresa Howe, CHRP, is an independent HR consultant and writer. As an HR executive with 15 years of generalist experience, she has contributed to several successful organizations being recognized as Canada's Top 100 Employers and created meaningful change. As a long-standing member of the HRPAO, she also serves as president of the Board of Directors for Jobstart, a

not-for-profit organization, speaks at conferences and creates workshops on HR related issues. Teresa can be reached at tandthowe@yahoo.ca.

9. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career? Sample excellent response: I believe successful salespeople put forth that extra effort that turns potential clients into first-time customers. Salespeople who attend to the details by doing whatever it takes to win over a prospective customer distinguish themselves from the countless others who don't go to any extra effort. Second, I think that if you label success as an attainable goal, you will never consistently remain successful. You can only succeed if you learn all there is to learn about your product, your competitors, and personal selling. Since this learning process is continuous, it's an unattainable goal. With good reason, salespeople should not consider success an attainable ending point but an objective that will always linger slightly beyond their reach. 10. How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successful accomplishments. Sample excellent response: Last semester I was hired by by university's Council for Student Activities. The group negotiates contracts of entertainers, sets up sound equipment, markets the entertainers to students, and generally decides what kind of programming should be done. When I got hired, I didn't know the first thing about how fill any of those responsibilities. I decided, however, that I wasn't going to fail. Four months later, I have become the Webmaster for the group. I also write our campus newsletter and created Game Night, a student competition of table games. That event yielded the biggest audience ever for a non-concert event. 11. Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career? Sample excellent response: I believe I have a combination of qualities to be successful in this career. First, I have a strong interest, backed by a solid, well-rounded, state-of-the-art education, especially in a career that is technically oriented. This basic ingredient, backed by love of learning, problem-solving skills, well-rounded interests, determination to succeed and excel, strong communication skills, and the ability to work hard, are the most important qualities that will help me succeed in this career. To succeed, you also need a natural curiosity about how systems work -- the kind of curiosity I demonstrated when I upgraded my two computers recently. Technology is constantly changing, so you must a fast learner just to keep up or you will be overwhelmed. All of these traits combine to create a solid team member in the ever-changing field of information systems. I am convinced that I possess these characteristics and am ready to be a successful team member for your firm. Questions that require knowledge of the company: y y y y What do you think it takes to be successful in this career? Do you enjoy doing independent research? Do you have any plans for further education? Why do you want to work in the _____________ industry?

y y

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

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

12. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment? Sample excellent response: A recent satisfying accomplishment I was sent to one of our branch banks that was notorious for not growing their loan base. The branch had logged $75,000 in new loans in an 18-month period prior to my arrival. Having a reputation as a "hired gun" when it came to loan production I was successful in the solicitation and booking of $700,000 in my first six months at the branch. 13. If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently? Sample excellent response: I wouldn't change anything. All that I have done was a great learning experience that I will carry forward throughout the rest of my life. Answering "off-the-wall" questions: Example: If you had to live your life over again, what would you change? Example: If you were a color, what color would you be -- and why? Example: If they were making a movie of your life, who should be hired to play you in it? "Off-the-wall" questions -- also referred to as Wild Card questions -- are asked by interviewers to see how well you think on your feet, whether you will get flustered. The trick is to keep your cool and your sense of humor. Generally speaking, there are no wrong answers.

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

by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
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Picture yourself in this scene: You're in a job interview. Everything is going better than you imagined it could. You look professional and fabulous. You are totally prepared. You are on a roll. You're nailing every interview question. You feel wonderful rapport with your interviewer. Suddenly, out of the blue she asks you: "Imagine you could trade places with anyone for just a week. The person could be famous or not famous, living or from history, real or fictional. With whom would you trade places?"

It's all you can do to keep your jaw from dropping. You're stunned. You feel your mouth drying up and sweat forming on your forehead. Your head is spinning, and your mind is a blank. You're thinking, why in the world is she asking me this absurd question? Welcome to the world of the off-the-wall interview question -- weird, wacky, gimmicky, and off-beat "wild card" questions that seem to have nothing to do with your ability to handle a job. If they're irrelevant to job performance, why do employers ask them? They want to see how well you can think on your feet. They want to see if you'll get rattled. They may want to test your creativity or sense of humor. They want to challenge you. Employers who ask these goofy questions no doubt may feel the questions do relate to job performance. In creating stress by asking you a weird question, the interviewer may be testing how well you'll respond to the stress of the workplace. And let's face it; job-seekers have vast resources at their disposal in the form of books, articles, and Web sites on how to respond to traditional and even those tricky behavioral interview questions (See our Job Interview Questions Database and Interview Question Collections.). So interviewers sometimes want to lob a curve ball at you by asking a question that you probably didn't prepare for. In his book, College Grad Job Hunter, Brian Krueger calls these question "dumb" questions, whose purpose, Krueger writes "is to get past your pre-programmed answers to find out if you are capable of an original thought." Of course, we won't refute the possibility that some employers may just be sadistic and want to see you squirm, or they relish the amusement of seeing how you'll answer an oddball question. Because an off-the-wall question can be virtually anything, they are nearly impossible to prepare for. Still, some, like the question about being/meeting/dining with a famous person, have been around for awhile and are worth preparing an answer for -- just in case. The key to responding to an off-the-wall question is not to let it rattle you. Don't adopt a deer-in-theheadlights look if you get hit with one of these funky queries. Simply smile, take a deep breathe, and take a moment to compose your response. A little bit of silence is better than blurting out something even sillier than the question. You don't have to brilliant. You don't have to be witty. Just be yourself and give an honest response. If worse comes to worst, and you absolutely cannot think of an answer, ask if you can come back to that question later. You may lose a few thinking-on-your-feet points, but you'll gain points for handling a difficult situation with poise. Above all, take comfort in the fact that there is rarely a wrong answer to these offbeat questions. True, some responses can raise eyebrows. When I taught college students and conducted mock interviews with them, I would occasionally get "Adolph Hitler" as a response to the famous-person question. Rather than thinking the student was a Neo-Nazi, I chalked up that answer to a student who probably knows so little about history that Hitler was the only person he or she could think of. If you can turn your answer into something job-related, that's a bonus, but it's probably above the expectations of the interviewer. For example, if you're interviewing for a finance job and are asked what you'd do with a large windfall of money, you could give a clever response about how you'd invest the cash. Below, we've provided some sample off-the-wall questions. The first group are questions submitted by readers, along with the answers they used. Be aware that studying this list of questions may be no help at all if you're ever asked a weird question because you may be asked something totally different from any of these questions. The point is to expect the unexpected, and looking over these questions will at least give you the flavor of what might be asked and enable you to do a little out-of-the-box thinking about how you might respond when you're asked a question as strange as these:

Shelley Feakes, resource navigator at Queens Career Resource Center in Nova Scotia, Canada, was asked: "If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?" "I thought about this question for a minute," Feakes recalls, "then responded: 'First I would want to go change my clothes since the aliens just scared the crap out of me! ... then I would for a job as Chief Navigator so I could enjoy coming to Earth and scaring the crap out of other human beings." Explains Feakes: "My strategy was this: I first thought that it was a psychological question, that the interviewer was trying to see how far up the ladder I desired to be ... then I thought twice and decided that I would express my creativity and go for an answer that was just as odd as the question itself. It must have worked ... I got the job!" Another reader was not happy about the odd questions she was asked. "I was asked who my heroes were and how I felt about affirmative action in the same interview. Talk about loaded questions! Looking back, it was obvious that I would be required to be very [politically correct] and think just like them to work there. If I hadn't been a single mother and desperate for work, I would have answered, 'I think this interview is over.'" She doesn't remember how she actually did answer, but notes that "Those questions have nothing to do with the ability to do a job and are out of line. I'm probably lucky they didn't hire me because I'm sure I would have been unhappy there." Still another reader was asked "if you could be any animal in the jungle what would it be?" He answered: "I would be a gorilla so I could be the king of the jungle because it is survival of the fittest in the jungle. I would also be able to climb trees well and get a bird's eye view of what is going on so I could stay abreast of what was happening in the jungle scene." The reader felt the employer liked his response because he got a second interview. "I thought it was a pretty good answer myself," he observed. More off-the-wall "wild card" job interview questions: y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be? If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be? If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs - such as food and water - were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you? If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with the time? If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time? If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be, and why? If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why? If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be? If you won $20 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money? If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have? How do I rate as an interviewer? If you were a car, what kind would you be? Who do you admire the most and why? In the news story about your life, what would the headline say?

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

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms. Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author, and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling in the job search at A Storied Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press), as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit her personal Website or reach her by e-mail at kathy(at)quintcareers.com. Have you taken advantage of all of our job interviewing resources? Try http://www.quintcareers.com/intvres.html

14. Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals? Sample excellent response: I like the validity of information and also like the energy that comes with working with people. The best thing about working in a group is combining the great minds from different perspectives and coming up with something extremely great, compared with when you're working alone. At the same time, information can generate vitality in the project you're working on. No matter how many heads you've got together, without information, you can't go very far. The perfect situation would be a combination of working with information and people, and I'm confident of my abilities in both areas. [Submitted by "Stacey"] Would your rather work with information or with people? Ideally, both, but tailor response to job and describe strengths in each area. Don't make yourself sound weak in either area.

15. How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team? Sample excellent response: I have had many opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my skills as a team player. My tenure as a rower with my college's crew team serves as a good example. I learned a great deal about teamwork while rowing because all the rowers in the boat must act as one, which meant that we

incessantly worked to keep each movement in the boat synchronized. On an individual basis, we still worked toward group goals through weightlifting and land-rowing. My experience as a marketing research team leader also helped me to learn the role of "team player." I viewed my position as that of group leader and of group member. I ensured that everyone in the group had equal opportunity to contribute, maintained excellent communication among group members, and coordinated their energies toward reaching our team's goal. 16. What motivates you to put forth you greatest effort? Sample excellent response: You would think that because I am interested in sales, only financial compensation would motivate me to achieve. Although monetary rewards are important to me, I am driven to succeed internally. More than anything, I want to be respected by my friends and coworkers for being the best at what I do. Whether I am considered to be the best car detailer in my hometown or the best columnist for my college newspaper, I want to be recognized as the best.

Handling frequently asked interview questions

"Thought" questions: y y y y y What goals do you have in your career? What motivates you? What changes would you make at your college? What were your favorite classes? Why? Who were your favorite professors? Why?

These questions require: y y y Thoughtful responses Responses that are not self-serving Responses that are specific to the job, if possible

Q: "So, tell me about yourself" This question may be used to assess your personality, preparation, communication skills and ability to think on your feet. Prepare a list of what you do (your current or last job), your strengths (stick to job-focussed skills), and a summary of your career trajectory, linking your experience to the job at hand. Q: "Why do you want to do this job / work for this company?" Demonstrate your knowledge of the company and re-emphasise your suitability for the position. Q: "What do you think you have to offer this company?" This is a chance to sing your own praises concentrating on the skills you have that are required for the position.

E.g. "I have strong sales skills, am a good team player and am very keen to be involved in the new markets you are developing in the Asian region." Q: "What do you think this position involves?" This question is designed to reveal if you have thought about the position, done some research, listened to the interviewer, and can summarise all of this information clearly. Q: "What do you know about the company?" Demonstrate your interest in the job, and your understanding of the organisation and industry. Talk about the research you did into the company's key areas of interest, its size, its main customers or current status, making reference to your source of information. Q: "Do you have any questions you would like to ask?" Always prepare a question to ask the interviewer. Ask about the position, request clarification of general information about the company, or summarise your understanding and request confirmation. If they have already answered your questions tell them (be specific) so they know that you have thought about the position in preparing for the interview. For example: "What do you see as being the main focus of this role?" "Am I correct in saying that the position involves mediating between A and B departments and monitoring and developing new approaches to...?" "I'd like to ask about the organisational structure... are the publications produced on a national basis or individually by each regional office? How are budgets controlled and allocated?" Q: "What do you believe are your key strengths?" Prepare responses that give specific examples of your strengths at previous positions that will support your job application. Q: "What do you believe are your weaknesses?" No-one readily admits real weaknesses in an interview situation. It is general knowledge that this is an opportunity to turn the question into a positive. Think of something that relates to your experience of work that is plausible as a weakness but is not really a negative point. Eg; "I am very particular about detail", "I become very focussed on the projects I am involved in" Q: "What do you enjoy most about your current / last job?" The trick with this question is to list what you have enjoyed about work that strongly relate to the key competencies of the position in question, and mention that you are looking forward to expanding your experience / scope in these areas. Q: A question requesting confidential information about a previous employer This may be a testing of your discretion and professionalism. It is best to reply that you would prefer not to divulge any confidential information (sales figures, for instance), citing the fact that you are sure your interviewer would expect the same discretion from their employees.

Q: "Where do you see yourself in five years time?" This is an assessment of the extent of your ambition and career planning. You should demonstrate that your long term goals are appropriate for the position being discussed and your commitment to them. Q: "Can you give me an example of your creativity / managerial / organisational skills?" Think of some examples that prove that you possess the key attributes and competencies requested in the job ad and description. These are probably the areas on which your interviewer will probably focus. Q: "Do you work well under pressure?" Answer with a 'yes', and give a specific example of a time when you were under pressure and how you rose to the challenge. Q: "Tell me about when something went wrong" Q: "Tell me about a time when you have encountered conflict in the workplace" Q: "Have you ever had to deal with conflicting deadlines? How did you decide which task to complete?" These are behavioural questions designed to elicit information about the required competencies for the position. Cite experiences in your past jobs, and always try to inject a positive note into your answer (e.g. that you learnt from the experience).

Inappropriate questions
Equal Opportunity (EO) guidelines limit the questions that can be asked in job interviews. By being aware of EO considerations you can recognise possibly discriminatory questions when they are asked. If asked a question that you consider inappropriate or that you suspect may be the basis for discrimination, you are under no obligation to answer it. For example, an employer may ask whether you have children as part of idle chatter, or they may be motivated by their prejudice that working mothers are not able to commit fully to a full-time position. Alternatively, in asking about your childcare arrangements they may for be trying to assess your level of preparation and professionalism. If you are uncomfortable with any question, politely and professionally refuse to answer it or request clarification on its relevance to the position. Some suggestions are: "I don't think we need to talk about this. I would rather focus on issues relevant to the position and the requirements of your organisation." "I don't understand how this question is relevant to the position or my ability to perform in the role. Could you clarify for me why you think it is important, and I will try to provide you with the relevant information."

'Difficult' questions
If you have had a negative experience with an employer (retrenchment or redundancy, sexual harassment, or clashes with colleagues), prepare to be asked about them in job interviews. The best strategy is to be honest, positive, and to avoid criticising former employers or expressing grudges. For example: Termination: "I was asked to leave that company. The grounds my employers gave were dissatisfaction with my performance / attitude...

"but I disagreed with their assessment and believe that the termination was based on personal differences rather than performance issues. If you check with my referees from other positions you will find that I have not had problems of a similar nature anywhere else and I am confident that they will not occur again." "Unfortunately, that year I had some personal commitments that I had to deal with. I had to make a choice to focus on these commitments or on my job, and I chose to concentrate on personal commitments. Unfortunately, this did mean that my work suffered, but I am now able to fully commit myself to my work again and am confident that I will be able to meet your performance requirements"

Sexual harassment / personal clashes: "I decided to leave because of some personal issues within the workplace which I would rather not discuss." If legal proceedings took place: "There have been some legal proceedings regarding my position there and so for confidentiality reasons I would prefer not to discuss it."

Mock Sales Presentation Interviews

A friend of mine is interviewing for a new sales job. Today he received the following instructions for his upcoming interview. I like this format a lot. Take a look ... Instructions to Candidates for "Mock Sales Presentation" Assignment: Select a product or service you know well or have sold before. The product need not be related to our product or industry. It is best to select a topic that enables you to demonstrate strong product knowledge and confidence. Prepare a 15-minute presentation intended to educate and convince prospective customers about the benefits of using your product/service. As part of our selection process, you will deliver a mock sales presentation to an audience of 2-3 members of the Senior Sales Management Team, who will play the role of your prospective customers. Note: Please come ready to present. You will not have time to prepare for this during your visit. Objective: This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your skill at presenting product or service information in small group settings. You will be assessed on your performance in six dimensions:
1. Builds rapport and engages others 2. Demonstrates product knowledge and personal confidence 3. Educates the customer

4. Presents in a focused and succinct manner 5. Effectively handles objections 6. Conveys a professional image

Try to close the deal. Guidelines: Your presentation cannot exceed 15 minutes, so carefully select and narrow your topic. Your presentation will conclude at 15 minutes, whether you are finished or not. There is no separate Question and Answer period, so you will want to build some time for this into your presentation. Seek opportunities for give-and-take with your customers rather than a straight presentation. At a minimum, please provide your audience an agenda for your presentation. You may use a product sample if demonstration is necessary to your presentation. You may also prepare and use up to two handouts (e.g., related notes or charts) if you wish. Other materials, such as flipcharts or professionally printed brochures, are not allowed. You may NOT use Power Point presentations. My Two Cents: I'd be interested to see how every candidate who applies for any job would do with this exercise. At Disney, all employees are called "cast members." When they clock-in, all employees are "in character." In a sense, everyone sells. Would your accounting people know how to cross-sell or up-sell your company's products and services if the occasion arose? What about your truckers? All things being equal, wouldn't you rather work for a company that understands the importance of appropriate yet opportunistic selling? In a tough economy, my money's on the companies that know how to engage the client across every customer touch point. You know I'm right. Now ... Can I get you anything else?
Markket research interview Question 1. Briefly walk me through your academic and professional history, I am particularly interested in why you have chosen marketing. Share your salary expectations.

2.

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

3.

What methods have you used, would you use to measure customer satisfaction? How would you go about validating your findings?

4.

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

5.

If we were to ask your previous employers, professors, co-workers and peers about your computer/technology skills what would they say are your three greatest strengths? y

6.

y Now, if we asked the same folks to share three areas that you need to work on or develop further professionally to be viewed as more computer/technology literate, what would they say? y

7.

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

8.

What are the key components necessary for effectively conducting market research? What methods have you used in the past? Which do you feel have been most effective?

9.

How would you communicate research findings?

10.

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

11.

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

12.

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

13.

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

14.

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

15.

What processes have you used to analyze research data?

16.

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

17.

Why monitor your competitors products /services?

18.

Why do market research?

19.

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

20.

In conducting professional references, what are the best and worst things we re going to hear? Best:

Worst:

1) Anticipate likely questions; (2) Develop excellent answers; (3) Practice! Be enthusiastic and confident when responding to questions. Don't rush your answers, but don't ramble on and on, either. Try to, um, avoid, like, using unnecessary words, right? And um, repeating yourself or, like, annoying phrases, you know? A good technique is to write out your answers to the questions you anticipate, then edit them to make them more concise. Then practice your polished answers out loud, over and over. If you can have someone help you do a "mock interview," that would be the best way to do this. Most questions will relate either to your ability to do the job or to the type of employee you will be. Here's one that is very commonly used to help the interviewer learn about both: "Tell me a little about yourself." When responding to this request, you should focus on both your

personal and professional values. Always be honest, but talk about your best traits only, especially those that relate to the position for which you are applying. Highlight experiences and accomplishments you are most proud of. Here's an example: "I'm an experienced communications specialist with extensive knowledge of public information tools and techniques. I've developed comprehensive communication plans for major public events, written dozens of articles accepted by worldwide publications, and created specialized educational programs for adults and students. I am always eager to learn new methods and procedures, and have implemented continuous improvement techniques in my past positions that saved money and increased productivity. I like working with people and enjoy group projects, but am also a self-starter who doesn't mind working on my own. I'm a volunteer with the local chapter of Special Olympics and enjoy participating in community events. My goals are to complete my Master's Degree and broaden my experiences with community relations." Remember to tailor your response to the specific job. By studying the job announcement, you'll get a good idea of the skills and experience being sought. Work those into your response. Consider this your own personal commercial. If the interview consisted of only this ONE chance to sell yourself, what would you say? "What do you feel has been your greatest work-related accomplishment?" Choose one example from your past that was important to you and helped the company you worked for. Give specific details about what you did, how you did it, and what the results were. Try to pick an accomplishment that relates to the position for which you are applying. Employers like to hear about accomplishments that reduced expenses, raised revenues, solved problems or enhanced a company's reputation. "What is your greatest strength?" This is a great chance to highlight your best skills. Don't pick just one, focus on your top three or four. Some examples are: leadership skills, team-building skills, and organizational skills.

Determine which strengths would fit best with the position for which you are applying. For example, if the job announcement stresses the ability to handle multiple tasks, you could say: "I'm good at organizational skills, prioritization and time management. But my greatest strength is my ability to effectively handle multiple projects and deadlines." "What is your greatest weakness?" Be careful with this one. Most interview guides will tell you to answer it with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'm a bit of a perfectionist." Interviewers have heard these "canned" answers over and over again. To stand out, be more original and state a true weakness, but then emphasize what you've done to overcome it. For example: "I've had trouble delegating duties to others because I felt I could do things better myself. This has sometimes backfired because I'd end up with more than I could handle and the quality of my work would suffer. But I've taken courses in time management and learned effective delegation techniques, and I feel I've overcome this weakness." IMPORTANT: Be sure the weakness you talk about is NOT a key element of the position! "How do you handle stressful situations?" Give some examples of stressful situations you've dealt with in the past. Tell how you use time management, problem-solving or decision-making skills to reduce stress. For example, tell them that making a "to-do" list helps. Site stress-reducing techniques such as stretching and taking a break. Don't be afaid to admit that you will ask for assistance if you are feeling overwhelmed. If it's true, say you actually work better under pressure. "What is the toughest problem you've had to face, and how did you overcome it?" Try to make this about a problem that faced your company and not just you or your particular work group. The bigger the problem, the better. Give specific examples of the skills and techniques you used to resolve this problem. Emphasize the successful results. Be generous in sharing credit if it was a team effort, but be sure to

highlight your specific role. "Have you ever had to discipline a problem employee? If so, how did you handle it?" This is a likely question if the position for which you are applying requires supervisory duties. Explain how you used problem-solving skills, listening skills, and coaching skills to help the employee. If those techniques turned the employee around, be sure to say so. If those techniques failed, tell how you followed the company's policies and what the end result was. "Why do you want this position?" Here's where your research about the company will help you stand out among the other candidates. Explain how you've always wanted the opportunity to work with a company that... provides a vital public service, leads the industry in innovative products, whatever... find something specific about that company that you can tie in with your answer. Explain how your qualifications and goals complement the company's mission, vision and values (use specific examples). If you are applying for a position in a company for which you already work, explain how you'll be able to apply and expand on the knowledge and experience you've gained from your current position, and will be able to increase your contributions and value to the company through your new responsibilities. "Why are you the best person for this job?" As with all other questions, be confident and enthusiastic when you answer this. Don't try to say you are the best qualified person, because you don't know the qualifications of the other applicants. Instead, emphasize several reasons why you should be hired. For example: "I've got extensive experience in [name the appropriate field] and have the specific skills you are looking for. I'm a fast learner who adapts quickly to change and will hit the ground running. I'm dedicated and enthusiastic about helping your company meet its goals, and will provide top-quality results with minimal oversite. I'm an outstanding performer who takes pride in my work. You won't have any regrets when you hire me." UNEXPECTED QUESTIONS

Interview questions and answers can only be predicted and prepared for to a certain extent. There are endless variations and no way to know every question in advance. But that doesn't matter. Because you know there will be unexpected questions, you will not cringe or freak out when they pop up, as some applicants will. Instead, you will turn them into opportunities to shine even more brightly. No one knows you better than you. Memorize a list of your best features, your best selling points. Use every opportunity and unexpected question to mention these. Realize that sometimes what you say isn't as important as how you say it. Be confident, enthusiastic, and remember to smile often. QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK Often the interviewer's last question is, "Do you have any questions for me?" Candidates who do not have questions show a lack of initiative and give the impression that they have minimal interest in the position. Stand out from those lazy job seekers by asking questions! Have your questions ready in advance. Relate them to the company or its accomplishments/challenges (your research of the company will show and further impress the interviewer). Don't ask any question that shows that you have not done your research about the company. Do not ask questions related to you, such as "When will I be eligible for my first raise?" or "How often will I be subjected to a performance review?" Don't bring up money. (You can do that after you are offered the job.) In addition to specific questions you develop based on what the company does, here are some sample generic questions: What do you enjoy most about working here? Be sure the person you ask actually works for the company. Some organizations, especially public agencies, have interview panels in which employees from other agencies participate.

Is there anything I've mentioned that makes you think I'm not the best candidate for this job? If they do mention something that's bothering them about you, such as lack of specific experience, this gives you a last-ditch effort to change their opinion about you. If you've thought about your possible weaknesses in advance, you should have a prepared answer to those weaknesses. For example, "I know I have limited experience in this field, but what I lack in specific experience I make up for in enthusiasm and desire to excel. I'm a fast learner and I'll work harder than anyone else to be a top producer on your team." When do you expect to make your final decision? Be sure to ask that! Failure to do so may give the impression that you're not that interested, and you need to know when to follow up.
Good Interview Questions That Are Resume-Related

With any job interview, the resume plays an integral role. From the very first phone interview to the very end, interviewers will ask a number of good interview questions based on your resume. These can take several forms; however, they will tend to be focused on getting more information on your background and trying to determine whether you have fudged on your resume. Here, are some good interview questions that are usually asked:

1. Tell Me About Yourself? 2. a. A good answer should be concise (between thirty seconds to a minute and a half) b. Avoid talking about where you were born or went to high school unless this would be beneficial to the job position. c. Instead, focus on what your current career track is and how your recent background has led to that path. In other words, if you are personal banker, state you have been working as a personal banker for the last two years at such and such and have been working on X,Y, and Z. You can even add you went to such and such college if it is relevant. d. Add in something that is safe, personal and not controversial. For instance, if you enjoy playing weekend basketball, or painting, or bowling, or whatever, be sure to say this. This is designed to

make you appear more well rounded. e. Ex. I am a business analyst who enjoys data compilation. I first got started in this field after graduating from State U with a MIS degree. Since then, I have been doing this type of research for two years at ABC Corporation and have really enjoyed the opportunity to help create databases and reports. In my free time, I enjoy following the Redskins and running. I am an avid jogger who tries to run 3 miles almost every day.

2. What 3. a. b. c.

did you do in your first job?

State generally what your basic job duties were. If you have any accomplishments state those as well. Mainly, you want to tie in whatever you did to how that relates to the current role you are looking for. d. Ex. "My first job with ABC Corporation was as a customer service representative. I would routinely take customer call-ins and help answer their questions or direct them to other representatives who could. I took a great deal of satisfaction with meeting external customers and would enjoy using that experience as a salesman for your company."

3. What are your career goals? 4. a. The safest answer here is to stay humble. You do not want to go on record for making statements like wanting to be a VP in 5 years. It is far better to remain general and state how you believe the current position would be a wonderful opportunity to grow and that your focus is on doing your next job the best you can. If you can take on additional responsibilities at a later time, that would be just fine with you. b. Ex. "I would like to continue getting more experience working on projects that are process improvement oriented. I really enjoy the framework of process improvement projects and would like to see myself take an increasingly more job responsibilities as a project manager over the course of the next five years. I think your company has an excellent reputation in this area and, would enjoy learning from your company."

4. There appears to be a 6 month gap in your resume history. What happened during this time? 5. a. How you answer this depends somewhat on what the reason was for the gap. If the gap was for a serious reason like you were in jail, you really need to be the first one to bring this issue up. However, if the reason is less serious like you were having trouble finding another job or you just didnt feel like working. I would tailor your question a little differently. b. In those cases, I would state what things you did during that time if anything: helped the family through errands and research, it

gave you the opportunity to travel, gave you an opportunity to reevaluate your career. In other words, you dont want to give off the impression that you were sitting at home playing video games and eating chips all day. c. Ex. "Since leaving XYZ Corp, I had the opportunity to reflect on my career goals and determine which direction I wanted to take with my career. This time also allowed me to spend time with my sister and strengthen my relationship with her. The time away has been great for me as I'm very excited about this opportunity and look forward to the next step in the interview process."

5. What role did you play in this organization? 6. a. Briefly state what was the purpose of the organization. If you played a minor role say so but, state what benefit you got out of the organization. b. If you played a major role, such as was an officer. Be sure to state this as well and state the type of things you did and how it relates to the position you are applying for. c. Ex. "I was a treasurer for the Spotted Owls Society. This gave me an opportunity to blend my analytical skills with my love for nature. In addition, I was able to meet a number of interesting people and gain some additional business skills regarding recordkeeping."

6. Why did you leave this type of role and move over to another role? 7. a. The two biggest concerns here are you do not want to disclose that you are (1) a flake who has no plan and is jumping around from job to job and (2) dont bad mouth your prior company. b. The best way to address this question is to show how it fits into some bigger career plan. For instance, the new position gave you more responsibilities or it gave you an opportunity to learn X skill. c. If you are a career changer, it is ok to say why you are changing careers. The important point is to key that the move is in your best interest and one you really want to do. d. Ex. "I finally had to admit that my current position was not what I wanted to do with my life. Instead of trudging along for 10 more years in a job I did not like, I decided it was far better to start doing what I am really interested in. That is why I am talking to you today. I believe this position is in line with my ultimate career goal of becoming a business director."

7. What did you like best about a certain position? What did you like least? 8. a. Your answer for what you like best should tie back into the position you are interviewing for if possible. For instance, if your current job requires giving presentations, be sure to highlight those examples from prior work experience and why you enjoyed them.

b. Your answer for what you like least should be something that is not directly related to the position you are applying for. For instance, if you are applying for a marketing position and your former position was as a personal banker, it would be ok to say you didnt like all the necessary attention of detail required to be a personal banker. This is ok for this interview because a marketing position tends to be more high level rather than detail specific. c. Be Honest. As the old saying goes, it is hard to fake honesty and sincerity. Be sincere in what you liked about the position rather than trying to fake it. Regardless of what you may think, the interviewer is likely to know something is amiss. d. Ex. "I enjoyed being a salesman because it gave me the opportunity to interact with people. I thrive off this and enjoy the interaction. Unfortunately, I had difficulty dealing with the quotas as I did not enjoy doing the paperwork to get my sales passed through. For this reason, I believe being a trainer will be a much better fit because it keys on one of my biggest strengths which is dealing with people and, it requires little paperwork as the training material has already been made.

Naturally, you can add a number of questions to this list. However, this is a good starter list to help get you thinking on how you are going to answer these questions. Remember the key here is to learn the skills on answering questions generally rather than being able to answer any one individual question. The overall flow of your interview will matter far more than having one killer answer to a tough question.