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- How to Answer Interview Questions - Q49 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeWhat are your hobbies? Asking about your hobbies and interests seems like an odd interview question, but companies are asking more and more of those ‘personality’ type questions these days in an effort to make sure that you’re going to be a good cultural fit for the organization. And the ...
Views: 1504 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q48 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeWhat are your advantages and disadvantages? This job interview question is another way to get at what your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a candidate are. But in this particular one, they’d like a list of the pros and cons of hiring you. Don’t let it throw you. It is a beautiful ...
Views: 1876 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q47 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeWhat are some of your greatest and/or proudest accomplishments? This is a great job interview question, but a lot of people don’t do it or themselves justice when they answer it. One of the worst mistakes people make is that they will say that their greatest or proudest accomplishment is ...
Views: 1392 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q46 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeWe are looking for someone with experience…or, You don’t have enough experience—why should we hire you? If you’re a new graduate, or if you’re switching careers, you might get asked this question, especially early on in the process, like in a phone interview. It is a challenge, but don’t let ...
Views: 1478 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q45 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeThere’s no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? Let’s see….Lake Tahoe, lying on the beach holding a fruity drink with an umbrella in it, riding my horse through the mountains, at the bank counting the millions of dollars I just won in ...
Views: 1713 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q44 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeTell us about a time that you went against corporate directives. Why? How did it turn out? I once did a survey of job seekers as part of my mock interview program, asking them to give me actual questions they’ve been asked in job interviews, and this was one of the responses. I almost ...
Views: 1450 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q43 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeTell us about a failed project. This is a more specific version of “Tell us about a time when you failed.” This is a big behavioral interview question. Why do hiring managers want so badly to ask about your failures? It’s because we’ve all failed at one time or another and how we deal with ...
Views: 1585 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q42 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeTell me your life story (more of your personal history). Hiring managers want to find out as much as they can about you in the interview. It’s a little bit of a risk management thing. The more they know, the less likely they’ll make a mistake by extending you a job offer. But even if they ...
Views: 1467 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q41 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeTell me about yourself. Some people think this is an icebreaker question because it’s one of the first questions they ask you in the interview (and because in normal circumstances, it is an icebreaker question). So they answer it like they would in a social situation and say something along ...
Views: 1590 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q40 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeTell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it? If you’re interviewing for a management-level job, you will almost certainly be asked this question at some point. Nobody likes to give negative feedback, but if you supervise anyone, it’s a ...
Views: 1644 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q39 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeTell me about a time when you failed. The key to answering the failure question is that you can’t say you’ve never failed. I know you probably really want to, because you don’t want to be seen in a bad light. But you can’t. And it’s OK. Everybody fails. If you’ve never failed, it ...
Views: 1458 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q38 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeTell me about a time when you faced a difficult situation with a co-worker. “Works well with others” is a major skill we’re judged on from kindergarten right on into the workplace. (If only we didn’t get so many ‘opportunities’ to hone that particular skill!) That’s why you get job ...
Views: 1509 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q37 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeTell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss about a way that something should be done. How did you handle that? You can’t get away with saying, “That’s never happened. I’ve never disagreed with my boss.” Everybody, at some point, has disagreed with a decision the boss made about ...
Views: 1637 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q36 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeSituational Response Question: An airplane landed in the parking lot. What would you do? Most situational interview questions are like behavioral interview questions. They have some direct relation to the job…like, “You are introducing a new policy to the group and facing opposition. How ...
Views: 1885 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q35 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeIs there anything I haven’t told you about the company that you’d like to know? Toward the end of the interview, hiring managers will ask some version of, “Do you have any questions for me?” Your answer is ALWAYS going to be “yes.” You always want to have a list of questions to ask in ...
Views: 1467 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q34 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeIf you were a tree, what kind of a tree would you be? This is definitely a wacky question. Sometimes it’s “what animal would you be?” or even “What fruit would you be?” You might think it’s ridiculous, but you still have to play along, or you’ll upset the interviewer. They’re asking ...
Views: 1712 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q33 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeIf you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person? This is a ‘work style’ type of question. But it’s a complicated one. Employers really want both. If you’re a big-picture person, they’d like for you to also be able to handle the ...
Views: 3790 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q32 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeIf you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently? Hmmm….what would I do differently? I wouldn’t speed when I was going to get a ticket… I wouldn’t have invested money in those stocks… I wouldn’t have bought those shoes… Maybe those kinds of things ...
Views: 1558 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q31 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeIf you could be any animal which one would you be and why? Some hiring managers really like these weird interview questions. Some think it’s going to reveal more about your character, and others just want to know what you really act like when you’re under stress or just thrown a curve ball. ...
Views: 1573 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q30 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeIf we hire you, what will we know about you a year down the road? Some candidates might wander off the path they should be on with this question (as many do with “Tell me about yourself”) and start talking about how they’ll know you like football, that you make a mean cheese dip, or that you ...
Views: 1658 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q29 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeI noticed that you are applying for a position that is not as senior as your past positions. Why would you consider a job that is, in effect, a demotion for you? This is a question you might get asked early on in the process, like in a phone interview. If you have a lot of experience, it’s ...
Views: 1451 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q28 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team? The best way to go about establishing credibility with anybody in any situation is to ask really great questions and try to understand the situation before trying to do any kind of magic trick. (Incidentally, this ...
Views: 2801 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q27 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you? It’s not ideal to work for someone who does, in fact, know less than you. In fact, it’s kind of aggravating. But typically, they don’t know less than you in all areas. There is usually a reason they are where they are. ...
Views: 1470 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q26 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow was your working relationship with your previous supervisor? How was your working relationship with your last boss? This is an attitude question for sure. They don’t really care about your last boss, they care about you. Hiring managers know that past behavior predicts future ...
Views: 1492 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q25 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow much did / do you make? Here’s a question guaranteed to make you uncomfortable in the job interview process. It’s one of the big hot-potato questions. No one wants to say a number first. But you don’t have to feel pressured or stressed. There are some great ways to handle this ...
Views: 1481 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q24 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow long would you plan to stay with us? Asking about your future plans in this way is really not asking you about your future plans. You don’t have to go into your 5-year life plan or your career goals. It’s a brief question that requires only a brief answer. Personally, my response to ...
Views: 1435 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q23 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow long will it take for you to make a significant contribution? I love, love, love this question. This is a ‘roll out the red carpet, here’s your golden ticket’ opening to introducing your 30-60-90-day plan. If you’ve never heard of a 30 60 90 day plan, it’s very simple: it’s a ...
Views: 1399 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q22 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow have you responded to a colleague who is putting you down at work? This is a pretty specific question, but it’s basically just another version of “How do you react in difficult situations?” This type of question is often asked in one version or another in behavioral interview situations. ...
Views: 1380 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q21 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow does this position fit in with the career path you envision for yourself? I think a lot of people shoot themselves in the foot with this career path question. To be fair, it is a hard question to answer, like “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” or “What are your long-term goals?” ...
Views: 5821 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q20 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow do you rate yourself as a professional? There are people who will tell you that your automatic response to rating yourself (on a scale of 1 to 10) should be “11”. They say that anything less would be admitting a weakness. I don’t agree. An over-the-top answer like that is bragging, ...
Views: 1630 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q19 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow do you handle stress and pressure on the job? Hmmm….how DO you handle on-the-job pressure? I cry, yell, or complain. I hide in the bathroom. I love stress! It’s so motivating! I don’t get stressed. Obviously, they want your answer to be (c) or (d)…either one works. Either ...
Views: 1403 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q18 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow do you evaluate success? I think the answer to this question has to be related directly to your work. Don’t wax philosophical about what success really is, or what a successful life is all about. If you go into a philosophical explanation, you’ll knock yourself out of a job. They ...
Views: 1361 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q17 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow do you deal with stressful situations? If I got asked about how I deal with stressful situations, the first thing that would pop into my head is, “You mean like this one?” (Job interviews are very, very stressful. The way you deal with that stress is recognizing that it’s going to be ...
Views: 1449 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q16 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow do you deal with difficult customers? Dealing with difficult customers is a fact of life for a TON of jobs: sales reps, customer service reps, retail store clerks, receptionists, restaurant waitstaff, and a hundred other service-industry jobs. The people in those roles are in the ...
Views: 1500 - A “Normal” Interview at Starbuck’s - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2012 from Beth SmithI love it when an opportunity presents itself to listen in on a “normal” interview. Arriving early for an appointment at a Starbuck’s in the Denver area, I was enjoying an amazing cup of black tea as the store manager began interviewing for a potential staff member. As effective interviewing is ...
Views: 1497 - How to Answer Interview Questions – Q15 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow do I know you still have the ‘fire in the belly’ to do this job? If you’re of a ‘certain age’ in the job search, you already know that age is a big issue. It’s a very real obstacle to getting a job. Older workers have a reputation of not being up on the latest technology, not being ...
Views: 1406 - How to Answer Interview Questions – Q14 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow did you deal with the situation the last time your boss chastised you or strongly disagreed with a statement, a plan or a decision you made? There are a lot of potential landmines lurking in this behavioral interview question. Maybe your knee-jerk reaction would be to say, “Why, I ...
Views: 1616 - How to Answer Interview Questions – Q13 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHow can you apply your specific skills to help the organization achieve sustainable growth and generate revenue? To answer this question, it’s very important that you understand the role you’re applying to fill. If they ask you in the interview how you can apply your skills in “X, Y, and ...
Views: 1749 - How to Answer Interview Questions – Q12 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHave you ever had difficulty working with a supervisor/manager? When your interviewer asks, “Have you ever had difficulty working with a supervisor or manager?” they’re not really asking about your past supervisors. They’re asking about you. They want to know how you are to work with. The ...
Views: 1604 - How to Answer Interview Questions – Q11 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeHave you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it? Asking about any difficulties with team projects in the past is a great behavioral interview question, and interviewers love to ask it. At some point, everybody’s been on a team where someone ...
Views: 4491 - Nursery jobs working: Part time vacancy for promising candidates - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2012 from Brent KortonHave you ever thought of working as a temporary teacher with different nurseries? If no then consider this job as many nursery jobs working are available for those willing to replace absent or outgoing teachers in different educational institutions. The advantage of this job is that you would ...
Views: 802 - The Power of the Interviewer - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2012 from Beth SmithI have had several people relate to me that before becoming clients of mine, they had experiences such as “You should have seen this person in the interview! They were amazing! And then I had to fire them two weeks later. What did I miss?” The answer to this burning question is that many hiring ...
Views: 1058 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q10 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeGive me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work. If you get asked to describe a time you went above and beyond the call of duty on the job, be thrilled because this is a great behavioral interview question that has the potential to make you look ...
Views: 1852 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q9 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeGive me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree. Even though a good STAR story is the backbone of answering Behavioral Interview questions, here’s one interview question where it’s actually a good thing NOT to have a great story for. ...
Views: 7291 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q8 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeDo you prefer working in a team or alone? Even though asking if you prefer working independently or as part of a team is a standard job interview question, it’s also a bit of a tricky one. I can’t think of any job that doesn’t at some point require both work styles. So even though you ...
Views: 2283 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q7 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeDescribe yourself to me in one word. Sometimes job interviewers try to get inside your head. Why? Hiring you feels like a gamble to them and they don’t like it. The person who hires you has a big stake in you doing well on the job. Remember the 4 unasked questions of every hiring ...
Views: 1723 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q6 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeDescribe your work style. Do you know what your work style is? This is a popular interview question, but a lot of people go wrong in their answers because they don’t understand what that employer really wants to know. They’re not interested in your personality or your likes and dislikes ...
Views: 1862 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q5 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeDescribe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them. Job interviews are like very intense speed dating. They’ve got to get to know you well in a very short time. For many ...
Views: 2731 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q4 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeDescribe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it. Asking you to describe difficult situations (and your reactions to them) is a favorite tactic of interviewers. It’s called behavioral interviewing. Behavioral interview questions get way past your basic skills and ...
Views: 2281 - How to Answer Interview Questions - Q3 - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2014 from Peggy McKeeDescribe a time when your work was criticized and how you handled it. Have you ever been asked this question? I know…to you, it feels like oral surgery without the Novocain…but interviewers love behavioral interview questions because they tell them so much about you—in the story you choose ...
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