50 COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

50 COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS

Review these typical interview questions and think about how you
would answer them. Read

the questions listed; you will also find some strategy suggestions
with it.

1. Tell me
about yourself:

The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a
short statement prepared

in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit
it to work-related items

unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and
jobs you have held that

relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the
item farthest back and work up

to the present.

2. Why did
you leave your last job?

Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a
major problem with

management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the
organization. If you do,

you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about
leaving for a positive reason

such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other
forward-looking reasons.

3. What
experience do you have in this field?

Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying
for. If you do not have

specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you
consider yourself successful?

You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good
explanation is that you have

set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the
others.

5. What do
co-workers say about you?

Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific
statement or a

paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company,
always said I was the

hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill
having said it at the interview

herself.

6. What do
you know about this organization?

This question is one reason to do some research on the
organization before the interview.

Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are
the current issues and

who are the major players?

7. What
have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?

Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A
wide variety of activities can

be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones
handy to mention.

8. Are you
applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the
focus on this job and what

you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

9. Why do
you want to work for this organization?

This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the
research you have done

on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and
will easily be sensed. Relate

it to your long-term career goals.

10. Do you
know anyone who works for us?

Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization.
This can affect your answer

even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to
mention a friend only if

they are well thought of.

11. What
kind of salary do you need?

A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose
if you answer first. So, do

not answer it. Instead, say something like, That's a tough
question. Can you tell me the

range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off
guard, will tell you. If not,

say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide
range.

12. Are
you a team player?

You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready.
Specifics that show you

often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself
are good evidence of your

team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone.
This is a key point.

13. How
long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I'd
like it to be a long time. Or

As long as we both feel I'm doing a good job.

14. Have
you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?

This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like
you like to fire people. At the

same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When
it comes to the organization

versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you
will protect the organization.

Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

15. What
is your philosophy towards work?

The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation
here. Do you have strong

feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That's the type of answer
that works best here. Short

and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

16. If you
had enough money to retire right now, would you?

Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the
type of work you prefer. Do

not say yes if you do not mean it.

17. Have
you ever been asked to leave a position?

If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid
saying negative things

about the people or organization involved.

18.
Explain how you would be an asset to this organization

You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to
highlight your best points

as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little
advance thought to this

relationship.

19. Why
should we hire you?

Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not
mention any other

candidates to make a comparison.

20. Tell
me about a suggestion you have made

Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was
accepted and was then

considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for
is a real plus.

21. What
irritates you about co-workers?

This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with
anything that irritates you.

A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.

22. What
is your greatest strength?

Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good
examples:

Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your
ability to work under pressure,

Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise,
Your leadership skills, Your

positive attitude .

23. Tell
me about your dream job.

Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job
you are contending for is

it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you
plant the suspicion that you will be

dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay
genetic and say something like: A

job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and
can't wait to get to work.

24. Why do
you think you would do well at this job?

Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.

25. What
are you looking for in a job?

See answer # 23

26. What
kind of person would you refuse to work with?

Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization,
violence or lawbreaking to get

you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.

27. What
is more important to you: the money or the work?

Money is always important, but the work is the most important.
There is no better answer.

28. What
would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?

There are numerous good possibilities:

Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player,
Expertise, Initiative, Patience,

Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

29. Tell
me about a problem you had with a supervisor

Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill
of your boss. If you fall for it and

tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the
interview right there. Stay

positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a
supervisor.

30. What
has disappointed you about a job?

Don't get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include:

Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction
Company did not win a contract,

which would have given you more responsibility.

31. Tell
me about your ability to work under pressure.

You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give
an example that relates

to the type of position applied for.

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?

Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may
want another job more

than this one.

33. What
motivates you to do your best on the job?

This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples
are:

Challenge, Achievement, Recognition

34. Are
you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?

This is up to you. Be totally honest.

35. How
would you know you were successful on this job?

Several ways are good measures:

You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes
are a success.Your boss

tell you that you are successful

36. Would
you be willing to relocate if required?

You should be clear on this with your family prior to the
interview if you think there is a

chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the
real answer is no. This can

create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at
this point and save yourself

future grief.

37. Are
you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?

This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry
about the deep ethical and

philosophical implications. Just say yes.

38.
Describe your management style.

Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like
progressive, salesman or

consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on
which management

expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it
says you will manage according

to the situation, instead of one size fits all.

39. What
have you learned from mistakes on the job?

Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility.
Make it small, well

intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example
would be working too far

ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination
off.

40. Do you
have any blind spots?

Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer
blind spots. Do not reveal

any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own
discovery on your bad points. Do

not hand it to them.

41. If you
were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?

Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

42. Do you
think you are overqualified for this position?

Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well
qualified for the position.

43. How do
you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?

First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know
about, bring that up: Then,

point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.

44. What
qualities do you look for in a boss?

Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense
of humor, fair, loyal to

subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they
have these traits.

45. Tell
me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others.

Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving
technique and not the dispute

you settled.

46. What
position do you prefer on a team working on a project?

Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that
out.

47.
Describe your work ethic.

Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination
to get the job done and

work hard but enjoy your work are good.

48. What
has been your biggest professional disappointment?

Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control.
Show acceptance and no

negative feelings.

49. Tell
me about the most fun you have had on the job.

Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the
organization.

50. Do you
have any questions for me?

Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you
will be an asset to

the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be
productive? and What type of

projects will I be able to assist on? are examples.

Hope you enjoy reading this
eBook and it helps you in getting a much

better job!

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