Responding to tough interview questions
Ken Pelczarski | TLT Career Coach November 2014
Be prepared! This dirty dozen is intended to catch you off guard and reveal weaknesses.
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HAVE YOU HAD JOB INTERVIEWS where you did not give your best possible answer to one or more questions? Below are 12 of the most common tough questions to expect in a job interview. Your answers will say a lot about you and can be pivotal in whether or not you receive a job offer. The good news is that with preparation, including company research, you should handle these questions with ease.
1. Tell me about yourself. This is a challenging question because it is so open ended. Be prepared since it can easily set the tone for the entire interview. No matter how you answer this question, present your answer in a confident, organized and concise manner. Keep your answer brief (30-60 seconds) unless the employer is interested in hearing more.
First, ask the employer what aspects of your life he/she would most like to hear about. If you are given free reign, focus on career goals and experience as well as what drives you. Do not simply go through your resume job by job. Of many possible approaches, I recommend several.
One approach is to use your elevator pitch if you have composed one for networking purposes. Give a 30-second presentation describing your primary skill set, interests and goals as they relate to your next career move.
Another idea is to summarize career experience and goals chronologically. Talk about (a.) where you’ve been in the past, (b.) how you’ve progressed, (c.) where you are currently and (d.) what you want to achieve in your next career move.
Another great approach is to focus on why you are there at the interview today. Describe the company research you have done and the reason for your interest in the position and the company. Tie this information into why this opportunity fits with your career goals and why you would be a major contributor to the organization.
2. What is your biggest weakness? This is challenging because you do not want to emphasize a weakness that may be seen as potentially affecting job performance. Describe weak points either (a.) not crucial to job performance for the specific role, (b.) in which you are less proficient than areas of strength, (c.) you have taken steps to improve and/or (d.) that are personal tendencies you keep under control.
For example, you may state that you have a tendency to take on a lot of responsibility in cases where you can delegate to others but you’ve learned to balance work load by making a short list every evening of tasks to delegate.
3. What are your strengths? Present your skill set as it relates to the specific role. Research the company culture, study the job description and learn about the hiring manager’s background in advance of the interview in order to determine which talents you want to emphasize to the employer. Be ready to give examples of how each strength has helped you succeed in specific job situations.
4. What is your proudest career success? Make your strongest impression in the interview by presenting a success story in which you were a key contributor involving (a.) a difficult project, (b.) saving or making the company money and/or (c.) positioning your employer for future success and profitability. Choose a success story, if possible, that resulted in an individual award or special recognition from your company or industry. Document career successes regularly so you can easily choose one to which the employer will relate.
5. What is your most disappointing career failure? Highly successful people often fail many times before experiencing great success. Failure is not an embarrassment, especially if it becomes a learning experience to increase chances of future success.
The ideal failure to describe is one (a.) which involved a large, complex project, (b.) in which you were a key contributor, (c.) which proceeded a long way before falling short of complete success, (d.) where new ideas were learned along the way and (e.) which turned into a success at a later date because of your individual contributions.
6. What three words best describe you? Use powerful words that describe characteristics critical to success in the job for which you are interviewing. Similar to discussing your strengths, be ready to give examples of how each trait has helped you succeed in specific job situations. Choose a combination of three words that describe different, but synergistic positive traits. Following are possible word choices: honest, ethical, reliable, creative, resourceful, intelligent, responsible, accountable, assertive, proactive, determined, persistent, diligent, goal-oriented, successful, driven, positive attitude, optimistic, team player, relationship builder, adaptable, flexible, leader, perceptive, analytical, logical.
7. Where do you want to be in 3-5 years? Be clear about type of advancement, if any, you are looking to achieve in the next few years. It may be difficult to target an exact position title or predict what position will be available in the company. That is the reason to express flexibility in how you want to advance. State that it should be a mutual decision based on individual goals and company needs.
Avoid being narrow in your thinking, and mention several positions that may interest you down the road, such as laboratory manager, technical service manager or product manager. If you are looking for fast growth, emphasize above all that you desire an opportunity that will provide new learning, increasing responsibilities and challenges and maximum utilization of your skill set.
8. What year were you born? This is one of several common discriminatory questions you might encounter in a job interview. The first thing to evaluate is if the employer is attempting to discriminate by age or if this is an innocent question.
Uncover the reason behind the question since age should not be a factor in ability to perform a job. The employer has a right to learn things about you during latter stages of your career such as (a.) your motivation to achieve big things, (b.) your physical condition and energy level related to performing the job, (c.) your fit into a youthful company culture, (d.) your ability and willingness to learn new technologies and procedures and (e.) how many years you plan on working full-time. Revealing your specific age is fine if you don’t think discrimination is intended or that it will hurt your chances of getting a job offer.
9. Would you lie to a customer to secure a large piece of business? This is a behavioral/situational type question that is becoming increasingly common in job interviews. Employers may evaluate ethics by looking at your willingness to sacrifice principles in order to gain short-term business at the expense of long-term success and relationship building. Lying to a customer can easily affect trust and future business.
Respond by saying that you don’t recommend even white lies because they can affect promises to the customer in areas of product, pricing, service or delivery. State that you want to work for a company that builds long-term relationships with customers by being transparent with them (e.g., about upcoming price increases).
10. What salary do you desire? This is a delicate issue for which serious discussions should be reserved until late in the interview process. Provide a brief, professional response giving the employer a feel for your views and attitude on salary, without stating a specific salary figure or range desired.
Below are a few of many possible responses to the salary question:
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Money is important, but the company, position and opportunity are much more important, so let’s talk first about my ability to perform the job and accomplish company objectives and my fit into the company culture.
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I am a top performer in my field and hope to prove to you that I am worth near the top of your ideal salary range.
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I cannot give you a specific figure because it is dependent upon the overall compensation package as well as the overall opportunity.
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I do not have a specific figure in mind and would expect to be paid according to the level of job responsibility, my experience, my expected contribution and my past successes.
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I am currently earning a salary in the 90s plus bonus, and under normal circumstances would expect financial incentive to make a move (if you know you are underpaid, express this point, and state that you wish to prove you are worth an above average salary increase).
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Similar positions in the industry are paying in the range of $100,000 to $120,000, and you will receive every penny of value if I am paid at the top of that range.
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The job opportunity is outstanding, and I would definitely consider your best competitive job offer.
Keep salary discussions brief at early stages of the interview and focus on proving your value and benefit to the employer.
11. Why are you interested in this position? Based upon your research of the company as well as interview discussions, convey that the position is a logical step for you and that it should benefit your career in the short- and long-term. Impress upon the employer that you can envision yourself being challenged and enjoying the role on a daily basis.
Emphasize strongly the reasons you are interested in the position when compared to your current job in areas such as (a.) increased responsibility, (b.) greater challenge, (c.) a more satisfying or meaningful role, (d.) a step up into management, (e.) new areas of learning, (f.) more customer interaction, (g.) more visibility, (h.) greater growth potential and (i.) joining a more stable and/or progressive company.
12. Why should we hire you? This question is frequently asked toward the end of an interview and is a tremendous opportunity for you to summarize the interview and move closer to a job offer.
Emphasize you are not only capable of doing the job but that you will be highly successful in the position based on your past experience. Point out that experience and capabilities are only half the battle and that individual motivation is critical as well. Stress your motivation to sink your teeth into this role and be a top performer. Also, emphasize your strong interest in the company and the position and that you are likely to stay with the employer for a long time. Finally, point out that you rank this opportunity above all others currently and you want to get started on this new career path as soon as possible.
Do your interview preparation and be pumped, not stumped, when you are asked these questions!
Ken Pelczarski is owner and founder of Pelichem Associates, a Chicago-based search firm established in 1985 and specializing in the lubricants industry. You can reach Ken at (630) 960-1940 or at pelichem@aol.com.