18 smart answers to tough interview questions
Some job interviewers ask tough questions to trip you up or to get you to reveal information you may be trying to conceal. Others want to get a better n of your thought process or e how you respond under pressure.
In her book “301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions, ” Vicky Oliver says in order to prevail, you need to “trounce your competition.”
“You could be competing against someone with three times your experience, or converly, against someone who can do the job at half your salary level, ” she says.
One of the best ways to stand out: have the smartest answers to the toughest questions.
1. Q: You have changed careers before. Why should I let you experiment on my nickel?
A: As a career-changer, I believe that I’m a better employee becau I’ve gained a lot of diver skills from moving around. The skills help me solve problems creatively.
2. Q: What if you work here for five years and don’t get promoted? Many of our employees don’t. Won’t you find it frustrating?
A: I consider mylf ambitious, but I’m also practical. As long as I am continuing to learn and grow within my position, I’ll be a happy camper. Different companies promote people at different rates, and I’m pretty confident that working for you will keep me motivated and mentally stimulated for veral years to come.
3. Q: If you knew that things at your company were rocky, why didn’t you get out of the company sooner?
A: I was working so hard to keep my job while everyone around me was being cut that I didn’t have any time left over to look for another job. With all of the mergers that have been happening in our field, layoffs are a way of life. At least I gave it my best shot!
4. Q: From your resume, it looks like you were fired twice. How did that make you feel?
A: After I recuperated from the shock both times, it made me feel stronger. It’s true that I
was fired twice, but I managed to bounce back both times and land jobs that gave me more responsibility, paid me more money, and were at better firms.
The morale here is very high. I’ve been expod to the “amy underbelly” of this business, but I’m still passionate about working in it.
5. Q: You majored in philosophy. How did that prepare you for this career?
A: Philosophy didn’t prepare me for a career in architecture at all. But it did force me to become philosophical about my prospects. After two years of trying to figure out what to do with my life, I visited Chicago one weekend, and was absolutely spell bound by the gorgeous architecture all around me.
I came home, applied to architecture schools all over the country, and was accepted by one of the best. I’ve never looked back…this is definitely the career that I was meant to be in.
6. Q: What do you view as your risks and disadvantages with the position we are intervie
wing you for?
A: I think that with the home office located halfway across the globe, there is a very small risk that one might not have the chance to interact with the key decision makers as often as might be ideal. On the other hand, teleconferencing, email, faxing, and having a 24/7 work ethic will go a long way towards bridging the gap.
7. Q: We love women at this company, but our clients are from [xyz country] and so we were thinking of hiring a man for this particular job.
A: Why is that, exactly? It ems to me that I am probably more qualified to handle this position than anyone, man or woman.
My father’s career as a diplomat took our family around the world ven times, and I even spent my junior year abroad in the Far East. I would need far less training than an American man who grew up here and has never worked outside our borders.
8. Q: Can you describe your dream job?
A: This is my dream job and that’s why I approached you about it in the first place. I am excited about the prospect of helping your promotion agency upgrade and fine tune your loyalty programs.
9. Q: What would you do if you really wanted to hire a woman under you, and you knew the perfect candidate, but your boss really wanted to hire a man for the job?
A: I’d recommend that we perform an on-site “test, ” by hiring both candidates on a freelance basis for two weeks each.
10. Q: What if you worked with someone who managed to take credit for all your great ideas. How would you handle it?
