Give An Example Of A Challenge You Had To Overcome
This interview question is a tough one and also a disliked one amongst those who find it difficult to think of the different challenges and professional hiccups they have had. Dont forget that this doesnt have to be a solitary challenge, as you might have completed it in a group or achieved the goal as a team. When you give your example, include the skills and necessary measures you took to ensure that the goal was reached and the challenge was overcome. Ideally, pick a challenge that would be relevant to the job youre interviewing for and make sure you follow the STAR format.
For more interview advice, read our blog for professional career advice such as how to calm nerves before a job interview or how to dress for a job interview. If you havent quite got to the interview stage of the job application process and youre still writing your resume, check out our resume builder and how easy it can really be to write a resume.
What Grades Did You Get In College
If they got excellent grades, this will be easy to answer. If not, look for a legitimate reason. Maybe it took them a little while to find the right major, or maybe they were doing excellent work at a job, internship, or extracurricular activity while going to school.
Red flag: The candidate has average to low grades and no good reason for it.
Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years Take Our Free Quiz Here To Figure Out The Next Step In Your Career
And even if you’ve aced the question in past interviews, somehow you seem to black out the embarrassment of fumbling through your answers. So when it comes time to interview again, you’re left sweating and tripping over your words as you try to remember how you tied together your real passion of opening up a skydiving joint with your work optimizing paid search campaigns.
In an attempt at helping you stay dry and composed in your next interview, we’ve collected a lot of those popular interview questions — curated from Glassdoor’s list of the most popular interview questions in 2015 — and supplied you with some guidance on how to nail the answers. No sweat. No tears. Minimal stumbling.
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What Techniques Do You Use To Manage Stress
Stress can affect an employee’s productivity and affect their health. Avoiding stress is not always an option in a busy work environment so it is important that candidates have a safe and reliable way to manage it.
Red flags: The candidate claims they don’t get stressed or they don’t have any techniques to mitigate the effects of stress.
What Are Some Common Misconceptions About You
“People often think I am quiet because I usually take some time before opening up. The time I spend observing people allows me to understand who they are and whats important to them. I like to have context about people so I can better interact with them. After I know you, I am very extroverted.”
Be mindful when answering this question. Word choice is very important. You want to avoid negatively charged words like stand-offish, rude, mean, cold. This question helps hiring teams understand your impression on others. Be sure to redeem yourself by describing your true, good nature and why people may misperceive you.
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What Can You Do For Us That Other Candidates Can’t
Emphasize what makes you unique when you’re asked, “What can you do for us that other candidates can’t?” This will take an assessment of your experiences, skills and traits. Summarize concisely: “I have a unique combination of strong technical skills, and the ability to build strong customer relationships. This allows me to use my knowledge and break down information to be more user-friendly.”
From Your Resume It Seems You Took A Gap Year Would You Like To Tell Us Why That Was
Gap years are more popular in some cultures than others. In some professions, gap years may have a negative connotation .
Let your interviewer know that your gap year wasnt about procrastinating over your transition from childhood to adulthood, but that it added value to the confident professional you have become. Based on what part of the world youre in and how common these are, employers are likely looking to hear stories of what you did and how your experiences have benefitted and prepared you for this role.
Provide a short explanation of why you decided to pursue a gap year, then focus on what came out of it that made a positive difference for your future.
Example: During my last year of high school, I didnt feel ready to choose my educational path, so I took a wilderness course for a few months to sort out my life goals. It may seem a little random, but the time I spent actually helped my develop so many new skills in the areas of leadership, communication, . During that time, I realized that I wanted to earn a degree in to align with my passion .
To make a winning impression, youll need to answer each question with poise and passion. But practicing first really helps. Meticulous preparation will allow you to appear confident and in control, helping position you as the ideal candidate when the competition is tough.
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How To Answer 14 Most Common Interview Questions
These questions are the ones youre bound to hear at just about any job interview – whether youre an intern, or a senior professional with a decade of work experience.
All of these questions are used to learn more about you, both as a person and a professional.
You might have heard the popular idea that theres no right or wrong answers for job interview questions.
Well, while that might be true, there ARE a set of rules you need to follow when answering these questions.
If you understand what, exactly, the interviewer is looking for with each question, youll be able to give the right answer
In this section, were going to go through 14 of the most common job interview questions and answers. Were going to explain what the HR manager wants to see in you, as well as give you sample answers you could use.
So, lets get started!
What Is Your Dream Job
This is a way of uncovering your professional passion and helps the recruiter to identify your career goals. If your dream job has nothing to do with the job in hand, depending on the type of job and situation, you might want to be honest and explain your dream job. Recruiters understand that we need part-time jobs, student jobs, and even full-time jobs to help us reach our goals so it wont come as a surprise if you dont reply this job. This could also be a taking point for the interviewer or a way to discover that you have an interest in common.
That said, if you have been climbing the career ladder and have a career goal relevant to the job post, it is definitely worth explaining your passion for the industry and goals or dream job.
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Tell Me About A Time You Failed
This question is very similar to the one about making a mistake, and you should approach your answer in much the same way. Make sure you pick a real, actual failure you can speak honestly about. Start by making it clear to the interviewer how you define failure. For instance: As a manager, I consider it a failure whenever Im caught by surprise. I strive to know whats going on with my team and their work. Then situate your story in relation to that definition and explain what happened. Finally, dont forget to share what you learned. Its OK to faileveryone does sometimesbut its important to show that you took something from the experience.
Most Common Interview Questions And Answers
10 interview questions you need to be ready for
Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes
The most important part of preparing for an interview is practice.
Knowing what job interview questions you might be asked is essential – that way, you can craft your answers well in advance, and feel confident in your responses when the pressure is on.
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Break Down Your Biggest Wins
During the week I launched my very first online course on winning freelance clients, I slept an average of 4-5 hours each night and still made it into work at my day job.
Yet still, I felt energized every single day of that week.
I was emailing back & forth with people who were considering buying my course, answering tons of questions, and giving away some of the content for free to the motivated people that simply couldn’t afford to buy it at the time. I built so many great relationships that continue to flourish. I absolutely loved it, even though it was an incredibly difficult week. This was a huge win for me.
From the events that transpired that week, I learned so much about myself in terms of which soft skills of mine continued to bubble up to the surface and help me become successful.
To name just a few, I learned that I very naturally fall into the role of becoming a personal mentor to people, I learned that I was even more open to critical feedback than I previously believed, and I got to see a direct, positive impact on how my sense of humor helped me drive clear business results. This launch experience taught me a lot about which soft skills I’d need to continue leveraging within my business.
What Salary Are You Seeking
When you’re asked, “What salary are you seeking?” it is to your advantage if the employer tells you the range first. Prepare by knowing the going rate in your area, and your bottom line or walk-away point. One possible answer would be: “I am sure when the time comes, we can agree on a reasonable amount. In what range do you typically pay someone with my background?”
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Are You A Risk
This ones pretty tricky, as the answer here depends on your profession and field.
Ask yourself – is risk-taking a valuable skill for the job?
If youre a pilot, for example, the answer should be a strict No!
If, on the other hand, youre a day trader, then risk is an essential part of your job.
So, depending on how valuable risk is for your job, answer accordingly.
You could also give a more strategic answer. Lets say, for example, you work in investment banking. You need to be a risk taker to an extent, but being too risk-friendly might make the entire company go bankrupt.
The strategy in such a case would be to show that youre all about calculated risk. Youre willing to take chances, but only when the odds are in your favor.
As with most interview questions, you should give examples of situations where you had to take risks, and what the end-results were.
Possible answers:
- Sample Answer 1:
Yes, Im a risk-taker. I believe that to achieve real results, you always need to be willing to take a certain level of risk.
Pretty much any marketing initiative you launch is tied to risk. You can plan everything from beginning till the end, but no matter how well you plan it out, things might just not work out.
Its just part of the job – in order to succeed, you need to take launch risky campaigns on a regular basis, and hopefully, one in every 5 is going to bring you massive results.
- Sample Answer 2:
What Is Your Current Salary
Your prospective employer may ask you this question, but in many places, they legally should not be asking for your salary information.
Several states and localities now bar employers from asking this question in an attempt to end pay discrimination, which can happen when employers continuously base a persons salary on what a previous employer paid them, said Brie Reynolds, career development manager and coach at FlexJobs.
Even if your prospective employer can legally ask about your current salary, Reynolds recommends turning the question around to ask how much the role typically pays. For example, Id be happy to discuss salary and Im interested to know what you had in mind for the pay range for this role.
The Economy and Your Money: All You Need To Know
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Question: How Do People Describe You
Heres another opportunity to differentiate yourself. Everyone claims to be: a hard worker, good communicator, and team player.
But how many are a: problem-solver, game-changer, leader in the industry?
Be creative, and have stories to back it up. The interviewer will want to know why someone thinks you are one of these things.
Focus on them: You want to present attributes that make you sound like the go-to guy or gal wherever you work. Even the standard answers can be taken a step further to be more valuable:
- Yes, they want hard workers, but most likely thats commonplace at their office. Maybe you work hard, but also help others work fewer hours .
- Good communicators are everywhere. But this does not mean just speaking well. It includes active listening. Do you hear things that others dont? Do you understand things quickly? Can you figure out what people are trying to tell you through other clues ?
- Being a good team player is expected, too. But what does this really mean? Getting along with everyone? Thats not hard to do if youre a nice person. Pulling your weight in the office? Again, expected. What have you done, beyond your job description, that saved the team from a disaster or helped them make an impossible deadline? Have you won an award for this?
Why Should I Hire You
The sixth most popular interview question is the most directly and obviously relevant to the job you want. Familiarise yourself with the job description and match your own skills and experience as closely as possible to what your prospective employer is looking for. If there are any gaps, make a point to address these and identify ways that you can and will improve your skill-set to give your employer the skills they need.
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If You Were An Animal Which One Would You Want To Be
Seemingly random personality-test type questions like these come up in interviews because hiring managers want to see how you can think on your feet. Theres no wrong answer here, but youll immediately gain bonus points if your answer helps you share your strengths or personality or connect with the hiring manager. Pro tip: Come up with a stalling tactic to buy yourself some thinking time, such as saying, Now, that is a great question. I think I would have to say
What Are Your Pet Peeves
Heres another one that feels like a minefield. But itll be easier to navigate if you know why an interviewer is asking it. Most likely, they want to make sure youll thrive at their companyand get a glimpse of how you deal with conflict. So be certain you pick something that doesnt contradict the culture and environment at this organization while still being honest. Then explain why and what youve done to address it in the past, doing your best to stay calm and composed. Since theres no need to dwell on something that annoys you, you can keep this response short and sweet.
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What Is Your Teaching Philosophy
This isnt a question solely for those applying to teaching positions. Employers may ask this of anyone who might be leading or teaching others. Your response will allow employers to gauge your personal skills and if you would be a good culture add. A good answer will concisely identify what you think teaching should achieve and include concrete examples to illustrate your ideas.
Example answer:When it comes to managing people, my teaching philosophy is to start by asking questions that hopefully get the person to come to a new conclusion on their own. This way, they feel ownership over the learning rather than feeling micromanaged. For example, in my last role, I was editing an article written by a copywriter I managed. The story didnt have a clear focus or hook.
In a one-on-one meeting, I asked her what she thought was the main point of the article if she had to sum it up in a sentence. From there, I asked if she thought the focus was clear in the article. She didnt think it was clear and instead thought she should rework her introduction and conclusion. As a result, the article improved and my direct report learned a valuable writing lesson that she carried into her future work.
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What Do You Know About This Industry
This is a popular question for candidates applying for junior positions or those who are changing careers. Top candidates will have a good idea of what the industry is about, the most common issues facing companies, and the type of working environment they will be coming into.
Red flags: The candidate doesn’t know much about the industry or how the company works.
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