Sunday, March 17, 2024

How To Answer Tricky Interview Questions

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What Is The One Thing That Youd Like To Change In Your Current Boss/colleagues

How to Answer Tricky Interview Questions: What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?

The interviewer is trying to figure out the rapport you share with your boss/colleagues.

It is very important not to criticize your current company or your boss. But it leaves a very bad impression.

The interviewer also wants to know how good you are at managing your boss. You can always use an example where you actually changed that one behavior.

For example: In case your boss did not give you space as a professional and you actually convinced him to delegate more and take a review every fortnight. This would present you as a thought leader who is proactive and action-oriented.

Which Part Of The Job Description Sounds Most Challenging And Why

The Trap: Are you really as experienced as you say you are? When it comes to a job description, there will likely be aspects that you can ace, and aspects that will cause you some trouble. Employers want to know if your strengths align with their greatest needs.

The Best Way to Answer: A lie about your skills will come to haunt you later, so be honest. At the same time, use the answer as an opportunity to present yourself as a candidate who is always up for a challenge, and who is sharpening your skills to keep up with that challenge.

Sample Answer: “As a visual designer, the bulk of my experience has been in graphic design, specifically logos, posters, and advertisement. I find dynamic web design more challenging, but challenges like that I live for. I just completed an online course on designing for mobile apps, and I’m currently taking another one in user experience design to ensure my abilities keep up with the latest trends.”

Tricky Interview Questions And How To Answer Them

Don’t let your job search ride on a piece of paper.

Yes, it’s important to craft a strong, accurate resume but like it or not, most jobs are secured or lost in the interview stage. Don’t let your job search ride on a piece of paper.

I never saw a resume — and only a resume — get a job. That’s why you should put as much effort as possible into preparing for interviews than you do into any other part of your job search campaign.

While there are no perfect answers, some thought and discussion about potentially tricky interview subjects can help you avoid disaster. Here is a sampling of interview questions that tend to trip up job candidates.

What salary are you looking for?

Whenever possible, I suggest that candidates not provide a specific answer to this question until the negotiations phase, after a position has already been offered. To defer the discussion, try returning the focus back to the interviewer and noting: Its hard to discuss salary without knowing more about the job or responsibilities.

Or, if you are discussing a specific job: What is your range? Then relate your experience to the salary range without being precise: I think my experience would put me near the high end of your range, dont you?

What were you making in your last job?

Have you ever been fired?

Can you work under pressure?

What did you think of your last supervisor?

What is your greatest strength?

What is your greatest weakness?

Youve moved around a lot how long would you stay with us?

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How Do You Handle Criticism

This interview question, much like questions about conflict resolution, put you on the spot about a topic that can often be uncomfortable. No one likes being criticized, but in the workplace, itâs a reality that must be addressed. Fortunately, thereâs really only one acceptable way to answer this question: you take it constructively, not personally. If you can think of an example of a time you took criticism and turned it into an opportunity for growth, even better.

What Is Your Strength:

Tricky Interview Questions with Sample Interview Answers

Another common question which is asked frequently. Mention the best things about yourself but something which is lacking in most of the people. Always give some example related to it, as in how you bring out the best results in the certain situation.

Where you were not aware of this but figured out that you are pretty good at it. Examples help to give a clearer view of the strength and show your positive side too.

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Hypothetical Interview Questions And Tips On How To Answer Them

Companies use hypothetical interview questions to understand your behavior in the workplace. During an interview, you’ll be asked a varying number of questions, which require you to employ your problem-solving skills to solve complex business challenges. Your ability to answer these questions effectively demonstrate if you’re qualified for the position and if you fit in with the company’s culture.

In this article, we outline what hypothetical interview questions are, the advantages and disadvantages of hypothetical interview questions,15 hypothetical interview questions to prepare for and tips to help you answer them.

Read more:Problem-Solving Skills: Definitions and Examples

How Did You Prepare For This Interview

I didnt prepare for the interview! is a rather bold and self-assured answer that can cost you a job. An interviewer asks this question to understand how strong your desire is to get the position.

If you really want to work for a company, youll spend some time searching for information about the potential employer and study their website. So, you should talk about it. Also, you can impress the interviewer by demonstrating your knowledge of the industry in general, like commenting on the latest events and asking relevant questions.

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Everyone Exaggerates About Something On Their Resume What Did You Embellish

This question is hoping to coax you into admitting that you have misled hiring managers with the information on your resume. Its important to remain truthful on your resume and cover letter so that you can provide an honest answer to this tricky question.

Example: I have complete confidence that my abilities and experience are accurately depicted in my resume, cover letter, and portfolio. If youd like, I can answer any questions regarding the information Ive presented. You are free to confirm those details by contacting any of my listed references.

Question: What Is Your Guilty Pleasure

7 Tricky Interview Questions & Answers! (PASS Guaranteed!)

Answer: Choose something that you can do that isnt shameful or embarrassing. For instance, my guilty pleasure is watching TV show marathons. I once watched an entire season of Star Trek: The Next Generation in two days. Something like that is a good answer. Talking about how you like to go out and get smashed wasted on alcohol is a bad answer. Just use common sense.

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Tell Me How You’ve Handled A Difficult Situation

Chances are that you’ve faced some awkward, difficult, and possibly even dangerous situations on the job. How you handle them says a lot about you as an employee and as a person.

The key to this tricky interview question is to make sure that you talk about a situation that wasn’t your fault. If you’re handling a difficult situation, but it’s obvious that you created your own troubles, it doesn’t look good. The interviewer wants to see how you handle difficult situations, and if you are able to think outside the box and keep the company’s big picture in mind.

Try to think of a time when outside forces created a stressful situation. Did you step in? Were you able to create a solution that could make everyone happy? This is your chance to show that you have problem-solving skills. Showcase these skills using the STAR method, which will help you effectively organize your response when answering this type of question.

What’s Your Biggest Weakness

The Trap: The first step to fixing a problem is admitting it. When employers ask this question, it’s not just about figuring out your weaknesses, but about finding out whether or not you’re aware of them, and if you’re intending to make changes.

How to Answer: Be modest. We all have weaknesses, and it’s okay to mention some parts of your skill set that need work. But, give your weakness a silver lining, and use your answer as an opportunity to highlight other strengths and underscore your determination to keep getting better.

Sample Answer: “I’m a perfectionist sometimes to a fault. While this means my work is always high-quality, I’ve realized that sometimes I spend more time obsessing over little details that don’t matter in the long-run, rather than moving on to my next task. I’m learning to work on prioritizing between perfectionism and efficiency, and learning about time management and productivity strategies.”

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Question: What Would You Do If The Internet Went Down

This question is posed as a simple problem solving exercise. The lazy and uninspired would probably just call IT and let them deal with it. A more practical approach would be to figure out if its something thats happening inside the building only or if there is a regional outage. For bonus points, offer to work from your home internet or even take your laptop to your local WiFi hot spot and work from there.

Why Have You Been Out Of Work

Most Difficult Interview Questions &  Answers

What They Want to Know: When they review their job candidates, a major red flag for employers is when someone has been unemployed for more than a few months. Its in their best interest to learn whether this was a result of the candidates personal weaknesses or whether there were extenuating circumstances beyond the individuals control.

After the company I worked for was sold and I was laid off, I decided to take the time to really assess my career trajectory. Although working at the call center paid the bills and it allowed me to capitalize upon my people skills, the work itself had become monotonous for me. So I decided to go back to school to finally become a physical therapist a dream I had put on hold.

More Answers: Why were you fired?

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How Do You Control Your Anger:

Anger management is another quality one tend to look at. Anger is one of the most common emotion found but managing that well is an art. This is the most tricky interview question is also essential since it shows how well you can work with your team members.

In a team, there are various kind of people and not necessarily during work, everyone is able to perform on an equal level, hence to know how you can react in such situations is helpful to answer.

Question: How Many Skis Are Sold In Sweden Every Year

Answer: This classic question can be asked a number of different ways but the point is the same. The boss is asking you how youd go about finding out this information. You can say that youd use Google Search to find data such as the population of Sweden, how often people replace their skis, and perhaps sales records from companies that are local to Sweden. Its not about finding the answer but how you go about finding the answer.

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How To Deal With A Difficult Coworker

Qualifying in the interview round for a job is like running the finals of a hurdle race. Beyond it lies all the glory, but first, you have to tackle some boulders. Not only are there any obstacles in the path, but there are competitors too. You have to cross over the barrier, as well as try your best to set yourself apart from others. Besides having all the educational qualifications and work experience for a job position, there is one other thing that you have to face. Those difficult questions, where you might find yourself going blank. Like facing a penalty kick by the best player in the opposing team. As a goalkeeper, you are there alone to defend the post. At such times, confusion may cloud the clarity of thoughts. But, remember to take a deep breath and rely on your past experiences. It is your best teacher. One such question that determines whether you excel in an interview or not is, how to deal with a difficult coworker.

Can You Tell Me Something That You Dislike About Your Current Or Most Recent Job

The top nine tricky interview questions and how to answer them

Heres another difficult interview question that some hiring managers like to use. With this, they get to assess your level of honesty, to find out what you may be looking for in your next employer, and to see if you may be a good fit for the role or companys culture. Plus, they are opening the door for you to make a mistake and really badmouth your current or last employer something thats generally a no-no.

Now, this question isnt an invitation to dish without any repercussions. As with any of the hardest interview questions around, you have to answer tactfully and strategically. You want to be open, but not to the point that it bites you in the behind.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

The main reason Im looking for a new employer is to have opportunities to advance. While I enjoyed my time with my last company and value what I learned while working with them, growth opportunities are somewhat limited at this time. As a result, I believe that its time for a new challenge if I am going to keep my career on target.

My goal is to be able to broaden my skills and experience, and a new position is the best approach for doing that. Plus, it will give me a chance to bring value to a new employer, and thats something Im genuinely excited about doing.

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If You Could Relive The Last 10 Years Of Your Life What Would You Do

What They Want to Know: This is a trick question that employers will sometimes use to see if they can trip you up and make you reveal character flaws. So, be careful not to provide too much information. Its also fine to say that theres nothing about the last 10 years that you regret.

The last 10 years have been the most exciting of my life, and I wouldnt change a thing. Ive been blessed in that Ive had so many opportunities to learn and to grow both as a professional and as a person, first in college and then in my first job at ABC Corporation.

More Answers:What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?

Tell Me About A Time You Made A Mistake At Work

Similar to the weaknesses question, this can be another slightly uncomfortable line of inquiry to answer. Keep in mind that the goal isnt to diminish you or your talent in any way. The interviewer is simply trying to discover whether youre aware of the mistakes youve made in the past and how youve overcome them.

When answering this question, be tactical but honest. You may want to pinpoint an instant at a previous job where you tried to bite off more than you could chew. That through this you learnt to seek advice from your manager when your workload gets out of hand to understand how best to prioritise your tasks. You could also highlight a moment where you felt out of your depth with a task but failed to seek help or ask questions. You can then indicate that youve learned that by asking the right questions you can improve communication and deliver better results.

Whatever answer you give, try to ensure that its relevant to your work experience. Always end on a positive statement that demonstrably shows that you have learned from your mistakes and have bettered yourself.

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What Is The Interviewer Really Asking

On the surface, the interviewer is asking you to show off a bit: this is a golden opportunity to talk yourself up and draw attention to the qualities that will make you a valuable employee. However, that wont be enough on its own, because the interviewer is also trying to gauge how serious you are about the role youre applying for.

Serious candidates, the reasoning goes, will know as much as they can about the role, and their answer will possess the two qualities that often get successful applicants over the line: specificity and relevance. The question could, therefore, be rephrased like this: What are your best specific attributes and how are they relevant to the specific demands of success in this role?

Here are some other things the interviewer will consider when evaluating your response:

  • How informed are you about the position? Do you understand what it involves? Do you know who youll be working with? Do you have a good sense of what your performance criteria will be?
  • Are your goals congruent with those of the company? Will you aim for a measure of success that benefits both you and your employer?
  • Do you care enough about the job to know what distinguishes it from other similar positions? Is it the people? The focus on a particular field of research? The training opportunities?
  • Are You Considering Any Other Jobs Similar To The Position You Are Applying For Here

    Interview Questions

    The trap: The trap here is obvious: the interviewer wants to find out whether you are also applying for other roles in other organisations. In addition, the question can also help the interviewer find out if you have previously worked in a similar position.

    The technique of answering: The best option is to give a general answer to this sort of question. Do not give a detailed answer by telling the interviewer about all the different positions you have applied for as it might give the wrong idea if your interest and skills are spread all over the place. If you are an author applying for the position of a project manager, do not mention anything about applying for a writing job or your writing career.

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