What Is Your Greatest Weakness
What They Want to Know: There are different ways to tackle questions about weaknesses. One is to turn a negative into a positive by sharing an example of how something you considered to be a weakness actually helped you on the job. The other is to speak about additional skills you now have because you worked on those that needed an upgrade.
Im an introvert, which I used to regard as being a weakness because I was always shy about reaching out to people. However, part of being an introvert is that Im a great listener, and I find this has really helped me as a Help Desk Technician. Im able to focus on our customers issues, ask the right questions to elicit information, and resolve their tech issues.
More Answers: Interview Question: What is Your Greatest Weakness?
What Will You Miss The Most About Your Current/former Job
This is a personality question in disguise. Even in a difficult work environment, top employees will develop relationships or techniques to deal with stress. Candidates should be able to provide an answer that will give you some insight into their coping mechanisms.
Red flags: The candidate hated their former job, or they don’t have an answer.
How Many Tennis Balls Can You Fit Into A Limousine
1,000? 10,000? 100,000? Seriously? Well, seriously, you might get asked brain-teaser questions like these, especially in quantitative jobs. But remember that the interviewer doesnt necessarily want an exact numberthey want to make sure that you understand whats being asked of you, and that you can set into motion a systematic and logical way to respond. So take a deep breath and start thinking through the math.
You May Like: Women’s Outfit For Job Interview
Pitch Our Company To Me As If I Were Buying Our Product/service
This is a unique and more challenging approach to the generic “What does our company do?” question. It forces candidates to not only drum up the research they’ve done to prepare for the interview, but also show they can use this research to craft a persuasive message that would be valuable in a business situation.
A good answer to this question:
This will come more naturally to some candidates than others. Above all, good answers to this interview question are able to combine an accurate definition of your company with what it offers to your core customer that they need or can’t get anywhere else.
Keep in mind that someone interviewing for a sales or marketing position might find it easier than someone interviewing for a non-client facing role — and that’s okay. You aren’t necessarily assessing their delivery. But it’ll be interesting to see how each candidate thinks through and gives their response.
Is There Anything Else Youd Like Us To Know
Just when you thought you were done, your interviewer asks you this open-ended doozy. Dont panicits not a trick question! You can use this as an opportunity to close out the meeting on a high note in one of two ways, Zhang says. First, if there really is something relevant that you havent had a chance to mention, do it now. Otherwise, you can briefly summarize your qualifications. For example, Zhang says, you could say: I think weve covered most of it, but just to summarize, it sounds like youre looking for someone who can really hit the ground running. And with my previous experience , I think Id be a great fit.
Also Check: What To Wear For An Interview Women
What Has Surprised You About This Interview Process So Far
This is a question no candidate can really prepare for, and it’ll give you some indication of how candidates are feeling about the whole thing. Plus, you can see how they think on their feet.
A good answer to this question:
You’re looking for specifics here — something about the office space the personality of the team an assignment they were given to complete.
Honest answers are good answers, and answers that are directed at you are even better, as they show the candidate is confident speaking their mind in front of decision-makers. For instance, maybe the candidate was surprised you asked them about something on their resume that they don’t personally pay much attention to.
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.
Also Check: How To Prepare System Design Interview
What Do You Know About This Company/organization
A quick search in the About page of the company/organization you are applying for should be enough, right? Well, yes and no.
Think of this as an open-ended question. Theres no real wrong answer here, other than:
Incorrect Example
I dont know anything about this organization. In fact, how did I end up here? Can you guys call me a cab real quick?
However, the more you actually know about the company, the better your chances of getting hired.
Imagine 2 equally competent candidates:
Which one would you pick? Exactly, the second one!
So, with this job interview question, you want to convince the recruiter that youre the candidate #2.
Now, how do you do that? Well, a rule of thumb here is to do some Googling before the interview and learn the following about the company:
- What does their product or service do?
- What impact does the product / service have?
- Whats the company culture like?
- What are the latest news about the company? How are they performing?
- …And pretty much whatever other type of info you can dig up.
Possible answers:
- Sample Answer 1:
I hadnt heard about you until recently, actually. I found out about through your job ad on RandomJobBoard.
- Sample Answer 2:
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
Don’t Miss: How To Prepare System Design Interview
What Personality Types Do You Work Well With Why
This question is not designed for office matching. Rather, it provides insight into the candidate’s awareness of personality traits. If a candidate knows their own personality and the type of people they like to work with, they can contribute to a stable work environment.
Red flag: The candidate does not know.
Do You Have Any Regrets
Employers might ask this question to get a self-assessment on possible shortcomings in your life. To answer this question, you might choose to say that you do not have any regrets in life for a certain reason. Be sure to let them know that you have made mistakes, you have learned from them to become better. If not, you might select a regret or shortcoming that is both professional and would not hinder your ability to perform the job in any way.
Example:I do always wish I had known what I wanted to do very early on in my career. Having more years to grow and advance would help me be even better at my job. However, I learned skills in my previous career that I wouldnt have otherwise learned that help my in me in my job today.
Also Check: System Design Interview Prep
Tell Me Something About Yourself
How hard can it be to talk about yourself? We do it on a daily basis without much thought to it.
However, recruitment managers are not looking for your whole life story, your third-grade achievements, or what you had for dinner last night. Instead, they are looking for a pitch.
This is usually the first question asked in an interview, so it acts as your introduction. Make sure your answer is relevant to the position you are applying for. What you should be aiming for here is to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the job.
A good rule of thumb is to structure your talking points as follows:
- Briefly introduce yourself: Whats your name? How long have you been working as ?
- What do you love about your job?
- What are your top 2-3 achievements that are relevant to the job youre applying for?
Now, lets go through some examples:
Possible Answers for “Tell me About Yourself”:
- Sample Answer 1:
Hey! So, my name is John Doe and Ive worked as a business analyst for 5+ years in Company X and Company Y.
I have some background in data analysis, having studied Information Systems at University.
Throughout my career, Ive done some pretty impressive stuff .
For example, at Company X, I led a project for migrating all operations data to a new data warehousing system to cut down on costs. The new solution was a much better fit for our business, which eventually led to savings of up to $200,000 annually.
- Sample Answer 2:
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.
You May Like: How To Prepare System Design Interview
What Is Your Definition Of Hard Work
Some organizations move at very different paces, and this question is an effective way to tell whether your candidate will be able to keep pace with the rest of the team. It also helps you identify someone who is a “hard worker in disguise,” meaning someone who might currently be at a slow-moving organization or in a role that is not well-suited to them, but wants to work somewhere where they can really get their hands dirty.
A good answer to this question:
A good answer doesn’t have to produce evidence of hard work — it should rather reveal if your candidate knows what it takes to get something done and solve the problems it was designed to solve.
Answers that talk about working hard by working smart are great, as well. Always listen for this — putting in the work to find the best way of doing something is often just as important as the task itself.
What Are Three Positive Things Your Former Boss Will Say About You
This is another way of asking “what are your strengths?” Except, in this case, the candidate can name anything that they feel will be advantageous to the company including soft skills, hard skills, personality traits, or work experience.
Red flags: The candidate doesn’t think their former boss would say anything nice about them, or the candidate simply names skills listed in the job description.
Also Check: Design Interview Preparation
Tell Me About A Time You Overcame An Obstacle
Employers ask this question to understand how you deal with difficulties. You can use the STAR method when answering behavioral interview questions like this. Provide a brief summary of the situation, your role in the situation, the action you put into place to resolve the issue, and how the issue was resolved as a result.
Example:I worked as a retail manager at a department store during prom season. A customer purchased a dress online and had it delivered to the store where it was accidentally purchased by another customer. Before calling the original buyer, I located the same dress at another location nearby. I ordered it to be pressed and delivered to her home the morning of prom with a gift card to thank her for her understanding. The customer immediately wrote us a five-star review on several review sites.
Related: 21 Tough Open-Ended Questions
Tell Me About A Time When It Was Hard For You To Do Your Job What Did You Do To Resolve The Problem
Even the most skilled manager will find it hard to do their job once in a while. Maybe they had a problem with their superior. Maybe they had a conflict with a direct-report.
Asking this question can help you get a better idea of how the candidate will react when their job doesnt live up to their expectations.
Did they exercise their problem-solving skills and figure out a way through the issue? Did they make excuses and push the blame off on someone else? Or did they prioritize their responsibility and resolve the problem as quickly as possible?
Recommended Reading: Questions To Ask A Cfo
Tell Us About The Most Challenging Projects You Have Managed So Far What Were The Steps You Have Taken To Tackle The Challenges
Here, the interview panel wants to know how you respond to critical challenges and deal with conflicting situations in a project. It would be best if you did not refer to examples where you had to manage tough team members or lack of support from management. As a project manager, you should be smart enough to handle such occurrences. Instead, focus on external factors like a situation where the project was unexpectedly called off, or funding was reduced in the middle of an extensive project. Also, you should explain how you tackled the challenges and managed the team during tough situations.
To That End Weve Spent The Past Few Months Reaching Out To Some Of The Smartest And Most Thoughtful Operators In Our Network To Pose A Simple Question: Whats Your Favorite Interview Question And Why
The responses we got back were first class. What follows is an exclusive list of 40 interview questions, sent to us by the sharpest folks weve met or just outright admire. Some of the questions are short and sweet, some are probing and unexpected, others hinge on targeted follow-ups. Broken down by topic, they tackle everything from how candidates understand the role and process feedback to their first summer job, worst boss, and the last time they changed their mind. Most importantly, these incredible founders and company builders break down why they lean on these questions and what to look for in the answers you hear.
We hope this collection serves as a rich jumping off point that you can leverage as you design your own process, whether youre building it from scratch or looking to give it a refresh as you double-down on hiring. Lets get started.
Got a favorite interview question of your own? Tell us on Twitter or. Well compile the best submissions and share them withFirst Round Review newsletter subscribers.
Also Check: Questions To Ask Cfo During Interview
What Do You Consider To Be Your Weaknesses
What your interviewer is really trying to do with this questionbeyond identifying any major red flagsis to gauge your self-awareness and honesty. So, I cant meet a deadline to save my life is not an optionbut neither is Nothing! Im perfect! Strike a balance by thinking of something that you struggle with but that youre working to improve. For example, maybe youve never been strong at public speaking, but youve recently volunteered to run meetings to help you get more comfortable when addressing a crowd.
Read More:4 Ways to Answer What Is Your Greatest Weakness? That Actually Sound Believable
Tell Me About Yourself/your Work Experience
Begin your answer with an overview of your highest qualification then run through the jobs you’ve held so far in your career.
You can follow the same structure as your CV, giving examples of achievements and the skills you’ve picked up along the way. Don’t go into too much detail – your interviewer will ask you to expand on any areas where they’d like more information.
Recommended Reading: Questions To Ask The Cfo In An Interview
Fascinating But Fun Things To Ask To Calm Things Down
via: Pexels / CoWomen
Interviews can be really boring. So why not use these fun interview questions to liven it up?
Here are 3 interesting but fun interview questions:
45. Name a person, alive or dead, that you would want to meet and why?
Actors, presidents, or musicians. Who would they pick?
46. How would you sell hot cocoa in Florida?
This sales pitch may just land them the position.
47. If you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them how would you choose which ones to answer?
To be honest, deleting all of them is really the only answer.
What Single Project Or Task Would You Consider Your Most Significant Career Accomplishment To Date
Lou Adler, author of The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired and Hire With Your Head, spent 10 years searching for the single best interview question that will reveal whether to hire or not hire a candidate — and this was the one.
A good answer to this question:
Candidates’ answers will tell you about their prior success and sense of ownership. A great answer will show they are confident in their work and professional choices while being humble enough to show they care about the company’s success. For example, if a candidate built a sales or marketing campaign they’re particularly proud of, listen for them to explain how the business benefited from it. Did it help the company sign a major client?
You May Like: Mailscoop Io
