Suggested Questions and Answers for Interview

Job interviews are usually the clincher in the job application process. Even the most
intelligentcandidate can fail if he doesn't know how to handle an interview. The best way to make
sure thatwe succeed in this very important step is not only to know what possible questions will be
askedbut also to know the best answer to give for each question.
Q: Tell me about yourself.
: ! put my heart into everything ! do" whether it be sports or work. ! find that getting along withyour
peers and being part of the team makes life more enjoyable and productive.
Q: How much is the salary you are expecting
: !'m looking for a job and a company to call home. The most important thing to me will be the job
itself and the company. !f ! am the right person for you" !'m sure you'll make a fair offerappropriate
to my job responsibilities" e#perience" and ability to do the job successfully. $ay !ask what figure
you have in mind or perhaps the salary range for this position%
Q: !hy do you want to wor" here
: ! am not looking for just another paycheck. ! enjoy my work and ! am proud of my profession.!
believe &name the company you are applying for' has superior service and reputation. ! sharethe values
that make this possible" which should enable me to fit in and complement the team. !believe that
the company can provide me with a stable and happy working environment. ! thinkthat your
company has that reputation and that such an atmosphere would encourage my bestwork. &(lease
make sure that you have read the company)s profile before you answer this'
Q: !hat did you disli"e about your last #ob
: ! really liked everything about the job. The reason ! left is to find a position where ! can makea
greater contribution and a greater intellectual challenge.
Q: !hat have you learned from the #obs you have held
: $ore than anything" ! have learned that what is good for the company is also good for me.*o" !
listen very carefully to directions and always keep my superiors informed of my actions.
Q: !hat do you thin" are your biggest accomplishments
: lthough ! feel my biggest achievements are still ahead of me" ! am proud of my
involvementwith &mention the job or project you are most proud of and how you contributed to
accomplishing as its goals'. ! made my contribution as part of that team and learned a lot in the
process. +e alldid it with hard work" concentration" and an eye on the bottom line.
Q: How long would you stay with our company
: ! take directions well and love to learn. s long as ! am growing professionally" there is no
reason for me to make a move. ,ow long do you need me to be of use there%
Q: $an you wor" under pressure
- .es" ! usually find it stimulating. ,owever" ! believe in planning and proper time managementto
reduce panic deadlines within my area of responsibility.
Q: How do you handle tension
: Tension is caused when you let things pile up. !t is usually caused by letting other areas
ofresponsibility slip by for a period of time. ! find that if you break those overwhelming tasks
intolittle pieces" they aren't so overwhelming anymore. *o ! suppose" ! handle tension by
handlingthe causes of it" by not letting things slip in other areas that can give rise to it.
Q: !hat interests you most about this #ob
: /efore ! answer" could ! ask you to describe a typical day for me% ! am looking for a
challengeand an opportunity to being a team player and an opportunity to make a contribution.
Q:%escribe a situation in which your wor" or idea was critici&ed.
: ! listened carefully and resisted the temptation to interrupt or defend myself. Then ! verifiedwhat !
heard to be sure my facts were straight. ! asked for advice" we bounced some ideasaround" then
came back later and re0presented the idea in a more viable format. $y supervisor'sinput was
invaluable.
Q: !hy should I hire you
: ! believe ! have the qualifications that you need- ! am a team player- and ! take directions
andhave the desire to reach success.
Q: !hat can you do for us that no one else can do !hy do you feel you are a better
candidatethan others
: ! can bring to this job a determination to see projects through to a proper conclusion. ! listenand
take directions well. ! am analytical and don't jump to conclusions. nd finally" ! understandwe are
in business to make a profit" so ! also keep an eye on cost and return.
Q: !hat "ind of people do you find it difficult to wor" with
: (eople who have a blatant disregard for others and do not follow procedures or are slackers
0the occasional rotten apples who don't really care about the quality of their work. They are longon
complaints but short on solutions.
Q: &follow'up to the previous (uestion) How will you handle these people
: ! would stick to my guns" stay enthusiastic" and hope some of it will rub off. !f no amount ofgood
effort on my part solves the problem" ! will still maintain cordial relations. 1ife is too short tobe
affected by people who always think their cup is half empty.
Q: !hat do you thin" of your last boss
: ! liked him2her as a person &if applicable '" respected him2her professionally and
appreciatedhis2her guidance.
Q: !ere there things that your supervisor did that you disli"ed
: ! have never thought of our relationship in terms of like or dislike. ! have always thought ourrole
was to get along together and get the job done. +e had a very good relationship as far as !can
remember

Q: $an you ta"e instructions ' and criticism ' without feeling hurt or upset
: .es" ! can take instructions 0 and more importantly" ! can take constructive criticism
withoutfeeling hurt. Even with the best intent" ! will still make mistakes and at times someone will
haveto put me back on the right track. ! know that if ! e#pect to rise in the company" ! must first
provemyself to be manageable.
Q: How do you ta"e directions How do you handle criticism
: ! take directions well and ! believe that there are two types: carefully e#plained directions 0when
my boss has time" and then there's the other" a brusque order or correction. +hile mostpeople get
upset with the latter" personally" ! always believe the manager is troubled with biggerproblems and
a tight schedule. s such" ! take the direction and get on with the job withouttaking offense so my
boss can get on with his2her job as well. !t's the only way to accomplish ourtasks.
Q: !hat is your greatest strength !hat do you consider your outstanding (ualities
: (erhaps my greatest strength is the ability to stick to a difficult task yet be able to changecourse
rapidly when required. ! believe in planning and proper management of my time and yet !can still
work under pressure.
Q: !hat is the most difficult situation you have faced
: &3ive an e#ample which is specific to your case- what follows is an e#ample ' (erhaps one ofthe most
difficult decisions is to fire someone but ! would like to emphasi4e that once ! hade#amined the
problem and reached a conclusion" ! acted in a timely and professional manner"with the best
interests of the company at heart.
Q: Are you willing to ta"e calculated ris"s when necessary
: 5aturally" ! would never take a risk that will in any way jeopardi4e the safety or reputation ofthe
company or colleagues. !n fact" ! don't think any employer would appreciate an employee atany
level taking risks of any nature without first receiving a thorough briefing and a chance togive input.
Q: *ate yourself on a scale of + to +,- +, being the highest.
: (erhaps an 6 or 7" as ! always give my best shot" but in doing so" ! always increase my skillsand
therefore always see room for improvement.

Q: !hy are there gaps in your wor" history
: 5o job in my e#perience has been irrelevant or a waste of time if it increases my
knowledgeabout how a business works while making money on the side. Every job ! have held has
givenme new insights into my profession and the higher one climbs" the more important
theunderstanding of the lower0level more menial jobs. They all play a role in making the
companyprofitable. nd anyway" it's certainly easier to schedule and plan work when you have
first0handknowledge of what others will have to do to complete their tasks.
Q: !hy were you out of wor" for so long
: ! made a decision that ! should enjoy my work too much to accept just another pay check. *o!
determined that every job should be where ! could do my best and make a solid contribution. !feel
that you are a group that e#pects people to pull their weight" because you have got a real job to do.
! like that and ! would like to be a part of the team. +hat have ! got to do to get the job%
Q: !ouldn.t you be better off in another /bigger) firm
: 5ot at all. $y whole e#perience has been with small &meaning less than 8 employees' and
medium si4ed companies &meaning more than 9: but less than ;8'. 5ow coming from
thatbackground" ! have done a little bit of everything. That means that no matter what you throw
atme ! will be able to learn it quickly. <or e#ample" what would be the first project ! would be
involved with in your company%
Q: How long have you been loo"ing for a #ob
: +ell" ! have been looking for about a year now. !'ve had a number of offers at that time but !have
determined that as ! spend most of my waking hours at work" the job ! take and the people! work
with have got to be people with values that ! can identify with. ! made the decision that !wasn't
going to suffer clock0watchers and work0to0rule specialists anymore.
Q: %o you ma"e your opinions "nown to others when you disagree with the views of
yoursupervisor
: !f opinions are sought in a meeting" ! will give mine in a cordial and professional way"although !
am careful to be aware of others' feelings. ! will never critici4e a co0worker or superior in an open
forum- besides" it is quite possible to disagree without being disagreeable. ,owever"all my past
managers made it clear that they valued my opinion by asking for it. *o" after a whileif there was
something ! felt strongly about" ! would make an appointment to sit down with themand discuss it
one on one.
Q: !hat would you say about a supervisor who was unfair or difficult to wor" with
: ! would make an appointment to see the supervisor and diplomatically e#plain that ! felt
uncomfortable in our relationship that ! felt he or she was not treating me as a professional
colleague and therefore that ! might not be performing up to standard in some way 0 that ! wanted
to right matters and ask for his or her input as to what ! must do to create a professional
relationship. ! would enter into the discussion in the frame of mind that we were equally responsible
for whatever communication problems e#isted and that this wasn't just the manager's problem.