How to Handle Interview Questions
Employers regularly face surprise questions just to test your poise under pressure. Why do interviewers throw in these uncomforting questions? What do they hope to hear you say? Actually, report the experts themselves, these “impossible” questions are open-ended and are designed to show how fast you think, how well you handle pressure, and how concise and articulate you are. They’re important and if you’re job hunting, you’d be wise to arm yourself with impressive replies. This list of the most popular heart-stoppers and the purposes they serve can help you prepare.
1. What are your greatest strengths?
Accept this invitation to sell yourself by citing specific assets you know the employer desires. Interviewers like to hear abstract qualities — loyalty, willingness to work hard, politeness, and promptness — expressed in concrete terms.
If you’re good at putting people at ease, say so — then illustrate by adding, for example, “Last year, my supervisor asked me to be the resource person for all new employees in our division because, he said, so many of them had commented on my eagerness to help.”
Avoid the simple generalization, “I like people,” a response the pros call hackneyed. Be a bit pensive before answering. You don’t want to sound as if you’re spewing out a programmed list.
2. What are your greatest weaknesses?
Don’t be intimidated — the interviewer probably wants reassurance that hiring you won’t be a mistake.
A flip answer, a joke, or the assertion that you have no weakness may demonstrate that you also have no real insight into yourself.
On the other hand, this is not the time to confess all your imperfections.
To cast a more flattering light, present personal weaknesses as professional strengths. If, for example, you’re aiming for a public-relations spot that requires heavy interaction, say, “My greatest weakness is that I need to be around people; I don’t function well in solitude.”
3. Tell me about yourself.
This request is innocuous but daunting — you don’t know what or how much to say. Realize that interviewers use this question not only for the actual information you’ll supply but as a means of assessing your style and poise.
What would they like to hear? Applicants must use this opportunity to talk about their skills, not a lot of details about childhood days.
4. Where do you hope to be in five years?
Don’t say you want to be president of the company — this shows you’re unrealistic and haven’t really studied the firm. Instead, take the time to learn about company structure, and then select several company positions you might plausibly achieve in five years.
Some companies estimate that hiring and training a new employee costs a lot of money. A realistic answer will assure the interviewer that if hired, you plan to make that investment pay. And because employers like goal-oriented workers, saying you have no idea what you’ll want in five years may score negative points.
A word of warning: Companies sometimes use this question to search out your plans for marriage and children. You needn’t interpret it this way if you’re not ready to reveal such details.
5. Why did you leave your previous employer?
The experts agree on one point: Never badmouth a former employer! Be pleasant and positive. Even if you were fired, you might say, “My immediate supervisor and I had a difference in opinion on how to handle an account, but I learned many things from her that I can use effectively in a position here.”
Above all, be honest. Information about your last job — and why you left — can be, and often is, easily checked. Any discrepancies will make the rest of your answers highly suspect.
6. What do you do in your spare time?
Workaholics aren’t always the best employees, so this question is asked in hopes of hiring well-rounded individuals.
In a sales job, for instance, ice is broken by sharing small talk on common interests or hobbies. That’s very difficult if the salesperson’s only interest is work.
Your answer gives you dimension. For example, if you like to play bridge, the interviewer might surmise that you enjoy other analytical activities.
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