Entries from August 2009 ↓

The best way to answer this question is to pick out a negative that you might really possess but that could also be seen as a positive. Here are some examples. See if any of these “weaknesses” apply to you. In the left column is the supposed negative weakness. The right column represents that weakness when it’s redirected into a positive:

“Weakness”—Negative “Weakness”—Positive
Workaholic Works hard. Would be willing to work extra hours.
Perfectionist Is detail oriented. Sets high standards
for work.
Tries to be friends Is a team player. Has good
with everyone interpersonal skills. Warm.
Competitive Sets goals. Strives to excel.
Overcomes obstacles.

I know some of these sound absurd, but let’s take a look how the opposite of a supposedly negative trait can be turned into an excellent response.

QUESTION: What is your greatest weakness?
ANSWER: Well, some people have told me I’m a bit of a workaholic, and I guess, in part, they’re right. I just don’t mind working an extra hour or two or taking some work home on a Saturday if there’s a really important
deadline for my department to meet. Meeting deadlines is essential in this business, and I am more than willing to do my part.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

With responses like the ones above, you’re pointing out “failures” that are little more than minor disappointments. You’ll also notice that you’re actually calling attention to some good qualities like diligence, persistence, willingness to try something new, or even excellence. This approach works well since this is only a stress question to test your reaction.

If you have good rapport with the interviewer and can see that he or she has a good sense of humor, you might give it a lighter touch:

ANSWER: I suppose my greatest failure was not being able to take those three strokes off my golf game. [laughs]
ANSWER: I think . . . not being able to make a perfect soufflé. [chuckles]

One stress question that you are most likely to get in almost every interview is the following:

QUESTION: What is your greatest weakness? Do not tell your greatest weakness! How do you think it would sound to say, “I’m really a slob” or “I have 27 unpaid parking tickets” or, worse still, “I am always late for work and I usually leave early”? Let’s take those weaknesses (which of course you don’t have) and leave them outside the interviewer’s door.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

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Let’s take a look at one of the “scariest” stress questions:
QUESTION: What was your greatest failure? You certainly are not obligated to recall your real greatest failure in front of a complete stranger. And actually, interviewers don’t expect you to. Instead, the interviewer is testing to see how you react under stress.

How do you beat it? First, take a deep breath and entertain one of these answers:
ANSWER: Perhaps my greatest failure was not going to college right after graduating from high school. Anyway, I waited until I got a few years of work under my belt and then I got a degree in physics, with highest honors. I guess it didn’t turn out so badly.

Or . . .
ANSWER: Well, you know, I was entered in a tricounty triathlon, and I trained for over 6 months for the race. I even hired a personal trainer and radically altered my diet and weight-training program. When the day of the race came, I was totally prepared and “psyched up” to win. I was sure I could place in the top three, if not take home the blue ribbon. I did the race in less that 1 hour, 32 minutes, 7 seconds. I gave it my best shot, but I came in fourth.

Or . . .
ANSWER: Once I decided to plant an elaborate vegetable garden in my backyard. I went to the hardware store to buy all the tools and seeds. I also bought a book on how to grow a vegetable garden, and I even took a county parks and recreation course on how to grow your own food. I followed all the directions I had learned, and I planted six kinds of vegetables, but the only thing that ever came up were the tomatoes.
I guess I’m really much more of a corporate executive than a gardener!

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

If you have a significant other, spouse, or family member, you might discuss beforehand what sort of choices will need to be made in this situation when work and home obligations conflict.

That way, you’ll know if you have the support of your family to stay at work late, or if it’s absolutely essential to choose your family or friend first.

Now that you have mastered the question behind the question, you’re over halfway through completing the entire interview with finesse, competence, and know-how. There are only two more types of interview questions to consider: stress questions and questions you ask the prospective employer.

Stress Questions
Don’t let stress questions stop you in your tracks. That’s exactly what they’re designed to do! The lighter you are on your feet, the better you’ll do.

The object of a stress question is not to gain information from the content of your answer. Stress questions are designed to gain information about how you behave under stress. That’s why they’re called “stress questions”—the questions themselves are supposed to create stress.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

If you didn’t know the boss very well, it might be risky to bring up your discomfort. In that case, you might just have to listen to the gossip but not participate by saying anything bad about Sally.

QUESTION: What if you have an important personal engagement that involves several other people, has been planned well in advance, and also costs a considerable amount of money, but your boss needs you, just this once, at the last minute to help her close a $3 billion deal before midnight?

This situation is probably the most common and the most difficult to deal with. Having to stay late at work when there are family or social obligations is something just about everyone has to face at one time or another. It’s a tough situation because someone is bound to be disappointed no matter what you decide.

First, tell your boss about the importance of your social engagement, but also reassure her that you will do everything you can to help close the deal. You might offer to stay a little bit later and be late for your other appointment. You might also say something like “I would make myself available by cell phone all night until 1 a.m. if need be, and then be on call at my social event.” If you are particularly invested in your job and perhaps up for promotion, you might just have to accept the conse quences and decide to stay until midnight to help the boss out. Again, there is no universally right answer.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

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You might expect to receive several questions in the what-if
category. Usually what-ifs are hypothetical questions involving morality, ethics, and interpersonal relations. The interviewer is not looking for an exact answer as much as he or she is evaluating your judgment as good or poor. Consider the following hypothetical situations, and imagine how you might handle them, should the interviewer bring them up:

QUESTION: What if you noticed a team member really slacking off? He is coming in late, taking long lunches, leaving early, or chatting on the phone when he is supposed to be helping the team meet its deadline?
ANSWER: Well, I might say, “Hey, Harry, we really need your help here. This is an important project, and all of us need to work together to see it through. You’ve got the talents to help us make the deadline. I really rely on you as part of the team, and I think your involvement would help out everyone. I have a lot of respect for your ideas, and I think we really need your input.” If Harry didn’t show some change after our talk, I would probably have to bring it up with our supervisor.

QUESTION: What if your boss continually gossips about one of your coworkers with you and wants you to join in on the derogatory comments? Your reaction to situation number 2 would probably depend a lot upon your relationship with your boss. If you know the boss well, you might be able to say:
ANSWER: I really don’t feel comfortable talking about Sally in
this way.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

ANSWER A: I would tell my coworker that it’s illegal to steal from the company.
ANSWER B: I would immediately tell my supervisor.
ANSWER C: I would probably tell my coworker that I had suspicions about his or her stealing and that I hoped he or she would return what was stolen. If I noticed that the stealing continued, I would have to bring it up with my supervisor.

Answers A and B both make sense. They are not necessarily the “wrong” answers. Answer C, however, is the most appropriate one because it shows that the interviewee would first attempt to solve the problem with the other employee on his or her own and then get management involved only if those strategies didn’t work.

Companies generally prefer that employees try to work out their problems themselves. It shows good interpersonal skills to be able to bring up something negative with a coworker. Of course, if the problem can’t be solved, it shows good judgment and loyalty to the company to broach the subject with a manager or supervisor.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

Your ex-employer cannot legally release the information that you were fired or say anything negative or positive about your performance, for that matter. The only information an employer can legally reveal about an ex-employee is the following:

1. His or her start date
2. His or her title at the time of leaving the company
3. His or her last day with the company

You now have a strategy for answering some of these questions in an optimal way. Keep the interview like a first date—memorable, fun, and not too heavy. Don’t get into personal details that may end up backfiring on you.

What-If Questions
Questions behind questions often come in the form of what-if questions:
QUESTION: What would you do if you discovered that another employee
was stealing from the company?

The real concern behind this question is not what you would do if someone were stealing. It’s more about loyalty and whether you have good judgment. See if you can guess which of these answers would be the best for this problem:

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job