Interview questions
 

Nowadays a lot of the questions are competency based. So they are looking for a lot of concrete examples. Like name a time when you turned a situation around. And the answer they want is what was the situation, what did you do, and what was the outcome.

One of the worst ones I was asked was for the job I am in now "how do you want people to remember you when your dead?" Another doosie for the job previous to this was "what was the worst mistake you have ever made at work and how did you overcome it?"

Well...think of it this way:

Interviews are NOT just for the prospective employer to see what YOU are like. They are also for YOU to see if the prospective employer is someone YOU want to work for! Confidence is key and if you go in asking questions about the company and what will be expected of you, as well as them asking questions to you about if you'll be a good fit for the position, you'll seem intelligent and interested in making a good fit in the job. Watch yourself for any nervous habits like biting nails or tapping your feet, playing with your hair is also a no-no. Be open and see it as an opportunity for YOU to see if this is a job YOU want. Most of all, relax. These are not robots that are there to judge you. They are just people that are looking to have someone work for them. If it doesn't work out, then the job wasn't meant for you to have and you probably would suffer working for someone in a job that you aren't cut out for. In short, if you don't get hired, move on to the next interview and the right fit will ensure an easy interview and an easy score of the job.

Hope this helps!!

Also...do you have a resume? Make sure it's on one page and only has simple, job-related factoids on it. Make sure all gaps in employment are spoken for. Give interesting, job-related facts about your career, but not TOO much information so that the prospective employer is left wanting to know more and more likely to call you for an interview.

Good luck!!

My favorite has got to be: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

They will also probably ask situational questions like what kykaree mentioned. Especially if you are in management - ie "You find out that one of your employees has a drinking problem. What do you do?"

My other favorite is probably "what would you say is your greatest weakness and why?"

From my experience the most important thing is knowing something about the company you are going to and having a few intelligent questions about the place you are interviewing. It shows that you aren't just looking for a job but that you have taken time and energy to look at that specific company.

Here's a link to some interview questions.

http://www.quintcareers.com/intervie...questions.html
http://www.quintcareers.com/interview_questions.html
The one I always hate the most is "tell me about yourself". I know that it's the basic question, the interviewee needs somewhere to start. But I always have the deer-in-the-headlights feel whenever I here that one.

"Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?" I don't have any grand plans for my career. I want to be gainfully employed hopefully making more then I am now, but other then that I don't really have any plans for management or world domination, I just want a job that I like. But that doesn't sound good so I bluff my way through it.

Sarah

My "favorite" interview question is how do you deal with conflict. Do they really expect you to say that you kick someone in the shins if they rub you the wrong way?

The key to a good interview is being able to communicate. :D

Some things (including the type of questions to expect) will depend upon the type of job you're looking for as well as the field the job is in. There are a couple of standards, though, that you can look for...

Be prepared to answer "Why do you want this job?" If you can find any information about the company (a web search will turn up recent articles), any information you can spew that shows that you care enough to do the research will impress them.

Also - and this is something that is so rarely done anymore - after the interview, mail the interviewer a thank you note. Thank him/her for meeting with you, reinforce why you're right for the job, and tell them anything you forgot to mention in the interview. It really makes a big impression.

YES!! Especially if they get the note at a particular time when they are sitting there wondering aobut the interviewees. It'll definitely put you on the top of the list as very proactive and professional...which is very important.

Actually, I quite like the "Kick 'em in the shins" answer. And after they stop laughing, you can follow it up with, "It depends on the situation..every conflict is different and requires a different approach." A lot of questions they ask are a direct result of the last person that had that job...if that person was fired because they were constantly quarreling with their co-workers, then that would inspire the "How do you handle conflict?" question. This is an opportunity for YOU to read between the lines of what kind of situation you're getting into. Is that question telling you that your prospective co-workers are a pain to work with? Take their questions with a hint and ask the questions back.

Oh...and I HATE that question: Why do you want this job? DUH!! I NEED A FRIGGEN PAYCHECK? Oh, and because this looks like a cool building to work in and there's a great place to eat lunch at across the street. And then I'd like to follow it up with, "And what makes you such a great person to work for?" :lol3:

The conflict questions are definitely good.

lots of companies are all about what you can save them...if you have any projects from previous jobs in which you were a part of teams or had a vital role in a project in which substantial savings occurred, these are definitely great things to talk about.

Then there's always the old "what are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?" one. I hate that! You have to come up with a weakness that isn't a job killer, but also isn't a fake weakness: "I'm just too much of a workaholic!" or something lame like that.

Good luck!

-Lala

Every interviewer has a different approach, of course. I can tell you that when I was in a position of hiring employees what always made an impression on me were honest answers. Working for a large corporation we did have a standard list of questions we were required to ask. However, it was the more general chat that gave me the more accurate read on the applicants. For instance, one of the questions we HAD to ask was, "Why are you interested in this postion/leaving your current position?" I got all of the standard, "I have something to offer" type answers. But the person I hired was the one who told me she was looking to better herself and her lifstyle and that the postion offered higher pay/better benefits than her current one. THEN she added her attributes that would benefit the company as well.

All of that to say be prepared for the standard questions but don't be afraid to be honest in answering them. Most employers want honest, dedicated, and loyal employees who are qualified for the position - not someone who can B.S. their way through the interview (and it is EASY to tell the difference!). I agree with the others who suggested you research the company too. It makes a really good impression if you are informed and allows you to decide whether or not you are a good fit for the job. After all, YOUR satifaction with the job/company is as important as anything because it will be a big part of what determines how well you perform in your position.

Don't be afraid to say you WANT the job. I know I was much more likely to schedule a second interview with someone who told me that they were serious about applying for the position and wanted to be hired.

Finally, write a thank you note (not an email) to the person who interviews you. And, if you aren't hired, don't be afraid to contact the person and find out why. Obviously, not in a confrontational way - but just to politely find out if there was something specific that might have made you a more attractive candidate. It will be information that you can use in your NEXT interview.

I went through a slew of interviews last fall for a co-op position, and every interviewer asked how I dealt with stress, and if I could give an example of how I personally had handled a stressful situation (they want specifics, not generals). And every interview opened with them asking me to tell them a little about myself. This doesn't mean they want your personal history! Don't regale them with tales of where you went to school, or what you did 10 years ago. Throw in a few of your interests (make them real - if you say you love to read you'd better be prepared to tell them what book you're reading right now - interviewers like to call you on that to catch you off guard) and what your plans are for the future. Also, and this is a big one, make sure you ask them questions about their business. Do a bit of research first, look them up on the internet. If you find out that they put on a fundraiser for a charity every year, ask if you'd have the opportunity to participate in it. Make sure they know you've put time into the interview. And ask any questions you have that they havn't answered about the job itself - duties, movement in the company, whatever.
And take a big breath before you go in!
Good luck!!!

My worst question I ever got asked was, "Tell me a joke." What the **** do you say to that? What kind of joke? clean? dirty? corny?

As always Ladies, y'all never let me down!!!! Thank you so much!! You rock!!! Keep them coming, because this has really got me thinking!!! :D

As sierra mentioned, be prepared for the "give me a specific example" questions. How you helped improve something, how you handled conflict with a co-worker etc. UGH. I think the stupidest one I got was "Pick something and try to sell it to me" (for outbound credit card customer service job). I chose organic apples by the way.

My current job I got because I took the time to do some research and could answer the question "Do you know what we make here?" (manufacturing). None of the other applicants did apparently.

Thank y'all so much!!!! :D

happytx.... one of the things I do in my job is interview people. In fact... I had an interview today. I could send you a SLEW of questions I use.... But it's important to know what type of job it is, because that would change things.

A few standards for me: (and most of these are appropriate for positions where you need to work with others, that you might supervise projects or people, and maybe where you have some decision making authority)
What would you need from your supervisor in order to feel competent and comfortable in your job and to help you adjust quickly?
What do you expect from colleagues? What can they expect from you?
If I were to ask a former employer about your best qualities, what would s/
he tell me?
What do you want to learn from this position?
What are the most important things to you in your work environment? What do YOU do to contribute to that?
What is the hardest lesson you've learned in a work setting?
What do you most admire in your favorite (employer, teacher, person).. how do you emulate that in your work life?
What do you most want me to know about you?
What do you think will most tell me you're the best person for this position?
Wha? are you MOST looking forward to about this job?
What are you least looking forward to?

(I think it's important to know about the job you're applying for, so I always ask something about their perception of it )
What questions to you have for me?
(and I ALWAYS think it's important to have questions---and beyond the "how much does it pay and when do I get paid")
I owuld ask about how employees get along (do they hang out outside the job? what is the work atmosphere like?)
I would ask about the "culture" of the office--do people joke around or is it expected to be pretty business only?
What about the employers most critical expectations that aren't mentioned in the description?


Or some random fun ones....
If YOU were hiring someone for this position, what do you think would be the most important things to find out?
What would your best friend tell me if s/he was here interviewing FOR you?
Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker. How did you resolve it?
What are you most proud of?
What do you think you have the most to learn about considering this job?


like I said... I got a million of 'em :)

Good luck!!

These have been so helpful, and wonderful, that I thought I would bump this back up incase someone else has some suggestions as well!!! Like I said you girls totally rock!!!

One I have been told is good for YOU to ask is "If I were to ask one of your current employees what they like about working here, what do you think they would tell me?"

I had not interviewed in years and got my present position as a temp first so even though I got a lot of the standard questions on the official interview, I had already been doing the job for a couple months so they already pretty well knew how well I could perform the job.

The worst one I had asked of me was "If you were on a magazine cover what magazine would it be and what would the caption say?" What the heck is that all about? The best advice I can give is to do research and be ready for anything. The most recent interviews I had asked these types of questions:

Tell me about a time when you had you had to overcome adversity in the workplace...
Tell me your best idea you had at your job...
Tell me about a time when you had a deadline to meet...
Tell me about your last conflict with a coworker...
then they want to know what you did in each of the situations and how it turned out.

Yuck, I hate interviews.

There are many great tips here for you. I would like to add one as well. It is really corny but I know that the company I work for considers this one of the biggest things going. "YOU ARE A TEAM PLAYER" I know it sounds stupid but depending on the job you are going for this could be a real big one. They want to know you can get along with others and work togeather.