How to Answer the 10 Most Challenging Interview Questions - CareerAlley

How to Answer the 10 Most Challenging Interview Questions - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Congratulations, you got the interview! Now you need to do two things convince them that you are the best person for the job and dont say anything stupid. Sounds simple, but its not. The old saying You only get one chance to make a good first impression sounds like it was written for job interviews. Youve got to ask good questions and have great answers for the difficult questions asked of you. One real life extreme example is a candidate that I was interviewing for a job at our company. When asked what skills or knowledge they felt they needed to learn more about they said Nothing. There is no one who knows more than me and there is nothing new I need to learn. Obviously, they did not get the job. Answer the following questions correctly and you have a really good shot for getting an offer: Suggested Reading:Winning Answers to 500 Interview Questions 1. What do you know about our company? Company research (before the interview) is critical. If youve done your homework and done research on the company prior to the interview (this is a topic covered in We hope you know this already, but when youre going to a job interview its important to research the company at length before you step foot into the building. This means that you should be armed with all the basic information available on the internet before your interviewer meets you in personthings like the names of upper management members, products or services, basic mission, and so on. If you dont find out everything that you need to find out, (or you forget to look) do not blurt out anything that will make you look like you didnt research the company beforehand. Dont ever ask What does your company do?. 2. What is your work ethic? We all want to have a reasonable work day and no one wants to work a job where they are working 14 hours a day, but the interview is not the place to bring this up. Rather, you will want to answer with a politically correct response. You should keep the following in mind in your response: Make sure you indicate that you have a positive outlook, you are a team player, you respect coworkers and that you are honest and sincere.A positive outlook is one ofthe most important qualitiesof good work ethics. Additionally, team work and respect for your coworkers are at the top of the list.the company or do some research on the Internet to get the answer to this question. Also dont ask if you can change your work hours. 3. What are your expectations? Vacation, personal days, medical benefits, etc. are all important pieces of information that you will need before making a decision (assuming you get an offer), but this is not the right answer to this question and youshould try to avoid specifics. The right answer is something like I want to be in an environment where I can contribute, learn, and grow as an employee. I have a great deal to offer and am looking forward to this opportunity. 4.Tell me about yourself Now is not the time to go into your life history. If you didyour company research you will knowexactly what strengths and skills are required for this specific position. Your answer should try and show the hiring manager that you possessall of the skills and experience required for the job. Dont go on about experience you may have that isnt related to the job. 5.Where do you see yourself in . . . Another one of the most dreaded interview questions. The real key is not where you see yourself in five years. Rather, you should align your answer to the corporate goals. If you expect to be CEO of the company in 5 years, this is probably not the best answer for the interview (unless you are interviewing the the company presidents job). 6.Why should we hire you? The obvious answer is because you are the best fit for the job and this is your opportunity to ensure they know that. You will want to ensure that they know you deliver great results, have the skills required for the job (speak to the major skills required) and that you are a good fit for the company and the team. Also check out 9 ReasonsWhy I Wont Hire You. 7. What are your salary requirements? Another potential trap. Certainly you will want more than you are earning now. and everyone wants to make a little bit of money doing a dream job. During the job interview, however, the trick is to make it seem like its your dream position regardless of the salary. You want to appear passionate, not desperate for just anything that will pay your bills. No employer is going to be naive enough to believe you dont want to know, but if the interviewer does not prompt you to talk about your salary requirements, keep quiet about the topic until its brought up. 8. What do you do in your spare time? Great question, they probably already know a lot about you from your social networks. Talk about your hobbies that keep you active like golf, tennis or skiing. Team sports are key (team player, etc.).Ensure you let them know aboutany volunteer work that you do or have done. This shows that you have concerns for others besides yourself.Attending seminars, industry related speaking engagements shows that you have a desire to learn new things and keep at the top of your game. 9.Why do you want to leave your current job? You know the old saying If you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all. Even if you had a horrible time with your current or previous employers, dont badmouth them to the interviewer. Youll just leave the impression of being disgruntled and unprofessional. Instead, focus on expanding your knowledge of the industry and wanting to enhance your career. 10. Do you have any questions? Yes you do (make sure you have a sufficient list). Dont ask any questions that have already been answered by the interviewer (that means you were not listening). You should have your list of questions, make sure you have more than enough in case any are answered before you get to ask the question. Career Tip of the Day:How to Answer the Most Terrifying Job Interview Questions We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ //