Answering Tough Interview Questions for DUMmIES
Answering Tough Interview Questions for DUMmIES
Contents at a Glance
Introduction .1
Part I: Making Sure You Shine in an Interview .....7
- Chapter 1: Understanding the Interviewing Game ......9
- Chapter 2: Doing Your Job Interview Homework ......17
- Chapter 3: Polishing Your Interview Performance ....27
Part II: Answering Tough Interview Questions ....33
- Chapter 4: Talking about Yourself ....35
- Chapter 5: Talking about Problems, Perceptions, and People ..53
- Chapter 6: Getting to Grips with Questions about Your Work ..73
- Chapter 7: Talking about Why You Want a New Job .89
- Chapter 8 : Thriving Under the Pressure Interview 111
- Chapter 9: Succeeding at Competency-Based Interviewing ....133
Part III: Dealing with Tricky Questions and Other Situations ..155
- Chapter 10: Responding to Questions for Graduates and School Leavers ..157
- Chapter 11: Handling Questions Aimed at Experienced Candidates .......173
- Chapter 12: Handling Hypothetical and Analytical Questions 193
- Chapter 13: Coping with Illegal and Personal Questions 207
- Chapter 14: Taking Control in Unusual Situations ..227
Part IV: Securing the Job of Your Dreams 235
- Chapter 15: Asking Great Questions .......237
- Chapter 16: Dotting 'I's and Crossing 'T's .......245
Part V: The Part of Tens .......255
- Chapter 17: Ten Cardinal Sins of Interviewing 257
- Chapter 18: Ten Tips to Creating the Perfect Career .......263
Index .......271
Table of Contents
Introduction .1
- About This Book .1
- Conventions Used in This Book ...2
- Foolish Assumptions ...2
- How This Book Is Organised 3
- Part I: Making Sure You Shine in an Interview ....3
- Part II: Answering Tough Interview Questions ....3
- Part III: Dealing with Tricky Questions
- and Other Situations .......4
- Part IV: Securing the Job of Your Dreams ....4
- Part V: The Part of Tens ......4
- Icons Used in This Book .......4
- Where to Go from Here ........5
Part I: Making Sure You Shine in an Interview ......7
- Chapter 1: Understanding the Interviewing Game . . . . . 9
- Recognising What Interviewers Are Looking For ........10
- Finding Out about Key Skills and Qualities 10
- Communicating with people .....11
- Influencing others .....11
- Analysing situations .12
- Solving problems ......12
- Demonstrating drive and determination ...12
- Teamworking with colleagues ...13
- Developing quickly ...13
- Being flexible and adaptable .....14
- Planning and organising ....14
- Being aware of the bigger picture ......14
- Chapter 2: Doing Your Job Interview Homework . . . . . 17
- Researching the Company .17
- Gathering vital information .......17
- Visiting shops and premises .....19
- Preparing Answers to Common Questions .19
- Linking job adverts to key skills ........19
- viii Answering Tough Interview Questions For Dummies
- Dressing for Success ..22
- 'Getting' the default for men .....23
- Understanding the guidelines for women .23
- Getting Ready to Go ...24
- Chapter 3: Polishing Your Interview Performance . . . . 27
- Creating the Right Impact ..27
- Making eye contact ...28
- Using your body language 29
- Creating warmth by smiling ......29
- Using intonation and inflection .31
- Building Your Confidence ..32
- Getting Off to a Great Start 32
Part II: Answering Tough Interview Questions .....33
- Chapter 4: Talking about Yourself .35
- Handling General Questions about Yourself .......35
- Tell me about yourself ......36
- What are your strengths? .38
- What are your weaknesses? ......39
- What motivates you? 40
- What are you passionate about? .......41
- What are your biggest achievements? .......41
- What are you most proud of? ....42
- What is your greatest failure? ...43
- Do you have any regrets? .43
- Why should we hire you? .44
- Talking about Basic Job Skills ....45
- Would you say that you're reliable? ..45
- What's your absenteeism/sickness record like? 45
- How would you describe your time management skills? ........46
- Are you an organised person? ..47
- Do you work well under pressure? ....47
- Would you say that you're creative? .48
- Would you say you're good with detail? ....49
- How do you respond to change? .......50
- How are you with new technology? ..50
- What software packages are you familiar with? 51
- How would you rate yourself as . . .? .52
- Chapter 5: Talking about Problems,Perceptions, and People 53
- Overcoming Interviewers' Common Worries ......53
- What makes you lose your temper? ..54
- How do you respond to authority? ...54
- How do you deal with disappointment? ....55
- How do you cope with job stress? .....55
- What's your attitude to taking risks? 56
- Ours is a work hard, play hard culture – how do you feel about that? ..57
- Tell me something interesting about yourself ...57
- What would you say your Unique Selling Point is? ....58
- Seeing Yourself As Others See You ....59
- What would your boss say about you? ......59
- In your last appraisal, what was saidabout your performance? ......60
- How do you think you can improve on your performance? ...61
- What would your colleagues say about you? ....61
- How would your team describe you? 62
- How do you think your friends would describe you? .....62
- Everyone has some kind of fault – what would other people say your faults are? ..63
- Discussing Your People Skills ....64
- Do you prefer to work on your own or in a team?......64
- We all have a team role – what would you say your role tends to be? .......66
- Do you have good presentation skills? ......67
- How would you rate your customer service skills? ........68
- How are you at handling conflict? .....69
- We need someone who is tactful and diplomatic – how does that profile fit you? ........70
- How do you take personal criticism? 70
- Chapter 6: Getting to Grips with Questions about Your Work . 73
- Responding to Questions about Your Work ........73
- What does your day-to-day job involve? ...74
- How did you get your last job? .75
- What do you like about your current job? ........76
- What do you dislike about your work? ......76
- How is your performance measured? ........77
- What have you learned in each of your previous jobs? ...78
- Why did you leave each previous employer? ....79
- Are you a good manager? .81
- Sidestepping Questions about Your Current Company .......82
- How would you describe your current company? .....83
- How would you rate your current boss? ...84
- What's your boss's biggest failing? ...84
- Why do you want to leave your current company? ...85
- What is your current notice period? .86
- May we approach your referees? .......86
- Chapter 7: Talking about Why You Want a New Job . . . 89
- Answering Questions about the Employer .89
- What do you know about our company? ...90
- How much do you know about this position? ...91
- How would you rate our products / services /Web site? .......92
- What is it that attracts you to our company? ....93
- How would you rate us against our competitors? .....94
- What do you think our unique selling point is? .94
- Do you have any concerns about our organisation? ..95
- Answering Questions about What You're Looking For .......96
- Why are you looking to leave your current company? .96
- If your current job isn't challenging you,what could you do to change it? ....97
- Why do you want to work in this industry? .......98
- Who else are you applying to? ..98
- How does this job compare with others you're looking at? ..99
- Have you received any job offers so far? .100
- How would you describe your dream job? .......100
- Who would your ideal employer be? .......101
- Evaluating Your Fit With the Organisation ........102
- What do you think you can bring to the team? ........102
- We are a diverse company – how will you cope with that? .....103
- What kind of manager would you
- like to work for? ..103
- How long do you plan to stay in this job? .......104
x Answering Tough Interview Questions For Dummies
Table of Contents xi
- Why should we hire you? ........105
- Where do you see yourself in five years' time? ........105
- When would you be available to start? ....106
- Deflecting Questions about Money ..106
- How much are you earning at the moment? ....106
- How important is money to you? ....107
- How much do you think you are worth in a job? .....108
- What would you consider adequate remuneration for this role? ..108
- I'm afraid you're a bit expensive for us ...109
- What would you like to be earning in two years' time? .......110
- Chapter 8: Thriving Under the Pressure Interview . . . 111
- Maintaining Your Composure ...112
- Responding To Leading Questions ...113
- All of us have personality defects – what is yours? .....113
- Why did you not achieve more in your last job?......114
- How would you respond if I said that you're not the best candidate we've seen today? .115
- How would you rate me as an interviewer? .....116
- What keeps you up at night? ...116
- Why do you think you are better than the other candidates? ..117
- Responding to Closed Questions ......118
- Do you like regular hours and routine working patterns? ........118
- Do you mind paperwork? ........119
- Have you ever broken the rules to get a job done? 120
- Do you take work home with you at weekends? .....121
- Do you have any doubts about your ability to do the job? ......121
- Don't you think you are overqualified for this job? .122
- Would you have any problems relocating? ......123
- Do you mind travelling? .123
- Fending Off Weird and Wonderful Questions ...124
- See this pencil I'm holding? Sell it to me .124
- Who was your favourite teacher? ...125
- If you were an animal, what would you be? ....126
- If you were a cartoon character,who would you be? .....127
- Tell me a story .......127
xii Answering Tough Interview Questions For Dummies
- Who do you most admire and why? ........128
- If you could meet anyone living or dead,who would it be and why? ..128
- What is your greatest fear? .....129
- Saying Something Is Better Than Saying Nothing ......130
- Playing for time .......130
- Making a last ditch effort 131
- Chapter 9: Succeeding at Competency-Based
- Interviewing . . . 133
- Discovering the Rules of the Game ..134
- Spotting competency-based questions ....134
- Dealing with skilled competency-based interviewers 135
- Dealing with unskilled competency-based interviewers 137
- Identifying Likely Questions .....138
- Questions about Your Thinking and Planning Skills 140
- Tell me about a significant project that you managed ........141
- Now give me an example of a project that went wrong ..141
- Give me an example of a difficult decision that you have made .....142
- Talk to me about a mistake you made and what you did to rectify it .......143
- Questions about Leading and Managing ..144
- Tell me about a time you inspired a team ........144
- Talk me through how you coached or developed a team member .....145
- Tell me about an occasion when you had to deal with a difficult team member ......146
- Questions about Your People and Customer Skills ...146
- Tell me about a time that you persuaded someone to change their mind ....147
- Talk to me about a difficult colleague you've worked with .....147
- Have you ever had to give someone negative feedback at work? How did it go? 148
- Tell me about a time you used your personal network to business advantage ...149
- Tell me about a time you sold something to a customer ......149
- Give me an example of a time you exceeded a customer's expectations ...150
Table of Contents xiii
- Questions about Your Personal Effectiveness ..151
- Tell me about a time that you failed to achieve your goals ..151
- How did you respond to the last piece of criticism you received? ....152
- Give me an example of how you have developed yourself ......153
Part III: Dealing with Tricky Questions and Other Situations ...155
- Chapter 10: Responding to Questions for Graduates and School Leavers . . 157
- Questions for Graduates ..157
- Why did you choose to go to the university you went to? ........158
- Your university results aren't very good – why is that? .159
- Why did you choose your degree subject? ......160
- What have you learnt from being at university? .....160
- Why did you choose to go to university as a mature student? ...162
- How difficult did you find university as a mature student? ...163
- How do you think your degree is relevant to this job? ..163
- I don't see why someone with your degree would want to work in our field ...164
- What sorts of part-time jobs have you had? ....165
- What did you learn from your part-time jobs? 165
- What did you most enjoy about your time at university? .......166
- What did you find the most difficult about your course? ......166
- What did you do outside of your studies? ......167
- Why have you left applying for jobs until after finishing your course? .168
- Why did you choose to study part time rather than full time? ...168
- Questions for School Leavers ..168
- What subjects did you enjoy most? 169
- What subjects were you good at? ....169
- What subjects were you not so good at? .169
- Why didn't you stay on at school? ..170
xiv Answering Tough Interview Questions For Dummies
- Do you regret not staying on at school? ..170
- Why didn't you go to university? .....171
- In retrospect, do you think you should have gone to university? ......171
- What further education do you think you will need for this job? ..172
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