Interview Questions

Have you ever had problems with a supervisor or a coworker? Describe the situation for me. How did you resolve the conflict?

-Remember to think of real-life situations to demonstrate how you used communication to deal with the problem. Avoid any hint of serious problem, stick to person differences and tastes, like music volume in the cubicle or misunderstandings that were easily sorted out after you used your awesome communication skills.

Describe some times when you were not very satisfied or pleased with your own performance. What did you do about it?  -Initiative and creativity are useful traits in turning a situation around.  You might have sought ideas from coworkers or supervisors that put you on solid ground.  Perhaps you recognized the situation as overworked and took a few days off, coming back refreshed and ready for it.

Give me an example of a problem you faced on the job, and tell me how you solved it. -Honestly, everyone has problems at work, so to say you never had one is obviously skewing the facts. Think about this answer carefully BEFORE an interview, so you can talk about a WORK-RELATED problem and how you might have used teamwork and your amazing problem-solving skills to solve it.

  Give me an example of an important goal you had to set and tell me about your progress in reaching that goal.  -Describe your planning and organization skills, such as how you defined the problem, brainstormed possible solutions and selected the 'best' one. Searching out the creative powers in others shows that you are a capable team member, have good interpersonal skills, and don't mind sharing the credit.

What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses? -If only interviewers would retire this question already.  Interviewers want you to make it easy for them, "give me a weakness so I can shorten my candidate list." knowing that some of my greatest strengths can be a weakness, YOU acknowledge that and made progress toward change.  For example, you might like to work urgently and push others to do the same, but sometimes it's too urgent.  Study the needs of the organization and respond to the question by saying you don't foresee anything standing in the way of you reaching goals in this position. Follow up that statement with an accounting of your strengths. Your strengths should be principled; high in integrity, intelligence, communication, teamwork, capability, etc. Don't get egotistical and make outlandish claims and promises.

Describe a time when you felt stressed at work that tested your coping skills. What did you do? -Problem Solving and Self Management, describe a real-life situation where you stepped back and evaluated the situation, made decision on things you could influence and how you let the rest go.

How well do you work with people? Do you prefer working alone or in teams?  -Teamwork; when a team is first formed, there is some friction (forming), but after everyone settles in, the work can begin (norming) and ultimately reaches a point where everyone works well together and the job gets done.

You try these...See if you can develop some answers.

What would you consider an ideal work environment?  Learning and Teamwork; every employers wants a productive and harmonious environment, free from squabbles and poor work. Maybe these could be what you'd like to see as well.

What are your long-range career goals and what steps have you taken achieve them?  -Planning and Organization; explain how you are seeking a long-term commitment and how this position is what you're looking for.  Being too specific in your promotion plans, you might seem presumptuous. Being too sketchy may make you seem as if you have no direction set.

Describe a situation when you worked with a team and you felt that you produced more than if you had completed the project on your own. -Teamwork and Planning and Organization; careful here, this is thin ice.  Complaining about others or how you should have received all the glory would be fatal mistakes.  Instead, discuss how your presence on the team served to move the project forward, but also helped develop less experienced team mates. This new experience will serve the organization in the future.  Remember, organizations love teams and need go team players so more creative solutions are developed.

Do you consider yourself to be a leader? What do you think are the attributes of a good leader?  -There are two kinds of leaders, authorized and earned. If you had to choose to work for one, you'd select the person that has earned the respect and authority through great leadership traits. Each situation is different and sometimes different people assume the leadership role, depending on the situation.  Describe from your past a time when you've stepped up and assumed a leadership role.

For high-roller executives going for a HIGH STAKES job, chances are you haven't interviewed in a while, chances are your degree is a bit dated, but you've got the qualifications and the experience to land the job.  You suffer the greatest risk of disappointment.  Consider a personal coach to give you needed advice and personalized help.  One on one coaching is objective and effective, No matter what level of responsibility, training and focused persistence WILL make a difference in getting a job.

Okay, practice developing answers for these next few questions.

What do you do when people disagree with your ideas? Answer competency: Communication and Self Management

Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion.  Answer competency: Communication

What motivates you to go the extra mile on a project or job? Answer competency: Teamwork and Learning and Problem Solving

Describe a situation where you messed up, or your results were not up to your supervisor's expectations. What action did you take? Answer competency: Learning and Planning and Organization

What do you really want to do in life? What do you see yourself doing five years from now? Answer competency: Planning and Organization and Self Management

What does it mean to be successful? According to your definition, how successful have you been so far? Answer competency: Planning and Organization and Self Management

You don't have the right kind of experience. Answer competency: Learning

You may be overqualified or too experienced for the position.  Answer competency: Learning and Communication

Another great resource, (and one of the most popular on the web), the Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Answers, certainly will help get you feeling confident and knowledgeable.