How To Crack the Interviews

Question 1 Tell me about yourself.

TRAPS: Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many

candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping

their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.

BEST ANSWER: Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the

position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your

qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the

buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.

So, before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you try to uncover your

interviewer's greatest need, want, problem or goal.

To do so, make you take these two steps:

1. Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this person's wants

and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or company)

2. As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete description of what

the position entails. You might say: “I have a number of accomplishments I'd like

to tell you about, but I want to make the best use of our time together and talk

directly to your needs. To help me do, that, could you tell me more about the

most important priorities of this position? All I know is what I (heard from the

recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.)”

Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to draw out his

needs even more. Surprisingly, it's usually this second or third question that unearths

what the interviewer is most looking for.

You might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there anything else you see as

essential to success in this position?:

This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier simply to answer

questions, but only if you uncover the employer's wants and needs will your answers

make the most sense. Practice asking these key questions before giving your answers,

the process will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the other job

candidates you're competing with.

After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the needs of this job

bear striking parallels to tasks you've succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with

specific examples of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which

are geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has just described.

Question 2 What are your greatest strengths?

TRAPS: This question seems like a softball lob, but be prepared. You don't want to

come across as egotistical or arrogant. Neither is this a time to be humble.

BEST ANSWER: You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's

greatest wants and needs before you answer questions. And from Question 1, you know

how to do this.

Prior to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your greatest

strengths. You should also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each

strength, an example chosen from your most recent and most impressive achievements.

You should, have this list of your greatest strengths and corresponding examples from

your achievements so well committed to memory that you can recite them cold after

being shaken awake at 2:30AM.

Then, once you uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs, you can choose

those achievements from your list that best match up.

As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to see in their

employees are:

1. A proven track record as an achiever...especially if your achievements match

up with the employer's greatest wants and needs.

2. Intelligence...management "savvy".

3. Honesty...integrity...a decent human being.

4. Good fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team

player who meshes well with interviewer's team.

5. Likeability...positive attitude...sense of humor.

6. Good communication skills.

7. Dedication...willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.

8. Definiteness of purpose...clear goals.

9. Enthusiasm...high level of motivation.

10. Confident...healthy...a leader.

Question 3 What are your greatest weaknesses?

TRAPS: Beware - this is an eliminator question, designed to shorten the candidate list.

Any admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the

interview.

PASSABLE ANSWER: Disguise a strength as a weakness.

Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense of urgency

and everyone is not always on the same wavelength.”

Drawback: This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it's so widely used, it is

transparent to any experienced interviewer.

BEST ANSWER: (and another reason it's so important to get a thorough description of

your interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that you

can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with

excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications.

Example: “Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've told me about this position, I

believe I' d make an outstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two

things most of all. Do they have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation

to do it well? Everything in my background shows I have both the qualifications and a

strong desire to achieve excellence in whatever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that

I see nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strong

desire to perform this job with excellence.”

Alternate strategy (if you don't yet know enough about the position to talk about such a

perfect fit):

Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least, making

sure that what you like most matches up with the most important qualification for

success in the position, and what you like least is not essential.

Example: Let's say you're applying for a teaching position. “If given a choice, I like to

spend as much time as possible in front of my prospects selling, as opposed to shuffling

paperwork back at the office. Of course, I long ago learned the importance of filing

paperwork properly, and I do it conscientiously. But what I really love to do is sell (if your

interviewer were a sales manager, this should be music to his ears.)

Question 4 Tell me about something you did – or failed to do – that

you now feel a little ashamed of.

TRAPS: There are some questions your interviewer has no business asking, and this is

one. But while you may feel like answering, “none of your business,” naturally you can’t.

Some interviewers ask this question on the chance you admit to something, but if not, at

least they’ll see how you think on your feet.

Some unprepared candidates, flustered by this question, unburden themselves of guilt

from their personal life or career, perhaps expressing regrets regarding a parent,

spouse, child, etc. All such answers can be disastrous.

BEST ANSWER: As with faults and weaknesses, never confess a regret. But don’t

seem as if you’re stonewalling either.

Best strategy: Say you harbor no regrets, then add a principle or habit you practice

regularly for healthy human relations.

Example: Pause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you. Then say, “You

know, I really can’t think of anything.” (Pause again, then add): “I would add that as a

general management principle, I’ve found that the best way to avoid regrets is to avoid

causing them in the first place. I practice one habit that helps me a great deal in this

regard. At the end of each day, I mentally review the day’s events and conversations to

take a second look at the people and developments I’m involved with and do a

double check of what they’re likely to be feeling. Sometimes I’ll see things that do need

more follow-up, whether a pat on the back, or maybe a five minute chat in someone’s

office to make sure we’re clear on things…whatever.”

“I also like to make each person feel like a member of an elite team, like the Boston

Celtics or LA Lakers in their prime. I’ve found that if you let each team member know

you expect excellence in their performance…if you work hard to set an example

yourself…and if you let people know you appreciate and respect their feelings, you wind

up with a highly motivated group, a team that’s having fun at work because they’re

striving for excellence rather than brooding over slights or regrets.”

Question 5 Why are you leaving (or did you leave) this position?

TRAPS: Never badmouth your previous industry, company, board, boss, staff,

employees or customers. This rule is inviolable: never be negative. Any mud you hurl

will only soil your suit.

Especially avoid words like “personality clash”, “didn’t get along”, or others which cast a

shadow on your competence, integrity, or temperament.

BEST ANSWER:

(If you have a job presently)

If you’re not yet 100% committed to leaving your present post, don’t be afraid to say so.

Since you have a job, you are in a stronger position than someone who does not. But

don’t be coy either. State honestly what you’d be hoping to find in a new spot. Of

course, as stated often before, you answer will all the stronger if you have already

uncovered what this position is all about and you match your desires to it.

(If you do not presently have a job.)

Never lie about having been fired. It’s unethical – and too easily checked. But do try to

deflect the reason from you personally. If your firing was the result of a takeover,

merger, division wide layoff, etc., so much the better.

But you should also do something totally unnatural that will demonstrate consummate

professionalism. Even if it hurts , describe your own firing – candidly, succinctly and

without a trace of bitterness – from the company’s point-of-view, indicating that you

could understand why it happened and you might have made the same decision

yourself.

Your stature will rise immensely and, most important of all, you will show you are healed

from the wounds inflicted by the firing. You will enhance your image as first-class

management material and stand head and shoulders above the legions of firing victims

who, at the slightest provocation, zip open their shirts to expose their battle scars and

decry the unfairness of it all.

For all prior positions:

Make sure you’ve prepared a brief reason for leaving. Best reasons: more money,

opportunity, responsibility or growth.

Question 6 Why should I hire you?

TRAPS: Believe it or not, this is a killer question because so many candidates are

unprepared for it. If you stammer you’ve blown it.

BEST ANSWER: By now you can see how critical it is to apply the overall strategy of

uncovering the employer’s needs before you answer questions. If you know the

employer’s greatest needs and desires, this question will give you a big leg up over other

candidates because you will give him better reasons for hiring you than anyone else is

likely to…reasons tied directly to his needs.

Whether your interviewer asks you this question explicitly or not, this is the most

important question of your interview because he must answer this question favorably in

is own mind before you will be hired. So help him out! Walk through each of the

position’s requirements as you understand them, and follow each with a reason why you

meet that requirement so well.

Example: “As I understand your needs, you are first and foremost looking for someone

who can manage the sales and marketing of your book publishing division. As you’ve

said you need someone with a strong background in trade book sales. This is where

I’ve spent almost all of my career, so I’ve chalked up 18 years of experience exactly in

this area. I believe that I know the right contacts, methods, principles, and successful

management techniques as well as any person can in our industry.”

“You also need someone who can expand your book distribution channels. In my prior

post, my innovative promotional ideas doubled, then tripled, the number of outlets selling

our books. I’m confident I can do the same for you.”

“You need someone to give a new shot in the arm to your mail order sales, someone

who knows how to sell in space and direct mail media. Here, too, I believe I have

exactly the experience you need. In the last five years, I’ve increased our mail order

book sales from $600,000 to $2,800,000, and now we’re the country’s second leading

marketer of scientific and medical books by mail.” Etc., etc., etc.,

Every one of these selling “couplets” (his need matched by your qualifications) is a

touchdown that runs up your score. IT is your best opportunity to outsell your

competition.

“From my side, there are strong benefits, as well. Right now, I am unemployed. I want

to work, very much, and the position you have here is exactly what I love to do and am

best at. I’ll be happy doing this work and that’s what matters most to me, a lot more that

money or title.”

“Most important, I’m looking to make a long term commitment in my career now. I’ve had

enough of job-hunting and want a permanent spot at this point in my career. I also know

that if I perform this job with excellence, other opportunities cannot help but open up for

me right here. In time, I’ll find many other ways to help this company and in so doing,

help myself. I really am looking to make a long-term commitment.”

NOTE: The main concern behind the “overqualified” question is that you will leave your

new employer as soon as something better comes your way. Anything you can say to

demonstrate the sincerity of your commitment to the employer and reassure him that

you’re looking to stay for the long-term will help you overcome this objection.

Question 7 Where do you see yourself five years from now?

TRAPS: One reason interviewers ask this question is to see if you’re settling for this

position, using it merely as a stopover until something better comes along. Or they

could be trying to gauge your level of ambition.

If you’re too specific, i.e., naming the promotions you someday hope to win, you’ll sound

presumptuous. If you’re too vague, you’ll seem rudderless.

BEST ANSWER: Reassure your interviewer that you’re looking to make a long-term

commitment…that this position entails exactly what you’re looking to do and what you do

extremely well. As for your future, you believe that if you perform each job at hand with

excellence, future opportunities will take care of themselves.

Example: “I am definitely interested in making a long-term commitment to my next

position. Judging by what you’ve told me about this position, it’s exactly what I’m looking

for and what I am very well qualified to do. In terms of my future career path, I’m

confident that if I do my work with excellence, opportunities will inevitable open up for

me. It’s always been that way in my career, and I’m confident I’ll have similar

opportunities here.”

Question 8 Describe your ideal company, location and job.

TRAPS: This is often asked by an experienced interviewer who thinks you may be

overqualified, but knows better than to show his hand by posing his objection directly.

So he’ll use this question instead, which often gets a candidate to reveal that, indeed, he

or she is looking for something other than the position at hand.

BEST ANSWER: The only right answer is to describe what this company is offering,

being sure to make your answer believable with specific reasons, stated with sincerity,

why each quality represented by this opportunity is attractive to you.

Remember that if you’re coming from a company that’s the leader in its field or from a

glamorous or much admired company, industry, city or position, your interviewer and his

company may well have an “Avis” complex. That is, they may feel a bit defensive about

being “second best” to the place you’re coming from, worried that you may consider

them bush league.

This anxiety could well be there even though you’ve done nothing to inspire it. You must

go out of your way to assuage such anxiety, even if it’s not expressed, by putting their

virtues high on the list of exactly what you’re looking for, providing credible reason for

wanting these qualities.

If you do not express genuine enthusiasm for the firm, its culture, location, industry, etc.,

you may fail to answer this “Avis” complex objection and, as a result, leave the

interviewer suspecting that a hot shot like you, coming from a Fortune 500 company in

New York, just wouldn’t be happy at an unknown manufacturer based in Topeka,

Kansas.

Question 9 Why do you want to work at our company?

TRAPS: This question tests whether you’ve done any homework about the firm. If you

haven’t, you lose. If you have, you win big.

BEST ANSWER: This question is your opportunity to hit the ball out of the park, thanks

to the in-depth research you should do before any interview.

Best sources for researching your target company: annual reports, the corporate

newsletter, contacts you know at the company or its suppliers, advertisements, articles

about the company in the trade press.

Question 10 Can you work under pressure?

TRAPS: An easy question, but you want to make your answer believable.

BEST ANSWER: Absolutely…(then prove it with a vivid example or two of a goal or

project accomplished under severe pressure.)

Question 11 Who has inspired you in your life and why?

TRAPS: The two traps here are unpreparedness and irrelevance. If you grope for an

answer, it seems you’ve never been inspired. If you ramble about your high school

basketball coach, you’ve wasted an opportunity to present qualities of great value to the

company.

BEST ANSWER: Have a few heroes in mind, from your mental “Board of Directors” –

Leaders in your industry, from history or anyone else who has been your mentor.

Be prepared to give examples of how their words, actions or teachings have helped

inspire your achievements. As always, prepare an answer which highlights qualities that

would be highly valuable in the position you are seeking.

Question 12 What was the toughest decision you ever had to

make?

TRAPS: Giving an unprepared or irrelevant answer.

BEST ANSWER: Be prepared with a good example, explaining why the decision was

difficult…the process you followed in reaching it…the courageous or effective way you

carried it out…and the beneficial results.

Question 13 I’m concerned that you don’t have as much experience

as we’d like in…

TRAPS: This could be a make-or-break question. The interviewer mostly likes what he

sees, but has doubts over one key area. If you can assure him on this point, the job may

be yours.

BEST ANSWER: This question is related to “The Fatal Flaw” but here

the concern is not that you are totally missing some qualifications, such as CPA

certification, but rather that your experience is light in one area.

Before going into any interview, try to identify the weakest aspects of your candidacy

from this company’s point of view. Then prepare the best answer you possible can to

shore up your defenses.

To get past this question with flying colors, you are going to rely on your master strategy

of uncovering the employer’s greatest wants and needs and then matching them with

your strengths. Since you already know how to do this from Question 1, you are in a

much stronger position.

More specifically, when the interviewer poses as objection like this, you should…

1. Agree on the importance of this qualification.

2. Explain that your strength may be indeed be greater than your resume

indicates because…

3. When this strength is added to your other strengths, it’s really your

combination of qualifications that’s most important.

Then review the areas of your greatest strengths that match up most favorably with the

company’s most urgently-felt wants and needs.

This is powerful way to handle this question for two reasons. First, you’re giving your

interviewer more ammunition in the area of his concern. But more importantly, you’re

shifting his focus away from this one, isolated area and putting it on the unique

combination of strengths you offer, strengths which tie in perfectly with his greatest

wants.

Question 14 How do you feel about working nights and weekends?

TRAPS: Blurt out “no way, Jose” and you can kiss the job offer goodbye. But what if

you have a family and want to work a reasonably normal schedule? Is there a way to

get both the job and the schedule you want?

BEST ANSWER: First, if you’re a confirmed workaholic, this question is a softball lob.

Whack it out of the park on the first swing by saying this kind of schedule is just your

style. Add that your family understands it. Indeed, they’re happy for you, as they know

you get your greatest satisfaction from your work.

If however, you prefer a more balanced lifestyle, answer this question with another:

“What’s the norm for your best people here?”

If the hours still sound unrealistic for you, ask, “Do you have any top people who perform

exceptionally for you, but who also have families and like to get home in time to see

them at night?” Chances are this company does, and this associates you with this other

“top-performers-who-leave-not-later-than-six” group.

Depending on the answer, be honest about how you would fit into the picture. If all

those extra hours make you uncomfortable, say so, but phrase your response positively.

Example: “I love my work and do it exceptionally well. I think the results speak for

themselves, especially in …(mention your two or three qualifications of greater interest

to the employer. Remember, this is what he wants most, not a workaholic with weak

credentials). Not only would I bring these qualities, but I’ve built my whole career on

working not just hard, but smart. I think you’ll find me one of the most productive people

here.

I do have a family who likes to see me after work and on weekends. They add balance

and richness to my life, which in turn helps me be happy and productive at work. If I

could handle some of the extra work at home in the evenings or on weekends, that

would be ideal. You’d be getting a person of exceptional productivity who meets your

needs with strong credentials. And I’d be able to handle some of the heavy workload at

home where I can be under the same roof as my family. Everybody would win.”

Question 15 Are you willing to relocate or travel?

TRAPS: Answer with a flat “no” and you may slam the door shut on this opportunity.

But what if you’d really prefer not to relocate or travel, yet wouldn’t want to lose the job

offer over it?

BEST ANSWER: First find out where you may have to relocate and how much travel

may be involved. Then respond to the question.

If there’s no problem, say so enthusiastically.

If you do have a reservation, there are two schools of thought on how to handle it.

One advises you to keep your options open and your reservations to yourself in the early

going, by saying, “no problem”. You strategy here is to get the best offer you can, then

make a judgment whether it’s worth it to you to relocate or travel.

Also, by the time the offer comes through, you may have other offers and can make a

more informed decision. Why kill of this opportunity before it has chance to blossom into

something really special? And if you’re a little more desperate three months from now,

you might wish you hadn’t slammed the door on relocating or traveling.

The second way to handle this question is to voice a reservation, but assert that you’d

be open to relocating (or traveling) for the right opportunity.

The answering strategy you choose depends on how eager you are for the job. If you

want to take no chances, choose the first approach.

If you want to play a little harder-to-get in hopes of generating a more enticing offer,

choose the second.

Question 16 Why have you had so many jobs?

TRAPS: Your interviewer fears you may leave this position quickly, as you have others.

He’s concerned you may be unstable, or a “problem person” who can’t get along with

others.

BEST ANSWER: First, before you even get to the interview stage, you should try to

minimize your image as job hopper. If there are several entries on your resume of less

than one year, consider eliminating the less important ones. Perhaps you can specify

the time you spent at previous positions in rounded years not in months and years.

Example: Instead of showing three positions this way:

6/1982 – 3/1983, Position A;

4/1983 – 12/1983, Position B;

1/1984 – 8/1987, Position C;

…it would be better to show simply:

1982 – 1983, Position A;

1984 – 1987 Position C.

In other words, you would drop Position B altogether. Notice what a difference this

makes in reducing your image as a job hopper.

Once in front of the interviewer and this question comes up, you must try to reassure

him. Describe each position as part of an overall pattern of growth and career

destination.

Be careful not to blame other people for your frequent changes. But you can and should

attribute certain changes to conditions beyond your control.

Example: Thanks to an upcoming merger, you wanted to avoid an ensuing bloodbath,

so you made a good, upward career move before your department came under the axe

of the new owners.

If possible, also show that your job changes were more frequent in your younger days,

while you were establishing yourself, rounding out your skills and looking for the right

career path. At this stage in your career, you’re certainly much more interested in the

best long-term opportunity.

You might also cite the job(s) where you stayed the longest and describe that this type of

situation is what you’re looking for now.

Question 17 What are your goals?

TRAPS: Not having any…or having only vague generalities, not highly specific goals.

BEST ANSWER: Many executives in a position to hire you are strong believers in goalsetting.

(It’s one of the reason they’ve achieved so much). They like to hire in kind.

If you’re vague about your career and personal goals, it could be a big turnoff to may

people you will encounter in your job search.

Be ready to discuss your goals for each major area of your life: career, personal

development and learning, family, physical (health), community service and (if your

interviewer is clearly a religious person) you could briefly and generally allude to your

spiritual goals (showing you are a well-rounded individual with your values in the right

order).

Be prepared to describe each goal in terms of specific milestones you wish to

accomplish along the way, time periods you’re allotting for accomplishment, why the

goal is important to you, and the specific steps you’re taking to bring it about. But do this

concisely, as you never want to talk more than two minutes straight before letting your

interviewer back into the conversation.

Question 18 “The Salary Question” – How much money do you

want?

TRAPS: May also be phrases as, “What salary are you worth?”…or, “How much are

you making now?” This is your most important negotiation. Handle it wrong and you can

blow the job offer or go to work at far less than you might have gotten.

BEST ANSWER: For maximum salary negotiating power, remember these five

guidelines:

1. Never bring up salary. Let the interviewer do it first. Good salespeople sell their

products thoroughly before talking price. So should you. Make the interviewer

want you first, and your bargaining position will be much stronger.

2. If your interviewer raises the salary question too early, before you’ve had a

chance to create desire for your qualifications, postpone the question, saying

something like, “Money is important to me, but is not my main concern.

Opportunity and growth are far more important. What I’d rather do, if you don’t

mind, is explore if I’m right for the position, and then talk about money. Would

that be okay?”

3. The #1 rule of any negotiation is: the side with more information wins. After

you’ve done a thorough job of selling the interviewer and it’s time to talk salary,

the secret is to get the employer talking about what he’s willing to pay before you

reveal what you’re willing to accept. So, when asked about salary, respond by

asking, “I’m sure the company has already established a salary range for this

position. Could you tell me what that is?” Or, “I want an income commensurate

with my ability and qualifications. I trust you’ll be fair with me. What does the

position pay?” Or, more simply, “What does this position pay?”

4. Know beforehand what you’d accept. To know what’s reasonable, research the

job market and this position for any relevant salary information. Remember that

most executives look for a 20-25%$ pay boost when they switch jobs. If you’re

grossly underpaid, you may want more.

5. Never lie about what you currently make, but feel free to include the estimated

cost of all your fringes, which could well tack on 25-50% more to your present

“cash-only” salary.

Question 19 Why should I hire you from the outside when I could

promote someone from within?

TRAPS: This question isn’t as aggressive as it sounds. It represents the interviewer’s

own dilemma over this common problem. He’s probably leaning toward you already and

for reassurance, wants to hear what you have to say on the matter.

BEST ANSWER: Help him see the qualifications that only you can offer.

Example: “In general, I think it’s a good policy to hire from within – to look outside

probably means you’re not completely comfortable choosing someone from inside.

“Naturally, you want this department to be as strong as it possibly can be, so you want

the strongest candidate. I feel that I can fill that bill because…(then recap your strongest

qualifications that match up with his greatest needs).”