secrets behind those101 questions short rev.1.31.10

THE SECRETS BEHIND THOSE TERRIFYING 101 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

“Have thy tools ready. God will find thee work.”-Sir James Murray

First impressions will break or make the interview.

Most initial interviews last only about five minutes even though it is really thirty or sixty minutes in duration.

If you fail to convince the interviewer in the first five minutes you are the right person for the job you will not recover.

Make a personal connection with the interviewer immediately upon introduction by looking them directly in the eye and give a warm and friendly smile.

INTERVIEWING FACTS

INTERVIEWERS WILL RECOMMEND PEOPLE WHO ARE A REFLECTION UPON THEMSELVES AND THEIR SELECTIVITY

“THE HALO EFFECT”ANYONE WHO IS LIKE ME MUST BE A

GOOD PERSON

INTERVIEWING FACTS

1. ESTABLISH RAPPORT WITH THE INTERVIEWER Small talk is actually BIG TALK so be careful

what you say and how you say it. Never drop your interview guard.

Q. “Did you have any trouble finding our office?”

A. “Not at all!” Even if you have been driving around in circles for the last thirty minutes!

It is not necessarily the words you say, but how you say them.

INTERVIEWS CONSIST OF THREE DISTINCT STEPS

2. INFORMATION GATHERING BY THE INTERVIEWER

These are probing questions delving into your background, attempting to get past the interview veneer.

You are judged on attitude, work ethic, intelligence, honesty and personal ethics.

You will be at the whims of each individual interviewer.


3. THE CLOSING AND WHAT HAPPENS NOW? If you are successful in the interview the

conversation will move on to the next stage of the process.

If you have failed the conversation will probably turn to the weather, sports (neutral conversations.)

“We will be reviewing all of the candidates and get back with you.” OUCH! This usually means there is no interest on their part.

Even if there is no interest in you, continue to follow-up as if there is.


1. Passion for the Business2. Motivation and Purpose3. Skills and Experience4. Diligence and Professionalism5. Creativity and Leadership6. Compatibility with the Job

TWELVE KEY INTERVIEW THEMES

7. Personality and Cultural Compatibility8. Management Style and Interpersonal

Skills9. Problem-Solving Ability10. Accomplishments11. Career Aspirations12. Personal Interest and Hobbies

TWELVE KEY INTERVIEW THEMES

1. Credential Verification Questions2. Work Experience Verification Questions3. Opinion Questions4. Dumb Questions5. Math Questions6. Case Questions7. Behavioral Questions8. Competency Questions

INTERVIEWS CONSIST OF EIGHT TYPES OF QUESTIONS

1. Credential Verification2. Experience Verification3. Opinion4. Dumb Questions

These are the favored approach by most untrained interviewers.

The value of these are on the same level generated from a simple resume review.

Predictive validity is 10%

PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF INTERVIEW TYPES

1. CREDENTIAL VERIFICATION These are questions regarding your education

and former employers. This places objective measurements on

features of your background (resume fact finding)

Q. “Tell me about the last company you worked for.”

Q. “How has your education prepared you for your career?”

EIGHT TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

2. WORK EXPERIENCE VERIFICATION Subjectively evaluates features of

your background.

Q. “What did you enjoy most/least about your last job?”

Q. “What were your responsibilities in that position?”


3. OPINION Analyzes how you would respond in

a series of scenarios.

Q. “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Q. “How would you handle a difficult boss or co-worker?”


4. DUMB Meant to get you past pre-

programmed answers to see if you are capable of original thoughts.

There are no wrong or right answers. Demonstrates your ability to think on

your feet. Q. “What kind of animal would you be?” Q. “How would you redesign the teddy

bear?”


5. MATH Evaluates your mental math

calculation skills and creative ability in formulating mathematical formula for providing an answer.

Predictive validity of this question is 15% in testing your intelligence.


6. CASE Tests problem solving to evaluate your

abilities and how you would analyze and work through potential case situations.

Q. “What sort of decisions do you find the most difficult to make?”

Q. “Give an example of a time you identified a process that needed improvement and

how you initiated changes to work toward that improvement.”

The predictive validity in this case is 25% and slightly higher for consulting positions.


7. Behavioral Anticipates future behavior based on

past behavior. Takes into consideration your attitudes and personality characteristics.

Q. “Have you ever had a project or idea criticized? What was your

response?” Q. “How do you resolve disputes with co-

workers or bosses?”

The predictive validity here is 55%


Behavioral interviews encompass your career goals and occupational objectives.

They are like a trip to the psychiatrists couch. They become more probing as you start to tell your behavioral story.

Employers predetermine which skills are necessary for the job you are interviewing for. Research on the company or a contact within the organization may help you understand the behaviors they want.

THE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW

There are as many as 50+ traits of behavior an employer is looking for.

Desired behaviors an interviewer may be looking for are: Adaptability, Control, Analysis, Insight,

Innovation, Judgment, Integrity, Energy, Teamwork, Work Standards, Rapport Building, Conflict Resolution, Persuasion, Negotiation, Delegation, Caution


Prepare for this type of interview by: Identifying 6 to 8 examples of past

experiences that demonstrated your top behaviors and skills that employers seek.

Be prepared to use examples from work, classes, volunteer work and extra curricular activities.

Make ½ of your examples positive. These are accomplishments and goals you met.

Make the other ½ the aspects that started out as negative and ended up positively, or you did your best trying for the best outcome.


S Situation (Past real life experience)

T Task (Goal, problem to solve)

A Action (Planning and implementation)

R Result (Outcome, influence, change)

NOTE: An interviewer may probe for contrary evidence after your response is given so be honest.

THE “STAR METHOD”

Q. “Tell me about a time when you were given a project/task that you were responsible for from start to

finish and the steps you took to complete the job.”

Q. “Tell me about a situation when your personal initiative was involved in changing some aspect of your work environment.”

Q. “Walk me through a typical 8:00 to 5:00 day in your last job.”

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Q. “Describe a time in your current/last position, when you were given little direction/training. What steps did

you take to get the job done?” Q. “What was the favorite part of your

former job, and why?” Q. “What do you like to do least, and

why?”

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

8. COMPETENCY Encompasses you general skills and aptitudes. It aligns your past behaviors with specific competencies which are required for the position.

Q. “Can you give me a specific example of your leadership skills?”

Q. “Give me an example of a time you had to respond in a high-pressure situation?”

The productive validity in this case is 55%


An example of competency is intelligence. A fully developed competency model may have as

many as 30 to 50 different competencies that are being evaluated.

The 12 most desired behaviors interviewers are looking for are:

Communication, Achievement, Customer Focus, Teamwork, Leadership, Planning and Organizing, Operational Awareness, Flexibility, Developing Others, Problem Solving, Analytical Thinking and Building Relationships

COMPETENCY INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Competency interviewing uses Behavioral Interview techniques to judge your past performance as a predictor of future performance.

Q. “Describe a situation…” Q. “Tell me about a time when…” Q. “What would you do if…”


I - IDENTIFYING (The part you played in discovering the problem)

P - PROBLEM (Describe the situation or task)

A - ACTION (The step you took) R - RESULT (Describe the successful

outcome by using figures and dates to illustrate the benefit to the company)

And always use “I” rather than “We” when explaining.

THE “IPAR METHOD”

Be prepared for the interviewer to probe deeper and ask for more detail.

Q. “What was the basis for that decision?” Q. “How exactly did you do that?” Q. “Tell me exactly what steps you took to

resolve that.”

Be honest with your answers because the interviewer may be looking for clues you may be exaggerating.


“Describe yourself. What in your background qualifies you for this job?”

They really mean…

“Can you take an incredible amount of information, organize it quickly in your head, and present it in a concise and articulate fashion?”

WHEN THEY ASK YOU…THEY REALLY WANT TO KNOW…

“What makes you think you will succeed in this organization?”

They really mean…

“Have you accurately identified the skills and expertise needed to succeed? Can you prove you have them?”


“Where do you want to be in five years?”

They really mean…

“What motivates you and what do you want out of life? Is this job merely a stepping stone to something better?”


“What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?”

They really mean…

“Are my perceptions of your strengths and weaknesses the same as yours? How mature are you in dealing with your weaknesses? Can you identify methods for self improvement?”


“How would your peers describe you?”

They really mean…

“How do you see yourself? Are you a leader or a follower?”

(Use quiet confidence – not arrogance or egotism)


“Why should we hire you? What do you bring to this job?”

They really mean…

“How are your promotion and persuasion skills? Are you believable? If you can’t sell yourself, how will you be able to sell our products/company/ideas?”

WHEN THEY ASK YOU…THEY REALLY WANT TO KNOW……

Every question an interviewer asks should pass this test:

“Does it have something to do with my current/past job or the one that I am applying for?”

IN THE INTERVIEWERS MIND

“I FINALLY GOT THE INTERVIEW…

“WHAT NOW?”

HELP!

“One specific is worth a hundred generalities.”

Turkish proverb

Q. “So, tell me about yourself.”

THE QUESTIONS WE ALL HAVE TROUBLE ANSWERING

Focus on your:

Strongest skills Greatest areas of knowledge Greatest personality strengths Things you do best Key accomplishments

It is hard to talk about your abilities if you are not sure how it relates to their needs. Tailor your answer around the interviewers response.


Keep it to about 250 to 350 words and give a:

Brief introduction. Your key accomplishments. Your key strengths demonstrated by these

accomplishments. The importance of the strengths and

accomplishments. Where you see yourself developing in the

position.


Q. “What is your greatest weakness?”


Do not answer this question by saying…

“I am a perfectionist.” “I always like to be the leader.” “I am a workaholic.”

These may be “safe answers” but they avoid answering the question.


A. “After assessing my overall traits and work ethic I have come to realize that my

weakness has been that I try to over-extend myself and take on more than

I can handle. To overcome this I have discovered ways to prioritize better

and be more efficient in my duties. I have found I can be more productive while creating less stress for myself.”


Q. “Why should I hire you?”


A. “You should hire me because I am the best person for the job. I realize that there are likely other candidates who also have the ability to do this job. Yet I bring an additional quality that makes me the best person for the job—my passion for excellence. I am passionately committed to producing truly world class results. For example…”


Q. “What is your long-range objective?”


A. “Within five years, I would like to become the very best ______ your company

has on staff. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I’ll be fully prepared to take on even greater responsibilities which might be

presented in the long term. For example…” …”


Q. “Why do you want this job?”


A. “I’ve been very careful about the companies where I have applied. When I saw the ad for this position, I knew I found what I was looking for. What I can bring to this job are my years of experience, and knowledge of the industry, plus my ability to communicate and build customer relationships. I have what you need, and you have what I want.”


Q. “What salary did you have in mind?”


If early in the interview…

A. “What would a person with my background and qualifications

typically earn in this position with your company?”

A. “What is the general salary range for this position, and new hires?”


If late in the interview and you are interested…

A. “I am ready to consider your very best offer.”

A. “What I’m making is not important. What IS important is whether or

not my skills are what you need, and I am confident the range will be fair.”


A. “I’ll need more information about the job and the responsibility before we can

begin to discuss salary. Can you give me an idea of the range budgeted

for this position?”

This reveals your self-confidence and levels the playing field if there are more than one candidate.

Get the employer to state a number first.


You should have done your homework on salaries before you even walked into the interview.

Do not be specific – you will lose and could cost yourself thousands of dollars or lose the job completely.

If pushed for a dollar amount make your low end as high as your comfort level allows.


If the amount is within your range…

A. “I would encourage you to make a formal offer. What is most important is the opportunity to work for you and your

company.”A. “That would be within my expected

starting range, depending on the entire salary and benefits package.”


DO NOT negotiate salary without a formal offer first.

You not only want good pay, you want respect…don’t underbid yourself!

Research shows that 4 out of 5 companies are willing to negotiate compensation. Only a small % of candidates enter into negotiations with a prospective employer.


Q. “How long have you been looking for a job?”


A. “After I was laid off from my job, I took the opportunity to take some

time out to examine my career goals and where I was going with my life. I have a definite goal in mind and have been selective about the positions I consider. Your company and this position are of great interest to me.”


Q. “Are you a team player?”


A. “Yes, I’m very much a team player. In fact, I’ve had opportunities in my

work, school, athletics, church to develop my skills as a team player.” (Give an example)


Q. “Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or co-worker? How was it resolved?”


A. “Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but there have

been disagreements that needed to be resolved. I’ve found that when conflict occurs, it helps to fully understand the other person’s perspective, so I take time to listen to their point of view, then I seek to work out a collaborative solution.”


Be honest…all of us have had conflicts in our work experience.

If you say no, the interviewer will keep drilling deeper to uncover a conflict.

The key is how you BEHAVIORALLY reacted to conflict and what you did to resolve it.

Make this approach to the answer work to your advantage.


Q. “What qualities do you feel a successful manager/accountant/administrator

should have?”

Focus on two words: Leadership and Vision

Give an example of someone who has touched your life and how their impact has helped in your personal development.


A. “The key quality in a successful manager/account should be leadership.

The ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I’d like to tell you about a person whom Iconsider to be a

true leader…”


Never leave an interview without asking questions.

The lack of questions shows a lack of interest, so grab the opportunity!

Don’t go to the interview with a “laundry list” of question. Have no more than three good questions in the initial interview.

Think positive and save the rest for the second interview!

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO ASK THE QUESTIONS

“Why did you personally decide to work for the company?”

“What are the three most important attributes for success in this position?”

“What are the opportunities for growth/advancement for this position?”

“How is your company responding to competition in the area?”

“Please tell me a little bit about the people I will be working with.”

QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEWER

“What is the anticipated company growth rate over the next three years?” (If you have done your homework you should already know the answer to this, so proceed with caution)

“What kind of training should I expect and for how long?”

“How long has this position been available?” “How did this job become available?” “Is this a new position or a replacement?” “How many candidates have you

interviewed?”


The most important question to ask as early in the interview as possible is:

“Can you tell me about the position and the type of person you are seeking?”

This will help you to understand more about the job and your ability to fill it.

Identifies the specific areas of need you can address during the course of the interview.


All candidates are asked the same interview questions in the same order.

Answers are compared to a pre-set answer or list of keywords.

Each answer is scored accordingly and the ones with the highest score most likely wins the job or, at least, the second interview.

ARE INTERVIEWS SCORED?

Competency Behavior Indicators

Communication Effectively exchanges ideas, knowledge and information through active listening, verbal, written and/or electronic means…

Initiative Is motivated and self-directed while remaining aligned with team objectives. Actively seeks opportunities and acts upon them as appropriate.

Teamwork Works effectively with others to achieve common goals.

Problem Solving Identifies root causes of problems, develops potential solutions and selects the most effective corrective action.

HOW YOU ARE SOCRED

When addressing the interviewer it is imperative that you have no “lazy lips.”

Enunciation is the key. Keep hands away from your mouth. Maintain your vocabulary level. No fancy

stuff! Don’t speak in acronyms. People are not

impressed, only confused.

THE ARTICULATION FACTOR

“Like” “To tell ‘ya the truth” “Honestly” “Basically” “Okay” and “Yea” “Well” “Truthfully” “Y’know” “Huh?”

WATCH YOUR CHOICE OF WORDS

This is the process of mirroring the personality of the person to whom you are speaking.

This is based on the fact that we like people who are like us.

The halo effect…anyone who is like me must be a good person.

Know your own personality range first. For some, your range may be too narrow and you may feel uncomfortable doing this.

PERSONALITY MATCHING TECHNIQUE

Match the voice pitch, tempo, body language, and posture of the interviewer.

The rate of speech (tempo) is more important than the pitch.

Remember, you may be speaking at 78 RPM’s but the interviewer may be listening at only 33 1/3!

Reflect the facial expressions and posture of the interviewer without going to extremes.

PERSONALITY MATCHING TECHNIQUE

Again, next to your smile, the handshake is the first impression the interviewer has to judge you on.

An effective handshake mirrors the handshake being offered. And just hope they are not the type to give you the “limp noodle” handshake.

Match the handshake the way you would their voice or posture.

HANDSHAKE MATCHING TECHNIQUE

Recap your reason for you being the best candidate for the job.

Restate your interest in the job. Ask for the job!

WHEN THE INTERVIEW IS COMING TO A CLOSE

Send a thank you note for the interview IMMEDIATELY. If interviewed by multiple people, send to all individuals. Make sure you get business cards from everyone.

Have stamped thank you cards with you. Write your thank you and mail on your way home.

AS A NOTE: Not only sending a thank you AFTER the interview, why not set yourself apart and send a thank you LETTER for the interview appointment? How many people do that? Set yourself apart.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW IS OVER

WHEN YOU ARE IN AN INTERVIEW, YOU NEED TO TELL STORIES.

YOU CAN LEAD PEOPLE TO BELIEVE BY TELLING STORIES.

STORIES SELL! KNOW NOT ONLY THE COMPANY’S

BACKGROUND, BUT YOUR OWN. KNOW YOUR RESUME AND BE ABLE TO RECALL PERSONAL EVENTS.

REMEMBER

University of Notre Dame www.careercenter.nd.edu/for-alumni/interviews

Quintessential Careers (Has 150 interview questions with sample answers) www.quintcareers.com

Best-Job-Interview (Has a wide range of specific profession interview questions. Take special note of “Surviving a Layoff” and “Job Offer Help.”)www.best-job-interview.com

SOURCE MATERIAL

Carol Martin, Career Coach www.interviewcoach.com

CollegeGrad.com (Has 55 interviewing techniques)

www.collegegrad.com

Personality-And-Aptitude-Career-Test.com (Has 101 interview questions)

www.personality-and-aptitude-career-test.com

SOURCE MATERIAL

The Emurse (100+ Behavioral questions) www.emurse.com

Job-Application-And-Interview-Advise www.job-application-and-interview-advise.com

National Seminars Group www.nationalseminarstraining.com

Annette Lewiswww.blueskyinterviews.co.uk

SOURCE MATERIAL

101 Great Answers To The Toughest Interview Questions, by Ron Fry - $10.39 (4 ½ star rating)

301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions, by Vicky Oliver - $10.15 (4 ½ star rating)

Acing The Interview: How To Ask And Answer The Questions That Will Get You The Job, by Tony Beshara - $11.53 (4 ½ star rating)

Winning Job Interviews, by Dr. Paul Powers - $10.30 (5 star rating)

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