Many interviewers will try to trip you up to see what you’re made of, how you handle stress, and if you can think on your feet.
Vicky Oliver, Manhattan-based job interview consultant and author of 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions, and 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions offers some advice for those facing the job interview gauntlet.
Here, Oliver provides seven interview questions and how to answer them.
Q: "I see you've been out of the workforce. How can you compete with people who have lots of experience in our industry?"
A: Segue quickly into your social media skills—Tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn. Convince the interviewer that you’re on top of social tech, then give examples of how quickly you can be brought up to speed in any given field.
Q: "What's your biggest weakness?
A: You could say that you're extremely impatient, and that you expect coworkers to be competent, well prepared, and accountable. Turn this into a plus by explaining how you asked management for team assignments to break down the work into manageable pieces assigned to people based on their strengths.
Q: "Could you work with someone who took credit for your great ideas?"
A: You'd credit any ideas that were genuinely your coworker’s, hoping he or she would return the favor; otherwise, you'd present ideas that were your own to your bosses, then try to openly discuss the issue with your coworker, stressing the importance of teamwork and positioning both of you as "strong-ideas people."
Q: "What’s the best-managed company in America?"
A: If you say, Apple, talk about the products they've introduced, their brand and company culture, and how these have revolutionized consumer behavior.
Q: "What is the most courageous action you've ever taken at work?"
A: Oliver provides a way out with an example: Your partner often left work early to be with his family, but your boss wanted everyone to stay till 8 p.m. The boss would berate your partner behind his back. You told your boss and partner to work things out directly, taking a chance in alienating your boss.
Q: "What are your pet peeves?"
A: You could mention that false deadlines are unfair, especially if a report simply sits on a manager’s desk for days. Add that you'd prefer to earn a manager’s respect and trust by meeting real deadlines.
Q: "If you were to give a speech to a group of executives, what topic would you select, and why?"
A: Perhaps a motivational speech about overcoming obstacles. Follow up with a major obstacle that offered you an important learning and growing experience.
Practice these with a fellow job seeker until you can rattle them off like a pro.
Image courtesy of Vicky Oliver
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