chap 14

When the interviewer asks you questions about the future, you should provide answers that

• show ambition and interest in succeeding with this company.

• enable you to work in your practiced success stories.

• demonstrate you have the skills required for the target position.

• illustrate your interest in their organization and in the open position.

How should you respond if an interviewer asks, Why should we hire you when other applicants have better credentials?

• Admit that you are less qualified, but stress you can be paid less than more experienced applicants.

• Describe how you are correcting one of your most significant weaknesses to display your strong work ethic and determination.

• Confidently explain your strengths such as your openness to new ideas and knowledge of the latest methods and equipment.

• Since it is clear that you will not get this job offer, do not answer this question.

Which of these responses is the best answer to the question, Where do you see yourself in your career five years from now?

• I see myself in your job.

• I see myself as the president of this company.

• I hope to be running my own business.

• As a member of your team, I will have grown and learned enough to advance to a position in management.

Which of these is the most effective response to the question, What do you think is your greatest weakness?

• Some people complain that I'm a workaholic with nearly too much passion for this field.

• To tell the truth, I become frustrated with lazy coworkers who don't pull their own weight.

• My typing speed isn't as fast as I would like, but this position doesn't require me to use the computer.

• I've worked hard to eliminate every weakness, and I am confident you will find me the perfect employee for this position.

When an interviewer asks you a challenging question about a weakness, what is the best way to respond?

• To prove you have only strengths, reply that you have no weaknesses at all.

• To be completely honest with the interviewer, talk about the employment weakness that concerns you most.

• Mention a previous weakness and the way you have corrected it.

• Demonstrate your honesty by bringing up every weakness you can identify.

Which of the following is an example of a situational question?

• If you were aware that a coworker submitted false data, what would you do?

• What is your ideal work environment?

• What do you predict for the future of our industry?

• Tell me about a time when you dealt with confidential information.

Which of the following is an example of a behavioral interview question?

• Who in your life has most inspired you and why?

• An irate customer is demanding her money back. How would you handle the situation?

• Tell me about a time when you solved a difficult problem.

• What is your greatest strength?

When the interviewer says Describe a time when you worked successfully as a member of a team, your best response will be to

• reply that you have been a member of so many successful teams that no particular instance stands out.

• say that you not only enjoy teamwork, especially problem-solving groups, but also work well independently.

• tell a success story about a specific group project, your contributions, and the results.

• list the names of all work teams on which you participated and stress that all were successful.

If the interviewer begins a question with Tell me about a time when..., you should

• recognize that this is a trick question and tactfully refuse to answer.

• politely explain that you have never experienced such a situation.

• make up any answer and wish that you had been better prepared.

• describe a situation or task, tell what action you took, and emphasize a positive result.

What is the most effective way to handle an illegal or inappropriate question during an interview?

• If you find the question harmless and you want the job, go ahead and answer it.

• Confront the interviewer about the illegal nature of the question.

• Storm out of the room in anger; after all, you wouldn't work for a company with such low ethics.

• Refuse to answer the question because it is your legal right to do so.