Interview Preparation Questions

Part I: Strategies for Answering Difficult Questions


Why Did You Leave Your Last Position?

Whatever the circumstances that caused you to leave, a resignation, a termination for

cause or a lay off, be honest and be brief. Give the pertinent facts. Most importantly,

don’t badmouth your previous employer or show bitterness or negativity. Keep the

emotional baggage in check. Stay positive. If you were fired, explain what you learned

and how you’re a better employee today. Show that you’re ready to move on and are

anxious to take on responsibility and grow your career.



“XYZ Company has been going through lay offs all year. Everyone on my team, except me, had been laid off. Finally, it was my turn. I’m ready to move on to a new challenge

and continue my history of making valuable contributions to an organization.” “My boss and I mutually agreed that my skills were not a good match for the position. Frankly, I accepted the position without asking enough questions to understand fully the responsibilities and expectations. I won’t make that mistake again.”



Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Position?



Be careful with this. Again, you don’t want to badmouth your present employer. Avoid

making statements about wanting to make more money. “New management has come in. My responsibilities are changing as a result, and the career path that I was on has been eliminated. I’m making a move to get my career back on track. The goals of the position you have open align very well with my own.”



What are Your Strengths?



Pick two or three that best indicate your ability to bring positive results and solutions to the position for which you are interviewing. Use PAR stories that illustrate achievements that the company is seeking. Show the value you bring. Employers tend to value skills like self-motivation, initiative, ability to work on a team and willingness to put in the hours to “get the job done.” They also admire strong communication skills, reliability, integrity and self-confidence. Be specific to be memorable!



What are Your Weaknesses?



Review the content in the “Prepare for the Interview” to this question. Divulge only minor work related weaknesses or ones that could also be viewed as assets. Never say you don’t have any. It will be viewed as naïve and/or arrogant.



Why Should I Hire You?



You gotta love this question! This is your Personal Value Proposition. Use it! This is where you can distinguish yourself from the rest of the competition. It’s all about what you can do for the company and not vice versa. Show your readiness to take on the job by describing how your experience, achievements, career progression and unique qualities make you an asset. Don’t come across as boastful, but don’t be humble either. Be assertive and confident!



Why Do You Want this Job? (Or Why Do You Feel Qualified for this Job?)



In preparation for the interview, you completed the “Position Matching and Marketing Analysis”, so you know the job requirements. Tell the interviewer why you are such a good match for the job, citing your competencies, achievements and past assignments and how they map to those requirements. Tell the interviewer of your interest – that this is exactly the kind of work you like to do and that you do it well.



Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?



Given recent tumultuous economic times that have been plagued with downsizing and plant closures, this question is no longer a given in the interview. Prepare for it, though, just in case. Talk about your desire to do this job well first before setting your sights on the next job. While it’s okay to speak in generalities about your career goals (“I want to continue to have challenging work, like this job that we’re discussing, where I’ll be able to grow both in skills and responsibilities.”), you really should have a realistic goal in mind. Then, you need to emphasize why you’re confident you’ll achieve the goal. Since speed is of the essence in today’s workplace, emphasize how good you are at solving complex problems and how quickly you learn. Talk about your values, priorities and what will motivate you on this job to be successful. Talk about what’s important to you professionally and how you plan to achieve your goals. Discuss what type of skills you’d like to be using in five years. Show optimism, energy and enthusiasm in your answer. And, don’t say you want to be President of the company or that you want the interviewer’s job!



Tell Me About Yourself.



Often an icebreaker, the interviewer wants to observe you in action. What do you emphasize? How do you organize your answer? Deliver the prepared Personal Introduction that you’ve practiced, and do so under two minutes! Know that the interviewer is asking the question not only to get information from you but to assess your poise, delivery style and communication skills. Don’t waste time talking about your childhood, schooling, hobbies, etc. Everything you say should convey the following message in a compelling way: “I have strengths and unique qualities that make me the right person for this job!” So focus on strengths and achievements that are relevant to the job for which you’re interviewing. This question provides a great opportunity to sell yourself. But keep it lowkey. This is only the first question!



What Salary Do You Have in Mind?



Defer this question until later, if at all possible, when you know better if you’re a serious contender for the job. When it comes to talking money, whoever mentions specific dollars first usually loses. If you answer the question, you’ll either be too high or too low. Instead say, “Salary is important to me. Even more important to me, though, is understanding the scope and responsibilities of the job to ensure that I’m a good match.” Or, “I’m not too concerned about salary at this point. I’m confident that in a company with the stature of [company name], the pay and benefits are competitive and fair.” If the interviewer is insistent, throw the question back to him/her. “I’ve been wondering about that question myself. What is the range that you’re offering?” You should have a range in mind prior to the interview that is acceptable to you. You’ve already done your homework on what the market will bear. If the interviewer doesn’t let you off the hook, say “Having researched the salary in [city name or part of the country] for someone with my skills and level of experience, I would expect something in the range of $xx to $xx.” Err on the high side. Indicate you’re negotiable.



What is Your Most Significant Achievement?



You know the answer to this one! Choose the PAR story that best relates to the job for which you are interviewing. Remember to describe the problem adequately. Don’t get bogged down in too many details at the expense of articulating the results. Your results equate to your value to the company and the talents and solutions you bring. Remind the interviewer of the skills you utilized to do the job and how they will be needed for this job as well.



Are You Applying for Other Jobs?



“Yes. I’m exploring several openings that might be a fit for my talents and potential.” Let the interviewer know there is competition. If you’ve already received an offer(s), don’t tell the interviewer at this point. They might think you’re not interested in this position. The important point to make is that you’re enthusiastic about the possibilities of this job.



What Do You Like Most and Least about Your Current Job?



The interviewer is trying to gather clues about your preference for corporate culture. Concentrate your answer on areas that are relevant to the position: “I enjoy the camaraderie of being on a team.” When discussing least liked, mention a responsibility that is not a requirement of the job for which you are interviewing. Emphasize that you performed the responsibility well, you just didn’t enjoy doing it.



Why Haven’t You Found a Position By Now?



“Finding the right position takes time, especially in a competitive market such as this. I want to be certain that I’m making a good decision about my next career move.” Tell the interviewer how you’ve been spending your time (conducting the job search, doing volunteer work, going to school, etc.) and that you’ll be an even more valuable and productive employee as a result.



You Seem to Have a Number of Gaps in Your Employment History. Why is that?



Gaps are red flags to interviewers. Rather than allowing them to conjecture as to why there’s a gap (maybe they were in prison, on disability or in a psychiatric ward), tell them. “I took some time off to care for my elderly parents and relocated them here to a nursing facility.” Emphasize that this is behind you now and you are eager to begin working again.



Why Do You Want to Work for this Company? (Or What Do You Know about this Company?)



This is a great opportunity for you to share your learnings from networking with people within the company and doing your research on the company.



Describe a Time When Your Work was Criticized.



Be careful. Cite a minor incident that did not jeopardize the quality or timeliness of a project. Interject humor, if possible. State how you are always open to constructive criticism and learning better ways of doing things.



How Long would You Stay with Us?



Answer positively, “For as long as we both feel that a mutually beneficial relationship exists.” Stress your loyalty and longevity with past employers, if appropriate. Emphasize that you look for long-term challenges and the opportunity to contribute.



How would Your Last/Current Boss Describe Your Performance?



Your boss may be one of your references. If you have a letter of recommendation, now would be the time to present it. If you’ve managed your references well, what you say and what your boss says should be in sync. Don’t paint an overly glowing picture that may lack credibility. Be honest and positive. For example, “My former boss would say that I have many excellent skills, including…” He would further say that I was very results-oriented, often accomplishing the workload of two people.” If you didn’t always see eye to eye with your boss, briefly describe your differing work styles and move on.


Part II: Additional Behavioral-based Questions

(for part II and part III please visit http://www.everymanunemployed.com/)
 
http://www.everymanunemployed.com/ - Free resources for all men and women currently unemployed or who fear they may be unemployed.

How to Ace the Phone Interview

Many job interviews


these days are conducted by phone. It’s faster and cheaper for both job hirers and hunters. HR folks especially like it because it allows them to screen more applicants in less time. A phone interview may even be your first contact with a potential employer.



Phone interviews are not, however, the same as in-person interviews. So much human communication is non-verbal! You may need to acquire a few new skills to pull off a great job interview over the phone. To get you started, check out these phone interview do’s and don’ts:



DO:



•Smile while you speak. It may feel silly, but smiling shows up in your voice.

•Stand up. It removes pressure from your diaphragm and gives your voice more resonance.

•Choose a quiet room. No dogs barking, kids whining, music playing, lawnmowers mowing, or TV blaring in the background.

•Tape your résumé and whatever notes you'll use (say, lists of your accomplishments and strengths) on the wall so you can consult them without having to look down, which can muffle your voice.

•Have pen and paper handy, along with your calendar (maybe they’ll want to schedule a follow-up!)

•Remember that your interviewer can’t see you. If you pause to make a note, don’t let the silence stretch out. You might say, for example, “Just one second, please, while I write that down.”

•If a switchboard operator or an assistant connects you to the interviewer, be nice to that person. Word gets around.

•Whether you use a land or cell line, test your phone connection with a friend. Choose a phone you can hold to your ear comfortably. If you use a headset or speaker phone, make sure you are not unconsciously shouting.

•Do a practice interview with your friend. Ask if you say “um” a lot (which is even more annoying on a phone than in real life), or if you speak too slowly or quickly, or if your voice is too loud or too soft. Taping yourself is another good way to get an idea of how you come off.

•Try setting up a mirror in your phone-interview room. Sounds crazy, but having a human face to talk to may help you to speak with more passion and conviction. Try it!

•If you have time, just before the call, take a series of long deep breaths. Say a few practice phrases, slowly and in a slightly deeper register than your normal voice.

•Be prepared. A prospective employer may call when you least expect it. Yes, you can ask to reschedule at a more convenient time but showing you are flexible and can think on your feet is not a bad way to impress people. Keep your phone-interview area set up and ready to go.

•Close the interview by trying to set up an in-person meeting. It’s that old sales technique of “asking for the sale.”



DON’T: (Most of these should go without saying but let’s say them anyway.)



•Don’t eat, drink, chew gum, spit tobacco, smoke, sniffle, belch, or blow your nose. If you absolutely must sneeze, hold the phone as far away as possible, briefly apologize, and turn the conversation back to the interview. (Don’t say, “Whoa, what a honkin’ sneeze!”)

•Don’t put your interviewer on hold to answer an incoming call.

•Don’t talk to other people in the room. (Try to be alone when you’re interviewing.)

•Don’t monopolize the conversation. This is also true for in-person interviews, but on the phone you lack visual cues to tell you when your listener is zoning out. Practice speaking in two-minute increments (use an egg timer, or the timer on your microwave).

•Don’t interrupt. If you accidentally speak over your interviewer, quickly apologize and let him finish.

•Don’t fail to realize that a phone interview is as formal as an in-person interview. A phone call may feel casual but—beware!—you are being judged and you need to sound professional. If it helps, try “dressing up” for your phone interview.

Good luck. Your next phone interview may be The One. Oh, and don’t forget to follow up with a thank-you note, just as you would after an in-person meeting.

For more articles and tips for job seekers visit http://www.everymanunemployed.com/

Double Dip Recession – Are Your Prepared?

Many top economists, and world leaders are fearing and preparing for a double dip recession. Are you taking the necessary measures to prepare for it?

 

Even if it may never come to pass, it would be useful and helpful to consider what could happen in the event of a double dip recession, and how you might prepare your family if it does happen. At EverymanUnemployed.com we’ve prepared a short list of some things you might consider:

• Have a savings cushion: If you have not already done so, this is the first and most important step you can begin to do right now. At a minimum, everyone should always have at least 6 months of living expenses saved up, and during these times, we would recommend at least a year.
• Consider a fall back plan: If the economy does tank, and unemployed does increase (some predict it could hit has high as 15-20%), do you have a fall back plan on how you might earn income? Consider starting a home business, relocate to a place where jobs might be more plentiful, etc.
• Keep your resume up to date: One simple task is to begin now to polish up your resume with your most recent accomplishments. It is far less stressful to update your resume, when you don’t have the immediate pressure of finding a position, and you are not recovering from the effects of a recent layoff.
• Begin to keep track of which companies in your area are hiring now. Many job sites allow you to receive emails when new jobs are posted for your area. This allows you to easily see which companies have the money and resources now to consider hiring people. By tracking these, you will see where the opportunities are happening, and you may even want to consider preparing for an interview if the job or company seems appealing.
• Begin to update your professional network: Are you using LinkedIn? Or another professional network? If not, you might consider creating an account today. Look up old associates, see who they are connected to. Join groups in your area, or where you might want to relocate to, or consider creating your own group.

Key things to watch out for and avoid:

 

There are several things which you want to make sure you avoid doing that might jeopardize your current position:

 

• - Slacking off at work: If you current company is considering laying people off, they may want to save on costs by firing you, rather than laying you off. Be sure not to give them a reason to fire you. Stay on top of your current work, meet project goals, etc.
• Post resumes out in the open: Many free sites, such as craigslist, have become popular, to find things and post resumes. But many of these free sites do not have a private resume database, where only employers can search, and worst, they do not have a way to make your resume “invisible” to your current employer. You don’t want your current employer to do a resume search, only to find their star employees looking to work for someone else. Many sites, such as CareerBuilder.com, HotJobs and the Dragon Exchange (http://www.longdage.com/ ) allow you to post your resume, and block certain employers, from finding your resume. In addition, since these sites require paid access to search the resume database, it is not possible for your resume to be found by simply doing a google search on the internet.
• Do not post your private information with your resume. Most of the paid job sites, allow you to keep your contact information private. Sites such as craigslist are often used by spammers to gain your email address, phone number and begin sending unsolicited email and text messages to your phone. One recent test found that within 1 hrs of posting information on craigslist, the email address and phone number included with the information began to be bombarded with messages. If you value your privacy, do not post on craigslist.
• Setup multiple accounts on job sites: Most job sites allow you to have only 1 active resume per account. This severely limits your ability to tailor different resumes for different job functions. In these cases, we recommend that you setup multiple accounts and post different resumes based on the type of position you are applying for or seeking. As a side note: The Dragon Exchange (http://www.longdage.com/ ) does not have such a restriction, so you can save time by simply creating a single account and creating as many resumes as you would like.

In the end, a double dip recession does not have to create fear and uncertainty, if you have already begun to prepare for it. You may even find that your small business idea leads to a more successful future than your current one!

 

Everyman Unemployed

http://www.everymanunemployed.com/

 

How do other people ace their interviews?

The job interview is an unusual situation: You're put in a room you've never been in, with a person you've never met, to talk about a company you don't work at, in order to persuade somebody that you'll be excellent at a job you don't have.


No wonder it feels awkward, artificial and anxious.

But a lot of the "mystery" around great job interviewing comes from the fact that we don't do it that often. Every few years, we're supposed to magically dust off our interview skills and go out there and shine.

Well, I talk to a lot of job-seekers, hiring managers, and recruiters, and the "secrets" behind great interviews aren't really that mysterious after all.

So here's what you need to know for making your job interviews a lot less nerve-wracking and a lot more effective.

View the complete report at : http://www.everymanunemployed.com/Resources/AceInterview.asp

EverymanUnemployed.com provides free resources to the unemployed.
http://www.everymanunemployed.com/

Google and Microsoft Interview Questions

Think you've got what it takes to interview and land a job at Google or Microsoft?
Are you prepared to handle random questions given at interviews?

Or do you want to make your interviewees sweat during their next interview?

We've compiled a list of actual interview questions from Google and Microsoft interviews.

• How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?
• How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?
• In a country in which people only want boys ... …every family continues to have children until they have a boy. If they have a girl, they have another child. If they have a boy, they stop. What is the proportion of boys to girls in the country?
• How many piano tuners are there in the entire world?
• Why are manhole covers round?
• Design an evacuation plan for San Francisco
• How many times a day does a clock’s hands overlap?
• Explain the significance of "dead beef"

To view the answers along with the complete list of questions at http://www.everymanunemployed.com/

Creating Your Resume for Online Posting

Introduction

When posting your resume online, it is most often required that you copy and paste an ASCII/Plain Text resume rather than the version you have created in Microsoft Word format (or any other popular word processing formats). This will ensure that what you post is what potential employers will see as, oftentimes, formatting conventions used in word processing programs are lost when posted online. In this handout, we will cover the steps involved in creating an ASCII resume, as well as copying and pasting an ASCII resume to a web form.

Instructions for creating an ASCII Resume

(These instructions are intended for Microsoft Word users)

• Open your resume in Microsoft Word (Add your paragraph of additional keywords at the end of the resume).

• Choose "File > Save As" and select the location where the file will be saved. Click on the "Save as Type" drop arrow when the box appears. Choose "Text" or "Plain Text" and click the "Save" button. Your file should now have an extension of ".txt" at the end of the file name.

• A box will appear indicating some formatting will be lost. Click "Yes" to continue with Save.

• Close out Microsoft Word.

• Open your resume in Notepad by double clicking the icon or by going to "Start > All Programs > Accessories > Notepad" from the Desktop.

• In order to clean up the appearance of your ASCII/plain text resume and add definition to your sections, go through the document and remove erroneous spaces/tabs; capitalize all Section Headers, Previous Places of Employment, and Job Titles; and place a blank line (hard return) after each bullet point.

• In Notepad, Choose "Format" from the Toolbar. Make sure the option for "Word Wrap" is NOT checked.

• Choose "File > Save"

Help! My Resume Became 3 Lines!

• These instructions are designed to ensure proper formatting when copying and pasting a resume or sending it as an attachment: Although your resume may appear without line breaks when you open it as an attachment, this version will still be acceptable in the printed format and when read by a computer

• While plain text resumes appear rough in terms of formatting, recruiters expect this and do not discriminate because of this.

What if I am asked to copy and paste my resume into the body of an email?

• When copying and pasting your ASCII resume to the body of an email, you may be able to change fonts and add options, such as bolding from within your e-mail program. However, remember that all email programs are not alike.

• To get an idea of how the resume will look once delivered; send a file to yourself and to a friend with a different email program. You can always go back and make necessary changes.

Why is the ASCII resume left UNWRAPPED?

The ASCII resume is left unwrapped because it will take on the parameters of whatever it is opened in. When you copy and paste an ASCII to a box at a website, the resume will take on the parameters set by the website.

If you would like to see what the resume will look like, you can open it in Word or check "Word Wrap" in Notepad to get a view with margins.

The theory behind this method of conversion is that the ASCII resume is the copy and paste resume, not intended for viewing and printing but to be used in the scanning process.

Under what circumstances might I want to ATTACH an ASCII Resume rather than attaching my Word resume?

• If you think the recipient may have difficulty opening your Word document (or you don't have Microsoft Word).

• If you know that your resume will be read by a computer rather than a person, you may prefer to submit your ASCII version with its additional keywords.

If in doubt, consider attaching both your Word and ASCII resumes.

Copying and Pasting an ASCII Resume from Notepad

• Open your Resume in Notepad by double clicking the icon or by going to "Start > Programs > Accessories > Notepad" from the Desktop.

• Choose "Edit > Select All" (CTRL-A) to highlight the entire text

• Choose "Edit > Copy" (CTRL-C) to copy text to the windows clipboard

• Minimize the Notepad window by clicking on the minus sign in the right corner.

• Connect to the Internet and open the site where you plan to copy and paste your resume

• Position the cursor at the top of the box where you plan to paste your resume.

• Click "Edit > Paste" (CTRL-V).

For an example of what your ASCII resume should look like, see our sample on the following pages. Keep in mind that the ASCII resume will most frequently be used to copy and paste into a web box rather than printed out.

For more information on creating and posting resumes, as well as 100s of sample resumes, visit http://www.everymanunemployed.com/

EverymanUnemployed.com provides free resources and information for job seekers to help land their next job.

Everyman Unemployed Provides Free Resume Samples

In today's market, you need all the help you can get to try to land that next job. At EverymanUnemployed.com (www.EverymanUnemployed.com), we're working to help you achieve that goal, finding your next job.

To this end, we've made available free to all job seekers, over 200 sample resumes, categorized by job function and format.

For more details, check out www.EverymanUnemployed.com

And finally, if you know anyone who is unemployed, please refer to them to free resource available at www.EverymanUnemployed.com