Introduction
Your very first interview or any interview for that matter can turn out to be a walk in the park or a bed of sorrows depending on your approach, experience, preparation, and knowledge. No one goes in for an interview to get rejected, especially when you put in your brains and sweat, everyone aims for gold. So why do a large number of applicants quaver at the sight interviewers? Are some questions designed specifically to throw you off balance? Are our interview questions just straight out difficult? Well, that depends on the candidate. There is a saying that what is not understood, is usually feared by people just for that reason. That’s just it, if you do not understand what and why the question was asked, you are more likely to feel attacked than safe. Hopefully, you are searching for answers to help ace that next interview. I have put together some interview questions that would help as a guide as some of these questions might prove difficult to respond to when thrown abruptly by an interviewer. I will go into more details as you read in the article- Difficult Interview Questions and Answers.
Facts About Job Interviews
Every job interviewer wants to see that you have done your due diligence. You should do some web searches for the job position, the firm, and the job description itself to get a sense of what you might face. Also, the interviewer is interested in seeing how you compose yourself after the interview. They want to see that you are composed and professional till the end. Follow-up questions are important as well as how they are delivered.
By the time you leave the interview without a question for the interviewer, it can leave him/her dissatisfied. While this might not always be the case, remember a simple question to the interviewer such as “what do you love about your job/company?” might go the extra mile to communicate your interpersonal skills without directly discussing them. Leave no stone unturned! When you are aware of job interview facts you have an advantage over other applicants. Although it does not guarantee you the job, you have some insight on how to provide answers to questions.
Common Interview Questions
- Tell me about yourself.
- Are you capable of working with people?
- How do you handle stress and pressure?
- Do you take work home with you?
- How will you adapt to working in a new firm?
- Are you willing to relocate?
- Tell me about something that is not on your resume.
- Describe your work ethic.
- Does this job fit with your career path?
- How do you handle failure?
- How are you different from the competition?
- What type of decisions do you feel are the most challenging to make?
- Tell Me About Yourself – What this means and how you respond to it.
Far from what most interviewees would think, this is an attempt by the interviewer to make you feel comfortable as well as trying to understand you as an individual. If it were an informal conversation with a new acquaintance/friend, the question would be, ‘Tell me something I don’t know about you?’. As you know these questions can play out in several ways for an informal conversation.
However, I am sure you already guessed for a formal interview there would be certain restrictions as to what your answers can be. I think you get the point. So how exactly do I give appropriate answers to this question? First off, all you say must be tailored or focused on the current position you seek. So, make sure to come up with a story that expresses your past experiences(job-related) and strengths as it relates to the position. As an extra, if you feel up to it, you could chip in your interests and hobbies but make sure to avoid personal details, after all, your personality is also key in their considerations.
- Are you capable of working with people? – What this means and how you respond to it.
Employers want to know how well you work with other people, and the usual response is ‘I enjoy working in groups’, easy right? No. if you do that in an interview you would most likely get back an awkward stare and silence in anticipation of a complete answer from the interviewer(s). Now I am sure you did not work your ass off and clean up well to look like a fool before an interviewer. Rather, you want to exude confidence and. So, what is wrong with that answer? It is generic, unconvincing and in extreme cases, flat-out annoying.
A more convincing approach would be to explain your interpersonal skills and how they will be effective in the workplace. A small tip to interview success is to give examples where those people skills have had a positive effect in a working environment. Prepare concrete examples for the employer.
- How do you handle stress and pressure? – What this means and how you respond to it.
Being able to handle pressure in a workplace is highly regarded. Maintaining a calm demeanor at all times although it may be difficult to sustain with practice it is achievable. This skill demonstrates that you are capable of taking things in stride and completing tasks even when facing difficult situations. This question is tricky because while being asked, your body language and responses give you away if you are constantly checking the time, fidgeting, touching your hair and face. You do want to get that under control throughout the interview, you will thank me later. To answer this question, try to focus on the positive outcomes that occur when you are under pressure and as much as possible avoid the negative outcomes.
For instance, you could talk about how being under pressure serves as a motivation rather than disruption. By now you already know preparing concrete examples specific to you is best for backing up your claims. An extra tip; in your example, it is not out of place to chip in how you unwind, this brings more originality to your argument. Remember, most candidates would claim to handle stress well and have examples to back it up, chipping in the extra tip might help. You are welcome!
- Do you take work home with you? – What this means and how you respond to it.
This is a tricky question you may get asked during a job interview. You need to think through what your response is going to be, but try not to take too long and make sure your face does not show the question is a puzzle to you. Employers ask this same question for many different reasons. He/she might want to know if you are capable of finishing the work allotted to you in due time. Some employers could want you to make the work the center of your life. Some jobs may require your attention 24/7.
It could be the position of a personal assistant who will have to be at the beck and call of whoever his/her employer is. Some employers just want to know if you value a healthy work-life balance. So many reasons but not to worry, if you do your due diligence on the company culture and your job description, most times you would be able to tell what the employer wants and then be able to give a fitting answer. If you know that the employer would prefer time management skills you could emphasize your ability to complete your work during work hours when answering the question “tell me about yourself” so that you can focus on family or other activities after work.
- How will you adapt to working in a new firm? – What this means and how you respond to it.
If a question like “how would you adjust to working for a new company?” is asked in an interview, you would want to convince your interviewer that there would not be any issues adjusting to a new working environment, new set of tasks, and colleagues. The employer may be interested in how you would handle the change to a new company. He/she may be concerned about how you will adapt to the way things are done in the new workplace as well as how the transition to a new job and company will be handled.
To respond effectively, you should outline past experiences where you had to deal with changing jobs, switching roles, locations, and how you handled them. I know this sounds quite pre-interview preparation but still applies if asked on the spot. Just now, all this happens in your head.
- Are you willing to relocate? – What this means and how you respond to it.
You may be asked if you would be able to move. Some firms require high-quality skills and to be a member of those firms you must have to move to a completely different location as the job may require moving from one job to another. How do you respond? You must have done your research on the company and job description, weigh the pros and cons to determine if this would work for you or not. BEFORE THE INTERVIEW! Quite straight forward I would say.
- Tell me something that is not on your resume – What this means and how you respond to it.
Interviewers usually want to go far and beyond what you have provided in your resume for the public eye. A good example of what you may be asked is to mention a few things about yourself that have not already been listed out in your resume. If you are asked this, you have the opportunity to respond with the most enthralling information you could think of that is not in your resume. It is usually sort of a follow-up question for “tell me about yourself.”
This helps the interviewer determine whether you are the best person for the organization as a whole. Now, justice will not be served if I leave out the chance that this question might be a clear indicator that you are boring them, reciting your resume, or sounding mechanical. At this point, you have got to put your best enthralling story entirely off your resume.
- Describe your work ethic – What this means and how you respond to it.
When in an interview, your interviewer will be trying to get a sense of the kind of worker you are, how you respond to this gives an overview of how you will perform in the workplace with fellow employees and customers. This is why you may get asked to describe your work ethic. When responding you should give examples of how you have exhibited some good work ethics which could be from past job experiences. You could also describe yourself as dependable, respectful, dedicated, and committed. The employer wants to have a sense of how well you will fit into the job.
- Does this job fit your career path? – What this means and how you respond to it.
When asked this question, the interviewer wants to know if the position that you have applied for will fit whatever career path you have chosen to embark on. This will also help the employer have an idea of how long you intend on working at that firm or if you will be there for only a short period with hopes to move on to something else. Remember, these firms consider employment a long-term investment to the company and most times are not looking for itinerant job seekers.
For you to be able to respond with what an interviewer would like to hear, you need to have an in-depth knowledge of the company. Try to match whatever you are interested in with what the company requires of an employee.
- How do you handle failure? – What this means and how you respond to it.
Everyone encounters failure at some point in their lives, but to an interviewee, this question tends to come off as being judgmental rather than a question. When asked this kind of question you have to relax and remember failures are the reason why there are eventual success stories, hence why an interviewer could ask how well you handle failure. He/she wants to know your level of composure, perseverance, focus, and how well you would be able to respond to any shortcomings or setbacks that could occur along the way.
The employer is also interested in knowing whether you would be able to admit to a shortcoming especially if it was entirely your decision to take whatever action and be capable of pushing past it. Taking responsibility for your actions is a very essential trait in a workplace. The best way to respond to questions like these is to pose scenarios where you took full responsibility for your actions by acknowledging your failures and being able to deal with them and get back on your feet with a positive mindset.
- How are you different from the competition – What does this mean and how do you respond to it?
Employers frequently receive a lot of applications for various positions from eager job seekers. Most of them possess the required skill for the job which may have limited availability. Employers make decisions to hire candidates by comparing them to their fellow counterparts.
For these reasons, you may be asked to give reasons why you should be the right pick for the job. You will most likely have no information on who you are up against for a particular job, so when you are asked this, it is an invitation for you to lay out all your strengths as a worthy candidate emphasizing the things that make you different from a typical applicant.
- What type of decisions do you feel are the most challenging to make? – What this means and how you respond to it.
There is neither a right nor a wrong response to this question. The interviewer simply wants to know that when you are in a difficult situation, you can handle it accordingly, and also, they are interested in what you consider as tasking. These questions are behavioral ones and are posed as a test for your responses as the employer believes that however you respond to the situation presented, at the time is a determinant of exactly how your response will be in the future. Examples are very important when this kind of question is asked. Scenarios where you had to make a quick decision in the spur of a moment and also how you were able to execute it in detail.
You want to show you are very confident and capable of making decisions patiently and rationally. Make sure not to mention examples that will make you look rash or unprofessional altogether. While doing all these it is important, to be honest at all times because as your application is sent into the firm, a background check has most likely been run and so dishonesty may lessen your chances of acquiring that job. Whatever answer you give, give it in detail and be positive at all times.
Why interview questions are difficult to answer?
Employers ask questions that may seem tough to respond to, but those questions are primarily to know how well you can process information and attend to tasks at hand. You should be prepared to explain your approach and reasoning at the same time, staying calm, and not feeling overly pressured. The interviewer will gauge your reaction to these questions judging by whatever reaction displayed could give away your level of experience. Your responses and how well they are delivered are also taken note of.
Questions to Ask an Interviewer
Employers care about the questions that you ask in an interview because it really shows your engagement, curiosity and it just shows that you came prepared. You could as questions like;
- “What is your favorite part of working here?”
- “What will my day-to-day in this role look like?”
- “What are some of the major challenges faced by this company?”
- “What does the training period for this role look like?”
- “What do you see as the most challenging aspect of this job?”
The hardest questions to ask in an interview are usually the ones about company policies, salary, just because they are always sensitive questions to ask, but it is also important to ask these questions so that you know the whole picture.
- Interviewers will have their focus on finding out if you are the person for the job, it is also imperative that the company is the right fit for you to reach your potential and achieve all set goals.
- You could also inquire about your potential future co-workers so you will know the kind of team you will be involved with if you are selected for the job position.
- There are benefits and perks to the way co-workers interact, so it is also important to ask about the culture of the firm, the work environment, and how things are done.
- It is important to do some online research about the firm you could be a part of just to know what you are getting into.
Moving forward, do not leave the interview with unanswered questions for you and the interviewer so it will be clear that you both are on the same page.
Conclusion
Your resume and/or cover letter will only get you the interview, the interview then lets your employer know if you will be suitable for the job. Therefore, exceptional interview skills are required to successfully acquire a job position. It is important to know the main skills that employers look out for in employees. Flawless interview behavior and intelligent answers to questions. The final result is to get hired. Now go to that job interview!
