The World's Worst Interview Questions (And How to Give the Best Answers)

There is probably only one person who hates the job interview process more than you do: The person facing you. You know, the one with all the questions. The one who'll decide whether you're the one for the job.

Unless you are lucky enough to be interviewed by a recruitment pro, you're dealing with amateurs here. And you'll probably have to answer some pretty stupid questions. Or at least hard and vague ones.

So in the service of all humanity throughout the universe (this is cyberspace, after all), we've decided to round up the typical nightmare questions that leave us all tongue-tied and try to get some first-class guidance from some of the best recruiters (in the United States, that is).

The inaugural question really isn't a question. It's a command. The kind of command that makes us feel like those old-western cowboys forced to dance as bullets kick up the dirt around their toes:

"So, tell me about yourself...."

From Carol Delacruz, Human Resources Manager, AT&T:

The way in which you answer that says a lot about who you are and what it is about yourself that you think is most important. There are companies for which this question would be an influencer in the final selection process. So, as you're preparing For the interview process, it's important to ask yourself this question: If you could only tell someone one thing about yourself what would it be?

From Jami Dittmeier, recruitment consultant:

I try not to ask that question ever, because people go nuts when they hear it. But recruiters who do ask that question are trying to get a sense of what's important to the candidate. They think they can tell something about you by what kind of information rises to the surface first. But I try not ask people that question because it freaks people out. It freaks me out just hearing it.

From Pam Marsters, Human Resources Officer, U.S. Geological Survey:

Tell me a story of an experience that was challenging for you and how you handled it. I would be looking for examples of a time when you felt valued, worked really hard, where the time flew, what your work ethics and habits are. Don't give me facts. Those will be in the résumé. The interview is the chance to enhance the résumé.

From Tim Smith, Human Resources professional:

Answer that question in about 90 seconds. Here's who I am, here's where I came from, and what I've done. I'd be looking to see how you're going to tie the experience you've already had toward the job you're applying for. Conclude it by saying, Now that gets us to where we are today....

From Sally Hart, director of Human Resources, Blue Cross/Blue Shield:

We don't ask that question. We typically ask questions that are more behaviorally based. But I suppose it would be useful as an ice breaker or at the end of interview. But I would pose the question this way: Is there anything else you would like me to know about you? But honestly, if I were the candidate, I'd be thinking that the interviewer wasn't prepared for the interview. So I might ask a question right back: "Where are you going with this kind of question?"

Conclusion

How you answer that question might depend on whether it's posed in the beginning of the interview or at the end. If it's at the beginning, this would be a good time to help the interviewer focus on the most important facts and dates and accomplishments listed on the résumé. If it's at the end of the interview, use the question as the welcome chance to give the interviewer an insight into your personality, work habits and values.

Don't forget ... this is also your chance to assess the company and its values and work habits. If your interviewer is genuinely interested, pays attention to your answers and asks excellent follow-up questions, it's a good sign of a quality company.

Copyright © 1999, by WorkLife Solutions, Inc., all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Questions:

Be prepared to encounter most of the following "tough questions" in your interview, such as: :

"Why do you want to work here?" - To answer this question, you must have researched the company. You need to reply with the company's attributes as you see them. Cap your answer with reference to your belief that this can provide you with a stable and happy work environment - the interviewer's company has that reputation - and that such an atmosphere would encourage your best work.

"What kind of experience do you have for this job?" - This is a perfect opportunity to sell yourself, but before you do, be sure you know what is most critical to the interviewer. The interviewer is not just looking for a competent Director, or Manager; they are looking for someone who can contribute quickly to current projects. When interviewing, companies invariably give a broad picture of the job, but the person they hire will be someone who can contribute to the needs of the business in the first few months. Only by asking will you identify the areas of your interviewer's greatest urgency and interest.

If you do not know the projects you will be involved within the first six months, you must ask. Level-headedness and analytical ability are respected, and you will naturally answer the question more appropriately.

"What did you like/dislike about your last job?" - Interviews may start with a preamble by the interviewer about his company. If this happens pay attention; this information will help you answer the question. Any statement the interviewer makes about the job or corporation can be used to your advantage. Use this to highlight all your positives points

Note: criticising a previous employer is a warning sign that you could be a problem employee. Keep your answers short and positive.

"Why are you leaving your present position?" - If your current company is not meeting your expectations, you can often explain this in a positive way. "I need to be challenged to develop my potential further. I'm interested in additional responsibility and new opportunity, which unfortunately are limited at (name of current employer) because of (company size/limited product line/company restructuring or downsizing). The reputation and market focus of (name of prospective employer) offers many opportunities for someone with my training and experience. It's the ideal environment I've been seeking."

"How long would you stay with the company?" - The interviewer might be thinking of offering you a job. But, employers are aware that the marketplace is such that new hires often do not stay with the company more than two years. Your reply might be: "I would really like to settle down with this company. As long as I am growing professionally, there is no reason for me to make a move."

"Have you done the best work you are capable of doing?" - Say "yes" and the interviewer will think you're a has-been. As with all these questions, personalise your work history and include the essence of this reply: "I'm proud of my professional achievements to date, but my best is yet to come. I am always motivated to give my best efforts, and there are always opportunities to contribute when one is alert."

"How long would it take you to make a contribution to our company?" - You are best advised to answer this question with a question, be sure to qualify the question i.e. In what area does the company need a rapid contribution? Or, do you have a special project in mind you will want me to get involved with?" This response could lead directly to a job offer, but if not, you already have the interviewer thinking of you as an employee.

"What would you like to be doing five years from now?" - The safest answer contains a desire to be regarded and a true professional and team player.

"What are your biggest accomplishments?" - Keep your answers job-related, a number of achievements should spring to mind. Do not exaggerate contributions to major projects. You might begin your reply with: "Although I feel my biggest accomplishments are ahead of me, I am proud of my involvement with…I made my contribution as part of that team and learned a lot in the process. We did it with hard work, concentration, and an eye for the bottom line." Always remember to quantify your achievements.

"Can you work under pressure?" - You might be tempted to give a simple yes or no answer, but don't. It reveals nothing and you lose the opportunity to sell your skills. Actually, this common question comes from an unskilled interviewer, because it is closed and does not give you the chance to elaborate. Whenever you are asked one of these, provide a brief yet comprehensive answer and seize the opportunity to sell yourself. For example, you could say: "Yes, I usually find it stimulating. However, I believe in planning and time management in order to reduce panic.

"How much money do you want?" - This is a knockout question: give the wrong answer, and you will immediately be eliminated. It is always a temptation to ask for the moon knowing you can come down, but that is a poor approach. Generally, companies have salary ranges for every job; so giving an ill considered answer can reduce your job-offer chances to zero. The solution? Try: "Currently/in my last job my package is… I'm interested in this opportunity and I will seriously consider any reasonable offer you care to make me."

What are you looking for in your next job?" - Avoid saying what you want the company to give you. You must say what you want in terms of what you can give to your employer. The key word in the following example is "contribution": "My experience at XYZ PLC has shown that I have a talent for motivating people. This is demonstrated by … I am looking for an opportunity to continue that kind of contribution, and a company where I can develop in a professional manner."

"Describe the most difficult problem you've had to deal with." - This is a favourite tough question. It is designed to probe your professional profile; specifically, you're analytical skills: "Well, I always follow a five-step format with a difficult problem. One, I stand back and examine the problem. Two, I recognize the problem as the symptom of other, perhaps hidden, factors. Three, I make a list of possible solutions to the problem. Four, I weigh both the consequences and cost of each solution, and determine the best solution. And five, I go to my CEO/Director/Manager, outline the problem, make my recommendation, and ask for my advice and approval." Then give an example of a problem and your solution.

"What would your references say?" - You have nothing to lose by being positive. If you demonstrate how well you and your boss get along, the interviewer does not have to ask, "What do you dislike about your current manager?"

Note: The higher up the corporate ladder you climb, the more likely it is that references will be checked.

More about it and the services, go to Xecutive Search .

Writing Your CV

Generally you will find that the layout described here will work for most senior positions. Feel free to add other sections or change the ordering to suit yourself.

Front Page...

Profile/Summary - This should be a short summary of your experience and abilities, and be contained in four to six lines of text. This section should also indicate what sort of a position you are looking for. List only those attributes that will be of interest to your next employer; exclude any irrelevancies.

Achievements - Key Skills In bullet format, detail things that you are really good at. List 3 to 6 achievements, which you can deliver on and which you feel are relevant your next position. Once again, do not list achievements, which are not in line with what you want to do next. Start with the strongest point in your favour and then work backwards from there.

Career Summary - This should summarise your job history in reverse chronological order (starting with your most recent job and working backwards). You only need to include the year you started and the year you finished each job, together with your job title and your employer's name.

Note: Page 1 of your CV is now a resume. When you circulate your details to your network of contacts, you need not send out the whole document, but can send page 1 only. The full document can be sent on if interest is shown, or presented at interview

Pages 2 and onwards…

Career History - Once again, this should be in reverse chronological order i.e. starting with your most recent job and working backwards. You only need to include the year you started and the year you finished each job. You do not need to include the month or day, e.g. put 1993 - 1995 rather than 1.8.1993 - 4.6.1995.

• Always give a brief overview of the company you worked for; its size, numbers employed etc. You may know the intimate details of Brown's Widgets Plc, but your reader will not necessarily understand who they are and what they do.

• Describe the responsibilities for each position that you have held, starting with the strongest point in your favour and then work backwards. If you have a lot of points to put under one specific job you may want to break this description into two or more sections, or at least be careful not to use too many words.

• Separate responsibilities and achievements. Anyone doing your job would have had the same responsibilities as you; the thing that differentiates you from anyone else is what you actually achieved. Remember, this is absolutely vital to your success in securing a senior role!

• If you have had a number of positions for a particular employer you may not want to include every individual job (in which case leave out the year designations for all jobs titles and just include the start and finish years for this employer), or you may be able to combine one or more of the jobs.

• Do make sure that you stress your responsibilities and achievements under each job (these should be relevant to your next job) but do not repeat information too often; this will just bore the reader.

Training - Only include the most important training courses, you could combine it with the section on Education and Qualifications, depending on how much space you have.

Education/Qualifications - Only list your most important qualifications.

• If you are a graduate you do not really need to list your 'O' Levels/GCSEs, just indicate the number of 'O' levels gained.

• Unless you have just completed a degree or MBA, this section should go after work experience, because your work experience is more likely to be of interest to an employer.

• If you have qualified recently, you could mention your recent qualifications in your covering letter.

Personal Details - Include your date of birth, marital status and driving license. If you have a clean driving license, say so.

Interests - Keep this part fairly short, but make sure you list any current positions of responsibility. If you do not currently have any management responsibility and you are applying for a management position you may want to include positions of responsibility that you have held over the last few years, e.g. Play football for a local team - Captain, 1993 - 1996.

More about it and the services, go to Xecutive Search .

SOAR (Situation, Obstacle, Action, Results) model of Job Interview

Employers often interview with the belief that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. Proving your skills requires supportive examples that demonstrate your expertise as well as practice expressing these examples. The S.O.A.R. model provides an easy outline for demonstrating your skills.

S - Situation Think of a situation in which you were involved that resulted in a positive outcome

O - Obstacle Describe any obstacles you encountered

A - Action Describe what action you took in this situation to overcome the obstacle and achieve your results.

R - Results Describe the position outcome(s) of your actions.

Example:

Skill: Leadership

Situation:
During my junior year in college I was elected Vice-President for Professional Activities with the XYZ Student Association. I was responsible for securing speakers for our meetings, advertising the programs to the members, introducing the speakers and evaluating each program.

Obstacle(s):
Previous attendance at meetings with speakers had decreased substantially. I was charges with the responsibility to develop a program to address the professional development of our association and increase attendance by 25% over our last year's figures.

Action:
I recruited a team to help me with the program design and speaker selection. I developed a survey to determine the members' professional interests and ideas for possible speakers and topics. My team and I had each member complete the survey. Then we randomly selected members for a focus group interview. I had learned about this research technique in my marketing research class and thought it would help us identify why attendance had dropped. As a result of the information we gathered for the surveys and interviews, we selected speakers for the year and produced a brochure describing each program and featured speaker.

Result:
Under my leadership, attendance increased 150% over the previous year.

Courtesy of BGSU

EXAMPLES OF UNACCEPTABLE PRE-EMPLOYMENT INQUIRIES

Here’s the other side of a story that job seeker should know. Actually there are things the company should not ask during interview with candidates, courtesy of Mike Smith .

The explanation is upon the employer side. Any question that is asked during the interview process should be job related.

1. AGE – If you can prove that an age requirement or limit is necessary for business or safety reasons, then you can ask for age or date of birth. The last employer who won the right to ask this question had to fight the case all the way to the Supreme Court (and it was safety related). Most employers who have made this claim have lost in court.

2. GENDER/SEXUAL ORIENTATION – Not job related.

3. EDUCATION – If it can’t be proven that a specified level of education is necessary to do

the job, don’t ask.

4. PLACE OF BIRTH – May reveal national origin, and has been used to discriminate.

5. HEIGHT, WEIGHT, ETC – Not job related.

6. HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOU HAVE – Not job related, reveals nothing about

applicant’s ability to do the job, and has been used to eliminate qualified women.

7. CHILD CARE ARRANGEMENTS – This is the applicant’s business. The applicant has to deal with childcare and the requirement to be able to come to work consistently on time. The question has been used to eliminate women with children.

8. MARITAL STATUS – Not job related, has been used to discriminate.

9. WHAT ORGANIZATIONS DO YOU BELONG TO – Answers to this question may reveal

religion, national origin, marital status, etc. (e.g., Parents Without Partners, B’nai B’rith,

Knights of Columbus, Italian-American Club, Society of Hispanic Professionals).

10. PARENT’S NAME – can reveal national origin.

11. WHAT LANGUEAGES DO YOU SPEAK – This question is likely to reveal national origin. It can be asked only if speaking another language is necessary to perform the current job.

12. SPOUSE’S EMPLOYMENT – Whether a spouse is employed is not job related and has been used to eliminate women. After making an offer asking about where a spouse works because of the conflict of interest policy is ok.

13. ARREST RECORD – You can ask about convictions if it can be proven that the security nature of the job demands it. Asking about arrest records means the applicant must reveal a charge which may not have been proven (Some states prohibit)

14. RACE AND RELIGION - - Not job related.

15. CITIZENSHIP – You can’t ask if applicant is native-born or naturalized citizen, nor can you ask if his/her parents are citizens. This question is not job related unless a defense security clearance is needed. You can ask (if you ask all applicants) whether the applicant requires work authorization to work in the U.S.

16. MILITARY SERVICE – You can’t ask about type of discharge.

17. PHOTOGRAPH – Any requirement to attach a photo to an application or resume will be viewed as an intent to discriminate.

18. PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY – You can’t ask the applicant about an obvious disability. You must explore accommodations if the applicant asks about accommodations. {If an applicant asks about accommodations get HR involved.}

19. WORKER’S COMP USE/SICK LEAVE USE- Not job related and can be used to discover an applicant’s disability.

20. REFERENCES – You can ask for them. But if you don’t check references it will be assumed that you are using the information to find ethnic groupings i.e., references from a particular ethnic or religious group.

21. You also can’t ask about:

own or rent home

credit references (unless the job handles money)

willingness to work a particular religious holiday

desire to have children

etc.

Advice on Aswering 50 Common Interview Questions

(Excerpted from the book The Accelerated Job Search by Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D, published by The Management Advantage, Inc.).

1. Tell me about yourself.
   The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?
   Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers, or the organization.
   
   If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special, or other forward-looking reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?
   Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?
   You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?
   Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. "Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest worker she had ever known." It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?
   This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been, and where they are going. What are the current issues, and who are the major players?

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
   Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?
   Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?
   This may take some thought and certainly should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here, and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?
    Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

11. What kind of salary do you need?
    A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, "That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position?" In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.

12. Are you a team player?
    You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
    Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: "I’d like it to be a long time." or "As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job."

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?
    This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

15. What is your philosophy towards work?
    The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?
    Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
    If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief, and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved.

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization.
    You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

19. Why should we hire you?
    Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison.

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made.
    Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

21. What irritates you about co-workers?
    This is a trap question. Think "real hard" but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.

22. What is your greatest strength?
    Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples:

    Your ability to prioritize. Your problem-solving skills. Your ability to work under pressure. Your ability to focus on projects. Your professional expertise. Your leadership skills. Your positive attitude.

23. Tell me about your dream job.
    Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best bet is to stay generic and say something like: "A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute, and can’t wait to get to work."

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?
    Give several reasons and include skills, experience, and interest.

25. What are you looking for in a job?
    See answer #23.

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?
    Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.

27. What is more important to you: the money or the work?
    Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer.

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?
    There are numerous good possibilities:

    Loyalty Energy Positive attitude Leadership Team player Expertise Initiative Patience Hard Work Creativity Problem solver

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor.
    Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well blow the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a superior.

30. What has disappointed you about a job?
    Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include:

    Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction. Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.
    You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?
    Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.

33. What motivates you to do your best on the job?
    This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are:

    A challenge Achievement Recognition

34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?
    This is up to you. Be totally honest.

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?
    Several ways are good measures:

You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success. Your boss tells you that you are successful.

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?
    You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief.

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?
    This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.

38. Describe your management style.
    Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like "progressive", "salesman" or "consensus", can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The "situational" style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of "one size fits all."

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
    Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it a small, well-intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be ... working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off.

40. Do you have any blind spots?
    Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
    Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?
    Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.

43. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?
    First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up. Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?
    Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates, and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others.
    Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.

46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?
    Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

47. Describe your work ethic.
    Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, "determination to get the job done" and "work hard but enjoy your work" are good.

48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
    Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.

49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.
    Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

50. Do you have any questions for me?
    Always have some questions prepared. Questions involving areas where you will be an asset to the organization are good. "How soon will I be able to be productive?" and "What type of projects will I be able to assist on?" are examples.