What do you think makes you deserve this job?
This one I never like, because if I didn't think I deserved the job I wouldn't be applying for it. With that in mind, I've heard this in one form or another in just about every interview I've been in. When faced with this question, I tend to just reference the strong points of my resumé that I've memorized, and perhaps dropping in a tidbit or two that I've deliberately left out of my resumé for such situations.
What was one of the more challenging problems you've faced, and how did you overcome it?
I have respect for this question, because it's a good mind game; it's all at once a way to trick someone into revealing weaknesses, to reveal themselves as too arrogant or too self-conscious, or as a tool to damage credibility. For starters, I'd never, ever, lie on this one. This is the one that I've been told by a former boss that he used to "smell bull." I'd avoid revealing any problems that came about from my work, as no matter what way I recovered from it, the issue still will have been my fault. I also avoid targeting others' work in my answer, because then I sound arrogant or preachy, and perhaps even threatening if the interviewer themself has an issue with their own on-the-job self-esteem or anxiety. I'll usually resort to a story about an on-the-job situation which could happen anywhere, such as an angry coworker or issue with another department's manager, and how I'd heroically defuse the situation with the psychological tactics of a combination Zen master, Navy Seal and knight of King Arthur's court.
What are your weaknesses?
Some interviewers don't bother with mind games, and will just come out and bluntly offer you rope to hang yourself with. This one is great, because some people really will wrap that rope around their neck, and haplessly dive off the gallows, shouting, "I can't really think of any!" My preferred way to deal with being cornered like this is to be honest about my problems (I can get too tied up in one thing and neglect something else), and offer ways I've dealt with this in the past (strictly regimenting when I know I have a full plate through the use of a calendar, and allocating only a certain percentage of it - based on priority of course - to any given task).
What brought you to our company?
A great tactic for weeding out those who do no research on a company, this one is easy to counter with just that - research. I will try to find something about the company that I can identify with before the interview takes place, and when asked this, simply answer with my chosen trait.
How would you deal with <X> <Y>, or <Z>?
The mother of all *curses curses*.. I HATE this one. Leave it to them to ask you it more often, though - I'd encounter it more often than not when looking for jobs. It's the perfect set up - a hypothetical situation which I'm put on the spot to deal with. There's no way to research for this one, unless you're good at memorizing your answers for multiple common X Y and Z situations (which I'm not). When pressed on something like this, I'll just go with my instincts. I figure that part of getting a job - and a good job - means investing yourself in the company. If a company is so far out of line with your personality as to "fail" you on a question like this, then you don't belong there, and it's for the best.
No comments:
Post a Comment