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Typical Questions at Company Interviews

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Legendary sportscaster and author Red Barber was once asked if deciding which questions to pose to which people was the toughest aspect of being a professional interviewer. In his trademark Southern drawl, he responded that coming up with questions was easy. Getting the folks to provide meaningful answers was the hard part.

The same is true for company interviewers. That's why many rely on the same nucleus of questions covering six areas of common concern regarding potential employees. (We've expanded the concept of ability to include so-called "softer" skills and variables.):

1. Suitability.



2. Employability.

3. Capability.

4. Compatibility.

5. Credibility.

6. Affordability.

Although employers' standard questions are eminently forgettable, a candidate's responses shouldn't be.

A director of career services at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago believes that the key to successful interviewing lies in mastering typical or standard questions.

"When people don't get hired for a job, it's often because they didn't stand out from the crowd in a positive way. It's not because they made some awful faux pas. More likely, they didn't distinguish themselves enough," he says.

To prevent getting lost in the crowd of nameless, faceless candidates, you must "know your message" and make sure that, no matter what format the interviewer employs, you communicate your message. Usually, that means tailoring your answers to the specific job, organization and industry. Instead of discussing your qualifications in generic (and ultimately forgettable) terms, prove to the employer that (1) you can do this job and (2) you really want to do this job.

Suitability

Before they waste too much precious time, employers want to know whether you're an appropriate candidate for the job. The most popular way to make that assessment usually involves some form of an icebreaker query, such as "Tell me about yourself." Since this request moves the candidate to center stage, it gives interviewers an opportunity to sit back and observe. For applicants who feel uncomfortable in the spotlight, this can be a particularly awkward moment. The key here is to decide on your strategy, rehearse it, and then deliver it as if you have never said it before.

When employers start out the interview by asking you to "Tell me about yourself," they are offering you the opportunity to showcase your personality and your qualifications. While it's important to prepare your strategy, you don't want to come across like a robot. Memorized answers make it difficult for an interviewer to warm up to the real you. Instead, sketch out the major points you want to cover, rehearse your response and then try to relax into the delivery.

The Chicago director of career services suggests that you start by asking yourself two questions: (1) why is the employer asking me this question? And (2) what do I want this employer to know about me? Then, develop a response that lets the interview know that you are enthusiastic about this opportunity and unequivocally qualified.

To cover your bases, she recommends that you review the job description (or whatever information you have about the position), and then tailor your responses to match up with that information.

Most experts agree: Keep your answer short (one to two minutes) but pithy. For example, a career consultant in California suggests the following formula:

My name is……….. . I have …….years of experience as a………. . Recently, I worked for……

as a …………. . Before

that, I worked for as a….. . My strengths are………. (general) and………. (technical).

"Memorize the formula and rehearse it," she says, "but make sure you take the time before each interview to change the words or focus to match the employer's values. For example, if they're antagonistic toward academia, it doesn't make sense to discuss your academic career."

There also should be a contextual component. After listing general areas of strengths, cite particular strengths (or, better yet, accomplishments) that position the information within a job context that fits the employer's marketplace. For example:

I have more than 10 years of experience in the field of human resources development. Currently, I'm the director of human resources for………… , a retailer with more than 3,000 employees nationwide. My areas of expertise are labor relations, employee recruitment, training and development. You indicated that your organization is in the process of becoming unionized, and would like the HR director to help with that transition. Let me tell you about my experience at………. , where I represented management interests in that transition process . . .

The contextual component helps shift from a product-driven strategy to a market-driven approach. Here's another (market-driven) example:

As you can see from my resume, I have more than 10 years of experience in sales and sales management. Most recently, I was the district sales manager for a major……………

"Why are you leaving" question should revolve around the skills and experiences they hope to use and develop with a new employer. To customize this to the specific interview, focus on those developmental areas that are most important to you. Then, use a probing question to explore the reality of what the employer ha." to offer.

One software trainer chose to emphasize her need for a different, "more hands-on" manager. Although she described herself as a self-motivated worker, she felt she could learn from someone who was more involved with the staff. Then she threw the ball back into the interviewer's court by asking, "Can you tell me a little more about your management style?"

Since her job wasn't in jeopardy and she could afford to wait until she found the right position, this proved to be an absolutely no-risk strategy.

Capability

Because of all the downsizings, employers need people who can really pull their weight and add value to the organization. Toward that objective, employers ask candidates lots of questions about their skills and experience. These questions assume that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance.

Typical Question: What are your strengths?

By this, an employer means "What do you do best?" Savvy interviewees would do well to answer this question in terms of the specific job requirements. For example, for a position that requires good "platform" skills make sure to include such skills as one of your strengths. If your answer, however, is little more than a string of nouns and adjectives, it probably won't clinch the deal.

The Chicago director says, "It isn't enough to speak in vague generalities. You have to back up your assertions with behavioral evidence that's concrete and compelling." You might say: My strongest abilities are organizational, problem solving and interpersonal communication. Let me tell you about a project that required all three . . .

She says that the coherency of the statement is really important because it shapes the employer's understanding of your abilities. While it isn't necessary to integrate all your strengths into a cohesive whole, you do need to tie each strength into your understanding of the employer's needs. Translate the question into "What can you do for me?"

Again, there is a good argument for homework--know as much about an employer's needs and concerns (before the interview) as possible. When that information isn't available (or there isn't time to do the research), candidates have two choices:

First press for some facts from the interviewer, "Mr. Employer, I'd be happy to tell you about my strengths, but it would help if I knew more about the position so that I could focus on those strengths that will be most helpful to you." (In other words, I have so much to offer, I don't know where to begin.)

Focus on selling general, liberal arts type skills, such as project management, problem solving or being a team player, attributes that most companies will undoubtedly value.

"But don't just go through a litany of buzzwords," says a Chicago outplacement consultant. "The example is what makes it meaningful. The buzzword by itself is useless since employers have already heard it all."

A career expert has developed a cohesive response to the "What are your strengths?" question by identifying (and then illustrating) three key attributes:
  1. get things done-no matter what it takes." To illustrate her point, she tells a story of a time when her boss wanted to celebrate the introduction of a new product with a real bull to symbolize a "bull market." She then describes some of the logistics involved in actually bringing a bull to a sales promotion.

  2. "I thrive on crisis." To illustrate that working style, she tells the story of her company's takeover. The takeover created mass panic among the pensioners who were concerned that their benefits would be cut off. Amid the pandemonium, it was her job to calm people down, track down the information they needed and do what was
    necessary to restore their peace of mind.

  3. "I'm a hard worker, so I really like working for hard-driving executives." From there, she describes a highly successful working relationship with her former boss, citing specific details about how they formed a successful partnership that really got things done.
By using these three examples, career expert is able to create a consistent (and impressive) picture of herself as a highly motivated, cooperative and adaptable employee who thrives on challenge, pressure and responsibility. Who wouldn't want to hire that profile?

Typical Question: What are your weaknesses?

Nobody ever seems to ask about your strengths without also asking about your weaknesses. Although it may seem like a stupid question, it's amazing how many candidates knock themselves out of the competition with their responses.

Preparation is vital. By deciding in advance how you want to answer this question, you should never be caught unprepared (at least, not if you stick to the game plan). Here are your choices:

Strategy 1: Present a weakness that's really a hidden strength

Let me give you a personal example. Some of my colleagues like to refer to me as a "warm and fuzzy counselor." By that, they mean that they find me warm, sensitive and compassionate. In certain situations, having such an empathic style can make my job more painful--and therefore tougher. (I cried the first time I had to fire someone.) But in most of the counseling settings, where I work, that style has proved more of an asset than a liability. Translated into the language of "weaknesses," I might say, "Some people find my counseling style too soft. But my clients usually appreciate my heart."

A potential drawback of the "strength as weakness" strategy is that it can appear phony and self-serving. Such commonly used statements as "I'm a perfectionist" or "I'm a workaholic" are too transparent to be effective.

Strategy 2: Cite a corrected weakness

Another weakness strategy is to cite something that you are working to correct. For example, "In my current position, I haven't had the opportunity to do much C programming. So I'm taking a course at the university to get my skills up to speed." (This assumes you aren't applying for a job as a C programmer.)

Strategy 3: Cite a lesson learned

Similar to the "corrected weakness" strategy, this approach uses a "lesson-learned" story. Says a career consultant and author, "I don't want to hear someone say, 'I never made a mistake' because I know they aren't telling the truth. If I'm interviewing a lender, for example, I don't want to hear 'I never made a bad loan.' I want to hear them say what lengths they went to in order to collect the bad loan, and what safeguards they've since put in place. Then I know they learned a lesson that isn't likely to be repeated."

In this strategy, focus on a specific mistake rather than a generalized area of weakness. And "never tell a

weakness without telling about the recovery", says he.

Employers want to know that people are capable of learning from their mistakes. Says Ruggiero: "I look for a learning attitude, because people who have stopped learning are dangerous. My bias is toward people who can learn from mistakes. I don't care if you failed, but I do want to know why."

For Ruggiero, how people handle failure is a good test of character. "People who learn from failure usually have courage and discipline," she says and agrees: "When people have learned from their mistakes, they don't repeat them. I look for someone who can own their mistakes and grow from them."

Strategy 4: Cite an unrelated skill

"I really need to work on my French" (assuming the job does not require French language skills).

Strategy 5: Cite a learning objective

"I would really like to get more exposure to the international market." This strategy has an added value: It sets you up perfectly to say, "Can you tell me more about your plans in the international arena?"

Strategy 6: Try humor

One of my favorite stories comes from a former sales manager who loved to say, "Ask my parole officer." Other witty responses to the query, "What are your weaknesses?" might be "second serves," "golf putts" or "chocolate ice cream." If you use the humorous approach, you must follow up with a real answer. Otherwise, the interviewer will feel that you're being too manipulative and evasive.

The key here is to never name anything that will really hurt you. "I can't get along with people," "I hate paperwork" or "I can't get out of bed in the morning" make bad interview sense. As did one candidate's candid remark: "I usually nod off at about 3 P.M. every day."

Preparation for the "weakness" question is imperative because it replaces the spontaneous response with a well-rehearsed answer. And when your weaknesses are the focal point of a discussion, it's best not to be too spontaneous.

Occasionally, an employer will ask for more than one weakness. When that happened to Jerry Hannigan, he went back to the drawing board to see if he could come up with two more deficiencies. A better response? "Offhand, I can't think of three weaknesses. But I can tell you one that I have been working really hard to correct..."

Typical Question: If you could do anything in your career differently, what would it be?

As interviewees have become more sophisticated in their ability to handle the "weakness" question, employers have started to look for new ways to unearth vulnerabilities. In many cases, this strategy has worked effectively.

Take, for example, one of my highly experienced colleagues who blurted out, "I should have gone to Vassar." Until that moment, her education had never been considered a liability. But her response tipped the employer off to some unresolved conflict.

In another case, a secretary was prone to say, "If I had it all to do over again, I think I'd choose a different career." Since she was still looking for a secretarial job, it probably wasn't the best time to show her ambivalence about her career choice. After hearing her own spontaneous response, this woman decided on a different strategy. "Now, I tell employers that there wasn't enough growth in my first secretarial job. I really need and enjoy a challenge, which is what I'm hoping to get from them."

The rules here are the same. Don't mention anything major. Don't introduce liabilities that don't show. And, whenever possible, invite the employer to offer a remedy to that particular dissatisfaction.

Typical Question: What is your greatest achievement?

Customize, customize, customize. Choose an example that best illustrates your capability for this specific job. If I were interviewing for a position that required new business development, I would undoubtedly highlight the marketing and public relations strategies I've used to build my private counseling practice. As a capstone, I might even produce (or offer to produce) a copy of a full-page interview with me that appeared in the Chicago Sunday Tribune Magazine, with the comment that it generated more than 100 new clients.

My examples might change depending on the employer's intended market. For example, if they were interested in pursuing government contracts, I might mention that I had been the regional career counselor for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for five years.

If professionals were the intended market, I might mention my participation as a speaker at several American Medical Association, American Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association events. On the other hand, if I were interviewing for a position with a psychiatric hospital, I would be more inclined to discuss my case consultations with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Chicago hospital staff.

What you choose to view as your "best" accomplishment is largely situational. Rather than falling into the trap of conveying an unrelated accomplishment, focus your answer (as closely as possible) on your understanding of the employer's needs.

Unfortunately, words like "best," "worst" and "failure" invite excess emotionalism. Don't let the interviewer goad you into an inappropriate response with these measures. Show your true colors by speaking to both sides of the issue with clarity.

Compatibility

It's not enough to have the proper skill set. Employers also want to know if (and how) you'll fit into their organization. Toward that end, they tend to ask many relationship questions, particularly regarding your attitude toward authority and coworkers.

Typical Question: What would your former boss say about you?

Body language is often a big tip-off here. People with negative experiences tend to look and act defensively. Long before the question is answered, the interviewer knows there was "trouble in paradise."

If there was a problem, try to neutralize it by focusing your answer on the productive parts of the relationship: "We were able to work together to accomplish shared goals. For example, let me tell you about the time . . . ," or "We didn't always agree, but we were always able to work out our differences."

If there were stylistic differences, try to paint them in neutral terms, A career specialist suggests. "Then, look for the task-related issues that didn't interfere with getting the job done."

There are times when the relationship really has been disastrous. In these instances, it's important to take some ownership for your particular style. Rather than bad-mouthing former supervisors, talk in terms of the kind of reporting relationship that works best for you.

Says a career professional, "I really need a lot of freedom and responsibility. I can't have someone looking over my shoulder every minute."

There's some risk in stating your needs: The employer may not have what you want. If that's the case, though, it's better to know that up front and keep looking says a counselor, "because you won't be happy there, anyway."

As long as you got along well with your boss, you could probably just speak naturally. Words that come to mind should be fun, challenging, exciting and productive. But if you feel more conflicted, take time to reflect on some of the positive things you accomplished together, and then showcase those accomplishments.

Typical Question: How do you handle authority?

This is a more generalized version of the previous question, but gives you more leeway to select your best experiences with bosses. From there, it's a short step to talking about how (and with whom) you work best.

Typical Question: What would your colleagues say about you?

Treat this question similarly to the authority questions. Focus on the productive aspects of your relationships, and anchor your response with a story. Then discuss your preferred team role. As team play becomes an increasingly important employment concern, expect recruiters to try to learn more about your community needs. Welcome their curiosity because it opens the door for you to learn more about the type of company culture they can offer.

While "style questions" are an important component of the compatibility quotient, your career goals can be an asset or liability as well.

Typical Question: Where do you want to be five years from now?

The experts agree: It isn't a good idea to express position objectives. "It's the 'kiss of death' to say I'd like to have your job,' because maybe the person is planning to keep that job awhile longer," says an expert.

A management consultant agrees, "Show an interest in the current job and in making a contribution to the organization." And another adds that you should talk about the levels of responsibility you'd like to attain, and mention that your primary goal is to add value to the organization. "Show ambition," she says, "but don't commit to a specific job title."

This strategy worked well for one financial sales rep in Chicago who was able to articulate three possible career directions; international sales, sales management and marketing. By expressing this kind of latitude and flexibility, he opened the door to a discussion of the employer's plans and goals, and was pleased to discover that two of his three career objectives (international sales and sales management) were indeed feasible. This, in turn, led to a fruitful discussion of the company's plan to penetrate the global marketplace, as well as its attitude toward promoting candidates out of the sales ranks. When the offer arrived, he jumped to accept.

Although many interviewees are reluctant to lay their cards on the table quite so plainly, it really does help to know whether you and your future employer have mutually compatible goals. Otherwise, it may be a very unhappy employment partnership.

A career consultant likens the idea of risk taking to the metaphor of the turtle, a reptile that has managed to survive hundreds of thousands of years by sticking its neck out in order to move. "You have to be brave," he says. "Identify the risk you're willing to take, and then take it." Sometimes that risk involves saying what you want and need to make your contribution count.

Credibility

Some people will say (or do) anything to get a job-even lie. Knowing this, employers often make it a practice to ask for (and check) references.

Typical Question: Can we check your references?

Employers are double checking here for reservations. If you have none, there's no better time for a spontaneous, "Of course!" Naturally, it helps if you've cleared the path to that spontaneous response by knowing which references you want to use (and what they're going to say about you).

One (now retired) district sales manager made that abundantly clear when one of his subordinates used his name as a reference without consulting him. "Even though I knew it was technically wrong," the former manager says, "I felt that I needed to be honest. So I said 'He's a helluva good employee, but sometimes he has a drinking problem.'" Although he later advised his employee not to use him as a reference again, in the meantime, the damage was done.

It makes sense to call your references ahead of time to discuss the available position. When your references know the type of job you're hoping to fill, they can offer information that strengthens your candidacy by highlighting your most relevant skills. A lukewarm reference will hurt you almost as much as a negative one.

If you're on good terms with your references (if you aren't, you shouldn't be using them), they won't object to a little "prepping." In fact, most will welcome the assistance.

There are times when your answer to the reference question must be "no," but with an explanation. If you'd like to keep your job search confidential, you obviously won't want interviewers contacting your present employer. You can offset any negative perceptions by using former bosses, coworkers or even clients who can vouch for your performance. This will assure interviewers that you have nothing to hide.

If your former employer won't give you a good reference, you might want to try a "yes, but" strategy. Since past employers cannot, by law, say anything that would prohibit you from getting another job, you can say, "You're welcome to contact my former employer, but it's their policy not to give references." (You might also want to let your former employer know that you know your rights-and expect them to be honored.)

Affordability

Employers and candidates alike often are anxious about the question of money. Nobody wants to waste time and energy wanting what they can't afford to buy. But, until both parties know more about each other, there really isn't anything to talk about. Therefore, the first order of business should be jointly figuring out whether you want to work together. Sometimes, however, employers try to "jump the gun" by prematurely asking money questions.

Typical Question: How much money are you looking for?

Unless the employer is prepared to make you a job offer, ask politely to defer salary discussions until it's clear that a partnership is desirable. One way to do this is by saying, "I'm sure when the time comes, and we'll be able to work out a fair compensation package. For now, if you don't mind, I prefer to focus on whether we really have a match here."

Says a career consultant, "Don't talk money until you have a job offer. Period. Because until you have an offer, you don't have any negotiating power."

Another way of responding to the question is to state honestly that, until you know more about the position and the organization, you really aren't prepared to make a salary demand. Therefore, your time would probably be better spent discussing the employment opportunity. In this statement, you convey that you expect to be paid to do a certain job, but that until you know more about what that job is, there's no way to know what your salary requirements will be.

If an employer pushes for a dollar figure (or refuses to proceed unless you answer the question), be prepared to back down a little from this primary strategy. Never risk alienating the interviewer. However, don't lock yourself into any specific numbers. Instead, do some advance research on salary levels for similar positions within the same industry (and company size, if possible). Professional associations are a great place to find this information; you also can review the weekly salary surveys published in the National Business Employment Weekly. Then, tell the employer that based on your understanding of the market value for the position, you would expect your compensation to be in the range of $ .

Under no circumstances, however, should you allow yourself to be drawn into premature negotiations. Until you have an offer, the less said the better. If you aren't sure whether the employer is actually making you an offer (or preparing to make an offer), ask directly, "Are you making me an offer?" If the answer is in the affirmative, then be prepared to negotiate. Otherwise, hold off until the timing is right.

Typical Question: How much are you presently earning?

Some experts recommend that you treat this question as if the employer had asked, "How much money are you looking for?" Then follow the same procedures for deferring the discussion until you have a job offer.

Again, if the employer seems antagonized by the evasion, hedge your bets with a response such as, "I can tell you how much I was earning in my previous position, but until I know more about the responsibility of this particular job, I can't really tell you how much money I'm looking for."

In this way, you can separate current earnings from future negotiations, a strategy that's particularly effective if you're seeking a higher-paying position.

One final note: If you choose to reveal your current earnings, talk in ballpark figures rather than exact numbers. This will leave you some leeway for future negotiations.

Accessibility

Now that the tables have turned, many employers find themselves scrambling to fill open positions in a tight labor market. For them, it may be important to know that you can make yourself available. While most employers expect you to give notice at your current job, many will not want to wait very long for you to get started. Never, ever tell them that you are looking at other offers and will let them know when you've completed your job search. That sends the message that you prefer to work somewhere else and that, if you do come to work for them, it's only because you didn't get a better offer.

Typical Question: When can you start?

If you're still employed, the best answer is usually: As soon as I give my employer notice and finish out my employment there. (Although you may not want to state it, you may want to take a vacation before you begin your new job.)

If you aren't working, you should try to make yourself available more quickly--even if it means getting started on a part-time basis. Although employers may take their sweet time making a decision, they often get pretty impatient for you to start, once that decision has been made.

If you have a prior commitment that makes it impossible for you to start immediately, ask the employer about the timetable and, how you might be able to work together to your mutual benefit and satisfaction.

While employers may have specific reasons for wanting you to start yesterday, they may just want to be reassured that you're eager and enthusiastic about getting started.
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