Your potential employer may be worried about providing your pension. You won't have enough time to provide an adequate "cushion" of covered work. Currently, about a third of the workers in most companies stay long enough to be fully vested in the company's pension plan. Most pension plans also make payouts that are proportional to the number of years an individual has worked and been covered under the plan. You might ask the interviewer to calculate the cost of the pension to the company in comparison to someone making a comparable salary, but working there for more years.
Many companies are also turning to alternative methods of financing their pensions. They may have 401 K plans, where the employees save a portion of their salaries, which are then matched by the company after the employee has stayed a certain length of time. Some creative use has been made of IRAs, with the company contributing partially to IRAs specifically purchased on your behalf. Some companies have other types of deferred compensation or insurance plans for older executives, which have been developed to take care of some of the pension problems involved with hiring older workers. These plans are cost effective for the companies, for younger workers who have been job hunting, and they're also good for you. When you get down to the nitty gritty job negotiations, you can suggest something like this yourself.
About your future – work - personal - life:
- What would you like to be doing two (three-four-five) years from now?
- What is your philosophy of life? Of business?
- Tell me, would you lie for the company?
- Do you drink?
Spend no more than two minutes on this. Give a brief general outline of what you think good business morality is, and leave your life philosophy out of it.
Hedge on this one. The best response: I'd do nothing to hurt the company.
Probably the best answer is, I will occasionally have one or two drinks.
- What is the state of your health? Frankly, this question is illegal. Your answer would be, "Excellent." The only questions about health or disability that can be asked: Do you have any impairments-physical, mental or medical-which would interfere with your ability to perform the job for which you've applied?
- Would you mind discussing any long-term plans that you have for yourself and your family?
- What is your net worth?
- Are you generally lucky?
- We all know that family members tend to be critical of each other. What do your family members criticize you for?
- What do people criticize you for?
- How do you spend your spare time? What are your hobbies?
- What do you think are your best qualities?
- What is the most difficult thing you've ever tackled?
- Are there any job duties that you can't perform because of a physical, mental or medical disability? If so, please describe.
This is a valid question to ask of a financial person. It probably isn't any of their business if you're looking for some other position.
The interviewer who asks this might be looking for malcontents or someone who's frustrated. If you answer "Yes," explain further. Be upbeat- explain how and with what you've been lucky.
Watch it. This question is a trap. You are probably safe if you answer something like, "They would like for me to spend less time on the job and more time with them."
The interviewer is trying to get you to incriminate yourself. It is used to bring out your personality traits.
Show a variety of interests, if you can.
Pick out the two or three qualities that are most needed on the particular job for which you are interviewing, and discuss your strengths in those areas briefly.
The answer to these questions show the interviewer the level of your aspirations and your ability to handle detail without being bored to tears.
Being a leader is not the same as managing. The interviewer may be trying to determine your aggressive tendencies.
The interviewer really wants to know what qualities you have that might especially fit you for the position. But he or she might also be trying to determine if you're a braggart.
Answer on the basis of what you know about similar companies. Be careful with this answer in family owned or closely held small companies. There may be no job progression.
The interviewer may want to know how much shopping around you've done and what your "luck" was. This is really an unfair question, but should be answered by saying something like, "I can't answer that question comparatively. This job is the only one like it that I've applied for."
The interviewer is looking to see if you use all available resources. You can discuss it with a peer, a superior, or subordinates; consult experts; look for similar problems in trade journals.
Be careful. You may step on someone's toes, or reveal something about yourself that may be detrimental. The person was fair, equitable, consistent, treated you (and everyone else) with respect, made you feel competent and valuable.
The interviewer is looking for organization, ability to recall, and whether you are what you say you are.
Discuss the level of the people you hired and what they were expected to do. Then respond to the rest of the question.
The interviewer wants to see your methodology. What resources do you use? Do you use a problem-solving approach that is acceptable to the situation? Do you realize that every decision is a compromise?
