- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your major strengths? Weaknesses?
- What kind of people do you like? Dislike?
- What was your home life like when you were a child?
- How good is your memory for names and faces?
- What four or five words would best describe you? Why?
- Do you consider yourself a leader or a follower?
- What do people think of you? In your opinion, are they right?
- How do you cope under pressure?
- How do you handle criticism?
- How do you react when things don't go your way?
- Do you have any mental or emotional conditions that might interfere with your performance on the job?
- How do you feel about doing detail work?
- Tell me how you handle routine work.
- Describe your problem-solving abilities.
- What do you believe it takes to succeed in business?
- Are you comfortable with making decisions, even difficult ones? Describe.
- If we offered you this job, would you make the decision whether to accept it on your own, or in consultation with others?
- What type of people attract you? What kind do you shy away from?
- What rubs you the wrong way?
- Succinctly, tell me the story of your life, highlighting the aspects that made you what you are today.
- Who would you say has had the greatest influence on your life?
- What attributes do you look for in a friend?
- What does it take to make you happy?
- Can you tell me something about your family?
- Are you generally inclined to hold center stage in a group or organization?
- How do you spend your vacations and spare time?
- In what ways are you active in community work and social, fraternal, civic, or other organizations?
- What professional associations or trade journals help keep you abreast of developments in your field?
- You indicated that you are divorced. Would you like to tell me how this might be a factor in your job performance?
- When was your last physical checkup?
- Are you under a doctor's care? For what reason?
- Over the past year, how much time have you lost from work and for what reason?
- If you are not a U.S. citizen, do you have the legal right to work in this country?
- Have you ever violated the law, aside from such minor offenses as traffic violations, speeding, and illegal parking?
- Have you ever been convicted of a major offense? If so, explain.
- Do you take narcotics or other drugs with or without a prescription?
- Have you served in the armed forces? If so, in what branch and what was your rank? What is your present military status?
- Do you have a driver's license? Has it ever been revoked? Describe.
- Are you considering other job offers at the moment? If so, which ones?
- On what basis will you make your decision?
- What references may we check at this time?
- What questions do you have? How Questions Are Asked
Worst-Least Questions
Be especially wary of questions that ask you to address most-least or best-worst aspects of the issue raised: for example, ''What kinds of people do you like most (least)?" You can reply best to such questions with moderate responses on both sides. You might want to lean somewhat toward the positive side so you don't appear too extreme or too far outside the interviewer's way of thinking. You can deal with the negative side by coming up with good negatives—statements that include something the interviewer would agree is a positive in disguise. For example, you might want to say that the people you like least are those who are unfair to others.
Difficult Questions
In any interview, you are bound to be asked questions at least as difficult as those listed in this chapter. Whenever you receive such questions, always try to isolate the point of the question and make sure your reply is somehow relevant to the position for which you are being interviewed.
Most of the questions you receive will not be intentionally difficult. In fact, many will be efforts to clarify or understand information you have already provided. That is why attitude is so important.
Attitude
During every minute of your interview, hold fast to the attitude that you and the interviewer are there to help one another. Assume that the interviewer will be friendly unless you alienate him or her. Find areas of agreement or commonality whenever possible. In discussing the fight-or-ffight reaction to stress, I noted that neither fighting nor leaving would keep you in the running for a job opening. No matter what happens, stay in charge of your own pace and remain calm. Strive for understanding. Bad attitude is a frequent reason for not hiring an individual; an interviewer who finds that you can easily be aroused or perturbed is likely to wonder how you might handle more stressful situations on the job. Regard each question as an opportunity to show how courteous and cooperative you can be.
Questioning Techniques
Since you have prepared yourself well for your interview, you should be able to provide relevant and informative responses to any questions. However, television has taught people how to ask questions in more sophisticated ways, creating new challenges for any job candidate. In many cases, the techniques for asking questions have outstripped the techniques for responding to them well. Understanding the techniques will help you even further. To help restore the balance, then, here are the techniques you are most likely to experience:
Technique: Needling Example: "Do you really believe Fll buy that?" Response: Stick by your guns; don't equivocate or vacillate. Say, "Absolutely, Diane." Then go on to support your position.
Technique: Errors of fact Example:
"So you made a quarter million on that contract?" Response:
If necessary, correct the number graciously and then go on to show its relevancy to the opening. Again, keep in mind that you are in charge of you. Since the interviewer's impression of you counts more than the content of your answers, how you respond becomes more important than what you say. The next chapter will address some of the skills you will need if you are to make certain that your responses are well considered. Also, I will show you how to ask questions of your own to get the information you need to decide whether this job is right for you.
