Job Interview Questions

Interviews are tough. There is no question about it. At once, interviews can make or break the confidence of the interviewee in himself. Even though you may not give the interviewee the job, a good interview can make him feel powerful. Keeping this in mind, as important as it is for the interviewee to arrive on time, it is even more important for the interviewers to be present and ready. The feelings of self doubt and anxiousness that the interviewee feels are heightened with each passing second that the interview does not start. Further, make sure that when you do eventually start the interview, a formal apology is made to the interviewee from all members of the team who are going to interview him.

Although my greeting is reciprocated, I get the feeling that there is something wrong. The long haired one is looking at me with curiosity and the other guy is simply looking angry. Infact, he is pursuing his lips and trying hardest to show that he means business by looking grim. I try to break the ice by mentioning that I have met the long haired guy before. This makes the grim guy even grimer and my heart makes a flip turn wondering what I did wrong. Without further adieu, we proceed to the interview room.

W h e n e v er possible, particularly on a feature assignment, lookup your  subject’s  background.  From  news  clippings  or from reference works like Who’s Who, try to determine beforehand any views the individual may have on the topic  of  your  interview.  Ignorance  of  an  important person’s  biography  and  work  may  seem  insulting  to  the individual  concerned,  and  you  may  lose  the  person’s cooperation. However, you should never try to impress the interviewee with your knowledge of the individual’s own subject.

As a Technical Writer, I have had to interview hundreds of computer professionals to better understand the technology that I would be documenting. Programmers, Quality Assurance, Implementation, Sales, Management, Customer Service, Training… I have interviewed them all! The following article reveals tips you can use to optimize your interview experience and get the information you seek.

1. Interview in the morning. The morning is the time when people are fresh and are most willing to really give you good answers to your questions.

    

2. Ask questions when you don’t understand. Sometimes to maintain our professional image we say “yes” to someone who wants to make sure that we have understood. Don’t do this…this will bite you back in the future. Make sure you truly understood what the interviewee has said.

    

3. Prepare your questions well beforehand. Never arrive at an interview to get information on the fly, this is a disaster waiting to happen and others will feel that you are wasting their time. Get organized well beforehand.

    

4. Use a tape-recorder if possible. With the interviewee’s permission, you can record the interview. It is hard to copy verbatim text as people speak - very difficult indeed.

    

5. Verify what you have heard. Don’t be afraid to repeat what the interviewee has just said, to clarify the accuracy of the information.

If you are having trouble developing questions, consider the following samples as food for thought. However, don't ask a question if you are not truly interested in the answer; it will be obvious to the employer.

What are the company's strengths and weaknesses compared to its competition?

How important does upper management consider the function of this department/position?

What is the organization's plan for the next five years, and how does this department fit in?

Could you explain your organizational structure?

How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? By whom?

What are the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?

Just as I wrote about the six most frequently asked questions and a key type of question to anticipate and prepare for in my last column, here I’ll list three areas for which you should have questions and I’ll talk about a powerful type of question you should be prepared to ask.

The three areas to ask questions about are the company or organization, the people and the job. Sample questions you might ask about the firm/organization include:

• Your annual report mentioned that acquisitions will be a major part of your growth strategy this year; how is that strategy progressing?
• What are the basic values that make up the company’s culture?
• How long have you been with the firm/organization?
• What are the most critical factors for success in your business?
• Is the company growing? If so, where is growth coming from?

The interview has 2 purposes: 1. To determine if the candidate is actually qualified for the position and 2. To determine if the candidate is a fit for the existing culture.

It is item number 2 that is highly subjective and why the interview process hasn't changed in 500 years.  

I have been hired without a resume or even a company application but I have never been hired without someone seeing me face to face.

The interview is NOT a naturally occuring event and those candidates who try to wing it or act naturally often fail even though the skills are there.

Job interviews are critical to the quality of an organization's people. Good job interviews processes and methods increase the quality of people in an organization. Poor job interviews methods result in poor selection, which undermines organizational capabilities, wastes management time, and increases staff turnover.

Below are samples of interviews questions asked at interviews. Many interviewers and interviewees are keenly interested in 'tough' interview questions and certainly interviewees need to prepare answers for 'tough' questions. However, from the interviewer's perspective asking 'tough' questions is not usually helpful. Interviews should not place undue pressure on interviewees, because people tend to withdraw and become defensive under pressure. We learn more about people when they relax.

It's better therefore to focus on 'good' interview questions rather than 'tough' ones. Good interview questions encourage interviewees to think about themselves and to give the interviewer clear and revealing information as to the interviewee's needs, capabilities, experience, personality, and suitability for the job. The best interview questions are therefore the questions which most help interviewees to reveal their skills, knowledge, attitudes, and feelings to the interviewer.

Let me get the catchphrase out of the way: Your employees, also known as “people,” are really important to your business.

They’ll handle your money, your customers (who give you money), your product (which you sell for money) and more often that not, you’ll spend more time with them than with your family.

So why do so many businesses get stuck with bad employees? Typically, it’s because we fail to search, prepare and interview candidates thoroughly, and are hasty to hire someone hoping they’ll work out. These bad hiring habits result in a weak workforce, which will leave your life miserable and your business in bad shape.

My first suggestion is to ensure that a heavy workload doesn’t cloud your judgment. If you are desperate for an employee because your team is overworked, or you just lost an employee, you’ll inadvertently drop your standards just so that you’re not stuck working 12 hours a day. This compromise will usually lead to hiring someone who may be under qualified, lazy or dishonest.

If you are one of the many women in the U.S. thinking about returning to the workforce after taking time out to start a family, you might feel a bit lost.

Technology has changed, your field may have shifted, and your priorities may be different now that you have little ones at home. The corporate job that excited you before having kids, for example, might appear too demanding.

How do you sort it all out? Many women are working on it. It used to be once you were a stay-at-home-mom you would likely always be one. But more and more modern moms choose to return to work after taking time off to have children. The path from mommy hood back to work is different for every woman and can sometime be hard to navigate.

The good news is you don't have to do it all at once. Returning to the workforce can be broken into small, manageable steps. Just because you've decided to go back to work doesn't mean it needs to happen tomorrow. Break the process down and get started!

Research - What type of work are you interested in? Do you want to go back to your old job? If so, are there any skills you need to brush up on before going back? If you want to do something drastically different, what is it? If you used to work for a bank, but now you want to start a dog daycare, for example, take a close look at how the work will affect your day-to-day life. Evaluate what kind of a lifestyle this new work would offer and how much you could expect to make.  read more »

When you were working 50 hours a week, there was little time for continuing education, association chapter meetings, seminars or research. Now is your chance. Here are some of the things you can do. These activities are not just for skill building. They add depth and balance to your life during this transition.

1. Learn how to operate a new software application.
2. Read the latest business books.
3. Take a course at your local university
4. Volunteer at a charity or school
5. Become more active in a professional association
6. Write an article, book or screenplay
7. Complete research and publish your findings
8. Teach a class or workshop at a high school, community college or university
9. Get involved in a political organization you believe in.
10. Learn a foreign language

Here is how managers and co-workers can reduce anxiety of new employees.

1. Assure new hires or newly transferred employees that they have a good chance for success.
2. Encourage them to ask questions and seek help.
3. Give them an indication of the department culture. Let them know how the people dress, what the lunch routine is, and how to handle requests for information, approvals and supplies.
4. Tell them to disregard the comments of negative employees and 'jokesters'.
5. Encourage them to become acquainted with other department leaders and respected senior staff. Giving those people a heads up, and then advising the new employee to contact them to schedule a brief appointment, can easily accomplish this.

You feel the job interview coming to a close. You cannot wait until the interview is over and you are safely in your car again. Don't rush through the final minutes of the interview. This is your time to seal the deal.

As you go through the interview, pay attention to themes introduced by the interviewer. You will be able to pick up what is important to the company and what kind of person they want to hire.

Now you have this new information that you did not necessarily have before the interview. You need to work into the conversation the reason why you are the person they are looking for and how you can help the company achieve their goals. The end of the interview is the perfect time to reinforce your value. Simply say, "I want to share with you how I created a training program for new Receptionists...."

Then there is almost always the point in the interview when the interviewer says, "That's all I had, what questions do you have?" It is important to ask questions to show you are thoughtful, intelligent and interested in the job.

Avoid asking questions about salary, benefits, time-off, or dress code. Save that for the negotiation discussion. Also avoid asking things that you should know. Asking general questions about the company shows you did not do your research. Try not to be redundant or ask questions just to ask something.  read more »

 Be confident.
• Stand up straight, with your shoulders back.
• Speak clearly and loud enough so the interviewer understands you.
• Don't fidget.
• Make good eye contact.
• Smile sincerely.
• Lean forward slightly when the interviewer is speaking.
• Don't ramble.
• Stay focused on the questions, and how you fit the needs of the employer.

Attention to details is crucial, so here are some tips for both men and women. Make sure you have:

• Clean and polished conservative dress shoes
• Well-groomed hairstyle
• Cleaned and trimmed fingernails
• Minimal cologne or perfume
• No visible body piercing beyond conservative ear piercings for women
• Well-brushed teeth and fresh breath
• No gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth
• Minimal jewelry
• No body odor

When it comes to job hunting, It’s probably one of the most overused phrases in job-hunting, but also one of the most underutilized by job-seekers: dress for success. In job-hunting, first impressions are critical. You’ll want that first impression to be not just a good one, but, a great one. The candidate dressed in a suit and tie is going to make a much better impression than the candidate dressed in scruffy jeans and a t-shirt.

Remember, you are marketing a product — yourself – to a potential employer, and the first thing the employer sees when greeting you is your attire; thus, you must make every effort to have the proper dress for the type of job you are seeking. Will dressing properly get you the job? Of course not, but it will give you a competitive edge and a positive first impression.

Should you be judged by what you wear? Perhaps not, but the reality is, of course, that you are judged. Throughout the entire job-seeking process employers use short-cuts — heuristics or rules of thumb — to save time. Here are a couple of the shortcuts used in the recruitment process:

• With cover letters, it’s the opening paragraph and a quick scan of your qualifications.
• With resumes, it is a quick scan of your accomplishments.
• With the job interview, it’s how you’re dressed that sets the tone of the interview.

Keep in mind that you may not get the first job you apply for, or the second... A job search can take time, especially if you don't have much experience. Here's how to ensure you're a top-notch candidate for the jobs you are applying for.

Be Persistent. Wait a few days, then follow-up your application with a phone call to the hiring manager reiterating your interest. If you have applied in person, stop in again and mention that you are really interested in the opportunity.

Don't Stop. Don't apply at one place and wait for the phone to ring. Complete as many job applications as you can, and consider a variety of positions. The more you apply, the better chance you have of finding a job.

Be Flexible. Applicants who are only available for limited hours are less likely to get hired than those who are flexible as to when they can work. For example, one candidate for a summer job told the employer that they were only available on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Compare that to another applicant who selected "any" on the Hours Available section of the job applicant and you can see why the second applicant got the job.

Use Your Connections. If you have a connection, use it. Does your mom shop regularly at the store where you'd like to work? If so, have her mention that you're looking for a job. That's how I got my first job and how my brother got his first job at the drug store across the street.

Dress Appropriately. When applying for jobs, dress as though you had the job. If you're applying for a retail position, for example, visit the store before you apply to see what the staff is wearing. It will give you an idea as to how you should dress. When in doubt, dress up, not down.  read more »

I recently ran a help-wanted ad on Craigslist. The position was a photo-editor job for a site that I dare not mention because some people will complain that I promote it too often. Here’s what I learned a lot from this experience—much of which you may apply to a job search if you respond to a Craigslist ad:

• Apply fast. I posted the job at 11:19 pm on Thursday, August 2nd. The first response came in thirty-one minutes later. Fifteen more responses came in the next day. Therefore, 43% of the responses came in the first day or so. If you wait a few days, employers who advertise on Craigslist may already fill the job. Indeed, looking for a job is a job, so don’t take a few days off (for example, the weekend) from your search.

• Write a cover email that addresses the position. Two people simply attached their resume to their response. I pushed back on one and suggested that he write a cover email. He copied and pasted my job description to, I guess, let me know which job he was applying for. Needless to say, both candidates didn’t get serious consideration. I don’t know about other employers, but the thing I can’t stand the most is laziness. Although, to be fair, the ad was for a position at the worst website in the world.

• Rise to the occasion. The vast majority of the candidates were highly-qualified professional designers, photographers, and photo editors. My response to the first thirty-one applicants (who were diligent enough to write a cover email) involved a test to find pictures that illustrated five sample stories. Twenty-six (94%) of the twenty-nine immediately completed the test. Now you know that there are highly-qualified diligent candidates in the Craigslist talent pool.

The majority of jobs aren’t posted online. Hiring managers get a list of employee referral candidates before they even bother to view resumes from those who submit them online. Sometimes the listed jobs aren’t available or never existed in the first place. Many studies have noted that 80% of jobs are taken through networking, but few have sought to use the web to search and locate people they would actually enjoy working for at companies that they get excited about.

The 3-step people search:

1. Identify the top five companies that you would like to work for.
Use a focused approach instead of flooding thousands of inboxes with spam. You want to brand yourself, not just as the person of best fit for a job, but as someone who is eager and ecstatic to work for the company.

2. Use search engines to track employees that currently work there.
There are over 130 million blogs in Technorati and you can search through them to possibly find someone who works at one of your top five companies. You can search through corporate groups, pages and people on Facebook. You can even do the same on Twitter. Then there are people search engines such as pipl, peek you, and wink. Once you find a contact name, try googling it to see if there is any additional information about that person.  read more »

1. Not keeping track of your accomplishments

2. Leaving on a bad note

3. Not networking

4. Only using the Internet

5. Only searching for the perfect job

6. Writing a generic cover letter

7. Typos

8. Including your current work info as the best place to contact you

9. Focusing on yourself and not on the company in the cover letter

10. Not targeting your résumé to the position

11. Showing up late

12. Dressing for the wrong job

13. Not asking questions

13. Not asking questions

15. Not paying attention

16. Not researching the position

17. Not researching the company

18. Forgetting common etiquette

19. Forgetting you're being interviewed from the moment you walk in

20. Bringing up salary too soon

21. Not sending a thank-you note

22. Being over-aggressive in follow-up

23. Not learning from your mistakes

23. Not learning from your mistakes

24. Forgetting where you've applied and interviewed

25. Stopping your job search while you wait for a response

There are a number of questions that a potential employer is prohibited from asking a candidate during a job interview. Here are some examples:

Question: How old are you?

A better option is to ask the candidate if he or she is over the age of 18.

Question: Do you have children? Are you planning on having children?

Instead, explain whether the position requires travel or overtime work regularly and ask the candidate if there are any reasons why he or she would not be able to meet these requirements.

Question: Are you married or living with a partner?

If the information you are trying to find out is whether the candidate can relocate if necessary, simply ask that question. The person's marital status or living arrangement is not relevant.

Question: Where were you born? Are you a citizen of this country?

These are illegal questions. The candidate's place of birth has no bearing on whether he or she can do the job. Instead, ask whether the applicant can legally work in the United States.

Question: Do you attend church services or belong to any kind of a social/service club?  read more »

After The Interview

Make each interview a learning experience. After it is over, ask yourself these questions:

  What points did I make that seemed to interest the employer?

  Did I present my qualifications well? Did I overlook qualifications that were important for the job?

  Did I learn all I needed to know about the job

  Did I ask questions I had about the job?

  Did I talk too much? Not enough?

  Was I too tense? Too relaxed?

  Was I too aggressive? Not aggressive enough?

  Was I dressed appropriately?

If you cannot get enough information on the organization or position to tailor specific questions, here are some generic questions you can safely ask at most job interviews:

• How would you describe your organizational culture? A job interview is often a two-way street; you are checking the prospective employer out, too. The answer to this question can help you determine whether you really would want to work at the place, assuming you get a job offer.
• What happens next in the hiring process? The response to this question can give you an idea of how many other candidates they are interviewing, whether there will be a second interview, how quickly they plan on making hiring decisions, etc. This will also help you determine when and whether it is appropriate to do any follow-up to the interview.
• What type of candidate are you looking for? This will give you an idea of your prospects for securing the job, and, in the worst case scenario, can help you prepare for future interviews at other jobs.

What not to ask: "What's your policy on Columbus Day?"

What not to ask: "What kind of daycare program or family care programs do you offer?"

What not to ask: "Will I have to work overtime?"

What not to ask: "Will I have to work overtime?"

What not to ask: "So, Bob, what do you have to do to get your position?"

What not to ask: "The job sounds pretty cool. Why did the last person leave?"

What not to ask: "I really hated my last boss because he was always micromanaging. How does management work here?"

What not to ask: "Can I use your phone? I need to call my ride."

After asking questions, the interviewer usually invites you to ask questions. By asking informed questions, such as the following, you not only gain knowledge about the potential employer, but you also make a good impression:

• What is the size of the division, sales volume, earnings?

• Does the company plan to expand? What are the company's strengths and weaknesses compared to its competition?

• What are the significant trends in the industry?

• Could you explain your organizational structure?

• Can you discuss your take on the company’s corporate culture? What are the company’s values?

• How would you characterize the management philosophy of this organization?

• Are any acquisitions, divestitures, or proxy fights on the horizon?

• What do you think is the greatest opportunity facing the organization in the near future? The biggest threat?

• How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? And by whom? How often?  read more »

  newslink: 

  http://www.pohly.com/interview-2.html

Prepare for a phone interview just as you would for a regular interview. Compile a list of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as a list of answers to typical interview questions. In addition, plan on being prepared for a phone conversation about your background and skills.

• Keep your resume in clear view, on the top of your desk, or tape it to the wall near the phone, so it's at your fingertips when you need to answer questions.
• Have a short list of your accomplishments available to review.
• Have a pen and paper handy for note taking.
• Turn call-waiting off so your call isn't interrupted.
• If the time isn't convenient, ask if you could talk at another time and suggest some alternatives.
• Clear the room - evict the kids and the pets. Turn off the stereo and the TV. Close the door.
• Unless you're sure your cell phone service is going to be perfect, consider using a landline rather than your cell phone to avoid a dropped call or static on the line.

Don't order the spaghetti! As if the job interview process isn't stressful enough, now they say they want to do it over lunch.

Ah, yes, but that's what it is all about, isn't it? How better to assess a candidate's social skills and ability to perform under pressure then to invite her to lunch?

Never fear. Handling a job interview over a meal does not have to spell disaster.  But it is all about preparation. Just like any other job interview, a job seeker needs to prepare in advance. 

This means job seekers should:

• practice job interview techniques
• refresh their memory about all their accomplishments for easier recall
• dress appropriately for the appointment
• be engaged and involved in the entire job interview process
• ask appropriate questions

While there are as many different possible interview questions as there are interviewers, it always helps to be ready for anything. So we've prepared a list of 100 potential interview questions. Will you face them all? We pray no interviewer would be that cruel. Will you face a few? Probably. Will you be well-served by being ready even if you're not asked these exact questions? Absolutely.

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Who was your favorite manager and why?
• What kind of personality do you work best with and why?
• Why do you want this job?
• Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?
• Tell me about your proudest achievement.
• If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?
• If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you write your job description for the next year, what would it say?
• Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?
• How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?
• There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
• How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?
• Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?
• What's your ideal company?
• What attracted you to this company?
• What are you most proud of?
• Click on link for full list of questions
  

So what is the very best statement you can make to generate the job offer? Simple. Ask for the job:

“I feel my background and experience are a good fit for this position and I am very interested. I am ready to consider your best offer!”

Want to make it an ever stronger statement? Replace the statement: “I am ready to consider your best offer” with a statement and a question:

“I would very much like to work here. May I have the job?”

Okay, it may sound a little bold, but remember: it is far and away the number one way to generate a job offer. It has been proven again and again that by asking for the job, you will greatly increase your odds of receiving a job offer.

There are two simple steps you can take to make a lasting impression after your interview and greatly increase your odds of success.

The first is to call the interviewer to thank them for their time. If possible, you may want to add additional information which was not discussed in the interview. An example would be: “I understand from speaking with the receptionist that Microsoft Office is your corporate software standard. I just wanted to mention that I’m also fully proficient in each of the tools in the Office suite.” This phone call should ideally take place the same day. If you are unable to reach the interviewer directly, leave a voicemail message.

The second activity is to immediately write the interviewer a short note, thanking them for their time and re-emphasizing your interest in the position. Then do your best to get it to them as quickly as possible. E-mail it, fax it, hand-deliver it, messenger it, use overnight mail, whatever. But be sure they have it before the end of the following day. Ideally, you want to get it in their hands by the end of the day of the interview or first thing the following morning. Why? Because the quicker your letter arrives, the greater the likelihood of affecting a positive outcome. Doesn’t everyone follow up like this? Hardly. Virtually no one calls after an interview and only a few take the time to write a personalized thank you letter. The simple gestures of a phone call and thank you letter can make a big difference in separating you from your competition.

Recently laid off?

So many Americans are joining the ranks of the unemployed that they’re clogging the unemployment lines. Literally.

The lines in front of unemployment offices are long. Their telephone lines are jammed. It’s so bad in some places that officials suspect that only half the calls are getting through.

Next time you’re contending with clogged phone lines or long waits at the unemployment office, here’s how to speed your inquiries and get through the benefits-claims process, state unemployment officials say:

Click on the newslink to read the entire article.

The national recession is about to catch up with Texas, costing the state 111,000 jobs in the next six months, the state comptroller warned legislators in Austin on Monday.

The new forecast is a sharp turnaround for Texas, which for months continued to prosper even as the economy crumbled in most of the rest of the U.S. While most states were shedding jobs in the 12 months ended in November, Texas added 221,000.

As always in Texas, oil and gas prices played a leading role in the economy's boom, and now are contributing to the bust.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article.

Arriving at an interview late means you already start the interview from behind the rest of the candidates.

It gives the impression that you can't organise yourself and plan. Better to be an hour early than a minute late. You can always grab a coffee and go through your notes. It also reduces the panic that could set in if you arrive in a hurry and aren't relaxed.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article.

If you are looking for employment, be aware that your credit report, driving record and criminal record may be checked. Even a page or a posting on a social networking site is fair game! Be as accurate as possible on a résumé because employers can and do check the facts.

If you’re fortunate enough to get a phone call to schedule an interview, ask about the appropriate dress code for the industry and job you are applying for

Click on the newslink to read the entire article.

Just months ago, you could get your foot in the door of many an employment office sporting a tattered sneaker. Talent was king.

But job hunting now has become a buyer's market.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article.