Some of the most difficult interview questions might appear to be easy. But if you are not prepared and ready with specific examples before you head into that interview room, you could be in trouble.
1. Questions About You and the Team
What they’re asking: Can you play well with others? Get good work done as a team? When you prepare answers to these kinds of questions, think about how to mention conflict resolution, high-pressure situations, and what you do when personalities disagree.
How They’ll Ask
- Tell me about a situation with a colleague that you wish you had handled differently.
- Tell me about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality differed significantly from yours.
- Tell me about a conflict you had to handle, and what steps you took to find a resolution.
2. Questions About You and the Client
What they’re asking: Are you going to represent the company well, and keep the clients happy? Can you handle difficult and demanding people with grace and poise?
How They’ll Ask
- Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a client.
- Describe a time when you had to face a very picky and unreasonable client, and how you handled it.
- Tell me about a time when you made a mistake with a client, and how you fixed the situation.
3. Questions About How You Handle Curveballs
What they’re asking: How do you hold up under pressure and in crisis situations? No matter how organized you are, the workplace will always come up with crises and fires to be put out. Are you able to adapt, to think fast on your feet, and fix things?
How They’ll Ask
- Tell me about a time when you were under a great deal of pressure and you had to face a crisis; how did you handle yourself?
- Tell me about your first job; how quickly and well were you able to learn the ropes?
- Tell me about a time you messed up, and how you made up for your mistake.
4. Questions About Your Time Management Skills
What they’re asking: Can you multitask? Juggle multiple projects and responsibilities? Manage your own time? Or will your new boss need to micromanage you to make sure you get things done?
How They’ll Ask
- Tell us about a long-term project you handled, how you got it done while still taking care of all your smaller daily duties.
- Describe your method of prioritizing projects on your task list.
- Tell me about a time when you had to juggle multiple, urgent deadlines.
5. Questions About You
What they’re asking: This is the tricky one. These questions can seem borderline irrelevant, but they aren’t! Your interviewer is just trying to get a sense of who you are as a person, and what you value. Are you trustworthy? Upbeat? Kind?
How They’ll Ask
- Tell me about a time when you felt you did not do your best, and what you did differently after that.
- Tell me about a time you saw a problem and decided to handle it yourself, rather than wait for something else.
- How would you react if you saw a colleague breaking a rule?
Remember, every question in the interview has an angle to it. Your interviewer wants to get as much information from you as possible, so prepare answers that carry a lot of weight and make it easy for her. Write down your answers with specific examples, then practice answering these questions with your friends or family. Job hunting stresses people out more than getting root canal. But if you are prepared, it doesn’t have to be.
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