Difficult Questions
by
ResumeEdge.com
- The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service
1. What are your
weaknesses?
2. Why did you leave your
last job?
3. How do you deal with criticism?
4. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
5. How do you deal with authority?
6.
What do you think of your previous manager?
7.
What is the riskiest thing you have ever done?
You think the interview is going
well. You knew the meeting location ahead of time, and you arrived
ten minutes early. You are dressed sharp and your teeth are clean.
You came prepared in every way-you have three copies of your resume,
a few business cards, two pens and a note pad. You turned off your
cell-phone. You managed to find out before the interview that your
interviewer held the position for which you are now applying and
that you were in choir at the same college. You know the company's
mission statement and have a sense of their structure. Your interviewer
nodded and smiled when you spoke about your previous accomplishments
and your management style. You seem to have connected with the company
culture.
Your reflection, research, and practice have served
you so well that you wonder whether you should become a professional
interviewee rather than a Financial Planner. Then the interviewer
lifts her head from her notes and, pen in hand, asks: what are your
weaknesses?
You have two options: you can squirm and stammer
through a response you develop on the fly, or you can look your
interviewer in the eye and provide a thoughtful response that still
helps you present yourself strongly. When asked difficult questions,
you feel instinctively that they are probing and that you are under
great scrutiny. As you prepare responses before the interview, consider
what information the questions seek: are there ways in which you
would be a liability to the company? If the company invests in you,
what kinds of things would it need to overcome? Are you the kind
of person who can deal with things when they get rough, or are you
pure gloss?
In answering sensitive questions, make sure that
your answers are honest, but reassuring. Use tact and choose your
words carefully so that you show respect for other people in your
responses. You should usually use understatement in your reply to
sensitive questions. When people hear something bad, they tend to
focus on it in a way that is out of proportion to its significance
in everyday life. If you say that you are not always organized,
the interviewer could imagine your desk with papers strewn everywhere
and deadlines missed. But in reality your conception of disorganization
might look a lot like the interviewer's conception of organization.
In addition, most of the interviewer's questions could be answered
honestly in a variety of ways. You want to choose the version of
the truth that is most appealing and sensitive--the version that
helps support your main message.
Examples:
What are your weaknesses?
Overemphasized: I am not
a good manager.
Avoidant: I always get my work done
on time. When other people drop the ball, sometimes I get
frustrated with them.
Effective: I prioritize continual
growth and improvement. An area on which I would like to
focus is managing others who have different expectations
from me. What needs to be done in order to complete responsibilities
is intuitive for me, so I am learning how to give better
direction to others who are not self-motivated.
Why did you leave your last job?
Vague and negative: Law always
interested me, and I was looking for a new challenge. I
thought it would be a good time to go to law school. Besides,
I had gotten frustrated with the lack of support I felt
at work.
Dangerous: In the end, my manager and I
could not get along. He was driving me crazy and I needed
to leave.
Effective: As I succeeded in financial
analysis, I became increasingly interested in broader issues
of managing money. I wanted to understand how legal regulations
and individuals' goals affect decisions about how to
manage money. When I gained entrance to my top choice in
law school, I seized the opportunity to infuse my financial
training with legal knowledge.
How do you deal with criticism?
Disrespectful: When I remember
the source, I usually realize that the other person is in
no position to criticize me.
Unbelievable: Criticism
does not bother me at all.
Effective: Criticism is
vital to my continued growth, and I welcome constructive
criticism that helps a team operate better together or produce
better results. It is important to me to understand where
my critic is coming from so that I know how to apply the
feedback.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Dismissive: Living in a boat
off the coast of Bermuda.
Exploitative: I hope to
have gained enough skills here to start my own company.
Scattered: In ten years, I imagine that I will want
a change of scene. One of my long-term interests has been
ecological protection, and I can see myself working as a
spokesman for a lobbyist organization. First, though, I
need to make some money and I want to contribute to your
company.
Effective: In ten years, I endeavor to have
refined my strategic and client relations skills. I intend
to be a leading expert in estate planning. After having
proven myself as a senior manager, I hope to help shape
the strategic direction of estate planning services. I could
do this in any number of official roles. The important thing
is that I will continue contributing my abilities in a challenging
and rewarding environment.
How do you deal with authority?
Concerning: I think it is
important to question authority from time to time.
Frightening: In my last job, there was a time when my
boss made a financial decision that I knew would be abysmal.
I went directly to his superior to explain the problem.
His superior agreed that I was right, and my boss had to
alter his plan.
Effective: Respect is very important
to me. As an employee, I try to respect my boss not only
by following her guidance, but also by seeking her guidance.
When a trusting relationship is formed, I have often found
that my bosses have appreciated concerns or options that
I raised to them. They know that I support them, and I know
that they respect me.
What do you think of your previous manager?
Evasive: She did her job
fine. She was a pretty nice person.
Disrespectful:
She knew her stuff, but she did not give my colleagues or
me any real guidance. It is like we were fending for ourselves.
She rarely stood up for us either. I do not really think
she should be a manager.
Effective: My previous manager
had excellent technical skills and was very agreeable as
a colleague. I would have liked more support from her at
times, but her hands-off style meant that I had to become
resourceful in problem solving and negotiating with colleagues.
What is the riskiest thing you have ever done?
Too much information: My
wife and I conceived our first child in front of the police
department.
Dangerous judgment: I play chicken with
trains.
Effective: The greatest calculated risk that
I have taken was to launch my own internet company. My idea
was solid, but I knew the market was volatile. Even though
the venture ended, my investment of time and money paid
off in terms of the skills, perspectives, and contacts that
I made through the process. I feel like I matured-rather
than aged-ten years during that time.