Tell me about a challenging situation you encountered at work and how you handled it? The key things to get across are that you can think on your feet to problem-solve, remain calm and good-natured in the face of a challenge, and that you can think strategically and act decisively. Most people lose jobs at some point in their careers. You pick yourself up, learn what you can from the experience, and move on. Job hopping is the new normal. Instead explain how the job is the right move for your career growth at this time — and how your excelling at it would make both you and the employer more successful.
Show how what you can accomplish, demonstrate and learn in this job takes you closer to where you want to go. And ten minutes at the end, that's usually going to be "So what questions do you have for me? Now, some people go in and they bang through interview questions, there is no limit to the number of interview questions to ask. They have 15, 20, of these things. The problem is when you do that, the candidate doesn't really give full, complete answers.
Here's why that's problematic: most reasonably intelligent people can lie about most things for at least a minute. If you started to ask me about a topic of which I had no idea, say, for example, what's the implications of quantum physics on the gravitational forces of a black hole? I don't honestly even know if that's a real question. But assume it is, I could start and go "Well, you know, that's a really fascinating question, and there have been many times in the course of physics where we've had significant paradigm shifts, and while we knew about gravitational forces of black holes, the real question is what happens with quantum physics and the implication for that?
When you're doing a job interview, you want to make sure that you get this person to talk to you for at least two, two and a half to three minutes, because you need to get them past the line where they can keep lying about something.
I could talk for a minute rambling about nothing, but make me talk for two minutes, well now it becomes pretty clear that I have no idea what the implications of quantum physics would be on the gravitational forces of a black hole. I have no idea whatsoever. I'm listening. Try to convince me.
Here's a better question: "What do you feel I need to know that we haven't discussed? Rarely do candidates come to the end of an interview feeling they've done their best. Maybe the conversation went in an unexpected direction. Maybe the interviewer focused on one aspect of their skills and totally ignored other key attributes.
Or maybe candidates started the interview nervous and hesitant, and now wish they could go back and better describe their qualifications and experience. Plus, think of it this way: Your goal as an interviewer is to learn as much as you possibly can about every candidate, so don't you want to give them the chance to ensure you do?
Just make sure to turn this part of the interview into a conversation, not a soliloquy. Don't just passively listen and then say, "Thanks. We'll be in touch. Ask for examples. And of course if you're asked this question, use it as a chance to highlight things you haven't been able to touch on.
Job boards, general postings, online listings, job fairs -- most people find their first few jobs that way, so that's certainly not a red flag. But a candidate who continues to find each successive job from general postings probably hasn't figured out what he or she wants to do -- and where he or she would like to do it.
So don't just explain how you heard about the opening. Show that you heard about the job through a colleague, a current employer, by following the company--show that you know about the job because you want to work there. Employers don't want to hire people who just want a job; they want to hire people who want a job with their company. Now go deeper. Don't just talk about why the company would be great to work for; talk about how the position is a perfect fit for what you hope to accomplish, both short-term and long-term.
Here's an interview question that definitely requires an answer relevant to the job. If you say your biggest achievement was improving throughput by 18 percent in six months but you're interviewing for a leadership role in human resources, that answer is interesting but ultimately irrelevant. Instead, talk about an underperforming employee you "rescued," or how you overcame infighting between departments, or how so many of your direct reports have been promoted. The goal is to share achievements that let the interviewer imagine you in the position -- and see you succeeding.
Conflict is inevitable when a company works hard to get things done. Mistakes happen. Sure, strengths come to the fore, but weaknesses also rear their heads. And that's OK. No one is perfect. But a person who tends to push the blame -- and the responsibility for rectifying the situation -- onto someone else is a candidate to avoid. Hiring managers would much rather choose candidates who focus not on blame but on addressing and fixing the problem.
Every business needs employees who willingly admit when they are wrong, step up to take ownership for fixing the problem, and, most important, learn from the experience. But that doesn't mean you have to make up an answer.
You can learn something from every job. You can develop skills in every job. Work backward: Identify things about the job you're interviewing for that will help you if you do land your dream job someday, and then describe how those things apply to what you hope to someday do.
And don't be afraid to admit that you might someday move on, whether to join another company or -- better -- to start your own business. Employers no longer expect "forever" employees. Let's start with what you shouldn't say or, if you're the interviewer, what are definite red flags. Don't talk about how your boss is difficult. Don't talk about how you can't get along with other employees.
Don't bad-mouth your company. Instead, focus on the positives a move will bring. Talk about what you want to achieve. Talk about what you want to learn.
Talk about ways you want to grow, about things you want to accomplish; explain how a move will be great for you and for your new company. Complaining about your current employer is a little like people who gossip: If you're willing to speak badly of someone else, you'll probably do the same to me.
Maybe you love working alone, but if the job you're interviewing for is in a call center, that answer will do you no good. So take a step back and think about the job you're applying for and the company's culture because every company has one, whether intentional or unintentional. If a flexible schedule is important to you, but the company doesn't offer one, focus on something else.
If you like constant direction and support and the company expects employees to self-manage, focus on something else. Find ways to highlight how the company's environment will work well for you -- and if you can't find ways, don't take the job, because you'll be miserable.
The goal of this question is to evaluate the candidate's reasoning ability, problem-solving skills, judgment, and possibly even willingness to take intelligent risks. Having no answer is a definite warning sign. Everyone makes tough decisions, regardless of their position. My daughter worked part-time as a server at a local restaurant and made difficult decisions all the time -- like the best way to deal with a regular customer whose behavior constituted borderline harassment.
A good answer proves you can make a difficult analytical or reasoning-based decision -- for example, wading through reams of data to determine the best solution to a problem. A great answer proves you can make a difficult interpersonal decision, or better yet a difficult data-driven decision that includes interpersonal considerations and ramifications.
Making decisions based on data is important, but almost every decision has an impact on people as well.
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