How to Answer Interview Questions

How do you rate yourself as a professional?

8; It means that you recognize that you have room to grow and develop and become more and better than you are today.

Tell us about a failed project

A failed project is never a complete failure because you should have learned something form it that will make you smarter the next time around. As long as you don't disappoint your customers and your superiors, then having a failure is not necessarily a negatie.

You can talk about what?

About customer satisfaction, increasing revenue, gaining more customers, improving accuracy or any other business-growth or revenue related goal.

How do you deal with stressful situations? (Part 3)

Above all, choose an answer that shows that you can meet a stressful situation head-on in a productive, positive manner and let nothing stop you from accomplishing your goals.

What is a 30 Day Plan?

An overview of what you would like to accomplish the first three months of the job. 30-Day Plan: During the first 30 days on the job, time is spent attending training, meeting team members, learning the organization's systems and its products and services, reviewing procedures and client accounts

You always want to pick out a few of your best qualities and talk about those:

Are you organized? Do you work quickly? Are you a good multi-tasker? Do you enjoy taking on extra projects? Are you a great planner? Are you consistently a top performer?

Why is failure good?

Because it means we're moving forward, we're trying. I would choose a project that failed because of something like organization or time management rather than something that was a central skill I need for my job.

Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?

Business club

How do you handle stress and pressure on the job?

Deadlines motivate me to work harder, especially if deadlines are a big part of your job. That's a great thing, and some people really do work well under pressure.

Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work?

Do not be afraid to brag. This is your shot. Take a "brag book."

Tell me about a time when you faced a difficult situation with co-worker. (Part 1)

Do you have good communication skills? Are you empathetic? Do you have communication skills? Are you empathetic? Do you have emotional IQ? Can you remain calm? Can you feel a solution?

Keep your answer about difficult situations emotion-free.

Don't vent your feelings here, with a happy ending. They want to see that you can be empathetic and that you are willing and able to negotiate a situation in a peaceful manner with a good outcome.

Describe yourself to me in one word.

Dynamic: I am able to adapt and do whatever needs to be done in order ot succeed.

Tell me about yourself.

Econ major; hit the highlights: promotions, awards or key accomplishments necessarily the things you're most proud of

Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.

Even though I might have 25 tasks, the truth is I can't do anything immediately with all of them. Maybe only deal with 5-10 of them in the next couple of days. Or maybe in your position, you would have people that you could delegate work to. Show them your strategic thinking abilities and you'll be very impressive in the interview.

All your answers to interview questions should be strategically focused on what?

Getting you one step closer to the offer.

Tell us about a failed project (Part 2)

Give them the background of the story (what was the project, what was going on). Tell them what the mistake was and why you made it. And then tell them what you learned and what steps you took to make sure that it never happened again. You failed, you learned, you improved.

Where should you go besides the corporate website?

Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Competitors, Ask people

What's your gloal

Have your future supervisor visualize you in the job. Once they can "see" it, they're much more likely to offer you the job.

Tell me about a time when you failed

I am naturally optimistic, which is a great thing for my attitude and my ability to work with people, but once it caused me to overlook a possibility for a problem with my project that turned into an actual problem. I learned from that that I can be optimistic, but I should always have a contingency plan in place. And I do.

What excites you and scares you about this position? Part 2

I can't say that I'm scared at all about this job, I'm excited about the opportunity to exceed your expectations and I'm excited about what the future holds for me once I do that.

Have you ever had difficulty working with a supervisor or manager?

I can't say that I've ever had much trouble working with anyone. I actually appreciate the personality differences I've seen in my various supervisors and found that I could learn something from working with each of those styles. It hasn't been hard for me to adapt with working with anyone.

How do you deal with difficult customers?

I deal with difficult customers the same way I deal with easy customers. I want to make sure they have an exceptional experience with my company. I won't let a customer say bad things about us or things that aren't accurate, but if we haven't met their expectations, I want to take responsibility for that and see if I can fix it.

What are your workplace values? (What are your workplace ethics? What matters to you?), Part 2

I do what I say I'm going to do. I follow up on my commitments, and I think of others before I think of myself.

What are your least favorite things to do in your role as XXXX?

I don't enjoy reviewing my failures. But I'm very driven to make sure that progress happens, whatever it takes.

What are your pet peeves? (Company culture)

I don't like negative attitudes. It doesn't help anyone, even the person who's being negative. If there's a problem, they should focus on how to fix it.

The only things that scare me are things that might come up that could cause me to delay my success or make success more difficult to attain.

I don't see that happening, but if it did. I would find a solution. (That's a positive, confident, can-do attitude).

What do you expect from a supervisor? (Part 1)

I expect that a supervisor would not play favorites. I expect a boss to trust that I'm a good employee who doesn't need to be micromanaged.

How do you deal with stressful situations? (Part 2)

I find it best to concentrate on remaining calm, maybe taking a few deep breaths. When I run into a customer who's upset, it helps them to calm down if I'm calm and we can work together to resolve the situation.

Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?

I got my task done and saw that person struggling, and I knew that the team success depended on all of us cooperating and succeeding so I offered my assistance. Try to always keep your responses positive and focused on how you get the job done. That's a great job interview strategy.

What are your workplace values? (What are your workplace ethics? What matters to you?), Part 1

I have integrity, character, and work ethic. My work place values are the same as my home and personal values, because that shows integrity.

What do you wish you'd done better?

I have learned since then that direct communication is always best, and I am very conscious about those co-worker relationships. It actually was a good experience because I am a much better communicator and team player now.

What do you know about the company?

I know X, Y, and Z and that's why I am very excited about working here. I think I'm an especially good fit for you because of A, B, and C. And you've just given them another reason to hir eyou.

Do you prefer working in a team or alone?

I like the dynamics of working in a group, but appreciate sometimes having a part of the project that's my own personal responsibility.

Tell me about a time when you faced a difficult situation with co-worker. (Part 3)

I must be causing 50% of that problem, so I thought about what I could do to alleviate that situation. So I came up with X, Y, Z solutions that I could use to address the issue, made sure I wasn't coming at it from a position of negativity, and resolved the problem.

What do most people often criticize about you? (Part 2)

I used to be infamous for being overly critical, which stemmed from my focus on delivering outstanding results. I want all the details to be fantastic.

How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?

I usually find that even if someone knows less than me in one area, they know more than me in another one. I can learn something useful from just about everyone and I enjoy the process.

What is the goal of the interview?

I want everything in your interview to be as positive as you can make it, and that means your answer to the failure question, too.

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?

I would be an oak tree, because I'm strong and dependable.

How does this position fit in with the career path you envision for yourself?

I would say that my career path is such that my career serves me, and I serve my career. I'm looking to grow and become more and contribute more and be more than I am today in my next role. And I know that if I do that I'll be rewarded professionally, personally, and financially. This position fits that for me, because it's a growth role that will benefit me professionally because I'm going to be able to learn and develop more skills. As I do well, I'm going to be paid financially and personally in terms of personal satisfaction. It's a stepping stone to the next role. It's an opportunity to hone my skill set. It's an opportunity to learn this particular skill.

If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?

I'm a _ but I can also _. I'm more of a detail-oriented person, but I can step back and look at the bigger picture. Describe a situation when you used both skills in a successful project.

What are your advantages and disadvantages?

I'm intelligent, driven, high-energy and able to communicate at all levels. Disadvantages: I'm impatient and like taking a position of influence (leadership).

An airplane landed in the parking lot. What would you do?

I'm not sure I would do anything. If there are a lot of other people around and they look like they know what they're doing, I think I would stay back and let them handle it. If no one's hurt, I don't see that I have to get involved in all that at all, except for maybe calling 911.

What phrase should you repeat over and over again?

I'm really excited about the possibility of working here.

What do most people often criticize about you? (Part 1)

I've been told I take things too seriously. It's true that I can be a serious person. I do have a sense of humor, but I tend to be laser focused on getting the job done first and having fun later.

Tell us about a time that you went against corporate directives. Why? How did it turn out?

I've never gone against corporate directives. Does that happen a lot here in this company? Is that an action that's valued here?

How have you responded to a colleague who is putting you down at work?

I've never had that happen to me.

If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?

If I look at it from a personal perspective, certainly I think we all have moments that we would do differently. But overall, I'm pleased with the direction I've taken, the decisions I've made and the things that have happened in my career and in my personal life.

How do you deal with stressful situations?

If a situation seems overwhelming, I mentally break it up into smaller steps, or doable goals and just focus on reaching each one on the way to accomplishing the larger task. In fact, that's what I did with XYZ project. We had a major issue with X problem, but I broke it down into "what needs to happen first" and concentrated on one step at a time. I was able to see more solutions to the larger problem, and we got the entire project done in record time.

If we hire you, what will we know about you a year down the road? (Part 1)

If you hire me, a year from now you'll know that everything I've said to you in this interview is true. You'll know and understand why everyone in the past has enjoyed and appreciated my work and would like to have me work for them again.

How long should a 30-60-90 plan be?

It should be 1-4 pages in length.

I hope you ask questions all the way through the interview, as part of a give-and-take conversation.

It's more relaxed, it builds better rapport with the interviewer... it's just all-around better for you.

Are job interviews stressful?

Job interviews are very, very stressful. The way you calm your nerves is by recognizing that it's going to be stressful, preparing for the interview as much as possible, and taking a few deep relaxing breaths before you start.

What do you expect from a supervisor? (Part 2)

Just name 2-3 noble qualities that your interviewer can imagine that he or she has (maybe they really do) such as good communication skills, a sense of humor, loyalty, fairness, knowledge, leadership skills, a willingness to teach you something.

When people bring up experience what should you do?

Keep your confidence, remember that you're a great candidate who learns quickly, and realize that everybody had to start somewhere.

If you could be an animal, which one would you be and why?

Monkey- Chinese zodiac because they are quick learners.

I always try to do the very best that I can, because my employer is paying for a service, and I supply that just like I would if I owned a business and that person was my customer.

My customer deserves the best I can deliver.

What did you get paid in your last position?

My previous position doesn't really relate to this one, so I'm not comfortable discussing my past salary. But I really want to answer any questions about my skills or qualifications to see if we can agree that I'm the right person for the job, and I'm sure that if we do, we'll be able to come to an agreement on compensation, too.

What excites you and scares you about this position? Part 1

Nothing scares me about this job and everything about it is exciting because I know that I can impact A, B and C. I know this because I've done it before.

A supervisor should have good leadership and communication skills and should be able to offer constructive criticism.

OK

How can you apply your specific skills to help the organization achieve sustainable growth and generate revenue?

OK

I was an Analyst at _ and I helped them to _.

OK

If you did have a conflict, don't lie and say you didn't. Very few people can lie without triggering a "hmm..." response in the other person's brain.

OK

If you get something that starts with: "Tell me about a time..." you should use the STAR method.

OK

If you're in a management role, you might say: "I evaluate success based on meeting my professional goals while ensuring that everyone on my team is working both individually and together smoothly and in peak form."

OK

Personal responsibility is a character trait in short supply these days, so if you highlight that quality, you will be able to stand out from the crowd.

OK

You spoke directly to your boss about the issue, tried to see where he was coming from, and learned X lesson from the conflict. Keep the end result positive.

OK; I realized I'd made a mistake because I didn't have all the information. Now I ask a lot more questions before I start a project to make sure that doesn't happen again. I'm a much better communicator now.

What is a 90 Day Plan?

Obtaining feedback on new processes and procedures, implementing new strategies and procedures and addressing the 3 strategic initiatives.

We are looking for someone with experience and You don't have enough experience- why should we hire you? (Part 2)

Of your team, have you ever hired someone who didn't have specific experience in your industry? I know there must have been a few times when that didn't work out, but there must also have been at some times that it worked out really well.

How long would you plan to stay with us?

Personally, my response to that question would be: "How long would you like me to stay?"

There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?

Right where I'm at. For me, the next step in my life and my career is an opportunity like this. And sitting here with you is the best opportunity for me to make the move into this position. So I can't imagine that there is anywhere else I would prefer to be right now.

What are your hobbies?

Running and spinning

What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishment?

STAR; Use your brag book as supporting evidence. Demonstrate your critical thinking skills, your creativity, your work ethic, your skill level

How can you apply our specific skills to help the organization achieve sustainable growth and generate revenue?

So what does the role you're applying for do for that business? How will your skills contribute to the growth of the business and generate more revenue?

Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.

Sorry I can't think of a time when that happened. If they press, you might say, I might ask questions or express concerns over a policy because I believe it's part of my job to support the team and that includes spotting potential issues before they become actual problems... but in the end the decision belongs to my supervisor and I always respect that.

What should you do?

Stay positive, confident, and focused on what you can do for them. That's what will sell you for the job.

What is the 60 Day Plan?

Studying best practices in the industry, setting goals for the next 30 days, meeting with supervisors to gather feedback, building relationships with your colleagues, identifying potential mentors, reviewing the efficiency of company processes and procedures, visiting other departments and continuing to attend training.

How do you evaluate success?

Success is based on the goals you've set for yourself, the progress you make in achieving those goals, and how happy you make those who you work for with you. It's based on achieving objectives and satisfying the people who are paying you for work.

How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?

The best way to go about establishing credibility with anybody in any situation is to ask really great questions and try to understand the situation before trying to do any kind of magic trick. The best way to establish credibility is just to buckle down and do your job as best as you can as soon as possible. Actions speak louder than words.

We are looking for someone with experience and You don't have enough experience- why should we hire you? (Part 1)

They are at least somewhat interested in you, or they wouldn't have even bothered to talk to you at this point. So keep that in mind and maintain your confidence.

Hiring you is an investment for the company.

They end up spending a lot of time and money in the hiring process, training you, getting you settled in. It takes time to get someone up to full-capacity. They'd rather you not work for a few months and then take off for greener pastures. Eliminate that doubt with your answer and call it good.

What are some of your greatest and/or proudest accomplishments?

This is a story question. Be strategic and choose an example that directly relates to the job.

What is your agenda in a job interview situation?

To sell yourself for the job.

Describe a time when your work was criticized and how you handled it.

Use STAR

Describe a time when you workload was heavy and how you handled it

We all have times when our workloads become heavier than they normally are. I've found that the best thing to do is to take a look at what I have to do and prioritize tasks. What I've found is that not everything has to be done immediately. Some things are more mission-critical than others, and in times of stress you have to be able to prioritize. End with: "I stayed until the work was done."

Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss about a way that some things should be done. How did you handle that?

We were working on a big project for X, and my boss decided that we should take Y action. But I could see where that decision would cause us trouble down the road with A, B and C. I went to her, told her my concerns and offered some alternative ideas. She saw my point and liked that I was thinking outside the box. We implemented my idea and it gave us X results.

Tell me your life history (more of your personal history)

Well I was born here and raised here. I went to Dartmouth College received an Econ degree, immediately was offered a position with _ and moved on to Y Company after that.

Describe your work style.

What they really want to know is: Do you like to work alone or as part of a team? You may actually prefer one or the other, but you should know what the job requires. Most companies appreciate someone who can do both. Teamwork is important, but sometimes you've got to just saddle up and go it alone. Talk about how you are comfortable with both.

What did you like or dislike about your previous jobs?

When you talk about what you disliked, try to choose something that won't be a factor in the new job. Don't unthinkingly tell them something you hated about your last job that is related to one of the main functions of this one. The hours, the commute, the travel time, the limitations of a small company or the anonymity of a large corporation.

Are you willing to relocate?

Yes

Should you tailor your resume to every job that you find?

Yes

How does this position fit in with the career path you envision for yourself?

You don't have to have a written-in-stone life plan done to answer this question. You just have to know what you're getting out of this job besides the paycheck.

You need to know what the company's corporate values are, so you know that if you'll be happy working for them or not. Their core values are going to have a major effect on your career.

You don't want a toxic corporate environment to hijack your own values and make you miserable. Environment matters.

How do you get a job offer?

You have to sell yourself as the best person for the job. How do you sell yourself for the job? By answering every single interview question (even weird interview questions like this one) in a positive, focused way that adds yet another layer of reasons to hire you.

How did you deal with the situation the last time your boss chastised you or strongly disagree with a statement, a plan or decision you made?

You want to seek to understand their position on this issue: What's their point of view? How are they coming at this and why? And then you want to see if there is in fact something that you could have done differently.

If we hire you, what will we know about you a year down the road? (Part 2)

You'll know that my skills in X, Y, and Z were a perfect fit for this position based on the results I got from _.

Tell me about a time when you faced a difficult situation with co-worker. (Part 2)

You're going to have to tell them something. You can choose to talk about a communication issue you worked through or a professional challenge you overcame with your initiative, resilience, and problem-solving skills.

How was your working relationship with your previous supervisor?

Zach coming from an investment banking background, in the beginning he became frustrated with my lack of formatting skills.

Success means...

finding a project on time, under budget, and the complete satisfaction of the "customer" of that project.

I evaluate success based on...

meeting the goals set by my supervisors, how quickly I accomplish those goals and the feedback I get based on my performance.