Job Interview Questions & Answers

What kind of person do you get along with the best?

This question can be asked in many different formats and manners but the purpose is always the same. By asking this type of question the interviewer is hoping to find out whether you will be able to work in an effective manner with the people on the team if you are hired for that job. There is a good chance when an interviewer asks this type of question that they already have a particular personality on that team in mind and are attempting to find out whether you will be able to get along with that person. This means that in order to respond well to this question you will need to make sure that you stick to an answer that is neutral and safe. The last thing that you want to do is provide an answer that is too specific and risk having it look as though you would not be able to get along with others in that department or in that team.

For example, you might state that you have found in the past that you are able to get along with a variety of different personalities but that you tend to get along best with people who value teamwork and who are highly organized if you are working on a joint project. This is fairly neutral territory but it shows the interviewer that you have given the matter some thought and also that you are flexible enough to be able to work with a variety of different personalities.

What you should not do when responding to this type of interview question is to begin to name off the various types of personalities that you have experienced in the past and which you have had terrible working relationships with. Remember that this is not the time when you want to give the impression that you hold a grudge or that you assess blame against others. You certainly do not want to fall into a situation where you speak n a negative manner against former co-workers. This is a fairly common interview question that you may frequently encounter so it can certainly benefit you to take the time to form a response that give the interviewer some insight into your own personality while also remaining in neutral territory to avoid problems.
What kind of people did you have contact with on your previous jobs (titles/positions)?

This question is not that common in an interview, but there is always the possibility that it could be posed to you so it is important to make sure that you are prepared to handle it if it comes up in a future interview. It can be helpful to understand why a prospective employer might pose this type of question so that you know how to best answer it.

There are various reasons why an employer may ask this question. One reason that an employer might pose this question to you would be because they want to know whether you have had prior experience in former positions in working with a wide range of supervisor levels or whether your experience has been restricted to a single department. If you are asked this question it can be a good indication that the job that you are interviewing for would require you to come into contact with a range of different positions, which can tell you a lot about that job.

In answering this question, you should always make sure that you are completely honest. If you did have the opportunity to come into contact with or work with people from different departments and different authority levels then you should state as much and then go into a little detail about the types of people you worked with in regards to their titles or positions. If that was not the case and your work was restricted to a single area of the company, meaning that you did not frequently come into contact with people from varying supervisory levels then you should state this as well but try to demonstrate that you are flexible. You should always leave the impression that even though you may not have had specific experience in the past with working with different supervisory levels that you feel you would be able to function effectively in this type of environment if you should encounter a situation where it would be needed. . If you have ever had military experience, now would be a good time to relate that to the question at hand because there is a good chance that you may have had to work at times when varying levels of command, which is an advantage that the prospective employer may be looking for in the ideal job candidate.
What types of people have trouble getting along with you?

There is only one reason that an employer would ask this type of question in an interview and it is because they want to find out whether the people you will be working with in the new job, if you should be hired, will find you easy to work with. They also want to know what kinds of personalities you are able to get along best with in a work situation. Managers know that in order for a team to be effective and productive, there must be a sense of cohesion. While everyone on the team is unique and different and brings something to the table, there is no denying that some personalities just do not get along that well. The key to responding to this question well lies in understanding that no matter what type of job you take, you will likely encounter a wide range of different personalities and you must be able to deal with them in an effective manner.

As you respond to this question you might state that in your past experience you have found that you are able to get along with virtually everyone but have found that you tend to get along best with people who enjoy a lot of activity and staying busy. As you can see, you do not want to provide an answer to this question that focuses on negatives in your own personality or which focuses on negatives in someone else. Instead, you should make sure that you are always completely positive in terms of the types of personalities that you work best with.

This type of response will indicate to the interviewer your understanding of the necessity of working with an array of different personalities and also that you clearly understand the types of people with whom you are able to be most effective and productive in a work environment.

This is a good question to practice answering when you are preparing for an interview because it is one that you are likely to encounter frequently no matter what type of job you are hoping to be hired for through your job search efforts. Taking the time to prepare for this question will ensure that you are able to handle even difficult questions if they should come your way during a future interview.
What proactive steps did you have to take to increase the output of your position?

The worst way to respond to this question is to indicate that you have done nothing to increase the output of your position at former jobs. The interviewer is looking to gain specific information when asking this question that will help them to understand what initiatives you have taken on your own in order to become more productive. This question can also tell you quite a bit about the company that you are interviewing with. If you are asked this question it can be a good indication that the employer expects employees to be as absolutely productive as possible. Furthermore, it also indicates that the employer expects employees to be proactive and take initiative on their own in order to get things accomplished.

When you answer this question you should make sure that you focus on positive things that you have actually done in the past that made it possible for you to be more productive. For example, you might state that you took a class in your own time in order to become more fluent in a second language so that you would be better able to respond to the needs of non-English speaking customers. This allowed you to be more productive in your position because it meant that you were able to help customers immediately instead of waiting for someone to come and act as a translator for you.

This is the type of situation that the employer is looking for when they ask this question. Your response should never be based on whether you have taken any steps on your own in order to be more productive, but instead detailing the specific steps that you have taken on your own. The precise way in which you answer this question will certainly vary based upon your own unique experiences, but do make sure you focus on providing a concrete example of a situation in which you took action on your own without needing to be directed by a supervisor and then relate how that action created a positive result. Finally, do be sure that you are completely honest throughout your answer to ensure that you do not run into any problems with providing a false answer and then having that discovered at a later time when a reference check is performed.
How have you had to reinvent or redefine your job to meet your companies changing needs?

In every type of job, no matter whether it is an entry level position, a supervisory position or what type of industry it is in, there is always the chance that the job or the company that you work for will experience a change in needs. This can often happen as a result of the economy or simply as a natural result of changes or advances within that technology. This is something that you simply will not be able to escape from. As a result, it is important for employers to know that if they should hire you for that job that you will be able to redefine your own duties in order to meet the evolving needs of the company.

Ideally, it would be best if you can describe a situation in the past where this has happened and you have been able to redefine your prior position in order to meet those changing needs. You may need to give it some careful thought but there is a good chance that you can think back on a situation in which this has occurred in your past employment .

The last thing that you want to say when responding to this type of interview question is that you have never had a situation like that happen in the past. This type of response indicates that you do not have a good understanding of the way in which modern companies are structured and are continually needing to redefine their image in order to survive in a global marketplace. In your response you absolutely must indicate that you have a strong understanding of this phenomenon and also that you are able to help by taking concrete steps to ensure that you are as productive as possible while also benefiting the company that you work for in the best manner possible.

Although this can seem as though it is a philosophical type question, it truly is pertinent in today’s business world so you would be wise to give some careful thought and consideration regarding how you plan to respond to this question if it should be asked of you during an interview in the future. Doing so can give show employers that you are proactive and also provide you with a good edge over the competition.
How have you added value to your job over time?

There are many different ways that you can respond to this question. When answering this type of question it can be helpful to understand what the interviewer is hoping to gain from your response. Keep in mind that the likely reason that the employer is asking this question is to find out whether you feel you have added value to a position and what you deem to be valuable because they understand that may play a role in how you handle the position you are interviewing for if they should hire you for that job.

The best way to handle a response to this question is to relate a situation in which you were able to accomplish something that benefited the entire organization. Remember that in posing this question the employer is not looking to gain information regarding how you have added value to your own career. Instead they are looking for information that will show them how you have been able to benefit the company by taking clear and definable action that resulted in a positive outcome.

This question is a perfect example of an interview question in which you can use a specific technique for forming an appropriate response. With this technique, you would first describe a situation that relates to the question you have been asked. The next step would be to relate the action that you took in order to resolve a problem that may have been presented to you or in order to accomplishment improvement that you saw was necessary. Finally, you would then describe the result that occurred as a result of the action that you took and how benefits were derived from that result.

When answering this type of question you do not need to go into a lot of details. It is probably better that you do not because you do not want to run the risk of beginning to ramble or getting off track in your response. Instead stick to the method that was described where you provide a situation, action taken and describe the result. This is a very simple and yet very effective way to show that you place importance on adding value to any position. Also it shows that you are willing to go beyond the call of duty and take initiative in order to provide improvement in a given situation.
What were your three most important responsibilities in your last job?

Once again the employer is going to be interested in finding out more about your last position because that can help them to understand how you may function and operate in the new job if they should offer it to you. As a result, it should not surprise you if you are presented with a question about your prior responsibilities. With this question, the interviewer is also likely seeking out information that will help them to understand what you deem to be important in terms of your responsibilities on the job.

In answering any questions that relate to your prior position you should make sure that you are specific as well as positive. Do not take advantage of the opportunity to speak negatively about your former job as it will not serve you well in an interview for a new job. The best way to handle this question is to make a strong effort to describe the responsibilities which you held in your past job, going briefly into detail about those responsibilities, and then show how those responsibilities are linked to the requirements of the job you are interviewing for. Through this method you will be able to demonstrate to the employer that you definitely have the qualifications and skills that are necessary to perform the job for which you are applying.

Of course, you should also always be honest in answering any question that relates to your prior responsibilities at your previous job. You should not embellish upon your responsibilities in order to make yourself sound more qualified. Such tactics can easily cause you problems if the employer checks references and has a talk with a former supervisor and discovers that you have been less than honest regarding your responsibilities at your last job.

This question is one that is asked fairly frequently so it is a good idea to spend some time thinking about how you will respond and then practicing that response so that you will be prepared when you are called in for an interview. It does not matter what type of position that you are applying for or even whether you are applying for a management position or not, this is a question that is routinely asked so you should take advantage of the opportunity to prepare to answer it in an effective manner.
What is the biggest failure you’ve had in your career?

When you are interviewing for a job, no matter what type of job it happens to be, you can usually rely on the fact that the employer will be interested in finding out what you have accomplished in prior jobs as well as what you were not able to accomplish. This is a fairly common question and one that you should be prepared to answer because there is a good chance that it will be presented to you.

Everyone has failed at something from time to time. The only difference is the severity of the failure or at least how severe you perceive the failure to be. Consequently, if you are asked this question you should not have any problems coming up with a relevant example to share, but you do need to take care regarding what you share and what you do not.

The best way to respond to this type of question is to provide an example of a situation that is relatively minor but is one which you will be able to transfer into a positive. For example, you might say that at one point you were working in a particular job and were faced with a tight deadline. In that situation you found that you needed to adjust the workload in order to get everything back on track and complete the project on time and actually ahead of schedule. This clearly shows that you take important matters such as deadlines seriously and also that you are able to take a negative and turn it into a positive.

When answering this question you should make sure that you never respond by describing any type of situation which you would consider to be a big failure. You certainly do not want to venture into any territory where you talk about being terminated from a position even if that is what actually happened. Unless you are directly asked about something like this by the interviewer, it is better to just leave such topics alone and not introduce them into the interview. Choosing a situation that is relatively minor and then showing you were able to turn it into a positive shows your dedication to the job and also demonstrates that you are able to take even bad situations and make something good out of them.
How would you define leadership?

Everyone may have a slightly different answer when this question is posed to them but it is important to know what the interviewer is looking for in your answer when they ask this question. When you describe leadership it is important to keep in mind that one of the most important qualities in any leader is the ability to act as a visionary for their staff. A leader is ultimately the person who will set the course and establish the direction that others are to follow.

If you are being hired for a leadership or management role you should be able to act as a positive role model and set a good example that others in the company can follow. A leader must often be able to inspire others and encourage them to reach as high as they possibly can.

These are the types of attributes that you should describe in your answer when you are asked to define leadership. When answering this question you may also wish to briefly describe someone you consider to be an effective leader and highlight how they have been able to act as a leader based on those characteristics or traits.

Remember that you personally need not have had any prior leadership or management experience in order to accurately describe what makes a good leader. If you have ever worked under a good leader you will know it and will be able to discuss the way in which they led and inspired others to perform better and to behave in a responsible manner by setting a good example.

In asking this question the interviewer is seeking to find out how you view leadership and truly wants to know what you look for in a good leader. They could be asking this question because they want to find out more regarding what you look for in a good supervisor or if you are being considered for a management position they may be interested in finding out how you see yourself as a leader. Regardless, it is important to make sure that you give plenty of thought to this question and that you answer it in a manner that demonstrates your understanding of the most important qualities that a good leader can possess. No matter what type of position for which you are interviewing this will help you to answer the question positively and effectively.
If you are hired, what will you do in your first 30 days?

The answer to this question can be highly dependent upon the type of job that you are interviewing for as well as the duties of that job and the particular situation surrounding that job. For example, if you know going into a new job that the person whom you are replacing will still be around for at least the next couple of weeks then you might say that you would spend some time learning as much as possible from that person and having them mentor you in the new position so that you will be fully prepared to handle all of the duties when you assume them. On the other hand, if you are aware that you will need to hit the ground running, so to speak, when you walk into the job then your approach during the first 30 days on the job could very well be much different.

Regardless of what type of situation you will be encountering during your first month on the job there are some things that will likely remain true. For example, you might plan to spend some of that time getting acquainted with the staff that you will be working with and learning as much as possible about the operations for the business that will employ you. This can be crucial if you are to be involved in a management or supervisory position. You might also spend part of this time developing a list of goals that you would like to accomplish in the future based upon what you learn during that first month on the job.

The first thirty days of any job is really a time period for learning, for finding out as much as possible about the company, the job and the people that work there so that you can function in the most effective manner possible in the future.

Your answer to this question should reflect your thought and consideration for how you will spend this time constructively. By taking the time to prepare your answer to this question in advance you will be able to show that you have given appropriate thought to how you will handle the first month on the job in order to perform the job to the best of your ability and also to be as productive as possible.

The answer to this question can be highly dependent upon the type of job that you are interviewing for as well as the duties of that job and the particular situation surrounding that job. For example, if you know going into a new job that the person whom you are replacing will still be around for at least the next couple of weeks then you might say that you would spend some time learning as much as possible from that person and having them mentor you in the new position so that you will be fully prepared to handle all of the duties when you assume them. On the other hand, if you are aware that you will need to hit the ground running, so to speak, when you walk into the job then your approach during the first 30 days on the job could very well be much different.

Regardless of what type of situation you will be encountering during your first month on the job there are some things that will likely remain true. For example, you might plan to spend some of that time getting acquainted with the staff that you will be working with and learning as much as possible about the operations for the business that will employ you. This can be crucial if you are to be involved in a management or supervisory position. You might also spend part of this time developing a list of goals that you would like to accomplish in the future based upon what you learn during that first month on the job.

The first thirty days of any job is really a time period for learning, for finding out as much as possible about the company, the job and the people that work there so that you can function in the most effective manner possible in the future.

Your answer to this question should reflect your thought and consideration for how you will spend this time constructively. By taking the time to prepare your answer to this question in advance you will be able to show that you have given appropriate thought to how you will handle the first month on the job in order to perform the job to the best of your ability and also to be as productive as possible.