A new trend began in the late 80’s and early 90’s to ask stranger and stranger questions. The goal is to put a potential employee off stride, thus testing their ability to think and react under pressure. This specific question also gives an interviewer insight into how a person perceives themselves. It came into use as an interview question after people like Barbara Walters made it famous in her celebrity interviews.

Avoid animals with negative connotations such as a snake (sneaky) or hyena (untrustworthy) unless of course the job requires those qualities. A salesman may not want to be perceived as a snake, but if you’re going for a job as a repossession agent, being sneaky is a positive.

“I blend in, and then when they’re not looking, when they least expect it, I strike, the car is mine!”

Cuddly animals may sound nice, but it’s not something needed on a job unless it’s a nurturing job.

Teacher:
“Students love me because, while I know how to teach, I’m approachable and often help them solve their problems. They can talk to me like a favorite stuffed teddy bear.”

Research into the job allows you to relate the animal to the position in question. But the best animal answers denote qualities such as strength, intelligence or leadership.

Strength:
“I’m a lion, I let people do their own thing but my staff knows when to stop discussing and start listening, that’s my roar.”

Intelligence:
“I like to consider myself a dolphin, the smartest animal. There’s no problem I can’t solve.”

Leadership:
“I’m the lead elephant. When something needs to be done, I trumpet the charge into action.”

Perseverance:
“Big jobs don’t scare me, I take them one step at a time, pecking away at them like a woodpecker until they’re finished.”

For certain jobs, such as those requiring hard, repetitive work, other animals are more appropriate.

“I’m like an army ant, put me to a task with the team, and nothing can stop me. I put my head down and get the job done.”

Good animals include:

• Tiger – Intelligent / street smart
• Monkey – Intelligent / nimble
• Fox – Clever, but with a hint of dishonesty
• Lion – Regal, commanding
• Elephant – Leader, unstoppable, great memory
• Ant – Hard worker
• Dolphin – Intelligent

Generally bad animals (at least for this question) include:

? Snake – Sneaky and dishonest
? Whale – Bloated
? Sloth – Lazy

One poor answer given was “I think of myself as an apple, wait, is that an animal?”

The interviewer will probably ask this if you’re up for a management role, and even if you’re not. Management qualities apply to managing departments, projects, yourself, and even interacting with other people. Two key management qualities, at least one of which the answer should include, are leadership and vision, but management includes other important qualities:

• Communication
• Patience
• Humor
• Work Ethic
• Honesty

Some research on the company, as well as on some successful managers there, if possible, will help direct this answer. It’s a good idea to include examples, either from your own career or better yet from a manager who mentored you, or managed you.

Hard Work:
“A good manager is a good leader, they have to motivate people who work for them. I think the best motivation is a positive example. At my last job, my manager rolled up his sleeves and worked – every project included tasks for him. People respected that and worked harder.”

Avoid negatives, such as for the last example: “A manager who sits around, or who appears to do nothing, leaves people scratching their heads and wondering why they should put in extra effort.” Who knows, maybe the interviewer, as a manager, just had a run in with an employee who accused her of being lazy. It’s best to avoid any criticism, even in a general sense.

Patience:
“It’s important for a manager to look ahead, to drive their group to achieving better things, or doing work in better ways. That includes understanding that even someone who isn’t pulling their weight may need some encouragement to find their niche. We had a salesman who wasn’t meeting his goals, but the dealership owner found out the guy was a good mechanic. Instead of being fired, now this guy is the garage manager.”

Humor:
“Sometimes things get tense in a work environment. When I first started work, our manager was a real task master. But one day with a big deadline approaching everyone was tense, and work was at a standstill. He called us into the lunch room and started a big cream pie fight. We were all laughing, and even though we couldn’t get all that whipped cream off ourselves, it was like a huge weight lifted off our shoulders, we met the deadline.”

One of the most innovative answers reported for this question was “An excellent team.”

With this question the interviewer isn’t trying to butt into your private life or into your cleaning habits, they’re trying to get an idea of what interests you. This question may be better phrased “What book are you currently reading?” or “What books do you read?” Be honest, but consider that even if you aren’t reading a book, answer by relating the types of books you read.

A good answer involves reading that has to do with the job, company or profession. This could be specific books about the career or field, or business books in general. Some examples:

Medical:
“Some medical journal or another. I’m not a doctor, but working in the field I like to keep up with it.”

General:
“Forbes, there’s a lot of good material in there.”

General:
“100 Habits of Highly Successful People. I’ve already read it, but I like to re-read it once in awhile to refresh my mind and practice those habits.”

There may be a particular hot book for your profession, or that pertains to business in general. If so, buy a copy and put it on the nightstand if you’re worried about not telling a fib.

But a good answer doesn’t have to involve a business book, even though that’s the safest choice. If reading is a hobby, and you read interesting books instead of something like comic books, mention the latest thriller or non fiction.

History:
“I’m reading History of the Western World. You’d be amazed how our social and business practices today come from what people did thousands of years ago.”

If you have children, maybe the book on the nightstand is a children’s book. Don’t worry about mentioning it, as long as you give the right explanation – you don’t want the interviewer to think you consider Dr. Seuss serious reading.

“Outside of work my children take up a lot of my time, so usually their favorite book is on the nightstand, waiting for me to read their bed time story.”

The rules of thumb for this question:

• Business books or publications are best.
• Answer what books you like to read if nothing is on the night stand.
• If reading is a hobby, or if you have children, mention the title with a short explanation.

Some books you shouldn’t mention, even if you do read them:

• Avoid Work for Dummies
• 1001 Ways to Steal Office Supplies
• Funny Web Site Browsing at Work

It’s best to be honest, so it’s best if you liked your last job so much there was nothing to dislike. That leads to an excellent answer.

“I hated having to leave, but they had to downsize so a lot of key people were released.”

Most people can find something they don’t like about a job, but now isn’t the time to expound on it, or even to mention it. Honesty includes steering the answer towards positives rather than negatives which reflect badly during an interview.

Good boss:
“I really can’t say I disliked anything about the job enough to talk about it, but I really learned a lot from my boss. I see the person I’d be working for here is a real pro too.”

Liked Coworkers:
“I never really thought about bad things there. It was an enjoyable experience to work with the people at that job. Everyone got along, knew their jobs, helped each other when someone needed help. I look forward to a similar experience here.

The best answer to this question has a number of key elements:

• Avoid negatives, mention dislikes to acknowledge the question while giving a reasonable explanation for not expounding on a dislike.
• Include something positive in the answer.
• Tie in the positive to the new potential job – research helps.

If the last job was so bad that there’s nothing positive about it, look harder. Unless you worked under the whip, literally, every day, there must be something good, or at least not so bad about the job.

Boss was a jerk, so spin it to having learned about management through observing what not to do.

“I don’t take time to dwell about bad things, but I have to say I learned a lot about management at the last job. I intend to apply those lessons here.”

Pay was too low, and often not on time. Spin it to lessons about the importance of enjoying work.

“I can’t say there were a lot of negatives, at least nothing that stands out now that I think about it. What I do know is that the job taught me how important it is to enjoy work. Sure it’s a job to collect a check, but I can’t work for just money. One of the reasons I’m interested in this job is it’s something I’ll enjoy.”

This answer, recently given at a job interview, is an example of what not to say. “I hate work in general, but a pay check is a pay check.”

The interviewer asks this question for insight into your skills and job attitude, as these are based on the lessons you’ve taken from other experiences. If the job is customer service, but you talk about learning how to bake a pie, it won’t highlight you as a hot hire prospect.

Stick to the qualities that fit the job, and include how your experience relates to the new position. For example:

General Lessons:
“My last boss told me experience isn’t doing the same thing over and over, it’s meeting new challenges or addressing the old ones in new ways. That’s how improvement happens. I strive to get the job done, but always have an eye out for a way to finish the job faster or better.”

Effective Management:
“I started out as a junior assistant, and through many bosses learned that I did my job better when they clearly defined goals, let me reach the goals with my skills, but stepped in when I asked for help – such as with removing a roadblock like red tape. As a manager I don’t want people who are hands, working as my brain directs them. I want people who can do the job, do it well, but who recognize when my experience, position or authority is needed to help them get things done.”

Be ready for a follow up question, keeping in mind that your initial answer steers the discussion.

Follow Up: You say hire people who can do the job, but what if you’re saddled with someone who can’t?

Answer: “When I come in as a new manager I interview all the people in the department to get a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses. That helps avoid any surprises – I can assign work or shuffle people around based on their strengths and weaknesses. I’ll be more involved for the first few weeks, or projects, then give people more space as I become comfortable with their abilities.”

Follow Up: It’s nice to say always look for new ways to do things, but this company has solid procedures based on long experience, I wrote some of those procedures myself.

Answer: “It’s important to watch and listen. New suggestions or ideas have to be based on experience and respect for what works. If it’s not broken don’t fix it, but if it can be improved 10% without pain, improve it.”

This woman may have made an answer that made sense to her, but it didn’t land her the job. “I learned not to answer silly questions.”

This question presents an excellent opportunity to show your commitment to a real professional career. Because the days of staying with one company a long time and moving up through the ranks are over, more and more people develop career mission statements. If you don’t have on, make one, not only to answer this interview question but to set a solid direction for a successful career. People who plan a career earn more, and are happier with work, than people who just work day after day without any goals or direction.

To create a personal mission statement:

• One – Remember and list past successes. Look back for triumphs and successes, either in personal or work life. Make a list of them. They don’t have to be spectacular. If there’s a common thread throughout these success stories, emphasize it – for example, perhaps communication always plays a big role, or show a connection through progress.
• Two – Determine core ideals or beliefs. List these attributes that show your character and priorities. These are attributes such as honesty, hard work, strong leadership, strong communication, and other positive attributes. Narrow this list down to a few, then try to select one that’s your core value.
• Three – List the ways you can change things, or make a difference. This includes how you can positively influence the world, your family, your employer, friends, and your community.
• Four – Set specific goals – identify and list both short and long term goals.

Once you’ve accomplished these four steps, you can develop a personal mission statement, and answer this question honestly in an interview.

Honesty:
“To be honest in everything I do, and through that honesty and the trust it engenders contribute to the full extent of my abilities every day.”

Realism:
“To keep my feet firmly planted in reality while never forgetting that good dreams lead to great achievements.”

Organization:
“Measure twice, cut once, start every task with clear direction, organization and a clear plan so that achieving success is realistic and repeatable.”

Communication:
“My mission statement is to strive to clearly communicate with people in every phase of life and work. Solve problems by understanding different sides, and by listening to other people so I can understand how everyone contributes.”

This question is not an opportunity to express dissatisfaction with the interview, as this candidate did. “Never sit through long, boring interviews. Good bye!”

This question may seem like an opportunity to give your opinion about a previous boss, but it really tests your discretion. The old saying “if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all” applies here. If your boss was wonderful, explain that in detail. If your boss was a dud, find some positive quality or lesson you learned from observing the boss. Saying bad things about an old boss doesn’t make them look bad, it makes you look like a negative person.

Even if you loved your boss, don’t just give that opinion. Use this opportunity to discuss how your relationship with your boss impacted your career.

Great Boss:
“I can’t say enough good about my last boss. She ran the department well, and I think she got the maximum performance from the group. One of her greatest strengths was her ability to communicate. That’s one thing I took away from that experience – keep in touch, keep it short, don’t hesitate to ask questions or share information.”

Horrible Boss:
“My last boss had to be the biggest jerk on the planet. He loved to stand in the middle of the department and yell at people about anything and everything. I’m glad I’m no longer in that environment.”

That’s the negative version, here’s the positive version of an answer involving the same boss.

Be Nice:
“My last boss taught me that treating people well, in the long run, leads to better overall performance and a happier work environment.”

It doesn’t sound like the same boss, but it is. A bad boss can teach something by offering a counter example. There’s no reason to tell the interviewer you learned what not to do.

So-So:
“My last boss wasn’t the best or worst boss I’ve had. She was in the middle – a little overbearing, but she knew the job and dragged people to the finish line when projects were due.”

The same so-so boss can be explained in much more positive, and for this question productive, terms.

So-So Better:
“My last boss wasn’t the best boss I’ve had, but she had one quality I admired a lot. She was a great motivator, especially when it was crunch time. Sometime I hear her voice in my head pushing me to greater achievements.”

It’s all a matter of perspective, and how you spin the answer. Remember, the goal is to give a positive impression of yourself, not a negative or even positive impression of a former boss. One woman had a great answer due to circumstances. “I liked her so much I hope to follow her here. I look forward to working with her again.”

This is another example of the modern interview questions designed to get into your mind – your self image – and to throw you a curve to see how you react when not on safe ground.

There’s really no wrong answer to a question like this, as long as there’s a good explanation for the selected tree. As strange as it sounds, making it fit to the position is a big plus.

“Being in retail, I pride myself of always being available for extra shifts and not calling in sick. I’m an Evergreen, green and alive 365 days a year.”

Some people take the purely pragmatic approach:

“I’m not a tree, and I can’t be a tree, so please let’s move to the next question.”

That type of answer, while acknowledging the seemingly silly nature of the question, won’t score any points with the interviewer. There’s a more productive way to say the same thing.

“I like to keep my mind in the real world, so instead of thinking about the type of tree I would be, let’s just say like a tree with strong roots I’m firmly grounded.”

In fact, trees in general have a number of positive aspects, any one of which make a good answer to the question.

“I can’t think of only one, but I like to compare my curiosity to the trees’ leaves. Just as they spread out to gather the sun, I spread my mind to gather a lot of different information – I’m always learning new things.”

When choosing a specific tree, stay away from those with negative connotations like the weeping willow. Everything about it, from its look to its name, denotes drooping or weakness. Choose strong trees, or trees with long life spans such as:

• Oak
• Sequoia
• Pine

In the answer, include the reason for choosing the tree.

Strong:
“I’d be an Oak, strong and steady.”

Flexible:
“Pines aren’t as strong as, say, an Oak tree. They’re the kinds of trees that bend but don’t break. That’s me – flexible and resilient.”

Another good strategy for this question is to choose a specific tree.

That old tree:
“I recently read about a pine tree in the UK that’s over 4,500 years old. It’s the oldest living tree in the world. I’d be that tree – see and experience a lot, but always be around when needed.”

The question is whimsical, so don’t take it too seriously like this candidate did. “I’m a tree after a forest fire, I’ve been burned, and I hope you don’t plan to do the same.”

This is a tough question. Some answers can make you sound weak or indecisive, while variations of “I’d leave it just as it is,” especially without a good explanation, indicate someone who goes through life without much thought or care for their direction or goals.

Three keys to this question are:

• Pick a key turning point or missed opportunity
• Connect it to actions being taken to make the change
• Provide examples

For instance, maybe you changed careers later in life.

Late Choice:
“I like where my life is right now, but I do wish I had gotten involved in this profession right from the start. I spent some years going from job to job, career to career, but once I got involved in this career, got some experience and took some classes, I started achieving worthwhile things. For example, being able to impact a bottom line by saving my company $100,000 by outsourcing design work really felt good.”

There are a lot of other good answers, based of course on what really happened.

Management Track:
“I think I got onto a management track too early, based on the needs of former employers. Not that I didn’t enjoy it or didn’t do a good job, but I could have done a better job if I had spent some time on the line. That’s what a few years ago I started rolling up my sleeves and doing some of the work myself. Seeing things from other people’s perspective is important, as is knowing the every day concerns of all the different tasks in the department.”

Communication:
“I don’t think I’m as good a communicator as I could be. I’m taking communications classes and I’ve really come a long way. I could never speak in public before, but now I give monthly business seminars at the Jr. College to hone my communications skills.”

If you wouldn’t change anything, give an explanation that leaves you sounding perceptive and thoughtful.

“I guess I could go back to a lot of decisions and change them, in retrospect doing one thing rather than another looks better. But who knows, where’s the proof that turning left on this day would have been better than turning right? I’m happy with my life, personally and professionally, and I’m continuing to grow. Without all my decisions and experiences I wouldn’t be who I am. I’d leave it alone.”

This job seeker came up with a great answer. “I wouldn’t change anything in the past, I’d change something in the future, on this job. So give me the chance to make that happen. Hire me.”

The danger in answering this question at face value is that it can make you appear to look backwards instead of looking forward to what you can affect. There are a number of ways to answer it.

The first is to refuse to look back, and only talk about the future events you can affect. Make sure to at least mention the past as far as learning from it.

Organization:
“I’m not a person who looks back at what might have been. What happened in the past happened. I learned from it and moved forward. I am organized and patient so that I can tackle what comes efficiently and with the best of my abilities.”

Great Team:
“I wouldn’t change a thing, because those experiences added up to make me what I am today. One thing I learned was that a good team, working well together, can handle any problem. That’s why, as a manager, I surround myself with the best possible people. As one of my former bosses told me, ‘surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.'”

Another way is to give a specific example, then explain what you learned from it. Talk about how that created a better outcome, or will create a better outcome in the future. Looking back is fine, as long as you don’t leave it at “boy, I wish I had done that differently,” without explaining how you’d do it differently.

Fired:
“I was fired from my first job because I wasn’t meeting the sales quotas. I was working hard, don’t get me wrong, but now I know if hard work doesn’t result in sales, work harder. I’ve never missed quotas since then, in fact I’ve always exceeded them.”

Poor communication:
“A few years ago a co-worker and I didn’t get along. We never talked about it, or communicated in any way, except to trade barbs. It hasn’t happened since then, but if I ever have trouble like that again I’ll sit down with the other person. If that doesn’t work, I’ll ask the boss to be a mediator. Communication is key.”

Tardiness:
“I was notoriously late for my second job. They never fired me, I left when the company restructured, but looking back I can see it created conflict with my boss and some bad feelings with co-workers. After that, I’ve always been more careful to manage my time and to be on time all the time. My last boss commended me for always being on time.”

If the interview isn’t going well, maybe you’ll feel the same way as the woman who gave this answer. “I regret coming to this interview.”