Job Interview Questions and Answers

Tag: Best answers to the job interview question

  • What one thing in your life would you change?

    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.”

  • What one thing would you change about your last job?

    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.”

  • What types of people, or qualities in people, give you trouble at work?

    This is a tricky question, even if not exactly a trick question. The interviewer uses this question to gauge a candidate’s flexibility, their ability to get along with other people. They might have seen something on the resume that leads them to believe there might be a problem, or maybe they’ve heard it from someone. Don’t worry about what triggered the question, it might just be part of the planned interview process.

    A good answer includes:

    • Assurance that you get along with people
    • A brief mention of a person or quality
    • A specific situation
    • How you handled it positively, solved it to continue a positive work environment
    • What you might have learned from the situation or person

    Taking credit:
    “I generally don’t have problems with people, but a few years ago a co-worker kept taking credit for my work and sole credit for the team’s work. I got together with this person and explained how those actions were negatively impacting everyone. It wasn’t just the credit and possible rewards, it was morale, who wants to work if someone else takes the credit? She quickly changed her behavior, and everyone was happier. I learned that giving credit where it’s due makes for a better work environment.”

    Snitch:
    “I get along with people at work, but once there was a co-worker who literally kept a book on everyone. If someone did something not by the book, he’d write it down like he was a hall monitor, then report it in writing to management. A few of us got together to speak with him, but he wouldn’t listen. Eventually he was fired, most likely because of the strife he was causing. It’s important to be a little flexible, not everyone follows all the rules at all times, but the key is whether or not they get the job done.”

    Really digging into someone’s negatives only makes you look bad. An answer like this one would make everyone hesitate before hiring you. “This jerk thought he was a hot shot because he made more money than others, and had a degree. I put him in his place more than once. I can’t stand people like that,”

    One potential employee gave an excellent answer “There are a lot of different people and personalities in a work environment. I don’t dwell on problems they cause, but rather on how they fit together to build a strong team.”

  • What animal would you be if you were an animal?

    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?”

  • What are the qualities of a successful manager?

    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.”

  • What book is on your nightstand?

    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

  • What did you dislike most about your last job?

    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.”

  • What did you learn from your previous job (or school?)

    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.”

  • Explain a database to a 3 year old, in 3 sentences?

    The interviewer asks this question to determine your ability to summarize a topic. A good summary clearly conveys complex information in a few words. Variations include asking you to explain almost anything to someone who doesn’t know about it, or who can’t understand complex concepts.

    Good answers to this question use simple examples the listener (in this case the 3 year old) would understand to explain the subject (in this case a database.) Another point is to do your best to exceed the requests’ expectations, in other words explain it in two sentences instead of three.

    Toy Box:
    “A database is like a toy box where a company keeps important secrets. When they need the secrets, they use a computer to open the toy box and get the secrets.”

    Shopping List:
    “A database is like a shopping list with lots of things on it – apples, bread, eggs, milk, cereal, bananas, soda, candy. When people want what’s on the list, they go aisle by aisle just like in the store. They’d find bananas and apples in the same aisle.”

    Crayons:
    “A database is like your crayon box, with all different crayons in there. A computer asks for a color, or a type of color. Then it takes that color from the box, maybe orange and red.”

    Teddy Bear:
    “Businesses have important things they know, like your teddy bear’s name. They save it in a computer, and then go get it when they need to know the name.”

    Some workers feel their boss is a three year old when it comes to really understanding the job, but the question could apply to many types of people as the listener (the person to whom you must explain the concept.)

    Explain marketing to a clown:
    “Marketing is driving out in your silly car. People are curious about the car, so they watch to see what happens next.”

    Explain computers to a primitive person:
    “A computer is like a man who remembers all the names of all the people ever born in the village. He has no wife, so he has no babies, but when someone has a baby they come to him, they tell him about their baby, and he chooses a name.”

    The answer doesn’t have to be 100% accurate. A 3 year old isn’t going to understand a data base completely, just as a primitive person with no understanding of electricity or machines won’t understand a computer completely. But if it’s plausible that they would understand the example and have a good idea of what you’re explaining, then you’ve answered the question in a way that shows you know how to summarize.

    One man was really honest in his answer. “How would I explain a database to my three year old? Honey, that’s something at daddy’s work.”

  • Have I said anything that makes you think you’re not the best candidate for this job?

    Just when you think the interview is over, the interviewer throws in this little gem of a question. It has a shade of testing your ability to react under pressure, but take it as an opportunity to clarify what might be a weak point in the interview.

    For example, if you feel a lack of experience has come through during the interview, now is the perfect time to address it.

    Passion:
    “You asked a few questions about my experience. While I’m fairly new to the profession, I have a great deal of energy and desire to learn, as you can see by my quick development, and achievements, at my last job.”

    Entry Level:
    “I know we’ve discussed that I’m new to the field, but this is an entry level position and I think you’ll find I have an aptitude for learning. I’ll grow with the position into a lot more responsibility and productivity.”

    Hard Work:
    “This is my first position with this much responsibility, but I’m organized and a hard worker. I can handle it.”

    This question may seem tough, but it also gives you a chance to clear up any “oops” moments from earlier in the interview.

    Travel is a problem:
    “I know I said it’s a long commute from where I now live, and that might lead to being late, but I didn’t mention that I plan to relocate if I’m offered the position. I’m not tied to where I currently live.”

    Weekend Work:
    “You said the job involves some weekend work, and I do take classes on weekends, but there are makeup classes Tuesday evenings, so if I do have to work on weekends, it’s not a problem.”

    This isn’t a time to change earlier answers, but it is a time to provide additional information or clarification.

    Boss you couldn’t get along with:
    “You didn’t say anything, but I was concerned that my answer about troubles with a past boss might have been taken as a negative. We moved on quickly, but I want to add that the problem I described was a minor incident, overall we maintained a very positive and professional working relationship.”

    Don’t change or clarify too much. That may make you seem weak or indecisive.

    The right light hearted tone, even with an answer like this, ends the interview on a positive note. It did for one candidate who received the job. “You haven’t said “welcome to the company.””