Five Great Interview Questions to Ask

Job Interview Question: How to Answer Who Is Your Best Friend?

The Who is your best friend interview question is used often as part of the behavioral assessment portion of a job interview. The answer you give to this question provides the hiring manager with a sense as to how introspective you are in terms of how other people view you, and well you map your personality characteristics into a work environment. Answering this question or a related question like this well will be important to your chances of getting that new job!

There is no perfect answer in the interview to this question, but there are answers that cast you in a positive light as a leading job candidate, and responses that will result in a strike against you - too many strikes across too many questions equals no job offer.

The interview question is often asked in the form of Who is your best friend. When a name is given, the interviewer will then ask If he/she was in the room with me right now, how would he/she describe you - both the positive and the negative. I have often received responses of my spouse, my sister or brother, and my mom or dad, all of which are acceptable as well as peer friends.

Good Interview Answers to the Positive Attributes Question

A good answer typically shows that you have a sense as to how other people view you, and you know how to position this view in a way relevant to a work environment. Some examples include the following for the positive character trait portion of the question:

• I'm outgoing and get along well with others.
• I'm focused and driven to succeed on whatever task I take on.
• I like to be challenged - whether a new game, a new environment, or physically pushing myself in sports.

Good Interview Answers to the Negative Attributes Question

I often don't see really bad answers to the positive piece, but it gets interesting when asked about any negatives a best friend may articulate. These are some generally good answers that managers look for in response to a friend's description of your negative traits:

• Sometimes I can be a perfectionist at things and won't stop until I master a task.
• I can be a workaholic, and sometimes have to remind myself to balance my personal life with work.
• I occasionally overextend myself with too many activities both at work and in my community work

Bad Interview Answers to the Positive Attributes Question

Believe it or not, I have received these answers in real interviews, and in addition to not being impressed with how the candidate is thinking, these often start tilting the interview more towards do not hire:

• I like to party and people always want to be around me.
• I am a shoe fanatic and the person to take shoe shopping.
• I'm a social butterfly, and often have stuff going on every night of the week in my personal life.

Basically you want to be honest about how your friend would describe you, but use something that translates into a character attribute that a manager would see applying in a work environment.

Shopping, driving cars, etc. don't fit this purpose, and some of the above answers indicate perhaps a lack of responsibility, especially if the impression is that you are too fun loving and your primary focus is on an active social life. A manager will interpret this as a weak work ethic, which will not be in your favor.

Bad Interview Answers to the Negative Attributes Question

Often responding with a negative is hard for most people [there are other interview questions along these lines as well], and the trick is to not portray a character trait as a true negative, and certainly never give an answer that casts you in a bad light in terms of lack of responsibility, maturity, work ethic, or teamwork.

Here are some real answers I've received in interviews that are not a good response to what would your best friend say in terms of negative characteristics or behaviors:

• I party too much and often have trouble getting going in the morning
• I don't pay attention to time and often am late for our social appointments / movies / etc.
• I'm always out of money and asking to borrow some until my next paycheck

Can you see why these would not be received well during an interview, and why you may not come across as someone I'd be excited at having on my team?

Not all interviewers use this question, but similar questions are used during most interviews - we want to learn more about your personality, and how you perceive yourself both in your eyes and in the eyes of others. Often people that are more introspective tend to be more focused on their behavior, contributions to a team, and receive and act on career coaching very well.

Written by: Russell Tuckerton

30 Typical Job Interview Questions

�Job interviews are a common source of anxiety for many and much of this seems to stem from a concern that you will be thrown by a difficult question. The range and nature of questions you may be asked at interview is vast and it is therefore neither practicable nor desirable to swot up on questions in preparation. By completing the assessment activities we recommend in our career coaching programmes you will be more fully and confidently prepared and able to give natural, authentic responses.

The following questions are provided to give you an idea of typical questions and to give you an opportunity to check your preparedness, perhaps by randomly selecting a few questions and answering them. You may find it helpful to ask a friend, family member or your Coach to assist you.

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What is it about this role that appeals to you?
3. Tell me why we should offer this job to you?
4. Where do you hope/intend to be in the next three years?
5. How would your ex-boss/ex-colleagues describe you?
6. What would you say were your main strengths?
7. What is your biggest weakness?
8. Give me an example of your problem solving skills.
9. Tell me about an occasion where your communication skills made a difference to the situation.
10. Describe a time when you had to persuade a reluctant person to take a particular course of action.
11. Describe a situation when you had to deal with an angry customer.
12. What type of responsibilities do you delegate? Give examples of projects where you made best use of delegation.
13. What would you describe as your greatest achievement?
14. What leadership qualities do you possess?
15. How would you describe your management style?
16. How do you keep up with technical developments in your field?
17. Describe a time when you were faced with unrealistic/unfeasible goals? How did you handle the situation?
18. If we offer you this job what area(s) would you feel most unconfident about?
19. If we offered you this job what would be your first priority on joining?
20. Are you considering other jobs at this time? How does this opportunity compare?
21. What salary are you seeking?
22. How do you motivate your team?
23. Give me an example of when your work has been criticised. How did you respond?
24. Why did you stay so long in your last role?
25. Would you be prepared to relocate?
26. Can you give me an example of your team work and leadership?
27. Do you prefer working on your own or in a team?
28. What do you do when you're not working?
29. What do you know about us?
30. Do you have any questions for me?

There are no right answers to these questions. What is important is that you can answer relevant questions confidently, honestly and in a way which positively promotes your abilities, experience and skills.

E: sarah.jaggers@managingchange.org.uk

5 Interview Questions and How to Answer Them Appropriately

Can you quickly think of 5 interview questions and how to answer them appropriately? You may fumble for a second, read the question once again and quickly summarize the questions you were asked when you faced the interviews.

The interviewer asks questions from various categories such as:
� Basic interview questions
� Behavioral questions
� Brain taster questions
� Salary related questions
� Career related questions
� Questions focused to judge you as a person, your analytical skills etc.

5 most frequently asked interview questions and answers are mentioned below. You will definitely find the information useful.

Q.1) Tell me/us something about yourself

This is one of the opening questions asked during the interview. It is same like playing the first ball on the wicket. Answer this question precisely. Do not explain the things such as, how loyal you are, how dedicated and hardworking you are etc. Focus on your unique selling points. Emphasize on your abilities to provide the best deliverables. Give the answer with great confidence in a minute.

Q.2) How can you prove yourself better than the other candidates?

Most of the candidates babble while answering this interview questions. The interviewer checks your confidence level. You can give the answer focusing on many things such as you are a target breaker, proven hard worker and you have similar work experience in hand.

Q.3) Tell us why should we hire you?

You should be a good self analyzer and promoter too. You can mention your skills, strengths and the noticeable achievements so that you can claim that you are the right candidate. You should be successful to put forward bright track record.

Q.4) What is your salary expectation?

This is a very crucial question, as after all every thing boils down to salary. If possible try to put up the salary expectation in a range, than a specific number. Another diplomatic answer for the question would be as per the market standards.

Q.5) Why do you want to leave the current company?

There can be many reasons to leave the current company. You can answer this question on a very positive note. You can say that you are enjoying working at your present company, but want to face new challenges, and grow further. You will contribute to organizational growth too. Thus you can successfully indicate your attachment and dedication towards the existing company as well as your ambition to move ahead in your career.

Written by: Ashton Lopez

Important Interview Questions to Ask

Many job seekers don't recognize the importance of asking pertinent questions at the end of the interview.

Typically, the interviewer will initiate an open door for the job seeker to make a lasting impression by well thought out questions. Here are the ones NEVER to ask:

1. Can you tell me the salary and benefits of this job?
2. Can I leave early on some days?
3. What is your company policy on sick leave and days off?
4. What is a typical day like?

The vital key to successful interviewing is ALL in employer perception of you.

How do you want to be viewed? Here is how they will see you if you asked those questions:

1. You just want to know how much money you will make. You really don't want the position. This would be a wasted hire.
2. Potentially lazy, diffused attitude without much energy. Indifferent to the contribution they need to make.
3. Poor judgment on when to ask appropriate questions. We haven't even offered the job yet!
4. You should already know this through research and the interview process. Obvious clue that you don't take advantage of resources already available.

So, how do you want to be seen in the interviewer's perception of you as a potential contributor to the organization?

Consider these questions instead:

1. Describe for me the top reasons you enjoy working for ABC, Inc.
2. How would you describe the culture of your organization?
3. What is the greatest reward for you in working for ABC, Inc.?

These questions will likely provoke a positive response from your interviewers. In the best scenario they will talk openly and among themselves as they contribute to the answer. If they don't, maybe the organization isn't a place you want to be. Every question provides an opportunity for them to see you as open, personable, adaptable and invested in the interview process. The reality is yes, we need our jobs to provide money to live. Yet, an employer would want you to think working for them is more than just a source of income. The more vested you are in thoughtful interview questions, the more likely you are to give it your best shot when you're hired. Otherwise you may be seen as a potential liability.

Finally, you are intentionally asking questions to invite the interviewer to talk about themselves and the company. After you leave the interview and they begin to discuss it, chances are someone will say Wow. He was a great listener and very personable. Actually, you just simply let them discuss what they love. Remember, it is all about perception. More about this in following posts. For now, think about how you want to be perceived and if what you say in an interview is an accurate reflection of your professionalism.

Written by: Carla Hunter