Table of Contents

General Guidelines in Answering Interview Questions

Q1 Tell me about yourself
Q2 What are your greatest strengths?
Q3 What are your greatest weaknesses?
Q Tell me about something you did ! or failed to do ! that you now feel a little
ashamed of
Q" Why are you leaving #or did you leave$ this %osition?
Q& The '(ilent Treatment)
Q* Why should I hire you?
Q+ Aren,t you over-ualified for this %osition?
Q. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Q1/ 0es1ribe your ideal 1om%any2 lo1ation and 3ob
Q11 Why do you want to work at our 1om%any?
Q12 What are your 1areer o%tions right now?
Q13 Why have you been out of work so long?
Q1 Tell me honestly about the strong %oints and weak %oints of your boss
#1om%any2 management team2 et14$
Q1" What good books have you read lately?
Q1& Tell me about a situation when your work was 1riti1i5ed
Q1* What are your outside interest?
Q1+ The '6atal 6law) -uestion
Q1. 7ow do you feel about re%orting to a younger %erson #minority2 woman2 et1$
Q2/ 8n 1onfidential matters
1
Q21 Would you lie for the 1om%any?
Q22 9ooking ba1k2 what would you do differently in your life?
Q23 :ould you have done better in your last 3ob?
Q2 :an you work under %ressure?
Q2" What makes you angry?
Q2& Why aren,t you earning more money at this stage of your 1areer?
Q2* Who has ins%ired you in your life and why?
Q2+ What was the toughest de1ision you ever had to make?
Q2. Tell me about the most boring 3ob you,ve ever had
Q3/ 7ave you been absent from work more than a few days in any %revious
%osition?
Q31 What 1hanges would you make if you 1ame on board?
Q32 I,m 1on1erned that you don,t have as mu1h e;%erien1e as we,d like in
Q33 7ow do you feel about working nights and weekends?
Q3 Are you willing to relo1ate or travel?
Q3" 0o you have the stoma1h to fire %eo%le? 7ave you had e;%erien1e firing many
%eo%le?
Q3& Why have you had so many 3obs?
Q3* What do you see as the %ro%er role<mission of= =a good #3ob title you,re
seeking$> =a good manager> =an e;e1utive in serving the 1ommunity> =a
leading 1om%any in our industry> et1
Q3+ What would you say to your boss if he,s 1ra5y about an idea2 but you think it
stinks?
Q3. 7ow 1ould you have im%roved your 1areer %rogress?
2
Q/ What would you do if a fellow e;e1utive on your own 1or%orate level wasn,t
%ulling his<her weight=and this was hurting your de%artment?
Q1 ?ou,ve been with your firm a long time4 Won,t it be hard swit1hing to a new
1om%any?
Q2 @ay I 1onta1t your %resent em%loyer for a referen1e?
Q3 Give me an e;am%le of your 1reativity #analyti1al skill=managing ability2 et14$
Q Where 1ould you use some im%rovement?
Q" What do you worry about?
Q& 7ow many hours a week do you normally work?
Q* What,s the most diffi1ult %art of being a #3ob title$?
Q+ The '7y%otheti1al Aroblem)
Q. What was the toughest 1hallenge you,ve ever fa1ed?
Q"/ 7ave you 1onsider starting your own business?
Q"1 What are your goals?
Q"2 What do you for when you hire %eo%le?
Q"3 (ell me this sta%ler=#this %en1il=this 1lo1k=or some other ob3e1t on
interviewer,s desk$
Q" 'The (alary Question) ! 7ow mu1h money do you want?
Q"" The Illegal Question
Q"& The '(e1ret) Illegal Question
Q"* What was the toughest %art of your last 3ob?
Q"+ 7ow do you define su11ess=and how do you measure u% to your own
definition?
Q". 'The 8%inion Question) ! What do you think about =Abortion=TheAresident=
The 0eath Aenalty=#or any other 1ontroversial sub3e1t$?
Q&/ If you won 1/ million lottery2 would you still work?
Q&1 9ooking ba1k on your last %osition2 have you done your best work?
3
Q&2 Why should I hire you from the outside when I 1ould %romote someone from
within?
Q&3 Tell me something negative you,ve heard about our 1om%any
Q& 8n a s1ale of one to ten2 rate me as an interviewer
General Guidelines
in Answering Interview Questions
Bveryone is nervous on interviews4 If you sim%ly allow yourself to feel nervous2 youCll do
mu1h better4 Demember also that itCs diffi1ult for the interviewer as well4
In general2 be u%beat and %ositive4 Eever be negative4
Dehearse your answers and time them4 Eever talk for more than 2 minutes straight4
0onCt try to memori5e answers word for word4 Fse the answers shown here as a guide
only2 and donCt be afraid to in1lude your own thoughts and words4 To hel% you remember
key 1on1e%ts2 3ot down and review a few key words for ea1h answer4 Dehearse your
answers fre-uently2 and they will 1ome to you naturally in interviews4
As you will read in the a11om%anying re%ort2 the single most im%ortant strategy in
interviewing2 as in all %hases of your 3ob sear1h2 is what we 1allG "The Greatest
Executive Job Finding Secret." And that is444
Find out what people want, than show them how you can help them get it.
6ind out what an em%loyer wants most in his or her ideal 1andidate2 then show how you
meet those -ualifi1ations4
In other words2 you must mat1h your abilities2 with the needs of the em%loyer4 You must
sell what the buyer is buying4 To do that2 before you know what to em%hasi5e in your
answers2 you must find out what the buyer is buying444 what he is looking for4 And the
best way to do that is to ask a few -uestions yourself4
?ou will see how to bring this off skillfully as you read the first two -uestions of this
re%ort4 Hut regardless of how you a11om%lish it2 you must remember this strategy above
allG before blurting out your ualifications! you must get some idea of what the em"loyer
4
wants most4 8n1e you know what he wants2 you 1an then %resent your -ualifi1ations as
the %erfe1t 'key) that fits the 'lo1k) of that %osition4
8ther im%ortant interview strategiesG
Turn weaknesses into strengths #?ouCll see how to do this in a few moments4$
Think before you answer4 A %ause to 1olle1t your thoughts is a hallmark of a thoughtful
%erson4
As a daily e;er1ise2 %ra1ti1e being more o%timisti14 6or e;am%le2 try %utting a %ositive
s%in on events and situations you would normally regard as negative4 This is not meant
to turn you into a Aollyanna2 but to shar%en your selling skills4 The best sales%eo%le2 as
well as the best liked interview 1andidates2 1ome off as being naturally o%timisti12 I1an
doI %eo%le4 ?ou will dramati1ally raise your level of attra1tiveness by daily %ra1ti1ing to
be more o%timisti14
He honest444never lie4
Jee% an interview diary4 Dight after ea1h interview note what you did right2 what 1ould
have gone a little better2 and what ste%s you should take ne;t with this 1onta1t4 Then
take those ste%s4 0onCt be like the ."K of humanity who say they will follow u% on
something2 but never do4

5
Question 1 Tell me about yourself.
TRAPSG Heware2 about +/K of all interviews begin with this 'inno1ent) -uestion4 @any
1andidates2 un%re%ared for the -uestion2 skewer themselves by rambling2 re1a%%ing their life
story2 delving into an1ient work history or %ersonal matters4
BEST ANSWER: (tart with the %resent and tell why you are well -ualified for the %osition4
Demember that the key to all su11essful interviewing is to mat1h your -ualifi1ations to what
the interviewer is looking for4 In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is
the single most im"ortant strategy in #ob hunting.
(o2 before you answer this or any -uestion itCs im%erative that you try to un1over your
interviewerCs greatest need2 want2 %roblem or goal4
To do so2 make you take these two ste%sG
0o all the homework you 1an before the interview to un1over this "erson$s wants and needs
#not the generali5ed needs of the industry or 1om%any$
As early as you 1an in the interview2 ask for a more 1om%lete des1ri%tion of what the %osition
entails4 ?ou might sayG 'I have a number of a11om%lishments ICd like to tell you about2 but I
want to make the best use of our time together and talk dire1tly to your needs4 To hel% me do2
that2 1ould you tell me more about the most im%ortant %riorities of this %osition? All I know is
what I #heard from the re1ruiter2 read in the 1lassified ad2 et14$)
Then2 %&'%YS follow(u" with a second and "ossibly! third uestion2 to draw out his needs
even more4 (ur%risingly2 itCs usually this second or third -uestion that unearths what the
interviewer is most looking for4
?ou might ask sim%ly2 IAnd in addition to that?444I or2 IIs there anything else you see as
essential to su11ess in this %osition?G
This %ro1ess will not feel easy or natural at first2 be1ause it is easier sim%ly to answer
-uestions2 but only if you un1over the em%loyerCs wants and needs will your answers make
the most sense4 Ara1ti1e asking these key -uestions before giving your answers2 the %ro1ess
will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the other #ob candidates you$re
com"eting with4
After un1overing what the em%loyer is looking for2 des1ribe why the needs of this 3ob bear
striking %arallels to tasks youCve su11eeded at before4 He sure to illustrate with s%e1ifi1
e;am%les of your res%onsibilities and es%e1ially your a1hievements2 all of whi1h are geared to
%resent yourself as a %erfe1t mat1h for the needs he has 3ust des1ribed4
Question 2 'hat are your greatest strengths)
TRAPS: This -uestion seems like a softball lob2 but be %re%ared4 ?ou donCt want to 1ome
a1ross as egotisti1al or arrogant4 Eeither is this a time to be humble4
BEST ANSWER: ?ou know that your key strategy is to first un1over your interviewerCs
greatest wants and needs before you answer -uestions4 And from Question 12 you know how
to do this4
Arior to any interview2 you should have a list mentally %re%ared of your greatest strengths4 ?ou
should also have2 a s%e1ifi1 e;am%le or two2 whi1h illustrates ea1h strength2 an e;am%le 1hosen
from your most re1ent and most im%ressive a1hievements4?ou should2 have this list of your
greatest strengths and 1orres%onding e;am%les from your a1hievements so well 1ommitted to
memory that you 1an re1ite them 1old after being shaken awake at 2G3/A@4
Then2 on1e you un1over your interviewerCs greatest wants and needs2 you 1an 1hoose those
a1hievements from your list that best mat1h u%4
As a general guideline2 the 1/ most desirable traits that all em%loyers love to see in their
em%loyees areG
A %roven tra1k re1ord as an a1hiever444es"ecially if your achievements match u" with the
em"loyer$s greatest wants and needs.
Intelligen1e444management IsavvyI4
7onesty444integrity444a de1ent human being4
Good fit with 1or%orate 1ulture444someone to feel 1omfortable with444a team %layer who meshes
well with interviewerCs team4
9ikeability444%ositive attitude444sense of humor4
Good 1ommuni1ation skills4
0edi1ation444willingness to walk the e;tra mile to a1hieve e;1ellen1e4
0efiniteness of %ur%ose4441lear goals4
Bnthusiasm444high level of motivation4
:onfident444healthy444a leader4
Question 3 'hat are your greatest wea*nesses)
TRAPSG Heware L this is an eliminator -uestion2 designed to shorten the 1andidate list4 Any
admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an 'A) for honesty2 but an '6) for the interview4
PASSABE ANSWER: 0isguise a strength as a weakness4
Exam"le+ 'I sometimes %ush my %eo%le too hard4 I like to work with a sense of urgen1y and
everyone is not always on the same wavelength4)
,rawbac*+ This strategy is better than admitting a flaw2 but itCs so widely used2 it is trans%arent
to any e;%erien1ed interviewer4
BEST ANSWERG #and another reason itCs so im%ortant to get a thorough des1ri%tion of your
interviewerCs needs before you answer -uestions$G Assure the interviewer that you 1an think of
nothing that would stand in the way of your %erforming in this %osition with e;1ellen1e4 Then2
-ui1kly review you strongest -ualifi1ations4
Exam"le+ 'EobodyCs %erfe1t2 but based on what youCve told me about this %osition2 I believe IC
d make an outstanding mat1h4 I know that when I hire %eo%le2 I look for two things most of all4
0o they have the ualifications to do the 3ob well2 and the motivation to do it well? Bverything
in my ba1kground shows I have both the -ualifi1ations and a strong desire to a1hieve
e;1ellen1e in whatever I take on4 (o I 1an say in all honesty that I see nothing that would
1ause you even a small 1on1ern about my ability or my strong desire to %erform this 3ob with
e;1ellen1e4)
%lternate strategy #if you donCt yet know enough about the %osition to talk about su1h a %erfe1t
fit$G
Instead of 1onfessing a weakness2 des1ribe what you li*e most and li*e least2 making
sure that what you like most mat1hes u% with the most im%ortant -ualifi1ation for
su11ess in the %osition2 and what you like least is not essential4
Exam"le+ 9etCs say youCre a%%lying for a tea1hing %osition4 'If given a 1hoi1e2 I like to
s%end as mu1h time as %ossible in front of my %ros%e1ts selling2 as o%%osed to shuffling
%a%erwork ba1k at the offi1e4 8f 1ourse2 I long ago learned the im%ortan1e of filing
%a%erwork %ro%erly2 and I do it 1ons1ientiously4 Hut what I really love to do is sell #if your
interviewer were a sales manager2 this should be musi1 to his ears4$
Question 4 Tell me about something you did - or failed to do - that
you now feel a little ashamed of.
TRAPS: There are some -uestions your interviewer has no business asking2 and this is
one4 Hut while you may feel like answering2 'none of your business!. naturally you 1an,t4
(ome interviewers ask this -uestion on the 1han1e you admit to something2 but if not2 at
least they,ll see how you think on your feet4
(ome un%re%ared 1andidates2 flustered by this -uestion2 unburden themselves of guilt
from their %ersonal life or 1areer2 %erha%s e;%ressing regrets regarding a %arent2
s%ouse2 1hild2 et14 All su1h answers 1an be disastrous4
BEST ANSWER: As with faults and weaknesses2 never confess a regret. Hut don,t
seem as if you,re stonewalling either4
/est strategy+ (ay you harbor no regrets2 then add a %rin1i%le or habit you %ra1ti1e
regularly for healthy human relations4
Exam"le+ Aause for refle1tion2 as if the -uestion never o11urred to you4 Then say2 '?ou
know2 I really 1an,t think of anything4) #Aause again2 then add$G 'I would add that as a
general management %rin1i%le2 I,ve found that the best way to avoid regrets is to avoid
1ausing them in the first %la1e4 I %ra1ti1e one habit that hel%s me a great deal in this
regard4 At the end of ea1h day2 I mentally review the day,s events and 1onversations to
take a se1ond look at the %eo%le and develo%ments I,m involved with and do a
double1he1k of what they,re likely to be feeling4 (ometimes I,ll see things that do need
more followLu%2 whether a %at on the ba1k2 or maybe a five minute 1hat in someone,s
offi1e to make sure we,re 1lear on things=whatever4)
'I also like to make ea1h %erson feel like a member of an elite team2 like the Hoston
:elti1s or 9A 9akers in their %rime4 I,ve found that if you let ea1h team member know
you e;%e1t e;1ellen1e in their %erforman1e=if you work hard to set an e;am%le
yourself=and if you let %eo%le know you a%%re1iate and res%e1t their feelings2 you wind
u% with a highly motivated grou%2 a team that,s having fun at work be1ause they,re
striving for e;1ellen1e rather than brooding over slights or regrets4)
Question 5 'hy are you leaving 0or did you leave1 this "osition)
TRAPS: Eever badmouth your %revious industry2 1om%any2 board2 boss2 staff2
em%loyees or 1ustomers4 This rule is inviolableG never be negative. Any mud you hurl
will only soil your suit4
Bs%e1ially avoid words like '%ersonality 1lash)2 'didn,t get along)2 or others whi1h 1ast a
shadow on your 1om%eten1e2 integrity2 or tem%erament4
BEST ANSWER:
02f you have a #ob "resently1
If you,re not yet 1//K 1ommitted to leaving your %resent %ost2 don,t be afraid to say so4
(in1e you have a 3ob2 you are in a stronger %osition than someone who does not4 Hut
don,t be 1oy either4 (tate honestly what you,d be ho%ing to find in a new s%ot4 8f
1ourse2 as stated often before2 you answer will all the stronger if you have already
un1overed what this %osition is all about and you mat1h your desires to it4
02f you do not "resently have a #ob.1
Eever lie about having been fired4 It,s unethi1al ! and too easily 1he1ked4 Hut do try to
defle1t the reason from you %ersonally4 If your firing was the result of a takeover2
merger2 division wide layoff2 et142 so mu1h the better4
Hut you should also do something totally unnatural that will demonstrate 1onsummate
%rofessionalism4 Bven if it hurts 2 des1ribe your own firing ! 1andidly2 su11in1tly and
without a tra1e of bitterness ! from the com"any3s %oint LofLview2 indi1ating that you
1ould understand why it ha%%ened and you might have made the same de1ision
yourself4
?our stature will rise immensely and2 most im%ortant of all2 you will show you are healed
from the wounds infli1ted by the firing4 ?ou will enhan1e your image as firstL1lass
management material and stand head and shoulders above the legions of firing vi1tims
who2 at the slightest %rovo1ation2 5i% o%en their shirts to e;%ose their battle s1ars and
de1ry the unfairness of it all4
For all "rior "ositions+
@ake sure you,ve %re%ared a brief reason for leaving4 /est reasons+ more money2
o%%ortunity2 res%onsibility or growth4
Question 6 The 4Silent Treatment.
TRAPS: /eware ! if you are un%re%ared for this -uestion2 you will %robably not handle
it right and %ossibly blow the interview4 Thank goodness most interviewers don,t em%loy
it4 It,s normally used by those determined to see how you res%ond under stress4 7ere,s
how it worksG
?ou answer an interviewer,s -uestion and then2 instead of asking another2 he 3ust stares
at you in a deafening silen1e4
?ou wait2 growing a bit uneasy2 and there he sits2 silent as @t4 Dushmore2 as if he
doesn,t believe what you,ve 3ust said2 or %erha%s making you feel that you,ve unwittingly
violated some 1ardinal rule of interview eti-uette4
When you get this silent treatment after answering a %arti1ularly diffi1ult -uestion 2 su1h
as 'tell me about your weaknesses)2 its intimidating effe1t 1an be most dis-uieting2 even
to %olished 3ob hunters4
@ost un%re%ared 1andidates rush in to fill the void of silen1e2 viewing %rolonged2
un1omfortable silen1es as an invitation to 1lear u% the %revious answer whi1h has
obviously 1aused some %roblem4 And that,s what they do ! ramble on2 s%uttering more
and more information2 sometimes irrelevant and often damaging2 be1ause they are
suddenly %laying the role of someone who,s goofed and is now trying to re1ou%4 Hut
sin1e the 1andidate doesn,t know where or how he goofed2 he 3ust kee%s talking2
showing how flustered and 1onfused he is by the interviewer,s unmovable silen1e4
BEST ANSWER: 9ike a %rimitive tribal mask2 the (ilent Treatment loses all it %ower to
frighten you on1e you refuse to be intimidated4 If your interviewer %ulls it2 kee% -uiet
yourself for a while and then ask2 with sin1ere %oliteness and not a tra1e of sar1asm2 42s
there anything else 2 can fill in on that "oint). That,s all there is to it4Whatever you do2
don,t let the (ilent Treatment intimidate you into talking a blue streak2 be1ause you 1ould
easily talk yourself out of the %osition4
Question 7 'hy should 2 hire you)
TRAPS: Helieve it or not2 this is a killer -uestion be1ause so many 1andidates are
un%re%ared for it4 If you stammer or adlib you,ve blown it4
BEST ANSWER: Hy now you 1an see how 1riti1al it is to a%%ly the overall strategy of
un1overing the em%loyer,s needs before you answer -uestions4 If you know the
em%loyer,s greatest needs and desires2 this -uestion will give you a big leg u% over other
1andidates be1ause you will give him better reasons for hiring you than anyone else is
likely to=reasons tied dire1tly to his needs4
Whether your interviewer asks you this -uestion ex"licitly or not2 this is the most
im%ortant -uestion of your interview be1ause he must answer this -uestion favorably in
is own mind before you will be hired4 So hel" him out5 Walk through ea1h of the
%osition,s re-uirements as you understand them2 and follow ea1h with a reason why you
meet that re-uirement so well4
Exam"le+ 'As I understand your needs2 you are first and foremost looking for someone
who 1an manage the sales and marketing of your book %ublishing division4 As you,ve
said you need someone with a strong ba1kground in trade book sales4 This is where I,ve
s%ent almost all of my 1areer2 so I,ve 1halked u% 1+ years of e;%erien1e e;a1tly in this
area4 I believe that I know the right 1onta1ts2 methods2 %rin1i%les2 and su11essful
management te1hni-ues as well as any %erson 1an in our industry4)
'?ou also need someone who 1an e;%and your book distribution 1hannels4 In my %rior
%ost2 my innovative %romotional ideas doubled2 then tri%led2 the number of outlets selling
our books4 I,m 1onfident I 1an do the same for you4)
'?ou need someone to give a new shot in the arm to your mail order sales2 someone
who knows how to sell in s%a1e and dire1t mail media4 7ere2 too2 I believe I have e;a1tly
the e;%erien1e you need4 In the last five years2 I,ve in1reased our mail order book sales
from &//2/// to 22+//2///2 and now we,re the 1ountry,s se1ond leading marketer of
s1ientifi1 and medi1al books by mail4) Etc.! etc.! etc.!
Bvery one of these selling '1ou%lets) #his need mat1hed by your -ualifi1ations$ is a
tou1hdown that runs u% your s1ore4 IT is your best o%%ortunity to outsell your
1om%etition4
Question 8 %ren3t you overualified for this "osition)
TRAPS: The em%loyer may be 1on1erned that you,ll grow dissatisfied and leave4
BEST ANSWER: As with any ob3e1tion2 don,t view this as a sign of imminent defeat4 It,s
an invitation to tea1h the interviewer a new way to think about this situation2 seeing
advantages instead of drawba1ks4
Exam"le+ 'I re1ogni5e the 3ob market for what it is ! a market%la1e4 9ike any
market%la1e2 it,s sub3e1t to the laws of su%%ly and demand4 (o Mover-ualified, 1an be a
relative term2 de%ending on how tight the 3ob market is4 And right now2 it,s very tight4 I
understand and a11e%t that4)
'I also believe that there 1ould be very %ositive benefits for both of us in this mat1h4)
'He1ause of my unusually strong e;%erien1e in NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN 2 I 1ould start to
1ontribute right away2 %erha%s mu1h faster than someone who,d have to be brought
along more slowly4)
'There,s also the value of all the training and years of e;%erien1e that other 1om%anies
have invested tens of thousands of dollars to give me4 ?ou,d be getting all the value of
that without having to %ay an e;tra dime for it4 With someone who has yet to a1-uire that
e;%erien1e2 he,d have to gain it on your nic*el.)
'I 1ould also hel% you in many things they don,t tea1h at the 7arvard Husiness (1hool4
6or e;am%le=#how to hire2 train2 motivate2 et14$ When it 1omes to knowing how to work
well with %eo%le and getting the most out of them2 there,s 3ust no substitute for what you
learn over many years of frontLline e;%erien1e4 ?ou 1om%any would gain all this2 too4)
'6rom my side2 there are strong benefits2 as well4 Dight now2 I am unem%loyed4 I want to
work2 very much2 and the %osition you have here is e;a1tly what I love to do and am
best at4 I,ll be ha%%y doing this work and that,s what matters most to me2 a lot more that
money or title4)
'@ost im%ortant2 I,m looking to make a long term 1ommitment in my 1areer now4 I,ve had
enough of 3obLhunting and want a %ermanent s%ot at this %oint in my 1areer4 I also know
that if I %erform this 3ob with e;1ellen1e2 other o%%ortunities 1annot hel% but o%en u% for
me right here4 In time2 I,ll find many other ways to hel% this 1om%any and in so doing2
hel% myself4 I really am looking to make a longLterm 1ommitment4)
E8TBG The main 1on1ern behind the 'over-ualified) -uestion is that you will leave your
new em%loyer as soon as something better 1omes your way4 Anything you 1an say to
demonstrate the sin1erity of your 1ommitment to the em%loyer and reassure him that
you,re looking to stay for the longLterm will hel% you over1ome this ob3e1tion4
Question 9 'here do you see yourself five years from now)
TRAPS: 8ne reason interviewers ask this -uestion is to see if you,re settling for this
%osition2 using it merely as a sto%over until something better 1omes along4 8r they 1ould
be trying to gauge your level of ambition4
If you,re too s%e1ifi12 i4e42 naming the %romotions you someday ho%e to win2 you,ll sound
%resum%tuous4 If you,re too vague2 you,ll seem rudderless4
BEST ANSWER: Deassure your interviewer that you,re looking to make a longLterm
1ommitment=that this %osition entails e;a1tly what you,re looking to do and what you
do e;tremely well4 As for your future2 you believe that if you %erform ea1h 3ob at hand
with e;1ellen1e2 future o%%ortunities will take 1are of themselves4
Exam"le+ 'I am definitely interested in making a longLterm 1ommitment to my ne;t
%osition4 Oudging by what you,ve told me about this %osition2 it,s e;a1tly what I,m looking
for and what I am very well -ualified to do4 In terms of my future 1areer %ath2 I,m
1onfident that if I do my work with e;1ellen1e2 o%%ortunities will inevitable o%en u% for
me4 It,s always been that way in my 1areer2 and I,m 1onfident I,ll have similar
o%%ortunities here4)
Question 1 ,escribe your ideal com"any! location and #ob.
TRAPS: This is often asked by an e;%erien1ed interviewer who thinks you may be
over-ualified2 but knows better than to show his hand by %osing his ob3e1tion dire1tly4
(o he,ll use this -uestion instead2 whi1h often gets a 1andidate to reveal that2 indeed2 he
or she is looking for something other than the %osition at hand4
BEST ANSWER: The only right answer is to des1ribe what this 1om%any is offering2
being sure to make your answer believable with s%e1ifi1 reasons2 stated with sin1erity2
why ea1h -uality re%resented by this o%%ortunity is attra1tive to you4
Demember that if you,re 1oming from a 1om%any that,s the leader in its field or from a
glamorous or mu1h admired 1om%any2 industry2 1ity or %osition2 your interviewer and his
1om%any may well have an 'Avis) 1om%le;4 That is2 they may feel a bit defensive about
being 'se1ond best) to the %la1e you,re 1oming from2 worried that you may 1onsider
them bush league4
This an;iety 1ould well be there even though you,ve done nothing to ins%ire it4 ?ou must
go out of your way to assuage su1h an;iety2 even if it,s not e;%ressed2 by %utting their
virtues high on the list of e;a1tly what you,re looking for2 %roviding 1redible reason for
wanting these -ualities4
If you do not e;%ress genuine enthusiasm for the firm2 its 1ulture2 lo1ation2 industry2 et142
you may fail to answer this 'Avis) 1om%le; ob3e1tion and2 as a result2 leave the
interviewer sus%e1ting that a hot shot like you2 1oming from a 6ortune "// 1om%any in
Eew ?ork2 3ust wouldn,t be ha%%y at an unknown manufa1turer based in To%eka2
Jansas4
Question 11 'hy do you want to wor* at our com"any)
TRAPS: This -uestion tests whether you,ve done any homework about the firm4 If you
haven,t2 you lose4 If you have2 you win big4
BEST ANSWER: This -uestion is your o%%ortunity to hit the ball out of the %ark2 thanks
to the inLde%th resear1h you should do before any interview4
Hest sour1es for resear1hing your target 1om%anyG annual re%orts2 the 1or%orate
newsletter2 1onta1ts you know at the 1om%any or its su%%liers2 advertisements2 arti1les
about the 1om%any in the trade %ress4
Question 12 'hat are your career o"tions right now)
TRAPS: The interviewer is trying to find out2 46ow des"erate are you).
BEST ANSWER: Are%are for this -uestion by thinking of how you 1an %osition yourself
as a desired 1ommodity4 If you are still working2 des1ribe the %ossibilities at your %resent
firm and why2 though you,re greatly a%%re1iated there2 you,re looking for something
more #1hallenge2 money2 res%onsibility2 et14$4 Also mention that you,re seriously
e;%loring o%%ortunities with one or two other firms4
If you,re not working2 you 1an talk about other em%loyment %ossibilities you,re a1tually
e;%loring4 Hut do this with a light tou1h2 s%eaking only in general terms4 ?ou don,t want
to seem mani%ulative or 1oy4
Question 13 'hy have you been out of wor* so long)
TRAPS: A tough -uestion if you,ve been on the bea1h a long time4 ?ou don,t want to
seem like damaged goods4
BEST ANSWER: ?ou want to em%hasi5e fa1tors whi1h have %rolonged your 3ob sear1h
by your own 1hoi1e4
Exam"le+ 'After my 3ob was terminated2 I made a 1ons1ious de1ision not to 3um% on the
first o%%ortunities to 1ome along4 In my life2 I,ve found out that you 1an always turn a
negative into a %ositive I6 you try hard enough4 This is what I determined to do4 I
de1ided to take whatever time I needed to think through what I do best2 what I most
want to do2 where I,d like to do it=and then identify those 1om%anies that 1ould offer
su1h an o%%ortunity4)
'Also2 in all honesty2 you have to fa1tor in the re1ession #1onsolidation2 stabili5ation2 et14$
in the #banking2 finan1ial servi1es2 manufa1turing2 advertising2 et14$ industry4)
'(o between my being sele1tive and the 1om%anies in our industry downsi5ing2 the
%ro1ess has taken time4 Hut in the end2 I,m 1onvin1ed that when I do find the right
mat1h2 all that 1areful evaluation from both sides of the desk will have been well
worthwhile for both the 1om%any that hires me and myself4
Question 14 Tell me honestly about the strong "oints and wea*
"oints of your boss 0com"any! management team! etc.17
TRAPS: (killfull interviewers sometimes make it almost irresistible to o%en u% and air a
little dirty laundry from your %revious %osition4 08E,T
BEST ANSWER: Demember the ruleG Eever be negative4 (tress only the good %oints2
no matter how 1harmingly you,re invited to be 1riti1al4
?our interviewer doesn,t 1are a whit about your %revious boss4 7e wants to find out how
loyal and %ositive you are2 and whether you,ll 1riti1i5e him behind his ba1k if %ressed to
do so by someone in this own 1om%any4 This -uestion is your o%%ortunity to
demonstrate your loyalty to those you work with4
Question 15 'hat good boo*s have you read lately)
TRAPS: As in all matters of your interview2 never fake familiarity you don,t have4 ?et you
don,t want to seem like a dullard who hasn,t read a book sin1e Tom Sawyer.
BEST ANSWER: Fnless you,re u% for a %osition in a1ademia or as book 1riti1 for The
8ew Yor* Times2 you,re not e;%e1ted to be a literary lion4 Hut it wouldn,t hurt to have
read a handful of the most re1ent and influential books in your %rofession and on
management4
:onsider it %art of the work of your 3ob sear1h to read u% on a few of these leading
books4 Hut make sure they are uality books that refle1t favorably u%on you2 nothing that
1ould even remotely be 1onsidered su%erfi1ial4 6inally2 add a re1ently %ublished
bestselling work of fi1tion by a worldL1lass author and you,ll %ass this -uestion with flying
1olors4
Question 16 Tell me about a situation when your wor* was critici9ed.
TRAPS: This is a tough -uestion be1ause it,s a more 1lever and subtle way to get you to
admit to a weakness4 ?ou 1an,t dodge it by %retending you,ve never been 1riti1i5ed4
Bverybody has been4 ?et it 1an be -uite damaging to start admitting %otential faults and
failures that you,d 3ust as soon leave buried4
This -uestion is also intended to %robe how well you a11e%t 1riti1ism and dire1tion4
BEST ANSWERS: Hegin by em%hasi5ing the e;tremely %ositive feedba1k you,ve gotten
throughout your 1areer and #if it,s true$ that your %erforman1e reviews have been
uniformly e;1ellent4
8f 1ourse2 no one is %erfe1t and you always wel1ome suggestions on how to im%rove
your %erforman1e4 Then2 give an e;am%le of a notLtooLdamaging learning e;%erien1e
from early in your 1areer and relate the ways this lesson has sin1e hel%ed you4 This
demonstrates that you learned from the e;%erien1e and the lesson is now one of the
strongest breast%lates in your suit of armor4
If you are %ressed for a 1riti1ism from a recent %osition2 1hoose something fairly trivial
that in no way is essential to your su11essful %erforman1e4 Add that you,ve learned from
this2 too2 and over the %ast several years<months2 it,s no longer an area of 1on1ern
be1ause you now make it a regular %ra1ti1e to=et14
Another way to answer this -uestion would be to des1ribe your intention to broaden your
master of an area of growing im%ortan1e in your field4 6or e;am%le2 this might be a
1om%uter %rogram you,ve been meaning to sit down and learn= a new management
te1hni-ue you,ve read about=or %erha%s attending a seminar on some 1uttingLedge
bran1h of your %rofession4
Again2 the key is to fo1us on something not essential to your brilliant %erforman1e but
whi1h adds yet another dimension to your already im%ressive knowledge base4
Question 17 'hat are your outside interests)
TRAPS: ?ou want to be a well Lrounded2 not a drone4 Hut your %otential em%loyer would
be even more turned off if he sus%e1ts that your heavy e;tra1urri1ular load will interfere
with your 1ommitment to your work duties4
BEST ANSWERS: Try to gauge how this 1om%any,s 1ulture would look u%on your
favorite outside a1tivities and be guided a11ordingly4
?ou 1an also use this -uestion to shatter any stereoty%es that 1ould limit your 1han1es4 If
you,re over "/2 for e;am%le2 des1ribe your a1tivities that demonstrate %hysi1al stamina4
If you,re young2 mention an a1tivity that 1onnotes wisdom and institutional trust2 su1h as
serving on the board of a %o%ular 1harity4
Hut above all2 remember that your em%loyer is hiring your for what you 1an do for him2
not your family2 yourself or outside organi5ations2 no matter how admirable those
a1tivities may be4
Question 18 The 4Fatal Flaw. uestion
TRAPS: If an interviewer has read your resume 1arefully2 he may try to 5ero in on a 'fatal
flaw) of your 1andida1y2 %erha%s that you don,t have a 1ollege degree=you,ve been out of
the 3ob market for some time=you never earned your :AA2 et14
A fatal flaw -uestion 1an be deadly2 but usually only if you res%ond by being overly
defensive4
BEST ANSWERS: As every master sales%erson knows2 you will en1ounter ob3e1tions
#whether stated or merely thought$ in every sale4 They,re %art and %ar1el of the buyer,s
an;iety4 The key is not to exacerbate the buyer,s an;iety but diminish it4 7ere,s how=
Whenever you 1ome u% against a fatal flaw -uestionG
He 1om%letely honest2 o%en and straightforward about admitting the short1oming4
#(howing you have nothing to hide diminishes the buyer,s an;iety4$
0o not a%ologi5e or try to e;%lain it away4 ?ou know that this su%%osed flaw is nothing to
be 1on1erned about2 and this is the attitude you want your interviewer to ado%t as well4
Add that as desirable as su1h a -ualifi1ation might be2 its la1k has made you work all the
harder throughout your 1areer and has not %revented you from 1om%iling an outstanding
ta1k re1ord of a1hievements4 ?ou might even give e;am%les of how2 through a relentless
1ommitment to e;1ellen1e2 you have 1onsistently out%erformed those who do have this
-ualifi1ation4
8f 1ourse2 the ultimate way to handle 'fatal flaw) -uestions is to "revent them from
arising in the first %la1e4 ?ou will do that by following the master strategy des1ribed in
Question 12 i4e42 un1overing the em%loyers needs and them mat1hing your -ualifi1ations
to those needs4
8n1e you,ve gotten the em%loyer to start talking about his most urgentlyL felt wants and
goals for the %osition2 and then hel% him see in ste%LbyLste% fashion how %erfe1tly your
ba1kground and a1hievements mat1h u% with those needs2 you,re going to have one
very enthusiasti1 interviewer on your hands2 one who is no longer looking for 'fatal
flaws)4
Question 19 6ow do you feel about re"orting to a younger "erson
0minority! woman! etc1)
TRAPS: It,s a shame that some interviewers feel the need to ask this -uestion2 but many
understand the reality that %re3udi1es still e;ist among some 3ob 1andidates2 and it,s
better to try to flush them out beforehand4
The tra% here is that in today,s %oliti1ally sensiti5ed environment2 even a well(intentioned
answer 1an result in %lanting your foot neatly in your mouth4 Avoid anything whi1h
sma1ks of a %atroni5ing or an insensitive attitude2 su1h as 'I think they make terrifi1
bosses) or '7ey2 some of my best friends are=)
8f 1ourse2 sin1e almost anyone with an IQ above room tem%erature will at least try to
steadfastly affirm the right answer here2 your interviewer will be 3udging your sincerity
most of all4 4,o you really feel that way). is what he or she will be wondering4
(o you must make your answer believable and not 3ust automati14 If the firm is wise
enough to have %romoted %eo%led on the basis of ability alone2 they,re likely -uite %roud
of it2 and %refer to hire others who will wholeheartedly share their strong sense of fair
%lay4
BEST ANSWER: ?ou greatly admire a 1om%any that hires and %romotes on merit alone
and you 1ouldn,t agree more with that %hiloso%hy4 The age #gender2 ra1e2 et14$ of the
%erson you re%ort to would certainly make no differen1e to you4Whoever has that
%osition has obviously earned it and knows their 3ob well4 Hoth the %erson and the
%osition are fully deserving of res%e1t4 ?ou believe that all %eo%le in a 1om%any2 from the
re1e%tionist to the :hairman2 work best when their abilities2 efforts and feelings are
res%e1ted and rewarded fairly2 and that in1ludes you4 That,s the best ty%e of work
environment you 1an ho%e to find4
Question 2 :n confidential matters7
TRAPS: When an interviewer %resses you to reveal 1onfidential information about a
%resent or former em%loyer2 you may feel it,s a noLwin situation4 If you 1oo%erate2 you
1ould be 3udged untrustworthy4 If you don,t2 you may irritate the interviewer and seem
obstinate2 un1oo%erative or overly sus%i1ious4
BEST ANSWER: ?our interviewer may %ress you for this information for two reasons4
6irst2 many 1om%anies use interviews to resear1h the 1om%etition4 It,s a %erfe1t setLu%4
7ere in their own lair2 is an insider from the enemy 1am% who 1an reveal %ri5ed
information on the 1om%etition,s %lans2 resear1h2 finan1ial 1ondition2 et14
(e1ond2 the 1om%any may be testing your integrity to see if you 1an be 1a3oled or bullied
into revealing 1onfidential data4
What to do? The answer here is easy4 8ever reveal anything truly 1onfidential about a
%resent or former em%loyer4 Hy all means2 e;%lain your reti1en1e di"lomatically4 6or
e;am%le2 'I 1ertainly want to be as o%en as I 1an about that4 Hut I also wish to res%e1t
the rights of those who have trusted me with their most sensitive information2 3ust as you
would ho%e to be able to trust any of your key %eo%le when talking with a 1om%etitor=)
And 1ertainly you 1an allude to your finest a1hievements in s%e1ifi1 ways that don,t
reveal the 1ombination to the 1om%any safe4
Hut be guided by the golden rule4 If you were the owner of your %resent 1om%any2 would
you feel it ethi1ally wrong for the information to be given to your 1om%etitors? If so2
steadfastly refuse to reveal it4
Demember that this -uestion %its your desire to be 1oo%erative against your integrity4
6a1ed with any su1h 1hoi1e2 always choose integrity. It is a far more valuable 1ommodity
than whatever information the 1om%any may %ry from you4 @oreover2 on1e you
surrender the information2 your sto1k goes down4 They will surely lose res%e1t for you4
8ne Aresident we know always %resses 1andidates unmer1ifully for 1onfidential
information4 If he doesn,t get it2 he grows visibly annoyed2 relentlessly in-uisitive2 2t3s all
an act. 7e 1ouldn,t 1are less about the information4 This is his way of testing the
1andidate,s moral fiber4 8nly those who hold fast are hired4
Question 21 'ould you lie for the com"any)
TRAPS: This another -uestion that %its two values against one another2 in this 1ase
loyalty against integrity4
BEST ANSWER: Try to avoid 1hoosing between two values2 giving a %ositive statement
whi1h 1overs all bases instead4
Exam"le+ 'I would never do anything to hurt the 1om%any44)
If aggressively %ressed to 1hoose between two 1om%eting values2 always choose
"ersonal integrity. It is the most %ri5ed of all values4Question 22 &oo*ing bac*!
what would you do differently in your life)
TRAPS: This -uestion is usually asked to un1over any lifeLinfluen1ing mistakes2 regrets2
disa%%ointments or %roblems that may 1ontinue to affe1t your %ersonality and
%erforman1e4
?ou do not want to give the interviewer anything negative to remember you by2 su1h as
some great %ersonal or 1areer disa%%ointment2 even long ago2 that you wish 1ould have
been avoided4
Eor do you wish to give any answer whi1h may hint that your whole heart and soul will
not be in your work4
BEST ANSWER: Indi1ate that you are a ha%%y2 fulfilled2 o%timisti1 %erson and that2 in
general2 you wouldn,t 1hange a thing4
Exam"le+ 'It,s been a good life2 ri1h in learning and e;%erien1e2 and the best it yet to
1ome4 Bvery e;%erien1e in life is a lesson it its own way4 I wouldn,t 1hange a thing4)
Question 23 ;ould you have done better in your last #ob)
TRAPS: This is no time for true 1onfessions of ma3or or even minor %roblems4
BEST ANSWER: Again never be negative.
Exam"le+ 'I su%%ose with the benefit of hindsight you 1an always find things to do better2
of 1ourse2 but off the to% of my head2 I 1an,t think of anything of ma3or 1onse-uen1e4)
02f more ex"lanation seems necessary1
0es1riber a situation that didn,t suffer be1ause of you but from e;ternal 1onditions
beyond your 1ontrol4
6or e;am%le2 des1ribe the disa%%ointment you felt with a test 1am%aign2 new %rodu1t
laun1h2 merger2 et142 whi1h looked %romising at first2 but led to underwhelming results4 'I
wish we 1ould have known at the start what we later found out #about the e1onomy
turning2 the market%la1e 1hanging2 et14$2 but sin1e we 1ouldn,t2 we 3ust had to go for it4
And we did learn from it=)
Question 24 ;an you wor* under "ressure)
TRAPS: An easy -uestion2 but you want to make your answer believable.
BEST ANSWER: Absolutely=#then %rove it with a vivid e;am%le or two of a goal or
%ro3e1t a11om%lished under severe %ressure4$
Question 25 'hat ma*es you angry)
TRAPS: ?ou don,t want to 1ome a1ross either as a hothead or a wim%4
BEST ANSWER: Give an answer that,s suited to both your %ersonality and the
management style of the firm4 7ere2 the homework you,ve done about the 1om%any and
its style 1an hel% in your 1hoi1e of words4
Exam"les+ 2f you are a reserved "erson and<or the cor"orate culture is coolly
"rofessional+
'I,m an evenLtem%ered and %ositive %erson by nature2 and I believe this hel%s me a
great deal in kee%ing my de%artment running smoothly2 harmoniously and with a genuine
es"rit de cor"s. I believe in 1ommuni1ating 1learly what,s e;%e1ted2 getting %eo%le,s
1ommitment to those goals2 and then following u% 1ontinuously to 1he1k %rogress4)
'If anyone or anything is going off tra1k2 I want to know about it early4 If2 after that kind of
o%en 1ommuni1ation and follow u%2 someone isn,t getting the 3ob done2 I,ll want to know
why4 If there,s no good reason2 then I,ll get im%atient and angry=and take a%%ro%riate
ste%s from there4 Hut if you hire good %eo%le2 motivate them to strive for e;1ellen1e and
then follow u% 1onstantly2 it almost never gets to that state4)
2f you are feisty by nature and<or the "osition calls for a tough straw boss.
'?ou know what makes me angry? Aeo%le who #the fill in the blanks with the most
ob3e1tionable traits for this ty%e of %osition$=%eo%le who don,t %ull their own weight2 who
are negative2 %eo%le who lie=et14)
Question 26 'hy aren3t you earning more money at this stage of
your career)
TRAPS: ?ou don,t want to give the im%ression that money is not im%ortant to you2 yet
you want to e;%lain why your salary may be a little below industry standards4
BEST ANSWER: ?ou like to make money2 but other fa1tors are even more im%ortant4
Exam"le+ '@aking money is very im%ortant to me2 and one reason I,m here is be1ause
I,m looking to make more4 Throughout my 1areer2 what,s been even more im%ortant to
me is doing work I really like to do at the kind of 1om%any I like and res%e1t4
#Then be %re%ared to be s%e1ifi1 about what your ideal %osition and 1om%any would be
like2 mat1hing them as 1losely as %ossible to the o%%ortunity at hand4
Question 27 'ho has ins"ired you in your life and why)
TRAPS: The two tra%s here are un%re%aredness and irrelevan1e4 If you gro%e for an
answer2 it seems you,ve never been ins%ired4 If you ramble about your high s1hool
basketball 1oa1h2 you,ve wasted an o%%ortunity to %resent -ualities of great value to the
1om%any4
BEST ANSWER: 7ave a few heroes in mind2 from your mental 'Hoard of 0ire1tors) !
9eaders in your industry2 from history or anyone else who has been your mentor4
He %re%ared to give e;am%les of how their words2 a1tions or tea1hings have hel%ed
ins%ire your a1hievements4 As always2 %re%are an answer whi1h highlights -ualities that
would be highly valuable in the %osition you are seeking4
Question 28 'hat was the toughest decision you ever had to ma*e)
TRAPS: Giving an un%re%ared or irrelevant answer4
BEST ANSWER: He %re%ared with a good e;am%le2 e;%laining why the de1ision was
diffi1ult=the %ro1ess you followed in rea1hing it=the 1ourageous or effe1tive way you
1arried it out=and the benefi1ial results4
Question 29 Tell me about the most boring #ob you3ve ever had.
TRAPS: ?ou give a very memorable des1ri%tion of a very boring 3ob4 Desult? ?ou
be1ome asso1iated with this boring 3ob in the interviewer,s mind4
BEST ANSWER: ?ou have never allowed yourself to grow bored with a 3ob and you
1an,t understand it when others let themselves fall into that rut4
Exam"le+ 4Aerha%s I,ve been fortunate2 but that I,ve never found myself bored with any
3ob I have ever held4 I,ve always en3oyed hard work4 As with a1tors who feel there are no
small %arts2 I also believe that in every 1om%any or de%artment there are e;1iting
1hallenges and intriguing %roblems 1rying out for energeti1 and enthusiasti1 solutions4 If
you,re bored2 it,s %robably be1ause you,re not 1hallenging yourself to ta1kle those
%roblems right under your nose4)
Question 3 6ave you been absent from wor* more than a few days
in any "revious "osition)
TRAPS: If you,ve had a %roblem2 you 1an,t lie4 ?ou 1ould easily be found out4 ?et
admitting an attendan1e %roblem 1ould raise many flags4
BEST ANSWER: If you have had no %roblem2 em%hasi5e your e;1ellent and 1onsistent
attendan1e re1ord throughout your 1areer4
Also des1ribe how im%ortant you believe su1h 1onsistent attendan1e is for a key
e;e1utive=why it,s u% to you to set an e;am%le of dedi1ation=and why there,s 3ust no
substitute for being there with your %eo%le to kee% the o%eration running smoothly2
answer -uestions and handle %roblems and 1rises as they arise4
If you do have a %ast attendan1e %roblem2 you want to minimi5e it2 making it 1lear that it
was an e;1e%tional 1ir1umstan1e and that it,s 1ause has been 1orre1ted4
To do this2 give the same answer as above but %refa1e it with something like2 '8ther that
being out last year #or whenever$ be1ause of #your reason2 whi1h is now in the %ast$2 I
have never had a %roblem and have en3oyed an e;1ellent attendan1e re1ord throughout
my 1areer4 6urthermore2 I believe2 1onsistent attendan1e is im%ortant be1ause=) #Ai1k
u% the rest of the answer as outlined above4$4
Question 31 'hat changes would you ma*e if you came on board)
TRAPS: Wat1h outP This -uestion 1an derail your 1andida1y faster than a bomb on the
tra1ks ! and #ust as you are about to be hired.
=eason+ Eo matter how bright you are2 you 1annot know the right a1tions to take in a
%osition before you settle in and get to know the o%eration,s strengths2 weaknesses key
%eo%le2 finan1ial 1ondition2 methods of o%eration2 et14 If you lunge at this tem%tingly
baited -uestion2 you will %robably be seen as someone who shoots from the hi%4
@oreover2 no matter how 1omfortable you may feel with your interviewer2 you are still an
outsider. Eo one2 in1luding your interviewer2 likes to think that a knowLitLall outsider is
going to 1ome in2 turn the %la1e u%side down and with swee%ing2 grand gestures2
%rom%tly demonstrate what 3erks everybody,s been for years4
BEST ANSWER: ?ou2 of 1ourse2 will want to take a good hard look at everything the
1om%any is doing before making any re1ommendations4
Exam"le+ 'Well2 I wouldn,t be a very good do1tor if I gave my diagnosis before the
e;amination4 (hould you hire me2 as I ho%e you will2 I,d want to take a good hard look at
everything you,re doing and understand why it,s being done that way4 I,d like to have inL
de%th meetings with you and the other key %eo%le to get a dee%er gras% of what you feel
you,re doing right and what 1ould be im%roved4
'6rom what you,ve told me so far2 the areas of greatest 1on1ern to you are=) #name
them4 Then do two things4 6irst2 ask if these are in fa1t his ma3or 1on1erns4 If so then
reaffirm how your e;%erien1e in meeting similar needs elsewhere might %rove very
hel%ful$4
Question 32 23m concerned that you don3t have as much ex"erience
as we3d li*e in7
TRAPS: This 1ould be a makeLorL break -uestion4 The interviewer mostly likes what he
sees2 but has doubts over one key area4 If you 1an assure him on this %oint2 the 3ob may
be yours4
BEST ANSWER: This -uestion is related to 'The 6atal 6law) #Question 1+$2 but here the
1on1ern is not that you are totally missing some -ualifi1ations2 su1h as :AA 1ertifi1ation2
but rather that your e;%erien1e is light in one area4
Hefore going into any interview2 try to identify the weakest as%e1ts of your 1andida1y
from this 1om%any,s %oint of view4 Then %re%are the best answer you %ossible 1an to
shore u% your defenses4
To get %ast this -uestion with flying 1olors2 you are going to rely on your master strategy
of uncovering the em"loyer3s greatest wants and needs and then matching them with
your strengths. (in1e you already know how to do this from Question 12 you are in a
mu1h stronger %osition4
@ore s%e1ifi1ally2 when the interviewer %oses as ob3e1tion like this2 you should=
Agree on the im%ortan1e of this -ualifi1ation4
B;%lain that your strength may be indeed be greater than your resume indi1ates
be1ause=
When this strength is added to your other strengths2 it,s really your combination of
-ualifi1ations that,s most im%ortant4
Then review the areas of your greatest strengths that mat1h u% most favorably with the
1om%any,s most urgentlyLfelt wants and needs4
This is %owerful way to handle this -uestion for two reasons4 6irst2 you,re giving your
interviewer more ammunition in the area of his 1on1ern4 Hut more im%ortantly2 you,re
shifting his fo1us away from this one2 isolated area and %utting it on the uniue
combination of strengths you offer2 strengths whi1h tie in %erfe1tly with his greatest
wants4
Question 33 6ow do you feel about wor*ing nights and wee*ends)
TRAPS: Hlurt out 'no way2 Oose) and you 1an kiss the 3ob offer goodbye4 Hut what if you
have a family and want to work a reasonably normal s1hedule? Is there a way to get
both the 3ob and the s1hedule you want?
BEST ANSWER: 6irst2 if you,re a 1onfirmed workaholi12 this -uestion is a softball lob4
Wha1k it out of the %ark on the first swing by saying this kind of s1hedule is 3ust your
style4 Add that your family understands it4 Indeed2 they,re ha%%y for you2 as they know
you get your greatest satisfa1tion from your work4
If however2 you %refer a more balan1ed lifestyle2 answer this -uestion with anotherG
''hat3s the norm for your best "eo"le here))
If the hours still sound unrealisti1 for you2 ask2 '0o you have any to% %eo%le who %erform
e;1e%tionally for you2 but who also have families and like to get home in time to see
them at night?) :han1es are this 1om%any does2 and this asso1iates you with this other
'to%L%erformersLwhoLleaveLnotLlaterLthanLsi;) grou%4
0e%ending on the answer2 be honest about how you would fit into the %i1ture4 If all those
e;tra hours make you un1omfortable2 say so2 but %hrase your res%onse %ositively4
Exam"le+ 'I love my work and do it e;1e%tionally well4 I think the results s%eak for
themselves2 es%e1ially in =#mention your two or three -ualifi1ations of greater interest
to the em%loyer4 Demember2 this is what he wants most2 not a workaholi1 with wea*
1redentials$ 4 Eot only would I bring these -ualities2 but I,ve built my whole 1areer on
working not 3ust hard2 but smart. I think you,ll find me one of the most "roductive %eo%le
here4
I do have a family who likes to see me after work and on weekends4 They add balan1e
and ri1hness to my life2 whi1h in turn hel%s me be ha%%y and %rodu1tive at work4 If I
1ould handle some of the e;tra work at home in the evenings or on weekends2 that
would be ideal4 ?ou,d be getting a %erson of e;1e%tional %rodu1tivity who meets your
needs with strong 1redentials4 And I,d be able to handle some of the heavy workload at
home where I 1an be under the same roof as my family4 Bverybody would win4)
Question 34 %re you willing to relocate or travel)
TRAPS: Answer with a flat 'no) and you may slam the door shut on this o%%ortunity4 Hut
what if you,d really %refer not to relo1ate or travel2 yet wouldn,t want to lose the 3ob offer
over it?
BEST ANSWER: 6irst find out where you may have to relo1ate and how mu1h travel
may be involved4 Then res%ond to the -uestion4
If there,s no %roblem2 say so enthusiasti1ally4
If you do have a reservation2 there are two s1hools of thought on how to handle it4
8ne advises you to kee% your o%tions o%en and your reservations to yourself in the
early going2 by saying2 'no %roblem)4 ?ou strategy here is to get the best offer you 1an2
then make a 3udgment whether it,s worth it to you to relo1ate or travel4
Also2 by the time the offer 1omes through2 you may have other offers and 1an make a
more informed de1ision4 Why kill of this o%%ortunity before it has 1han1e to blossom into
something really s%e1ial? And if you,re a little more des%erate three months from now2
you might wish you hadn,t slammed the door on relo1ating or traveling4
The se1ond way to handle this -uestion is to voi1e a reservation2 but assert that you,d
be o%en to relo1ating #or traveling$ for the right o%%ortunity4
The answering strategy you 1hoose de%ends on how eager you are for the 3ob4 If you
want to take no 1han1es2 1hoose the first a%%roa1h4
If you want to %lay a little harderLtoLget in ho%es of generating a more enti1ing offer2
1hoose the se1ond4
Question 35 ,o you have the stomach to fire "eo"le) 6ave you had
ex"erience firing many "eo"le)
TRAPS: This 'inno1ent) -uestion 1ould be a tra% door whi1h sends you down a 1hute
and lands you in a hea% of dust outside the front door4 Why? He1ause its real intent is
not 3ust to see if you,ve got the stoma1h to fire2 but also to un1over "oor #udgment in
hiring whi1h has 1aused you to fire so many4 Also2 if you fire so often2 you 1ould be a
tyrant4
(o don,t rise to the bait by boasting how many you,ve fired2 unless you,ve %re%ared to
e;%lain why it was beyond your 1ontrol2 and not the result of your %oor hiring
%ro1edures or foul tem%erament4
BEST ANSWER: 0es1ribe the rational and sensible management %ro1ess you follow in
both hiring and firing4
Exam"le+ '@y whole management a%%roa1h is to hire the best %eo%le I 1an find2 train
them thoroughly and well2 get them e;1ited and %roud to be %art of our team2 and then
work with them to a1hieve our goals together4 If you do all of that right2 es%e1ially hiring
the right %eo%le2 I,ve found you don,t have to fire very often4
'(o with me2 firing is a last resort4 Hut when it,s got to be done2 it,s got to be done2 and
the faster and 1leaner2 the better4 A %oor em%loyee 1an wreak terrible damage in
undermining the morale of an entire team of good %eo%le4 When there,s no other way2
I,ve found it,s better for all 1on1erned to a1t de1isively in getting rid of offenders who
won,t 1hange their ways4)
Question 36 'hy have you had so many #obs)
TRAPS: ?our interviewer fears you may leave this %osition -ui1kly2 as you have others4
7e,s 1on1erned you may be unstable2 or a '%roblem %erson) who 1an,t get along with
others4
BEST ANSWER: 6irst2 before you even get to the interview stage2 you should try to
minimi5e your image as 3ob ho%%er4 If there are several entries on your resume of less
than one year2 1onsider eliminating the less im%ortant ones4 Aerha%s you 1an s%e1ify
the time you s%ent at %revious %ositions in rounded years not in months and years4
Exam"le+ Instead of showing three %ositions this wayG
&<1.+2 ! 3<1.+32 Aosition A>
<1.+3 ! 12<1.+32 Aosition H>
1<1.+ ! +<1.+*2 Aosition :>
=it would be better to show sim%lyG
1.+2 ! 1.+32 Aosition A>
1.+ ! 1.+* Aosition :4
In other words2 you would dro% Aosition H altogether4 Eoti1e what a differen1e this
makes in redu1ing your image as a 3ob ho%%er4
8n1e in front of the interviewer and this -uestion 1omes u%2 you must try to reassure
him4 0es1ribe ea1h %osition as %art of an overall %attern of growth and 1areer
destination4
He 1areful not to blame other %eo%le for your fre-uent 1hanges4 Hut you 1an and should
attribute 1ertain 1hanges to 1onditions beyond your 1ontrol4
Exam"le+ Thanks to an u%1oming merger2 you wanted to avoid an ensuing bloodbath2 so
you made a good2 u%ward 1areer move before your de%artment 1ame under the a;e of
the new owners4
If %ossible2 also show that your 3ob 1hanges were more fre-uent in your younger days2
while you were establishing yourself2 rounding out your skills and looking for the right
1areer %ath4 At this stage in your 1areer2 you,re 1ertainly mu1h more interested in the
best long(term o%%ortunity4
?ou might also 1ite the 3ob#s$ where you stayed the longest and des1ribe that this ty%e of
situation is what you,re looking for now4
Question 37 'hat do you see as the "ro"er role<mission of.7a good
0#ob title you3re see*ing1> 7a good manager>
7an executive in serving the community> 7a leading com"any in our
industry> etc.
TRAPS: These and other '%ro%er role) -uestions are designed to test your
understanding of your %la1e in the bigger %i1ture of your de%artment2 1om%any2
1ommunity and %rofession=4as well as the %ro%er role ea1h of these entities should %lay
in its bigger %i1ture4
The -uestion is most fre-uently asked by the most thoughtful individuals and
1om%anies=or by those 1on1erned that you,re 1oming from a %la1e with a radi1ally
different 1or%orate 1ulture #su1h as from a big government bureau1ra1y to an aggressive
small 1om%any$4
The most fre-uent mistake e;e1utives make in answering is sim%ly not being %re%ared
#seeming as if they,ve never giving any of this a though4$=or in %hrasing an answer best
suited to their "rior organi5ation,s 1ulture instead of the hiring 1om%any,s4
BEST ANSWER: Think of the most essential ingredients of su11ess for ea1h 1ategory
above ! your 3ob title2 your role as manager2 your firm,s role2 et14
Identify at least three but no more than si; -ualities you feel are most im%ortant to
su11ess in ea1h role4 Then 1ommit your res%onse to memory4
7ere2 again2 the more information you,ve already drawn out about the greatest wants
and needs of the interviewer2 and the more homework you,ve done to identify the 1ulture
of the firm2 the more onLtarget your answer will be4
Question 38 'hat would you say to your boss if he3s cra9y about an
idea! but you thin* it stin*s)
TRAPS: This is another -uestion that %its two values2 in this 1ase loyalty and honesty2
against one another4
BEST ANSWER: Demember the rule stated earlierG In any 1onfli1t between values2
always choose integrity.
Exam"le+ I believe that when evaluating anything2 it,s im%ortant to em%hasi5e the
%ositive4 What do I like about this idea?)
'Then2 if you have reservations2 I 1ertainly want to %oint them out2 as s%e1ifi1ally2
ob3e1tively and fa1tually as I 1an4)
'After all2 the most im%ortant thing I owe my boss is honesty4 If he 1an,t 1ount on me for
that2 then everything else I may do or say 1ould be -uestionable in his eyes4)
'Hut I also want to e;%ress my thoughts in a 1onstru1tive way4 (o my goal in this 1ase would
be to see if my boss and I 1ould make his idea even stronger and more a%%ealing2 so that it
effe1tively over1omes any initial reservation I or others may have about it4)
'8f 1ourse2 if he overrules me and says2 Mno2 let,s do it my way2, then I owe him my full
and enthusiasti1 su%%ort to make it work as best it 1an4)
Question 39 6ow could you have im"roved your career "rogress)
TRAPS: This is another variation on the -uestion2 'If you 1ould2 how would you live your
life over?) Demember2 you,re not going to fall for any su1h invitations to rewrite %erson
history4 ?ou 1an,t win if you do4
BEST ANSWER: ?ou,re generally -uite ha%%y with your 1areer %rogress4 @aybe2 if you
had known something earlier in life #im%ossible to know at the time2 su1h as the
booming growth in a bran1h in your industry=or the 1or%orate downsi5ing that would
%hase out your last 3ob$2 you might have moved in a 1ertain dire1tion sooner4
Hut all things 1onsidered2 you take res%onsibility for where you are2 how you,ve gotten
there2 where you are going=and you harbor no regrets4
Question 4 'hat would you do if a fellow executive on your own
cor"orate level wasn3t "ulling his<her weight7and this was hurting
your de"artment)
TRAPS: This -uestion and other hy%otheti1al ones test your sense of human relations
and how you might handle offi1e %oliti1s4
BEST ANSWER: Try to gauge the %oliti1al style of the firm and be guided a11ordingly4 In
general2 fall ba1k on universal %rin1i%les of effe1tive human relations ! whi1h in the end2
embody the way you would like to be treated in a similar 1ir1umstan1e4
Exam"le+ 'Good human relations would 1all for me to go dire1tly to the %erson and
e;%lain the situation2 to try to enlist his hel% in a 1onstru1tive2 %ositive solution4 If I
sensed resistan1e2 I would be as %ersuasive as I know how to e;%lain the benefits we
1an all gain from working together2 and the %roblems we2 the 1om%any and our
1ustomers will e;%erien1e if we don,t4)
P!SSIBE "!!W#$P Q$ESTI!N: And what would you do if he still did not 1hange
his ways?

ANSWER: '8ne thing I wouldn,t do is let the %roblem slide2 be1ause it would only get
worse and overlooking it would set a bad %re1edent4 I would try again and again and
again2 in whatever way I 1ould2 to solve the %roblem2 involving wider and wider 1ir1les of
%eo%le2 both above and below the offending e;e1utive and in1luding my own boss if
ne1essary2 so that everyone involved 1an see the rewards for teamwork and the
drawba1ks of nonL1oo%eration4)
'I might add that I,ve never yet 1ome a1ross a situation that 1ouldn,t be resolved by
harnessing others in a determined2 1onstru1tive effort4)
Question 41 You3ve been with your firm a long time. 'on3t it be hard
switching to a new com"any)
TRAPS: ?our interviewer is worried that this old dog will find it hard to learn new tri1ks4
BEST ANSWER: To over1ome this ob3e1tion2 you must %oint to the many ways you
have grown and ada%ted to 1hanging 1onditions at your %resent firm4 It has not been a
stati1 situation4 7ighlight the different res%onsibilities you,ve held2 the wide array of new
situations you,ve fa1ed and 1on-uered4
As a result2 you,ve learned to ada%t -ui1kly to whatever is thrown at you2 and you thrive
on the stimulation of new 1hallenges4
To further assure the interviewer2 des1ribe the similarities between the new %osition and
your %rior one4 B;%lain that you should be -uite 1omfortable working there2 sin1e their
needs and your skills make a %erfe1t mat1h4
Question 42 ?ay 2 contact your "resent em"loyer for a reference)
TRAPS: If you,re trying to kee% your 3ob sear1h %rivate2 this is the last thing you want4
Hut if you don,t 1oo%erate2 won,t you seem as if you,re trying to hide something?
BEST ANSWER: B;%ress your 1on1ern that you,d like to kee% your 3ob sear1h %rivate2
but that in time2 it will be %erfe1tly okay4
Exam"le+ '@y %resent em%loyer is not aware of my 3ob sear1h and2 for obvious reasons>
I,d %refer to kee% it that way4 I,d be most a%%re1iative if we ke%t our dis1ussion
1onfidential right now4 8f 1ourse2 when we both agree the time is right2 then by all
means you should 1onta1t them4 I,m very %roud of my re1ord there4
Question 43 Give me an exam"le of your creativity 0analytical s*ill7
managing ability! etc.1
TRAPS: The worst offense here is sim%ly being un%re%ared4 ?our hesitation may seem
as if you,re having a hard time remembering the last time you were 1reative2 analyti1al2
et14
BEST ANSWER: Demember from Question 2 that you should 1ommit to memory a list
of your greatest and most re1ent a1hievements2 ever ready on the ti% of your tongue4
If you have su1h a list2 it,s easy to %resent any of your a1hievements in light of the
-uality the interviewer is asking about4 6or e;am%le2 the smashing su11ess you
or1hestrated at last year,s trade show 1ould be used as an e;am%le of 1reativity2 or
analyti1al ability2 or your ability to manage4

Question 44 'here could you use some im"rovement)
TRAPS: Another tri1ky way to get you to admit weaknesses4 0on,t fall for it4
BEST ANSWER: Jee% this answer2 like all your answers2 %ositive4 A good way to
answer this -uestion is to identify a 1uttingLedge bran1h of your %rofession #one that,s
not essential to your em%loyer,s needs$ as an area you,re very e;1ited about and want to
e;%lore more fully over the ne;t si; months4
Question 45 'hat do you worry about)
TRAPS: Admit to worrying and you 1ould sound like a loser4 (aying you never worry
doesn,t sound 1redible4
BEST ANSWER: Dedefine the word Mworry, so that it does not refle1t negatively on you4
Exam"le+ 'I wouldn,t 1all it worry2 but I am a strongly goalLoriented %erson4 (o I kee%
turning over in my mind anything that seems to be kee%ing me from a1hieving those
goals2 until I find a solution4 That,s %art of my tena1ity2 I su%%ose4)
Question 46 6ow many hours a wee* do you normally wor*)
TRAPS: ?ou don,t want to give a s%e1ifi1 number4 @ake it to low2 and you may not
measure u%4 Too high2 and you,ll forever feel guilty about sneaking out the door at "G1"4
BEST ANSWER: 2f you are in fact a wor*aholic and you sense this com"any would li*e
that+ (ay you are a 1onfirmed workaholi12 that you often work nights and weekends4
?our family a11e%ts this be1ause it makes you fulfilled4
2f you are not a wor*aholic+ (ay you have always worked hard and %ut in long hours4 It
goes with the territory4 It one sense2 it,s hard to kee% tra1k of the hours be1ause your
work is a labor of love2 you en3oy nothing more than solving %roblems4 (o you,re almost
always thinking about your work2 in1luding times when you,re home2 while shaving in the
morning2 while 1ommuting2 et14
Question 47 'hat3s the most difficult "art of being a 0#ob title1)
TRAPS: Fnless you %hrase your answer %ro%erly2 your interviewer may 1on1lude that
whatever you identify as 'diffi1ult) is where you are weak4
BEST ANSWER: 6irst2 redefine 'diffi1ult) to be '1hallenging) whi1h is more %ositive4
Then2 identify an area everyone in your %rofession 1onsiders 1hallenging and in whi1h
you e;1el4 0es1ribe the %ro1ess you follow that enables you to get s%lendid results=
and be s%e1ifi1 about those results4
Exam"le+ 'I think every sales manager finds it 1hallenging to motivate the troo%s in a
re1ession4 Hut that,s %robably the strongest test of a to% sales manager4 I feel this is one
area where I e;1el4)
'When I see the first sign that sales may sli% or that sales for1e motivation is flagging
be1ause of a downturn in the e1onomy2 here,s the %lan I %ut into a1tion immediately=)
#followed by a des1ri%tion of ea1h ste% in the %ro1ess=and most im"ortantly! the
e;1e%tional results you,ve a1hieved4$4

Question 48 The 46y"othetical @roblem.
TRAPS: (ometimes an interviewer will des1ribe a diffi1ult situation and ask2 46ow would
you handle this). (in1e it is virtually im%ossible to have all the fa1ts in front of you from
su1h a short %resentation2 don,t fall into the tra% of trying to solve this %roblem and giving
your verdi1t on the s%ot4 It will make your de1isionLmaking %ro1ess seem woefully
inade-uate4
BEST ANSWER: Instead2 des1ribe the rational2 methodi1al %ro1ess you would follow in
analy5ing this %roblem2 who you would 1onsult with2 generating %ossible solutions2
1hoosing the best 1ourse of a1tion2 and monitoring the results4
Demember2 in all su1h2 4'hat would you do). -uestions2 always des1ribe your "rocess
or wor*ing methods! and you,ll never go wrong4
Question 49 'hat was the toughest challenge you3ve ever faced)
TRAPS: Heing un%re%ared or 1iting an e;am%le from so early in your life that it doesn,t
s1ore many %oints for you at this stage of your 1areer4
BEST ANSWER: This is an easy -uestion if you,re %re%ared4 7ave a re1ent e;am%le
ready that demonstrates eitherG
A -uality most im%ortant to the 3ob at hand> or
A -uality that is always in demand2 su1h as leadershi%2 initiative2 managerial skill2
%ersuasiveness2 1ourage2 %ersisten1e2 intelligen1e2 et14
Question 5 6ave you consider starting your own business)
TRAPS: If you say 'yes) and elaborate enthusiasti1ally2 you 1ould be %er1eived as a
loose 1annon in a larger 1om%any2 too entre%reneurial to make a good team %layer=or
someone who had to settle for the 1or%orate life be1ause you 1ouldn,t make a go of your
own business4
Also too mu1h enthusiasm in answering 'yes) 1ould rouse the %aranoia of a small
1om%any indi1ating that you may %lan to go out on your own soon2 %erha%s taking some
key a11ounts or trade se1rets with you4
8n the other hand2 if you answer 'no2 never) you 1ould be %er1eived as a se1urityL
minded drone who never dreamed a big dream4
BEST ANSWER: Again it,s best toG
Gauge this 1om%any,s 1or%orate 1ulture before answering and=
He honest #whi1h doesn,t mean you have to vividly share your fantasy of the fran1hise or
bedLandLbreakfast you someday %lan to o%en$4
In general2 if the 1or%orate 1ulture is that of a large2 formal2 militaryLstyle stru1ture2
minimi5e any indi1ation that you,d love to have your own business4 ?ou might say2 '8h2 I
may have given it a thought on1e or twi1e2 but my whole 1areer has been in larger
organi5ations4 That,s where I have e;1elled and where I want to be4)
If the 1or%orate 1ulture is 1loser to the freeLwheeling2 everybody,sLaLdealL maker variety2 then
em%hasi5e that in a firm like this2 you 1an virtually get the best of all worlds2 the e;1itement
of seeing your own ideas and %lans take sha%e=1ombined with the

resour1es and stability of a wellLestablished organi5ation4 (ounds like the %erfe1t
environment to you4
In any 1ase2 no matter what the 1or%orate 1ulture2 be sure to indi1ate that any desires
about running your own show are %art of your "ast2 not your %resent or future4
The last thing you want to %ro3e1t is an image of either a dreamer who failed and is now
settling for the 1or%orate 1o1oon=or the restless maveri1k who will fly out the door with
key a11ounts2 1onta1ts and trade se1rets under his arms 3ust as soon as his bankroll has
gotten rebuilt4
Always rememberG @at1h what you want with what the %osition offers4 The more
information you,ve un1overed about the %osition2 the more believable you 1an make your
1ase4
Question 51 'hat are your goals)
TRAPS: Eot having any=or having only vague generalities2 not highly s"ecific goals4
BEST ANSWER: @any e;e1utives in a %osition to hire you are strong believers in goalL
setting4 #It,s one of the reason they,ve a1hieved so mu1h$4 They like to hire in kind4
If you,re vague about your 1areer and %ersonal goals2 it 1ould be a big turnoff to may
%eo%le you will en1ounter in your 3ob sear1h4
He ready to dis1uss your goals for ea1h ma3or area of your lifeG 1areer2 %ersonal
develo%ment and learning2 family2 %hysi1al #health$2 1ommunity servi1e and #if your
interviewer is 1learly a religious %erson$ you 1ould briefly and generally allude to your
s%iritual goals #showing you are a wellLrounded individual with your values in the right
order$4
He %re%ared to des1ribe ea1h goal in terms of s%e1ifi1 milestones you wish to
a11om%lish along the way2 time %eriods you,re allotting for a11om%lishment2 why the goal
is im%ortant to you2 and the s%e1ifi1 ste%s you,re taking to bring it about4 Hut do this
1on1isely2 as you never want to talk more than two minutes straight before letting your
interviewer ba1k into the 1onversation4
Question 52 'hat do you do for when you hire "eo"le)
TRAPS: Heing un%re%ared for the -uestion4
BEST ANSWER: (%eak your own thoughts here2 but for the best answer weave them
around the three most im%ortant -ualifi1ations for any %osition4
:an the %erson do the work #-ualifi1ations$?
Will the %erson do the work #motivation$?
Will the %erson fit in #'our kind of team %layer)$?
Question 53 Sell me this sta"ler70this "encil7 this cloc*7or some
other ob#ect on interviewer3s des*1.
TRAPS: (ome interviewers2 es%e1ially business owners and hardL1hanging e;e1utives
in marketingLdriven 1om%anies2 feel that good salesmanshi% is essential for any key
%osition and ask for an instant demonstration of your skill4 He ready4

BEST ANSWER: 8f 1ourse2 you already know the most im%ortant se1ret of all great
salesmanshi% ! 'find out what "eo"le want! then show them how to get it..
If your interviewer %i1ks u% his sta%ler and asks2 'sell this to me2) you are going to
demonstrate this %roven master %rin1i%le4 6ere3s how+
'Well2 a good salesman must know both his %rodu1t and his %ros%e1t before he sells
anything4 If I were selling this2 I,d first get to know everything I 1ould about it2 all its
features and benefits4)
'Then2 if my goal were to sell it you2 I would do some resear1h on how you might use a
fine sta%ler like this4 The best way to do that is by asking some -uestions4 @ay I ask you
a few -uestions?)
Then ask a few -uestions su1h as2 'Oust out of 1uriosity2 if you didn,t already have a
sta%ler like this2 why would you want one? And in addition to that? Any other reason?
Anything else?)
'And would you want su1h a sta%ler to be reliable?4447old a good su%%ly of sta%les?)
#Ask more -uestions that %oint to the features this sta%ler has4$
8n1e you,ve asked these -uestions2 make your %resentation 1iting all the features and
benefits of this sta%ler and why it,s e;a1tly what the interviewer 3ust told you he,s looking
for4
Then 1lose with2 'Oust out of 1uriosity2 what would you 1onsider a reasonable %ri1e for a
-uality sta%ler like this=a sta%ler you 1ould have right now and would #then re%eat all
the %roblems the sta%ler would solve for him$? Whatever he says2 #unless it,s 5ero$2 say2
'8kay2 we,ve got a deal4)
E8TBG If your interviewer tests you by fighting every ste% of the way2 denying that he
even wants su1h an item2 don3t fight him. Take the %rodu1t away from him by saying2
'@r4 Aros%e1t2 I,m delighted you,ve told me right u%front that there,s no way you,d ever
want this sta%ler4 As you well know2 the first rule of the most %rodu1tive sales%eo%le in
any field is to meet the needs of %eo%le who really need and want our %rodu1ts2 and it
3ust wastes everyone,s time if we try to for1e it on those who don,t4 And I 1ertainly
wouldn,t want to waste your time4 Hut we sell many items4 Is there any %rodu1t on this
desk you would very mu1h like to own=3ust one item?) When he %oints something out2
re%eat the %ro1ess above4 If he knows anything about selling2 he may give you a
standing ovation4
Question 54 4The Salary Auestion. - 6ow much money do you
want)
TRAPS: @ay also be %hrases as2 4'hat salary are you worth).=or2 46ow much are you
ma*ing now). This is your most im%ortant negotiation4 7andle it wrong and you 1an blow
the 3ob offer or go to work at far less than you might have gotten4
BEST ANSWER: 6or ma;imum salary negotiating %ower2 remember these five
guidelinesG
Eever bring u% salary4 9et the interviewer do it first4 Good sales%eo%le sell their %rodu1ts
thoroughly before talking %ri1e4 So should you. @ake the interviewer want you first2 and
your bargaining %osition will be mu1h stronger4
If your interviewer raises the salary -uestion too early2 before you,ve had a 1han1e to
1reate desire for your -ualifi1ations2 "ost"one the -uestion2 saying something like2
'@oney is im%ortant to me2 but is not my main 1on1ern4 8%%ortunity and growth are far
more im%ortant4 What I,d rather do2 if you don,t

mind2 is e;%lore if I,m right for the %osition2 and then talk about money4 Would that be
okay?)
The Q1 rule of any negotiation isG the side with more information wins. After you,ve done
a thorough 3ob of selling the interviewer and it,s time to talk salary2 the se1ret is to get
the em%loyer talking about what he,s willing to %ay before you reveal what you3re willing
to a11e%t4 (o2 when asked about salary2 res%ond by asking2 'I,m sure the 1om%any has
already established a salary range for this %osition4 :ould you tell me what that is?) 8r2
'I want an in1ome 1ommensurate with my ability and -ualifi1ations4 I trust you,ll be fair
with me4 What does the %osition %ay?) 8r2 more sim%ly2 'What does this %osition %ay?)
Jnow beforehand what you,d a11e%t4 To know what,s reasonable2 resear1h the 3ob
market and this %osition for any relevant salary information4 Demember that most
e;e1utives look for a 2/L2"KR %ay boost when they swit1h 3obs4 If you,re grossly
under%aid2 you may want more4
Eever lie about what you 1urrently make2 but feel free to in1lude the estimated 1ost of all
your fringes2 whi1h 1ould well ta1k on 2"L"/K more to your %resent '1ashLonly) salary4
Question 55 The 2llegal Auestion
TRAPS: Illegal -uestions in1lude any regarding your age=number and ages of your
1hildren or other de%endents=marital status=maiden name=religion=%oliti1al
affiliation=an1estry=national origin=birth%la1e=naturali5ation of your %arents2 s%ouse
or 1hildren=diseases=disabilities=1lubs=or s%ouse,s o11u%ation=unless any of the
above are directly related to your "erformance of the #ob. ?ou 1an,t even be asked about
arrests2 though you 1an be asked about convictions4
BEST ANSWER: Fnder the everL%resent threat of lawsuits2 most interviewers are well
aware of these taboos4 ?et you may en1ounter2 usually on a se1ond or third interview2 a
senior e;e1utive who doesn,t interview mu1h and forgets he 1an,t ask su1h -uestions4
?ou 1an handle an illegal -uestion in several ways4 6irst2 you 1an assert your legal right
not to answer4 Hut this will frighten or embarrass your interviewer and destroy any
ra%%ort you had4
(e1ond2 you 1ould swallow your 1on1erns over %riva1y and answer the -uestion straight
forwardly if you feel the answer 1ould hel% you4 6or e;am%le2 your interviewer2 a devout
Ha%tist2 re1ogni5es you from 1hur1h and mentions it4 7ere2 you 1ould gain by talking
about your 1hur1h4
Third2 if you don,t want your %riva1y invaded2 you 1an di%lomati1ally answer the concern
behind the -uestion without answering the -uestion itself4
Exam"le+ If you are over "/ and are asked2 '6ow old are you). you 1an answer with a
friendly2 smiling -uestion of your own on whether there,s a 1on1ern that your age my
affe1t your %erforman1e4 6ollow this u% by reassuring the interviewer that there,s nothing
in this 3ob you 1an,t do and2 in fa1t2 your age and e;%erien1e are the most im%ortant
advantages you offer the em%loyer for the following reasons=
%nother exam"le+ If asked2 4,o you "lan to have children). you 1ould answer2 'I am
wholeheartedly dedi1ated to my 1areer'2 %erha%s adding2 'I have no %lans regarding
1hildren4) #?ou needn,t fear you,ve %ledged eternal 1hildlessness4 ?ou have every right
to 1hange your %lans later4 Get the 3ob first and then en3oy all your o%tions4$

@ost im%ortantly2 remember that illegal -uestions arise from fear that you won,t %erform
well4 The best answer of all is to get the 3ob and %erform brilliantly4 All 1on1erns and
fears will then varnish2 re%la1ed by res%e1t and a%%re1iation for your work4
Question 56 The 4Secret. 2llegal Auestion
TRAPS: @u1h more fre-uent than the Illegal -uestion 0see Auestion BB1 is the sec!et
illegal -uestion4 It,s se1ret be1ause it,s asked only in the interviewer,s mind4 (in1e it,s
not even e;%ressed to you2 you have no way to res%ond to it2 and it 1an there be most
damaging4
Exam"le+ ?ou,re %hysi1ally 1hallenged2 or a single mother returning to your %rofessional
1areer2 or over "/2 or a member of an ethni1 minority2 or fit any of a do5en other
1ategories that do not stri1tly 1onform to the ma3ority in a given 1om%any4
?our interviewer wonders2 'Is this %erson really able to handle the 3ob?)=)Is he or she a
Mgood fit, at a %la1e like ours?)=)Will the 1hemistry ever be right with someone like this?)
Hut the interviewer never raises su1h -uestions be1ause they,re illegal4 (o what 1an you
do?
BEST ANSWER: Demember that 3ust be1ause the interviewer doesn,t ask an illegal
-uestion doesn,t mean he doesn,t have it4 @ore than likely2 he is going to 1ome u% with
his own answer4 (o you might as well hel% him out4
7ow? Well2 you obviously 1an,t res%ond to an illegal -uestion if he hasn,t even asked4
This may well offend him4 And there,s always the 1han1e he wasn,t even 1on1erned
about the issue until you brought it u%2 and only then begins to wonder4
(o you 1an,t address 'se1ret) illegal -uestions head( on. Hut what you 1an do is make
sure there,s enough counterbalancing information to more than reassure him that there,s
no %roblem in the area he may be doubtful about4
6or e;am%le2 let,s say you,re a sales re% who had %olio as a 1hild and you need a 1ane
to walk4 ?ou know your 1ondition has never im%eded your %erforman1e2 yet you,re
1on1erned that your interviewer may se1retly be wondering about your stamina or ability
to travel4 Well2 make sure that you hit these abilities very hard2 leaving no doubt about
your 1a%a1ity to handle them well4
(o2 too2 if you,re in any different from what %asses for 'normal)4 @ake sure2 without in
any way seeming defensive about yourself that you mention strengths2
a11om%lishments2 %referen1es and affiliations that strongly 1ounterbalan1e any
uns%oken 1on1ern your interviewer may have4
Question 57 'hat was the toughest "art of your last #ob)
TRAPS: This is slightly different from the -uestion raised earlier2 4'hat3s the most
difficult "art of being a 0#ob title71. be1ause this asks what you "ersonally have found
most diffi1ult in your last %osition4 This -uestion is more diffi1ult to redefine into
something %ositive4 ?our interviewer will assume that whatever you found toughest may
give you a %roblem in your new %osition4
BEST ANSWER: (tate that there was nothing in your %rior %osition that you found
overly diffi1ult2 and let your answer go at that4 If %ressed to e;%and your answer2 you
1ould des1ribe the as%e1ts of the %osition you en#oyed more than others2 making sure
that you e;%ress ma;imum en3oyment for those tasks most im%ortant to the o%en
%osition2 and you en3oyed least those tasks that are unim%ortant to the %osition at hand4
Question 58 6ow do you define success7and how do you measure
u" to your own definition)
TRAPS: (eems like an obvious enough -uestion4 ?et many e;e1utives2 un%re%ared for
it2 fumble the ball4
BEST ANSWER: Give a wellLa11e%ted definition of su11ess that leads right into your
own stellar 1olle1tion of a1hievements4
Exam"le+ 'The best definition I,ve 1ome a1ross is that su11ess is the %rogressive
reali5ation of a worthy goal4)
'As to how I would measure u% to that definition2 I would 1onsider myself both su11essful
and fortunate=)#Then summari5e your 1areer goals and how your a1hievements have
indeed re%resented a %rogressive %ath toward reali5ation of your goals4$
Question 59 4The :"inion Auestion. - 'hat do you thin* about 7
%bortion7The @resident7The ,eath @enalty70or any other
controversial sub#ect1)
TRAPS: 8bviously2 these and other 'o%inion) -uestions should never be asked4
(ometimes they 1ome u% over a 1ombination dinner<interview when the interviewer has
had a drink or two2 is feeling rela;ed2 and is s%outing off about something that bugged
him in today,s news4 If you give your o%inion and it,s the o%%osite of his2 you won,t
1hange his o%inions2 but you 1ould easily lose the 3ob offer4
BEST ANSWER: In all of these instan1es2 3ust remember the tale about student and the
wise old rabbi4 The s1ene is a seminary2 where an overly serious student is %ressing the
rabbi to answer the ultimate -uestions of suffering2 life and death4 Hut no matter how
hard he %resses2 the wise old rabbi will only answer ea1h diffi1ult -uestion with a
-uestion of his own4
In e;as%eration2 the seminary student demands2 4'hy! rabbi! do you always answer a
uestion with another uestion). To whi1h the rabbi res%onds2 4%nd why not).
If you are ever un1omfortable with any -uestion2 asking a -uestion in return is the
greatest es1a%e hat1h ever invented4 It throws the onus ba1k on the other %erson2
sidetra1ks the dis1ussion from going into an area of risk to you2 and gives you time to
think of your answer or2 even better2 your next uestion5
In res%onse to any of the 'o%inion) -uestions 1ited above2 merely res%onding2 4'hy do you
as*). will usually be enough to dissi%ate any %ressure to give your o%inion4 Hut if your
interviewer again %resses you for an o%inion2 you 1an ask another -uestion4
8r you 1ould assert a generality that almost everyone would agree with4 6or e;am%le2 if
your interviewer is 1om%laining about %oliti1ians then suddenly turns to you and asks if
you,re a De%ubli1an or 0emo1rat2 you 1ould res%ond by saying2 'A1tually2 I,m finding it
hard to find any %oliti1ians I like these days4)
#8f 1ourse2 your best -uestion of all may be whether you want to work for someone
o%inionated4$
Question 6 2f you won CD million lottery! would you still wor*)
TRAPS: ?our totally honest res%onse might be2 46ell! no! are you serious). That might
be so2 but any answer whi1h shows you as fleeing work if given the 1han1e 1ould make

you seem la5y4 8n the other hand2 if you answer2 4:h! 23d want to *ee" doing exactly
what 2 am doing! only doing it for your firm!. you 1ould easily ins%ire your interviewer to
silently mutter to himself2 4Yeah! sure. Gimme a brea*..
BEST ANSWER: This ty%e of -uestion is aimed at getting at your bedro1k attitude about
work and how you feel about what you do4 ?our best answer will fo1us on your %ositive
feelings4
Exam"le+ 'After I floated down from 1loud nine2 I think I would still hold my basi1 belief
that a1hievement and %ur%oseful work are essential to a ha%%y2 %rodu1tive life4 After all2
if money alone bought ha%%iness2 then all ri1h %eo%le would be all ha%%y2 and that,s not
true4
'I love the work I do2 and I think I,d always want to be involved in my 1areer in some
fashion4 Winning the lottery would make it more fun be1ause it would mean having more
fle;ibility2 more o%tions444who knows?)
'8f 1ourse2 sin1e I 1an,t 1ount on winning2 I,d 3ust as soon 1reate my own destiny by
sti1king with what,s worked for me2 meaning good old reliable hard work and a desire to
a1hieve4 I think those -ualities have built many more fortunes that all the lotteries %ut
together4)
Question 61 &oo*ing bac* on your last "osition! have you done your
best wor*)
TRAPS: Tri1ky -uestion4 Answer 4absolutely. and it 1an seem like your best work is
behind you4 Answer2 4no! my best wor* is ahead of me!. and it 1an seem as if you didn,t
give it your all4
BEST ANSWER: To 1over both %ossible %aths this -uestion 1an take2 your answer
should state that you always try to do your best2 and the best of your 1areer is right now4
9ike an athlete at the to% of his game2 you are 3ust hitting your 1areer stride thanks to
several fa1tors4 Then2 re1a% those fa1tors2 highlighting your strongest -ualifi1ations4
Question 62 'hy should 2 hire you from the outside when 2 could
"romote someone from within)
TRAPS: This -uestion isn,t as aggressive as it sounds4 It re%resents the interviewer,s
own dilemma over this 1ommon %roblem4 7e,s %robably leaning toward you already and
for reassuran1e2 wants to hear what you have to say on the matter4
BEST ANSWER: 7el% him see the -ualifi1ations that only you 1an offer4
Exam"le+ 'In general2 I think it,s a good %oli1y to hire from within ! to look outside %robably
means you,re not 1om%letely 1omfortable 1hoosing someone from inside4
'Eaturally2 you want this de%artment to be as strong as it %ossibly 1an be2 so you want
the strongest 1andidate4 I feel that I 1an fill that bill be1ause=#then re1a% your strongest
-ualifi1ations that mat1h u% with his greatest needs$4)

Question 63 Tell me something negative you3ve heard about our
com"any7
TRAPS: This is a 1ommon fishing e;%edition to see what the industry gra%evine may be
saying about the 1om%any4 Hut it,s also a tra% be1ause as an outsider2 you never want to
be the bearer of unflattering news or gossi% about the firm4 It 1an only hurt your 1han1es
and sidetra1k the interviewer from getting sold on you4
BEST ANSWER: Oust remember the rule ! never be negative ! and you,ll handle this
one 3ust fine4
Question 64 :n a scale of one to ten! rate me as an interviewer.
TRAPS: Give a %erfe1t '1/2) and you,ll seem too easy to %lease4 Give anything less than
a %erfe1t 1/2 and he 1ould %ress you as to where you,re being 1riti1al2 and that road
leads downhill for you4
BEST ANSWER: 8n1e again2 never be negative. The interviewer will only resent
1riti1ism 1oming from you4 This is the time to show your %ositivism4
7owever2 don,t give a numeri1al rating4 (im%ly %raise whatever interview style he,s been
using4
If he,s been tough2 say '?ou have been thorough and toughLminded2 the very -ualities
needed to 1ondu1t a good interview4)
If he,s been methodi1al2 say2 '?ou have been very methodi1al and analyti1al2 and I,m
sure that a%%roa1h results in e;1ellent hires for your firm4)
In other words2 %ay him a sin1ere 1om%liment that he can believe be1ause it,s an1hored
in the behavior you,ve 3ust seen4
Good lu1k in your 3ob sear1hP