10 Tough Interview Questions and How to Answer Them.

Business is a game, and the interview is one way to prove how well you play. Tough questions are par for the course and learning how to answer them takes planning and preparation. According to Richard Bayer, chief operating officer of the Five O’Clock Club, the country’s premier career coaching and outplacement company, “Hiring managers are often less interested in what candidates say than in the way they handle themselves.”

Bayer advises job-hunters to be prepared and have the right attitude. Hiring managers will sense your self-confidence and you will be less likely to ramble or grope for words when they ask the tough questions.

Bayer has a list of the 10 toughest interview questions Five O’Clock Club members have been asked. Here’s how he suggests you respond:

Tell me about yourself?

Be succinct. Don’t delve into every job on your resume and waste the interviewer’s time with details that don’t apply to the position at hand. Have a two-minute summary or “pitch” ready that includes highlights of your career history and key accomplishments pegged to the job under discussion. Talk candidly about the qualifications, strengths and hands-on experience that make you the best candidate for the job. Don’t expect hiring managers to connect the dots on your resume. If you have a conclusion you’d like them to reach, tell them what it is.

Why didn’t you finish college?

Stay positive. It’s not a good idea to say: “I couldn’t decide on a major,” or “My mother died and I had to help out,” or “My grades were so bad, I didn’t think I’d pass.” It’s better to say: “I’m someone who likes to be where the action is. I love computer animation. I took a few courses, but I wanted to get out there and make things happen. And, that’s exactly what my bosses have said about me. I’m someone who is pro-active and results-oriented.”

How long have you been unemployed? What is this gap in your resume?

Be creative. If you’ve been unemployed for six months or more, and answer this question honestly, it’s unlikely you’ll get very far. The solution is to think about what you’ve done during this time period, and build a story around these activities. Here are a few examples: I helped a friend develop a new business; I coordinated a lunch program at a local nursing home, I volunteered as a reading tutor at my old elementary school. One client had to deal with the sudden death of a parent and spent two years addressing the accounting and legal issues surrounding the estate. When we put that on his resume, it added a positive note to his background. You can’t ignore gaps in your career history. Find something honest to say and make it relevant to the job you are applying for.

Tell me about the worst boss you’ve ever had?

Be wary. Don’t be sucked in by this question. You can sabotage an interview by revealing too much about a previous situation. If you say that your boss never had time for you, they’ll wonder why you needed so much attention. If you say he or she was too demanding, they might think you can’t manage you’re time. If you say he or she yelled and screamed, they’ll wonder what you did to make your boss so angry. A good comeback is: “I’ve really been lucky. I’ve learned something from every one of my bosses. There were some I disagreed with over strategic issues and others whose style was different from mine, but I can honestly say that each boss taught me a valuable lesson that has made me a better manager.”

What are your weaknesses?

Be strategic: Some people are comfortable saying: I don’t have any work-related weaknesses. My bosses have always been pleased with my performance. Some hiring managers feel you are more human … and honest … if you do reveal some weakness. But, never pick something that pertains directly to the job. If you are applying for a job in customer service, don’t say “Some times I get impatient or short-tempered because I want to get the job done.” That will reveal that you don’t have good listening skills. If you’re making a transition to a managerial position, don’t say, “I’m very hands-on; I like to roll up my sleeves and pitch in.” A hiring manager might decide you won’t able to delegate. If you name a weakness, show how you’ve dealt with it, such as: “If there’s one area I could improve, it would be my computer skills. In fact, I just registered for a refresher course next month at my local college.”

What are your strengths?

Be specific: Don’t simply say, “I’m organized, dependable and honest. They won’t remember your strengths unless you give an example to illustrate each one. For instance, “I’m very organized. I was asked to straighten out a library of 3,000 boxes of files. Within three months, everyone in the department could find anything they wanted.”

What are you looking for?

Have something in mind. It takes a lot of thinking to be ready for this. Nothing turns off interviewers more than candidates who don’t know what they want. It’s not a good idea to say, “I’m not sure” or to speak in generalities like “I’m looking for a position that excites me.” Be prepared to name the kinds of positions you think would be appropriate for you and talk persuasively about the kind of things you can do for the company.

How would you handle this?

Think before you speak: The interviewer describes a problem situation and asks you how you would handle it. You can’t think that quickly.

“I’d have to give it some thought,” is one way to delay answering it. Then, come back to it later in the interview or in the “thank-you” note you send after the interview. Another approach is to say: “I’m been up against problems like this before and give an example of something you did in a similar situation that would demonstrate your ability to handle a complex or difficult situation. The important thing to remember is not to answer the question on the spot, but to divert attention from it, get the conversation back on track and maintain a positive attitude.

What is your current salary or what are you looking to earn?

Delay answering. The most important strategy is to postpone the discussion of salary until you get an offer. And remember, the person who names a number first is in a weak position.

What questions do you have for us?

Do your homework. Always have four or five questions ready. Jot them down on a note pad or index cards you carry with you to the interview. Integrate the questions into the conversation. Then when the interviewer asks if you have any questions, check your notes and say, “No thanks, we’ve covered them all.” This lets the hiring manager know you prepared for the interview.

For more information at http://www.FiveOClockClub.com