How to Answer Difficult Interview Questions

The most difficult interview questions are the ones you aren't prepared to answer. So be prepared! Anticipate that there WILL be difficult questions.

Often, these questions fall into these categories.

1) Questions you wish won't be asked because you haven't come to terms with or become comfortable with the answers. These include "why did you leave your last job?" when you were laid off or fired, "why are you interested in this field?" when you really want to change fields because you hated your last one, "what did you like least about your old job?" when you hated your old boss and are tempted to bash him or her. If you don't exactly match the job description requirements, it can be tricky to explain why you are still the best candidate.

The best preparation for handling these questions is rehearsing the answers with someone else, until you are comfortable - honest and not defensive or attacking. An interview is not the place to criticize a former employer, ever. Figure out how to phrase things in a positive way, as in "this situation was challenging and I realized that I would be able to contribute much more in a role similar to this one."

If you can, return the focus to the job for which you're interviewing. I was fired and had to develop an answer that indicated that I was not to blame, that it was run-of-the-mill organizational politics, and besides, I'd accomplished all I intended there, so it was actually a good time to leave and find something that offered me new challenges, such as this job.

2) Salary questions also can be difficult. A good thing to say is "I'm hoping to make between $X and $Y, and of course am flexible because I really would like to work at this organization." $X is your “live with” number and $Y is your “want to have” number. Your “live with” number is usually lower than your "want to have number" - it is the number you need to live with yourself. With this pay, you can meet your basic needs and then some; you can look yourself in the eye; you will not have a resentment about your pay; and, you will stay at this job for a reasonable period of time (1-4 years) before looking again.

An alternate response is "I'm sure we can come to a mutually agreeable number if this job is the right fit for me and I'm right for you. I don't want money to stand in the way of my getting this job, so perhaps we can continue talking and see whether this is the right fit." If they don't love this answer, use answer number one.

3) "What's your biggest weakness?" is always tricky to answer, as is "what's the most difficult work challenge you've faced and overcome?" It's best to thread in a little self-deprecating humor there - if you say you have no weaknesses, the interview will think you're arrogant or blind to yourself.

On weaknesses, I like to say "weaknesses depend on the job, of course - I'd like to think I have none but of course I have some! I find myself apt to give people more time to prove themselves on the job when it might be better to let them go." To me, that is a real weakness cloaked in kindness. Then I add "so I've learned to establish very clear monthly benchmarks at the beginning of their employment. That way, I can tell very quickly if someone is or is not going to work out." That's the trick - to follow up any discussion of a weakness with a description of how you have learned to compensate for it.

Regarding your biggest work challenge, choose a story where you succeeded when there were odds stacked against you (e.g. tight time frame, few staff or other resources, external partners or circumstances you had no control over). Rehearse telling this story until you can tell it in about 4 or 5 sentences: Here was the goal, here were the circumstances, here's what I did about them, and here was the successful outcome.

4) "Tell me three words that describe you" is another fun one to prepare for, as is "what would one of your employees tell me about your management style?" That last one was one of my favorites, because it asked people to step outside of their own perspective and look a bit more objectively at themselves.

For both, be prepared with responses that fit with your skills and personality in a positive way, and that correspond somewhat with the job. In a vacuum, my three words are "kind," "smart" and "high integrity." Employees would describe me as "fair," "great leader," and "inspiring."

5) Questions clearly related to the specific employer. Perhaps they ask you to respond to an imaginary scenario and tell them what you would do in that situation. The response clearly should involve some knowledge of the company, but you might not have gone through the website in enough depth.

Maintain Your Composure
When an interviewer asks you a question you didn't expect, there's no need to panic - you know the answer. All you need to do is give yourself some time to remember the answer and formulate the beginning of your answer. Here are some tactics that buy you time, giving your brain a chance to quickly come up with an answer. (Plus each of these tactics has some added benefit.)

* Pause before answering if you are unsure of the answer

* Say "that's a great question" (Saying "great question" flatters them and people like that subliminally even if they think they are cynical about it.)

* Repeat the question back to them "so you're wondering if I _____________" and wait for
them to nod or say yes (Repeating the question mirrors them back to themselves, makes them feel smart, AND makes them feel like you were really listening to them.)

* Use the question as the beginning of your answer. For example, if the person asks "tell me about a time you had to organize a project in a short time frame," you say "An example of when I organized a project that had a short time frame is..." (Repeating the question or using it in your answer focuses YOU and your brain on the question and helps you come up with an appropriate answer.)

Take a pause after you have answered the question - in two to five sentences max - to see if the interviewer has a followup question. I call it "the pause that refreshes."

If you're not sure you've adequately answered the question, STOP TALKING. Say "I hope I've answered your question" or "Have I answered your question?" The interviewer will either say yes or no. If s/he says "no," they will then clarify what they wanted you to tell them.

Finally: Remember to breathe.

What Kind of Work Do You Want?

If you are just discovering what you really want to do for work, you are not alone. According to this article on hreonline.com, most people learn what they want they want to do "when they grow up" when they are grown up.

In a survey conducted by British independent education foundation Edge, less than one-third (31 percent) of respondents said they found what they are good at in the classroom. Instead, they discovered their career talent through their first job (26 percent), later in their careers (25 percent), through work experience (18 percent) or through a hobby (15 percent).

That is great news for all the people I know who wonder why they are unhappy in their current work or why they want to change careers or fields. It's normal! That is what happens for we human beings. We do something, gain experience and gather information. Then we process that information in light of our feelings:

* Am I happy doing this?

* Does this work make me smile?

* Is this work fun? Do I like it?

* Am I engaged in and challenged by my work?

* Do I enjoy doing this day after day?

* Is it satisfying my need to feel productive, useful, effective and creative?

* When I do this work, do I feel like myself?

* Is it easy to jump out of bed? Do I look forward to going to work?

* Do I feel good about myself in this work?

* Am I growing in and through this job or career?

If the answer to some or all of these questions is "no," this is good news! It means you are ready to identify what you DO want to do for work. And there IS something you love to do. Just as there are clothes that fit us better, so too are there jobs that fit us better.

Freud said that love and work are the two main tasks of a human being. Others say "love and service" - service being how we help others. And most often that can be done via a job.

There are many tools available for you to uncover what you love to do and can do for work. I have a free e-book you can get as one way to start on your path to your "right fit work." To get it, follow the instructions in my post of November 10, 2009.

You Didn't Get the Job You Wanted

I'm disappointed for you! And I completely understand that you are feeling discouraged. It's a normal part of the job search process.

What does it mean to not get a job you want? I've come to see that it means a) it wasn't the right job for me and I can be grateful I was spared the agony of a bad fit; and b) the right job is on its way and is that much closer. The fact that you got an interview, and you did so well in the first interview that you got a second interview - it means that you are pretty clear on what you want and very close to getting it.

So "courage, ma amie!" as they say in French. I encourage you to allow yourself some down time - an hour perhaps - and then to look critically at the job itself and see what wasn't quite the right fit for you. That will help us focus more clearly on what you really want. And your clarity will help the right job appear.

Personal SWOT Analysis

I'm an inveterate planner. It's one of the best skills I learned through my decades in the non-profit sector. I planned everything: programs, hiring processes, budgets, and organizational strategic direction.

Planning is the means by which I mapped out HOW to get to my GOAL, and WHAT I needed to do and assemble along the way. Usually, I planned with others in a team. We started with some vision of our desired outcome, and then made a plan to get us from where we were at that moment in time to our desired end state.

However, planning was more than simply the process of creating a map. Planning allowed me to enroll others into sharing the vision and joining the team. It helped everyone learn how they did and could contribute to reaching the goal. Planning taught people how to plan, thereby enhancing their effectiveness in every area of their work lives and perhaps also their personal life.

Today, I apply my planning skills, methods, and tools to my own life, and help others do the same. For example, today I talked to someone about doing a SWOT analysis on herself. These are the questions I suggested.

Strengths - What are my strengths? What am I really good at? What are my talents? What skills do I have that I love using? What makes me happiest? Where do I feel best about myself? Doing what? When? With whom?

Weaknesses: What am I not so great at? What don't I like doing? What do I wish someone else could take care of for me? How's my attitude? Am I asking for help?

Opportunities: What exists in the outside world that could help me realize my dreams and achieve my goals? Who do I know? What kind of information is out there for me to gather? What networks could I join? Are there opportunities for me to develop my skills, to discover my talents, to build my confidence, to feel more hopeful and positive? What can I do to give value to others, to be of service? Am I willing to leave no stone unturned in my quest?

Threats: Are there things in the external environment that could upset my plans or hopes? Have I put too much emphasis on one or two options? Do I know as much as I can about myself and my abilities? Do I have ideas and negative thoughts that could trip me up?

The point is to identify those attributes, beliefs, thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes that I can a) capitalize on (S); b) compensate for in some way (W); c) maximize (O); and d) minimize (T).

Reference Checks

Great news! You've made it through the interview process and now your prospective new employer wants to check your references.

Reference checks are a little complex these days. Many employers no longer permit their employees to give any kind of verbal reference, instead directing inquiries to the Human Resources Department. And HR is only able to verify dates and terms of employment (e.g. full-time, part-time, contract worker). This presumably protects the employer from potential lawsuits by former employees who claim they didn't get a job because of a bad reference. About the only thing a prospective employer can find out is whether you told the truth on your resume and/or application.

Nonetheless, employers continue to ask for references in the hopes that they will get a live person willing and able to talk about you. Fair or not, it may be a red flag to them if you can't name even one person willing to go out on a limb to give you a substantive recommendation. After all, a positive reference would not result in litigation. Therefore, the reasoning goes, you must be a poor employee or colleague if you can't get at least one person to say nice things about you.

Collect at least three references, people you know will give you a great recommendation. Preferably, these people are former supervisors and close colleagues. If you have a lengthy work history, I recommend identifying two supervisors and one close colleague. If you're relatively new to the work world, you can list a former professor and a supervisor from a summer job or internship, plus a current colleague. At more senior levels, it's great to have four or more potential references. Then you can include current colleagues from other companies.

You'll need to do a few things to make sure your reference list is in top shape.

First, make sure you ask each potential reference if they are willing to serve as such. Nothing is worse than someone being surprised by a call from a recruiter. Here's why: It's presumptuous on your part to assume they are willing to be positive about you or give a reference at all. What if they aren't allowed to give references? Recruiters know if someone is surprised, and will immediately give you major demerits for behaving unprofessionally. In addition, the person should have a chance to think about what they might say about you.

Second, it's a good idea to reconnect with references every time you seek a job even if they've agreed to do so in the past. Alert them that someone will be calling to get a reference from her so they are aware and can start thinking of what to say. Plus, you can chat a bit about the position and why you want it, subtly emphasizing the things you want them to say. You also can tell them you want to make sure you are giving the correct contact information.

Third, put the list in writing. Make a Word document that lists each reference by name, gives their current title and employer (if they are working), identifies the nature of your relationship and length of time the person knows you (e.g. direct supervisor at XYZ Company for 4 years), and provides current contact information (preferably a telephone number). If you save it on your hard drive, you can e-mail it or print it out as needed, as well as update it.

November 12for12K Challenge is Tweetsgiving!

Join a global expression of gratitude on YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Posterous and blogs within the 48 hours of Tweetsgiving (11/24 - 11/26).

The goal of Tweetsgiving is twofold: 1) Create a viral expression of gratitude and 2) raise $10,000 in two days for a fantastic yet struggling school in Tanzania.

Tweetsgiving is a chance for all of us to express thanks for whatever we’re thankful for. It could be a new job, overcoming an illness, awakening to something within your life, chocolate chip cookies – anything at all!

Your gift will make your gratitude tangible. I've already made a donation in gratitude for my wonderful nieces and nephew, because I don't know if I'll remember during Tweetsgiving. You don't have to wait until then to make a gift.

The money raised will go to support a primary school in Tanzania. Epic Change and its local partner Kamptoni will build a technology lab at the same school in Arusha where Tweetsgiving helped build a classroom last year. The Tumblr site shows great photos, student comments, and tweets about the classroom's impact and kids' hopes, dreams and struggle. It's very moving.

From the Tweetsgiving site: Epic Change launched the original TweetsGiving celebration in November 2008 as a 48-hour celebration of gratitude and giving that successfully raised over $10,000 to build a classroom in Arusha, Tanzania. Epic Change invested the funds to build a classroom at a school founded by Tanzanian Epic Change fellow “Mama Lucy” Kamptoni, a woman who used to sell chickens and used her income to build a school that now serves over 300 children near her home in Arusha. In this classroom built from gratitude, the Twitter handles of donors are now painted on the walls.

THERE's MORE! A donor has pledged matching funds! So all we need are 500 people to donate $10 each to reach $5000; the matching funds will bring the Tweetsgiving donation to $10,000. We also could use 100 people donating $50... And raising more than $10,000 would provide funds for a dormitory/orphanage, library, school cafeteria and additional classrooms.

Epic Change believes that people's stories are assets that can be used as resources to improve their lives. We help people in need share their "epic" true stories in innovative, creative and profitable ways to help them acquire the financial resources they need to create positive "change" in their communities. "We help hopeful people in need share their stories to acquire resources that will improve their lives."

Now Available! Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love

Now available is my e-book Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love.

The guide is like having me coach you through your job search process. You will follow the same step-by-step process I use with people who get the jobs they really want.

Your "Right Fit" Job is based on two main premises.

The first is that you can get work you really love to do. If you're already searching for work, you know that job search is a long and sometimes painful slog. I say that if you are already working hard, you might as well devote that energy to getting the best possible outcome.

That leads to the second premise: job search is essentially a marketing campaign, where you are the "product" and the specific kind of work is your "market." Successful marketers know their product and target market really well. Using Your "Right Fit" Job, you will get to know yourself extremely well, including your "core value proposition" - what you offer employers that is unique to you and very valuable to them. You also will know what kind of job or work you want - where and how you will do your best work and be happiest. Being very specific will help you find a job.

Then I will help you develop really effective marketing materials (resume, cover letter, 5-second intention statement aka "elevator speech")and a networking strategy to help you get interviews. The guide gives great advice on how to handle interviews, especially difficult questions. I also include suggestions for how to battle "job search fatigue."

I believe that when you do your "right fit" work, you will be happy at work. And when you're happy at work, you'll be happier in life. Use Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love to direct your job search efforts most effectively and find the "right fit" for you.

To get your FREE copy of Your "Right Fit" Work, put your e-mail contact information in the comment section. It won't show up on the blog; I moderate comments so have to view it first. I promise not to publish it on this blog, but simply to use it to send you your copy of my e-book. I'll be offering it FREE until December 31, 2009, so make sure you get yours now.