A sample thank you letter that you use after an interview, as a guideline or template, will save you a lot of time when preparing this type of correspondence. Since you’ll prepare it before the job interview when you are not nervous and have a clear head, the letter will really increase your chances of making or reinforcing a good impression.
Trying using this for your own uses.
Date
Name
Company
Address
City
State
Zip
Dear Name,
I enjoyed the chance to visit with you in your office today concerning career opportunities with ABC Company. After discussing the future of the company I am convinced that I can make a positive contribution, and believe our association could be mutually beneficial.
I was especially impressed with the information you provided concerning expansion into other markets and a need for an invigorated marketing effort. With my background in advertising and insurance sales and experience as a carnival promoter, I believe I have a lot to offer.
ABC Company has an outstanding reputation in the field and is the type of organization I wish to associate myself with. I pride myself on being an outstanding salesman and promotional specialist, and look forward to a chance to make a positive contribution during this period of growth.
If I can provide any more information that would be of assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to call me at the phone number listed above, or email me if that is more convenient. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Again, thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
John J. Doe.
Using this sample letter will save you time and lead to more second interviews and more job offers. However, if your field is not sales or marketing it may not be perfectly suited to your needs. It should be easy to analyze the thank you letter and see which sentences and paragraphs can be changed to make it fit your needs and your profession. With modern word processing software you can customize one version, and then copy the file and make another letter geared towards a different type of job completely. For instance, if there are three or four types of jobs you would consider then creating a thank you letter for each is probably a good idea. The same of course is true with your cover letter and resume. Different versions for different types of jobs, emphasizing different aspects of your skills and experience will make you more versatile. If, however, you are determined to pursue only one type of job, then you obviously need only one sample letter, one type of cover letter and one type of resume. This is a personal choice and you are the only person who knows exactly what job would be best suited for you and if there is more than one type you’d consider.
A Sample Interview Thank You Letter
A Closer Look At Two Interview Questions
A job interview is stressful. The person who hasn’t made a lot of changes isn’t practiced at what is involved (nor should they want to be), and the person who has made a lot of changes doesn’t have any idea as to what’s involved either, or they wouldn’t be making so many changes!
Preparing for the interview de-stresses the situation considerably. Yet, 78% of all candidates - regardless of the level for which they are interviewing - wing it! And frequently cause themselves to be weeded out in the process.
Like so much of the interview, seemingly innocent questions can trip you up. You think you are answering them in a way that puts you in the best light, but you'd be surprised at how many people completely miss the boat. Merely to hope an interview has a positive result is not enough. That's basically forfeiting your ability to drive up the percentage of a positive outcome.
For instance, in response to the question, "Why do you want to work here?" some people will say things such as:
"I've worked in this industry for 15 years and been very successful. I feel I can make a difference in your organization. I have a proven track record of leadership. I've read in the paper that your company is having some problems, and with my experience as a Director of XXXXX, I can help straighten those out."
That answer may sound good and appear to suffice, but on a scale of 1 - 10, it ranks about a 4!
Why? The answer shows no research, no thought, no consideration. It sounds stock and could suffice for any number of companies. Overall, unimpressive.
In my experience as a recruiter, I've found that while mid level management tends to UNDERanswer the question, upper level management will often OVERanswer the question. One group doesn't provide enough information because of a limited lack of experience. The other group has been around, worked their way up the ladder in more than one company, and in their attempt to sound thoughtful, intelligent, and wise, end up saying very little at all.
Let's look closer.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK HERE?
Here's where you get to show off your research. Tell the interviewer what you've learned about the company, and why it's appealing to you. SPECIFICS are the key here.
Relate those specific examples from your experience to what you've learned about the company, their focus, and their market. Look to your personality and what motivates you and how that relates to any details you learned from the ad, your recruiter, your friend who referred you, or from where you learned of this opportunity.
For instance, perhaps their ad stated that they were looking to establish a marketing department from ground up. If you thrive on growth, challenges, making things happen - there's your answer - along with examples of how you have grown, established, or done market research in a parallel situation.
And you might ask, "What if it's not a high profile company? What if it's on the small side and local?" Right. Not every company is the size of General Electric or even a regional public powerhouse that you can look up in Dun & Bradstreet.
But most librarians are more than willing to help you find any information that might be present in any of their research books. Local newspapers may have done stories on the company, and the library would have those too. And these days, most companies have a website.
Share what you can do and why you feel you can make a contribution and benefit the company. This question is about how YOU can benefit the company, not how the company can benefit YOU.
TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF
Some interviews are lost right at this point. This is not an invitation to go on ad nauseum about everything that has happened to you since you were five years old or since your first job out of college. Nor is it the time to shrug your shoulders and give an unplanned, one-sentence answer.
Some people, especially those who haven't prepared and have a tendency to talk when they get nervous, find themselves rambling. Put together a nice little 2 - 3 minute verbal bio about your career, your qualifications, and why you are interested. Know what you're going to say in advance.
A FEW POINTS TO REMEMBER
In recruiting we used to say, "'A' candidates for 'A' companies, 'B' candidates for 'B' companies and 'C' candidates for 'C' companies," and a 'B' candidate is not only some one who's talents and track record is only so-so, it's also an 'A' candidate whose poor interviewing skills MAKE him a 'B.'
Knowing who you are, what you want, what you have to offer and what you've accomplished - and having it all on the tip of your tongue - can make or break you for a job offer - not just for your perfect job, but sometimes for even finding ANY job.
Being able to sell yourself, your skills, how you can benefit a potential company and then being able to close the deal necessitates taking the time to research and learn the company. It means knowing yourself well enough that you can apply aspects of your capabilities to the individual facts and details of that INDIVIDUAL company - and that you can do it smoothly without groping for words or just winging it.
And last, but not least, the words of Peter Handal of Dale Carnegie Training, echo the importance of interview preparation, including what strikes most people as silly - role playing. But as he said, "you only have one chance to make a really good impression," and if you don't take it seriously enough to study and thoroughly prepare, someone else will, and that's the person who will get the job!
Do your homework before EVERY interview! There's no chance to make a second good impression!
Another Chance to Shine – Following Up on the Interview
The interview follow up letter can make or break your chances of becoming hired. For that reason it should become an essential part of your job hunting tool box, right in there with the other tools you use: resume, cover letter, thank you note, reference sheet and salary history.
Think of the letter as a second chance. Some people don’t interview in person as well as they can write. Living up to the standards your resume set for you may be difficult. If that is the case, then the interview follow up letter will improve your appearance after the fact. Other people interview well in person, and are able to use this letter to reemphasize key points discussed with the hiring manager, and remind the hiring manager of the good points about the applicant. In either case the interview follow up letter is essential and if prepared properly will help the applicant get the job.
The following sample interview follow up letter gives an idea of what should be included.
The time I spent interviewing with you today gave me a clear picture of your organization’s operation as well as your work environment. I want to thank you for the thorough picture you painted of your organizational needs.
I left our meeting feeling very enthusiastic about the scope of the position as well as its close match to my abilities. I believe the key strengths that I can offer you are:
• Experience in dealing with people of all types and backgrounds through my life experience, education and training.
• Proven ability to operate a business at a profit, supervise and train personnel, facilitate activities to improve morale and cash flow, and interact successfully with both staff and customers.
• Excellent communication skills—particularly the ability to gain feedback and summarize succinctly.
With my energetic work style, strong people skills and attention to detail, I believe that I am an excellent match for this position. I welcome a chance to meet with you further to elaborate on my background and possibilities of future association.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to meeting with you soon.
Sincerely,
John Doe
You’ll notice that it is written in a positive and upbeat style. In sales, many successful salesmen assume the close. This does essentially that. The applicant in writing this letter is controlling the conversation and steering it towards positive attributes that he or she possesses, which would make the applicant appear valuable to the company. In addition, by using an interview follow up letter an applicant is “walking the walk as well as talking the talk” simply because most applicants fail to use an interview follow up letter after an interview. Using a letter like this shows that the applicant is conscientious, thoughtful, intelligent, and just the kind of person the company needs. Using an interview follow up letter will lead to more job offers and more jobs.
Ace a Job Interview
If you are job hunting and want to land a great opportunity it is extremely important to ace the job interview. While a job resume is important to get you into the door, in order to get the job of your dreams, you must first ace the job interview. Here are some tips on doing well with the interview process.
A job interview is for the employer to meet with you to make sure you have the skills necessary to perform the job competently and also make sure that your personality will be a great fit with the company. If you want to impress your interviewers there are a few things to remember. The top three things to remember is to be prepared to ask and answer questions, dress appropriately, and show off your personality in the best light as possible.
Many people don’t come prepared for the job interview. They don’t know what they will be asked and they don’t have any questions to show the interviewer that they know about the company or that they are interested in the job that they will be asked to perform..
It is also important to dress properly. Many times people are dressed so inappropriately that the interviewer makes a negative first impression. If you have any doubts on your dress, change your outfit. It is also important to be personable. You don’t have to be the life of the party, but show the interviewer that you are a positive person that is responsible. Nobody wants to interview a negative or combative person. So in order to ace your job interview, follow the above tips.
More informations are available at http://www.business-00.info/careers-employment/
13 Resume Blunders That Can Cost You The Interview
Judi Perkins,
contributing career writer for JamminJobs.com
1. A BLAND OR GENERIC OBJECTIVE: If your objective could be applied to a marketing resume as easily as a resume for an accounting position, then your objective says nothing and will get you nowhere. An objective is NOT some required paragraph at the top of the page that is an exercise in 5 lines of job speak. It's an actual and real description of your skills as they're related to who you are and what you want. It should vary with the type of job for which you are applying.
2. BLAND JOB DETAILS: "Responsibilities included overseeing construction of 4 Hilton Hotels in Tri-City Metro Area, each 50 floors in height." Yeah? So what? That doesn't say if they went up on schedule or if you brought the projects in under budget. It doesn't say if you took all four from site work up or if the guy handling two of the four hotels was fired and you were promoted to overseeing all four. Differentiate yourself from the others coming in to interview. If you don't tell the hiring company how you will be an asset to them, how will they know?
3. WHO'S THE MYSTERY COMPANY?: Don't assume the name and purpose of your company is common knowledge. If it's a competitor, it might be, and if it's in the same industry and located nearby, it might be. To be on the safe side, provide a sentence or two about the focus of your company's products or services.
4. ANOTHER JOB, ANOTHER PARAGRAPH: Don't keep adding on to your resume job after job, year after year. By the time you're in your 40s, you need to have weeded out some of the earlier stuff. You don't need all the college activities, just your degree. You don't need ALL 5 bullets for each of your first two jobs.
5. REFERENCES: Shouldn't be listed on your resume. "References available on request" is the proper phrase. You present them separately when they're requested. This isn't about protocol. This is about protecting your references so they aren't called until you and the company are serious about each other.
6. IT'S NOT A STORY!: Don't - whatever you do, DON'T - write your resume in the third person!
7. SKIP THE PERSONAL INFO: You might think your weekend baseball coaching or your church choir participation shows you're an interesting and well-rounded person, but they're irrelevant. If the interviewer wants to know who you are as a person, aside from the job interview and your qualifications, he'll ask.
8. DEGREE DATE: No matter how old you are, don't leave the date of when you were graduated off your resume. It looks like you're hiding something (well, you are, aren't you?), and then everyone counts the years backwards and tries to figure out how old you are. Sometimes you can be ruled out - just for leaving the date off. If you're trying to hide your age by not stating the date, what else might you not be forthcoming about?
9. SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK: Spell checking visually by you AND someone else, any fewer than three times, isn't enough. And don't forget to check your punctuation.
10. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part one: Don't use one of those resume blaster things. Half of those sites they blast it to aren't even valid. You don't know how it will come out on the other end. You don't even know where it's going or if the landing targets are employment related. It's bad form and just....NOT the way to find your perfect job. Finding your perfect job takes focus, attention, detail, individuality, tailoring, specifics. Resume blasting is about as far from that as you can get.
11. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part two: If it's an ad, you probably have instructions as to how to send it. If it says email, cut and paste it in the form, AND attach it. You never know what it can look like on the other end because of the variety of settings available to each user. Quite frankly, you're better off not emailing it at all, because it usually just goes into cyber space, and then it's all about the hiring company - but unfortunately, besides not sending it at all, sometimes that's your only choice. Emailing your resume takes any option for further participation right out of your hands, because often there's not even a name given for a follow up contact. You've no other option than to wait and wonder. (And half the time it's going to HR or an admin department to be scanned into an electronic database.)
12. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part three: If you know the company, call and ask if they prefer email, fax, or snail mail. I know a recruiter who never even opened his email. Because he was listed in The Kennedy Guide to Executive Recruiters, he received so many resumes emailed to him cold (so NOT pro-active) that he just did a mass delete every morning. Candidates contacted for a specific search were requested to snail mail their resume to him. How about that? I'll bet less than 10% of those who emailed their resumes even bothered to follow up to see if it was received (this isn't a numbers game).
13. RESUME VISUALS: Ivory paper. Black ink. Individual pages. No plastic, 7th grade, science report cover with the plastic slider or metal push down tabs. Your name centered at the top, not on a cover page that says "Introducing Clifton Lewis Montgomery III". No exceptions. Your resume is a professional document, not a school book report or an art project. Until every resume is done this way, yours will still stand out in the crowd.
You are the product, and your resume is the marketing piece. To find your perfect job you must differentiate yourself from the other people who will be interviewed.
Your resume must be specific, individualized, easy to skim so it invites a closer reading, and focused on the differences you've made with your previous companies, as well as the accomplishments you've achieved with - and for - them. This tells the hiring company what you can do for them - and it IS about the hiring company, not you.
Of course this assumes you meet the requirements for the job - otherwise it doesn't matter how good your resume is! The resume is what gets you in the door. If your resume is poorly written, looks sloppy, is difficult to read, is cryptic in any way, or necessitates being slogged through to learn your information (they won't bother), you won't even get in the door.
And how can you decide whether you like the company, if they've already decided they don't like you?
copyright: Judi Perkins, VisionQuest
8 Great Interview questions to help you find the right Candidate
1) Do you have written goals you want to accomplish and if so, tell me about them? You are looking for indications of maturity, focus, planning ability and desire for achievement.
2) How did you earn your first paycheck, how old were you, and what did you do with the money? With this question you are probing to check their work ethic.
3) What are the top three leadership traits that you look for in a manager? With this question you are attempting to gauge their expectation and ascertain their preferred management style.
4) Have you ever failed at something and if so, why did you fail and what did you learn from the experience? This question lends itself to a discussion on resiliency, personal responsibility and tendencies under pressure.
5) Everyone has strengths and weaknesses as employees. What are your strong points for this position? This question gives them the opportunity to tell you what assets they bring to the table and how they see themselves fitting into your organization.
6) What is the one thing you would improve about yourself? This question gives you an indication of his or her self- assessment capability.
7) Other than family members, who has been the greatest influence in your life and why?
8) If you were to fail in this business, what do you think the reason would be?
Use these questions as a guide and add to them as you wish. by having a set list of questions it helps you move the interview process through efficiently and effectively. Based on the candidates' answers to these and other questions you may provide, you'll have a good idea if you're ready to take the next step with this person.
Good luck
An Interview With An Avon Representative
Avon has many thousands of representatives around the world selling its cosmetics. Most of the 'Avon ladies' (and many men!) sell in their spare-time, although there is now an increasing number who work at their business full time.
We have interviewed several Avon representatives to find out how they have built up their Avon business. Their experiences may help you to decide whether you would benefit from joining an Avon team.
This week we are speaking to a man! Dave Carter is 31 and lives in Sunderland, UK.
Q: Dave, why did you join Avon?
A: My partner Debbie joined first, about 18 months ago. I had been selling another MLM company's products
but I hadn't been very successful. I like the idea of network marketing, also known as multi-level marketing, and I could see the potential; but it just wasn't working for me. Then Avon started network marketing here in the UK about 2 years ago and getting in on the ground floor seemed attractive. I never dreamt I would succeed as well as I have.
Q: You say you have succeeded, how well have you done?
A: I don't want to be too specific about the money, but to give you an idea, I achieved the top commission level just before Christmas! Debbie and I run separate teams and she should join me on the top level soon.
Q: That's great. You must be enjoying the job to reach the top level in such a short time.
A: I really enjoy it. Although most of my team of nearly 100 is within 40-50 miles, I also travel, especially to meet potential sales leaders. I love being my own boss and don't think I could go back to working for someone else.
Q: So you think it's best to actually meet the members of your team?
A: It's one of Avon's rules: I have to meet the potential recruit face to face. We aren't allowed to sign up people by phone.
Q: How do you manage to recruit so many people, especially if some of them are a long way from you?
A: I have a website and receive a lot of enquiries from visitors to the site. I then either arrange to meet the person myself, or I pass the enquiry to one of my sales leaders. If I don't have a sales leader nearby I know other people with Avon businesses in other parts of the country and we swap leads.
Q: So I guess you would recommend others to join Avon?
A: I certainly would. I should point out that you wouldn’t be joining Avon as such: each one of us is a self-employed representative and we are not employed by the company. But anyone wanting to earn a few pounds each week by delivering the brochures and then collecting orders is very welcome. Or you can really build a great business like me by recruiting representatives and sales leaders who, in turn, will themselves recruit representatives. If you have a job now but don’t enjoy it, start part-time then build up the business until the income from that is enough to pay all your bills. Then you can sack your boss and work full-time for yourself!
Thank you Dave, best wishes for the future. It looks bright.
17 Important Things To Remember As You Prepare For An Interview
Several Days - One Week Before the Interview
1. Spend some time to research the organization and the position at hand. To find company-specific information, visit your local library, run a search on the internet, or talk to current or former employees about their experiences and impressions of the company. Study up on the company's products and services, industry, target market, annual sales, geographic location(s), structure, history, officers, and any other key information. Are there any new trends in the industry?
2. Identify the organization’s major competitors and do some basic research on how they differ (either positively or negatively) from the company at which you are interviewing.
3. Prepare specific examples of how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the organization’s needs. Practice answering directed questions about your experience, education, and skills and how they relate to the position at hand. Being prepared to draw colorations between your experience and the needs of the organization is one of the most important interviewing skills you will need.
4. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses, but find a way to frame them positively. For example, “My biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist. It may take me a little extra time to get a project done to my satisfaction, but you can be guaranteed that the work will pass even the most stringent review, be 100% accurate, and that no detail will be overlooked.”
5. Prepare several intelligent questions about the company and position that will demonstrate your knowledge of the company and your sincere interest in the position.
6. Try on your suit and make sure that it is still well-fitting and in good repair. If necessary, make arrangements to have it altered or find alternate dress.
The Day before the Interview
1. Contact the company to confirm the date and time of your interview. Also confirm the name and title of the individual(s) you will be meeting.
2. Get directions to the interview site. Be sure to double check the directions using a map. This will ensure that you know the way and also give you an approximate travel time – don’t forget to allow for extra time for rush hour!
3. Lay out your entire interview outfit. Check it for any spot, wrinkles, or snags.
4. Print off a few extra copies of your resume and cover letter on nice paper. Even if the interviewer has a copy of their own, it’s always a good idea to have a backup copy. This is also helpful if you end up interviewing with multiple individuals, since the head interviewer may be the only person with a copy of your resume.
Get a good night’s sleep!
1. Your brain needs fuel to run at peak performance and if there is ever a day you needed 110% from your brain, it’s today. So don’t skimp on meals. Be cautious about eating large amounts of carbohydrates right before your interview though, since carbs are know to cause sluggishness and may lead to a “post-lunch” naptime.
2. Get dressed early so you do not feel pressured to dash out the door. Pay attention to the details (brush off any lint, comb your hair, brush your teeth, use deodorant, etc.) and remember that a first impression can reveal a lot about you and your character.
3. Don’t forget to take copies of your resume, your cover letter, and your portfolio if you have one.
4. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to your interview. If you arrive more than 15 minutes early, it’s best to wait in the car or outside the building. Arriving too early gives off the impression that you have a lot riding on the interview (and have nothing better to do with your time), and also pressures the interviewer(s) into feeling that they have to adjust their schedule to accommodate you.
5.Smile and shake everyone’s hand when you are meeting for the first time - you should also smile and shake hands when the interview concludes.
6. Relax! If you have done your homework you are well-prepared for the interview. Take a deep breath and spend a moment collecting your thoughts if you need to when being asked a question. Ask confused about a particular question you are asked, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
After the Interview
Write a quick “Thank You” message to the individual(s) who interviewed you.
Acing The Interview: The Positive Approach To Tough Questions
As a Career Consultant, I work with clients on all the tools and techniques that are needed to succeed in the job search – including interviewing skills. One thing I have noticed over the years is that candidates often get “trapped” in certain interview questions that are designed to make them say something negative or self-defeating (which generally leads to rejection). Indeed, job-seekers are not even aware of how negative many of their answers sound at interviews! So, I instruct all my clients to “never say anything negative, or anything that could possibly be construed as negative!” Candidates can avoid being disqualified by stating all their answers in positive (or, at least, neutral) terms.
The following are some of the most commonly-asked interview questions, along with suggested approaches for answers. It is important that job candidates practice these responses until they are able to handle all the questions effectively.
Why do you want to work here? How can you help our company? Why should we be interested in you?
Answer is always based on information you’ve researched in advance about the company and their needs.
If you were choosing someone for this job, what kind of person would you select?
Answer is to generally state your own general qualifications, without being too “obvious.” Leave out the details.
If you could have any job which one would you want at this company?
Answer has to do with the most general description of the job – NOT A SPECIFIC TITLE.
What weaknesses do you have for this job?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Answer is to ponder for a while and then state that you can’t think of any weaknesses that would compromise your performance at this job; or negatively impact your performance of the job’s responsibilities.
What do you expect to get in this job that you haven’t gotten in you current/previous job?
TRAP QUESTION. Do not say anything negative. State that your current/previous jobs have met or exceeded your expectations. With the new position you would hope to have broader responsibilities and make greater contributions.
What do you see as your future here?
I would expect to be contributing at higher levels and have increased responsibility over time.
Are you considering other positions at this time?
TRAP QUESTION. Simply say “yes.”
How does this opportunity compare?
From what I’ve heard so far, very favorably … and I would like to learn more.
What other companies/opportunities are you looking at now?
As I’m sure you can appreciate, I’m not at liberty to say as I am still in discussions with these companies. I need to protect their privacy, as I would for your company under similar circumstances.
What are your short and long term goals?
Short range: To secure an appropriate new position where I can apply my skills and experience to increase the company’s productivity and profitability.
Long range: Assume more responsibility and make greater contributions over time for my employer.
What motivates you?
Focus the answer on your core values, and also on the values and priorities of the company you are interviewing with (which you should have identified through your preliminary research).
What have you done to improve yourself during the last year?
Talk about professional development, training programs, educational curricula, study in your field, on-the-job training, skill-building, relevant books you’ve read, etc.
How do you spend your spare time?
Say something inoffensive, apolitical and innocuous. (reading, exercise, travel, home projects, gardening, family activities, home projects, etc.)
Tell me about your health.
My health is excellent.
If you could re-live your last 15 years, what changes would you make?
Nothing is perfect, but overall I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have developed – so I wouldn’t make any significant changes.
Tell me about your greatest achievement/disappointment in your life.
Give one personal example (like meeting your spouse and getting married; putting yourself through college and graduate school; or saving-up to buy your first house, etc.). Then give your best professional accomplishment story. As for the disappointment, give an answer similar to the one above, implying that “overall, I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have been developing, so I really can’t think of any major disappointments.”
What did you like best/least about your last job?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Explain what you liked best. Then say that while every job has its challenges, you have been fortunate enough to learn and grow professionally in each of the positions you have held.
In your last position, how much of the work did you do on your own, and how much as part of a team? Which did you enjoy more?
Talk in terms of your flexibility and adaptability – your ability to work in whatever mode seems appropriate to the situation. Make it clear that you have been equally effective in teams or working independently, as each case demanded. You enjoy both; it’s more about what will work best for the project and the company at that time.
What are some of the more difficult problems you have encountered in your past jobs? How did you solve them?
Tell two or more pre-prepared accomplishment stories. Keep it POSITIVE!
Did you ever make suggestions to senior management? What happened?
Say “yes.” Tell some accomplishment stories and results, in which you positively influenced senior management.
At your previous job(s), what did you think management could have done to make you function more effectively as an employee?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that the employer was very good in providing resources and support to your position, and that you have no complaints about this.
What has kept you from progressing faster and farther in your career?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! State: “I don’t know what could have given you the impression that I am dissatisfied with the progress and pace of my career. I am quite satisfied with where my career is at this point in my life. However, I am ready to take on greater challenges.”
What else should we know about you?
Tell one or two more of your best accomplishment stories. You can also repeat how well-suited you think you are for the opportunity, and how interested you are in the job.
Tell me about the best/worst boss you’ve ever had.
TRAP QUESTION: Never state anything negative! Say that while every boss has been different, you have worked productively with, and learned something from, each one. (Be prepared to give some examples of what you have learned.)
Everybody likes to criticize. What do people criticize about you?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that you can’t think of any criticisms you have received from colleagues on the job. Of course, there have been areas for development – such as when your supervisors would have given you your “employee review,” and they might have made a suggestion for improvement. State that you have always taken these kinds of suggestions seriously and have taken steps to make the improvements that were requested, and that this has made you stronger as a professional. (State at least one example).
Everyone has pet peeves. What are yours?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Turn this question around, by talking about your high professional standards. Your only “pet peeves” are with yourself – pushing yourself hard and not accepting mediocrity, for example – or how you are always striving to reach your full potential on the job, etc.
What is your leadership style?
Talk in terms of your flexibility and adaptability – your ability to lead in whatever mode seems appropriate to the situation. Explain that it’s more about what approach will work best for the project and the company at that time. Give an example or two, demonstrating different leadership styles, using your accomplishment stories.
Are you geographically mobile? (or) Are you willing to put in a lot of extra time?
Ask for clarification – what exactly does the interviewer mean? Then, according to their answer, either say, “that would be no problem at all,” or tell them “you’d like to give it some thought and get back to them within 24 hours.”
You don’t have the experience/background for this position. How could you handle it?
Say you’re confused by their comment, that you’re quite confident that you DO have the experience and background for this position, and that you’re a very strong match for the responsibilities. Ask what specifically concerns them about your background; what’s missing in your experience? (Sometimes the interviewer is just testing you.) Re-state your qualifications as needed, tying your accomplishment stories to the employer’s requirements.
You’re overqualified for this position, aren’t you? (even if you are slightly overqualified)
State: No – I see a lot of challenges in this opportunity, and I’m sure that I would find the work extremely interesting. Give some examples of what you mean, and talk about the new dimensions of experience and skill that you would bring to the position, almost as though you would expand the level of contribution in this job, thus making it more than it is at present.
We have all the information we need. We’ll be in touch.
Take the initiative. Ask such questions as: “Where do I stand? Am I being considered as a strong candidate? When should I expect to hear from you, or would you prefer that I contact you in a day or two? What is your time-frame for making a final decision? Is there anything else I can provide to facilitate the process?” etc. Then re-state your strong interest in the position and your confidence that your background is an ideal match to the job.
In conclusion, I strongly recommend that you prepare for your interviews by studying and practicing these answers. Get someone to help you, by doing a “role play,” in which your friend can be the interviewer and you can play the part of the job candidate. You will reduce your anxiety, boost your confidence and perform much better if you “know your lines” in advance! And remember – never say anything negative in a job interview!
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Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2006, Ford R. Myers and Career Potential, LLC.
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