Most people are scared of interviews. In most cases, this fear comes from now knowing exactly what you are going to face when it comes to the questions. What happens if you are asked something that is difficult to answer?
Tricky questions are a part of most interviews. Interviewers usually want to see how a candidate will think and work under pressure. In order to do that, they will often ask things that you might not be prepared for and that might make you nervous.
Let us help you properly prepare and think of the right answers even to the trickiest of questions. Here are some questions you might receive and tips on how to answer them.
3 WAYS TO ANSWER TRICKY JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is your biggest weakness?
This is usually the number one question that all of us know will come up but is also one of the hardest ones to answer. This isn’t because you don’t actually know what your weaknesses are. This usually happens because you are not sure of which ones to mention or how to do so without damaging your chances of being hired. Of course, there is a point to this question and it’s actually not difficult to understand.
The person interviewing you wants to see whether or not you are aware of your weaknesses and intending to make changes to the right direction. This question doesn’t really serve the purpose of you figuring out your weakness but rather acknowledging it and knowing that you want to make it better.
The best way to go about this is to be humble and acknowledge some parts of your character or working skills that you still need to improve. Don’t focus on just that though. You can take advantage of your answer and talk about some strengths of yours that you will use in order to keep improving yourself. Focus on the fact that you are eager to learn and improve, and the odds will definitely be in your favor.
2. If you could work for any company, where would you work?
This question is one you might not always be expecting to hear. The interviewer is probably trying to see how invested you will be in working for their company and by asking you this, they want to know if you have considered applying for a position in another company.
You might find it a bit difficult to come up with the right answer for this but, in reality, it’s quite simple. The best thing you can do, even if you are intending to apply for another job in another company, is to not mention any other company names, even if you think they are better that the one you’re applying for.
Stay focused on the reasons why you chose to apply for this particular position. Talk about how you relate to the company’s vision and how you think you can be a great addition to their team. Focus on why you believe this position is a good fit for you and your skills and you will be able to give a great answer.
3. Where do you see yourself in five years?
This question usually helps the interviewer determine whether you are intending to commit to working long-term for them or whether you are intending to simply change career paths. As you probably understand, most companies will not want to hire somebody who wishes to spend only a little time at the job. This will cost them both time and money and therefore you want to let the interviewer know that you are intending to be committed to the job.
In order to achieve that, you will want to talk about how you believe that this position will help you in your personal and professional growth. You don’t necessarily have to say that you see yourself in the same company, you honestly don’t even have to mention it, but you can let the person know how you believe you will have evolved within these five years.
Veroniсa Wright, a CEO of ResumesCentre.com says: “You can talk about how you believe that this position will help you continue working on yourself and your skills and how you will be able to accomplish some goals you have set for yourself. If you are still in college, you can talk about how this job will help you practice all that you have learned and allow you to grow as a professional. Show your commitment to your career and you will be able to create a great outcome”.
Turning the tables around
Most interviewers will want to see who you really are and what your intentions are through the questions they ask you. That is the main reason why there are so many tricky questions in their interviews. In order to be able to answer them correctly, you need to make sure that you take a deep breath and be honest with your answers.
Try using the tips in this article to your advantage in order to be able to cope with any difficult question. It is important that you adjust each answer to your personal needs, skills and aspirations in order to let the person interviewing you know that you are ambitious, will bring great value to the company and aspire to have a great career in the future.
About the Author: Sylvia Giltner is an HR manager and freelance writer at Studyclerk.com. She helps people to write the perfect resume and land a desirable job. She is also an active guest contributor. Sylvia's writing has been featured on Forbes, Next Avenue, TLNT and more
