10 Tricky Interview Questions & How to Answer Like a Boss
During a job interview, you may be asked tough questions. Tough interview questions vary widely between industries, but there are several tough questions employers commonly use to learn more about you as a candidate.
In this article, we look at why employers ask tough questions and what they're looking for in your answer. Then, we explore examples of tough interview questions with sample answers.
1. What critical feedback do you most often receive?
This question is similar to "What are your greatest weaknesses?" Employers ask this question to see if you have a sense of self-awareness and that you're actively working on self-improvement. To answer this question, think of a genuine piece of criticism you've been given, or a weakness you're aware of. Provide a brief explanation of the critique and how you're working on improving it.
Example: "In the past, I've been told that I tend to talk over others in meetings. While I do get excited about the projects I'm working on and love collaborating with others, I deeply understand the value of active listening and using the diversity of ideas in the room. I've made it a point to listen actively by taking notes and make myself the last one to contribute while others are sharing."
Suggested Article:👇
Start Freelancing in 5 Steps: https://mattdu.com/productivity/start-freelancing-in-5-steps-a-beginners-guide
2. What's your biggest weakness?
Employers may ask about your weaknesses to see if you have a sense of self-awareness and how you're working to improve.
Example: "One weakness I've been working on is my ability to provide constructive criticism. I understand how providing feedback on work or projects that could have been handled better is extremely valuable. To improve on this, I'm writing down my feedback before I approach my colleagues. This helps me to plan out my answer, give the best criticism possible and be less nervous."
3. Do you have any regrets?
Employers might ask this question to get a self-assessment on possible shortcomings in your life. To answer this question, you might choose to say that you do not have any regrets in life for a certain reason. Be sure to let them know that you have made mistakes, you have learned from them to become better. If not, you might select a regret or shortcoming that is both professional and would not hinder your ability to perform the job in any way.
Example: "I do always wish I had known what I wanted to do very early on in my career. Having more years to grow and advance would help me be even better at my job. However, I learned skills in my previous career that I wouldn't have otherwise learned that help my in me in my job today."
4. Why should we hire you?
Employers might ask this question to understand what differentiates you from other candidates they might be interviewing. To answer, explain how your experience, skills and attributes make you the best fit for the job. Make sure to carefully review the job description beforehand to understand what qualities they're looking for.
Example: "You should hire me for my passion and proven abilities in organization for office efficiency. In my previous role as an administrative assistant, I came up with a plan to reorganize the office supply closet by category. Because items were easier to find, we placed fewer orders and saved 30% on office supplies year-over-year. I'm excited to bring my skills to this role."
5. Why Do You Want to Work for Our Company?
Your reply could be based on their reputation for products, management, international scope, technology, or as a nice place to work and grow. The most important thing is to avoid generic answers. Know their products, policies, and potential for growth.
6. What's wrong with your past/current employer?
Hannon advises against going into detail on these questions - especially if those details are negative. "Be generic as possible, and stay away from real specifics here," she counsels. "Negative things are never somewhere you want to go in an interview."
7. Do you have any questions for me?
"You need to be asking them tough questions," says Hannon. It is through these questions that you can figure out whether or not the company is a good fit for you. In addition, the questions you ask can be a means to show that you have thoughtfully researched the company. Don't ask questions that you can find the answers to on their website, but questions that show a deeper level of thinking, like "What is your long-term vision for the company," "what are the biggest challenges your team is facing"or "what does it take to be successful here?"
8. Where do you see yourself in five years?
This tough interview question is often asked by employers who are looking for a sense of commitment from candidates.
You need to answer in a way that makes clear that your goals align with the company's and that you hope to grow in ways that align with the job you are currently seeking. This is a crucial interview question that you shouldn't flub.
PS: If you don't see yourself at the company you're interviewing at in five years, don't mention it! Focus instead on the type of role you want to be in five years down the road.
9. Tell me about a time you made a mistake
Questions about past mistakes are some of the toughest and trickiest interview questions to answer.
You want to acknowledge the mistake (and never badmouth or blame others), but you never want to make yourself seem like a liability or a risk to hire for this new job!
Avoid talking about mistakes involving carelessness or lack of effort. It's better to talk about making a mistake because you hadn't experienced a situation before, or didn't quite have the right knowledge.
And then here's the key, at the end of your answer, talk about what you learned from the experience and how you've become better since then.
If possible, talk about encountering a similar situation a second time and getting a much better outcome because of the lessons you learned.
10. Bonus question and answer: Tell me about yourself
This was originally a list of 9 tricky interview questions, but multiple readers wrote in and mentioned that answering "tell me about yourself" is just as tough to answer as any other question!
When employers ask this, they typically want to hear about you as a professional.
I recommend starting with how you began in your current industry or field of work. If you just graduated, talk about why you chose your major/field of study.
Then talk about some key accomplishments and work you've done recently.
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Read this article also on https://medium.com/@alanchris/10-tricky-interview-questions-how-to-answer-like-a-boss-7a00af9a6176
Related Post
During a job interview, you may be asked tough questions. Tough interview questions vary widely between industries, but there are several tough questions employers commonly use to learn more about you as a candidate. In this article, we look at why employers ask tough questions and what they're looking for in your answer. Then, we explore examples of tough interview questions with sample answers.
1. What critical feedback do you most often receive?
This question is similar to "What are your greatest weaknesses?" Employers ask this question to see if you have a sense of self-awareness and that you're actively working on self-improvement. To answer this question, think of a genuine piece of criticism you've been given, or a weakness you're aware of. Provide a brief explanation of the critique and how you're working on improving it. Example: "In the past, I've been told that I tend to talk over others in meetings. While I do get excited about the projects I'm working on and love collaborating with others, I deeply understand the value of active listening and using the diversity of ideas in the room. I've made it a point to listen actively by taking notes and make myself the last one to contribute while others are sharing." Suggested Article:👇 Start Freelancing in 5 Steps: https://mattdu.com/productivity/start-freelancing-in-5-steps-a-beginners-guide
2. What's your biggest weakness?
Employers may ask about your weaknesses to see if you have a sense of self-awareness and how you're working to improve. Example: "One weakness I've been working on is my ability to provide constructive criticism. I understand how providing feedback on work or projects that could have been handled better is extremely valuable. To improve on this, I'm writing down my feedback before I approach my colleagues. This helps me to plan out my answer, give the best criticism possible and be less nervous."
3. Do you have any regrets?
Employers might ask this question to get a self-assessment on possible shortcomings in your life. To answer this question, you might choose to say that you do not have any regrets in life for a certain reason. Be sure to let them know that you have made mistakes, you have learned from them to become better. If not, you might select a regret or shortcoming that is both professional and would not hinder your ability to perform the job in any way. Example: "I do always wish I had known what I wanted to do very early on in my career. Having more years to grow and advance would help me be even better at my job. However, I learned skills in my previous career that I wouldn't have otherwise learned that help my in me in my job today."
4. Why should we hire you?
Employers might ask this question to understand what differentiates you from other candidates they might be interviewing. To answer, explain how your experience, skills and attributes make you the best fit for the job. Make sure to carefully review the job description beforehand to understand what qualities they're looking for. Example: "You should hire me for my passion and proven abilities in organization for office efficiency. In my previous role as an administrative assistant, I came up with a plan to reorganize the office supply closet by category. Because items were easier to find, we placed fewer orders and saved 30% on office supplies year-over-year. I'm excited to bring my skills to this role."
5. Why Do You Want to Work for Our Company?
Your reply could be based on their reputation for products, management, international scope, technology, or as a nice place to work and grow. The most important thing is to avoid generic answers. Know their products, policies, and potential for growth.
6. What's wrong with your past/current employer?
Hannon advises against going into detail on these questions - especially if those details are negative. "Be generic as possible, and stay away from real specifics here," she counsels. "Negative things are never somewhere you want to go in an interview."
7. Do you have any questions for me?
"You need to be asking them tough questions," says Hannon. It is through these questions that you can figure out whether or not the company is a good fit for you. In addition, the questions you ask can be a means to show that you have thoughtfully researched the company. Don't ask questions that you can find the answers to on their website, but questions that show a deeper level of thinking, like "What is your long-term vision for the company," "what are the biggest challenges your team is facing"or "what does it take to be successful here?"
8. Where do you see yourself in five years?
This tough interview question is often asked by employers who are looking for a sense of commitment from candidates. You need to answer in a way that makes clear that your goals align with the company's and that you hope to grow in ways that align with the job you are currently seeking. This is a crucial interview question that you shouldn't flub. PS: If you don't see yourself at the company you're interviewing at in five years, don't mention it! Focus instead on the type of role you want to be in five years down the road.
9. Tell me about a time you made a mistake
Questions about past mistakes are some of the toughest and trickiest interview questions to answer. You want to acknowledge the mistake (and never badmouth or blame others), but you never want to make yourself seem like a liability or a risk to hire for this new job! Avoid talking about mistakes involving carelessness or lack of effort. It's better to talk about making a mistake because you hadn't experienced a situation before, or didn't quite have the right knowledge. And then here's the key, at the end of your answer, talk about what you learned from the experience and how you've become better since then. If possible, talk about encountering a similar situation a second time and getting a much better outcome because of the lessons you learned.
10. Bonus question and answer: Tell me about yourself
This was originally a list of 9 tricky interview questions, but multiple readers wrote in and mentioned that answering "tell me about yourself" is just as tough to answer as any other question! When employers ask this, they typically want to hear about you as a professional. I recommend starting with how you began in your current industry or field of work. If you just graduated, talk about why you chose your major/field of study. Then talk about some key accomplishments and work you've done recently. . . . Read this article also on https://medium.com/@alanchris/10-tricky-interview-questions-how-to-answer-like-a-boss-7a00af9a6176
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