Chapter Four

Sample Questions for Experts

Once the beginning questions are over, the interview will then progress into harder to answer questions that might leave you speechless (ever had a moment where you just didn’t know what to say?). Don’t freak out just yet — take a little time to browse through these questions as well as the analysis of them.

Simply knowing what’s coming can calm your nerves more than you might think (clammy hands be gone!).

Most of these questions are going to ask you to talk about a specific situation you’ve been in. This is where the practicing and preparation comes in. You need to actually think of those situations. Other questions will ask you about your personality and character traits. You need to think about who you are and what defines you to answer them well.

Job Performance

These questions target your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to your job performance.

Analysis: These kinds of questions get you in the habit of thinking about a job in particular rather than work in general. Consider your personality and your experience in school when answering these questions.

Did you produce your best work when you had a strict teacher or a lenient one?

Do you love group projects or do you hate them?

Self-Evaluation

These kinds of questions force you to think about who you are as a person. You’re young — no one expects you to fully know who you are yet. However, you should have a general idea of your ethics.

Ethics are your moral compass. When you’re in a situation where you are forced to choose between right and wrong, you are using your ethics. Ethics are often connected to religious beliefs. For example, in Buddhism, the ethical principals include no killing, stealing, or lying. Ethics can seem pretty black and white (of course I shouldn’t kill anyone…) but there is a gray area.

For example, let’s say that your friend says to you, “Did you know that Cody is cheating on his girlfriend?”

Do you think it is your ethical responsibility to relay this information to Cody’s girlfriend? On the one hand, it really isn’t any of your business. But on the other hand, you would be giving her very valuable information that exposes some truth in her life, which will ultimately be helping her a great deal.

What do you do? Your answer to this kind of question determines who you are. Your employer probably won’t ask you about Cody, but he may ask you some questions like these:

Analysis: The primary purpose of self-evaluation questions is for the interviewer to uncover which characteristics you find the most valuable. Whatever qualities you focus on should be the ones that you believe are the most important to the position for which you are applying.

Some examples of describing qualities are:

What qualities here best describe you?

Verbal Communication

We can all agree that being able to talk is a pretty important part of life. Your employer may ask you how good you are at doing it.

Analysis: You may communicate very well when everyone is in agreement, but if you cannot speak your mind when it means creating conflict, then your usefulness as a team member is limited. There is also a fine line between assertion and aggression, and you need to ensure the interviewer that you clearly know the difference.

Analysis: In the world of work, the most common use of communication is to persuade someone to do something: buy something, sell something, complete something, or do something correctly. Are you good at it? Think of an example. If you absolutely can’t think of one, and you’re in the interview, and the clock is ticking, give a theoretical situation (I can’t think of one off the top of my head, but if I did have to sell something, here’s what I would say.)

Analysis: The act of communication is about communicating with other people, and it is the most challenging when you are dealing with someone you don’t like. What the interviewer is looking for in this answer is an acknowledgment that not all people are likable but that you can reign in your personal feelings for the sake of your job.

Analysis: The essence of this question is to learn if you recognize the importance of active listening and actually practicing the skill.

Analysis: Effective communication makes the workplace much more efficient, whether you’re working as a host or a stock person. You should be able to give an example that demonstrates your understanding of this relationship. When communication fails, it can cause big problems at work.

If you’re having a hard time thinking of a situation, try to think about school and school projects.

Analysis: Many high-energy individuals have a bad habit of not listening carefully. If you have ever not listened carefully to a classmate, teacher, or supervisor before, let your interviewer know that you have since learned from the mistake.

Also, think about school. Was there ever a lecture that you had to listen to that was particularly difficult? A set of instructions that were very detailed and particular?

Analysis: Poor listening is one of the easiest ways to create communication breakdown. Situation comedy writers rely on miscommunication for their source of humor. Fortunately, on TV, by the end of the 30 minutes, the situation gets resolved. In the workplace, it takes much longer and can cause a significant amount of damage to productivity and relationships. Ineffective listening happens all the time, so you want to demonstrate that you understand this fact and have learned how to avoid it.

Analysis: Workplaces today are multicultural and inclusive of people with varying degrees of ability. The likelihood that an employee will need to communicate with a customer or co-worker who is hard to understand is very high. Use this question to detail the types of strategies you use in difficult situations. You might want to mention body language, other non-verbal clues, paraphrasing, summarizing, and asking questions.

Analysis: Communicating with supervisors is slightly different than with co-workers. There is a level of responsibility and authority that needs to be respected, and the interviewer might use this question to determine how much you adjust your communication as it goes up the organization chart. The best way to answer this question is to focus on the importance of asking questions.

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal just means the relationship or communication between two people. When we talk about “interpersonal skills,” we are talking about how good you are at communicating with another person.

Analysis: These are good openers to get to know you, but they’re a little tougher than the easy questions. Demonstrate that you understand that although a person may not like a co-worker, customer, or boss, he or she must develop coping mechanisms to ensure communication is clear and the work environment is pleasant.

Analysis: The world of work is full of all sorts of people, and you need to demonstrate that you will be able to get along with and communicate effectively with everyone.

Be careful of how you discuss the scenario. You want to show that you know how to deal with challenging individuals. To do this, emphasize that you learned from your experiences and that you’ve come to appreciate differences. Don’t talk about the traits that made that specific person or people difficult.

Analysis: Cultural differences are becoming more and more commonplace in the work environment. With all the other challenges to working well with other people, you certainly don’t need ethnicity or cultural discrimination coming into play.

The desired answer to these questions is one that minimizes cultural differences and offers a tolerant view of the world and its people. Use politically correct terms for other cultures and races, and speak inclusively (as in, we are all in this together), rather than an “us” and “them” type of response.

The politically correct terms for other cultures and races are hard to pinpoint. However, there are phrases that are generally deemed appropriate.

Some examples of politically correct terms are: African American, Asian, gay, Hispanic, Latino/a, lesbian, and transgendered.

Analysis: This question deals with your honesty and straightforwardness when dealing with other people. Make sure you can get your point across sensitively and considerately, while preserving the other person’s dignity in the process. There are many self-proclaimed “tell-it-like-it-is” people who are upfront with others, but they come across as rude and insulting.

The effective communicator approaches the situation with empathy, putting himself or herself in the other person’s shoes. The ineffective communicator just wants the other person to change regardless of that person’s feelings or ability to change.

Analysis: The main part of interpersonal skills is the ability to change your responses to suit the situation and the person that you’re dealing with. Demonstrate that you can use a different style to deal with different people.

Analysis: Tact refers to your sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues. It is very important, and it is what constitutes the difference between honesty and rudeness. Consider talking about a time when you compromised.

Conflict Resolution Skills

We’re all human. We don’t agree on everything. We fight. The question is: how do you go about dealing with it? Are you respectful and mindful of the other person when dealing with arguments?

Analysis: Conflict is inevitable and relatively frequent. The actual conflict situation that you choose to relay is an excellent source of information about what really triggers your personal conflicts. Obviously, the resolution aspect of the question is important, but what you want to avoid is demonstrating that you view minor, everyday occurrences as conflicts requiring full-fledged conflict-resolution skills.

Analysis: A difference of opinion or core values is very often the basis of conflict and the type that is most difficult to resolve. The way a person sets out to work with people who are fundamentally different than himself or herself says a great deal about the person’s ability to deal with differences in general.

The bottom line is to maintain respect and professionalism at all times. These questions can yield valuable information about how you deal with core personality and value differences. If you can provide a solid example in this category, then chances are the interviewer will rate your conflict resolution skills at least above average.

Analysis: Conflicts with superiors should be kept to a minimum, and if and when they do occur, they must be handled with the utmost tact and respect. Demonstrate that you respect lines of authority, however informal, and operate within the system. If you have never had a conflict with a teacher, say so, but be sure to give a similar example, such as an argument with your parents (we’ve all had one of those, right?).

Analysis: Interpersonal skills are all the more important when working within a team environment, so it is important to demonstrate how you could effectively deal with conflict in this particular situation.

Analysis: This question is designed to determine whether you believe “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In other words, if you see something potentially bad about to happen, what do you do to stop it?

Empathy

Empathy looks a lot like the word “sympathy,” which essentially means feeling bad for someone else. The difference is that empathy means that you can actually understand and share those feelings of misfortune with another person. Basically, empathy is sympathy on steroids.

The reason your future boss is asking you empathy-related questions is because he or she wants to know if you have a heart — well, at least in the business place.

Analysis: With a question like this, an interviewer is looking for an answer that displays genuine concern for the other individual. People with natural empathy will focus on what the other person was going through, whereas people who are “faking it” will be less convincing and compelling.

Be careful when talking about an example that deals with a fellow employee’s personal life; better answers are ones that highlight how you helped a co-worker or classmate with a job-related task or issue.

Analysis: The candidate with a solid grasp of empathy will express thoughts and feelings such as self-satisfaction, accomplishment and enhanced self-esteem. People who generally embrace empathy do it for their own pleasure, rather than what they hope to gain from the situation. Emphasize how good you felt about the experience, and demonstrate that your actions were well received.

Analysis: There is no clear right or wrong answer, and it is confusing as well as stressful. Be honest. What will be important is a well-thought-out answer that talks about both choices and a solid argument for why one option was chosen over the other.

Analysis: Depending on the culture or overall purpose of the organization you are interviewing at, this may be an important factor when considering employment. Every company places a different value on community service, community involvement, and other unselfish activities. This is one of the reasons that doing volunteer work is important — it not only benefits your community, but it can help you get a job. Consider working at your local soup kitchen or talking to the residents at a nearby nursing home one weekend.

Analysis: Cultural differences are often at the root of many interpersonal conflicts at work. You must be able to demonstrate that you have a tolerance for differences in culture as well as opinion. Don’t be afraid of this question, either. The best way to answer is to be honest about your initial thoughts, and then talk about how those changed as you got to know the person and their culture. Oftentimes, stereotypes unravel and you realize that people are not who you initially thought they might be.

Customer Service Situations

Even if you don’t have any experience with customer service, you probably have a general idea of how it’s done by being serviced your whole life. In other words, do you ever notice how your waitress or the cashier at the grocery store handles a problem? Draw on that experience to help you answer these questions.

Analysis: Customer complaints or concerns are perhaps the most difficult situations in which to display empathy, self-control, and a commitment to service. However, these are the exact traits that are required for any position that deals with the general public and customers. Actually solving the problem is not as important in this answer as the steps you took along the way.

The focus of a question like this should be on getting a manager. Oftentimes, the customer is interested in talking to someone with authority in the establishment. Your role is to smile, be polite, and be understanding. Smile and wave, folks. Smile and wave.

Analysis: In order to give excellent service, you need to recognize what outstanding service is. Think about a time when you went out to eat and you loved your server. Odds are it was their attitude — a smile can go a long way in the service industry. Your answer should demonstrate that you place value on helping a customer to feel satisfied, dignified, respected, understood and appreciated.

Analysis: Providing excellent customer service requires doing more than simply what you can do. Demonstrate that you recognize your own limitations in terms of authority, responsibility, or experience. No one expects you to know everything, so don’t be afraid to ask someone to help you.

Analysis: The general rule of thumb when it comes to dealing with an angry customer is to get the manager. That’s part of the beauty of working an entry-level position in the service industry — when things go south fast, get the manager. In this question, you want to talk about how you would speak to the customer, which should be very reassuring. For example, “We will get this situation under control. Let me get my manager, and don’t worry. We will take care of you.”

Analysis: The answer doesn’t need to be an elaborate scheme where the customer is phoned or contacted a few days or weeks after the incident. It can simply be escorting the customer to the door, engaging in pleasant small talk, acknowledging the customer the next time he or she comes in, or anything else that actively promotes a positive end to the situation.

Problem Solving Skills

Being able to solve a problem is a huge part of having a job. Your employer may ask you how you have solved problems in the past or how you might solve them in this particular workplace.

Analysis: Your answer should demonstrate that you apply a systematic problem-solving method. Show that you will not jump headfirst into the problem without taking the steps necessary to make sure that the actions are not going to contribute to the problem. Problem solving is stressful, and sometimes the immediate reaction is to go into “fix it” mode. Unfortunately, a problem cannot be fixed unless the causes and contributing factors have been identified.

Recognize that problem solving has two separate focuses: short-term and long-term. The short-term focus is on doing what needs to be done to get things up and running until the entire situation is dealt with. The long-term focus is on solving the problem and making sure it does not happen again.

Analysis: You may not like talking about your failures, but we all know that everyone has had them, and what is important is how you handled the situation. What did you learn from the experience? The focus here is not so much on what you did wrong, but how you internalized that information and used it, hopefully, to improve your performance in the future.

Analysis: This question explores when and where you use good judgment in determining how quick of a response to a problem is needed. If a customer is in a rush and there is a problem, you need to be empathetic and think on your feet — your boss wants to know that you are capable of that.

Analysis: Although this may be tough to admit, you want to be honest. Demonstrate that you learned from the situation and applied this knowledge in similar situations afterward.

Analysis: Here, you should showcase your ability to be creative and innovative in problem solving. You also want to talk about how you have asked other people for help. Don’t pretend like you can do everything on your own; none of us can.

Decision Making Skills

Has the following conversation ever happened to you?

Mom: “Where do you want to go for dinner?”

You: “I don’t know.”

Mom: “Just pick a place.”

You: “I don’t care.”

Mom: “Any place.”

You: “I don’t know.”

Mom: “Anywhere you want.”

You: “What is there?”

Mom: “What do you mean, what is there?”

You: “Give me some choices.”

Mom: “You know what there is.”

You: “Well, I don’t know.”

If so, don’t bring it up in the interview — your boss wants to know that you are capable of making decisions, and the right ones, at that.

Analysis: The purpose of these types of questions is to get you talking about how you go about making decisions. What type of analysis do you use? Where does prior learning and experience fit in? Do you have a track record of success? Ultimately, you want to show that you make solid, well-thought-out decisions when faced with difficult circumstances.

Analysis: A difficult decision is one where there are valid alternatives from which to choose. What separates a good decision maker from an average, or even poor one, is the ability to choose the best option. Demonstrate the analytical and problem-solving processes you employ.

Analysis: Risk exponentially increases the difficulty of making a decision. Risk also tends to delay decision-making. A good answer will show balance between analyzing the problem and taking action.

Analysis: It is extremely difficult to make an unpopular decision or one that is doubted. The only way the decision is successfully defended is if the analysis has been done and the alternatives clearly evaluated. Show that you did dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s.

Another important element of this question is interpersonal skills. It is difficult to keep composure when you feel attacked or questioned. Discuss your method for dealing with the criticism and make sure it was appropriate.

Analysis: Time pressures provide a prime influence for making fair or even poor decisions. Quick decision-making is one thing; preparing for and handling the consequences is quite another. Make sure that you demonstrate that you use the time available to you to evaluate your options when making a quick decision.

Analysis: This is another question that judges your commitment levels to your decision-making processes. Those who use a well-planned, thorough, and well-executed process have no reason to second-guess themselves.

Analysis: While there is always a level of uncertainty in decision-making, sometimes a person is forced to make a decision even when there is a glaring hole in the analysis. These types of questions will be evaluating your overall experience with decision-making. The process will not be thorough, so you need to demonstrate how well you can depend on judgment and past experience to make reasonable decisions.

Analysis: Accepting responsibility for a poor decision is hard, and no one wants to admit in an interview that he or she actually made a poor decision. However, what you need to focus on is how you dealt with the consequences. Do not give excuses or spread the blame. Show that you can stand behind good decisions as well as bad ones. Be sure to discuss what you learned from the situation.

Teamwork Skills

Particularly in a restaurant, teamwork is everything. If the staff isn’t working together, things won’t go smoothly. Your employer wants to know how well you do when it comes to working with other people.

Analysis: All of these questions are designed to get you talking about what being a member of a team means to you. Notions of teamwork are very diverse, and you need to showcase your point of view on the subject. Discuss what you think teamwork is, your idea of cooperation, what role you assume in a team situation (are you the leader or the follower?), what qualifies as an effective team, and what makes a team experience enjoyable.

Most people realize that teamwork is expected, but not all people appreciate the difficulties that are involved with teamwork. Sometimes, it’s easier to accomplish a task on your own, but the result will not be as good as the one that an effective team accomplishes. Show that you appreciate teamwork for what it can add to a work environment.

Analysis: Working closely with other people who have different values, styles, expertise, experience, perceptions, and work ethics is very difficult. Talk about how great you are at being empathetic (remember that word?). Effective team members present conflict as a shared dynamic and focus more on the solutions than the problems.

Analysis: This question is designed to get you to think objectively about the team’s overall performance. Take adequate responsibility for the failure and discuss your performance and how it contributed to the ineffectiveness. Be sure to mention what you learned from the situation and how you will apply that knowledge in the future.

Also, this doesn’t mean that entire project had to be a failure. Maybe it’s easier to think of one aspect of the project that could have been better (maybe the presentation was too short or the introduction was boring). Talk about what you could have done to improve that one thing.

Analysis: One of the main challenges of working within a team is compromising. Everyone has different ideas, and part of being a team is being able to take bits and pieces of everyone’s ideas and putting them all together.

The whole idea of teamwork is to bring together different opinions and perspectives in the hopes of creating a better outcome than any one person could come up with. These interpersonal differences are what make coming to an agreement so difficult. Showcase your appreciation of these differences, and discuss the strategies you use to handle them.

Analysis: If you’re a cheerleader, these questions are your time to shine. The interviewer is trying to determine how much spirit and enthusiasm you bring to a team situation. Some people are very comfortable in a motivational or inspirational role and others are not. If you aren’t, that’s OK. Your employer doesn’t expect you to have every great customer service attribute known to man. Make up for this in other areas of the interview, but don’t tell your boss that you’re enthusiastic if you aren’t. That’s a little difficult to fake, especially if you plan on working there for a while.

Organization Skills

Are you the one with the labeled folders and the color-coordinated flashcards? Or are you the one that jams all your papers in the bottom of your backpack, and when your teacher asks you to get out that worksheet from last week, you realize you have no idea where it is? If you’re the first one, your employer will love you. If you’re the second one, you have a little bit of work to do.

Analysis: With these questions, the interviewer is trying to learn more about your use of organizational tools. Demonstrate that you are flexible enough to adapt to the situation at hand.

Discuss the amount of time you spend planning. Neglecting the planning phase is detrimental to productivity, but so is over-planning. People who plan every detail may have trouble adapting to change and may spend more time organizing their work than actually doing their work.

Analysis: Choosing what needs to get done first can be difficult. In any job, there are going to be times when there is more than one thing that needs to be done. For example, if you are a server and one table needs their check, another table needs refills, and another one needs their food, you need to be able to prioritize. Which one is the most important right now? The best way to talk about this is to explain what you did or what you would do first and why. As long as you have a reason for your answer, you’re good to go.

Analysis: The best plans are inevitably put to the test. Let the interviewer know that you anticipate this type of change and build in contingency plans or extra time to accommodate possible change. Your example can be really simple. For example: “I had a paper due on Tuesday, but I had to miss school because I was sick. Since I couldn’t turn it in in person, I emailed the file to my school.” Something as simple as this will get the job done.

Analysis: Deadlines are inevitable and can be stress inducing if you don’t plan right. Show that you know how to handle deadlines, and talk about what factors contributed to missed deadlines. Also be sure to talk about how important quality is. Quality over quantity, as the saying goes.

Motivation

Being motivated in life is really important; it’s how we reach our goals. Your employer wants to know that you’re motivated, especially when it comes to doing the job.

Analysis: When you answer these questions, try to show how likely you are to actually set goals for yourself. Some people are very good at achieving goals that are set for them, but those people who actively set their own goals are the ones who are continuously striving to improve and perform at higher levels than expected. Also talk about how you track your progress.

Analysis: Motivating yourself is one thing, motivating others is quite another. What you want to demonstrate is that you are able to remain upbeat and enthusiastic about goals.

Analysis: If your grades aren’t the best, talk about how hard you work. Give examples of how much time you put into your school work or how attentive you are in class.

Analysis: Persistence means that you keep trying to do something no matter how hard it gets. Having this quality is the sign of a really motivated person, but there is such a thing is going too far. There are people who persevere even when the end result is so longer valid or relevant. These people, though highly motivated, are misguided and may not be the most productive people. You should demonstrate that you are persistent when it comes to meeting work goals.

Analysis: These questions are designed to uncover what external factors you consider motivating. Self-motivation is wonderful, but we all need to work in an environment that is pleasing and enjoyable. Figure out what it is about a situation that makes it satisfying for you, and then answer the question.

Analysis: It is easy to get motivated by a project or situation that is interesting and exciting, but the true test of your motivation is how you react when the circumstances are less than inviting. Every job carries a certain number of elements that are boring, and you need to show that you can find something motivating about the situation even if it is just the thought of finishing.

Analysis: These questions are designed to uncover your ability to self-motivate. Tell the interviewer what you value and feel is important for your own satisfaction.

Analysis: Here is a question that involves motivation and confidence. An ideal answer is one that includes some nervousness but overall excitement and honor at being given the responsibility. High motivation levels are excellent, but they have to be kept in check by a realistic sense of what you are and are not capable of doing with the skills and resources available. Your answer should include seeking outside assistance and expertise to complete the task as well as the typical strategies of goal setting and intrinsic rewards. There is a fine line between being motivated and “up” for anything and biting off more than you can chew.

Initiative

How willing are you to take charge before other people do? Are you ready to take things into your own hands? If you have initiative, your employer wants to know.

Analysis: These classic initiative prompts will provide valuable information about what specific activities you feel are “above and beyond the call of duty.” Make sure it’s actually something significant, or your future employer may question how much initiative you really have.

Analysis: This is your opportunity to show how useful your suggestions for improvement really are. Your job is to talk about good your ideas are; you want to impress your interview.

Stress Management

Managing stress can be really tough. After all, interviewing itself is stressful. Your boss wants to know how you handle stress, and she may evaluate this as part of the overall interview process, but she also may come right out and ask you about it with questions like these.

Analysis: All of these questions are designed to help the interviewer understand your how you deal with stress. Make sure you’re giving details. Saying something broad like “I take stress day by day” is not going to give your interview an idea of how well you handle stress.

Give really specific examples, such as “When I have a stressful day ahead, I make a checklist. As I go through the day, I check off everything I have completed, which eases my stress.” This kind of specific response can be applied to any task. Avoid talking about anything you consume to ease stress (you know, that gallon of chocolate ice cream).

Analysis: Often the first and most important component of dealing with stress is recognizing what causes it for you. For example, if you get stressed out by too many tasks, you can say “being overwhelmed stresses me out.” Don’t be afraid to answer this question; odds are, your stress triggers are shared by your interviewer.

Analysis: Having outlets for stress relief is very important, and you need to show that you are able to ask for and use the assistance available to you. Co-workers and family members are common sources of stress relief, but exercise clubs or other hobby groups are often useful as well. Show how varied your approach to stress management is. The more resources you employ, the higher the likelihood of success.

Analysis: It’s hard to be professional when there’s an angry customer in your face. However, talk about staying calm and if you’ve lost your temper before, talk about what you learned from the situation.

Big Picture or Broad Questions

It’s likely that your interviewer will ask questions like the ones above that are really specific. However, it’s also possible that they’ll ask you a really broad question that can seem harder to answer. An example of a question like this is: “Tell me about yourself.”

Where do you even begin? With this one, you want to make sure that your answer reflects the fact that you’re in a job interview, not on a blind date.

Talk about what school you go to, what grade you’re in, what hobbies and interests you have, what sports you play, and what qualities you have that you think would make you a great candidate for the job. For example, an answer might go like this.

“My name is Anna, I’m a junior, and I go to the public school. I love singing and I play basketball. I’m really detail-oriented and have always been told that I’m good at reading people.”

Keep in mind that this response is short and to the point. Anna hits on all of the main points without dragging on about anything. This lets the interview work with her answer by asking her to talk about something more if he or she is interested. For example, “Oh really? What kind of singing do you do?”

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