Questions That Make You Squirm

Questions That Make You Squirm            

C-1:    Why do you want to leave your present employer?

C-2:    What did your last supervisor criticize most about your performance?

C-3:    Have you ever been fired or asked to resign?  

C-4:    Why haven't you received a job offer yet? 

C-5:    Which previously held job do you consider to be your favorite and why? 

C-6:    Would you choose the same career if you could start over again?  

C-7:    Why have you stayed with the same employer for so long?

C-8:    Why have you changed jobs so frequently?

C-9:    Who was your favorite boss and least favorite boss and why?

C-10:  How could you have improved relations with your least favorite boss?

C-11:  What is the most foolish thing you've ever done?

C-12:  Have any of your past employers refused to give you a reference?

C-13:  Why are their gaps in your employment history?

C-14:  Would your present employer be surprised to know you're job hunting? 

C-15:  How would your co-workers describe you?

C-16:  What would you do if a supervisor asked you to do something you knew was wrong? C-17:  What types of people do you have trouble getting along with?

C-1:  Why do you want to leave your present employer? 

You could state that you want a more challenging position, higher salary, or more responsibility.  Don't mention personal conflicts with your present boss or bad- mouth your current employer or co-workers as this will harm your chances of being offered the job.  Keep in mind that interviewers love people who are looking for more challenging positions or responsibility because it shows drive, ambition and motivation. 

C-2:  What did your last supervisor criticize most about your performance?  

A good way to answer this question is to offer a criticism you received that is not very important or not directly related to the position you're applying for.  For example, telling the interviewer that you were constantly criticized for coming to work an hour late is not a good idea.   However, revealing a minor criticism and telling the interviewer what steps you took to improve yourself is a good way to answer this question.  In fact, if you can state that you have already solved the problem and received a higher mark on a subsequent performance review, then say so.  

C-3:  Have you ever been fired or asked to resign?  

When answering this question, keep in mind that the interviewer knows that almost everyone has been fired at least once and it is usually due to a personality conflict with the boss or coworkers.  So, if you have been fired then admit it, but do so without attacking your former boss or employer, and without sounding defensive or bitter.  Do not mention that you have been fired many times unless asked specifically, "How many times have you been fired?"  Have a sense of humor when discussing your firings so that the interviewer doesn't get the idea you are a nut who might come back to the workplace with an assault rifle if you're fired.   Tell the interviewer what you learned from being fired.  If you have been fired many times, mention what steps you have taken to improve yourself (i.e., I have read self-help books about . . . getting along with others . . . improving my time management . . . improving knowledge, work habits, etc.).  Also, point out any past jobs you held when you got along well with your boss and coworkers or received good performance reviews or a promotion.  

C-4:  How long have you been searching for a job?  Why haven't you received a job offer?  Why have you been unemployed for so long?  

It is always better to answer this question with "I just started looking" but this is not always possible, particularly if your resume indicates you've been unemployed for the last six months.  If you can't hide the fact that your job search has been taking awhile, then state you're being selective about whom you will work for.  Of course, stating this might prompt the interviewer to ask, "What offers have you turned down?" which could land you in hot water if you haven't actually received any job offers. (It isn't a good idea to lie in answering this latter question.)  

A bad economy and a crowded market are good reasons one might have trouble finding a job.  However, be aware that many interviewers will hold this against you even if the job market was very bad and many people were having trouble finding employment.  

C-5:  What previously held job do you consider to be your favorite and why?  

This is actually a trick question asked to determine if you enjoy the type of work the position you're applying for involves.  Therefore, the answer to this question should be a job that requires the same or similar work that you will be required to perform in the new job.  If you do not have a previous job wherein you performed similar tasks, then offer an answer that does not suggest you are ill-suited for the position.  For example, if you are applying for a high-stress, demanding job in a chaotic environment, don't tell the interviewer you loved your position with Acme because of the mellow, low stress "work at your own pace" atmosphere.  

C-6:  Would you choose the same career if you could start over again?  

How you answer this question depends on whether or not you are trying to win a job related to your career history or are trying to enter a new field.   No matter how much you despise the career you originally chose, do not admit this fact to the interviewer because it tells him you consider your work to be drudge.  If you are trying to enter a new field, of course, tell the interviewer that you would choose the field you're now trying to enter if you had it to do all over again -- that's why you're trying to enter it now.  

C-7:  Why have you stayed with the same employer for so long?           

Just as moving from job to job too frequently can harm you, so can staying with the same employer for too long -- particularly if you've never been promoted and your resume indicates you haven't been intellectually challenged in years.  Your answer should state something about your having worked successfully with many people both inside and outside of the organization, including different bosses and co-workers, as well as interacting regularly with various types of organizations and customers.

C-8:  Why have you changed jobs so frequently?          

Reasons for job-hopping should be based on your past employers' failure to challenge you, failure to give you enough opportunity for advancement, because you needed more money, or for family reasons, and never on the fact that your past employers were incompetent, dumb, or unfair.   Do not indicate in any way that you are hard to get along with or get bored and leave at the drop of a hat, and make sure you point out any jobs you did hold for a long time.  Mention that your current goal is long-term employment and back that up with any proof you have to want job stability such as a new baby, new marriage, new home, etc.  If the job you're applying for offers you the challenges and environment you were always looking for, make sure you point out this fact.  

Good answer 1:  "Well, at ABC Corporation, I was hired as an entry level salesman with the promise of rapid promotion to management within one year.  After a year and a half, I realized that I wasn't going to be promoted as promised and took a position elsewhere because I could not support my family without the commissions that were promised.  At Acme, I was told that the job was very challenging and exciting with significant opportunities for advancement within one year, but this did not materialize. The job was very unchallenging and the company seemed to be failing.  I felt like I was capable of doing much more than sitting around with little to do, so I left.  I admit that my resume shows some job hopping of late, but this is why I am so interested in the position with your company.  I feel certain that this position offers very challenging and interesting work, as well as opportunities for advancement for those willing to work hard.  Your company is very profitable and stable and has a good reputation in the industry.  I know that this will be a position I will stay with a very long time."  

Good answer 2:  "I do not believe that my work history is an accurate reflection of who I am.  I am actually a very stable person who would enjoy very much working for the same employer for a long period.   Note that on my resume, it indicates that I worked for XYZ Company for five years in the early 1990s.  I admit that my resume indicates some job hopping in the late 1990s, but this was because I was caring for my elderly, sick mother between 1995 and 2001.  Caring for her required being available nights and on weekends, so I was not able to work overtime as the job at Acme required.  I had to resign after working there for only a year.  At XYZ Industries, I had to resign after only one year because they insisted on transferring me to the west coast.  I simply could not move away from my mother who was too elderly and ill to make such a move.  My mother passed away in 2001, I got married a year later and had a child.  Now, I have a wife and child to support and a mortgage to pay.  I am eager to settle down and work for a company like yours for a long period of time."

C-9:  Who was your favorite boss and why?  Who was your least favorite boss and why?  

These are two of the most difficult interview questions to answer unless you understand what the interviewer wants to hear, and if you realize that you can answer both questions with the same answer.  Employers are looking for employees who are interested in contributing to the company and improving their job skills.  So, instead of insulting or demeaning your past bosses by telling the interviewer that he was always "hogging all the credit" or was "totally incompetent", state that you wished he had offered you more feedback about your job performance, provided you with more job training, or challenged you more by providing you with more opportunities to show what you can do, etc.   You can answer the question, "who was your favorite boss and why?" using the same answer:  "John Doe was my favorite boss because he offered me lots of feedback about my job performance, taught me almost everything I know about marketing, and gave me plenty of opportunities to prove myself by giving me very challenging projects to complete."   Never put down your past employers or blame them for anything in a demeaning or insulting way, since it makes you come across as petty. 

C-10:  What could you have done to improve your relationship with your least favorite boss?  

Again, refrain from stating negativities about your former boss.  Put a positive spin on your answer by telling the interviewer that, if you had it to do all over again,  you would have requested more feedback from your boss regarding your performance and requested to be assigned more projects, etc.   

C-11:  What is the most foolish thing you've ever done?            

Do not answer this question by claiming that you have never done anything foolish, because everyone has done something foolish.  The ideal answer would be to admit a foolish thing you did in your personal life a long time ago (perhaps as a teenager) rather than admit a foolish mistake done in your recent professional life.  For example, one might answer, "When I was 14 years old,

I decided to steal my father's car keys and go for a joy ride.  Unfortunately, my driving skills weren't as good as I thought they were and I crashed into a telephone pole less than a mile from home.  I was so afraid of my father's reaction, that I left the car there and ran to a friend's house.  I did do some other silly things as a kid, but fortunately, I've never done anything I consider to be foolish as an adult or at work.  Of course, I have made some mistakes at work, but I've learned from them and didn't consider them to be foolish."

C-12:  Have any of your past employers refused to give you a reference?

Of course, the best answer to this question is "no", but if you have to answer "yes", explain why in a professional manner.  In other words, don't complain bitterly about the employer who refused to give you a reference.  Sample answer:  "Yes, John Wilson at Acme refuses to give me a reference because he is unhappy that I resigned from the company.  This is unfortunate because John and I really liked each other and worked well together.  I did receive excellent performance reviews and two raises based on performance while at Acme, so his refusal to give me a reference is not based on poor performance.  As I said, he is angry at me for resigning because he considers my doing so to be disloyal to the company."  Sample answer 1:  "Yes, Acme Corporation refuses to give me a reference; however, this is not based on performance.  Acme has been sued many times by former employers so they have adopted the policy of confirming only job title, work dates and salary through HR.  If you contact Mr. Wilson at Acme, he will likely not respond or will refer you to HR.  This is not based on my performance, but rather, on company policy."

C-13:  Why are there gaps in your employment history?            

Answer this question by explaining each recent gap in your work history that is longer than six months.  You should try to put a positive spin on your answer.  Good reasons to explain away employment gaps are that you took some time off to raise your children or to go back to school and get your degree or obtain necessary training to get a better job.  Although not ideal, acceptable reasons to explain employment gaps are that you took a year off to travel or that the economy has been very bad and you simply couldn't find work in a year and a half.  Don't say it was because "no one would hire me" or "I kept getting fired" without putting a positive spin on your answer.  Mention that your current goal is long-term employment and back that up with any proof you have to want job stability such as a new baby, new marriage, new home, etc.  If the job you're applying for offers you the challenges and environment you were always looking for, you should point out this fact. 

Good answer 1:  "The reason that there is a two year gap in my employment history is that I could afford to be very choosy as I had a substantial amount of money in savings, which allowed me to spent almost two years looking for the right position.  I resigned from Acme Corporation because the work was very unchallenging and I wanted to make sure that I found a new position that offered me the type of challenging, interesting work and advancement for opportunities that I was searching for.  So, I interviewed for many positions and was offered quite a few of them, but I turned them down because they were not right for me."

Good answer 2:  "When I was younger, I did some foolish things, one of which was not having any idea of what I wanted to do with my life, so I was generally unfocused and ended up quitting several good jobs so I could attend school full-time and get the necessary training to enter a new field.  The two-year employment gap between my job at Acme and XYZ Industries occurred because I was attending university full-time while my wife supported us financially.  The most recent employment gap occurred because I again decided to go back to school and earn a degree so I could qualify for much better jobs."

C-14:  Would your present employer be surprised to know you're job hunting?  

Never answer this question with negative information such as "My current boss wouldn't be surprised in the least to hear I'm leaving since he's been trying to shove me out the door for years!"  Always tell the interviewer that you are happy with your current employer and job, but are simply looking to stretch your wings out and take on a job with more challenge, and yes, more salary and opportunities for advancement.   

C-15:  How would your co-workers describe you?         

Obviously, you don't want to say your co-workers would describe you as a troubled loner.  The only correct answer to this question is to say that they would describe you as a pleasant person who works well with others.  Put forth other positive traits about yourself as well:  hard-working, efficient, dependable, easy going, funny, witty, etc.

Good answer:  "My coworkers would describe me as a pleasant, nice person who is very dependable and hard-working.  I tend to be shy at first, but after people get to know me, I come out of my shell and am very fun to be around."

C-16:  What would you do if a supervisor asked you to do something the wrong way?

The interviewer is testing how insubordinate you might be.  Never answer this question by claiming you would refuse to do something the way the supervisor told you to do it unless you are required by your company or by law to follow certain procedures.  Instead, tell the interviewer you would tell the supervisor you think it should be done another way, but if the supervisor insisted you do it his way, you would do so.

Good answer:  "If I was aware that there was a more efficient or better way to perform a task, I would tactfully point this out to the supervisor.  However, if she still wanted me to do it her way, I would do so."

C-17:  What types of people do you have trouble getting along with?

You don't want to answer this question with "Hard-working people who make lazy people like me look bad."  You want to be the hard-working, nice person who doesn't like lazy or difficult people.  However, be careful, the position you're interviewing for might come with an unpleasant, difficult supervisor and the interviewer is asking you this question for that reason.

Good answer 1: "I don't get along well with people who don't hold up their end of the job, who are constantly coming in late or calling in sick.  They don't really respect their co-workers and bring the whole organization down."

Good answer 2:  "I don't get along well with people who are opinionated and close-minded.  They always seem to be complaining about one thing or another and they're depressing to be around."