Tough Interview Questions
No matter how good your resume and cover letter, you still need to be able to answer the tough questions during your interview. Here we show you some examples of tough questions with suggested answers.
How would you answer some of these tough questions? Please let us know if you have a good response to one of these inquiries. And if you have been asked a question that you're not sure how to answer, let us know and we'll try to find an answer that works for you.
Here are the Questions and Answers posted to our home page - most recent first. Click on each question to take you to its answer.
What most interests you about the position being offered?
Why aren't you earning more at your age?
What do you look for in a job?
How have you benefited from your disappointments?
Why should I hire you from the outside when I can hire someone from within the company?
Explain your role as a group/team member?
What will your references say about you?
How long would it take you to make a contribution to our firm?
What kind of decisions are most difficult for you to make?
How long would you stay with us?
How do you determine your priorities under tight time constraints?
How did your last boss get the best work out of you?
What new goals or objectives have you established recently?
Tell me something that you are not proud of?
If one of your co workers was having difficulty doing their job, what would you do?
Why are you leaving your current position?
Are you willing to take calculated risks when necessary?
If you could start your professional life again, what would you do differently?
What most interests you about the position being offered?
Here's your chance to convey your enthusiasm and excitement about the work to be done. Talk briefly about being ready for the challenges the position offers you; the relevant skills, experience and knowledge that you have that will enable you to do the job well; and about the good reputation of the company, the quality of their people, products and services, etc. Because you have done your research about the company you should also be able to address the current projects or products that you'd like to see come to fruition with your participation.
Why aren't you earning more at your age?
This question presupposes that the interviewer suspects how old you are (it is illegal for an employer to directly ask your age during an interview), and thinks they know enough about your work history to question if you should be making more money, or that you may not be in touch with your value in the workplace. Tell the interviewer that you are motivated by the quality of your work, the challenges, opportunities, etc, rather than being motivated by money. You should also convey that you still expect to be paid a competitive wage for the position you are applying for. (And if you don't know how much you should be paid, do some research!!) Be careful to not show any negative emotion toward the interviewer for their assumptions about you. Don't make negative comments about your former employers, such as, "they were tightwads", or "the company couldn't afford to give us raises."
What do you look for in a job?
This question is frequently asked to determine if the applicant will fit in with the employer's particular environment. It is more important for the interviewee to address things like: a place to use specific skills, the opportunity to interact daily with creative and motivated coworkers, and other factors that relate to the work the applicant hopes to do or the functions they hope to perform. If the applicant mentions specifics about the location, commute or workplace interior (without advance favorable knowledge of these factors), the employer might wonder if the candidate will be happy and comfortable in their workplace.
How have you benefited from your disappointments?
Here's your chance to convey your positive attitude and outlook. It is ok to tell your interviewer that you consider yourself fortunate, that you have not had too many disappointments. But without going into the specific circumstances of any disappointments you may have experienced, you could say that you try to see the glass as half full. You know that occasionally things don't go exactly as planned, but you don't let disruptions to your progress stop you from moving forward. You recognize the value of turning each disappointment into a learning experience; and that by not dwelling on the negative, you are able to look forward.
Why should I hire you from the outside when I can hire someone from within the company?
Employers may ask this question to determine a candidate's confidence. While an applicant can not really know the particulars of his or her competitor's skill level or experience, he or she must confidently convey that they have the skills, experience, knowledge, drive, and that they are a professional, with the perspective to do the job and make profitable contributions.
Explain your role as a group/team member?
Here's where you get to talk about how you participated with others to fulfill various responsibilities, how you encourage and assist others. You can also describe succinctly how you demonstrated your initiative, used particular skills, all for the common goals of the team, the particular project and the company. Make certain that you keep the focus on yourself and your accomplishments. You might also detail how you enjoy the collaborative process, the diversity of people and ideas.
What will your references say about you?
Of course you’ll only provide contact info for references that will say completely positive things about you. So before you start going on interviews, make sure you openly discuss with your references what they will say about you, or what you need them to say. Doing so enables you to confidently tell an employer how effective others thought you were on the job, and how well you got along with coworkers, the software you know, your knowledge and experience, etc.
How long would it take you to make a contribution to our firm?
This questions can trip you up, so be careful! If you state a time period that is too short, you could be perceived as being unrealistic or unaware of company / department / project specifics on which to base an accurate estimate. Stating too long a time period could rule you out. One response might be: "I want to make a positive contribution as soon as possible, and my abilities as ____ and skills at ____ (relevant to this job) would enable me to get my feet wet quickly. I am driven and motivated to contribute to the success of department and the company" Keep your answers focused and relevant to the goals of the company and the work you'll be expected to perform.
What kind of decisions are most difficult for you to make?
Generally asked by interviewers to help determine your ability to think on your feet and how well you handle responsibility. State that you are generally very decisive, except when you don't have the proper information or tools on which to base an accurate or appropriate decision. Tell your interviewer that when you don't have the information or other tools that you need, you try to quickly pursue accurate answers, seek input and advice, do research, until you have the tools or information that allow you make a confident decision. Your answer will sound that much more convincing when you can site specific examples of when you had to gather more details or info before making an important work-related decision.
How long would you stay with us?
Avoid stating a specific number of years. You might say, "Being career oriented, I’ll be here for as long as I can make a positive contribution to the growth of the company (or serve my customers)”. Or, “I plan on being here to work toward the growth of the business, and my own professional development." Or, "I plan on being with the firm at least a few years." You should be careful when making comments about "revolving door environments" or business with high turnover rates to avoid sounding critical of this or other employers. Focus your answer on the benefits of staying with an employer for the long haul, and that you are hoping for a long relationship and career with that firm.
How do you determine your priorities under tight time constraints?
Start by explaining your strengths breaking larger projects or tasks into smaller objectives so that you are able to recognize all the components for thorough analysis, and determine what can be completed first and fastest. Convey how your organizational skills and knowledge of your work enable you to determine what it will take to complete each segment and then the whole project. Also mention that when possible you assign tasks to others so projects can be completed on time and on budget.
How did your last boss get the best work out of you?
Here's where you tell your interviewer that you are always motivated to do your best work, and that you take pride in the fact that you always put forth a full and dedicated effort. You are not doing the job because you seek reward or recognition. The quality of your work is its own reward! Your boss makes a contribution to your best efforts by providing appropriate resources and tools, through good communication, showing respect, being supportive and demonstrating appreciation of you, and your team, and by recognizing individual and group efforts.
What new goals or objectives have you established recently?
This question can be very revealing .... in the wrong way. Keep your answer focused on self improvement activities, or general personal or professional goals. Be careful not to answer with anything that indicates your commitment to new or additional financial responsibilities such as buying a home or having a family. This information is not relevant to what you can do for that employer. And its none of their business!! Focus your answer on your efforts to repeat or exceed your biggest professional success, or how you plan to attain job-related goals, such as sales targets, or organizing your department, making improvements. You could also address recent completion of a continuing education class, or how you are learning new skills, finishing a degree, etc. are also appropriate responses.
Tell me something that you are not proud of?
An employer or interviewer may toss this question out to see how honest or revelatory you are about your life. This will be one of the few interview questions where your answer does not pertain to your work. Be brief and concise, leave out excessive details, and describe something that had nothing to do with your job, and most importantly from which you learned something. State it all in a positive manner, and present it as a learning experience. “I once parked in a handicapped zone.” Or, “I got a ticket for not fully stopping at a traffic signal before turning.” Any reply that indicates no one was hurt by your actions should be a reasonably safe response.
If one of your co workers was having difficulty doing their job, what would you do?
Here's one of those questions where your interviewer wants to learn about your skills beyond what is called for by the position. Are you a team player? Can and will you support the efforts of others in your department or on your team? First you want to find out if the difficulty the coworker is having is a personal or procedural issue. If it is a personal issue that is affecting performance, you might offer to be a sounding board for your coworker, and give them a chance to vent during lunch or a break, or after work. If there is a procedural issue, explain to your interviewer that you would try to understand the difficulty being experienced by that coworker, that you would demonstrate how to proceed, provide encouragement, allow time for task acclamation and skill development, and try to motivate the coworker with the satisfaction to be gained having learned something or completing the task. Emphasize that you wouldn't complete the other person's tasks for them.
This question has been known to make many an interviewee nervous. It is meant to help reveal how you see yourself. How well do you talk about yourself? Sound confident but not cocky, when you say you learned how to be self motivated, self-reliant, and dedicated to completing tasks on time and when promised. Be assertive and not aggressive as you talk about how you learned the importance of putting your ego aside, to be humble, and how to appreciate and respect others for their talents, contributions and perspectives; You found your confidence and feel that you can accomplish anything that you set out to do. But keep in mind that your interviewer could be assessing more than your verbal answer; they'll be trying to interpret your ego, attitude, shyness, body language, posture and other personality attributes.
Why are you leaving your current position?
First of all, say nothing negative about coworkers or employers, present or past! Explain to your interviewer that you feel that your skills or expertise aren't being utilized to their fullest potential where you presently work. Confidently convey that you can make a bigger contribution working for an employer who understands your specialized knowledge or specifically needed talents. If you can, identify to the interviewer how your skills match that employer's needs. You can also say that you are seeking new opportunities because you want to take your current skills to the next level, and take on bigger challenges. If there's a lack of career growth opportunities or little potential to learn something new from your current employer, you can explain that as well. And then try to discuss with your interviewer what you would like to learn or accomplish with this new job.
Are you willing to take calculated risks when necessary?
Explain to your interviewer that you recognize that some risks are a necessary part of doing business, but that you are smart and professional enough to know that foolish, and unnecessary risks are to be avoided. Ask your intervewer if your position requires you to make decisions based on calculated risks and find out how much risk the company is willing to tolerate, and still support your efforts for taking them. Knowing that your employer will back you up will add to your security in this job. Are the risks common for this position and within your industry? Knowing about the potential risks in advance, along with your own level of comfort in taking risks, will aid you in providing the most complete answer.
"No," is the best answer, even if you do have children. You don't want the employer to believe that your outside-of-work duties and familial responsibilities will collide with your job. But, if you say, "Yes," be careful you don't imply how much interference those responsibilities may actually influence your time and your attention away from your work. If the question was simply “Do you have any outside responsibilities that might interfere with … “ (leaving out the “children”, the question would have required a simple "No" response. If the employer is made aware that you have young, school-age children, infirmed parents or a disabled spouse, they will assume - possibly incorrectly - that there will be distractions that will impact your productivity and attendance.
If you could start your professional life again, what would you do differently?
Although your professional pursuits might possibly remain the same, thoughtfully explain to your interviewer that through hindsight, if given the chance to start again, there are probably a few things that you would do differently. If you were starting again suggest that maybe you would pursue different course work or another college major, or even a different school. Maybe you would learn more about other facets of your industry. You recognize that other kinds of training might help you achieve your goals.
Another possible direction for your answer might be that you wouldn't change a thing. You are proud of the way your career has progressed, the accomplishments you have achieved, and the opportunities you have in front of you. Be careful not to sound glib, cavalier, or insincere, and say anything negative about yourself, past employers or anyone else!