Powerful Phrases for Successful Interviews

by Tony Beshara

  Q. You are awfully young for this position, aren’t you? (See the previous question. Without the statement that follows above, it may relate more to your fitting in than to your age. So, it might be a good idea to clarify the question in your response.)

  I have found that maturity is more an issue of contributing to an organization than one of age. I have been fortunate enough to be in situations where I was able to contribute and grow. Are you asking this because there are few people in the organization my age?

  Once you get the answer to your question, you can assure the interviewing or hiring authority that you have been in this situation before.

  I have always been in departments where I have been younger than most anybody the group. In checking my references you’ll find that this has never been an issue—for them or for me.

  Q. You will be older than anyone else here . . . how does that make you feel?

  I have worked in organizations where I was older than the majority of the employees and it wasn’t a problem. In fact, I’ve provided a great balance of experience that others didn’t have. It was great.

  Q. You will be younger than anyone else here . . . how does that make you feel?

  I’ve worked in organizations where I was the youngest by far. In fact, I provided a great balance for the team.

  Q. You live an awfully long way from here. It will take you at least forty-five minutes to get to work one way. With the price of gas, as well as your time, after a while, you might lose enthusiasm for the job!

  I have had to commute before, and I am not bothered by it. In fact, it gives me a great opportunity to listen to motivational tapes and CDs. I use the time to learn and get better. If you check my references, you will find that I was rarely late for work.

  Q. Were you ever denied a pay raise, got a poor performance review, or were passed up for a promotion? What did you do?

  I’ve never had a poor performance review (be sure this is true) and the one or two times in my career that I might have been passed over for promotion, it worked out best for the organization and therefore it worked out well for me. My experiences then have shown me that if I perform well pay raises, promotions, etc., always take care of themselves.

  Q. Do you object to psychological testing? (This is only going to be asked by an organization that does this kind of testing. If you object, you are probably going to be eliminated as a candidate.)

  Not at all. I’ve taken them before.

  Q. What do you think about _________________ (any controversial issue, for example, politics, religion, or anything in the news that might be controversial)? (If it is something that is controversial, no matter what your opinion is, don’t give it.)

  You know I am trying to learn more about _____________; I’d be interested to know what your opinion is.

  Q. When do you plan on retiring? (This is especially difficult if you are over fifty-five or sixty years old.)

  My goodness, I love working so much, I don’t know that I would ever retire.

  Q. You have been out of work for more than a year and have said that you could afford to do that. How do we know that if we hire you, you won’t quit after three or four months since you obviously can afford not to work?

  I was fortunate enough to be able to live frugally during that period of time. But it certainly wasn’t an extravagant lifestyle. I need to work not only emotionally and mentally, but also economically. I can’t afford to stay out of the workplace any longer.

  Q. Have you ever been involved in a lawsuit? Business or personal? (You have to answer this question very carefully. Lawsuits are usually public records even if they are settled. So, if you have been involved in a lawsuit, state that you have and give a very brief one- or two-sentence explanation about it. Then be quiet.)

  In the businesses that I worked for, I have been involved in a few lawsuits.

  Q. What will your boss say when you resign? Will he or she be upset? (This is a bit of a loaded question. It might be asked so that the interviewer can find out if you have confided in your present boss, or the interviewer just might throw the question out there to see how you react.)

  I’m sure my boss will be somewhat disappointed, but he or she has always been the kind that wants what’s best for everyone in the organization. If finding a new job is best for my family, and me, while my boss might be unhappy about the situation for the company, he (or she) will be pleased for me.

  Q. This job and this company are real big risks. We don’t know how long we’re going to be able to make it. What do you think? (This is a question that comes up from time to time. Sometimes it is a question to test you to see if you are a risk taker.)

  I am by nature a risk taker. I don’t have a problem with a risky company or a risky opportunity as long as the rewards are there.

  Q. Can we contact your references, including present and former employers? (The only problem with this question is that you might not want anyone checking your present employer as a reference until after you have left your job.)

  I have no problem with you checking my previous employment references when we get to the proper offer stage. But I certainly would not want anyone checking my present employer as I have not left, and they have no idea that I’m looking for a job.

  Q. Knowing what you know about the job you are interviewing for, what are the things that you’re going to dislike the most?

  Well, from what I know about, there might be some things that I may not like as well as others, but I haven’t found anything that I would dislike.

  Q. What is the least relevant job that you had? (Be pensive and think about this for a few moments.)

  At just about every job I’ve ever had, I learned something. There were jobs during college and right out of college that weren’t as relevant to my career growth as they could have been, but I sure learned a lot by working at them. I’ve always felt that, no matter how menial the task, I need to do my best.

  Q. Sometimes people stretch the truth or don’t tell the truth in order to protect themselves or their organization. Have you ever found it necessary to do this? (This is a really tough question. It ranks up there with the question “Do you ever lie?”)

  Part of being successful in business is being able to present things just as they are, for better or for worse. I’ve never been comfortable with covering up or stretching the truth. My memory isn’t that good and in situations where I’ve seen people do this, it inevitably comes back to haunt them. My experience is that one lie leads to another and then leads to another, and they’re never really to anyone’s best interest.

  Q. What is your energy level like? Describe one of your typical days. (You must always communicate that you have a high energy level. You do that by sitting up and leaning forward with relaxed intensity.)

  I’ve always been told that I have a high degree of energy. I’m motivated to do a good job, and I’ve been blessed with the ability to work quickly and be able to maintain that level of energy nine to ten hours a day.

  Describe your day by making sure you are up and at your job very early, undertaking a lot of activity, and going home later than most people. You have to communicate doing a lot of work and doing it quickly.

  Q. Have you done the best work you are capable of doing? (This is a trick question. If you say that you have done the very best work you’re capable of doing, it may come across as egotistical. If you say that you haven’t done the best work you were capable of doing, you may come across as an underachiever.)

  Based on the experience that I have had, I was doing the best work that I was capable of doing. The more experience that I have, the better my work gets.

  Q. Can you work under pressure? Tell me about the most pressured situation you were in. (You should be able to relate a good story in answer to this question.)

  A few years ago our company was struggling. We had a bank note coming due, and the president of our company sent me to a customer that would save the company if they bought from us. If they didn�
��t, we would have been in terrible shape with the bank and likely lost the company. I was successful in getting a contract from the client. It saved the company.

  Q. Describe the most difficult problem you had to deal with. (Watch out for this kind of question. It is better to describe a difficult business problem than a personal one. Again, a story is best.)

  Over a period of four months I restructured our company’s debt with four different vendors we owed money to because things were very tight. We made a deal with each one of them, and we are now each one’s best customer.

  Q. How do you manage to interview while still employed? (This is a question that’s going to put you on the spot a bit regarding your integrity or character.)

  I have accrued quite a bit of vacation, and I’ve been taking it to interview.

  Don’t be flippant or casual about the answer.

  Q. When would you expect a promotion?

  I have found in the past that promotions have come after I have performed successfully. In the past, I really haven’t worried about promotions, because I know that if I do my job and I do it better than others, the opportunity to go beyond my position will present itself.

  Q. What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you? (An answer that communicates compassion and empathy for other people is usually a good answer for this kind of question.)

  It is difficult when I have to fire someone or lay them off, and I know it affects not only them but also other people. I have done it, and know that I’m going to have to continue to do it, but it still isn’t easy.

  Q. Your résumé shows that you been with one company a long time without any appreciable increase in rank or salary. Tell me about this.

  I really love my job and the company that I work for. We aren’t the kind of company that has a lot of turnover, so opportunities to get promoted have been very rare. My company has given salary increases when they can, but they have been strapped for the last few years.

  One of the reasons that I am looking to leave is to experience personal and, therefore, economic growth. Frankly, that’s why I’m interviewing with you and your firm.

  Q. What area of your skills and professional development do you want to improve at this time? (Most people never think of this question until they get asked it in an interview. And that’s the worst time to start thinking about the answer. Most professionals need to be working on their game all of the time. If you are a professional in, say, the technology area, you need to communicate that you are taking courses or improving your skills in some aspect of technology. If you are not in a profession where this kind of thing is that clear-cut, you need to communicate that you are constantly taking personal development and personal growth types of training.)

  On a personal level, I am constantly reading and listening to motivational and inspirational CDs and books. On a professional level, I’m involved in two associations and try to take at least two daylong professional symposiums a year.

  Q. Why should I hire you as an outsider when I could fill the job with someone inside the company? (This is a great question, and I am surprised that it doesn’t get asked more often.)

  My experience has been that if companies can find equal candidates internally as well as externally, they should look at hiring internally. But I have also found that hiring externally brings new blood, new ideas, and renewed energy to the organization, and it usually works out very well.

  Q. How long have you been looking for another position? (Hiring or interviewing authorities will be concerned if you have been on the job market too long. They will wonder, “What is wrong with this person.” Be sure to give a logical and reasonable explanation of why you might still be looking. If you have been looking for a job for what might appear to be an inordinate amount of time, like six months or so, you have to answer this question with the statement that you are looking for the right opportunity.)

  I’ve been actively looking for a position for the past few months, and although I’ve had a number of opportunities to accept a job, I haven’t found the right match.

  Q. What do you think of your current or last boss and previous bosses? (This is a great chance for you to shoot yourself in the foot. The metaphors and analogies that you give here are extremely important. No matter what—even if you were fired by the biggest jerk in the world—you absolutely have to present your current or last boss in positive terms.)

  I’ve been very fortunate. I respected every boss that I’ve ever had and have learned an immense amount from each one of them. In one or two instances, I didn’t particularly like my boss, but I appreciated everything I learned from them. For the most part, though, I’ve had really great bosses.

  Q. What would you do when you have a great deal of work to accomplish in a short time span? How have you reacted to that situation? (Be ready to answer this question with an appropriate story.)

  I am constantly setting goals and planning. So, I set priorities for myself and for others. If I have a great deal of work to accomplish in a short time span, I have to analyze my priorities and pick the ones that are most important.

  Years ago, I reacted too emotionally and tried to get all of it done. I have found that, in cases like this, unless someone can put twenty-six hours in a day, I have to decide what the priorities are and act on them.

  Q. Tell me about a time when your team fell apart. Why did it happen? What did you do? (Again, to reinforce your ability to deal with stress and strain you need a story or two.)

  Our accounting apartment was under a deadline to get a due diligence report to the CEO. There were five of us in the department. Two people quit, and one had to take leave for a family emergency. It didn’t look like we were going to get the report done on time.

  Years ago, I would have panicked. But in this case, I called the two people that had quit and hired them as independent contractors for two weekends. I then hired a contract accountant to organize the report. I asked the CEO for a two-day grace period, which she granted. We made the new deadline and produced a great report.

  Q. How did you feel about your workload at that company? (Never, ever complain about your workload. Explain that you appreciated the amount of work you were assigned, and that all of the best managers seemed to have a lot on their plate.)

  I don’t think I’ve ever felt overloaded—maybe overwhelmed at moments, but never overloaded. The way I’ve avoided this is to always make a plan, and then work it in a calm, deliberate manner. Now, it may take long evenings and some weekends and a lot of focus time, but planning is the key.

  Q. After I get to know you, what will annoy me about you? (Don’t take this bait.)

  Well, although I try to work at it, I’m not a very good golfer (or tennis player or bowler or poker player or . . .).

  Then smile. Don’t get into anything more personal than this. It simply can’t help you.

  Q. I see you are working on your MBA (or graduate) degree. What are you going to do when you get it? (Some companies really like people getting graduate degrees and some don’t care. It is helpful if you know how many of the managers or people in the organization have MBA or graduate degrees.)

  I decided to pursue an MBA (or graduate degree) as much for personal growth as anything else. In my experience, I have seen that having an MBA (or graduate degree) doesn’t necessarily make you a better professional. But, I am a constant learner and if it helps along the way, it will be of value.

  Q. Wow! Your grades are really low! What happened? (Take this question very seriously.)

  It did take me a couple of years to really get focused on college (or graduate school). I was very active in college in organizations and had leadership positions. I also had to work to earn money for college and its expenses. If I had to do it again, I would probably work a little harder.

  If your college or graduate school was more than a couple of years ago, mention that your job performance has been excellent throughout your working years.

  Q. We found that you have had a num
ber of DWIs. Can you explain? (It is best that you inform the hiring authority about your having DWIs before they are discovered with a background check.)

  Unfortunately, there was a time when I wasn’t as disciplined as I am now. That was a while ago, and I assure you nothing like that will happen again in the future.

  If the DWI has been recent, be able to show that you are enrolled in or have completed a rehabilitation program and are receiving ongoing therapy or membership and participation in AA.

  Q. You are coming back into the workforce after giving birth to a child. How do I know you won’t work for a while and then decide to stay with the baby?

  My family and I always expected that I would go back to work. We have great childcare (preferably, a family member). I am punctual and I need to work. My career is very important to me, and that’s why I’m interviewing with your organization.

  Q. You relocated here because of the job market. How do we know that when the market becomes better, you won’t return to your old town?

  My family and I made a conscious effort to move here and put down roots. Where I moved from has limited potential and my family there totally understands us moving here. We have family in the area as well as good friends. Back home is a nice place to visit, but we don’t want to live there.

  Q. You are changing careers. How do we know that if we hire you, you may not like your new career and go back to what you were doing before?

  Changing careers is a deliberate, conscious business decision. The career I had before has a very limited future. I know that I’ll have to take two or three steps backward in order to move forward. But I also know that I am going to be just as successful in this new career as I was in my last one. It will take a few years for me to get to the level I was before, but I’m absolutely confident I will. I’ve researched this new career as well as your company, and I know it’s the right thing for me.