The Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Answers - Bob Firestone

The Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Answers: 7th Edition 2016 
Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers —

by Bob Firestone 

• How to "Package & Spin" your work experience so it's the perfect fit for the job.
• Become more confident in your self-presentation; easily calm nerves or fear.
• How to use professional words, phrases, and metrics to communicate your value.
• Talk about your strengths and past successes in a convincing way.
• Get the best questions for YOU to ask the interviewers to show them you're smart and engaged.
• Tell them exactly what they want to hear — so you GET HIRED!

Interview Question

Give me an example of a problem you faced on the job, and tell me how you solved it.

STRATEGY:

 The problem you select to use as an example should be as similar as possible to a problem you are likely to face at your new job. 1) Identify their "pain points" or current challenges you think they might be facing, 2) explain the POSITIVE OUTCOME and MEASURABLE RESULTS you achieved by solving a similar problem at your last job, then 3) get them to agree with you that your experience in that area is exactly what they're looking for.

Here's the basic answer formula:

"Sure, at my last job we had a problem where the situation was "X" ... the action I took was "Y" ... and the positive outcome was "Z" ... In an email to the entire team I was praised by Susan, the Project Manager, for solving the problem and cutting costs about 15% for that project. We were also able to deliver in about ⅔ the time it would have taken us otherwise. What I learned from the situation was "ABC." I think that's the type of experience you are looking to bring to your team, isn't it?"

... how to cite personal success-metrics  (numbers, percentages, fractions)  that you contributed to achieving at the past few jobs on your résumé or CV.

"I think my experience with [Company XYZ] in cutting costs 30% / saving 20 man-hours of work per week / increasing revenue by 14% / getting the job done about 50% faster / decreasing turn-around time by ⅓ / helping customers 20% more of the time is the type of experience that will help me succeed in this role ..."

"... Plus my strengths in [industry knowledge / time management / goal-setting / teamwork / empowering others / persuasive presentations / partnering & negotiating / innovation & creativity / strategic leadership / special skill ] really make me a strong candidate." (Don't be bashful — You've gotta say stuff like this!)

… then get them to agree with you:

"You'd agree that having this type of experience would probably help me succeed in this position … wouldn't you?"  (say it with a smile)

"Would that type of problem-solving experience be relevant to this job?"

Here's a more fully formed example answer to the above question:

"When facing problems I try to take a systematic approach. I think it's important to clarify the problem first and get as much information as I can by collaborating with important stakeholders - BEFORE I start proposing possible solutions. I also try to think about what the best possible outcome might look like. FOR EXAMPLE, when I was at Company XYZ … (use one of your S.O.A.R.L. Stories here) … and the result was about a 15% increase in cost-savings for that project. What types of challenges are you currently facing in your department? … What might I do to help you solve those problems in my first couple months on the job here?"

… See how you followed up your answer with a great question about THEIR needs? — Smart.

Interview Question

What did you like best and least about your previous job?

STRATEGY:

 This is potentially a trick question. You want to indicate that what you liked best about your last job are things that will appeal to the Hiring Manager. Show that your last job allowed you to demonstrate many of the positive and desirable Behavioral Competencies that are discussed in-depth at the beginning of the Guide. Give specific examples of how your last job allowed you to flex your skills and show your maturity. When answering about what you liked least, keep it short and do not be negative.

"What I liked about my last was I was able to really develop my "XYZ" skills which I know will help me succeed here if I am fortunate enough to be able to join your team. What are the qualities of the people who have been most successful in your department?"

(Notice the "data-mining" question ↑↑ about the skills and characteristics of other people. You're sniffing for clues about what they want to hear!)

one thing I liked about my last job was it allowed me to develop my project management skills ... FOR EXAMPLE, I was put in charge of a project where I had to earn the "buy-in" of people from several different departments — and I had all the responsibility for getting the project completed but no real authority over my teammates. I was successful because I involved key stakeholders from the beginning. My team knew that other people were on board, so I was able to negotiate them to an agreement on deadlines. Then day-to-day I made sure everyone was completing their work on time by setting up a progress tracking system … Can I tell you about it?"

Interview Question

What's the worst mistake you ever made on the job, and what did you learn from it?

STRATEGY:

 Think about what they want to hear. Show that you are able to learn from your mistakes, but don't offer up any negative examples concerning your past performance. Show that you have been successful, but that you have the maturity it takes to examine your own behavior so you can learn and grow and be a better employee. Be brief.

"Good question. Well, I have been successful at every job I've had, but I have had the normal ups and downs. I'd say that I do actively try to monitor the quality of my work so I can constantly be improving myself. FOR EXAMPLE, I have had one or two hiccups with clients (or customers) where their satisfaction was not exactly where I thought it was. I learned that I have to really monitor certain difficult clients closely and "take their temperature" so I can keep their satisfaction level as high as possible. Have YOU had any customers like that here?"

Interview Question

Describe a situation when working with a team produced more successful results than if you had completed the project on your own.

STRATEGY:

 This is another Behavioral Interview style of question. The Hiring Manager wants to learn more about your thought process, and how well you can form examples to answer this teamwork-related question. You will want to show your ability to solicit ideas from others, listen carefully, and persuade people to your point of view.

"Well, throughout my career I've worked both independently and as a member of many teams. I have to say, though, that collaborating with other people across departments is always a good idea — specifically when it comes to brainstorming and knowledge sharing. When it's appropriate, I try to get outside perspectives on possible solutions. I did that a lot at Job 'ABC'. FOR EXAMPLE … and the OUTCOME was a roughly 30% increase in cost-savings for the company, and a significant decrease in the time it took to complete the project."

"Would that type of experience be relevant to this job? ... Great! ... So when do I start? ..."  (don't be afraid so throw some humor in if it's going well!)

Behavioral Interview Questions

… Are you ready for tough questions like these??

What was the most frustrating experience at your last job?
What was the most satisfying? … Why?

Why have you had so many jobs in such a short period of time?

Can you explain this gap in your employment history? … And then what happened?

Have you ever been fired or forced to resign?

 

 

What was your role in your department's most recent success?

Share some examples of how you've been able to motivate other people.

Tell me about a time you were asked to make changes at the last minute.

Describe a recent split-second decision you made at work. How did you do it?

A year from now, how will you evaluate if you have been successful in this position?

 

 

Walk me through the steps you took to reach an important long-term goal.

What's your biggest weakness? … Give some examples of areas where you need to improve.

Describe a change you needed to make that was unpopular. How did you implement it?

How do you go about learning new technical skills?

So ... Tell me about yourself.

 

 

What have you learned from your mistakes?

What have you done when you had more than one project with the same deadline?

What would your last manager say about you?

Describe the worst boss you have ever had. Where is that person now?

How much $$$ money do you expect if we offer this position to you?

 

 

Tell me about a time you had to build new relationships in order to get something done …
How did you go about that?

What are your long-range career objectives & what steps have you taken toward obtaining them?

Describe a situation when working with a team produced more successful results than if you had completed the project on your own.

What happens when you have to deal with an angry customer or client?

What do you do when people disagree with your ideas? … Describe some times when you had to resolve a conflict with an individual, or guide others to compromise.

 

 

Tell me about an important written document you were required to complete.

What's the most significant presentation you've given? … how did you prepare?

What motivates you to go the extra mile on a project or job?

Do you consider yourself to be a leader? … What are the attributes of a good leader?

Are you good at delegating tasks? … Tell us about your process.

Tell us about a project when you were responsible for the budget … How did you stay within budget?

 

 

What does it mean to be successful?

Tell me about a problem you solved that wasn't assigned to you. Why did you solve that problem?
Why didn't anyone else solve it?

Give me an example of a time when you took a risk and failed. How did you feel? … What happened next?

You may be overqualified or too experienced for the position.

What things do you do to help yourself in your career?

What will it take for you to accept this job?

HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND? …

S.O.A.R.L 

▪ Situation 

You begin by briefly providing context using a real life situation you experienced.  This is the “before” picture which illustrates what was happening “at the time” of the situation.

For example – “I was newly promoted to department manager.  The department had doubled in volume growth but was experiencing higher than average turnover.”

▪ Objective 

You then articulate the issues or define the problem.  This gets the interviewer’s attention regarding what it is you had to overcome. 

For example – “Employee turnover was over 50%.  The newer staff required training and coaching.  The senior staff were overworked and stressed.  Work wasn’t getting done and this was creating regular customer complaints.”

▪ Action 

You then explain the action you took to resolve the situation. 

For example – “I identified and prioritized the immediate action I needed to take.  I analyzed the workflow and matched the work to the people who could best get the job done.  I then made sure each of the employees had job descriptions.  I set up a regular coaching schedule with each employee so I could monitor progress.  I had the newer staff job shadow the senior staff and had the senior staff mentor the newer people.  We had regular team meetings to ensure we were all communicating results and progress with each other.”

▪ Results 

You share the result of your actions.  Sharing the quantifiable as well as qualitative outcomes. 

For example – “Employee turnover dropped to 10% within the first year.  Morale improved significantly.  Customer complaints stopped coming in.  The department became the most efficient and productive department in the division.”

▪ Learnings

Lastly, you share the learning from the results. 

“It is not that I'm so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.” ― Albert Einstein”

https://job-interview-answers.com/

http://www.humanresources.com/491/the-soar-answer-model/