Job Hunting: How to Answer Tough Job Interview Questions

The best way to ensure that you can handle the difficult questions a potential employer asks during your job interview is to know the questions in advance. Of course, many a college student has said the same thing about final exam questions. The fact is, that will never happen in the real world, so you'll have to improvise and be creative, two skills any employer will value. The following tips will help you master tough job interview questions, which in turn will put you at ease during the entire process:

---Anticipate...then prepare, prepare, prepare. Certain questions come up in almost every job interview. It may sound odd, overkill even, but write out the questions, as well as your answer, then rehearse with a friend until it becomes rote. The answer you give on paper may not sound good when you say it verbally. Listen to the feedback from the person you are rehearsing with, watch his initial facial responses, and adjust your answers as is necessary.

Some of the typical questions include:

------Why did you leave your last job? Nowadays, lay off is a standard answer. If you left of your own accord, it's perfectly fine to say it just wasn't the right fit for you. If the job changed along the way, and you had a different skill set, that's legitimate. What's NOT legitimate under any circumstances is to bad mouth your former employer.

------Why do you want to work here? It sounds like an easy question, but this may be one of the most difficult in that your knee-jerk answer may be: "I need a job." That may be part of the answer, but it is certainly NOT the answer you should give during the interview.

Even though, this may sound like a question that is about your wants and needs, it is a way for the interviewer to tell if you 1)have taken the time to learn about his company and 2)have figured out how your skills will benefit the company. I have a dual background (equally strong) in accounting and communications/publications which is particularly attractive to employers as it gives the employer a bit of wiggle room in terms of placement. This is where you let the employer know that your skills fit his organization, hence increasing his bottom line. And that's the unasked question that is most important to the employer: How can you help me, make my business grow, run smoothly, and increase profits?

------What would your last employer say about you? You can include both your personality and skills on this one. A good employee is adaptable and easy to get along with. If that's you, this is the time to add it.

------If this is a lay off, would you go back to work for your last employer? This gauges several things. First, employers may be skittish on offering a job to a person who may up and leave after training if a former employer hires him back. Second, it gives the employer an idea as to how you handle stress.

------If you had a major disagreement with your supervisor or a coworker, how would you handle it? Tread gently on this one. Again, it is meant to judge how you handle conflict, and how creative you are at solving the inevitable problems. We all have disagreements just as families do because these are the people you see day in/day out under stressful conditions. So, it's expected. The fact that you have had them won't be a problem for the interviewer. Your answer should let the interviewer know that you are level headed, calm and don't jump into volatile situations.

------Describe a problem situation, then describe how you fixed it. The interviewer wants to see your problem solving skills, as well as gauge how well you handle stress. If you have faced an issue that may come up again in the new job, use that. Give the interviewer something he can relate to.

------What are your weaknesses? Everyone has a weakness. Many interviewees give answers they "think" the employer wants to hear. It's not a good idea. "I work too hard, and I don't know when to stop," is a cliché answer many give, thinking they are sidestepping the question. Give the interviewer some credit. You'll lose points for giving an answer like that.

Perhaps you haven't learned all of the computer programs you want to learn. I have some things I consider myself as being proficient at an intermediate level, for example. I need to learn more to be at the expert stage. That's a weakness I can fix, yet it's an honest answer. Be careful that you are not including items that may be critical to doing the job the employer is trying to fill. If you must be proficient at running a piece of equipment, you don't want to say that you are rusty. There are 20 more people who will be proficient.

---Tailor your answers to fit the job. Just as you should adapt your resume to fit the specific job for which you are applying, you should rework every general question in your test sessions to fit the job you are being interviewed for. You won't have the same answers for office jobs as you would outside jobs or creative versus administrative. Again, this has to do with doing your homework and knowing the employer and his particular needs.

---Stand out, but don't stick out. In the current job market, you have to differentiate yourself. Still, you want to make sure the potential employer understands you can adapt to his situation and fit in with the other employees. No matter how difficult the question may be, let your personality come through so the employer gets a clear idea as to why he should hire you over someone else.

Once you determine the questions, then your answers to the question, refine and refine again until you sound like you are having a conversation with the interviewer. Ultimately you want to show the employer that you are knowledgeable, poised and articulate even under tough conditions. Leave the employer wanting to know you better...hopefully in your dream job.