Gettin' the Job!

Of the four articles I read on difficult interview questions, the main idea I gathered was to be positive in answering all interview questions. Potential employers look for this.

1. Your biggest weakness?
A good way to answer this question is to take one of your strengths and turn it into a weakness. For example, I tend to be very thorough with my work. Sometimes this is a problem because I might check and recheck something too much. I tell the interviewer I am working to be thorough, but not over do it.

2. Tell me about yourself.
Star Tribune and Careerbuilder.com agree on sticking to telling about yourself professionally as it relates to the job you are applying for. I would answer this question by telling the interviewer about my degree and how it may relate to the job.

3. Why did you leave your last job?
This is probably the most difficult question because most of the time I have ever left a job it has been for negative reasons. In the column, Ask Matt, featured in Startribune.com, Joyce Lemay from St. Paul College, suggests being brief. My answer to this question is always that I need a new challenge.

4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Employers asking this question desire to see that you have some long term goals like career growth. I would answer by indicating that I expect to have my Bachelors degree and using skills attained from receiving it.

5. How do you handle a difficult situation with a co-worker?

One situation that comes to mind is when a co-worker is not doing his/her share of work. To address this problem I consulted Michele Ross for advice. Michele has over fifteen years of experience in retail management. Her suggestion was to be non-defensive, open-minded, and don’t jump to conclusions. Start by asking them a few questions. Find out if there are any problems that are going on in their work or home life. If they are having a problem that may be affecting their work just listening may help them. If there is not a problem you have just drawn attention to the fact that there is a problem in a non-confrontational way. If the situation is not resolved after this; I then would go see a supervisor to address the problem.

Works Cited
Young, J. (2010, April 9). How to Answer the Hard Interview Questions Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/

Krumrie, M. (2005, July 30). Ask Matt: Answers to Five Hard Interview Questions Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com/

Williams, N. (2010, September 17). The Most Difficult Interview Questions (and Answers) Monster.com, http://www.monster.com/

Lorenz, K. (2009 June 6). Answers to the 7 Toughest Interview Questions. Careerbuilder.com, http://www.careerbuilder.com/