Job interview

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 IS Your Greatest Strength?- What Do You Think Your Strengths
Are?
What would you say your good qualities?

What's your biggest weakness? Give some examples of areas where

you need to improve.

(Confession) "Some people would consider the fact that I have never worked in this field before
as a weakness. However, being fast learner and open minded, I have no pre-conceived notions
on how to perform my job."

(Recovery) "With this new work, I will have the opportunity to learn the job the way you want it
done, not the way a different organization does it. I am never bored because there is always
something new to learn. In addition, although I have no former on-the-job experience with this
work, I do bring my love of learning new things, which can only enhance my ability to learn this
process very quickly. And, I've always been commended by my managers for my commitment to
work hard. I'm always on-time and not a slacker."
Are you a good candidate for this job? Will you be able to do this job
well? Will you fit in with the other employees?
Describe a change you needed to make that was unpopular. How did
you implement it?-( Descrie o modificare care aveai nevoie sa o faci pentru ca
asta era nepopular. Cum ai pune n aplicare)
How do you go about learning new technical skills?

So ... Tell me about yourself.

Well, my name is Alexandru Gateiu. Im 23 years old, Im originary from Romania

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?-
How much do you see yourself earning per annum?

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?

When you do your very first call with HR Your energy, your attitude, and
your tone are what they're really looking at. They don't necessarily want to hear
your personal history or a full-on sales presentation from you. They want a
personable, upbeat conversation that mostly verifies the credentials on your
resume and demonstrates that you are going to "fit in" at their company.
Back to my example. I had been so beat down by this job I had (and other life
events at the time) that I was kind of depressed and even though I was really
excited for the positions I was going for, I didnt always let that translate through
the phone. This was a mistake.
I was also taking interview calls at my desk or in the conference room where I
worked. So I was often kind of speaking in hushed tones, or I would pause when
my coworkers were in earshot. This was another mistake. I wasn't letting my full,
likable personality shine through.
10 years later when I started doing heavy candidate screening (outbound first
contact over the phone) it became really obvious to me who the GOOD
candidates were and they weren't the "hushed" candidates who sounded
tired. They spoke quickly, confidently, in a friendly way. They laughed at
appropriate times. They were likable. I felt like I could probably bring them in to
the office with the confidence that they would reflect well on me.
I could "hear their smile" through the phone.
You may have heard this phrase before, and it does sound saccharine but its
so true!
So that was part of my problem at the time. Even though I was qualified enough
on paper to get the first HR interview by phone, I was blowing it by my lack of
energy and the fact that I was kind of whispering, and keeping it "official" rather
than being me usual jovial self.
On the contrary, when I was doing the screening, I was pleasantly surprised that
the good candidates were asking the right questions on that first call ...
questions about the company or the position that:
Show the HR screener or hiring manager that you've done your
homework, and
Get them to start selling the company to you, rather than you
selling yourself to them.
When I heard this pattern, I finally realized that maybe I didnt know how to
LISTEN that well back then. Or think about other peoples goals and what
motivates them. I wasnt putting myself in their position. I talked too much. I
wasnt thinking about what they were looking for. I made it more complicated
than it needed to be.
So ask yourself, who would you rather work with? Someone who smiles and
sounds upbeat, or someone who doesnt? This type of question operates at
the unconscious level when they are screening you, and it matters more than
you might think.
So here's a point of advice: keep your energy level high during the call. Stand up.
Smile. Look at yourself in the mirror, if you need to. You are "meeting" the person
for the first time. Make a good impression just like you are shaking hands with
them in person.
Let them "hear your smile" through the phone. Pretty basic advice, but you'd be
surprised. It's the difference between someone who gets called in for a face-to-
face and someone who gets no callback.
What to say when HR calls
The HR person is your generally your friend. They WANT to get you (or somebody
else) into a meeting with the hiring manager. They WANT to like you; they WANT
to believe in you. Give them what they want.
But the HR person is also the bouncer at the velvet rope they are there to
screen you out if you dont pass their test. Keep in mind that if they bring you in,
your personal presentation is going to reflect on their professional judgment.

So, here's some advice on what to say to start your call:

If you are expecting to do a job interview by phone, don't answer with an
empty "hello" followed by silence and crickets.
Answer using your first name. Keep it professional. After years in business,
when answering the phone I always say "Good afternoon, this is Bob."
Try saying it out loud: "Good afternoon, this is _______________."
Sorry if I'm insulting your intelligence here! ... but you wouldn't believe the
number of qualified-seeming candidates that start out on the wrong foot on the
first call. Don't be one of those people.
Again, you are making a first impression. Saying a couple more syllables when
you answer the phone for your interview gives the caller a better sense of your
vibe, right off the bat. It makes THEM more comfortable. Use your first name
when you answer, and be upbeat. Set the tone.
Caller: "Hi, this is Alan Smithee calling from XYZ corp. We got your resume and I
wanted to ask you a couple questions. Is this a good time?"
You: "Oh great, thanks so much for calling! Yes, please, go ahead. How can I
help you?"
Or: "Fantastic. I'm glad you called. Yes it's a great time to talk! What can I do for
you?"
Or: "Oh hi Alan, I'm so glad you called! I've been really excited to speak with you
guys but I'm in the middle right now. Can I shift gears then call you back in about
10? ... What number should I ring you at? Ok, 10 minutes. Thanks! bye bye."
If this is your first call, you've got to expect some standard "screener"
questions that are used to see how interested you really are:
"So, what do you know about our company?"
"Ok, tell me a little bit about yourself"
I'm not going to go into specific answers in this article (try here: phone interview
tips) but what I will do is give you some good questions for YOU to ask while you
are on the call.
Questions To Ask The Interviewer
YOU: "How would you describe the company culture there? Is it a good
environment? What do you like about working there? (this lets them be personal.
Plus, HR people love talking about "company culture")
"Is it a new position, or how did it open up?"
"Do you have any tips or advice you could offer me?"
Remember, you're just trying to confirm their suspicions that you are a confident,
competent professional so you get invited in for a meeting. So keep it
brief, be upbeat & conversational, and get yourself invited in:
"Alan, can I get your email address and the best phone number for you?" (don't
forget this)
"It sounds like a great opportunity and I'd love to be able to come in and meet in
person."
"That sounds a great match for my skills and experience. Do you have your
calendar out? ... When could we meet in person?"
Your Action Items / Next Steps
Prepare with this free .pdf on common interview questions and answers
 Dont ask any questions that could be answered with a simple google search.
Let them hear your smile through the phone. Keep your energy level up. Be
business appropriate.
Ask some questions to get them to sell to you. Keep it brief. Dont forget to get
their contact info. Close the deal by asking to schedule a time for you to come in.
Always ask for the interview!

Example job interview follow up phone call voicemail

"Hi this is Jason Jones. You and I met last week, and if you remember, I am an
____________ and I help companies to ____________ and the project teams I've
worked on have achieved Huge Benefit A, Awesome Result B, and Significant
Achievement C. You might recall I've held positions with increasing levels of
responsibility at HugeFirm Inc. and ImpressiveCo ... and like we talked about, I
think that's the type of experience you're looking to bring to your team. I'm
following up with you to show some initiative because I do think I'm qualified
and I sincerely hope you'll end up extending me an offer. Can you please
give me a ring back or shoot me an email to let me know where you are with the
hiring process? I'm at 555.123.1212, that's 555.123.1212. Thanks Mike, please
do keep me posted. Bye bye."
This might sound like a mouthful, but its very powerful. Remember, you
are trying to relate a lot of positive information about yourself in a short amount
of time.
Ok, let's take a look at the script.
How to describe what you are and what you help companies to do. (The first
two _____ blanks above) refer to yourself as an expert, and tailor what you
do to make it as relevant as possible to the job.
Example Self-Definition Statements:
"I am an accounting professional and I help companies to streamline their
___________." (use whatever information you learned from the interview;
something they need help with).
"I am an operations expert and I help companies to achieve greater
manufacturing efficiency."
"I am a professional executive assistant and I help busy executives stay on top of
their most important tasks."
"I'm a marketing executive and I help companies achieve better reach into their
vertical markets."
"I am an auto repair professional and I help shops keep customers happy by
doing the job right the first time, and doing it fast."
"I am a retail professional, and I help keep the store environment operating
efficiently."
Remember, no matter what you do, YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL! Please refer
to yourself as a professional or an expert. Try to get comfortable with this.
Example Achievement Statements:
Be specific. These are your STAR statements broken down into simple one-
liners: Huge Benefit A, Awesome Result B, and Significant Achievement C. These
should almost always include some type of metric (a number or a percentage)
even if the math is a bit fuzzy.
"Decreased cost of ABC by XYZ%"
"Helped reduced processing time by 33%"
"Was able to assist customers 20% more of the time"
"Came up with half a dozen more options when it came to their XYZ strategy."
"Contributed to increasing revenue by 23% within 6 months."
"Helped decrease turnaround time by 1/3."
"Eliminated expenses to keep our cost down by 15%"
"Reduced XYZ usage by 45%"
Refresh their memory about where you have worked.
Refresh their memory by saying something like I had increasing levels of
responsibility at HugeFirm Inc. and ImpressiveCo, and like we talked about, I
think thats the type of experience youre looking to bring to your team.
Just copy the above example and start filling in the blanks to write your opening
statement. Now re-write it. This is important. Having this type of opener /
voicemail script totally perfected so that you are totally confident in delivering
it will go a long way in helping you land the job you are looking for.
Your Action Items / Next Steps
Understand that should always follow up over the phone after your interview,
and you should always be prepared with an opening statement / voicemail script
that you are totally comfortable delivering in a natural sounding way.
Copy the example in this article, paste it into a fresh word doc, and start filling
in the blanks. Read it out loud and practice it and rewrite it until you are good at
it.
Start making those calls! As you make more and more calls back-to-back,
your momentum and your confidence increases.

12 types of interview questions and how to face them

1. Screening interview:

Screening interviews are done in order to figure out if an applicant possesses the
qualifications required for the open job position within the company. This is
usually the first interview.

These types of interviews can be done either in person or on the phone. The
method doesn't change the purpose, which is to find out if the candidate is
qualified to move into the second part of the hiring process.

The screening interview can be done in many ways, including in person, by

video, phone or even computer.

2. Phone interview:

If a company is needing to fill several positions, or they receive many

applications for open job positions, they may opt for a phone interview. This
method helps reduce the candidates that are not qualified before moving into in
person interviews. In addition, if the company is hiring internationally, it can save
on travel costs.

3. Stress interview

These kind of interviews purposely put the candidate under pressure. This helps
the employer find out just how the applicant will react and perform when
situations get challenging.

One method for conducting a stress interview is done by the employer putting
together a group of interviewers and having them intimidate the applicant, this
can be done one at a time or all at once. This puts the interviewee under
pressure while answering.

The overall purpose of a stress interview is to learn how the applicant functions
under stress and pressure. The questions are generally focused on how one
handles to much work, or an extremely busy day. Then how they handle having
multiple projects and how they react to conflict in the workplace.

4. Group interview

A group interview consists of several applicants meeting with the interviewer(s)

together. There are more companies starting to use this method in order to weed
out the candidates that are not qualified, and knowing what to expect is
important.

Generally this method will include many interviewers instead of just one. The
group may consist of future supervisors, managers, HR, and co workers all in the
same room. The basics of group interviews includes a presentation that goes
over the company, followed by a section for questions and answers.

This method helps in two ways, the first is it allows the employer to provide
information to the applicants in a time saving and economical way. The other
purpose is to allow the interviewers the ability to watch each of the applicants
behavior, how they treat each other and to observe the communication skills
they possess.
5. Panel interview

This type of interview takes a number of members from the company and has
them interviewing the candidate all at one time. These members are generally
the hiring manager, a member of Human resources, and a client of the company.
Each member takes a turn asking a question to the candidate. This gives each
member the chance to ask a question, and all of them here the same response.
They usually have a pre-made list of questions to ask.

6. Lunch interview

In this method the employer takes the candidate out to lunch, sometimes dinner.
This is often the case when client interaction is required as it allows them to
evaluate them in a social setting. They will view how they react under pressure,
and how they use their social skills.

This is a well rounded interview, by taking you out the interviewer will also see
how you communicate with others, what type of interpersonal skills you have,
and if you have good table manners in a casual setting.

Having good manners is a positive thing and can give you a lead on other
candidates. Because of this, you should refresh your table manners and know
your dining etiquette.

7. Behavioral interview

When being asked questions about behavior, this opens the chance to give
examples of previous performances, and how it could benefit your future work
performance. The interviewer will be inquiring about what your actions were in
certain situations, instead of what would you do. For example, What is a
situation where you displayed good leadership abilities?

Your response could be provided by the STAR model.

Situation: This is where you are presenting the interviewer with the situation.

Task: This is where you explain what your goal was.

Action: This is where you explain what steps you took to reach the goal.
Results: This is where you explain what your outcome was, what you achieved,
and if you meet your goal.

8. Situational interview

This style of interview has the candidate answering questions that refer to
dealing with work related situations, and how they would go about it. These are
focusing on common situations in the workplace, and the purpose is to learn the
skills each candidate has and if their qualified for the position. The scenarios are
generally ones from the companies past.

For example:
As the leader of a lab team, you're facing a challenging situation of two
members of the team arguing over who's to get credit for the accomplishment at
hand. How do you deal with it?

9. Technical interview

The overall purpose behind any interview is the learn about the candidate and
evaluate them, their skills and ability for the position. In order to hire for a
system or programing job, the company would need to be sure the candidate has
the required qualifications, so they would evaluate their skills in language and
coding. A majority of companies in this field require coding samples, and
explanations of the code line by line on what it's doing.

Some questions for technical interview:

Explain what your job description is?

How do you approach daily tasks?

What's the output results?

What tools do you work with in order to complete the task?

10. One-on-One interview

A one on one interview is generally done face to face between the candidate and
interviewer, who also decides if the candidate is qualified for the position or not
in most cases. This method often follows a group or panel interview, and you
have proved your skills are qualified for the position. Now you must be prepared
to answer certain, specific questions about you and the job. Making it through
this stage requires creating a friendly relationship between you and the
interviewer, and showing your qualified skills and abilities once more.

11. Follow-up interviews

Depending on the position, there could be thousands of applications sent in, and
the process for recruiting can become a challenge. These situations can lead to
many screening style interviews in order to lower the candidate numbers. You
will have to be able to pass the follow up interview to make it future in the hiring
process. This method can also include multiple interviewers. Patience is
important with this method.

12. Final Selection Interview

In any hiring process there is a final decision maker, and it's up to them to
ultimately decide if you are hired, or not. You will generally meet with this person
within the third interview stage. They will interview you themselves, and ask you
questions that are strict, and out of all those who applied for the job, only a few
make it to this stage. If you make it through this part, you've landed the job. If
you lose it here, you could lose the job as well.
However, you could remain in the list of possible candidates, just remember to
have patience, be polite, remain professional and stay friendly. Before making
their choice, the employer may ask around to people you have come in contact
with at the company, from the parking attendant to the interviewers. How you
treat others could affect being hired, so remain calm while going up against this
VIP.

Interview questions and answers

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Employers dont necessarily care to hear that you expect to climb the corporate
ladder and be a supervisor. If the job youre interviewing for is not a supervisor,
they probably arent concerned about your management skills. You can share
how youve been a mentor to others and led projects with little to no supervision.
That should indicate you have leadership potential.
Focus on them: In five years, you should have made a significant impact to the
companys bottom line. Think about how you can achieve this in the role youre
interviewing for. In technology careers, advancing your skills is important, too.
You should be able to share what areas you want to strengthen in the near term
(but be careful that they are not areas of expertise that the company needs
now).
[MORE: Answering: Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?.]
Why should we hire you?
This is a differentiation question. What you want to tell them is: they'd be crazy
not to they hire you.
Focus on them: You need to not only share how you meet almost all the criteria
they seek, but also have two to three additional abilities that they might not
even know they needyet. They need to know you are a candidate who can
meet their needs now, but also be valuable for where they want to go. Are they
likely to need another skill set as they grow as a company? Or maybe you have
skills that you noticed are in another job description they are looking to fill; you
can help out with those deliverables until they find someone (or be a backup to
the person they hire).
Have you been down a path already that they are currently starting? Having
lessons learned to offer them is a very strong plus for a job candidate.
[MORE: Answering: Why Should We Hire You?.]
Why do you want to work here?
The answer to this question has two aspects: the content and the delivery.
Focus on them:
Content -- Employers want to know you feel you can fit in at the company
quickly. That means on deliverables, but also company culture. Youll likely
have to do some homework to answer this one. You need to understand
 the reasons why others enjoy working there. Is it a great place to advance
your skills, have great challenges to add to your resume, or will it allow
you to grow as a professional?
Delivery -- The delivery must be genuine. If a hiring manager feels youre
just telling them want they want to hear, but dont mean itwell, the
interview is over in their mind. They want to know this is not just a job and
paycheck. They want to hear this is what you want to do and the best
place to do it.
[MORE: Answering: Why Do You Want to Work Here?.]
What do you know about us?
This is actually a test. If you know very little, it is an indication that you are not
very serious about working there.
Focus on them: Candidates who are really excited about the prospect of
working there have done their homework. If you really want to stand out, learn
more than what is listed on their web site. Do some heavy researchperhaps
find some articles on the company that not many would know about. It may even
come up in conversation spontaneously, and you can show them a copy of the
article (I have had this happen to me).
[MORE: Answering: What Do You Know About Us?.]
How do people describe you?
Heres another opportunity to differentiate yourself. Everyone claims to be: a
hard worker, good communicator, and team player. But how many are
a: problem-solver, game-changer, leader in the industry? Be creative, and have
stories to back it up. The interviewer will want to know why someone thinks you
are one of these things.
Focus on them: You want to present attributes that make you sound like the go-
to guy or gal wherever you work. Even the standard answers can be taken a step
further to be more valuable:
Yes, they want hard workers, but most likely thats commonplace at their
office. Maybe you work hard, but also help others work fewer hours (by
helping them do their job better or making their jobs easier).
Good communicators are everywhere. But this doesnt mean just speaking
well. It includes listening. Do you hear things that others dont? Do you
understand things quickly? Can you figure out what people are trying to
tell you through other clues (body language, for example)?
Being a good team player is expected, too. But what does this really
mean? Getting along with everyone? Thats not hard to do if youre a nice
person. Pulling your weight in the office? Again, expected. What have you
done, beyond your job description, that saved the team from a disaster or
helped them make an impossible deadline? Have you won an award for
this?
What is your greatest strength/ greatest weakness?
Your greatest strength is something they need.
Focus on them: You have many strengths, but pick the one they need help with
the most. Is it your expertise in a particular skill? Is it your ability to turn low-
performing teams into high performers? Share something that makes them think
they need to hire youright now.
I hate the greatest weakness question. Everyone knows its a trap, and
everyone knows the candidate is going to say something trite (popular
example: "Im a perfectionist"). When you give a real answer, you are being
genuine. You are admitting you have some growth opportunities and are not
perfect. But you can include that you already have a plan to overcome this
weakness through training or practice.
Some people even insert a little humor in their answerI wish I was better at
tennis. You can, too, if you feel like the interviewer has a sense of humor. But,
be sure to quickly follow with a serious answer. Showing you have a lighter side
is usually a good thing.
[MORE: Answering: What Is Your Greatest Strength? and Answering: What Is Your
Greatest Weakness?.]
When can you start?
Be careful about this question for a few reasons. First of all, it doesnt mean you
got the job. They may be just checking to add that to their notes. You must
keep your guard up until you are in your car and driving away from the interview.
If you are currently employed, you should be honest about the start date and
show professionalism. You should tell them you would have to discuss a
transition with your current company and see if they require a two-week notice.
If you currently have a critical role, your potential new employer would expect a
transition period.
If you can start right away (and they know you are not currently employed), you
certainly can say youre able to start tomorrow. Sense of urgency and excitement
about starting work at the new company is always a good thing.
Bottom line:
Even the boring, standard questions can have unique and useful answers. You
should think hard about how you can differentiate yourself from others every
step of the way during the interview.

Job interview checklist

I. Before your interview, make certain you have:

1. Updated haircut or a modern hairstyle.

2. Fingernails are clean and manicured.
3. Shirt or blouse that's been starched.
4. Outfit that is appropriate for the situation, a pressed suit for example.

II. Questions to think about carefully beforehand:

1. Do you understand the position clearly?

2. What sets you apart from the other candidates?
3. What are 5 qualities that make you good for the position?
4. What strengths and weaknesses do you have, how do you improve your
weaknesses?
5. What reason do you have for wanting to work at this company?- (Ce motiv ai
pentru care doresti s lucrezi la aceast companie?)
6. Why should you be hired by the company?
7. What type of skills and experiences do you have which qualifies you for the
position?
8. What type of training or education do you have which qualifies you for the
position?
9. What type of hobbies, or other non-work related activities do you have that
makes you a better candidate?
10. What are some of your main accomplishments during school and previous
jobs?
11. Are you able to go over each thing on your application or resume with
details?
12. Are you able to fully fill your employment history out, including addresses,
names, and dates for each position?

III. Things to do shortly before the interview:

1. Practice with a friend by setting up a fake interview.

2. Make a list of at least 3 names and numbers for references.
3. Do your research on the company in order to have a better understanding of
who they are and what they do.
4. Ask around in your network to see if you may know anyone within the
company that can provide beneficial resource for the interviewing.
5. Create a list of questions for the interviewer.
6. Write down detailed directions, make arrangements for transportation and be
sure to arrive on time if not early.
7. Do your research on the salary range for the position you are applying for, this
way you know what to expect with an offer.
8. Prepare and practice a close to the interview, including thanking the
interviewer and showing interest in the next step.
IV. What to bring to the interview:

1. Additional resume copies.

2. List of business references including colleagues, clients, and supervisors.
These can be letters of reference or names and numbers.
3. Written appraisals for work performances.
4. A briefcase or folder to hold your notes and pens.
5. An appointment book.
6. Pens and a notepad.
7. Letters for previous achievements.
8. Personal compensation history.
9. A portfolio of work samples like technical drawings, writing samples, or
products you've sold or created.
10. If a recent graduate, bring college transcripts.
11. A prepared list of questions for the employer.
12. Any additional papers that may be required, such as social security card,
passport or drivers license.

VI. The day of the interview:

1. Be early, by 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure to freshen up if needed.
2. Let the receptionist know you've arrived for your interview appointment and
be polite as the receptionists first impression can be important.
3. During the interview be friendly, but professional. You should listen 80% of the
time, while talking 20%.

VII. Follow up:

1. Write a letter by hand and mail it out to the interviewer that reminds them you
are interested in the position, and thanking them for their time.
2. If you haven't heard anything a week after the first interview, contact the
employer to get updated on the status of your interview.