HR Questions

HR Questions

1. Tell me about yourself. 

TRAPS:  Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this 

“innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the 

question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their 

life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.

BEST ANSWER:  Start with the present and tell why you are

 well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all

 successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what

 the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what

 the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in 

job hunting. So, before you answer this or any question it's 

imperative that you try to uncover your interviewer's greatest

 need, want, problem or goal. 

To do so, make you take these two steps:

1. Do all the homework you can before the interview to 

uncover this person's wants and needs (not the generalized 

needs of the industry or company)

2. As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more 

complete description of what the position entails.  You 

might say: “I have a number of accomplishments I'd like to

 tell you about, but I want to make the best use of our time

 together and talk directly to your needs. To help me do, 

that, could you tell me more about the most important priorities 

of this position?  

All I know is what I (heard from the recruiter, read in the 

classified ad, etc.)”

Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third 

question, to draw out his needs even more. Surprisingly,

 it's usually this second or third question that unearths what 

the interviewer is most looking for. You might ask simply, 

"And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there anything else you 

see as essential to success in this position?: 

This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because

 it is easier simply to answer questions, but only if you 

uncover the employer's wants and needs will your answers

 make the most sense. Practice asking these key questions

 before giving your answers, the process will feel more natural

 and you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates

 you're competing with. 

After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe

 why the needs of this job bear striking parallels to tasks you've 

succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with specific examples

 of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, 

all of which are geared to present yourself as a perfect

 match for the needs he has just described. 

2. What are your greatest strengths?

TRAPS:  This question seems like a softball lob, but be prepared. You don't want to come 

across as egotistical or arrogant. Neither is this a time to be humble. 

BEST ANSWER:  You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's 

greatest wants and needs before you answer questions. And from Question 1, you know how 

to do this. 

Prior to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your greatest strengths. 

You should also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each strength, an example 

chosen from your most recent and most impressive achievements. You should, have this list 

of your greatest strengths and corresponding examples from your achievements so well 

committed to memory that you can recite them cold after being shaken awake at 2:30AM. 

Then, once you uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs, you can choose those 

achievements from your list that best match up. As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable 

traits that all employers love to see in their employees are:

1.                  A proven track record as an achiever...especially if your achievements match up 

with the employer's greatest wants and needs.

2.                  Intelligence...management "savvy". 

3.                  Honesty...integrity...a decent human being. 

4.                  Good fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team 

player who meshes well with interviewer's team.

5.                  Likeability...positive attitude...sense of humor.

6.                  Good communication skills.

7.                  Dedication...willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.

8.                  Definiteness of purpose...clear goals.

9.                  Enthusiasm...high level of motivation.

10.                Confident...healthy...a leader. 

3. What are your greatest weaknesses? 

TRAPS:  Beware - this is an eliminator question, designed to shorten the candidate list. Any 

admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the 

interview. 

PASSABLE ANSWER:  Disguise a strength as a weakness. 

Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard.  I like to work with a sense of urgency and 

everyone is not always on the same wavelength.”

Drawback:  This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it's so widely used, it is 

transparent to any experienced interviewer. 

BEST ANSWER:  (and another reason it's so important to get a thorough description of your 

interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that you can think 

of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with excellence. 

Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications. 

Example:  “Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've told me about this position,

 I believe I’d make an outstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two 

things most of all. Do they have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation to do 

it well?  Everything in my background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong 

desire to achieve excellence in whatever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that I see 

nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strong desire to 

perform this job with excellence.”

Alternate strategy (if you don't yet know enough about the position to talk about such a 

perfect fit): 

Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least, making sure 

that what you like most matches up with the most important qualification for success in the 

position, and what you like least is not essential. 

Example:  Let's say you're applying for a teaching position. “If given a choice, 

I like to spend as much time as possible in front of my prospects selling, as opposed to 

shuffling paperwork back at the office.  Of course, I long ago learned the importance of filing 

paperwork properly, and I do it conscientiously. But what I really love to do is sell (if your 

interviewer was a sales manager, this should be music to his ears.)

4. Tell me about something you did – or failed to do – that you now feel a little ashamed 

of.

TRAPS:  There are some questions your interviewer has no business asking, and this is one.  

But while you may feel like answering, “none of your business,” naturally you can’t.  Some 

interviewers ask this question on the chance you admit to something, but if not, at least 

they’ll see how you think on your feet. Some unprepared candidates, flustered by this 

question, unburden themselves of guilt from their personal life or career, perhaps expressing 

regrets regarding a parent, spouse, child, etc.  All such answers can be disastrous.

BEST ANSWER:  As with faults and weaknesses, never confess regret.  But don’t seem as if 

you’re stonewalling either.

Best strategy:  Say you harbor no regrets, then add a principle or habit you practice regularly 

for healthy human relations.

Example:  Pause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you.  

Then say, “You know, I really can’t think of anything.”  

(Pause again, then add): “I would add that as a general management principle, I’ve found that 

the best way to avoid regrets is to avoid causing them in the first place.  I practice one habit 

that helps me a great deal in this regard.  At the end of each day, I mentally review the day’s 

events and conversations to take a second look at the people and developments I’m involved 

with and do a double check of what they’re likely to be feeling.

Sometimes I’ll see things that do need more follow-up, whether a pat on the back, or maybe a 

five minute chat in someone’s office to make sure we’re clear on things…whatever.”

“I also like to make each person feel like a member of an elite team, like the Boston Celtics 

or LA Lakers in their prime.  I’ve found that if you let each team member know you expect 

excellence in their performance…if you work hard to set an example yourself…and if you let 

people know you appreciate and respect their feelings, you wind up with a highly motivated 

group, a team that’s having fun at work because they’re striving for excellence rather than 

brooding over slights or regrets.”

5. The “Silent Treatment”

TRAPS:  Beware – if you are unprepared for this question, you will probably not handle it 

right and possibly blow the interview.  Thank goodness most interviewers don’t employ it.  

It’s normally used by those determined to see how you respond under stress.  

Here’s how it works:

You answer an interviewer’s question and then, instead of asking another, he just stares at 

you in a deafening silence. You wait, growing a bit uneasy, and there he sits, silent as Mt. 

Rush more, as if he doesn’t believe what you’ve just said, or perhaps making you feel that 

you’ve unwittingly violated some cardinal rule of interview etiquette.

When you get this silent treatment after answering a particularly difficult question, such as 

“tell me about your weaknesses”, its intimidating effect can be most disquieting, even to 

polished job hunters.

Most unprepared candidates rush in to fill the void of silence, viewing prolonged, 

uncomfortable silences as an invitation to clear up the previous answer which has obviously 

caused some problem. And that’s what they do – ramble on, sputtering more and more 

information, sometimes irrelevant and often damaging, because they are suddenly playing the 

role of someone who’s goofed and is now trying to recoup. But since the candidate doesn’t 

know where or how he goofed, he just keeps talking, showing how flustered and confused he 

is by the interviewer’s unmovable silence.

BEST ANSWER:  Like a primitive tribal mask, the Silent Treatment loses all it power to 

frighten you once you refuse to be intimidated. If your interviewer pulls it, keep quiet 

yourself for a while and then ask, with sincere politeness and not a trace of sarcasm, “Is there 

anything else I can fill in on that point?”  That’s all there is to it. Whatever you do, don’t let 

the Silent Treatment intimidate you into talking a blue streak, because you could easily talk 

yourself out of the position.

6. Why should I hire you?

TRAPS:  Believe it or not, this is a killer question because so many candidates are 

unprepared for it.  If you stammer or adlib you’ve blown it.

BEST ANSWER:  By now you can see how critical it is to apply the overall strategy of 

uncovering the employer’s needs before you answer questions.  

If you know the employer’s greatest needs and desires, this question will give you a big leg 

up over other candidates because you will give him better reasons for hiring you than anyone 

else is likely to…reasons tied directly to his needs.

Whether your interviewer asks you this question explicitly or not, this is the most important 

question of your interview because he must answer this question favorably in is own mind 

before you will be hired. So help him out! Walk through each of the position’s requirements 

as you understand them, and follow each with a reason why you meet that requirement so 

well.

Example:  “As I understand your needs, you are first and foremost looking for someone who 

can manage the sales and marketing of your book publishing division.  As you’ve said you 

need someone with a strong background in trade book sales.  This is where I’ve spent almost 

all of my career, so I’ve chalked up 18 years of experience exactly in this area.  I believe that 

I know the right contacts, methods, principles, and successful management techniques as 

well as any person can in our industry.”

“You also need someone who can expand your book distribution channels. In my prior post, 

my innovative promotional ideas doubled, then tripled, the number of outlets selling our 

books.  I’m confident I can do the same for you.”

“You need someone to give a new shot in the arm to your mail order sales, someone who 

knows how to sell in space and direct mail media.  Here, too, I believe I have exactly the 

experience you need.  In the last five years, I’ve increased our mail order book sales from 

$600,000 to $2,800,000, and now we’re the country’s second leading marketer of scientific 

and medical books by mail.”  Etc., etc., etc.,

Every one of these selling “couplets” (his need matched by your qualifications) is a 

touchdown that runs up your score.  IT is your best opportunity to outsell your competition.

7.  Aren’t you overqualified for this position?

TRAPS:  The employer may be concerned that you’ll grow dissatisfied and leave.

BEST ANSWER:  As with any objection, don’t view this as a sign of imminent defeat.

It’s an invitation to teach the interviewer a new way to think about this situation, seeing 

advantages instead of drawbacks.

Example:  “I recognize the job market for what it is – a marketplace. Like any marketplace, 

it’s subject to the laws of supply and demand.  So ‘overqualified’ can be a relative term, 

depending on how tight the job market is. And right now, it’s very tight.  I understand and 

accept that.”

“I also believe that there could be very positive benefits for both of us in this match.”

“Because of my unusually strong experience in ________________, I could start to 

contribute right away, perhaps much faster than someone who’d have to be brought along 

more slowly.”

“There’s also the value of all the training and years of experience that other companies have 

invested tens of thousands of dollars to give me. You’d be getting all the value of that 

without having to pay an extra dime for it.

With someone who has yet to acquire that experience, he’d have to gain it on your nickel.”

“I could also help you in many things they don’t teach at the Harvard Business School.  For 

example… (How to hire, train, motivate, etc.)  

When it comes to knowing how to work well with people and getting the most out of them, 

there’s just no substitute for what you learn over many years of front-line experience.  You 

company would gain all this, too.”

“From my side, there are strong benefits, as well.   Right now, I am unemployed.  I want to 

work, very much, and the position you have here is exactly what I love to do and is best at.  

I’ll be happy doing this work and that’s what matters most to me, a lot more that money or 

title.”

“Most important, I’m looking to make a long term commitment in my career now. I’ve had 

enough of job-hunting and want a permanent spot at this point in my career. I also know that 

if I perform this job with excellence, other opportunities cannot help but open up for me right 

here.  In time, I’ll find many other ways to help this company and in so doing, help myself.  I 

really am looking to make a long-term commitment.”

NOTE:  The main concern behind the “overqualified” question is that you will leave your 

new employer as soon as something better comes your way. Anything you can say to 

demonstrate the sincerity of your commitment to the employer and reassure him that you’re 

looking to stay for the long-term will help you overcome this objection.

8. Where do you see yourself five years from now?

TRAPS:  One reason interviewers ask this question is to see if you’re settling for this 

position, using it merely as a stopover until something better comes along.  Or they could be 

trying to gauge your level of ambition.

If you’re too specific, i.e., naming the promotions you someday hope to win, you’ll sound 

presumptuous.  If you’re too vague, you’ll seem rudderless.

BEST ANSWER:   Reassure your interviewer that you’re looking to make a long-term 

commitment…that this position entails exactly what you’re looking to do and what you do 

extremely well.  As for your future, you believe that if you perform each job at hand with 

excellence, future opportunities will take care of themselves.

Example:  “I am definitely interested in making a long-term commitment to my next 

position.  Judging by what you’ve told me about this position, it’s exactly what I’m looking 

for and what I am very well qualified to do.  

In terms of my future career path, I’m confident that if I do my work with excellence, 

opportunities will inevitable open up for me.  It’s always been that way in my career, and I’m 

confident I’ll have similar opportunities here.”

9. Describe your ideal company, location and job.

TRAPS:  This is often asked by an experienced interviewer who thinks you maybe 

overqualified, but knows better than to show his hand by posing his objection directly.  So 

he’ll use this question instead, which often gets a candidate to reveal that, indeed, he or she is 

looking for something other than the position at hand.

BEST ANSWER:  The only right answer is to describe what this company is offering, being 

sure to make your answer believable with specific reasons, stated with sincerity, why each 

quality represented by this opportunity is attractive to you.

Remember that if you’re coming from a company that’s the leader in its field or from a 

glamorous or much admired company, industry, city or position, your interviewer and his 

company may well have an “Avis” complex.  That is, they may feel a bit defensive about 

being “second best” to the place you’re coming from, worried that you may consider them 

bush league.

This anxiety could well be there even though you’ve done nothing to inspire it. You must go 

out of your way to assuage such anxiety, even if it’s not expressed, by putting their virtues 

high on the list of exactly what you’re looking for, providing credible reason for wanting 

these qualities.

If you do not express genuine enthusiasm for the firm, its culture, location, industry, etc., you 

may fail to answer this “Avis” complex objection and, as a result, leave the interviewer 

suspecting that a hot shot like you, coming from a Fortune 500 company in New York, just 

wouldn’t be happy at an unknown manufacturer based in Topeka, Kansas.

10. Why do you want to work at our company?

TRAPS:  This question tests whether you’ve done any homework about the firm.  

If you haven’t, you lose.  If you have, you win big.

BEST ANSWER:   This question is your opportunity to hit the ball out of the park, thanks to

 the in-depth research you should do before any interview.

Best sources for researching your target company:  annual reports, the corporate newsletter, 

contacts you know at the company or its suppliers, advertisements, articles about the 

company in the trade press.

11. What are your career options right now?

TRAPS:  The interviewer is trying to find out, “How desperate are you?”

BEST ANSWER:  Prepare for this question by thinking of how you can position yourself as 

a desired commodity.  If you are still working, describe the possibilities at your present firm 

and why, though you’re greatly appreciated there, you’re looking for something more 

(challenge, money, responsibility, etc.).  

Also mention that you’re seriously exploring opportunities with one or two other firms. If 

you’re not working, you can talk about other employment possibilities you’re actually 

exploring.  But do this with a light touch, speaking only in general terms.  

You don’t want to seem manipulative or coy.

12. Why have you been out of work so long?

TRAPS:  A tough question if you’ve been on the beach a long time.  You don’t want to seem 

like damaged goods.

BEST ANSWER:  You want to emphasize factors which have prolonged your job search.”

“Also, in all honesty, you have to factor in the recession (consolidation, stabilization, etc.) in 

the (banking, financial services, manufacturing, advertising, etc.) industry.”

“So between my being selective and the companies in our industry downsizing, the process 

has taken time.  But in the end, I’m convinced that when I do find the right match, all that 

careful evaluation from both sides of the desk will have been well worthwhile for both the 

company that hires me and myself.

13. What good books have you read lately?

TRAPS:  As in all matters of your interview, never fake familiarity you don’t have.

Yet you don’t want to seem like a dullard who hasn’t read a book since Tom Sawyer.

BEST ANSWER:  Unless you’re up for a position in academia or as book critic for The New 

York Times, you’re not expected to be a literary lion.  But it wouldn’t hurt to have read a 

handful of the most recent and influential books in your profession and on management.

Consider it part of the work of your job search to read up on a few of these leading books.  

But make sure they are quality books that reflect favorably upon you, nothing that could even 

remotely be considered superficial. Finally, add a recently published bestselling work of 

fiction by a world-class author and you’ll pass this question with flying colors.

14. Tell me about a situation when your work was criticized.

TRAPS:  This is a tough question because it’s a more clever and subtle way to get you to 

admit to a weakness.  You can’t dodge it by pretending you’ve never been criticized.  

Everybody has been.  Yet it can be quite damaging to start admitting potential faults and 

failures that you’d just as soon leave buried.

This question is also intended to probe how well you accept criticism and direction.

BEST ANSWERS:  Begin by emphasizing the extremely positive feedback you’ve gotten 

throughout your career and (if it’s true) that your performance reviews have been uniformly 

excellent.

Of course, no one is perfect and you always welcome suggestions on how to improve your 

performance.  Then, give an example of a not-too-damaging learning experience from early 

in your career and relate the ways this lesson has since helped you.  

This demonstrates that you learned from the experience and the lesson is now one of the 

strongest breastplates in your suit of armor.

If you are pressed for a criticism from a recent position, choose something fairly trivial that 

in no way is essential to your successful performance. Add that you’ve learned from this, too, 

and over the past several years/months, it’s no longer an area of concern because you now 

make it a regular practice to…etc.

Another way to answer this question would be to describe your intention to broaden your 

master of an area of growing importance in your field.  For example, this might be a 

computer program you’ve been meaning to sit down and learn… a new management 

technique you’ve read about…or perhaps attending a seminar on some cutting-edge branch 

of your profession.

Again, the key is to focus on something not essential to your brilliant performance but which 

adds yet another dimension to your already impressive knowledge base.

15. What are your outside interests?

TRAPS:  You want to be a well-rounded, not a drone.  But your potential employer would be 

even more turned off if he suspects that your heavy extracurricular load will interfere with 

your commitment to your work duties.

BEST ANSWERS:  Try to gauge how this company’s culture would look upon your favorite 

outside activities and be guided accordingly.

You can also use this question to shatter any stereotypes that could limit your chances. If 

you’re over 50, for example, describe your activities that demonstrate physical stamina.  If 

you’re young, mention an activity that connotes wisdom and institutional trust, such as 

serving on the board of a popular charity. But above all, remember that your employer is 

hiring your for what you can do for him, not your family, yourself or outside organizations, 

no matter how admirable those activities may be.

16. The “Fatal Flaw” question

TRAPS:  If an interviewer has read your resume carefully, he may try to zero in on a “fatal 

flaw” of your candidacy, perhaps that you don’t have a college degree…you’ve been out of 

the job market for some time…you never earned your CPA, etc.

A fatal flaw question can be deadly, but usually only if you respond by being overly 

defensive.

BEST ANSWERS:  As every master salesperson knows, you will encounter objections 

(whether stated or merely thought) in every sale.  They’re part and parcel of the buyer’s 

anxiety.  The key is not to exacerbate the buyer’s anxiety but diminish it.  Here’s how…

Whenever you come up against a fatal flaw question: 

1. Be completely honest, open and straightforward about admitting the shortcoming.  

(Showing you have nothing to hide diminishes the buyer’s anxiety.)

2. Do not apologize or try to explain it away.  You know that this supposed flaw is nothing to 

be concerned about, and this is the attitude you want your interviewer to adopt as well.

3. Add that as desirable as such a qualification might be, its lack has made you work all the 

harder throughout your career and has not prevented you from compiling an outstanding tack 

record of achievements.  

You might even give examples of how, through a relentless commitment to excellence, you 

have consistently outperformed those who do have this qualification. 

Of course, the ultimate way to handle “fatal flaw” questions is to prevent them from arising 

in the first place.  You will do that by following the master strategy described in Question 1, 

i.e., uncovering the employers needs and them matching your qualifications to those needs.

Once you’ve gotten the employer to start talking about his most urgently-felt wants and goals 

for the position, and then help him see in step-by-step fashion how perfectly your 

background and achievements match up with those needs, you’re going to have one very 

enthusiastic interviewer on your hands, one who is no longer looking for “fatal flaws”.

17. How do you feel about reporting to a younger person (minority, woman, etc)?

TRAPS:  It’s a shame that some interviewers feel the need to ask this question, but many 

understand the reality that prejudices still exist among some job candidates, and it’s better to 

try to flush them out beforehand.

The trap here is that in today’s politically sensitized environment, even a well-intentioned 

answer can result in planting your foot neatly in your mouth.  Avoid anything which smacks 

of a patronizing or an insensitive attitude, such as “I think they make terrific bosses” or “Hey, 

some of my best friends are…”

Of course, since almost anyone with an IQ above room temperature will at least try to 

steadfastly affirm the right answer here, your interviewer will be judging your sincerity most 

of all.  “Do you really feel that way?” is what he or she will be wondering.

So you must make your answer believable and not just automatic.  

If the firm is wise enough to have promoted peopled on the basis of ability alone, they’re 

likely quite proud of it, and prefer to hire others who will whole heartedly share their strong 

sense of fair play. 

BEST ANSWER:  You greatly admire a company that hires and promotes on merit alone and 

you couldn’t agree more with that philosophy.  

The age (gender, race, etc.) of the person you report to would certainly make no difference to 

you.

Whoever has that position has obviously earned it and knows their job well. Both the person 

and the position are fully deserving of respect.  

You believe that all people in a company, from the receptionist to the Chairman, work best 

when their abilities, efforts and feelings are respected and rewarded fairly, and that includes 

you.  

That’s the best type of work environment you can hope to find.

18. On confidential matters…

TRAPS:  When an interviewer presses you to reveal confidential information about a present 

or former employer, you may feel it’s a no-win situation. If you cooperate, you could be 

judged untrustworthy. If you don’t, you may irritate the interviewer and seem obstinate, 

uncooperative or overly suspicious.

BEST ANSWER:  Your interviewer may press you for this information for two reasons. 

First, many companies use interviews to research the competition.  

It’s a perfect set-up.  Here in their own lair, is an insider from the enemy camp who can 

reveal prized information on the competition’s plans, research, financial condition, etc.

Second, the company may be testing your integrity to see if you can be cajoled or bullied into 

revealing confidential data.

What to do?  The answer here is easy.  

Never reveal anything truly confidential about a present or former employer.  By all means, 

explain your reticence diplomatically.  

For example, “I certainly want to be as open as I can about that.  

But I also wish to respect the rights of those who have trusted me with their most sensitive 

information, just as you would hope to be able to trust any of your key people when talking 

with a competitor…”

And certainly you can allude to your finest achievements in specific ways that don’t reveal 

the combination to the company safe.

But be guided by the golden rule.  If you were the owner of your present company, would 

you feel it ethically wrong for the information to be given to your competitors?  

If so, steadfastly refuse to reveal it.

Remember that this question pits your desire to be cooperative against your integrity. Faced 

with any such choice, always choose integrity.  It is a far more valuable commodity than 

whatever information the company may pry from you.  Moreover, once you surrender the 

information, your stock goes down.  They will surely lose respect for you. One President we 

know always presses candidates unmercifully for confidential information. If he doesn’t get 

it, he grows visibly annoyed, relentlessly inquisitive, it’s all an act.  He couldn’t care less 

about the information. This is his way of testing the candidate’s moral fiber.  Only those who 

hold fast are hired.

19. Would you lie for the company?

TRAPS:  This another question that pits two values against one another, in this case loyalty 

against integrity.

BEST ANSWER:  Try to avoid choosing between two values, giving a positive statement 

which covers all bases instead.

Example:  “I would never do anything to hurt the company...”

If aggressively pressed to choose between two competing values, always choose personal 

integrity.  It is the most prized of all values.

20. Looking back, what would you do differently in your life?

TRAPS:  This question is usually asked to uncover any life-influencing mistakes, regrets, 

disappointments or problems that may continue to affect your personality and performance.

You do not want to give the interviewer anything negative to remember you by, such as some 

great personal or career disappointment, even long ago, that you wish could have been 

avoided.

Nor do you wish to give any answer which may hint that your whole heart and soul will not 

be in your work.

BEST ANSWER:  Indicate that you are a happy, fulfilled, optimistic person and that, in 

general, you wouldn’t change a thing.

Example:  “It’s been a good life, rich in learning and experience, and the best it yet to come.  

Every experience in life is a lesson it its own way.  I wouldn’t change a thing.”

21. Can you work under pressure?

TRAPS:  An easy question, but you want to make your answer believable.

BEST ANSWER:  Absolutely… (Then prove it with a vivid example or two of a goal or 

project accomplished under severe pressure.)

22. What makes you angry?

TRAPS:  You don’t want to come across either as a hothead or a wimp.

BEST ANSWER:    Give an answer that’s suited to both your personality and the 

management style of the firm.  Here, the homework you’ve done about the company and its 

style can help in your choice of words.

Examples:  If you are a reserved person and/or the corporate culture is coolly professional:” 

I’m an even-tempered and positive person by nature, and I believe this helps me a great deal 

in keeping my department running smoothly, harmoniously and with a genuine esprit de 

corps.  I believe in communicating clearly what’s expected, getting people’s commitment to 

those goals, and then following up continuously to check progress.”

“If anyone or anything is going off track, I want to know about it early.  

If, after that kind of open communication and follow up, someone isn’t getting the job done, 

I’ll want to know why.  If there’s no good reason, then I’ll get impatient and angry…and take 

appropriate steps from there.  But if you hire good people, motivate them to strive for 

excellence and then follow up constantly, it almost never gets to that state.”

If you are feisty by nature and/or the position calls for a tough straw boss.” You know what 

makes me angry?  

People who (the fill in the blanks with the most objectionable traits for this type of 

position)…people who don’t pull their own weight, who are negative, people who lie…etc.”

23. Why aren’t you earning more money at this stage of your career?

TRAPS:  You don’t want to give the impression that money is not important to you, yet you 

want to explain why your salary may be a little below industry standards.

BEST ANSWER:  You like to make money, but other factors are even more important.

Example:  “Making money is very important to me, and one reason I’m here is because I’m 

looking to make more.  Throughout my career, what’s been even more important to me is 

doing work I really like to do at the kind of company I like and respect.

(Then be prepared to be specific about what your ideal position and company would be like, 

matching them as closely as possible to the opportunity at hand.

24. Who has inspired you in your life and why?

TRAPS:  The two traps here are unprepared ness and irrelevance.  

If you grope for an answer, it seems you’ve never been inspired.  

If you ramble about your high school basketball coach, you’ve wasted an opportunity to 

present qualities of great value to the company.

BEST ANSWER:  Have a few heroes in mind, from your mental “Board of Directors” 

– Leaders in your industry, from history or anyone else who has been your mentor.

Be prepared to give examples of how their words, actions or teachings have helped inspire 

your achievements.  As always, prepare an answer which highlights qualities that would be 

highly valuable in the position you are seeking.

25. What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?

TRAPS:  Giving an unprepared or irrelevant answer.

BEST ANSWER:  Be prepared with a good example, explaining why the decision was 

difficult…the process you followed in reaching it…the courageous or effective way you 

carried it out…and the beneficial results.

26. What changes would you make if you came on board?

TRAPS:  Watch out!  This question can derail your candidacy faster than a bomb on the 

tracks – and just as you are about to be hired.

Reason:  No matter how bright you are, you cannot know the right actions to take in a 

position before you settle in and get to know the operation’s strengths, weaknesses key 

people, financial condition, methods of operation, etc.  

If you lunge at this temptingly baited question, you will probably be seen as someone who 

shoots from the hip.

Moreover, no matter how comfortable you may feel with your interviewer, you are still an 

outsider.  No one, including your interviewer, likes to think that a know-it-all outsider is 

going to come in, turn the place upside down and with sweeping, grand gestures, promptly 

demonstrate what jerks everybody’s been for years.

BEST ANSWER:  You, of course, will want to take a good hard look at everything the 

company is doing before making any recommendations.

Example:  “Well, I wouldn’t be a very good doctor if I gave my diagnosis before the 

examination.  Should you hire me, as I hope you will, I’d want to take a good hard look at 

everything you’re doing and understand why it’s being done that way?  I’d like to have in-

depth meetings with you and the other key people to get a deeper grasp of what you feel 

you’re doing right and what could be improved.

“From what you’ve told me so far, the areas of greatest concern to you are…” (Name them.  

Then do two things.  First, ask if these are in fact his major concerns.  If so then reaffirm how 

your experience in meeting similar needs elsewhere might prove very helpful).

27. How do you feel about working nights and weekends?

TRAPS:  Blurt out “no way, Jose” and you can kiss the job offer goodbye.  But what if you 

have a family and want to work a reasonably normal schedule?  Is there a way to get both the 

job and the schedule you want?

BEST ANSWER:  First, if you’re a confirmed workaholic, this question is a softball lob.  

Whack it out of the park on the first swing by saying this kind of schedule is just your style.  

Add that your family understands it.  

Indeed, they’re happy for you, as they know you get your greatest satisfaction from your 

work. If however, you prefer a more balanced lifestyle, answer this question with another:  

“What’s the norm for your best people here?”

If the hours still sound unrealistic for you, ask, “Do you have any top people who perform 

exceptionally for you, but who also have families and like to get home in time to see them at 

night?”  Chances are this company does, and this associates you with this other “top-

performers-who-leave-not-later-than-six” group.

Depending on the answer, be honest about how you would fit into the picture.  If all those 

extra hours make you uncomfortable, say so, but phrase your response positively.

Example:  “I love my work and do it exceptionally well.  I think the results speak for 

themselves, especially in … (mention your two or three qualifications of greater interest to 

the employer.  Remember, this is what he wants most, not a workaholic with weak 

credentials).  Not only would I bring these qualities, but I’ve built my whole career on 

working not just hard, but smart.  I think you’ll find me one of the most productive people 

here. I do have a family who likes to see me after work and on weekends.  They add balance 

and richness to my life, which in turn helps me, be happy and productive at work.  If I could 

handle some of the extra work at home in the evenings or on weekends, that would be ideal.  

You’d be getting a person of exceptional productivity who meets your needs with strong 

credentials.  And I’d be able to handle some of the heavy workload at home where I can be 

under the same roof as my family.  Everybody would win.”

28. Are you willing to relocate or travel?

TRAPS:  Answer with a flat “no” and you may slam the door shut on this opportunity. But 

what if you’d really prefer not to relocate or travel, yet wouldn’t want to lose the job offer 

over it?

BEST ANSWER:   First find out where you may have to relocate and how much travel may 

be involved.  Then respond to the question. If there’s no problem, say so enthusiastically.

If you do have a reservation, there are two schools of thought on how to handle it. One 

advises you to keep your options open and your reservations to yourself in the early going, 

by saying, “no problem”.  You strategy here is to get the best offer you can, then make a 

judgment whether it’s worth it to you to relocate or travel.

Also, by the time the offer comes through, you may have other offers and can make a more 

informed decision.  

Why kill of this opportunity before it has chance to blossom into something really special?  

And if you’re a little more desperate three months from now, you might wish you hadn’t 

slammed the door on relocating or traveling.

The second way to handle this question is to voice a reservation, but assert that you’d be 

open to relocating (or traveling) for the right opportunity. The answering strategy you choose 

depends on how eager you are for the job.  If you want to take no chances, choose the first 

approach. If you want to play a little harder-to-get in hopes of generating a more enticing 

offer, choose the second.

29. Do you have the stomach to fire people?  Have you had experience firing many 

people?

TRAPS:  This “innocent” question could be a trap door which sends you down a chute and 

lands you in a heap of dust outside the front door.  Why?  Because it’s real intent is not just 

to see if you’ve got the stomach to fire, but also to uncover poor judgment in hiring which 

has caused you to fire so many.  

Also, if you fire so often, you could be a tyrant.

So don’t rise to the bait by boasting how many you’ve fired, unless you’ve prepared 

To explain why it was beyond your control, and not the result of your poor hiring procedures 

or foul temperament.

BEST ANSWER:    Describe the rational and sensible management process you follow in 

both hiring and firing.

Example:  “My whole management approach is to hire the best people I can find, train them 

thoroughly and well, get them excited and proud to be part of our team, and then work with 

them to achieve our goals together.  If you do all of that right, especially hiring the right 

people, I’ve found you don’t have to fire very often.” So with me, firing is a last resort.  But 

when it’s got to be done, it’s got to be done, and the faster and cleaner, the better.  A poor 

employee can wreak terrible damage in undermining the morale of an entire team of good 

people.  When there’s no other way, I’ve found it’s better for all concerned to act decisively 

in getting rid of offenders who won’t change their ways.”

30.What do you see as the proper role/mission of…

…a good (job title you’re seeking);

…a good manager;

…an executive in serving the community;

…a leading company in our industry; etc.

TRAPS:  These and other “proper role” questions are designed to test your understanding of 

your place in the bigger picture of your department, company, community and 

profession….as well as the proper role each of these entities should play in its bigger picture.

The question is most frequently asked by the most thoughtful individuals and companies…or 

by those concerned that you’re coming from a place with a radically different corporate 

culture (such as from a big government bureaucracy to an aggressive small company).

The most frequent mistake executives make in answering is simply not being prepared 

(seeming as if they’ve never giving any of this a though.)…or in phrasing an answer best 

suited to their prior organization’s culture instead of the hiring company’s.

BEST ANSWER:    Think of the most essential ingredients of success for each category 

above – your job title, your role as manager, your firm’s role, etc.

Identify at least three but no more than six qualities you feel are most important to success in 

each role.  Then commit your response to memory.

Here, again, the more information you’ve already drawn out about the greatest wants and 

needs of the interviewer, and the more homework you’ve done to identify the culture of the 

firm, the more on-target your answer will be.

31. What would you say to your boss if he’s crazy about an idea, but you think it stinks?

TRAPS:  This is another question that pits two values, in this case loyalty and honesty, 

against one another.

BEST ANSWER:    Remember the rule stated earlier:  In any conflict between values, 

always choose integrity.

Example:  I believe that when evaluating anything, it’s important to emphasize the positive.  

What do I like about this idea?”

“Then, if you have reservations, I certainly want to point them out, as specifically, 

objectively and factually as I can.”

“After all, the most important thing I owe my boss is honesty.  

If he can’t count on me for that, then everything else I may do or say could be questionable in 

his eyes.”

“But I also want to express my thoughts in a constructive way.  

So my goal in this case would be to see if my boss and I could make his idea even stronger 

and more appealing, so that it effectively overcomes any initial reservation I or others may 

have about it.”

“Of course, if he overrules me and says, ‘no, let’s do it my way,’ then I owe him my full and 

enthusiastic support to make it work as best it can.”

32. How could you have improved your career progress?

TRAPS:  This is another variation on the question, “If you could, how would you live your 

life over?”  Remember, you’re not going to fall for any such invitations to rewrite person 

history. You can’t win if you do.

BEST ANSWER:  You’re generally quite happy with your career progress.  Maybe, if you 

had known something earlier in life (impossible to know at the time, such as the booming 

growth in a branch in your industry…or the corporate downsizing that would phase out your 

last job), you might have moved in a certain direction sooner. But all things considered, you 

take responsibility for where you are, how you’ve gotten there, where you are going…and 

you harbor no regrets.

33. What would you do if a fellow executive on your own corporate level wasn’t pulling 

his/her weight…and this was hurting your department?

TRAPS:  This question and other hypothetical ones test your sense of human relations and 

how you might handle office politics.

BEST ANSWER:  Try to gauge the political style of the firm and be guided accordingly. In 

general, fall back on universal principles of effective human relations – which in the end, 

embody the way you would like to be treated in a similar circumstance.

Example:  “Good human relations would call for me to go directly to the person and explain 

the situation, to try to enlist his help in a constructive, positive solution.  

If I sensed resistance, I would be as persuasive as I know how to explain the benefits we can 

all gain from working together, and the problems we, the company and our customers will 

experience if we don’t.”

POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION:  And what would you do if he still did not change 

his ways?

ANSWER:  “One thing I wouldn’t do is let the problem slide, because it would only get 

worse and overlooking it would set a bad precedent.  I would try again and again and again, 

in whatever way I could, to solve the problem, involving wider and wider circles of people, 

both above and below the offending executive and including my own boss if necessary, so 

that everyone involved can see the rewards for teamwork and the drawbacks of non-

cooperation.”

 “I might add that I’ve never yet come across a situation that couldn’t be resolved by 

harnessing others in a determined, constructive effort.”

34.Give me an example of your creativity (analytical skill…managing ability, etc.)

TRAPS:  The worst offense here is simply being unprepared.  Your hesitation may seem as if 

you’re having a hard time remembering the last time you were creative, analytical, etc.

BEST ANSWER:  Remember from Question 2 that you should commit to memory a list of 

your greatest and most recent achievements, ever ready on the tip of your tongue.

If you have such a list, it’s easy to present any of your achievements in light of the quality the 

interviewer is asking about.  For example, the smashing success you orchestrated at last 

year’s trade show could be used as an example of creativity, or analytical ability, or your 

ability to manage.

35. Where could you use some improvement?

TRAPS:  Another tricky way to get you to admit weaknesses.  Don’t fall for it.

BEST ANSWER:  Keep this answer, like all your answers, positive.  A good way to answer 

this question is to identify a cutting-edge branch of your profession (one that’s not essential 

to your employer’s needs) as an area you’re very excited about and want to explore more 

fully over the next six months.

36. What do you worry about?

TRAPS:  Admit to worrying and you could sound like a loser.  Saying you never worry 

doesn’t sound credible.

BEST ANSWER:  Redefine the word ‘worry’ so that it does not reflect negatively on you.

Example:  “I wouldn’t call it worry, but I am a strongly goal-oriented person.  So I keep 

turning over in my mind anything that seems to be keeping me from achieving those 

37 .What was the toughest challenge you’ve ever faced?

TRAPS:  Being unprepared or citing an example from so early in your life that it doesn’t 

score many points for you at this stage of your career.

BEST ANSWER:  This is an easy question if you’re prepared. Have a recent example ready

 that demonstrates either:

1.                  A quality most important to the job at hand; or

2.                  A quality that is always in demand, such as leadership, initiative, 

      managerial skill, persuasiveness, courage, persistence, intelligence, etc.

38.Have you consider starting your own business?

TRAPS:  If you say “yes” and elaborate enthusiastically, you could be perceived as a loose 

cannon in a larger company, too entrepreneurial to make a good team player…or someone 

who had to settle for the corporate life because you couldn’t make a go of your own business.

Also too much enthusiasm in answering “yes” could rouse the paranoia of a small company 

indicating that you may plan to go out on your own soon, perhaps taking some key accounts 

or trade secrets with you.

On the other hand, if you answer “no, never” you could be perceived as a security-minded 

drone who never dreamed a big dream.

BEST ANSWER:  Again it’s best to:

1.                  Gauge this company’s corporate culture before answering and…

2.                  Be honest (which doesn’t mean you have to vividly share your fantasy of the 

franchise or bed-and-breakfast you someday plan to open).In general, if the corporate culture 

is that of a large, formal, military-style structure, minimize any indication that you’d love to 

have your own business.  

You might say, “Oh, I may have given it a thought once or twice, but my whole career has 

been in larger organizations.  That’s where I have excelled and where 

I want to be.” If the corporate culture is closer to the free-wheeling, everybody’s-a-deal-

maker variety, then emphasize that in a firm like this, you can virtually get the best of all 

worlds, the excitement of seeing your own ideas and plans take shape…combined with the 

resources and stability of a well-established organization.   Sounds like the perfect 

environment to you.

In any case, no matter what the corporate culture, be sure to indicate that any desires about 

running your own show are part of your past, not your present or future.

The last thing you want to project is an image of either a dreamer who failed and is now 

settling for the corporate cocoon…or the restless maverick who will fly out the door with key 

accounts, contacts and trade secrets under his arms just as soon as his bankroll has gotten 

rebuilt. Always remember:  Match what you want with what the position offers.  The more 

information you’ve uncovered about the position, the more believable you can make your 

case.

39. What are your goals?

TRAPS:  Not having any…or having only vague generalities, not highly specific goals.

BEST ANSWER:  Many executives in a position to hire you are strong believers in goal-

setting. (It’s one of the reason they’ve achieved so much).  They like to hire in kind. If you’re 

vague about your career and personal goals, it could be a big turn off to may people you will 

encounter in your job search.

Be ready to discuss your goals for each major area of your life:  career, personal development 

and learning, family, physical (health), community service and (if your interviewer is clearly 

a religious person) you could briefly and generally allude to your spiritual goals (showing 

you are a well-rounded individual with your values in the right order).

Be prepared to describe each goal in terms of specific milestones you wish to accomplish 

along the way, time periods you’re allotting for accomplishment, why the goal is important to 

you, and the specific steps you’re taking to bring it about.  But do this concisely, as you 

never want to talk more than two minutes straight before letting your interviewer back into 

the conversation.

40.What do you for when you hire people?

TRAPS:  Being unprepared for the question.

BEST ANSWER:  Speak your own thoughts here, but for the best answer weave them 

around the three most important qualifications for any position.

1.                  Can the person do the work (qualifications)?

2.                  Will the person do the work (motivation)?

3.                  Will the person fit in (“our kind of team player”)?

41. Sell me this stapler…(this pencil…this clock…or some other object on interviewer’s 

desk).

TRAPS:  Some interviewers, especially business owners and hard-changing executives in 

marketing-driven companies, feel that good salesmanship is essential for any key position 

and ask for an instant demonstration of your skill.  

Be ready.

BEST ANSWER:  Of course, you already know the most important secret of all great 

salesmanship – “find out what people want, then show them how to get it.”

If your interviewer picks up his stapler and asks, “sell this to me,” you are going to 

demonstrate this proven master principle.  

Here’s how:  “Well, a good salesman must know both his product and his prospect before he 

sells anything.  If I were selling this, I’d first get to know everything I could about it, all its 

features and benefits.”

“Then, if my goal were to sell it you, I would do some research on how you might use a fine 

stapler like this.  The best way to do that is by asking some questions.  

May I ask you a few questions?” Then ask a few questions such as, “Just out of curiosity, if 

you didn’t already have a stapler like this, why would you want one?  And in addition to 

that?  Any other reason?  Anything else?” 

“And would you want such a stapler to be reliable?...Hold a good supply of staples?”  

(Ask more questions that point to the features this stapler has.)

Once you’ve asked these questions, make your presentation citing all the features and 

benefits of this stapler and why it’s exactly what the interviewer just told you he’s looking 

for. Then close with, “Just out of curiosity, what would you consider a reasonable price for a 

quality stapler like this…a stapler you could have right now and would (then repeat all the 

problems the stapler would solve for him)?  

Whatever he says, (unless it’s zero), say, “Okay, we’ve got a deal.”

NOTE:  If your interviewer tests you by fighting every step of the way, denying that he even 

wants such an item, don’t fight him.  Take the product away from him by saying, “Mr. 

Prospect, I’m delighted you’ve told me right upfront that there’s no way you’d ever want this 

stapler.  As you well know, the first rule of the most productive salespeople in any field is to 

meet the needs of people who really need and want our products, and it just wastes 

everyone’s time if we try to force it on those who don’t.  And I certainly wouldn’t want to 

waste your time.  But we sell many items.  Is there any product on this desk you would very 

much like to own…just one item?”  When he points something out, repeat the process above.  

If he knows anything about selling, he may give you a standing ovation.

42. “The Salary Question” – How much money do you want?

TRAPS:  May also be phrases as, “What salary are you worth?”…or, 

“How much are you making now?”  This is your most important negotiation. 

Handle it wrong and you can blow the job offer or go to work at far less than you might have 

gotten.

BEST ANSWER:  For maximum salary negotiating power, remember these five guidelines:

1.                  Never bring up salary.  Let the interviewer do it first.  

Good salespeople sell their products thoroughly before talking price.  

So should you.  Make the interviewer want you first, and your bargaining position will be 

much stronger.

2.                  If your interviewer raises the salary question too early, before you’ve had a 

chance to create desire for your qualifications, postpone the question, saying something like, 

“Money is important to me, but is not my main concern.  Opportunity and growth are far 

more important.  

What I’d rather do, if you don’t mind, is explore if I’m right for the position, and then talk 

about money. Would that be okay?”

3.                  The #1 rule of any negotiation is:  the side with more information wins.  

After you’ve done a thorough job of selling the interviewer and it’s time to talk salary, the 

secret is to get the employer talking about what he’s willing to pay before you reveal what 

you’re willing to accept.  So, when asked about salary, respond by asking, “I’m sure the 

company has already established a salary range for this position.  Could you tell me what that 

is?”  Or, “I want an income commensurate with my ability and qualifications.  I trust you’ll 

be fair with me.  

What does the position pay?” Or, more simply, “What does this position pay?”

4.                  Know beforehand what you’d accept.  To know what’s reasonable, research the 

job market and this position for any relevant salary information.  Remember that most 

executives look for a 20-25%$ pay boost when they switch jobs. 

If you’re grossly underpaid, you may want more.

5.                  Never lie about what you currently make, but feel free to include the estimated 

cost of all your fringes, which could well tack on 25-50% more to your present “cash-only” 

salary.

43.The Illegal Question

TRAPS:  Illegal questions include any regarding your age…number and ages of your 

children or other dependents…marital status…maiden name…religion…political 

affiliation…ancestry…national origin…birthplace…naturalization of your parents, spouse or 

children…diseases…disabilities…clubs…or spouse’s occupation…unless any of the above 

are directly related to your performance of the job.  

You can’t even be asked about arrests, though you can be asked about convictions.

BEST ANSWER:  Under the ever-present threat of lawsuits, most interviewers are well 

aware of these taboos.  Yet you may encounter, usually on a second or third interview, a 

senior executive who doesn’t interview much and forgets he can’t ask such questions.

You can handle an illegal question in several ways. First, you can assert your legal right not 

to answer. But this will frighten or embarrass your interviewer and destroy any rapport you 

had.

Second, you could swallow your concerns over privacy and answer the question straight 

forwardly if you feel the answer could help you.  

For example, your interviewer, a devout Baptist, recognizes you from church and mentions 

it. Here, you could gain by talking about your church.

Third, if you don’t want your privacy invaded, you can diplomatically answer the concern 

behind the question without answering the question itself.

Example:  If you are over 50 and are asked, “How old are you?” you can answer with a 

friendly, smiling question of your own on whether there’s a concern that your age my affect 

your performance.  

Follow this up by reassuring the interviewer that there’s nothing in this job you can’t do and, 

in fact, your age and experience are the most important advantages you offer the employer 

for the following reasons…

Another example:  If asked, “Do you plan to have children?” you could answer, 

“I am wholeheartedly dedicated to my career“, perhaps adding, “I have no plans regarding 

children.”  (You needn’t fear you’ve pledged eternal childlessness.  

You have every right to change your plans later.  Get the job first and then enjoy all your 

options.)

Most importantly, remember that illegal questions arise from fear that you won’t perform 

well.  The best answer of all is to get the job and perform brilliantly. All concerns and fears 

will then varnish, replaced by respect and appreciation for your work.

44. The “Secret” Illegal Question

TRAPS:  Much more frequent than the Illegal question  is the secret illegal question.  

It’s secret because it’s asked only in the interviewer’s mind.  Since it’s not even expressed to 

you, you have no way to respond to it, and it can there be most damaging.

Example:  You’re physically challenged, or a single mother returning to your professional 

career, or over 50, or a member of an ethnic minority, or fit any of a dozen other categories 

that do not strictly conform to the majority in a given company.

Your interviewer wonders, “Is this person really able to handle the job?”…”Is he or she a 

‘good fit’ at a place like ours?”…”Will the chemistry ever be right with someone like this?”  

But the interviewer never raises such questions because they’re illegal.  So what can you do?

BEST ANSWER:  Remember that just because the interviewer doesn’t ask an illegal 

question doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it.  More than likely, he is going to come up with his 

own answer.  So you might as well help him out. How?  Well, you obviously can’t respond 

to an illegal question if he hasn’t even asked.  This may well offend him.  And there’s always 

the chance he wasn’t 

even concerned about the issue until you brought it up, and only then begins to wonder.

So you can’t address “secret” illegal questions head-on.  But what you can do is make sure 

there’s enough counterbalancing information to more than reassure him that there’s no 

problem in the area he may be doubtful about.

For example, let’s say you’re a sales rep who had polio as a child and you need a cane to 

walk.  You know your condition has never impeded your performance, yet you’re concerned 

that your interviewer may secretly be wondering about your stamina or ability to travel.  

Well, make sure that you hit these abilities very hard, leaving no doubt about your capacity to 

handle them well.

So, too, if you’re in any different from what passes for “normal”.  Make sure, without in any 

way seeming defensive about yourself that you mention strengths, accomplishments, 

preferences and affiliations that strongly counterbalance any unspoken concern your 

interviewer may have.

45. How do you define success…and how do you measure up to your own definition?

TRAPS:  Seems like an obvious enough question.  Yet many executives, unprepared for it, 

fumble the ball.

BEST ANSWER:  Give a well-accepted definition of success that leads right into your own 

stellar collection of achievements.

Example:  “The best definition I’ve come across is that success is the progressive realization 

of a worthy goal.”

“As to how I would measure up to that definition, I would consider myself both successful 

and fortunate…” (Then summarize your career goals and how your achievements have 

indeed represented a progressive path toward realization of your goals.)

46. “The Opinion Question” – What do you think about …Abortion…The 

President…The Death Penalty… (or any other controversial subject)?

TRAPS:  Obviously, these and other “opinion” questions should never be asked.  

Sometimes they come up over a combination dinner/interview when the interviewer has had 

a drink or two, is feeling relaxed, and is spouting off about something that bugged him in 

today’s news.  If you give your opinion and it’s the opposite of his, you won’t change his 

opinions, but you could easily lose the job offer.

BEST ANSWER:  In all of these instances, just remember the tale about student and the wise 

old rabbi.  The scene is a seminary, where an overly serious student is pressing the rabbi to 

answer the ultimate questions of suffering, life and death.  

But no matter how hard he presses, the wise old rabbi will only answer each difficult 

question with a question of his own.

In exasperation, the seminary student demands, “Why, rabbi, do you always answer a 

question with another question?”  To which the rabbi responds, “And why not?”

If you are ever uncomfortable with any question, asking a question in return is the greatest 

escape hatch ever invented.  It throws the onus back on the other person, sidetracks the 

discussion from going into an area of risk to you, and gives you time to think of your answer 

or, even better, your next question!

In response to any of the “opinion” questions cited above, merely responding, 

“Why do you ask?” will usually be enough to dissipate any pressure to give your opinion.  

But if your interviewer again presses you for an opinion, you can ask another question. Or 

you could assert a generality that almost everyone would agree with.  For example, if your 

interviewer is complaining about politicians then suddenly turns to you and asks if you’re a 

Republican or Democrat, you could respond by saying, “Actually, 

I’m finding it hard to find any politicians I like these days.”

(Of course, your best question of all may be whether you want to work for someone

 opinionated.)

47. If you won $10 million lottery, would you still work?

TRAPS:  Your totally honest response might be, “Hell, no, are you serious?”  

That might be so, but any answer which shows you as fleeing work if given the chance could 

make you seem lazy.  On the other hand, if you answer, “Oh, I’d want to keep doing exactly 

what I am doing, only doing it for your firm,” you could easily inspire your interviewer to 

silently mutter to himself, “Yeah, sure.  Gimme a break.”

BEST ANSWER:  This type of question is aimed at getting at your bedrock attitude about 

work and how you feel about what you do.  Your best answer will focus on your positive 

feelings.

Example:  “After I floated down from cloud nine, I think I would still hold my basic belief 

that achievement and purposeful work are essential to a happy, productive life.  

After all, if money alone bought happiness, then all rich people would be all happy, and 

that’s not true.

“I love the work I do, and I think I’d always want to be involved in my career in some 

fashion.  Winning the lottery would make it more fun because it would mean having more 

flexibility, more options...who knows?”

“Of course, since I can’t count on winning, I’d just as soon create my own destiny by 

sticking with what’s worked for me, meaning good old reliable hard work and a desire to 

achieve.  I think those qualities have built many more fortunes that all the lotteries put 

together.”

48. Why should I hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from within?

TRAPS:  This question isn’t as aggressive as it sounds.  It represents the interviewer’s own 

dilemma over this common problem.  He’s probably leaning toward you already and for 

reassurance, wants to hear what you have to say on the matter.

BEST ANSWER:  Help him see the qualifications that only you can offer.

Example:  “In general, I think it’s a good policy to hire from within – to look outside 

probably means you’re not completely comfortable choosing someone from inside.

“Naturally, you want this department to be as strong as it possibly can be, so you want the 

strongest candidate.  I feel that I can fill that bill because…(then recap your strongest 

qualifications that match up with his greatest needs).”

49. Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company…

TRAPS:  This is a common fishing expedition to see what the industry grapevine may be 

saying about the company.  But it’s also a trap because as an outsider, you never want to be 

the bearer of unflattering news or gossip about the firm.  

It can only hurt your chances and sidetrack the interviewer from getting sold on you.

BEST ANSWER:  Just remember the rule – never be negative – and you’ll handle this one 

just fine.

50.On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.

TRAPS:  Give a perfect “10,” and you’ll seem too easy to please.  Give anything less than a 

perfect 10, and he could press you as to where you’re being critical, and that road leads 

downhill for you.

BEST ANSWER:  Once again, never be negative.  The interviewer will only resent criticism 

coming from you.  This is the time to show your positivism. However, don’t give a numerical 

rating. Simply praise whatever interview style he’s been using.

If he’s been tough, say “You have been thorough and tough-minded, the very qualities 

needed to conduct a good interview.”

If he’s been methodical, say, “You have been very methodical and analytical, and I’m sure 

that approach results in excellent hires for your firm.” In other words, pay him a sincere 

compliment that he can believe because it’s anchored in the behavior you’ve just seen.