Job interview: the most frequently asked trick questions
The questions, at the interview, can be very many indeed. Some are about education, some about past work experience, and some about one’s expectations.
However, there are questions that need special attention. They are the so-called “
trick questions
” which are more common than you might think.
How to answer the trick questions
? The first thing to do is to know how to recognize them.
Job interview: frequently asked questions
Although each interview stands on its own, there are questions that are repeated in almost all interviews:
- Tell me about yourself
- What is your best quality?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- Why are you the right person for this position?
- Why would you like to work with us?
Be
honest
, always, but not self-aggrandizing. When you find yourself having to tell about your qualities, leverage your Soft Skills and recount work episodes in which you have used them successfully. When you talk about your weaknesses, point out a real flaw but explain what you are doing to improve it.
Don’t be afraid, then, to ask questions of your own. A job interview is not a one-way process. Your interviewer needs to understand whether you are the ideal candidate for the open position and for the company. But you, too, on your side, will have to understand whether that is the job you aspire to.
How to answer the trick questions?
Some of the most common questions at a job interview are also trick questions. One out of all is the following: “What is your greatest weakness?“. Answer “
I work too much
” is a mistake, whether it is true or not: prepare in advance by citing a real flaw of yours, but show intent to improve it.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Another typical trick question is, “
Why would you want to work here?
” or “
What is your ideal work environment?
“: it is used to understand how informed you are about the company, its values and vision. If you are instead asked “Where do you see yourself in five years“, know that your interviewer has a very specific idea: to check whether your goals are in line with those of the company. This is a crucial question in the context of job interviews: if you don’t see yourself within the company, of course don’t say so! Rather, focus on the kind of role you would like to play five years from now.
Why should we choose you?
Another fundamental question is, “
What can you offer us, unlike the other candidates?
“. The recruiter is putting you in a position to brag about yourself.
Don’t be fooled: use the question to explain what you could do for the company. Of course, this presupposes some preparation: informed about company news, new product launches, and so on. Figure out how your skills can come in handy in that work context.
Why do you want to change jobs?
Among the trick questions at a job interview. pay special attention to those that relate to your current or past professional position. If you are asked “Why do you want to leave your company?” do not speak negatively about your employer. Focus on the positive aspects you hope to gain from your new position, rather than criticizing the company you now work for.
Why didn’t you work during “x” period?
If you have experienced any
periods of unemployment
you will most likely be asked to give reasons for them. To do this, explain how you used your professional skills when you were not employed. Be honest about how and why you left previous jobs, including the
layoffs
, but do not fall into the trap of
criticizing previous employers
.
It simply emphasizes the positive aspects of each past work experience, so as to clarify how that
know-how
could help you in the position for which you are applying.
What if I were…?
It may happen that, in the interview process, you are asked the following
hypothetical questions
That have nothing to do with your area of expertise. There are recruiters who love questions like, “If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?“. Non aver paura di mostrarti sorpreso o di chiedere un momento per riflettere sulla risposta. Put yourself out there and take advantage of self-deprecation: the
humor
eases tension and always leaves a good memory.
In view of the above, preparing for a job interview may seem complicated. To help you cope with job interviews, we at Phyd provide you with a
tutoring service
: thanks to the advice of our experts you will learn how to best present yourself to companies.
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