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admin- 03-21-2005
49 Tough Interview Questions
(and suggestions for how to answer them)

1. Tell me a little about yourself.
-Don’t run off at the mouth
-Keep it at 1-2 minutes
-Emphasize recent career experience
-It’s just a warm-up question!

2. What do you know about our organization?
-Be able to discuss various areas such as image, goals, management style, revenues, etc.
-Don’t act like you know everything about the organization, but do show that you have done your research.
-Make it clear that you would like to learn more.
-Be positive!

3. Why do you want to work for us?
-Never say “Because I like people”.
-Relate your answer to the company’s needs-this shows you’ve done your homework.
-If you feel you have to make up an answer, you probably shouldn’t be at the interview.

4. What can you do for us that someone else can’t?
-Be a BIT egotistical.
-Talk about your great track record.

5. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive about it?
-List 3-4 attractive features; mention 1 minor, unattractive feature.

6. Why should we hire you?
-Formulate your answer by thinking in terms of your ability, your experience, and your energy.

7. What do you look for in a job?
-Keep your answer directed towards the opportunities at the organization. Orient your answer toward opportunities, not personal security.

8. Please give me your definition of (the position for which you are being interviewed).
-Be brief and task-oriented.
-Mention responsibilities and accountability.
-Make sure you fully understand the position, if you don’t ask the interviewer.

9. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?
-Be realistic, say that while you may pull your weight and meet demands from the first day, it may take you anywhere from six months to a year to fully understand the organization’s needs enough to make a major contribution.

10. How long would you stay with us?
-Say that you are interested in a career with the organization, but admit that you would have to continue to feel challenged to remain with an organization. Think in terms of, “As long as we both feel achievement-oriented.”

11. Your resume suggests that you may be overqualified or too experienced for this position. What do you think?
-Stress that you are interested in establishing a long term association with the organization, and that you assume that if you perform well in this job, new opportunities will open up for you. A strong company needs a strong staff. Suggest that because you are so well qualified, the company will get a fast return on its investment.

12. What is your management style?
-Know enough about the company’s style to know that your management style will compliment it. You could be task-oriented (“I enjoy problem-solving, identifying what’s wrong, choosing a solution, and implementing it”). The participative style is also popular: an open-door method of managing in which you get things done by motivating people and delegating responsibility. As you consider this question, think about whether your style will let you work happily and effectively within the organization.

13. Are you a good manager? Can you give me some examples? Do you feel that you have top management potential?
-Keep your answer achievement and task-oriented. Rely on examples from your career to support your statements. Stress your experience and your energy.

14. What do you look for when you hire people?
-Think in terms of skills, initiative, and the adaptability to be able to work comfortably and productively with others. Mention that you like to hire people who appear capable of moving up in an organization.

15. Have you ever had to fire people? What were the reasons, and how did you handle the situation?
-Admit that the situation wasn’t easy, but say that it worked out well, both for the company and, you think, for the individual or individuals involved. Show that, like anyone else, you don’t enjoy unpleasant tasks, but that you can resolve them efficiently and, in the case of firing someone, humanely.

16. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager or an executive?
-Mention planning, execution, and cost control. The most difficult task may be to motivate and manage employees to get tasks routinely planned and completed on time and within budget.

17. What important trends do you see in our industry?
-Be prepared with two or three trends that illustrate how well you understand your industry. You might consider technological challenges or opportunities, economic conditions, the current competitive situation, or even regulatory demands related to the direction in which your business is heading.

18. What are the frontier or cutting-edge issues in our industry?
-Be prepared with two or three key issues.

19. Why are you leaving (did leave) your present (last) position?
-Be brief, to the point, and as honest as you can without hurting yourself. Refer back to the planning phase of your job search, where you considered this topic as you thought about reference statements. If you were laid off in a staff reduction, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your decision, the result of your desire to advance your career. Don’t mention personality conflicts.
The interviewer may spend some time probing you on this issue, particularly if it’s clear that you were terminated. Be as positive and honest as you can. The “We agreed to disagree” approach suggested earlier may be useful. Don’t fabricate a story for an interviewer: even in today’s reference-shy climate, your story might be checked.

20. In your current (last) position, what features do (did) you like the most? The least?
-Be careful and positive. Describe more features that you liked than disliked. Don’t cite personality problems. If you make your last job sound terrible, an interviewer may wonder why you’ve remained there until now, or whether you have an attitude problem that would likely to show up on a new job, too.

21. In your current (last) position, what have been (were) your five most significant accomplishments?
-Have specific examples ready. If you’re asked five examples, don’t cite ten. If you want to show that you were responsible for more than five major achievements, you can say, “I’ve given you the five that seem the most important to me. There are others, if you’d like to hear about some other area of my work.” Then, if the interviewer asks for additional accomplishments, you can give them without appearing to boast.

22. Why haven’t you found a job before now?
-Say that finding a job isn’t difficult, but that finding the right job deserves time and demands careful planning.

23. Did you think of leaving your present position before? If so, what do you think held you there?
-You might say that the challenge of the job held you in the past but, as that seemed to diminish, you reached the decision to investigate new opportunities.

24. What do you think of your (former) boss?
-Be as positive as you can. A potential boss will anticipate that you might talk about him or her in similar terms at some point in the future.

25. Would you describe a few situations in which your work was criticized?
-Be specific. Don’t be emotional. Think in terms of constructive criticism. Show that you responded positively and benefited from that criticism.

26. If I spoke with your (former) boss, what would he or she say are your grea-*test*-('") strengths and weaknesses?
-Name three or four strengths and only one weakness. Be honest but not negative.

27. Can you work under pressure and deal with deadlines?
-Observe that both are facts of business life. Take examples from your list of accomplishments to show how you have dealt successfully with pressure and deadlines in the past.

28. Did you change the nature of your job?
-Tell how you improved it.

29. Do you prefer staff or line work?
-Say that it depends on the job and its challenges.

30. In your present (last) position, what problems did you identify that had previously been overlooked?
-Be brief and don’t brag. Indicate the positive changes your suggestions or leadership resulted in.

31. Don’t you think you might be better suited for a different size company? To a different type of company?
-Tailor your answer to the job being discussed. Say that your preferences for the size or type of company generally depend on the job in question. Note that your research has shown you that this organization and this job meet your criteria.

32. If you could choose any company, where would you go?
-Talk about the job and the company for which you are being interviewed.

33. Why aren’t you earning more at your age?
-Say that this is one reason you are conducting this job search. Don’t be defensive.

34. What do you feel this position should pay?
-Salary is a delicate topic. Try not to tie yourself to a precise figure for as long as you can do it politely. You might say, “I understand that the range for this job is between $X and $Y, that seems appropriate for the job as I understand it.” You might answer the question with a question: “Perhaps you can help me on this one. Can you tell me if there is a range for similar jobs in the organization?”

If you’re asked the question during an initial screening interview, you might say that you feel you need to know more about the responsibilities involved before you can give a meaningful answer. Here too, either by asking the interviewer or doing research during your investigation of the company, you can try to find out whether there is a salary grade attached to the job. If there is, and if you can live with it, say that the range seems right to you.

If the interviewer continues to probe you, you might say, “You know I am making $X now. Like everyone else, I’d like to improve on that figure, but my major interest is in the job itself.” Remember that the act of taking a new job does not, in and of itself, make you worth more money.

If a search firm is involved, your contact there may be able to help with the salary question. A search firm representative may even be able to run interference for you. If, for instance, this person tells you what the position pays, and you respond that you are earning that amount now and would like to do a bit better, he or she might go back to the employer and propose that you be offered an additional ten percent.

If no price range is attached to the job, and the interviewer continues to press the subject, then you will have to respond with a number. You can’t leave the impression that it doesn’t really matter, that you’ll accept what ever is offered. If you’ve been making $96 000 annually, you can’t say that a $42 000 figure would be fine without sounding like you are giving up on yourself. (If you’re making a radical career change, however, a substantial disparity may be more reasonable and understandable.)

Don’t sell yourself short, but continue to stress the fact that the job itself is the most important thing in your mind. The interviewer may be trying to determine just how much you want the job. Don’t leave the impression that money is the only thing important to you. Link questions of salary to the work itself.

But, whenever possible, say as little as you can about salary until you reach the final stage of the interviewing process. At that point, you know the company is genuinely interested in you and that it is more likely to be flexible in salary negotiations.

35. Do you have any objections to psychological -*test*-('")s?
-Say you would feel comfortable taking them.

36. What other jobs or companies are you considering?
-Restrict your answer to fields similar to the one in which this company operates.

37. Do you speak to people before they speak to you?
-The interviewer is probably trying to determine your ability to deal with unstable or unanticipated situations. Say that your actions depend on specific circumstances. While you wouldn’t normally start a conversation with a stranger on the street, for example, you feel comfortable initiating discussions with people you don’t know in normal business or social settings.

38. What was the last book you read? Movie you saw? Sporting event you attended?
-Try to show hat you lead a balanced life when answering questions about outside activities.

39. Will you be out to take your boss’s job?
-Say that while you certainly hope to win additional responsibility in the organization, you’ve always focused on getting the current job done.

40. Are you creative?
-Be prepared with work related examples of creativity.

41. How would you describe your own personality?
-It may be wise to say you are the proud owner of a balanced personality.

42. Do you consider yourself a leader?
- Take examples from your work experience

43. What are your long range goals?
- Refer back to the self-assessment phase of your career continuation efforts. Don’t answer, “I want the job you’ve advertised.” Relate your goals to the company you’re interviewing for: “In a firm like yours, I would like to…”

44. What are your strong points?
- Present at least three. Use concrete, work-related examples to illustrate them. Try to relate your answer to the interviewing organization and the specific job opening.

45. What are your weak points?
- Don’t say that you have none. But try to make a negative sound like a strength carried a bit to far; “I sometimes get impatient and become too deeply involved when a project is running late.”
Don’t offer a list of weaknesses. A good interviewer is likely to press you a bit saying, “Is there anything else? “ You might answer, “No, I don’t think so on that topic.” If the interviewer persists, come up with a second weakness, but only if you are asked for it. Don’t offer negative information unnecessarily.. If the interviewer continues and asks for third weaknesses, say politely that you really can’t think of anything else.
Finally, show that you are working to correct your weaknesses.


46.If you could start your career again what would you do differently?
- The best answer is “Not a thing.” You should try to present yourself as an individual who is happy with his or her life. You’ve enjoyed its ups and learned from its downs. You would not, as a result, want to change things that brought you to where you are today. Mention that it is the past, after all, that has prepared you for this position.

47. What career options do you have at this moment?
-You should try to identify three areas of interest, one of which includes this company and job. The other two should be in related fields.

48. How would you define success?
- Think in terms of a sense of well-being. Consider opportunity and responsibility as components of success.

49. How successful do you think you’ve been so far?
- Say that, all in all, you’re happy with the way your career has progressed. Given the normal ups and downs of life, you feel that you’ve done quite well and expect to continue to succeed in the future.


***Present a positive and confident picture of yourself, but don’t overstate your case. An answer like, “Everything’s wonderful; I’m overjoyed!” is likely to make an interviewer wonder whether you’re trying to fool him or yourself. The most convincing confidence is usually quiet confidence.

Mikhail Seleznev- 03-21-2005
Ýòî ïîëåçíûå ñîâåòû - êàê ïðàâèëüíî îòâå÷àòü íà äóðàöêèå âîïðîñû. Åñëè áû èõ (äóðàöêèå âîïðîñû) óäàâàëîñü âîîáùå èçáåæàòü, áûëî áû åùå ëó÷øå smile.gif .

admin- 03-21-2005
Est' prostoy sposob izbejat' voprosov - eto izbegat' interview klp/119.gif

Mikhail Seleznev- 03-21-2005
ß íà ýòî è íàìåêàë smile.gif . Äåòè òóò óæå â øêîëàõ ðåçþìå ïèøóò, ãîòîâÿò èõ ê öèâèëèçîâàííîé áîðüáå. smile.gif

admin- 03-21-2005
Resume - eto, kak govoritsya - pervyj shag k interview ohmy.gif


How to handle the question: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WEAKNESS?

admin- 04-03-2005
Interview with a Headhunter
In the eat-or-be-eaten world of job hunting, if you misfire, you're dead. Here's how to hunt like a headhunter -- and turn your next job interview into a sure kill.
by Bill Breen
illustrations by Laurent Cilluffo
from FC issue 21, page 154
Read more stories from this January 1999 issue



When Nick A. Corcodilos started out in the headhunting business, nearly 20 years ago, he had a keen eye for tracking talent, but he couldn't always make the kill. While he would succeed in his part of the hunt, the job hunters whom he located would often fail in theirs. From his base in Silicon Valley, he would send all-star performers to blue-chip companies like Xerox, IBM, GE, and Hewlett-Packard. Corcodilos, now 43, knew that these candidates were right for the job -- yet they weren't bagging their quarry. They were misfiring before, during, or after the do-or-die interview.
So, instead of simply scouting for talent, Corcodilos began advising talent as well. He helped job hunters improve their kill ratios -- by getting them to pursue fewer companies, by helping them make the right contacts, and by showing them how to deliver what companies are looking for in an interview. Eventually he went online, and later he wrote a myth-busting book titled "Ask the Headhunter" ( Penguin/Plume, 1997 ). Since moving his base of operations to Lebanon, New Jersey, he has taught career development to high-flying employees at such companies as AT&T, Merrill Lynch, and Procter & Gamble.
To help you conclude your next job search with a sure kill, Fast Company has asked Corcodilos to map out a plan for reinventing the rules of the hunt. ( And since many people must hunt not only for work but also for talent, we offer three sidebars on how to recruit like a headhunter. )
In the following interview, Corcodilos covers the basics of a successful hunt, from preparation to tactics to execution. Bottom line: He shows you how to deliver the one, surefire thing that every employer is looking for -- proof that you can do the job, and do it profitably.

1. Your resume is meaningless.
Headhunters know that a resume rarely gets you inside a company. A resume can't defend you or answer questions about you. All that a resume can do is outline your past, and your past is largely irrelevant, because it doesn't demonstrate that you can do the work that the hiring manager needs to get done.
"A resume leaves it up to employers to figure out how you can add value to their organization," says Corcodilos. "That's no way to sell yourself."
Recalling the old marketing adage that a free product sample gives customers a reason to want more, Corcodilos suggests that you do the same with your resume: Give prospective employers an example of what you can do for them.
"Create a new area in your resume," he advises. "Call it 'Value Offered.' In two sentences, state the value that you would bring to the employer. Be specific: You will probably have to create a separate resume for each company that you approach.
"If you include a summary of your value that targets the hiring manager's needs, you'll transform your resume into a marketing tool that distinguishes you as someone whose goal is to help the employer, rather than as someone who's simply out to get a job."

2. Go to HR -- and get lost!
Headhunters deal with a company's human-resources department only when they're filling a highly visible position, such as president or CEO. Otherwise, they avoid HR whenever possible. So should you.
"Most HR departments," Corcodilos says, "create a Byzantine infrastructure that primarily involves processing paper. They package you, they organize you, they file you, they sort you. Then, if you haven't gotten lost in the shuffle, they might pass you on to a manager who actually knows what the work is all about."
Some HR professionals do excel at finding the right candidate for a job, but they are the exception, Corcodilos argues. As a rule, HR slows you down and forces you to compete against other candidates. A smart headhunter will short-circuit that process by going directly to the only person who counts: the manager who will ultimately make the hire.
"While the typical candidate is waiting to be interviewed by the HR department, the headhunter is on the phone, using a back channel to get to the hiring manager -- or talking to that person directly."

3. The real matchmaking takes place before the interview.
A headhunter never sends a candidate into an interview unless the candidate is clearly qualified for the job. In your own job hunt, you must make the same effort to ensure a good fit. But you won't make a good match unless you already know the parameters of the job when you walk into the interview. And that requires a lot of research on your part.
The best way to learn about a company is to talk to people who work there. Kenton Green, 28, a guest columnist for the Ask The Headhunter Web site, has been using this technique while he completes a PhD program in electrical engineering and optics at the University of Rochester: "I find an article published by someone in my field who works at one of the companies that I'm interested in. Then I call that person and ask to talk.
"During the conversation," Green continues, "I mention my employability and discuss the company's staffing needs. And one of two things usually happens: I get an interview, or I learn that we aren't such a good match after all -- and I'm glad that I didn't waste time sending a resume to that company's HR department."
More often than not, as you drill down and investigate a company, you'll find that you and the company are not made for each other. "And that's a good thing," says Corcodilos, "because when you do find the right fit, you'll walk into an interview having already decided that this is a company that you want to work for. You won't go into the interview half-cocked."

4. Don't study for the interview -- practice doing the job.
Once you've researched a company -- you know its challenges and its goals, its culture and its competitors -- the next step is to practice doing the job. Prepare yourself, advises Corcodilos, to take on several "action tasks":
Show that you understand the job. "Ask what problem the manager hopes to solve by hiring you. And make sure that you also understand what goal the manager is working toward: higher sales? more profit? penetration of an account at any cost? Your task is to show how you can help the company achieve that goal."
Show that you can do the job. "Be prepared to highlight the steps that you would take to solve the employer's problem and to reach the employer's goal. Show the manager how you think and how you work."
Show how the company will profit from hiring you. "Be ready to tackle the issue of profitability: How is your way of doing this work going to reduce costs or increase revenues? Put a number on it. The number doesn't have to be right, but you should be prepared to defend it intelligently.
"These action tasks will help you take the interview where you want it to go -- straight to the job," Corcodilos concludes. "Just as important, they will help you take the employer along with you."

5. The shocking truth: The employer wants to hire you.
"A company holds interviews so it can hire the best person for the job," says Corcodilos. "The hiring manager will be ecstatic if that person turns out to be you -- because then he can stop interviewing and get back to work."
So give yourself an attitude adjustment. "If you convince yourself that the hiring manager wants to hire you, then you'll have a positive attitude when you walk into the interview," says Corcodilos. "And who knows: Your attitude might influence the manager to feel good about you."

6. It's not an interview -- it's your first day at work.
Most people treat an interview as if it were an interrogation. The employer asks questions, and the candidate gives answers. Headhunters go out of their way to avoid that scenario.
"Think of the interview as your first day on the job," says Corcodilos. "Your attitude should be that of an employee who's there to talk about a new project -- rather than the more obsequious attitude of a candidate who's hoping to get an offer.
"Candidates who think of themselves as employees immediately tip the scales of power in their favor, because they come across as people who understand the job and who are prepared to do it. Doing the job causes the most rapid shift in control that I know of. It turns a question-and-answer session into an exciting engagement between two people who have seized an opportunity to take a fresh look at their work."

7. To win an offer, do the job.
How do you do the job during the interview? Consider how Corcodilos coached Gerry Zagorski, now the manager of business development at AT&T Wireless, when Zagorski was pursuing an opening at AT&T. The vice president who was handling the interview told Zagorski that the meeting could last no more than 20 minutes.
Zagorski, now 40, walked over to the VP's whiteboard and outlined the company's challenges, as well as the steps that he would take to increase its profits. Fifteen minutes later, as Zagorski wrote down his estimate of what he would add to the bottom line, he looked up at his interviewer.
"The guy's jaw was on the floor," says Corcodilos. "He told Zagorski that an interview wouldn't be necessary. Instead, the VP brought in the rest of his team, and the meeting lasted for two hours. There was no standard interview nonsense: Zagorski's demonstration changed the whole tone."

8. Got an offer? Interview the company.
When a company makes an offer, it does more than deliver a title and a compensation package -- it cedes part of its control over the hiring process.
"At the outset of the interview, the employer controls the offer and the power that comes with it," says Corcodilos. "But upon making an offer, the employer transfers that power to the candidate. This is a power that few people in that situation even realize that they have."
Corcodilos suggests that you separate winning the offer from negotiating the terms of your acceptance. "Now it's time for you to explore changing the offer to suit your goals. It's time for you to interview the company," he says.
Ask to meet members of the team that you've been invited to join. Ask to see the tools and resources that would be at your disposal. Ask to interview managers and important staff members who would affect your ability to do your job. Ask for more money -- but only if you think you truly deserve it. And don't fret about how the employer might react to these requests.
"As long as you present your requests professionally, and not as demands," says Corcodilos, "a good company will consider the things that are important to you."
Just remember, once you get an offer, the relationship between you and the employer turns upside down. Now you are the interviewer, and the hiring manager is the candidate: "You have the power," says Corcodilos, "to decide whether, and on what terms, you want to hire that company."
Coordinates: $14.95. "Ask the Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job," Penguin/Plume, 800-788-6262, http://www.penguinputnam.com; Ask The Headhunter, http://www.asktheheadhunter.com; Nick A. Corcodilos, nbgroup@aol.com[/font]</span>

admin- 01-23-2006
5 Biggest Interview Mistakes
By: Michael R. Neece , CEO , Interview Mastery.com
________________________________________
1. Interrogation versus Interview:
Most candidates expect they will be interrogated. An interrogation is when one person asks all the questions and the other gives the answers. An interview is a business conversation where both people ask and respond to questions. Too many job seekers believe an interview is an interrogation. With this attitude, candidates do not ask questions and hence do not make their best impression. Your need to ask questions throughout the interview. If you don't, you force the interview to be an interrogation.
2. Making a Positive out of a Weakness:
Unskilled interviewers frequently ask candidates "What are your weaknesses?"
Conventional interview advice recommends candidates highlight a weakness like "I'm a perfectionist" and turn it into a positive. Interviewers are not that easily fooled. If you are asked "What are your weaknesses?", highlight skill that you wish to improve upon and (more importantly) describe what you are proactively doing to enhance your skills in this area. Interviewers really don't care what your weaknesses are. They simply want to see how you handle the question and what your answer may indicate about you. Highlighting an area for improvement demonstrates you are self aware. Describing what you are doing about that weakness demonstrates you are proactive and seek to continually improve your talents.
3. No Questions:
Every interview concludes with the interviewer asking if you have any questions. The worst thing to say is you have no questions. Having no questions shows you are either not interested or not prepared. Interviewers are more impressed with the questions you ask than the selling points you try to make during the interview. Before each interview make a list of 5 question you will ask. Take out your list when they ask if you have any questions. This demonstrates you are prepared and thorough. In some cases the interviewer starts the interview by asking if you have any questions. In such instances you will be well prepared to handle this situation.
4. Only Researching the Company, What about You?:
Candidates intellectually prepare for interviews by researching the company and reviewing the company web site. Most job seekers do not research themselves by taking inventory of their experience, knowledge and skills. Formulating an organized talent inventory prepares you to immediately respond to any question about your experience. Interviewers will focus their questioning on your experience and talents. You must be prepared to discuss any part of your background at a moments notice. Creating a your talent inventory refreshed your memory about the many dimensions of your experience and helps you immediately remember experiences you would otherwise forget during the tension of an interview.
5. Leaving Cell Phone On:
We may live in a wired, always available society, but a ringing cell phone is not appropriate for an interview. Turn it off before you enter the company.

admin- 07-17-2006
How to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions


By Caroline Levchuck


You know they're coming: Those seemingly unanswerable questions that pop up during job interviews.

You can't clam up. And you don't want to stutter and stammer. So what's a job seeker to do?

The 'Future' Question

Otherwise known as the "big picture" question, the future question goes something like this: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

The best tactic: Talk about your values.

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Don't get too detailed about your specific career plan. Instead, discuss things that are important to you professionally and how you plan to achieve them. If growth is a goal, mention that. You can also talk about challenge, another value that employers prize in their employees.

The 'Salary' Question

Most people will tell you that whoever answers this question first loses. But that's not necessarily true.

When an interviewer asks your salary requirement, try first to gently deflect the question by inquiring about the salary for the position.

If the interviewer presses you for a number, give a range. To decide on a range, think about the salary you want, your salary at your most recent position and the industry-standard salary for the job.

The bottom line: The salary question is one of the most important, so you should prepare for it in advance and plan what to say.

The 'Why' Question

There's a fine line between boastful and confident. And you need to learn it.

When an interviewer asks you why they should hire you, you're going to have speak confidently and honestly about your abilities. But you should avoid sounding overly boastful.

Aim for earnest and prepare by practicing. That's right: Stand in front of the mirror and acknowledge your abilities and accomplishments to your reflection. Tell yourself: I have a very strong work ethic. I have integrity. I have excellent industry contacts. I aggressively pursue my goals.

It's sometimes hard to praise yourself, but after a few sessions you'll sound sincere.

The Seemingly Silly Question

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? What if you were a car? Or an animal?

These type of questions can bring your interview to a screeching halt.

First, don't panic. Pause and take a deep breath. Then remind yourself that there's no "right" answer to these questions. The job isn't hinging on whether you choose to be a spruce versus an oak.

Interviewers usually ask these questions to see how you react under pressure and how well you handle the unexpected. It's not so important what type of tree (or car, or animal) you choose as that you explain your choice in a way that makes you look favorable.

So, be a spruce -- because you want to reach new heights in your career. Or be an oak -- because you plan to put down roots at the company. Either way, you'll get it right.



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