How to field tough interview questions

So, you managed to get a sit-down with the hiring manager at that company where you’ve been dying to work. If you’ve ever been interviewed before, you know it’s coming – one of those tricky questions that can still manage to stump you even if you’ve formulated an outline of your response prior to the meeting. One of the least favorites among interviewees is probably, “What’s your greatest weakness?” Hey, you’re supposed to be selling yourself, not pointing out what would make you a liability.

Here are some tips to help you answer that and a couple other difficult questions:

“Tell me about yourself.”

Where to begin? This is often the first thing you’ll be asked, so you don’t want to reveal all your assets right away. Keep in mind when you’re framing your answer that you don’t want to repeat yourself later on. Now’s the time to present a brief synopsis of your background and goals; save the details for later. If you’re fairly new to the workforce, you might want to talk about your education, and why you felt your course of study was the right fit for you. If you have some work experience, tell them about some of your responsibilities in previous positions. Keep in mind that this is a warm-up question – you’ll have a chance to expand upon your experience later.

“Why did you leave/or do you want to leave your previous/current employer?”

If it’s because the boss is a mean-spirited idiot, keep that to yourself. Smack-talking your former organization will make your interviewer wonder what kinds of things you will say about their company, especially if you left your last position on less-than-ideal circumstances.

About.com writer and career search expert Allison Doyle offers examples for answering this one:

• “To be honest, I wasn't considering a move, but, I saw this job posting and was intrigued by the position and the company. It sounds like an exciting opportunity and an ideal match with my qualifications.”
• “I found myself becoming bored with the work and looking for more challenges. I am an excellent employee and I didn't want my unhappiness to have any impact on the job I was doing for my employer.”
• “I am seeking a position with a stable company with room for growth and opportunity for advancement.”

“What is your greatest weakness?”

This almost seems like a trap, but it doesn’t have to be. Think of it as an opportunity to illustrate how you’ve grown professionally. The important part of the response is not the weakness itself, but what you’ve done to overcome it. Avoid temptation to claim perfectionism as your biggest shortcoming, unless you can show how it has been a hindrance to achieving your goals (otherwise it’s not a weakness). For instance, you can explain how as a result of your perfectionism, you became locked up in small tasks and failed to address big picture issues in your position. Discuss what you’ve done to correct this, whether it was by taking steps to conquer your fear of non-critical errors or delegating smaller tasks to subordinates in order to free you up to achieve more important goals.

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