Sample Interview Questions & Answers
Asking the right questions, providing the right answers.

Although interviews vary tremendously from position to position and firm to firm, several proven interviewing strategies and best practices can help you navigate through the toughest waters.

Here are some suggestions to get you on your way:

Reading Between The Lines

These strategies are based on the idea that interview questions are generally designed to reveal far more information than they at first seem to be asking for. In other words, many questions are meant to reveal aspects of your personality, work history, experience, and skills that go far beyond your resume, and might not be obvious to you when first considering the question itself.

As a general rule, the trick to answering even the toughest or strangest questions is your ability to accentuate the positive, provide as much detail as you can, and turn even a potentially embarrassing question into an answer that sells your interviewer on choosing YOU above all others to fill this position.

Common Interviewer Questions (And Some Recommended Answers)
Employers and job descriptions can vary tremendously, requiring an emphasis on different skills and experience. So don't hesitate to customize your resume whenever appropriate. You might want to create several different resumes as needed, and should save each version for later use.

Let's consider some questions, and some answers that can work for you. Keep in mind that these are samples meant to help you get a feel for what to expect, and how to better prepare.

Q. "What type of position are you interested in?"
Here's your chance to talk in detail about your strengths. Go beyond a simple job title, such as "Secretary," or "Receptionist" - instead, try to talk in detail about what you do well, and any actual changes for the better that you brought to your previous employers. For example:

A. "I feel this wonderful opportunity at your company is just right for me, because I'd be able to apply my proven skills. Working for my previous employer, I saved our department hundreds of dollars in overtime, and allowed my boss to take some long overdue time off without having to worry about the office."

Q.  "Where do you see yourself five years from now?"
Showing the desire for promotion and advancement is a good sign, but if you're too aggressive about it red lights might start to flash. Your interviewer might actually be the manager positioned directly above you if you got the job, so make sure you don't set your sights on their gig! Remember that a good answer lies somewhere in between strategic humbleness and "go-getter" initiative:

A.  "I always work at getting better and better at every job I do. With time, I see my responsibilities increasing to match my expanding skills." To keep playing it safe while showing some spark, this might be an opportunity for you to ask some pointed questions, such as: "How do you see this position evolving? Are there additional tasks I can perform? Do you think the department has room for my skills and other interests?"

Q.  "What kinds of problems and unique challenges have you faced?"
Again, be as specific as possible, and accentuate the positive. Mentioning personal problems is dangerous, so stick to ones impacting the company that you managed to turn around and fix to everyone's satisfaction:

A.  "We had a very high rate of errors in the word processing department when I started. So my approach was quality over quantity. Even though my average speed was about average, the quality of my work was way above that. After a few months, the overall error rate in our department fell 25%! And that saved thousands of dollars on printing and shipping costs."

Q.  "I like your strengths. But what kinds of weaknesses do you have?"
These kinds of questions can be dangerous, and are often deliberately asked by interviewers to see how you respond. One particularly effective approach is to sandwich the negative attribute between positives. For example:

A.  "My attention to detail is uncompromising [positive], so some projects have taken slightly longer than expected [negative]. But I always hit my deadlines [positive], and my error rate has remained significantly lower than those of my peers [very positive]."

Uncommon ("Trick") Questions And Some Recommended Answers
Since an interview offers a chance to go beyond just the facts and explore your personality, some interviewers may ask "left field" types of questions meant to see how you think on your feet and respond to the unexpected. Consider:

Q. "What is your favorite color?"
This kind of question has absolutely nothing to do with potential job performance, but it can say volumes about your personality. The specific color you choose is irrelevant: Your interviewer instead wants to see how you react to such a question, and how you can spin it to your advantage, depending on the job you want. Here's one approach:

A. "Purple is my favorite color, I think. That's because purple is the color of royalty and power. I admire when a person is in control. To me, purple is therefore the color of competence and self-assurance, qualities that I admire in others, and ones I think I have as a supervisor" Or: "Believe it or not, I like gray: It's easy on the eyes, and is a combination of black and white: I try to see things as a delicate balance, an attitude I've found works well for me in my professional career as a great executive assistant."

Q.  "If you could be an animal, which type of animal would you be?"
Again, this kind of strange question has nothing to do with performance, and has everything to do with creatively handling uncertainty and selling yourself. If you say "I don't know" you may display a lack of creativity and initiative; pick something really weird and you'll have to explain yourself. Remember that your choice of animal is secondary to why you chose that animal, which you can explain to your advantage in detail. Here's one approach:

A.  "If I could be an animal, I think I would be an eagle. That's because they soar high in the sky, and have the best view in the animal kingdom. I think I'm similar in spirit, and use it to bring the very best to everything that I do." Or: "I would be a cheetah, because they are the fastest, fleetest animal in nature. Like a cheetah, I prefer doing things as rapidly and efficiently as possible, which is why I'm the best word processor out there!"

Some Questions YOU Might Want To Ask
Most candidates expect an interview to flow in only one direction: The interviewer asks questions, and you answer them. But good interviewees understand that shifting roles and asking your interviewer questions is not only acceptable, but can greatly improve your chances of getting hired if done the right way.

For starters, asking questions demonstrates your interest and enthusiasm, and also helps clarify aspects of the job that may remain uncertain. You should therefore look at an opportunity to ask a question as a great chance to differentiate yourself from the other candidates vying for this position, as a way of discovering what you need to know about the job, and as a strategic way of marketing yourself and your abilities.  

Some typical job-related questions include:

• "What should I expect during the course of a typical day?"
• "What is the structure of the department?"
• "How would you characterize the culture of the department? The company?"
• "What's your conception of an ideal candidate to fill this position?"
• "What performance goals have been set for the first year?"

Some typical questions you can ask to market yourself include:

• "Will my extensive customer service experiences help me in this position?"
• "Will I be able to utilize my proven multitasking skills?"
• "With my three years of word processing experience in mind, do you think I'll be able to some day supervise the department?"
• "I've saved my previous employer thousands of dollars by cutting down on errors. Is your culture supportive of new quality control ideas?"
• "I understand your firm is growing. Will my own responsibilities be able to expand along with your amazing growth?"

Guiding The Interview Along
Asking questions is also a great way to gently guide the interview in directions that seem most favorable to you. For example, if your interviewer is focusing on something that is uncomfortable to you or outside your immediate experience, try to tactfully ask a question that will redirect the conversation along a path you are much more comfortable addressing. For example:

Q.  "According to your resume, you stayed only a year-and-a-half at Jingles & Jangles. Why such a short career stop?"

A.  "I was extremely excited to launch a career with J & J, especially since they had just lost their trusted Executive Assistant. For about 18 months I not only replaced their veteran employee, but optimized systems and saved my boss hours of time each week. Unfortunately, J & J had entered a bankruptcy situation. With extensive downsizing on the way, I decided that a company such as yours would offer more stability, better opportunities, and plenty of room for growth."

Q.  "I understand that you have extensive word processing experience. But our open position instead focuses more on customer service."

A. "That's actually what attracted me most to this position: Being a word processor improved my typing and computer skills, and refined my attention to detail. But after years behind a computer, I started to miss interacting directly with people. So now I feel ready to take things to the next step and apply everything that I've learned to your customer service department."

Q. "Looks like you've worked at some really large corporations. As you can tell, we're a smaller, more specialized firm with a very different culture."

A. "I'm extremely thankful to have worked at some of the city's biggest companies. Now I'm ready to bring that valuable experience to your smaller, more specialized firm! And in terms of culture, I've always worked in departments with their own unique culture. And if you think about it, your firm is actually a miniature version of some of the bigger players out there - but more focused, efficient, and profitable!"