Interviews can be rather stressful on their own because the stakes are already high, but sometimes tricky interview questions can really throw you off. A tricky interview question is any type of question that takes you by surprise or something that may be difficult to answer without making yourself look bad.
There is no right or wrong answer to any question, so just think of things that will help you look like the best candidate for the job.
Unfortunately, employers ask these questions because they want to find ways to weed out certain candidates if they do not provide satisfactory answers. These questions are very revealing and you can get yourself into trouble if you reveal too much or seem surprised by the questions. Employers often ask a number of these questions during the interview, so it is important that you have the right answers ready. Here are some of the most common questions and the best responses to them so you won’t find yourself in any tricky interview situations.
- What is your greatest weakness?
You should think of a weakness that is appropriate for an interview and then discuss how you corrected the weakness. Do not be too candid in your response because an employer may think twice about hiring you if they think the weakness will affect your job performance. Be careful about what you mention because it is never a good idea to say that you are late, inefficient, or lacking in any of your most vital skills. Instead, you could say that you were disorganized in the past, but you read a time management book and implemented a new system that made you more organized and productive than ever before.
- Tell me about yourself
This question sounds really innocuous, but it is sort of confusing because you do not know where to begin. The interviewer is not looking for anything too personal, but it can be difficult to pinpoint the perfect response that will win them over. The best type of response is to discuss your professional background up to the present and mention your interest in the current position. You could discuss your educational background as well or mention some of your professional goals. Since this is a very common question, you should come up with a few points that you could use to answer this question before your interview.
- Why did you leave your last position?
This is at the top of the list when it comes to tricky interview questions because most people do not leave their jobs on good terms. Let’s be honest, most people only leave because there was some type of negative situation going on whether it was a poor environment, not enough pay, or a personality conflict with a supervisor. Sadly, it is not recommended that you provide a candid response to this answer because if you say anything negative about your employer it will only make you look bad. This is because they assume that if you are willing to say something negative about your past employer, then you will probably say something negative about them later on as well. Regardless of what actually happened, just be diplomatic and only say positive things about the company while briefly mentioning that it was not the right fit for an appropriate reason. Perhaps you could say that you were seeking new opportunities, you moved, or there was a scheduling conflict of some sort.
- Why should I hire you?
This question can be used as a means to display some of the best attributes and skills. You could discuss your training, education or work experience to match them to the requirements of the position. Before the interview you should review the qualifications and come up with reasons why you fit into the position perfectly. Try to provide specific examples and reasons why are the best person for the job, so do not use general explanations. Mention specifics projects, training programs, and positions that prepared you for the position you are interviewing for. Practicing for the interview with friends and family members will help you remain calm during a stressful interview.
- Describe a problem and how you solved it
This question is difficult to answer on the spot, so you will have to think of some appropriate situations before the interview. Find an example that does not reflect poorly on you and carefully craft a response that will reflect well on your abilities. You could mention your experience running a team or completing a project and mention some issues that happened along the way. You should clearly identify the problem and show exactly what you did to fix it and what you learned from the experience. It’s a good idea to have a list of interview questions to ask of your potential new employer as well.
Any interviewer can ask a tricky interview question, so it is essential that you do interview preparation for any type of question that they can ask. Do practice interviews with friends and family members in order to boost your confidence and prepare for the real interviews. There is no right or wrong answer to any question, so just think of things that will help you look like the best candidate for the job.