Difficult Job Interview Questions

These are some of the tough interview questions that you may be asked on a job interview. Review the questions and consider an appropriate response, based on your background and skills. There aren't necessarily any right or wrong answers, but carefully consider the job you are applying for, your abilities, and the company culture before you respond.

Tough Interview Questions

Questions About Co-Workers and Supervisors
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a co-worker who wasn't doing his/her fair share of the work. What did you do and what was the outcome?
• Give me an example of a time when you took the time to share a co-worker's or supervisor's achievements with others?
• Tell me about a time that you didn't work well with a supervisor.
• What was the outcome and how would you have changed the outcome?
• Have you worked with someone you didn't like? If so, how did you handle it?
• Tell me about a time that you helped someone.
• Tell me about a time that you misjudged a person.
• How do you get along with older (younger) co-workers?

Questions About Your Abilities
• Tell me about a time that you worked conveying technical information to a non-technical audience.
• Tell me about a time that you worked with data, interpreting data, and presenting data.
• Why do you think you will be successful at this job?
• Tell me about a time that you participated in a team, what was your role?
Questions About Yourself
• What would you do differently if you could start your working life over?
• How do you balance life and work?
• What is your preferred way to communication - instant message, phone, or email?
• Do you check voicemail and email when on vacation?
• What is your favorite book? How about your favorite movie?
• What historical figure do you admire and why?
• What did you do during this six month gap in employment?
• What led you to this point in your life?

Questions About Your Career Goals
• Start with your graduation from college and explanation the rationale behind each of your career moves.
• Also explain the thinking process that went into making each if those decisions.
• How many hours a day/week do you need to work to get the job done?
• If you stayed with your current company, what would be your next move?
• How do you measure success?
• Describe your dream job.

Job Interview Questions About Yourself and Sample Answers

When the questions are "personal", about you, it can be a very slippery slope. The answers below are guidelines so you can write out your answers long before you go to the interview. Then, when the question is asked, you can take the few seconds (expected by the interviewer) to think about the question and how you will frame your answer (which you already know).

What would you do differently if you could start your working life over?
The interviewer is looking for a detour that continues to be a professional block in your career.

Looking back over my career, I would have returned to school much earlier to complete my Masters degree. Even though I got my degree later than I had originally anticipated, I never lost sight of the goal.

How do you balance life and work?
The interviewer wonders if you've made arrangements for the days when your child is too sick to go to school and/or daycare or if you're "out of there" as soon as it's quitting time.

Best Answer: Being organized helps me balance my professional life and personal life. Consequently, I can be fully engaged while I'm at work. For those unexpected times, I have a good back-up system of child care for my children.

What is your preferred way to communicate?
This is a good opportunity to show you understand the importance of adjusting your preferences when necessary.

At home, I enjoy talking on the phone and emails. At work, I follow the established pattern. Each of my bosses, in the past, has had a preferred method I've followed their lead.

Do you check voicemail and email when on vacation?

The interviewer is wondering whether they will always be able to find you.
Best Answer: While on vacation, I can be reached for emergencies; however, I also know the people with whom I work are very capable of making good decisions while I'm away. I understand the importance of recharging my battery.

What is your favorite book? How about your favorite movie? The interviewer wants to know whether you read to stay current and if you will you fit into the company culture.

Best Answer (include your personal favorites): I read many different kinds of books. My current "favorite" book is The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. My favorite movie? Miracle on Ice.

What historical figure do you admire and why?
The interviewer wants to know whether you are well read and what characteristics you admire.
Best Answer (include historical figures you personally admire): Personally, I most admire Abigail Adams, John Adam's wife; professionally I admired the leadership style of Ronald Reagan.

What did you do during this six month gap in employment?
Everyone, at some point, will probably have a gap in employment. Do not "waste it".
Best Answer: For the first month, I worked on my "to do list" at home and accomplished a great deal. Then I began building a plan to reenter the workplace. While it took a little longer than I'd anticipated, I've learned a great deal about myself, am rested and looking forward to new challenges in the workplace.

What led you to this point in your life?
The interviewer wants to know if you are unhappy, frustrated, or lost?
My "road of life" has been interesting, sometimes challenging and always rewarding. The steps along the way that have led to this point in my life are, in some ways, very different than I had imagined; however, I like who I am today in part because of my past. An example is when the second company on my resume suddenly closed their doors during a down-turn in the economy. For a very brief time, the road ahead was unknown; however, I discovered I had previously untapped strengths such as perseverance.

Remembering Mai

Today, March 17th is Mai's birthday. He would have been 53 years old. He is sorely missed! Happy Birthday, Mai!