Q&A for How to Answer Tough Questions in an Interview

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  • Question
    How do I answer, "What are your weaknesses?"
    Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC
    Career Coach
    Adrian Klaphaak is a career coach and founder of A Path That Fits, a mindfulness-based boutique career and life coaching company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also an accredited Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC). Klaphaak has used his training with the Coaches Training Institute, Hakomi Somatic Psychology, and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) to help thousands of people build successful careers and live more purposeful lives.
    Career Coach
    Expert Answer
    Think of a weakness that isn't core to the function of that job, as well as something you've been able to improve on. For instance, you might explain that you used to be nervous about giving presentations, but then you took a public speaking class that made you more comfortable in front of people. Then, give an example of how you overcame that, like a successful presentation that you gave where you got great feedback.
  • Question
    If they ask, "Tell me about yourself," what should I say?
    Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC
    Career Coach
    Adrian Klaphaak is a career coach and founder of A Path That Fits, a mindfulness-based boutique career and life coaching company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also an accredited Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC). Klaphaak has used his training with the Coaches Training Institute, Hakomi Somatic Psychology, and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) to help thousands of people build successful careers and live more purposeful lives.
    Career Coach
    Expert Answer
    Tell them about you as it relates to your ability to do the job well. Talk about why you're a good fit for the role and why you want to work at that company. Don't just tell your personal story—give examples that prove you can do the work you're applying for.
  • Question
    How should I answer, "Why should we hire you?"
    Community Answer
    Even if you've already done so, talk about your skills, and how these are relevant to the job you're applying for. Be specific.
  • Question
    What do I say to sell myself?
    Community Answer
    I am a people person who is friendly, punctual, dedicated, honest, outgoing, easy to get along with, hard working, energetic, responsible, and dedicated. I always to strive to meet targets and take pride in my work.
  • Question
    How do I say humbly that I'm an all rounder?
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    There's no need to be humble. It can be good to be familiar with very many topics and skills, but a downside might be that you're not specialized in anything. Then again, a specialist is often not well versed in many fields, either.
  • Question
    How do I cover up a long pause in an interview if I don't know what to say?
    Community Answer
    Ask them to repeat the question, or say, "why do I...." and paraphrase the question. That will give you a few seconds to think it over.
  • Question
    How do I answer the question on what do you not like to do?
    Community Answer
    You can say something like waste time or work inefficiently.
  • Question
    If I get a bad grade and they ask me "why did you fail that year?"
    Community Answer
    Explain your situation as best you can without revealing too much about your personal life. Say something like "I was going through a tough personal trauma that year, and it seeped over to my studies and work. What I learned from the experience is that when you're down, it's okay to ask other people for help. Since then, I've got good grades."
  • Question
    What do I say if an interviewer asks why I came to a specific field if I studied something completely different?
    Community Answer
    There's nothing wrong with making changes in life. Tell her the truth about why you're interested in the field and how your interest originated. If this is not possible for some reason, you can always just say something along the lines of, "I wanted to try something different and challenge myself."
  • Question
    What kind of questions might be asked a student for industrial attachment in economics?
    Community Answer
    Since you're a student, the questions will probably be more standard than you think. Things like "What are your long range and short range goals and objectives, when and why did you establish these goals and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them?" "Why did you choose industrial attachment in economics?" and "What led you to choose your field or major study?"
  • Question
    How do I answer, "Give me an example of when you had a deadline and what you did to complete the task"?
    Community Answer
    For that question you will have to think about a personal experience you had where you had to get something done within a short amount of time. You'll probably want to tell the interviewer that you made sure to start the assignment early so you'd have plenty of time to complete it.
  • Question
    How do you answer questions like "tell me about yourself, your strengths and weaknesses?"
    CageyCat
    Top Answerer
    Before you start interviewing, you'll need to think about and practice some short story about yourself and your experiences. "Tell about yourself" should be a short intro, similar to what you might say when meeting someone for the first time. "Well, I am a senior in high school with a solid B average. I've most enjoyed acting in plays and musicals in the community, especially in designing costumes, but I also have a strong interest in mathematics. I plan to attend college, but I'd like to work summers for your business if possible." Strengths and weaknesses need not to be monumental. Example: "Math comes easily to me; I quickly spot mistakes. But I'm less mechanically inclined."
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