Nick Olson ('98), Executive Board member for the YA Chapter, took some time to pick the brains of his fellow colleagues in the work place about interviews; specifically, tackling those challenging interview questions. These questions can definitely sound intimidating, but the best you can do is pause and think before you speak. There’s a reason for these questions, and understanding how you can promote your skills and qualifications in your answers can be the difference between ‘game over’ and game on!’
Q: How many gas stations are there in the United States?
A: It’s hard not to get really flustered when you’re presented with a question to which you obviously don’t know the right answer; your first reaction is, “come on, how am I supposed to know that?!?” But more and more employers are starting to ask things like this, not to test your trivia knowledge, but as a way to see how you problem-solve in real time. After the initial shock, I started by asking a few questions (like, are we including Alaska and Hawaii? What about the US Virgin Islands?)- to buy a little time, and then just talked them through my thought process: moving from how many I could think of in my neighborhood, estimating population sizes, and expanding from there. They were impressed with some creative angles I used, and it led to a good discussion. The worst thing I could have done would have been to say “I don’t know.” In fact, knowing the real answer (approximately 117,000, by the way) would not have helped me get the job! (Mike, Software Tester)
Q: What would you say are two or three weaknesses that you need to work on?
A: Although this is considered a “classic” interview question, a lot of people still aren’t prepared for it. As a hiring manager, I’m looking for someone to be open, and not avoid the question. Don’t take the easy way out and claim that you don’t have any! Talk about some lessons you’ve learned very recently, and put a positive spin on them. Give a concrete example of how it impacted your work recently, and more importantly, what you did to fix the situation. This question is an opportunity to show that you’re confident, flexible, and can stay focused despite obstacles. (Jean, Assistant HR Director)
Q: Why do you want to leave your current job?
A: This is a question I've been asked a few times, and I've taken different approaches. Generally, you try not to say anything too negative; think about how it would reflect on you if you said, "My boss is an idiot," or "I can't get along with my coworkers."
Not good.
A good response is to say you’re excited about new opportunities, and talk about why the new company sounds like a good place to work. Sometimes it’s ok to be more open about a situation that makes you want to move – I left a job because I was concerned that management was minimizing the role of my department when we should have been taking a leadership role. I really wasn’t interested in taking a new job where the same thing might happen, so I talked about it, and the interviewer really appreciated how engaged I was, not just in my role, but how I fit in the company’s bigger picture.
(Joe C., Project Manager)
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Q: Want to know more?
A: YES!
One of the great benefits for our alumni is being able to stop in at Career Services on campus. They are always ready to help you, be it for working on your resume, polishing the elevator speech, preparing for an interview, support for career-transitions, and excellent career counseling and guidance for any phase of your career! Make sure you check out their website or stop by their office sometime soon!