Every candidate is nervous about job interviews because they may come across difficult questions that they don’t know how to answer well. No one wants to leave a bad impression on potential employers because of a bad answer. Such experiences cannot be avoided, but you can try to prepare for them with our short guide to inopportune questions and job interview. You can check the available vacancies at Štoradiš.hr.
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Does your current employer know you are here today?
If you are currently employed, and you are being interviewed for another job, you may be asked about it openly. This question is problematic because you may give the impression you are unloyal. It is best to answer this question honestly because a potential employer can ask your current employer about your work history with and get you into trouble. You can answer that you took the day off for the interview (which you probably did), and your employer is not interested in what you do in your free time.
Questions and job interview: why do you have a “hole” in your CV?
Almost everyone will have a hole in their resume because they were unemployed or because they don’t list jobs that aren’t relevant to the job they’re applying for. Fortunately, a job interview is exactly the place where such ambiguities are discussed. Answer the question honestly and keep in mind that your interlocutor is just clarifying the chronological hole. A long gap in your resume can be a problem, but emphasize that during that time you worked on your personal development and applied your skills and knowledge in everyday life.
Question and job interview: have you ever been fired?
Getting fired is one of the most unpleasant experiences in life. If you got fired, it goes without saying that you likely provoked it with something. Here, too, it is better not to lie, because a future employer can check your work history and find out that you tried to hide something from him. If you had previously been fired, don’t lie about it, don’t blacken your previous employer, but admit it and explain what you learned from it and how you changed since that event. It is important for the interlocutor to understand that you saw the event as an opportunity for personal growth and development.
Question and job interview: what salary do you expect?
This question almost always comes up in job interviews and everyone dreads it. If a candidate says too much, they may come across as too expensive for employment, but if they give too little of a number, they may come across as desperate, valueless, or unfamiliar with the profession. In order to prepare for this question, ask about the average salaries in your position, and you can answer the interviewer by countering what salaries they usually offer for your potential position.
Questions and job interview: do you take “no” for an answer?
This is one of the trick questions that are often suggested as a concise personality test. Depending on the impression of the interlocutor, you can easily come off as either excessively lenient or excessively stubborn. It is best to answer the question that it depends on the situation itself and that you try to be empathetic towards others.
What bothers you the most about other people and how do you deal with it?
This is the type of question that tries to assess how you will fit into the organizational climate and how you handle stress. A good answer to this question is that you do not tolerate careless or irresponsible people and that you try not to let their inaction affect your work performance.
Questions and job interview: how do you deal with conflict situations?
This is a question that comes up very often in job interviews. The best answer to it is you would try to understand the points of view of both sides and reach a compromise solution.
How would you react if you found out that everyone in your department was going to be fired except for one person?
This is another one of the trick questions that aims to assess how you will behave in high-stress situations. It is best to answer this question that you would continue working as before.
How would you break the bad news to another person?
This question tests your communication instincts and skills, as well as your ability to cope with stress. It is important to emphasize in your answer that you would approach this task with as much understanding as possible for the other side and try to highlight the possible silver linings.
Questions and job interview: what is your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?
Employers love to hear stories about how people overcome problems and grow. Prepare for the job interview a bad experience for which you can point out how you learned better skills after it and what you did to prevent it from happening again.
If you started working here what is the first thing you would change?
This is a very inopportune trick question that aims to find out what your personal priorities are and what job characteristics are important to you. The answer varies on a case-by-case basis, but keep in mind that in your answer you should be constructive and positive, offer creative solutions, and give pragmatic recommendations for improving the workplace. Don’t offer ambitious business change plans because most employers will find them unrealistic, and therefore you as well.
If we asked you to do something you disagree with, what would you do?
The answer that the employer is asking you to give is “yes.” However, point out that you would first seek to understand the order and would ask for an opportunity to explain your point of view as to why it might be a bad decision.
Questions and job interview: what do you do in your free time?
A very common question at job interviews is what the candidate does outside of work. This question is difficult because there are potentially many irrelevant answers. It is best to be honest here and point out that you have some active hobbies (like learning to cook or learning new languages) and not passive (like watching TV). It is important to show the potential employer that you are a person who develops itself in their free time.
How do you stay motivated on long-term projects?
The employer may be interested in whether you are a persistent person. It is not enough to say that you are persistent and diligent, but it is also necessary to explain how you would cope with a long-term project. Say that you would break the project into smaller parts, regularly record overall progress, celebrate smaller successes, and discuss your project with coworkers.
Conclusion
There may be many more questions that may prove tricky for you. The best thing you can do while looking for a job is to think about your weaknesses and come up with answers to hypothetical questions. Avoid lying because if the employer thinks you are dishonest, they will almost certainly not choose you as their new employee. You can check the job offers of potential employers at Štoradiš.hr.
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Author: Goran Mihelčić
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