What are the job interview questions that you have been asked in the past? How did you answer them?

by Iamallcool 14 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Iamallcool
• 

  CADSkin

  My work does panel interviews with 3 interviewers asking questions that lead a person to answer questions about character rather than job based knowledge. Many of the questions start with "Tell me about a time...you regretted something you did, you saw a coworker breaking company policy, you had a better way of doing something than your boss etc.". The applicant has to delve a little deeper in to the answer they give with personal experiences.
• 

  88JM

  "If you were a car, what car would you be?"

  I said: "a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (7)" (I was into rally driving on my playstation at that time)

  I got the job and I've worked for the company for the last 6 years.

  Not sure what the laws are in the U.S., but here in the U.K. there are quite strict discrimination rules particularly around what sort of questions you are not allowed to ask - i.e. are you gay, smoke, religion, age etc. Hence the more unusual questions like the one I got.
• 

  NeonMadman

  I've been looking for a job for several months now, and I'm becoming more and more convinced that employers have gone off the deep end. Some of them seem to think they are Freud and they're going to ask you questions to psychoanalyze you ("What would your friends tell me about you if I talked to them?"). Some of the questions are just plain idiotic: "Tell me something that you wouldn't normally tell an interviewer on the first interview." Right, because I'm going to tell you something on the first interview that I actually wouldn't tell someone on the first interview! (I responded that I used to belong to a cult, which was a bad experience but I gained a lot of sales ability from it)

  Whatever happened to just asking questions about your education and work history? Do all these fools actually have degrees in psychology, or have they just read some pop self-help books? It's insane...
• 

  mamochan13

  http://alis.alberta.ca/worksearch/io/questions.html

  The government of Alberta employment site has some excellent links for interview questions. I use it a lot when I'm preparing. I've gone on a dozen interviews in the past few months. I find I get a lot of the STARS behavioural description questions. "Tell me about a project where you had a conflict with a supervisor and how you handled it". At almost every interview I've had "tell me what you did to prepare for this interview", which is something I pay a lot of attention to. I research the company/branch, anything newsworthy, and I think up questions to ask them.

  One of the strangest questions I had on an interview for a prison psychologist position. They asked me what my favourite movie was and why.

  I take it this means you got invited for an interview for the job you applied for Iamallcool?
• 

  Iamallcool

  yes, this Friday afternoon.
• 

  Iamallcool

  (double posting)
• 

  MMXIV

  Q. why didn't you do a degree, this job requires a degree?

  A. my parents were strongly religious so it wasn't an option for me, but since then I have done xxxxxxxxxxx

  I got the job.

  Q. what is one of your weaknesses?

  A. i like to be kept busy, I don't like being bored

  I got the job

  Q. are you ok with working evenings - two evenings a week?

  A. no, I must put my religion first

  I didn't get the job

  mmxiv
• 

  Band on the Run

  I interviewed incoming law students for a merit scholarship for public interest law. A friend and I decided to ask all applicants the same questions. I purposely chose questions that had no correct answer. It was important that they had no clue what I believed.

  The Internet is full of these questions and suggestions on what to say.

  I hate the "where do you see yourself five years from now?"

  Also, employers cannot ask your certain questions that are discriminatory. If you volunteer the info, however, it is legal. Firms had women interview with young women with large baby photos on their desk. When you see the beaming baby or toddler, your prudent is suspended.

  I had one interview with a female lawyer who dated someone where I was presently working. She wanted to know the latest gossip. I was stuck. Was she testing me or should I supply a needy female with vital info related to her love life. It was not humorous at the time.

  So do these questions elicit any insight into how you would handle the job or are they checking your Internet research skills.

  May I suggest the leading job search book, What Color Is Your Parachute, by Richard Bolles? It is very good.

  Different employers have different cultures. He suggests reseaching the company by using online and library resources. The idea is to try to get in touch with someone already employed. If the company is small, you can research the industry. He details the process. I wonder if you do find out a lot about the co, if they will believe you are overqualified.
• 

  skeeter1

  I was once asked if I had dogs, what type, kids, etc. that kept me busy after work? I told the two hiring people (both attorneys, one a lead at the firm) that it was an illegal question. The same interview, I kid you not, I was asked what religion I was? I told them that was also illegal, but I was a practicing witch (tongue and cheek). Believe it or not, I got the job. But, I quit a year later. The boss was a jerk, and I told him so when I left.

  I had another strange inteview. The female boss looked at my resume and kept saying that I was qualified for her job. Then, she glorified that every person in her office worked until 10:00 p.m. every night. The people who worked there looked very haggard. I told the recruiter that I wasn't working in a sweat shop. I already had a great paying job with a terrific (Mormon) boss.