How to answer most of the common interview questions

Let’s face it; no one likes the interview process. Well, certainly not the people being interviewed anyway. You have to be on your best behavior, you only get one chance to get it right, and it’s like taking your driving test all over again. Over the years I’ve been to many interviews. To get the first job out of college you can even attended some 15-20 interviews a week. Whether it is in Britain or over there in the States, the questions never really seem to change from job to job. Not only that, but the answers to them are usually the same, with your own personal interpretation of course. Here I present some questions you’re likely to be asked, and how I have learned to answer them.Remember, being interviewed is a skill, and if you do the preparation you should ace it every time.

1. So, tell me a little about yourself.
I’d be very surprised if you haven’t been asked this one at every interview. It’s probably the most asked question because it sets the stage for the interview and it gets you talking. Be careful not to give the interviewer your life story here. You don’t need to explain everything from birth to present day. Relevant facts about education, your career and your current life situation are fine.

2. Why are you looking (or why did you leave you last job)?
This should be a straightforward question to answer, but it can trip you up. Presumably you are looking for a new job (or any job) because you want to advance your career and get a position that allows you to grow as a person and an employee. It’s not a good idea to mention money here, it can make you sound mercenary. And if you are in the unfortunate situation of having been downsized, stay positive and be as brief as possible about it. If you were fired, you’ll need a good explanation. But once again, stay positive.

3. Tell me what you know about this company.
Do your homework before you go to any interview. Whether it’s being the VP of marketing or the mailroom clerk, you should know about the company or business you’re going to work for. Has this company been in the news lately? Who are the people in the company you should know about? Do the background work, it will make you stand out as someone who comes prepared, and is genuinely interested in the company and the job.

4. Why do you want to work at X Company?
This should be directly related to the last question. Any research you’ve done on the company should have led you to the conclusion that you’d want to work there. After all, you’re at the interview, right? Put some thought into this answer before you have your interview, mention your career goals and highlight forward-thinking goals and career plans.

5. What relevant experience do you have?
Hopefully if you’re applying for this position you have bags of related experience, and if that’s the case you should mention it all. But if you’re switching careers or trying something a little different, your experience may initially not look like it’s matching up. That’s when you need a little honest creativity to match the experiences required with the ones you have. People skills are people skills after all, you just need to show how customer service skills can apply to internal management positions, and so on.

6. If your previous co-workers were here, what would they say about you?
Ok, this is not the time for full disclosure. If some people from your past are going to say you’re a boring A-hole, you don’t need to bring that up. Stay positive, always, and maybe have a few specific quotes in mind. “They’d say I was a hard worker” or even better “John Doe has always said I was the most reliable, creative problem-solver he’d ever met.”

7. Have you done anything to further your experience?
This could include anything from night classes to hobbies and sports. If it’s related, it’s worth mentioning. Obviously anything to do with further education is great, but maybe you’re spending time on a home improvement project to work on skills such as self-sufficiency, time management and motivation.

8. Where else have you applied?
This is a good way to hint that you’re in demand, without sounding like you’re whoring yourself all over town. So, be honest and mention a few other companies but don’t go into detail. The fact that you’re seriously looking and keeping your options open is what the interviewer is driving at.

9. How are you when you’re working under pressure?
Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should all be positive. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under pressure, and you may actually PREFER working under pressure. If you say you crumble like aged blue cheese, this is not going to help you get your foot in the door.

10. What motivates you to do a good job?
The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be motivated by life’s noble pursuits. You want recognition for a job well done. You want to become better at your job. You want to help others or be a leader in your field.

11. What’s your greatest strength?
This is your chance to shine. You’re being asked to explain why you are a great employee, so don’t hold back and stay do stay positive. You could be someone who thrives under pressure, a great motivator, an amazing problem solver or someone with extraordinary attention to detail. If your greatest strength, however, is to drink anyone under the table or get a top score on Mario Kart, keep it to yourself. The interviewer is looking for work-related strengths.

12. What’s your biggest weakness?
If you’re completely honest, you may be kicking yourself in the butt. If you say you don’t have one, you’re obviously lying. This is a horrible question and one that politicians have become masters at answering. They say things like “I’m perhaps too committed to my work and don’t spend enough time with my family.” Oh, there’s a fireable offense. I’ve even heard “I think I’m too good at my job, it can often make people jealous.” Please, let’s keep our feet on the ground. If you’re asked this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you’re working hard to improve. Example: “I’ve been told I occasionally focus on details and miss the bigger picture, so I’ve been spending time laying out the complete project every day to see my overall progress.”

13. Let’s talk about salary. What are you looking for?
Run for cover! This is one tricky game to play in an interview. Even if you know the salary range for the job, if you answer first you’re already showing all your cards. You want as much as possible, the employer wants you for as little as you’re willing to take. Before you apply, take a look at salary.com for a good idea of what someone with your specific experience should be paid. You may want to say, “well, that’s something I’ve thought long and hard about and I think someone with my experience should get between X & Y.” Or, you could be sly and say, “right now, I’m more interested in talking more about what the position can offer my career.” That could at least buy you a little time to scope out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure in mind and you are confident that you can get it, I’d say go for it. I have on many occasions, and every time I got very close to that figure (both below and sometimes above).

14. Are you good at working in a team?
Unless you have the I.Q. of a houseplant, you’ll always answer YES to this one. It’s the only answer. How can anyone function inside an organization if they are a loner? You may want to mention what part you like to play in a team though; it’s a great chance to explain that you’re a natural leader.

15. Tell me a suggestion you have made that was implemented.
It’s important here to focus on the word “implemented.” There’s nothing wrong with having a thousand great ideas, but if the only place they live is on your notepad what’s the point? Better still, you need a good ending. If your previous company took your advice and ended up going bankrupt, that’s not such a great example either. Be prepared with a story about an idea of yours that was taken from idea to implementation, and considered successful.

16. Has anything ever irritated you about people you've worked with?
Of course, you have a list as long as your arm. But you can’t say that, it shows you as being negative and difficult to work with. The best way to answer this one is to think for a while and then say something like “I’ve always got on just fine with my co-workers actually.”

17. Is there anyone you just could not work with?
No. Well, unless you’re talking about murderers, racists, rapists, thieves or other dastardly characters, you can work with anyone. Otherwise you could be flagged as someone who’s picky and difficult if you say, “I can’t work with anyone who’s a Bronco’s fan. Sorry.”

18. Tell me about any issues you’ve had with a previous boss.
Arrgh! If you fall for this one you shouldn’t be hired anyway. The interviewer is testing you to see if you’ll speak badly about your previous supervisor. Simply answer this question with exteme tact, diplomacy and if necessary, a big fat loss of memory. In short, you've never had any issues.

19. Would you rather work for money or job satisfaction?
It’s not a very fair question is it? We’d all love to get paid a Trump-like salary doing a job we love but that’s rare indeed. It’s fine to say money is important, but remember that NOTHING is more important to you than the job. Otherwise, you’re just someone looking for a bigger paycheck.

20. Would you rather be liked or feared?
I have been asked this a lot, in various incarnations. The first time I just drew a blank and said, “I don’t know.” That went over badly, but it was right at the start of my career when I had little to no experience. Since then I’ve realized that my genuine answer is “Neither, I’d rather be respected.” You don’t want to be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You may got the job done but at what cost? Similarly, if you’re everyone’s best friend you’ll find it difficult to make tough decisions or hit deadlines. But when you’re respected, you don’t have to be a complete bastard or a lame duck to get the job done.

21. Are you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead of your own?
Again, another nasty question. If you say yes, you’re a corporate whore who doesn’t care about family. If you say no, you’re disloyal to the company. I’m afraid that you’ll probably have to say yes to this one though, because you’re trying to be the perfect employee at this point, and perfect employees don’t cut out early for Jimmy’s baseball game.

22. So, explain why I should hire you.
As I’m sure you know, “because I’m great” or “I really need a job” are not good answers here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry list of your greatest talents that just so happen to match the job description. It’s also good to avoid taking potshots at other potential candidates here. Focus on yourself and your talents, not other people’s flaws.

23. Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?
I’ll finish the way I started, with one of the most common questions asked in interviews. This directly relates to the research you’ve done on the company and also gives you a chance to show how eager and prepared you are. You’ll probably want to ask about benefits if they haven’t been covered already. A good generic one is “how soon could I start, if I were offered the job of course.” You may also ask what you’d be working on. Specifically, in the role you’re applying for and how that affects the rest of the company. Always have questions ready, greeting this one with a blank stare is a rotten way to finish your interview. Good luck and happy job hunting.

The Real Deal: What to Expect When Starting Your Own Business

It's easy to list "Start a Business" as a goal for the new year, but do you know what that actually means? About a year ago, I asked myself that question. Over these last months, I've done a ton of research on what it would realistically take to start a small business. I've had various ideas and have researched them all, and the list below contains items that seem to be true across the board. There are business for which these are not true, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule.

You can expect that...

1. You will lose money.

Hopefully, this will not be long-term. However, you could be facing a year or two of losses even if your idea is eventually successful. It just takes that long to make contacts, acquire customers who return time and time again, and drum up enough recognition for your product and your brand that people know it and trust you. This is why it's so important to plan ahead and make sure you have the money, either from savings or other streams of income, to cover your costs while you're getting things going.That is even when you are making losses in the start.

2. Things will not go as planned.

Something will go wrong. Sometimes those wrong turns become the very thing that makes the business so successful. Most of the time, though, wrong turns slow down business growth. You can't plan for these, but you can expect them and take them in stride when they appear. They're particularly common when a business is new, because you don't have working relationships with suppliers, shippers, vendors, etc. You'll do your best to make it all run smoothly, but you don't know them and they don't know you and that can cause problems.

3. Some customers will be unhappy.

No matter how good your product or service is, there are always people who don't like it. They will probably complain vociferously and harangue steadily, and there's not much you can do about it. You can't make everyone happy, and you don't have to try. While it's probably best to try to pacify an unhappy customer, you can't let their opinion get to you. Just because the vocal few don't like what you're doing doesn't mean it doesn't have value or won't ultimately be successful.

4. You will have to dig deep.

Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of social, emotional, and physical energy, and it requires you to sustain high levels of those energies over long periods of time. You will be tired, cranky, and emotional and there's not much you can do about it, no matter how good your self-care is. It's just not possible for a human being to sustain high levels of energy in all these areas for a long time. If you're not willing to suffer these effects, entrepreneurship is probably not for you.

5. You will have to adjust your prices.

Almost every case study I've read about an entrepreneur mentions a major price change somewhere in the formative stages of the business. You can do all the research in the world, but you still can't know for sure what someone is willing to pay for what you have to offer. Go in knowing that things could come out differently. Often, this is for the best as businesses with correctly priced items or services tend to do the best. The actual change, though, can be difficult for some business owners.

6. There will be slow seasons.

Your product takes off, and you can't believe the ride you're on. Six months later, business is in the doldrums and you're not quite sure what happened. Every business has this happen at least once. Sometimes, it's a season thing, and business will pick up in a couple of months. Other times, it's an economy thing and you just have to ride out the low points until consumers are buying again. Whatever the reason, you need to expect that you won't have the same income all the time and plan accordingly.

7. Someone else will have a similar product.

No great idea is created in a vacuum, so it's invariable that someone else will come up with something similar to what you're selling at some point. This can require anything from some minor tweaks to a major overhaul of your product or business model. Since great minds think alike, take this as confirmation that you're doing something special and important and that you'll find your way around the obstacle eventually.

8. Your family and close friends will face stress.

If you think you're the only one who will pay a price to get your business started, you couldn't be more wrong. As an entrepreneur, you will miss important events. You will not get enough rest, and be tired and cranky. This will influence your personal relationships. This doesn't have to be something negative and can be a chance for your friends and family to rally around you with their support, to help you out when you hit a deadline, or to do something special to help relieve the stress.I was involved in a business a few months ago but it almost cut me off my family as i was facing challenges time after time.

9. You will pay more taxes.

What with a self-employment tax on top of your normal tax contributions, you will give the government a larger percentage of your money than you have before. When you have employees, you'll pay even more. This fact has drastically altered some business plans and can make the difference between turning a profit and declaring bankruptcy. If you expect it ahead of time, you can plan better and remember to incorporate these expectations into your thoughts from the very beginning.

10. You will burn the candle at both ends.

Starting a business takes time, particularly at the beginning where you're the one doing everything--contacting vendors, advertising, making the product or performing the service, working on packaging, building an identity for your business, working with suppliers who may well be located in other countries, invoicing, etc. There are a lot of tasks that go into forming a successful business that you may not think about ahead of time, and you'll get to do them all. While running your own business may sound like an easy way out of the 9-5, rest assured that you'll work more hours doing your own thing.

11. Your work will be more rewarding.

When you're working on something you care about, it doesn't matter how hard it is. The long hours, the stress, and the highs and lows will have meaning for you if you're doing something that fits in with your personality and personal values. Make sure your product or service falls into these categories, and you'll find the energy to pull your business off.

12. You will change in the process.

You can't step out on your own, try something new, put yourself and your family on the line and not be changed. Entrepreneurs report being stronger, more resilient, more process oriented (instead of results oriented), and more at peace with themselves than they were before they started their businesses. If you're not open to change, or are one of the few people who are perfect already, this can be the most difficult part of the entrepreneurial experience.

13. You will always have something to talk about.

Your job will be different from what most of your friends know, and this will mean that there are conversations to be had. While they might get tired of hearing about the business eventually, being an entrepreneur makes you interesting to most people. You need never fear small talk at a cocktail party again.

Some of the items on this list can seem so discouraging! It's easy to wonder what the point is of starting your own business if you're going to be tired, poor, emotional, and stressed all the time. If this looks like the doldrums to you, take some time before jumping into a new business to ask yourself if it's really something you want. If you went through all of these things for your business and it ultimately failed, would you still have wanted to experience the process or would you wish you'd never had that brilliant idea in the first place? If you can answer "yes!" to this question, go ahead and jump in (with, of course, the proper planning). If you answer "no!" take some time to figure out what makes you answer negatively and if there's a way to turn that around. Being able to say "yes!" to this question means your business has a better chance of success because you believe it's important enough to try for, regardless of the outcome. That creates a special kind of energy that nothing else will.

Be well, and best wishes for your entrepreneurial endeavors, next year or whenever!!