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15 Toughest Interview Questions (and Answers!)
Tania Khadder | Excelle
2. Tell us about yourself.
Bad answer:
“I graduated four years ago from the University of Michigan, with a Bachelor’s in Biology – but I decided that wasn’t the right path for me. So I switched gears and got my first job, working in sales for a startup. Then I went on to work in marketing for a law firm. After that, I took a few months off to travel. Finally, I came back and worked in marketing again. And now, here I am, looking for a more challenging marketing role.”
Instead of giving a chronological work history, focus on your strengths and how they pertain to the role. If possible, illustrate with examples.
Good answer:
“I’m really energetic, and a great communicator. Working in sales for two years helped me build confidence, and taught me the importance of customer loyalty. I’ve also got a track record of success. In my last role, I launched a company newsletter, which helped us build on our existing relationships and create new ones. Because of this, we ended up seeing a revenue increase of 10% over two years. I’m also really interested in how companies can use web tools to better market themselves, and would be committed to building on your existing platform.”
“I graduated four years ago from the University of Michigan, with a Bachelor’s in Biology – but I decided that wasn’t the right path for me. So I switched gears and got my first job, working in sales for a startup. Then I went on to work in marketing for a law firm. After that, I took a few months off to travel. Finally, I came back and worked in marketing again. And now, here I am, looking for a more challenging marketing role.”
Instead of giving a chronological work history, focus on your strengths and how they pertain to the role. If possible, illustrate with examples.
Good answer:
“I’m really energetic, and a great communicator. Working in sales for two years helped me build confidence, and taught me the importance of customer loyalty. I’ve also got a track record of success. In my last role, I launched a company newsletter, which helped us build on our existing relationships and create new ones. Because of this, we ended up seeing a revenue increase of 10% over two years. I’m also really interested in how companies can use web tools to better market themselves, and would be committed to building on your existing platform.”
CareerLady
13 days ago
4 comments
Hmm...Most of them I see where I did good, but I always cop out on the question about getting along with co-workers. I don't want to make myself sound like a jerk or bossy, so I try to play down the situation and make myself sound like an angel...lol...I learned that doesn't work. Thanks editor!
artseo
18 days ago
2 comments
I always give the bad answers..:)
Torrent
RedHorse7
18 days ago
24 comments
No wonder I never get a second interview. I've been giving some of the "bad" answers. :-(
RedHorse7
18 days ago
24 comments
Editor, thanks for the tip. I've been wondering about that myself. :-)
lil5firecracker5
20 days ago
4 comments
just took the time to write my answer to all 15 of these questions. now to study them. interview for high paying internship in the morning.
editor
about 1 month ago
6 comments
emfarleigh, you can email the article to yourself by clicking on the Share button at the very bottom.
emfarleigh
about 1 month ago
6 comments
I wish there was a way to save articles so you can go back to them with out searching through the site. This is very helpful.
Tobaldwin
about 1 month ago
2 comments
Very resourceful!
cclendenen1
about 1 month ago
6 comments
I really enjoyed the info myself, now I see where I possibly screwed up some interviews with not answering in the right direction
MarMorgan
about 1 month ago
2 comments
Thanks for the awesome tips, much appreciated!
DonnaDuncan
about 1 month ago
4 comments
Those are some great tips, thanks!
JToliver
2 months ago
4 comments
These are really great interview tips. I'm going to need all the advice I can get. Thanks for posting!
Dez
2 months ago
4 comments
This article was very helpful to me. This is my last semester in college, so there will be quite a few interviews in my future. To be honest while reading this article the answers i was thinking of were some of the bad answers. I am glad i read this article before going to the job fairs and interviews and making a fool of myself.
rayoola80
2 months ago
12 comments
i have learnt a lot on this article and i must add here that they are applicable even where i live,i mean nigeria.thank you very much its really an eye opener.
ereign472
2 months ago
20 comments
The illustrations (photos) held my interest and added extra power to this article. Well done!