At the interview they asked what about hard selling techniques

FCE Listening Practice Test 9

Part 4

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You will hear part of a radio interview with an author called Mickey Smith, who is talking about becoming excellent at sport. For questions 24-30, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

24. When asked about his theory on talent, Mickey says that
A he is doing further research with other people.
B he realises some people disagree with him.
C he has not yet fully proved his ideas.

25. Mickey believes that outstanding football players
A have better levels of concentration than other players.
B are aware of the positions of other players on the pitch.
C are faster runners than other players.

26. How did Mickey feel when he first became successful at gymnastics?
A convinced he had a natural aptitude for the sport
B conscious that others in his area didn’t have the same chances
C lucky to have had one of the best training routines

27. Mickey says that the motivation to continue training for long periods of time
A develops at an early age in people who become experts.
B depends on your personal attitude towards success.
C does not come naturally to most people.

28. Mickey says that coaches working with young people need to understand that
A children and adults have different thought processes.
B young people have a built-in drive to succeed in areas like sport.
C it is important to focus on mental rather than physical techniques.

29. Mickey says that many people who play sport don’t bother to try hard because
A they feel incapable of reaching the same levels as sports stars.
B they don’t have time to put in the necessary effort.
C they are not confident in their ability to deal with success.

30. According to Mickey, what can cause some sports people to fail at important events?
A They haven’t trained enough.
B They are inexperienced at dealing with pressure.
C They can become too aware of their actions.

ГДЗ Упражнение K, Модуль 3, из Spotlight 10 Английский в фокусе Test booklet Ваулина Ю.Е. 10 класс

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K Listen to a conversation between two friends. Decide whether the answer to the questions is A fTrue), B (False) or C (Not stated). 66 Liz was pleased with how the interview went. A True B False C Not stated 67 Liz chose what to wear to the interview two weeks before the interview. A True B False C Not stated 68 Liz doesn’t like wearing skirts. A True B False C Not stated 69 Liz coped well with the coffee incident. A True B False C Not stated 70 Liz asked Lots of questions at the interview. A True B False C Not stated 71 Liz and Anna are both students. A True B False C Not stated 72 Liz hopes to get the job. A True B False C Not stated Текст аудирования: Anna: Liz! Hi! So how did it go? What was the interview Like? Liz: Better than expected. I was so nervous before I went, though. I got up really early in order to give myself plenty of time to get ready. It took me ages to choose what to wear. Anna: I know what you mean. I always like to select my clothes the night before so that I don’t panic. So what did you choose in the end? Liz: Well, as you know, ‘Dylan & James’ is a well- respected company and I wanted to make a good impression. So, I chose my beige trouser suit with a red blouse. Anna: Not a skirt? Why did you decide on a red blouse? Liz: I looked smart, Anna — believe me! I chose red because I wanted to stand out. I wanted them to remember me. Anno: Good plan. So, what happened at the interview? Liz: When I arrived the secretary asked me if I wanted anything to drink, so I had a coffee. And can you believe it? I spilt some on my nice beige trousers. Anna: Oh no! So what did you do? Liz: I had no option. I took off my jacket and placed it on my lap, so they couldn’t see. Anna: And when you got up? Liz: When I was invited into the interview room I got up and carried my jacket in front of me. I walked casually, as if nothing was wrong, shook the director’s hand and gave a big smile. Anna: Did you manage to relax after that? Liz: Yes. I thought the worst had already happened, so I thought I had nothing to lose. I answered the questions as fully and truthfully as I could and asked a few myself. Anna: What kind of questions were you asked? Liz: Nothing too surprising. They wanted me to talk through my work experience and say why I wanted to go into finance. I told them about the book-keeping course we’re doing at college. Anna: So, did you get the job? Liz: I have to wait another week to find out their decision. They are still interviewing people. But, there are two posts available, so I might be lucky! Anna: Yes, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! Liz: Thanks. I’ll let you know what happens.

Top 10 Job Interview Questions and Best Answers

How To Answer the Most Common Interview Questions

Are you ready to ace your upcoming job interview? One of the most important parts of interview preparation is being ready to respond effectively to the questions that employers typically ask.

Since these interview questions are so common, hiring managers will expect you to be able to answer them smoothly and without hesitation.

Here are the top 10 interview questions employers are likely to ask, plus 100+ more common job interview questions, example answers, tips for giving the best response, and advice on how to ace the interview.

You don’t need to memorize your answers, but you should think about what you’re going to say so you’re not put on the spot.

Top 10 Interview Questions and Best Answers

Review these most frequently asked interview questions and sample answers, and then prepare your responses based on your experience, skills, and interests. Remember that it’s less about providing the “right” answers and more about demonstrating that you’re the best candidate for the job.

1. Tell Me About Yourself.

This is one of the first questions you are likely to be asked. Be prepared to talk about yourself, and why you’re an ideal candidate for the position. The interviewer wants to know why you’re an excellent fit for the job.

Try to answer questions about yourself without giving too much, or too little, personal information. You can start by sharing some of your personal interests and experiences that don’t relate directly to work, such as a favorite hobby or a brief account of where you grew up, your education, and what motivates you.

You can even share some fun facts and showcase your personality to make the interview a little more interesting.

2. Why Are You the Best Person for the Job?

Are you the best candidate for the job? The hiring manager wants to know whether you have all the required qualifications. Be prepared to explain why you’re the applicant who should be hired.

Make your response a confident, concise, focused sales pitch that explains what you have to offer and why you should get the job. This is a good time to review the qualifications and the requirements in the job listing, so you can craft a response that aligns with what the interviewer is looking for.

3. Why Do You Want This Job?

Why are you a good fit for the position? What would you accomplish if you were hired? This interview question gives you an opportunity to show the interviewer what you know about the job and the company, so take time beforehand to thoroughly research the company, its products, services, culture, and mission.

Be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role, and mention aspects of the company and position that appeal to you most.

4. How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role?

Hiring managers use this question to learn how your previous work experience and educational background fit the job. To prepare to respond, make a list of the most relevant qualifications you have and match them to the requirements listed in the job description.

It’s important to explain how your experience will help the employer if you were to be hired. You can use the STAR interview method to prepare examples to share with the interviewer. You don’t need to memorize your answers, but do be ready to share what you’ve accomplished in your previous roles.

5. Why Are You Leaving (or Have Left) Your Job?

Be prepared with a response to this question. You’ll need to give an answer that’s honest and reflects your specific circumstances but keeps it positive. Even if you quit under challenging circumstances, now isn’t the best time to share what could be construed as too much information with the interviewer.

The interviewer wants to know why you left your job and why you want to work for their company. When asked about why you are moving on from your current position, stick with the facts, be direct, and focus your answer on the future, especially if your departure wasn’t under the best circumstances.

6. What Is Your Greatest Strength?

This is one of the questions that employers almost always ask to determine how well you are qualified for the position. When you are asked about your greatest strengths, it’s important to discuss the attributes that qualify you for that specific job, and that will set you apart from other candidates.

When you’re answering this question, remember to “show” rather than “tell.” For example, rather than stating that you are an excellent problem solver, instead tell a story that demonstrates this, ideally drawing on an anecdote from your professional experience.

7. What Is Your Greatest Weakness?

Another typical question that interviewers will ask is about your weaknesses. Do your best to frame your answers around positive aspects of your skills and abilities as an employee, turning seeming “weaknesses” into strengths.

This question is an opportunity to show the hiring manager that you’re well qualified for the job. In addition to learning whether you’ve got the right credentials, the hiring manager wants to know whether you can take on challenges and learn new tasks.

You can share examples of skills you have improved, providing specific instances of how you have recognized a weakness and taken steps to correct it.

8. How Do You Handle Stress and Pressure?

What do you do when things don’t go smoothly at work? How do you deal with difficult situations? The employer wants to know how you handle workplace stress.

Do you work well in high-stress situations? Do you thrive on pressure, or would you prefer a more low-key job? What do you do when something goes wrong?

The best way to respond to this question is to share an example of how you have successfully handled stress in a previous position.

Avoid claiming that you never, or rarely, experience stress. Rather, formulate your answer in a way that acknowledges workplace stress and explains how you’ve overcome it, or even used it to your advantage.

9. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

What are you looking for in terms of salary? Questions about money are always tricky to answer. You don’t want to sell yourself short or price yourself out of a job offer. In some locations, employers are legally prohibited from asking you about salary history—but they can ask how much you expect to get paid.

Do your research before the meeting so that you’ll be prepared to name a salary (or salary range) if you’re asked. There are several free online salary calculators that can provide you with a reasonable range based on your job title, employer, experience, skills, and location.

10. What Are Goals for the Future?

Are you a job hopper? Or do you plan on staying with the company, at least for a while? Where do you envision your career going? Do your plans for the future match the career path for someone typically hired for this position?

This question is designed to find out if you’re going to stick around or move on as soon as you find a better opportunity. Keep your answer focused on the job and the company, and reiterate to the interviewer that the position aligns with your long-term goals.

100+ More Interview Questions and Answers

Need more help? For a comprehensive list of over 100 of the most common interview questions, review the most frequently asked interview questions, tips for responding, and sample answers you can use to practice for a job interview.

Your responses will be stronger if you know what to expect during the interview and have a sense of what you want to focus on. Knowing that you are prepared will boost your confidence and help you minimize interview stress and feel more at ease.

Behavioral Interview Questions

You can also expect to be asked about how you would respond to a specific work-related situation. Here’s a list of examples of these behavioral interview questions you may be asked.

How to Answer 5 Common Interview Questions

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

At the close of the interview, most interviewers ask whether you have any questions about the job or company.

If you don’t have any questions, this can make it seem like you are apathetic about the opportunity. It’s always a good idea to have a list of questions ready, and to be prepared to discuss them.

What the Interviewer Shouldn’t Ask

There are some questions that hiring managers should not ask during a job interview for legal reasons. Here are questions that shouldn’t be asked, with advice on how to respond diplomatically.

How To Prepare for a Job Interview

The more time you spend preparing for a job interview, the better your chances will be of acing it. You’ll feel more comfortable speaking with the hiring manager if you’re familiar with the company’s products and services.

Research the company. Before your interview, take the time to learn as much as possible about the job and your prospective employer. There are many different resources you can use to find information and news about the organization, its mission, and its plans.

Tap your connections for insider information. Who you know at a company can help you get hired.

Check LinkedIn to see if you have connections who work at the company. Ask them if they can give you any advice that will help with the interview process.

If you’re a college graduate, check with your career office for alumni who may be able to help.

Make a match. Take the time before the interview to make matches between your qualifications and the requirements as stated in the job announcement. This way, you will have examples at hand to demonstrate your suitability for the job.

Practice your responses. Write out your answer in advance for each question and then read it aloud to ensure it sounds natural. Try to keep it short and sweet. You don’t want to come across as the type of person who endlessly drones on about themselves.

Be prepared to show and tell. It can be helpful to remember the tip “show, don’t tell.” For example, rather than stating that you are an excellent problem solver, instead give an example that demonstrates this, ideally drawing on an anecdote from your professional experience.

How To Make the Best Impression

The first impression you make at a job interview, is going to be the most important one. Hiring managers can decide whether you’re a good candidate, or not, within a few minutes of meeting you. These tips will help you make a terrific first impression.

Dress for success. What you wear to the interview is important because you don’t want to be underdressed or overdressed. A three-piece suit can be as out of place as shorts and a t-shirt. Carefully choose appropriate attire, and don’t be afraid to ask the person who scheduled the interview if you’re not sure what to wear.

Be on time or a little early. You definitely don’t want to keep your interviewer waiting, so be on time or a few minutes early for your appointment. If you’re not sure where you’re going, do a trial run ahead of time so you know how long it will take you to get there.

If your interview is virtual, check to make sure that you’re comfortable with the technology ahead of time.

Keep it positive. Always try to put a positive slant on your responses to questions. It’s better to give the impression that you’re more motivated by the possibility of new opportunities than by trying to escape a bad situation. In addition, it’s important to avoid bashing your current organization, colleagues, or supervisor. An employer is not likely to want to bring on someone who talks negatively about a company.

Follow up after the interview. After every job interview, take the time to send a thank-you note or email message sharing your appreciation for the time the interviewer spent with you, and reiterating your interest in the job. If there was something you wish you had said during the interview, but didn’t get a chance to, this is a good opportunity to mention it.

Best interview questions to ask candidates (and how to evaluate answers)

Whether you’re an experienced job interviewer or just starting out, you’re likely looking for the best interview questions to ask candidates. Determining the best interview questions involves comprehensive research, deliberation, and – occasionally – trial and error. But when you get them right, you’ll gain better insights into candidates and make smarter hiring decisions.

To help you find those effective and good interview questions to ask, we created this comprehensive guide.

When you’ve read this, you’ll know:

Jump to section:

1) First, know what you’re looking for

We can’t start talking about how to conduct an interview or interview questions if we don’t know the specific skills we want to assess. Interview questions will determine whether you’ll get enough useful insight to judge candidates’ suitability for the job. This means that your questions must be directly related to the job requirements. Otherwise, it will be challenging to compare one candidate to another on the criteria that really matter.

To do this, first determine what qualities you want to see in your new hire. Start with the job description (by the way, if you don’t know where to start writing your job ads, we have a vast library of job description templates to help you). Ask yourself:

For example, let’s look at the complete list of requirements for the role of Content Writer. These exclude experience and education, which can vary considerably depending on the role and are elements you can evaluate directly from the job application phase.

a) Must-have skills

Hard skills

Soft skills

Some companies may have other or additional requirements, but this list covers the most important qualities.

The first three skills can be classified as hard, tangible skills and they’re the absolute minimum candidates should possess to be considered qualified for the job. That’s why you can evaluate them via an assessment or a work sample (in fact, the work sample is one of the most effective methods of predicting job performance.)

For example, you could ask content writing candidates to submit their answers to an editing exercise. For other roles, it might be a simulation or a presentation (for instance, you can ask a salesperson to prepare a short presentation for a fictional product).

Assessments will give you a strong measuring stick to evaluate candidates by; you can shorten your candidate pool to ensure that only the best candidates make it to the interview phase. There, you can start evaluating the soft skills, along with culture fit, attitude, and other intangibles that aren’t as easily measured. Some skills (such as communication skills) can also be evaluated during initial screening calls.

b) Nice-to-have skills

It’s important to consider nice-to-have skills. These skills are additional qualities that would help each candidate do the job at the highest level. They aren’t strictly necessary, but they can be effective tie-breakers when you have to choose between equally qualified candidates. For example, here are some nice-to-have skills for the role of Content Writer:

When evaluating candidates, look for those nice-to-have skills, but make sure you don’t use them to decide on a candidate at the initial stages. If you find yourself with two awesome candidates at the offer stage, then you can use nice-to-have skills to choose ‘the one’.

Now that we have determined the desirable skills and requirements, we can dive into interview questions.

The future’s ours to determine

COVID-19 has shifted the way we work – and some of it, permanently. Our New World of Work survey found a great deal of uncertainty about the road ahead, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

2) The best interview questions to ask a potential employee: 5 types

You know what you’re looking for, so you know what interview questions to ask, or rather, what those questions should assess. Let’s take a look at the main types of interview questions to determine what kind of interview you’ll conduct:

a) General questions

These are questions that can take any form. They might be generic or clarifying questions to behavioral and situational questions, they could be role-specific or questions to determine culture fit. They could also be icebreaker questions or closing questions. You could also tailor these questions to each specific candidate if there are particular areas about their background that you’d like to explore further. For example:

Great interview questions to ask

These are some of the most common questions to ask in an interview because they can be adapted to any role or candidate. These questions are great as first-round interview questions to ask. Also, you could use some of them as phone interview questions to ask candidates before you bring them in for a technical interview.

b) Technical interview questions to ask candidates

These questions are at the core of technical interviews. If you’re the hiring manager or a team member who does a similar job as the position you’re hiring for, you’ll want to ask these questions. Note that “technical” does not mean tech-related – in this case, it means specific and job-related.

To find the best technical interview questions to ask potential employees, search for the role you’re hiring for in our vast library of 350+ interview question samples. Here are examples of jobs companies are often looking to fill:

Technical questions are usually part of the second interview questions to ask candidates who have been shortlisted after the initial interview or screening call. In this stage, you’re evaluating the candidate’s ability to actually do the job.

c) Behavioral questions

Behavioral questions ask candidates to share an experience they had at a previous job and explain how they handled a situation. This can give you insight into how people will react in similar situations at your company.

You can craft behavioral questions to assess most kinds of qualities or skills. For example:

Make sure you give your candidates an opportunity to reflect and ask follow-up questions if needed.

Behavioral questions, as well as the situational questions that follow, can be part of the third round of interviews where qualified candidates are compared to each other based on soft skills and culture fit.

d) Situational questions

Situational questions present candidates with hypothetical scenarios and ask them to explain how they would act. Situational interview questions work particularly well for sales, manager, and customer service roles, since these candidates will need to think quickly on their feet. Just like with behavioral questions, you can evaluate a variety of job-related qualities. Some examples:

Keep in mind that how people say they would act isn’t necessarily the same as how they would act. When evaluating answers to situational questions, pay less attention to their actual answer and more to the candidate’s thought process and how well they can justify their decisions.

e) Interview questions for managers

If you’re hiring team leaders, you want to make sure they can answer well to the above types of interview questions. But, hiring for each managerial position will entail an additional set of questions specifically to judge the candidate’s management skills (such as setting and tracking goals or training and motivating team members). Depending on the seniority of the manager’s role, there are different interview questions to ask managers:

3) Examples of good questions to ask on an interview by skill

By using the types of interview questions we presented below, you can craft questions for each specific skill you’re looking for. Let’s go back to our content writer example. We need to evaluate six soft skills in total during the interview:

These are very common qualities to look for in candidates, so we can use sample questions from our interview question library and mix technical, behavioral and situational questions. Examples for each skill include:

a) Communication skills interview questions

b) Teamwork interview questions

c) Learning and adaptability questions

d) Creativity

e) Problem-solving skills

f) Culture-fit interview questions

Culture fit is a tricky concept. It’s not about wanting to have beers with someone, but you certainly need to be able to communicate and work well with them. Before you choose what interview questions to ask, think about what ‘culture fit’ means in your team or company.

For some teams, “working well” with someone means being able to leave all personal affairs aside and be effective at the task at hand. This can be beneficial in highly structured environments, like consultancies or auditor companies. For other teams, culture fit means being able to have fun and be open with each other (more common in startup environments). Try to formulate specific criteria that will help you determine culture fit for your own company.

Here are some sample culture-fit interview questions to ask candidates. (Note that these questions can also help you identify common dealbreakers, such as arrogance or unhealthily competitive behavior):

4) Interview questions you should not ask

a) Cliche interview questions

You might have noticed that many of the common questions to ask in an interview are missing. These are questions we’re all familiar with such as “What’s your greatest weakness?” or “Why should we hire you?” The biggest problem with these questions is that they’re some of the most– asked interview questions and candidates likely have prepared their answers ahead of time. There is plenty of content online for candidates instructing them how to answer these questions, meaning you may not get a truthful answer at all.

Plus, you can’t be sure what exactly the answers to these questions indicate. Granted, if someone says “I don’t have any weaknesses” or offers the covert brag of “I’m too hard-working”, you’ll know they may not have the attitude you’re looking for. But, most candidates will likely take the middle road naming a weakness that’s small and unimportant. So, how do you compare answers of different candidates? You probably can’t – at least not confidently.

So, every time you’re thinking of asking a well-worn, cliched question, consider a refreshing alternative – not to catch the candidate off-guard, but to get a more genuine answer from them. Here are some examples:

Old question: Why should we hire you?

Better alternative: If you were hired, how do you think you could help with this project?

Old question: What is your greatest weakness?

Better alternative: Describe a time when you failed in your previous job.

Old question: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Better alternative: What would be your priorities for the first 90 days if you were hired by us?

Old question: How many golf balls can you fit in a school bus?

Better alternative: [Here’s a problem]. What would be a potential solution you’d give?

b) Illegal interview questions

This goes without saying. Using one of these illegal interview questions to ask the interviewee can damage your employer brand at best and, at worst, you might actually run afoul of the law or even get sued.

The problem with illegal questions is that they often crop up in an interview without the interviewer (or even the candidate) being aware that they’re illegal. But, often, these questions are also personal and not job-related, so it’s easy to learn to steer clear of them. Here are some examples of illegal questions:

These interview questions have the potential of illegally disadvantaging a protected group. For example, in the United States, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) warns against making decisions based on arrest records because this may cause you to unwittingly discriminate against protected groups. Similarly, in the UK, age is one of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010. This means that a direct question about age, or even an indirect one (such as “When did you finish school?”) might get you in trouble.

As a general rule of thumb, don’t ask anything about a candidate’s past that’s not job-related and don’t ask for details about a candidate’s personal life. If you want to make sure a candidate doesn’t use illegal drugs, for instance, inform them you’re going to conduct a legal background check. But, if a candidate is a recovering addict or is taking necessary prescription drugs because of an illness, they may be legally protected from adverse employment decisions. Make sure you learn about the applicable laws beforehand.

5) How to structure your interviews

Structured interviews are effective methods of predicting job performance. Their three main characteristics are:

The first two characteristics are easy, yet critical for success. If you ask different questions of each candidate, it’s impossible to objectively compare their answers. This will result in you trying to make a hiring decision on your gut feeling which potentially leads to harmful biases and discrimination.

So, when you decide which interview questions to ask, spend some time putting them in order. To do this, use the format of an interview scorecard; it’s possible your applicant tracking system has a function to help you build scorecards and share them with your team.

The third characteristic of a structured interview – the rating scales – is immensely helpful in ensuring you’ll hire objectively. You create a scale and then you evaluate candidates’ answers with that scale. To do this right, define what exactly each item on the scale means.

For example, you might choose 1 to 5 scale for organizational skills and say “1” is “poor organizational skills”, while “5” is “excellent organizational skills”. Make sure though that your hiring team is aligned for what “excellent” or “poor” or anything in-between means. One way to do that is to describe behaviors that a person with “excellent organizational skills” would show, such as “they’ll be able to know at any given time what tasks they have and when they should finish them.” If you want to give these scales a shot, download our complete structured interview guide.

Alternatively, you could use a simpler scale, such as “Yes,” “No” and “Definitely” (which is the system that the Workable platform uses in the built-in scorecards.)

6) Make natural transitions between questions

Having a list of interview questions to ask is good practice, but it has an inherent difficulty: it might make the interview seem more robotic and inflexible.

For example, imagine you’re listening to a candidate’s answer. When they finish talking, you may suddenly feel awkward, so you nod and say something akin to “OK, interesting” and then you move on to the next question. This isn’t how a natural conversation would flow, and it might make the experience less pleasant for the candidate (and yourself).

There are some things you can do to make the transition easier:

For all these to work though, you need to be a good interviewer with two skills of your own: 1) active listening and 2) good preparation. Read and learn your questions before the interview, and think about what answers you’d like to hear. Then, give the candidate your undivided attention during the interview.

7) Evaluate candidates’ answers

Asking great questions is just the beginning; now you’ll have to tell whether the candidate’s answer was good or not (and how good compared to other candidates’). Before you dive into the answers, make sure you:

Don’t write: He’s not a good communicator (too general)

Do write: He strayed off topic several times (very specific)

Question: Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult colleague.

Answer: When my team took up the launch of a marketing campaign for a new product, we had to work with a senior designer to prepare some graphics. This designer, because he was very talented and experienced, disagreed with a lot of our requirements and refused to make the changes we asked for. My boss said I had to find a way to work with him. So, I arranged a 1:1 meeting with him to find out how he envisioned the graphics, why he objected to our requirements and what he would like to do instead. I also explained the reasoning behind what my team wanted, too.

Question: And what happened in the end?

Answer: The designer appreciated my effort and we managed to find common ground. The end result was really high quality and received the praise of our CEO.

You can see that this candidate initially touched on situation, task, and action, but didn’t mention the end result. Knowing the STAR framework would give you a cue to ask for the missing information.

Now, consider these factors to help you evaluate candidates:

Now that you have a complete overview of the best interview questions to ask, there’s one last thing to do: be prepared to answer common questions from candidates. They’re interviewing you too, after all. That way, candidates can also get useful insight on whether your company is a good fit for their skillset and motivations – and hopefully, you’ll get to convince the best among them to join your team. Happy interviewing!

Frequently asked questions

What are three good interview questions?

Here are three great interview questions to ask candidates during an interview. How did you hear about this position? Why do you want to work here? What do you know about this company/organization?

How do employers give good interviews?

There are several key points to remember when conducting an interview, like putting the applicant at ease, making eye contact, and establishing rapport by finding a shared topic to talk about before you get down to the hard questions. This will help you learn more about the candidate throughout the interview process.

What are the most common interview mistakes?

Pay attention to the top mistakes candidates make during an interview, like arriving late or too early and not doing company research. These points will let you know if the candidate has good time management skills and is interested in the position.

16 Hardest Interview Questions Ever Asked with Answers

Top companies can well afford to be very selective when it comes to recruiting new employees to their firm. In today’s challenging as well as competitive world having credentials and qualifications isn’t enough to help you get the job, you have to be able to think on your feet and multitask without getting flustered or stressed out in any way. To test whether you are someone who can handle a stressful situation, companies have devised a system, where they ask tough and hard interview questions, just to see how you react and whether you are able to come out with flying colors or not. Here are some of the hardest interview questions ever asked.

Hardest Interview Questions – How to Answer Them?

The following mentioned are few difficult job interview questions and answers and tips on how to answer toughest interview questions.

1. ‘Why should we hire you to our company?’

Though this is a question which is asked at almost every interview, yet at the same time it continues to be one of the hardest interview questions ever asked, where people just get confused about what they ought to say. In the event of being asked such a question during your interview, all that you need to say is that you think that you should be hired to the company as you believe that you are exactly the kind of person who they are on the lookout for. State categorically, that in the time to come, you will let your actions and good quality of work speak for itself and you will give your best at all times.

2. ‘Why did you leave your last job?’

When you are asked a question at your interview, more important than what you say, is the manner in which you deliver your answer. Companies are not on the look out for people who take a great deal of time to answer even the simplest of questions, yet this being stated they also do not want employees who act impulsively. So if you are asked this question at your interview, then rather than mentioning some petty reason like the pay was not good enough or the boss was authoritative, state that the job no longer excited you anymore and you are someone who always looks for adventure no matter what.

3. ‘When it comes to your style of work what is your biggest flaw?’

In addition to being extremely hard, this question is also very tricky. If and when you are asked this question, one of the worst things which you can do, is beat around the bush and not get to the point at all. Rather than trying to avoid addressing the issue at hand, what you should do is state a flaw, which will not show you in poor light. For example you can say that you are someone who is so in love with what you do, that often you lose track of how many hours you are spending at the work place and this causes you to lose out on precious time with your family. Saying something like this will silently communicate that you are a dedicated worker.

4. ‘Would you call yourself a team player or a person who works individually?’

Not many individuals are able to work successfully alone as well as in a team. So if the interviewer asks you whether you see yourself as a team player more or as a person who works individually more, then in such a case, it is advisable that you say that you are someone who works much better individually. If you say that you prefer to work individually, it means that you are someone who isn’t dependent on anyone else rather you can take decisions on your own and stand by them. However having mentioned this, state that you also have no qualms about working in a team, it’s just that you have an unconventional approach to doing things.

5. ‘Tell us how you would sell an Eskimo a fridge?’

This is a question which is really tough indeed, it is most often asked to people who are seeking jobs in marketing and sales, yet it can be asked to anyone at an interview, simply because the interviewer wants to see whether you have any powers of convincing others and also whether or not you have good communication skills. If you need to, take a moment or two to think about how you would like to go about answering the question. Just remember that the more unconventional your answer is, the better it will be for you, but in the event of trying to sound smart and witty ensure that you do not come across looking foolish.

6. ‘If you were to write an autobiography what would it be titled?’

If recruiters want to know about your credentials as well as qualifications, then all that they need to do is go through your resume. Yet if they want to know what kind of individual you are, then they have to ask you question which are slightly ingenious to gauge how quick you really are. Being boom smart, with mugged up knowledge isn’t going to take anyone very far. To know whether you are of a creative bend of mind, chances are that your recruiter is going to ask you a hard question like this one, to see what you are able to come up with on the spot

7. ‘What are your three biggest strengths?’

8. ‘Who is your biggest inspiration in life?’

This is a hard question indeed, asked at almost all interviews. However, it is unfortunate, that most people fail to answer this question in a satisfactory manner. If you are asked a question like this, you should shy away from saying that your mother, father, aunt or some other family member has been the greatest inspiration to you; this is simply because the recruiter has no idea who these people are. Rather than doing this, you should choose someone who is a prominent figure in your field of work, preferably someone who has a powerful story to tell and who has been able to make it big in life, despite his hardships.

9. ‘What is the biggest achievement in your career so far?’

This question is hard, simply because most people find it hard to narrow down on one achievement that they should mention. In addition to thinking about what to mention and what not, the additional strain on their mind is thinking about whether the achievement which they have mentioned is big enough or not. Rather than worrying so much or over thinking, it is advisable that you speak from the heart and mention that one achievement which you are most proud of. You can begin your answer by saying that ‘Of the many achievements in my career..’Saying this will communicate that you have had many milestones in your career.

10. ‘Tell what you know about our company?’

Asking this question becomes extremely hard and even near impossible if you do not know much about the company. In this technological age you can get ample knowledge on a company, by simply browsing the net. You can really impress the judges if you go that extra mile and learn a few facts and figures and quote them in your answer. In addition to doing, this, if you are someone who is outgoing then maybe you can make a few friends with the employees of the company and ask them to tell you a little inside information on the company, just to show that you are very resourceful indeed.

11. ‘What do you hate about the way in which this company functions?’

Answering this question is very hard indeed because if you say something out of line, then you might end up getting on the wrong side of the interviewer. So say something which is not to controversial. Putting forth the interesting ideas which you have for the company, could really take you far.

12. ‘Do you think that you are over qualified or under qualified for this job?’

This question often stuns a lot of people because if they say that they are over qualified then they will be asked why are they ‘settling for this job’ yet if they say that they are under qualified then they are digging their own grave. In such a tricky situation it is advisable that you say that you think that you are perfect for the job and will be able to do full justice to it.

13. ‘Where do you hope to see yourself five years from now?’

Ensure that your answers really stick in the mind of the recruiters and force them to hire you, so if you are asked this hard question, just answer in a believable manner so that the recruiters do not think that you are someone who simply builds castles in the air.

14. ‘Which would you choose money or power?’

This is indeed one of the hardest questions asked, because this will tell the recruiters whether you are someone who is money hungry or power hungry. Being either money hungry or power hungry is not a sin. So just give an answer based on what you think suits your personality the most. Be confident and unapologetic at all times.

15. ‘Are you someone who blindly follows instructions?’

There are usually two kinds of people in a company, those that blindly follow instructions and there are others who never shy away from asking questions when they think that something is not clear to them. Some companies want people who blindly follow instructions and not question the status quo where as there are those companies who want their employees to raise their voices if they think that what they say will lead to the betterment of the company. It is advisable to say that you are someone who speaks your mind, when you have something to say or ask.

16. ‘Is there something which you would like to ask us?’

Finally, this is a question which is usually asked at the end of the interview and it has proved to be one of the hardest questions because it puts the interviewee in a tough spot. He is put in a tough spot simply because he doesn’t know whether not asking a question will show that he is someone who is not analytical and quick thinking, yet on the other end of things, asking a silly question, would cause the interviewer to think that he is someone who is silly. This final question is really going to either seal the deal for you or not, so ensure that you think careful before you decide to say anything.

So these are some of the hardest interview questions ever asked. On the face of it, it might seem as though these questions are easy to answer and do not entail much at all, yet if they are suddenly sprung on you at an interview you might be completely clueless about what to say. In such a case, you might end up saying something foolish and completely unrelated to the question which is asked. Since you now know that these are the hardest questions ever asked, then you should spend some time thinking of what answers you would give in the event of being asked these questions.