Word of warning

There’s no need to back up this answer with examples, such as outlining a time when you were particularly understanding with a colleague. It would be going too far.

Alternative and related questions

• Do you prefer working on your own or as part of a team?
• How would you define teamwork?
• Can you tell me about a team you worked in and the role you played within that team?
• What do you think makes a perfect team?

The meaning behind the question

Teamwork is essential in almost any work environment. Questioning your ability to work in a team is, therefore, one of an interviewer’s favourites. They will be looking for evidence of a number of core abilities.

• The ability to communicate effectively with others.
• The ability to recognise and understand the viewpoints of others.
• The ability to appreciate the contribution you are expected to make.

Your answer

As well as pre-preparing your answer to ‘In what ways are you a team player?’ you should also draft answers to all the alternative questions I’ve listed above. There will be common ground between your answers but each will have a slightly different slant to it.

You could answer the question in the context of your current job but you’re better off approaching it from the angle of the job for which you are applying. You’re being asked in what ways you are a team player, but you need to be asking yourself in what ways will they want you to be a team player? Are they looking for a leader? Are they looking for someone who brings out the best in others? Are they looking for the person who generates the ideas or the person who is a dab hand at putting new ideas into practice?

Establish in your own mind what sort of a team player they want you to be and then deliver an answer which caters to that image.

Remember, you should always be striving to become a better team player tomorrow than you are today. Here are my top ten key tips to help you become just that.

• Actively participate. Fully engage in the work of the team. Resist the temptation of sitting passively on the sidelines. Volunteer to contribute. Pitch in!
• Remember The Golden Rule: treat others as you would like others to treat you – even if you might sometimes feel they deserve otherwise!
• Treat other members of your team as individuals. Recognise and appreciate the uniqueness of their experience, knowledge, opinions and point of view.
• Don’t hold back on sharing your own experience, knowledge, opinions and point of view.
• Seek to generate creativity and innovation. Promote divergent points of view. Benefit from your differences.
• Seize the initiative in finding solutions to any problems your team might encounter. People don’t want problems; they want solutions.
• A problem shared is a problem halved. Let your team members know that they can come to you with problems and you’ll help them to find solutions.
• Yes, it’s a great cliché of business theory, but remember there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’! What is in the best interests of the team should generally coincide with your own best interests.
• Be prepared to ‘take one for the team’, i.e. willingly make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of the team. There are few surer ways to get the respect of your colleagues.
• Accept the mistakes of others with good grace, and don’t compound your own mistakes by trying to hide them. We all learn from our mistakes and from the mistakes of others.

Alternative and related questions

Word of warning

Even if you do prefer to work on your own, it’s best not to mention this. You don’t want to risk being labelled ‘not a team player’. This question doesn’t ask whether you prefer to work on your own; it simply asks how capable you are of doing so.

Alternative and related questions

• How do you get things done at work?

The meaning behind the question

This is a very simple question. The interviewer wants to know what your working style is; how do you plan and organise yourself to ensure that you achieve your objectives? They don’t just want to hear that you’re a very organised and efficient person, they want proof of exactly how you get things done.

Your answer

Tell it like it is. The interviewer isn’t expecting any magic tricks or a treatise on the latest management techniques. Your answer just needs to outline the systems and tools you use to manage your workload to ensure that everything which needs to get done does get done. You should aim to place emphasis on this last point: the techniques you use are ones that clearly work for you.

Alternative and related questions

• What do you need to retain your motivation?

The meaning behind the question

What the interviewer is really asking is, ‘What would we have to do to motivate you?’ and ‘Would you be sufficiently motivated to undertake this job effectively?’ They are unlikely to ask this directly, though. By asking you the more open-ended ‘What motivates you?’ they are likely to extract a lot more useful information out of you – if you are careless enough to let it slip! Interviewers want to hire highly motivated people, not people who are just going to go through the motions until it’s time to go home.

Your answer

There are lots of different things which could motivate you. You’ve got to be careful to pick factors:

• Which will reflect positively on you as an individual
• Which are not inconsistent with the job for which you are applying
• Which are equally of benefit to your prospective employer
• Which will not impose any kind of a burden on the employer

Money is, of course, a major motivator. It’s the primary reason most people go to work each day! However, unless you are in sales or some other highly money-driven and largely commission-based role, then you should steer clear of mentioning money as a motivating factor. It’s too selfish an answer. It’s a factor that is purely in your own interests and not your prospective employer’s.

I would recommend that, depending on the nature of your role, you cite factors such as challenges, results and recognition, elaborating on these to demonstrate their value to your employer.

Alternative and related questions

• How good are you at taking the initiative?

The meaning behind the question

Being proactive means making an effort to anticipate a situation and acting in advance either to prepare for it or to prevent it. It’s not exactly the same as taking the initiative but the two are closely related.

In asking you this question, the interviewer wants to establish what your definition of proactive is and whether or not you are indeed proactive yourself – it is a highly desirable characteristic.

Your answer

This is a prime example of a question requiring you to deliver a specific example – whether or not the interviewer actually asks for one. If you fail to illustrate your answer with an example, then it’s going to be fairly meaningless. Anyone can claim to be proactive, but can you actually prove it?

Choose your example carefully, describe the circumstances and, most importantly, explain what the benefits of your actions were.

Alternative and related questions

• In what ways would you say you are creative?
• Are you innovative/inventive?

The meaning behind the question

There’s no hidden meaning here. It’s a very direct question; every walk of life requires at least some degree of creativity, and creativity is often seen as an indicator of intelligence. The core question ‘Are you creative?’ is clearly a closed question, but answering it with a straight ‘yes’ isn’t going to get you anywhere. Regardless of how the interviewer phrases the question, you need to say precisely in what ways you are creative, how this applies to your line of work, and to back this up with at least one example.

Your answer

Some lines of work are clearly more creative than others and the way you phrase your answer will depend on what you do for a living. If you work in a creative field, then you will need to give a much more comprehensive answer. But even if you work in a field that isn’t generally seen as particularly demanding in terms of creativity, you should be able to come up with an example of where you have displayed lateral or outside-the-box thinking or invented a new and better way of handling something.

Alternative and related questions

• How do you feel about taking risks?
• Do you have a problem with taking risks?

The meaning behind the question

‘Are you a risk taker?’ is a very direct question. What the interviewer is really looking for is to assess your attitude to taking risks. In some lines of work someone who takes risks is definitely going to be a liability, whereas in others the ability to weigh up risks – and to take calculated risks – is an important skill.

Your answer

Your answer will inevitably depend on exactly what the job is that you are applying for. If your line of work is one in which taking risks – or cutting corners – is likely to be frowned upon, then you’re going to need to formulate your answer to make it clear that you are not someone who believes in risks. You may even want to emphasise that you see it as part of your job to identify potential risks and pre-empt them.

If assessing risks – and taking appropriate risks – is going to be a feature of your new job, then your answer will naturally be very different. You certainly want to avoid the impression of being reckless, though. Your emphasis should be on the steps you take to identify and gauge risks, only taking risks where you have calculated the potential outcomes and deemed that your actions are going to be worth the risk. You should also make some mention of your decision-making capabilities, because being prepared to take calculated risks is, ultimately, a form of decision making.

Alternative and related questions

• Can you tell me about a time when you were under significant pressure and how you handled that?
• Do you thrive under pressure?
• How do you cope with the numerous conflicting demands on your time?
• What causes you stress at work and why?

The meaning behind the question

The ability to cope with pressure and stress is essential in almost all walks of life, whether you’re working on the checkout at the supermarket or heading up a major corporation. Pressure and stress are unavoidable aspects of the world we live in. The interviewer will be looking to identify:

• That you recognise pressure and stress are facts of life.
• That you understand the effect pressure and stress have on you.
• That you are sufficiently robust to be able to take them in your stride.

Your answer

Because of the variety of ways in which an interviewer can question you on this topic, it’s important that you fully understand what the difference is between pressure and stress. Many people use the two terms interchangeably.

Being under pressure is a matter of having significant demands made of you; being challenged to achieve something that is either difficult to achieve in and of itself, or difficult to achieve within the time frame that has been set. Pressure is largely a positive force and a motivating factor for many people.

Stress, on the other hand, is not so positive. Stress occurs when the pressure you are under exceeds your ability to effectively meet the demands being made of you. Stress is what an individual experiences when exposed to excessive pressure, and long-term stress can cause all sorts of problems.

I am sure that everyone reading this book will, at some stage in their lives, have experienced pressure and stress, and know exactly what they are like.

The key to formulating your answer to this question is to seize this as an opportunity to talk about a situation or an occasion where you were under pressure, and how you rose to the challenge. Try to avoid talking about an occasion when you were totally stressed out, but do acknowledge that you understand stress and are able to deal with it appropriately.

Avoid conveying the impression that the pressure you were under was in any way your own fault, or due to your own personal failings. Place the ‘blame’ firmly on external factors outside your control.

Different lines of work are subject to different levels of pressure and stress and this will have a bearing on how precisely you phrase your answer.

Alternative and related questions

• What’s the biggest failure you’ve experienced in your career?
• Can you tell me about a time when you’ve failed to meet an important deadline?

The meaning behind the question

As well as pinpointing a particular ‘failure’ in your career, the interviewer will also be gauging your overall attitude to failure – how you deal with adversity. Everyone experiences some failures during the course of their careers but not everybody bounces back and learns from the experience.

Your answer

You might think this is a tough question because there’s no way to answer it without admitting failure. But it’s not really that tough. The secret is to avoid picking too major a failure and, whatever example you choose, to subtly blame the failure on factors outside your control. You should be very wary indeed of laying the blame at the doorstep of a former boss or colleague; this can backfire on you spectacularly. However, you can certainly dilute some of the blame by saying that you were working ‘as part of a team’ at the time.

Word of warning

Don’t be tempted to say you’ve never failed. The interviewer won’t believe you!

Alternative and related questions

• Can you tell me about a time when you made a major error at work?

The meaning behind the question

What the interviewer is trying to extract from you here is not an admission of guilt but a demonstration of how you reacted to your error and what steps you took to resolve it. You can learn a lot about someone from the way they handle mistakes.

Your answer

As with the previous question, you might think this is rather a tough one. The interviewer has specifically asked you about the worst mistake you’ve ever made at work. The key is to realise that everyone makes mistakes; the important thing is to learn from them and make sure you never make the same mistake twice.

Also, just because they’ve asked you what the worst mistake you’ve made was, it doesn’t mean you have to tell them. Talk about a mistake that was severe but unlikely to put them off hiring you. How? By choosing carefully and placing the emphasis on what you did to resolve the situation and what you learned from the experience.

If you can subtly apportion some of the blame to circumstances out of your control, or if you can choose an example that didn’t directly involve your work, then it’s going to strengthen your answer. It also helps if you can pick an example which goes back some way in time. However, you definitely need to avoid coming across as someone who can’t admit their own mistakes.

Alternative and related questions

• What would you do if you were presented with the following scenario?

The meaning behind the question

Often, an interviewer may pose a hypothetical, scenario-based question, telling you to imagine yourself in a difficult or negative situation and asking how you would deal with it.

By confronting you with an unexpected situation and getting you to think on your feet, they can tell a lot about how you would actually react under such circumstances.

Your answer

The answer you give will depend on the precise scenario the interviewer outlines. You need to try to identify what the expectations of you would be under the circumstances, and highlight the skills and techniques you would use to deal with the situation.

For the purposes of the example below, imagine the following scenario: You are a receptionist working at the front desk when all of a sudden an urgent email arrives, several phone lines start ringing, an important client walks in and a courier turns up with a package that requires your signature. How do you cope with this situation?

In this example, you should be able to identify that the interviewer is probing your ability to prioritise, to ‘firefight’ and to not panic!

Alternative and related questions

• Can you tell me about a major project that you have recently managed?

The meaning behind the question

The interviewer isn’t really interested in the project itself, they are interested in how you successfully completed the project; looking for evidence of your ability to successfully complete a project whilst ascertaining how your key skills contribute to this ability.

Your answer

The emphasis in this question is on a project that you have successfully completed. It’s a perfect opportunity to blow your own trumpet.

Make the most of this question to highlight your skills and abilities which led to the successful completion of the project being careful to pick those which are relevant to the job for which you are applying. Make your contribution to the project clear. What role did you play in its success?

Unless the interviewer specifically asks you about a project for which you had sole responsibility, it is reasonable to assume that they are happy with you talking about a project you worked on as part of a team, which is the case with the majority of projects.

It is best to talk about a project you completed recently. If you go too far back, the interviewer might wonder why you can’t cite a more recent example.

Alternative and related questions

• Can you tell me about a major project you were involved with that went wrong?

The meaning behind the question

Problems are inevitable, no matter what your line of work. The interviewer isn’t particularly interested in the problem per se. What they are interested in is how you dealt with it; what action you took and what the outcome was.

Employers don’t want problems; they want solutions and they rely on their staff to deliver those solutions. The interviewer wants to make sure that you’re just the type of employee who would be able to do that.

Your answer

This isn’t the same question as question 11, ‘What’s the worst mistake you’ve made at work and how did you deal with it?’, so make sure that you don’t give the same answer. It would definitely be a blunder to pick an example of a problem which you yourself had caused or was caused by a colleague of yours.

Try to choose a simple, less controversial topic. The best examples to pick are those where the problem was caused by circumstances beyond your organisation’s control.

Since they’re referring to a problem in the past, it’s important for you to choose an example which highlights your problem-solving capabilities and shows them to be relevant to the job you are applying for.

Alternative and related questions

• Can you tell me about a difficult problem that you resolved?
• Can you tell me about a major problem at work that you’ve had to deal with?

The meaning behind the question

Following on from the previous question, this question is, again, directly probing your problem-solving capabilities but in a way that is directly relevant to the job for which you are applying.

The interviewer is trying to identify what you could really bring to the organisation.

The interviewer is also assessing how able you are to think on your feet because they will know there is no way you could have pre-prepared your answer to this one.

Your answer

Problem x could be just about anything. It could be a hypothetical problem but it’s more likely to be a real-life problem currently facing your prospective employer.

The main difficulty you face with this question is that it’s almost impossible to prepare for in advance. You’re going to have to think fast. However, rather than replying immediately, I’d suggest you buy some time by getting the interviewer to talk a little more about the problem. Don’t be afraid to ask a few questions first to make sure that you fully understand what the problem is and what the circumstances are. As well as arming you with more facts, this will also give you some valuable thinking time.

If you’re asked the alternative question, ‘Can you tell me about a difficult problem that you resolved?’, then you’re lucky because you can prepare a perfect example for this well in advance of the interview. Please refer to the previous question 14, ‘Can you tell me about a major problem at work that you’ve had to deal with?’, for details of how best to handle this.

Alternative and related questions

• What would you do if you disagreed with a decision taken by your line manager?
• Would you make your opinion known if you disagreed with a decision taken by a superior?

The meaning behind the question

Ostensibly, you might think the interviewer is testing to see how subordinate you are. This isn’t really the case. It’s not to an organisation’s advantage to be filled with people who never question authority or who never voice their opinion. What the interviewer is really looking for is to identify the manner in which you would express your disagreement.

Your answer

A lot depends on precisely what it is that you disagree with. Is it a minor issue which boils down to a matter of your judgement against theirs or is it a more serious situation which could potentially call for your having to go over their head and discuss the matter with their superior?

You should avoid talking about the second possibility. Build your answer around the scenario of a minor disagreement and place the emphasis on how you would use your communication and interpersonal skills.

Alternative and related questions

• What is your management style?
• How do you manage people?

The meaning behind the question

There’s nothing too complex about this question. The interviewer wants to know what your perception of leadership is and how you go about the day-to-day responsibility of management.

You’re only going to be asked this question if you’re applying for a management-level role and the interviewer is hoping to gauge just how successful you are likely to be in fulfilling such a role.

It’s also going to be of interest to them to see how you perceive yourself. It can say a lot about you as a person.

Your answer

Unless you really are the perfect manager, try to interpret this question in terms of the manager you aspire to be because that’s the kind of manager the interviewer is wanting you to be.

There are two main aspects to a management role.

• Getting the job done.
• Handling the people who will help you to get the job done.

Your answer needs to cover both of these.

The precise points you raise in your answer will depend on the kind of management role for which you are applying. Different employers will have different expectations of how their managers should behave and what they are expected to achieve.

Here are my ten top tips for effectively handling and managing your subordinates:

• Develop good working relationships with your subordinates but be wary of becoming too emotionally close. It can weaken and undermine your authority.
• Be fair. Treat your subordinates all equally and objectively. Avoid having favourites. And treat them all as you would wish to be treated yourself.
• Be prepared to put on your cross face and to take appropriate measures with those who fail to perform to the required standards. But use it sparingly!
• Praise in public; criticise in private. Never humiliate a subordinate. You want them on your side, not working against you.
• Don’t lose your temper and never yell and shout. It just makes you look weak, foolish and out of control.
• Demonstrate empathy and the ability to understand their individual points of view. Make them feel understood and their opinions recognised.
• Demand the best of people that they can achieve but be aware of their limitations and don’t make excessive demands; it’s counterproductive.
• If a subordinate comes to you for help, give them the time and attention they deserve. It’s your job to help them and to teach them how to help themselves.
• Remember that you’re not God. You don’t know it all. A little humility and a little less arrogance will only increase your subordinates’ opinion of you.
• You’ll most likely be somebody else’s subordinate. Don’t hesitate to seek their advice or intervention if you are worried about how to handle a situation.

Alternative and related questions

• Have you ever been asked to help train a new member of staff?

The meaning behind the question

You’d be wrong in thinking that this is a question just for managers. This question could be asked of anyone who works in a team, which is pretty much everyone. In all lines of work the ability to help others to further develop their skills and experience is a valuable attribute. How you describe your example will tell the interviewer a lot about you.

Your answer

You need to structure your answer logically to identify what the circumstances were, why the individual needed coaching, how you went about coaching them and, most important of all, what the outcome was. Coaching a team member is a project like any other. In order to deliver a successful answer to this question you need to demonstrate a successful outcome.

The example you select will depend on your own personal experiences but, whatever example you choose, make sure you come out of it as the hero of the day.

If you’re struggling to find an example, then the easiest thing to do is pick a time when you had to help deal with a new member of staff. Coaching is a very broad term and helping to train a new colleague certainly falls under its umbrella.

Alternative and related questions

• Can you tell me about a difficult client/customer you’ve had and how you handled them?
• Can you give me an example of an occasion when you exceeded a client’s/customer’s expectations?

The meaning behind the question

Most organisations provide a product or service to a customer. Some definitions of customer are obvious: Marks & Spencer sells sandwiches to the public. Some are less obvious: JobcentrePlus helps the unemployed return to work.

Customer service skills are important in many different walks of life and this question is designed to probe your customer service skills. It is more far-reaching than that, though, because many of the same skills which will enable an individual to work well with customers will also help them to work well with their colleagues.

Your answer

However the interviewer phrases the question, the main thrust of your answer should be to outline your customer service skills.

If you can illustrate your answer with an example of when you have delivered outstanding customer service, then so much the better. Outstanding customer service could include resolving a difficult client’s complaint or it could be a case of your having exceeded a customer’s expectations. Whatever example you select, make sure it is one which shows you in a positive light, i.e. if you want to talk about an unhappy client; it had better not be your actions which caused the dissatisfaction!

Alternative and related questions

• How did you locate your last job?

The meaning behind the question

This is a surprisingly popular question among interviewers. The reason is that, whilst seemingly a very simple little question, your answer can give the interviewer insight into numerous different areas. It can help them to assess how much initiative you have, how determined and tenacious you are, how driven you are and how much you plan and control your own career.

Your answer

There are two different ways of interpreting this question, so you need to make sure you cover both bases. First is the question of how you actually managed to locate your last job (recruitment agency, network contact, speculative application, headhunted etc.). Then there is the question of how you went about securing the job – how you convinced the employer that you were the right person for the job. You need to aim to portray an image of somebody in control of their own destiny – not someone who just goes with the flow.

Alternative and related questions

• Can you describe an average day in your job?

The meaning behind the question

They’ve read your CV; they know what your job involves. Now they want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. There’s nothing more to their question than that but giving the best answer is a little more complicated.

Your answer

As I said, the interviewer has read your CV (or application form) so they know more or less what your job entails. It would definitely be a mistake to answer this question by simply reeling off in detail everything you’ve already stated on your CV. The last thing you want to do is bore the interviewer.

Whilst the description you give on your CV will be comprehensive (and rightly so), when it comes to answering this question you’d do better to skip a lot of the detail and focus on what’s really important – what your job is really about. In particular, you want to focus on areas of your current job which most closely match the job for which you are now applying.

Rather than phrasing your work in terms of duties, try to portray what you do in terms of responsibilities.

Alternative and related questions

• How does your job relate to the overall goals of your department/organisation?

The meaning behind the question

The interviewer could have rephrased this question: ‘Are you able to see the bigger picture?’ They are searching for evidence that you understand the purpose and goals of your department as a whole and how your role fits into the big scheme of things. Whilst it might not be vital to your ability to undertake your job, it is always preferable for an employee to understand what the overall purpose is of their team or department and what part they are expected to play in that.

Your answer

Even if the interviewer hasn’t phrased the question using the word contribution, you still need to place a clear emphasis in your answer on what it is that you contribute to the overall goals of your department. You’ve got to demonstrate your value. The interviewer knows what job you perform, but how is it of benefit to your colleagues and to your employer?

Some people won’t necessarily work in a specific department as such but if this is the case for you, then you can simply talk about the contribution you make to other departments and to the organisation as a whole as in the example below.

Alternative and related questions

• How have you changed the job you’ve been doing?

The meaning behind the question

All job roles evolve over time – some more than others. The interviewer isn’t asking how your job has changed since you were first appointed; they are asking how you have changed it. They’re looking for evidence of initiative, drive and enthusiasm. The best employees are always looking for ways to make improvements; to change things for the better. It’s all too easy for an employee to sit back and just accept things the way they are but that’s not the type of employee who is going to help drive an organisation forward.

Your answer

An interviewer should only be asking this question if your current job is one in which you can reasonably be expected to have made changes to your role.

In many roles there is limited scope for making changes, so your interviewer probably won’t be expecting too dramatic an example. If you have been responsible for a tangible improvement to your role, then this is obviously going to be an excellent choice. Alternatively, it should be more than sufficient to describe ways in which you took on additional duties and responsibilities that weren’t part of your original job description.

Be aware that this is the type of question that an interviewer is particularly likely to check up on when taking up your references, so it’s essential to be absolutely honest.

Word of warning

For some reason, candidates are particularly prone to misunderstanding this question and interpreting it along the lines of ‘What changes have you made in your current job?’ This is a very different question and, no matter how good your answer to this question, your interviewer won’t be impressed if you fail to answer the question they actually asked.

Alternative and related questions

• What have you learned in each of your previous roles?

The meaning behind the question

The interviewer could have asked ‘What did you learn in your last job that will be of use to you in this job?’ because that is what they are driving at. They are not asking you to talk about your duties, responsibilities or achievements. They are specifically asking in what ways you developed professionally whilst working in your last job (or any particular job of their choice).

Your answer

It’s vital that your answer should cite one or more examples which are directly relevant to the role for which you are now applying. There’s no point in discussing something which isn’t going to be of obvious value to you – or, more specifically, your employer – in your next job.

The chances are that your previous role(s) will have prepared you in various ways to meet the challenge of your next job. Try to ascertain what is likely to be of most interest to the interviewer. What are the key requirements of this vacancy? What have you learned that will ensure you meet those requirements? Select at least one – if not two or three – ideas and turn them into strong selling points.

There’s no need to highlight how this relates to the role you’re applying for. It should be self-evident and, if you make a point of it, there is a risk the interviewer might think you’re just saying what they want to hear.

Alternative and related questions

• How was your performance rated in your last appraisal?
• How would you comment on your last appraisal?
• What areas for improvement were identified at your last appraisal?

The meaning behind the question

Appraisals are supposed to address both your strengths and your weaknesses; both your achievements and your failings. However, the interviewer will know that appraisals focus more on where there is room for improvement than on giving you a pat on the back. This question is a clever ploy to get you to confess precisely where there is room for improvement in your performance.

Your answer

You’re going to need to be careful with your answer to this question. For a start, it’s very important to be totally honest because the interviewer can easily check up on this sort of information when taking up your references and, if it’s an internal vacancy for which you are applying, then you can be more or less sure they will already have examined your last appraisal.

It’s not a difficult question to get right. You need to focus on the positive points that were brought up in your last appraisal and only touch briefly on any less positive points; making sure you confirm these are issues you have now addressed or are in the process of addressing. You’re under no obligation to relate every last detail of your last appraisal, so I would vote in favour of mentioning several positive points but limiting your answer to cover just one weaker point. If your appraisal brought up an apparent weak point that you can put a positive slant on, then so much the better.

Not all employers have a formal appraisal system and this will certainly simplify your answer! It would, however, be a good idea to mention that, whilst there was no formal system in place, you have routinely received positive feedback on your performance, both from your boss and from your colleagues.

Alternative and related questions

• What do you think of your current boss?
• What kind of relationship do you have with your current boss?

The meaning behind the question

The interviewer may just be idly curious as to what your current boss is like, but don’t count on it. They are much more likely to be probing your perceptions of authority and, in particular, how you handle authority. Whilst seemingly innocuous, this is actually quite a loaded question. If the interviewer identifies you as having any problems with authority, then it’s going to be a big black mark on your application.

Your answer

Regardless of what a loser you might think your boss is, it isn’t going to get you anywhere to slate them. You should most certainly avoid making any disparaging comments. Statistically, having problems with their boss is the number one reason people give for changing jobs. However, you’d do well just to give a reasonably complimentary description and portray a positive working relationship between the two of you.

Alternative and related questions

• Have you ever been made redundant and, if so, why?
• Have you ever been fired?

The meaning behind the question

This question is distinct from ‘Why do you wish to leave your current position?’ that we covered in the previous chapter in that it’s not exploring your current motivators in changing jobs; it’s exploring your reasons for having left a job.

The interviewer might also be hoping to turn up any skeletons you may have in your cupboard; for example, dismissals.

Your answer

We’ve already covered the topic of changing jobs in detail in the previous chapter under ‘Why do you wish to leave your current position?’ Much of that advice will apply to this question. However, here I’d like to focus on two special cases: two more negative reasons why you might have left a previous job.

• Being made redundant
• Being fired/sacked

I would immediately like to apologise to any readers who have been made redundant. It is not my intention to cause any offence by listing redundancy as a negative reason for leaving a job. I fully appreciate that redundancy is a difficult time and that there’s often little justice in an employer’s choice of who to make redundant. I empathise entirely. However, my reason for including it in this list is not to suggest you’ve been made redundant through any fault of your own but because having been made redundant may unfortunately be perceived in a negative fashion by a prospective employer. It is, therefore, a hurdle you need to deal with and which I will show you how to deal with.

Redundancy hurts. There are no two ways about it. However, you must conceal any bitterness and resentment you may feel and convey to the interviewer that ‘such is life’, ‘these things happen’, it wasn’t your fault. It is the position that is redundant, not the individual person. Under no circumstances should you criticise the employer that laid you off. Rather than dwell on negative aspects, you must aim to emphasise any positive outcomes; for example, it gave you the opportunity to undertake some valuable training or that it meant you were able to move on to a new and better position.

If you’ve been fired from a previous role, then this is a tough one to deal with; it’s hard to put a positive slant on such matters.

There are two points I need to make about how you should handle this. Firstly, you must be truthful; it’s easy for a prospective employer to check these sorts of detail. Secondly, you must convey the circumstances as calmly and dispassionately as possible, acknowledge responsibility for the causes of your dismissal and, above all else, convince the interviewer that you learned a great deal from the experience and that this will never, ever happen again.

There are various words and expressions which can be used to describe being dismissed from a job, such as ‘sacked’ and ‘fired’. However, these have more negative connotations than simply saying you were dismissed. You should avoid using them in your answer.

Alternative and related questions

• What’s the best job you have ever had?
• Can you describe the best job you have ever had?
• How would you define your dream job?
• In which job were you the happiest/most fulfilled?

The meaning behind the question

This is potentially a trick question. Does the interviewer really care which of your jobs was best? Or are they more interested in identifying what your conception of the perfect job is and how that matches or differs from the vacancy for which they are currently interviewing you? It’s much more likely to be the latter. By identifying what you have most enjoyed in the past they can assess how likely you are to enjoy this job in the future.

Your answer

You should endeavour to pick a job that is not greatly dissimilar from the one for which you are applying. You then need to explain your choice in such a way as to emphasise the similarities between that role and this current vacancy – subtly, of course.

Word of warning

Avoid citing your current job. The interviewer will wonder:

• If it’s that great then why do you really want to leave?
• If they do give you this job, is there a risk you might later regret it?

Alternative and related questions

• What did you do during this gap in your employment?
• Can you tell me more about this break in your career history?

The meaning behind the question

There are two elements here:

• The interviewer will be interested in the reasons for there being a gap in your CV; why you experienced a period of unemployment.
• They will also be interested in what you did during that period of unemployment.

Your answer

Most people have a gap or two in their career history. It’s very common and not normally anything to worry about. There is, however, only one explanation that an employer is really going to view favourably:

• Further training/education.

Other common – and conceivably constructive – reasons include:

• Raising a child
• Caring for another dependant
• Travel

But there are also reasons which will definitely be viewed negatively:

• Inability to find a suitable position
• Ill health
• Imprisonment

If the reason for the gap in your career history isn’t obviously negative, then there shouldn’t be a gap in your CV. You should include a brief entry explaining the situation. This will prevent an interviewer from asking you, ‘Why is there a gap in your CV?’ and will instead prompt them to ask the more positive question, ‘Can you tell me more about this break in your career history?’

Further training/education: This is very simple and should already be covered within your CV but maybe the interviewer has missed it. You need to simply politely draw their attention to the further training/education you undertook and use this as an opportunity to talk about why you chose this option and how it adds value to your application.

Raising a child/caring for another dependant: If you took time out of your career in order to care for a family member or close friend, then it is very much your own private affair but one that an interviewer should hopefully view favourably. You should have included a brief entry in your CV explaining the circumstances and the interviewer should refrain from probing too deeply into the matter. The same applies for time out to raise your own family. I suggest you refer to the section on sexual discrimination in the next chapter, Chapter 21: Illegal questions – and how to dodge them, so that you are fully aware of your rights in this respect.

Travel: Taking a sabbatical to go travelling is often seen by an employer as a positive thing. Many will believe that the cultural awareness and sense of independence you will have gained as a result of the experience will prove to be of value to them. Also, if you’ve already taken time out to travel, then it means you’re less likely to suddenly disappear to travel the world just as they’ve got you settled in. This is a common worry among employers, particularly when it comes to younger employees. If you’re questioned on this then it is important to emphasise that it was something you ‘needed to do’ and now you’ve ‘got it out of your system’. You may also be able to make reference to any temporary and part-time work you undertook in other countries if that could be an additional selling point for you.

Unfortunately, general unemployment and ill health are unlikely – at least initially – to be viewed favourably by an interviewer. And imprisonment certainly won’t be viewed favourably.

Inability to find a suitable position: This is definitely the most common cause for there being a gap in a CV. The problem you face is that if you tell an interviewer you were struggling to find work, then that’s inevitably going to worry them. You need to deal with this by explaining carefully that the right job isn’t always available at the right time.

Ill health: If you have been absent from work as a result of a significant illness or a major accident, then the interviewer should appreciate that these things do happen.

Imprisonment: This is always going to be an extremely difficult issue to handle and I would suggest you refer to the detailed section on criminal convictions in the next chapter, Chapter 21: Illegal questions – and how to dodge them.

Alternative and related questions

• What is your impression of our organisation?
• Why do you want to work for this organisation?

The meaning behind the question

Remember the candidate I mentioned earlier who, upon being asked what he could bring to the company, responded with ‘What is it that you do again?’?

The interviewer wants to make sure you’ve done your homework, that you really understand what their organisation is all about and that you have a realistic expectation of what it would be like to work for such an organisation. Whilst they’re not going to be deliberately fishing for compliments they will want to ensure that you do have a positive impression of their organisation. Why do you want to work for them in particular?

Your answer

In the previous chapter we covered the closely related question, ‘Why do you want to work for this organisation?’ The difference with this question is the greater emphasis you need to place on what you know about the organisation rather than why you want to work for their organisation in particular.

Spell out to the interviewer the key points you know about their organisation and how you come to know them; for example, because you’ve researched their website, or you’ve read about them in the newspaper. But don’t go into excessive detail.

Make sure that you put a positive spin on any points you raise and, if at all possible, communicate how you feel you are well suited to working for such an organisation.

Avoid saying anything negative or bringing up any bad press etc. that the organisation may have had.

Alternative and related questions

• Have you ever bought our products/used our services?

The meaning behind the question

The interviewer is again testing to see how interested you really are in the vacancy as defined by the amount of time you have spent researching the operation. Some roles will, of course, require greater product/service knowledge than others and, if you are applying for a role where such knowledge is critical, for example, sales, then the question will take on another dimension. If you can’t prove that you fully understand the product/service that the company supplies, then how can you hope to be able to sell it?

Your answer

If you’ve prepared properly for your interview, then you should be able to demonstrate a reasonably in-depth understanding of the organisation’s products/services. The degree to which this will be important will depend on your precise line of work. As well as conveying basic facts, it is also a good idea to provide a gentle critique. Whilst you should aim to be more complimentary than critical, if you are able to identify areas for improvement, ideally areas which you yourself would be able to improve, then it is likely to impress the interviewer and count very much in your favour. The best employees rarely accept the status quo; they are always looking for ways to improve things.

Alternative and related questions

• What do you think is the greatest advantage we have over the competition?

The meaning behind the question

This is a complex question. The interviewer wants to put your knowledge of their organisation – and of the market in general – to the test. Their secondary objective will be to see how you handle a question in four parts: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Questions which are really three or four questions in one are often considered to be good basic indicators of intelligence, showing how well your brain can absorb, hold and process multiple concepts simultaneously. Trust me; this is not an easy question especially when you are already under pressure.

Your answer

Fear not. Tricky as this question is, if you’ve prepared for it (which, if you’re reading this, you hopefully will have done), then it all boils down to keeping your cool, breaking the question down into its component parts and addressing each of them in turn. You should also aim to go heavy on the strengths and opportunities, and a little more gently with the weaknesses and threats. It’s a big question but try to keep your answer reasonably concise. As with other questions about potentially negative issues, try to put a positive spin on matters. If the role you are being interviewed for could play a part in tackling these weaknesses and threats, then make sure you say so.

Alternative and related questions

• Why have you applied for this vacancy?
• What appeals to you most about this vacancy?

The meaning behind the question

The interviewer wants to make sure that you really understand the role for which you are applying, and that you fully appreciate what would be involved if you were to be appointed to the role. If you haven’t been questioned separately about this, then they will also be trying to glean why it is that you applied for this vacancy and why it appeals to you.

Your answer

Clearly, if you don’t have a reasonably thorough understanding of the role (from the job description or person specification etc.), then you shouldn’t even be at the interview. You need to demonstrate comprehensively to the interviewer that you fully appreciate what the role entails and, ideally, you want to try to pre-empt the next question in this chapter, question 34, ‘How do your skills and experience match the job description/person specification?’

For advice on how to deal with explaining why it is that you have applied for this vacancy and why it appeals to you, please refer to the separate questions, ‘Why have you applied for this vacancy?’ in the previous chapter and question 35, ‘What appeals to you most about this vacancy?’

You can then go on to deliver your prepared answer to the following question.

Alternative and related questions

• Do you feel your skills and experience match the job description/person specification?
• Do you feel that you have the skills and experience necessary to undertake this job?

The meaning behind the question

Answering this question is going to be one of your interviewer’s primary goals. Many of the other questions will lead them towards an answer but sometimes the interviewer will just come out and ask you directly to tell them how you match the job description/person specification.

As well as helping the interviewer to gauge how well your skills and experience match what they are looking for, this question will also reveal a lot about how you perceive the job in question.

Your answer

You’re not going to get away with answering, ‘Very well!’ to this question. What the interviewer expects you to do – and what you very much need to do – is to explain precisely how your skills and experience match the job description/person specification.

Job descriptions and person specifications are often very lengthy and comprehensive. You don’t want to go into too much detail when answering this question – not least because it could get rather boring! The best strategy to adopt is for you to select a handful of issues and briefly talk about each in turn expressing each in terms of your prospective employer’s needs.

Naturally, you will need to give this some thought and to have determined in advance what skills and experience the interviewer is going to be most interested in.

This answer has obviously been written from the point of view of someone seeking a very senior role. However, the basic principles can easily be adapted to your own specific circumstances. Remember that my examples are purely intended to help illustrate the points made; it’s essential for you to think for yourself and to create your own answers.

Alternative and related questions

• What are you most looking forward to in this job?
• What is it that you are looking for in a new job?
• Why have you applied for this vacancy?

The meaning behind the question

This question is similar to the question, ‘Why have you applied for this vacancy?’ that we discussed in the previous chapter. However, it is sufficiently different – and sufficiently popular – to warrant covering it separately.

The interviewer knows that there will be a number of factors which draw you to this vacancy. What they are looking for with this question is to identify your key motivator – what really matters most to you. This will naturally give some insight into you as both a professional and a person.

Your answer

There’s a right way and a wrong way to answer this question. The wrong way is to see matters entirely from your own point of view and to cite some aspect of the vacancy which meets your own needs first and foremost. The right way is to make sure you identify some aspect of the vacancy which you can talk about in such a way as to place emphasis on how you meet the organisation’s needs. The interviewer is more interested in how you meet the company’s needs than in how they can meet yours.

Alternative and related questions

• What took you into this line of work?
• What do you like best about this line of work?

The meaning behind the question

The interviewer could have asked, ‘Was it the right choice?’ because this is what they are trying to establish, was this the right choice for you and, if so, why? As with almost every other question, the interviewer will be looking for ways in which your answer can be applied to the requirements of the job for which you are applying.

Your answer

Hopefully you’ve already gone a long way towards convincing the interviewer that you want this job. Now you need to convince them that this line of work really is the right one for you. In what ways are you best suited to it?

You definitely need to demonstrate enthusiasm for your work and if you can manage to demonstrate passion then that’s even better. Above all you need to show an interest in your line of work and give sound reasons for your having embarked upon this particular career path. Avoid at all costs giving the impression that it is something you just randomly drifted into.

Try to sprinkle your explanation with specific examples of relevant skills and abilities.

Alternative and related questions

• What other organisations are you applying to?
• What other jobs have you applied for?
• Have you had any other interviews yet?
• Have you received any job offers yet?

The meaning behind the question

This question has nothing directly to do with your ability to do the job. The interviewer is trying to gauge how important this particular application is to you and how much you are in demand with other – possibly competing – organisations. They want to assess how discerning you are or, the other side of the coin, how desperate you are. If you’ve already received a firm offer from another organisation, then they will know they need to act fast if they don’t want to lose you.

Your answer

You’ve got to tread carefully here. You don’t want to be trapped into disclosing too much detail especially the names of specific organisations. The only exception to this is if you are also applying to a direct competitor. It’s a risky move, the interviewer might see this as rather mercenary on your part but it can motivate them to want to secure your services rather than let ‘the enemy’ acquire you. Generally, it’s best to dodge the question somewhat and give an appropriately vague answer but, above all, to be truthful. If you round off your answer by emphasising that this particular vacancy is your preferred choice, then the interviewer is unlikely to press you for further details of your other applications.

Alternative and related questions

• Why do you want this particular job?
• What most attracts you to this opportunity rather than other vacancies you have applied for?

The meaning behind the question

This is clearly a more probing question than the previous question and you may well find it being asked as a follow-up to that question. The interviewer is trying to gauge how motivated you are to win this particular role as opposed to one of the others currently open to you. They want to know where they fit on the scale.

Your answer

You’re going to have to tread a fine line here. It’s vital to communicate that this job is, of course, your preferred choice (even if one of the other offers is blatantly superior). However, you most certainly don’t want to give the impression that this job is your only choice. That would severely weaken your position. The best strategy is to sidestep the question as best you can and focus very much on the vacancy at hand and what most attracts you to this job and to this organisation.

Alternative and related questions

• Which of your employers was the best?

The meaning behind the question

By identifying what you perceive as the perfect employer, the interviewer can assess how closely their organisation fits this profile and how well you are likely to fit in with the organisation. It’s a clever question and sets a trap that a weaker candidate is likely to walk straight into. If they don’t fit your definition of the ideal employer, then why would they want to hire you?

Your answer

It doesn’t really matter what your idea of an ideal employer is. What matters is that your description should match the organisation to which you are now applying. Of course, if there’s a big difference between your prospective employer and your conception of the ideal employer then you should perhaps be asking yourself whether this is really going to be the right job for you.

The easiest way to tackle this question is to first identify what it is that you like best about your prospective employer and then build your description of your ideal employer around this.

If you’ve already prepared an answer to ‘Why do you want to work for this organisation?’ (which I covered in the previous chapter), then you can recycle some of the ideas you had for that.

Word of warning

It would be inappropriate to openly state that you feel their organisation to be the ‘perfect’ employer. You will inevitably come across as phoney!

Alternative and related questions

• Can you tell me about the best boss you’ve ever had?
• Putting yourself in your manager’s shoes, what is the best way to manage you?

The meaning behind the question

Along the same lines as the previous question, the interviewer is looking to identify how well you are likely to fit in with your manager. If your prospective manager differs significantly from the description you give, then it’s going to raise questions in the interviewer’s mind as to how well you are likely to be able to work together.

You should also be aware that the way you answer this question can reveal a lot about what sort of a person you will be to manage.

Your answer

It’s best to avoid going into too much detail and giving too precise a description. Try to keep your answer broad so that it is unlikely to exclude too many people. Horoscopes are carefully written to sound meaningful and yet remain as vague as possible so they can be pertinent to as many people as possible. You want to adopt the same tactic.

By phrasing your answer carefully, you can also score a few discreet points with regard to what sort of a person you are like to work with. Try to convey the impression that you’d most like to work for someone who was a lot like you and then give a positive description of that person.