They say that you have to write 100 resumes just to get one interview. So what happens when you finally land one? With any luck, you’ll be blowing them out of the water. After all, it’s been going great. You’re building rapport, crafting a strong narrative for your years of experience and the hiring manager’s head seems to be nodding in tune with your responses. You’ve been thrown a couple of softballs to get warmed up and a couple of tricks ones to show how you think on your feet.

And then, all of a sudden, you get thrown a pitch from left field: that’s a nice engagement ring, comments your interviewer. Are you getting married this year? If alarm bells aren’t sounding in your mind already, they should be – this was a classic example of a no-so-innocent, seemingly-benign, and entirely illegal interview question. While no one is going to burst in and read your interviewer their legal rights before making an arrest, this and many other types of questions can be grounds for filing a discriminatory complaint.

But, before we even get there, let’s avoid getting there, shall we? If this is a position you really want, then you might not want to burn bridges so quickly. Here are five illegal interview questions and how you can field them in the right way:

1. Are you comfortable working for a female boss?

Hiring decisions should be based on behavioral evaluations and your past experience. In this case, while the interviewer is not exactly asking you to identify with a particular gender, they’re inserting the theme into the question in general. Whether your boss is female or male is not relevant information so take that position in your mind when crafting your response.

Your response can focus on “management” instead, keeping it gender neutral: “I’ve worked well with all my previous senior managers and I’m a team player who has been part of multiple projects at a time.”

2. Your potential team members and you would have a significant age gap. Would this be a problem for you?

Once again, this illegal interview question is phrased in such an indirect manner that it seems perfectly innocuous. While it doesn’t directly ask you to disclose your age, it certainly does put you in the uncomfortable position of having to evaluate how your age rather than your experience would fare in a team.

The discrimination inherent in this question can go both ways. If you’re a younger person with relevant experience, you could feel intimidated by members of an older team not because you think you have anything to worry about but because this question suggests that it’s a point of concern. Or, if you’re older, with the relevant experience that would otherwise make you the right candidate for this position, it could be uncomfortable thinking about fitting in to a team of younger people.

So how do you handle this one? With grace and ease, once again bringing the spotlight back to you (where it rightly should be!) instead of your age: “I would feel very comfortable working in a team of experienced and like-minded individuals because it is an environment I have thrived in before, as evidenced by my previous positions.”

Round one, You!

3. Where are you from?

Questions regarding your nationality, or that require you to reveal any ancestry are strictly discriminatory and, regardless of how it’s phrased, you should keep your ears open for them.

Only respond to questions that are relevant to the job or that have been specifically advertised in the job description. For example, if an interviewer asks, “Do you speak any language other than English?” that is not allowed. But if the job you’re vying for requires bilingualism, interviewers are well within their rights to ask if you’re fluent in both languages required.

4. When was your last credit check performed?

This is an interesting one because, unlike the previous examples, it’s quite direct and yet wouldn’t automatically register in our minds as an illegal interview question. You may think that the nature of the job might be an exception – financial positions in a bank, for example – but you’d be wrong.

The only time you should be asked about your credit history and rating, up front, is when getting a loan of any type. Other than that, this has no real-world relevancy. And the best part? Large corporations that hire for senior positions often have the practice of performing a background check on a candidate anyway. Which means they have the resources to find the answer themselves and you should not be put in the position of revealing it.

You can politely decline to answer or even ask the interviewer to clarify which part of the job this would pertain to. It will get your point across – without teeth.

5. Are you willing to make arrangements for childcare to cover any potential overtime?

This question turns your personal and family status into a liability. While it seems like the interviewer and company is watching out for your commitments and, it could be argued, warning you that overtime is often a possibility with the position, it’s benign outer cover is wrapping a more distasteful center: the idea that parents who have commitments outside of the workplace will be discounted.

You want to work for a company where merit counts first: your work, behavior and performance as directly related to deliverables are the only things that should count when it comes to hiring, firing and promotions.

To field this one, try to put your own spin on a variation of this: “I’m very excited about the potential for long-term growth in your company and I am open to staying flexible and doing what I can to give the position the best of my abilities. My past experience shows that I’m more than capable of performing the duties this position calls for.”

When you’re faced with illegal questions, often it’s the phrasing that will set you off. Interviewers can ask questions in a certain way that do not automatically seem like the question has any illegal dimension and yet you have to be on the lookout for factors related to demographics. So if it in any remote way requires you to disclose information about political and/or religious affiliations, gender, age, marital status, and any of the examples listed above, steer clear.

You can always maintain your boundaries and control with a polite but firm response such as, “There is nothing in my past/present circumstance that would affect my ability to perform my duties related to this job.” This kind of response is succinct and cordial.

And, lastly, never feel cornered, as though you don’t have options. If you face illegal interview questions at any time you can either re-pivot and choose simply to not pursue the discussion, answer with a polite “no,” like in our example, or reframe the question, bringing it back to the job at hand, the position in general and your experience as it relates.

If all else fails, remember: there are plenty of other fish in the sea!

The post 5 Super Sneaky Illegal Interview Questions and How to Answer appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

How to Answer Some of the Toughest Questions to Get the Job

There are the basic interview questions that almost every hiring manager asks. There are also interview questions that are more of a challenge to answer. These tougher questions give the interviewer a deeper sense of who you are and whether you’re a good fit for the company.

Some are trick questions and others are designed to put you on the spot to see how you react. There are also those that don’t have a right or wrong answer.

With those, how you respond is as important as what you say when you answer.

Here are some of the toughest interview questions that employers ask, along with advice on how to respond and sample answers.

Personality Questions

Preparing for an interview is a good chance to reexamine yourself because the interviewer wants to see what type of personality you have. These questions get to that core and dig into who you are on a personal level.

• Are you nice?
• Do you have any pet peeves?
• How do you handle stress?
• If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do?
• What motivates you?

The “Weakness” Questions

Ah, the “What is your greatest weakness?” questions! They are painful but interviewers love to ask them and you need to be ready with a good answer. They want you to be honest, but you don’t have to dig into your dark past or reveal everything.

There is a good and a bad way to answer these questions.

One thing is for sure, you should never say, “I don’t have any.”

• Have you learned from your mistakes?
• Interview questions about weaknesses.
• What do people most often criticize about you?
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
• Interview questions about handling problems at your last job.
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
• What was it like working with your supervisor?
• Who was your best boss and who was the worst?

The “Why Are You Leaving” Questions

Questions about why you are looking for work are among the toughest you will face, particularly if the circumstances are less than positive. An honest, well-thought out answer can get you through this round of questioning.

Ending on a positive note or showing a new direction in your life can turn a negative experience around. Be confident in this answer.

• Termination interview questions.
• Why are you interested in a lower level job?
• Why do you want to change jobs?
• Why have you been out of work?
• Why were you fired?

Tough “On the Job” Questions

This round of questions is trying to probe for how you would work in the company’s environment. Each workplace is different and they have expectations of their employees, but honest answers can help bridge any gaps.

• Are you overqualified for this job?
• How would you handle it if your boss was wrong?
• How much do you expect to get paid?
• What do you expect from a supervisor?

Tricky Interview Questions

You will need to put a little thought into answering these and they’re just a few examples of tricky questions. Many times, the interviewer wants to see how well you respond to changing environments and how fast you can think on your feet.

Be prepared with a few answers to the most common questions but be ready for something totally off the wall. If you need to, repeat the question as you come up with an answer. It’s a great trick because it gives you time to think.

• Brain teaser interview questions.
• Questions without right or wrong answers.
• Tell me about your dream job.
• Where else are you interviewing?
• Why should we hire you?

What to Do if You Don’t Have an Answer

Sometimes, despite doing all the preparation you can for an interview you just don’t have an answer or can’t think of something to say right away. Don’t panic! Here’s what to do when you can’t answer an interview question.

The post 29 Tough Job Interview Questions and Answers appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Preparing for an interview takes a lot more than Googling a list of common interview questions. You have to make a great first impression appearance-wise (no wrinkly suits here!), have a great knowledge of your target company and its product, and, of course, know exactly how to convey that you’re the perfect fit for the job.

So to help you get prepared, we compiled a list of our all-time best pre-interview tips. From strategizing about how to tackle the toughest questions to packing your purse or briefcase, we’ve got you covered – with 30 ways to make sure you bring your A-game.

Pack (and Dress) Accordingly

1. Plan the perfect outfit. For companies that have a business or business casual dress code, keep your look basic and conservative for the first interview. Not sure what to wear? If you have a contact or friend who works at the company you’re interviewing with, see if he or she can give you a heads up as to what people wear. If you don’t have that luxury, hang out at a coffee shop across the street, and try to get a glimpse at what people are wearing.

2. Make sure you get your suit cleaned, pressed, and tailored (a modern fit is best). People often have their “interviewing outfit” that’s been sitting in their closet for the past couple of years, and they dust it off for the occasion – you don’t want to be that guy or girl.

3. Don’t forget about the little things: Shine your shoes, check for loose hems, and make sure your fingernails look manicured. This is the stuff that you don’t always think people notice – but they do!

4. Do a little pampering, because looking your best helps you feel your best. If that means you need a facial, haircut, razor shave, or even a new interview outfit, then by all means do it! Feeling good about yourself will boost your confidence – and we probably don’t have to tell you that confidence is key to landing your dream job.

5. Print out five copies of your resume. You never know who you’ll be meeting with, and you want to have your resume ready to go in case you’re asked for it.

6. Prepare a reference list, whether you think you’ll be asked for it or not. For each reference, include a name, title, organization, division or department, telephone number, and email address, as well as a sentence briefly explaining the relationship (e.g., “Carlton was my team leader for two years, during which we collaborated on four major product launches”).

7. Prep a go-to interview kit for your purse or briefcase. It should be large enough to hold your everyday essentials, plus your interview musts, such as extra resumes and a notepad, as well as a special emergency kit stocked with what you might need in an unexpected situation (think: Band-Aids, a stain stick, an umbrella, and breath mints).

8. Clean out your bag! If you have to dig past candy wrappers, phone chargers, and old receipts to get that resume, you’re going to look a little unorganized. Everything you need should be neatly organized and readily accessible. The less you have to rifle through your bag, the better.

Know Your Audience

9. Spend a few hours learning everything you can about the company – from as many sources as you can. Talk to friends and contacts, read current news releases, and, yes, spend some time on Google. Often, candidates just look at the information a company is pushing out via the website and social media, but fail to look more in depth at what others are saying. By doing so, you’ll get the larger picture about the company (along with any negative press).

10. Get a sense of “who” the company is and how to embody a similar personality during your interview. Start by reading the company’s blog and Facebook page – the tone of the company’s content on these sites will speak volumes. Or, try reading individual employees’ blogs to figure out what type of people work (and excel) there.

11.Twitter can also be an excellent resource because you can see what the company and its employees are talking about. Are they sarcastically bantering with each other? Feel free to throw a few jokes in as you’re meeting with people. Are they tweeting up a storm about an event or product launch? Use it as a conversation starter.

12.No matter what role you’re interviewing for – engineering, sales, marketing – you should always use the product before your first interview (and ideally, a few times). If hired, your goal will be to create value for the people who use that product, and being a user yourself is the first step.

13. Check out Glassdoor for company reviews from current and previous employees – but take them as a guide, not fact. Reading enough reviews can reveal some common themes, which can help you come up with insightful questions to ask (and get a sense for whether the answers you get are legit).

14. Before your interview, get a list of the people you’re meeting with from the company. Then, make sure you know their background and reputation to the extent possible – including what type of behavior might intrigue them or turn them off. Finally, prep some questions that are specific to each interviewer: Ask for details about her focus at the firm, discuss current events on his specialty, or bring up a common interest you know he or she has outside the office.

15. Different firms use different interview formats, so ask what you’ll be faced with. For example, some companies will ask case questions or brain teasers while others will give a standard set of typical interview and leadership questions. Asking the recruiter or HR contact about the interview format ahead of time is totally fair game. And once you know, investing time to become familiar with this style can make a huge difference.

Anticipate the Questions You’ll Be Asked – and How to Answer Them

16. Even if you’re a well-oiled interviewing machine, it’s essential to spend time thinking carefully about what skills, accomplishments, and interview answers will resonate with your interviewers most. Your management abilities? Your creativity? The examples you share will probably be slightly different everywhere you interview.

17. Have an answer to “tell me about yourself!” ready to go. Interviewers always ask it, and you want to be sure to nail this first part of the interview.

18. Don’t be thrown off by the classic, “What’s your biggest weakness?” One foolproof method: Think of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve. For example, maybe you’ve never been strong at public speaking, but over the past few years, you’ve taken on leadership roles and volunteered to run meetings to help you be more comfortable when addressing a crowd.

19. You can easily find lists of common interview questions – but don’t prepare by writing out your entire answer; instead, jot down a few notes or bullet points and keep them on hand for the interview itself. You’ll ensure you cover the bases – without reading from a script.

20. Don’t forget about the numbers! Finding some numbers, percentages, increases, or quotas you can use when talking about your responsibilities and accomplishments really sweetens the deal and helps you tell a hiring manager why you’re so awesome.

21. It’s likely you’ll get asked why you’re interested in this particular role and company. (And if you can’t answer this question, you shouldn’t be in the interview!) So to make sure you can, consider why you’re interested in the function and identify a couple of key factors that make it a great fit for you (e.g., “I love customer support because I love the constant human interaction and the satisfaction that comes from helping someone solve a problem”).

22. Don’t just think about how you’ll answer certain questions; practice looking in the mirror and answering them out loud. This prep work will help you clarify your thoughts and make you much more comfortable during the interview.

23. Do as many mock interviews as you possibly can with a friend. You’ll be much better at answering, “So, tell me about yourself!” and “What would you bring to the position?” the 100th time you do it than the first, right?

24. When the interview winds down, you’ll surely be asked, “So, do you have any questions for me?” So, prepare a few smart questions-thoughtful ones that show you’ve been paying attention and have done your homework when it comes to researching the company and the specific job you’re after.

Get Your Head in the Right Place

25. Spend the most time before the interview not rehearsing questions, but reflecting on your career chronology to date. When you know your story inside and out, it’s much easier to apply examples to just about any interview question.

26. Getting ready for a technical interview? Start preparing as early as possible. Working through a prep book or sample questions will not only give you good practice, but it’ll also put you in the right problem-solving mindset.

27. Come up with a go-to phrase that’ll help you avoid dead air if you need time to stall and gather your thoughts. Two strategies that work well are repeating the question thoughtfully before answering or saying (slowly), “Now, that is a great question. I think I would have to say….”

28. Brush up on what certain body language conveys. Be aware of what you’re communicating through your posture and stance – and make sure it’s good. (For example, sitting with your arms and legs crossed sends a message that you are closed-off or feel defensive.) Think your movements through ahead of time so you are not distracted (or distracting) during the interview.

29. Use our all-in-one interview guide to compile all the details you need to remember, jot down notes about what you want to say and ask, and check off all the essentials you need to bring. Print one out for every interview, read it over the morning of, and you’ll be good to go!

30. Oh, and get some sleep. This sounds like something your mom would tell you, but there are few things that will throw you off your game like sleep deprivation.

The post The Ultimate Interview Guide: 30 Prep Tips for Job Interview Success appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

There are a few general interview questions that you are likely to be asked, regardless of what job you are interviewing for. One question you will often be asked is, “What interests you about this job?” The interviewer will want to see that you know quite a bit about the job, what the key requirements are, what skills will help you to excel, and how your experience matches up with those expectations.

How to Answer Interview Questions About Why You are Interested in the Job

To help you prepare to answer a question about what interests you about the job, you should carefully read the job posting, noting the stated requirements, skills, and experience. It is also helpful to see if there is more information on the company website about what is expected in the role for which you are applying. Make a list of your skills that pair well with the stated requirements, and try to think of specific examples of when you used these skills for success on the job.

Best Answers

The best way to respond is to describe the qualifications listed in the job posting, then connect them to your skills and experience, using anecdotes from your previous positions. That way, the employer will see that you know about the job you’re interviewing for (not everyone does) and that you have the qualifications necessary to do the job.

Example #1

For example, if you were interviewing for a Human Resources Manager job where you would be responsible for recruiting, orientation and training, you would want to discuss how you were responsible for these functions in your past positions, and why you are interested in continuing to develop your expertise in Human Resources management.

Example #2

Another example would be if you were interviewing for a Programmer / Analyst position. In that case, you would mention your interest in learning and excelling at new technologies, your experience in programming new applications, and your interest in and ability to problem solve.

Make sure you convey your appreciation for the opportunity to interview, as well as your enthusiasm for the position and your solid ability to do the job.

The post Job Interview Question: What Interests You About This Job? appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.