These 3 'sudden death' answers instantly disqualify you in a job interview, expert says — what to say instead

 Chris Clark

You walk into a job interview knowing you’ve only got one shot. Your resume got you through the door, but now every word counts. And according to one business management expert, three answers can instantly disqualify you — no matter how qualified you are.

“Sudden death” answers, Suzy Welch calls them. Responses so tone-deaf, generic or self-defeating they instantly lead to rejection by recruiters. And in a tough hiring market, candidates can’t afford unforced errors.

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You walk into a job interview knowing you’ve only got one shot. Your resume got you through the door, but now every word counts. And according to one business management expert, three answers can instantly disqualify you — no matter how qualified you are.

“Sudden death” answers, Suzy Welch calls them. Responses so tone-deaf, generic or self-defeating they instantly lead to rejection by recruiters. And in a tough hiring market, candidates can’t afford unforced errors.

“The job market today is challenging, and people are having to work hard just to land interviews,” Welch, a business professor at New York University and acclaimed author, wrote in an article for CNBC [1]. She’s also CEO of Becoming You Media. “That’s why once you’re in the door, every answer has to hit right.”

So what are these fatal mistakes, and what should you say instead?

The three 'sudden death' answers

Welch lays out the fatal interview responses. In each case, the problem isn’t just the words, it’s what they represent. These answers, she says, signal to employers you haven’t done your homework, you’re not invested in the role or you lack initiative.

1. 'I want to start my own business someday'

To a recruiter, that sounds like you may already be planning your exit. Companies know new hires can take years to pay off, so if you hint you’ll leave early, they might think twice about taking the risk. A better way to show ambition, Welch says, is showing an intention to satisfy your ambition in the company you’re interviewing with.

2. 'I value work-life balance and self-care'

Everyone wants balance, but framing it as your top priority could cause managers to question your drive. Welch suggests an answer that acknowledges the need for balance but prioritizes growth, quality work and a high-performing team atmosphere.

 

Read #3 and the complete Yahoo article 

 

 

8 Ways To Show You Are A Leader During Virtual Job Interviews

William Arruda

It’s undeniably harder to make a memorable impression in virtual job interviews than when you're sitting across the table from a hiring manager in person. The screen acts as a scrim that dilutes your presence, and there’s increased potential for distractions. Yet, whether they happen in the real or virtual world, first impressions last. In this setting, you need to prove you’re a leader despite the limitations of the medium.

The people interviewing you are decision-makers. They’re assessing whether you have the leadership skills and potential they’re looking for. When you demonstrate your leadership qualities right from the start, you’ll not only boost your chances of landing the job, but also set yourself up for success in future leadership roles. Here are eight ways to show you’re a leader during a virtual job interview.

1. Get Your Digital Brand In Order

Before your interview, chances are high that your interviewer will look you up online. In fact, “92% of companies use social media platforms to look up candidates before an interview,” according to the Muse. What they see is their first impression of you as a candidate. That’s why it’s essential to polish your digital presence, particularly your Google search results and LinkedIn profile.

Start by googling yourself (“narcissurfing,” as some call it) and take a critical look at what comes up. Does it reflect someone with leadership potential? Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date, complete, and replete with examples of your leadership skills. Highlight projects you’ve led, initiatives you launched, and challenges you’ve overcome. Your online presence should reinforce your personal brand as a confident and capable leader.

3. Be Extra Human

The 13” screen can feel impersonal and create distance between you and the interviewer. Compensate by bringing warmth and humanity into your interaction. Be empathetic and approachable. For example, having a link to your résumé (and other online content that backs up your claims) ready to paste into the chat shows thoughtfulness and an effort to make things easier for your interviewer.

Remember, leaders inspire and engage people. Stories are a great way to make a personal connection (more on that below). Smile, listen actively, and let your personality come through. This isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about making them see you as someone they’d love to have on their team.

5. Ask Strategic Questions

Leaders think beyond their immediate tasks and keep their focus on the bigger picture. During your interview, demonstrate this mindset by asking thoughtful, strategic questions (here’s a list of 23 questions to consider). When you ask questions, you turn your interview into an interactive conversation with more depth and engagement. Asking strategic questions show that you’re already thinking like a leader, not just a candidate.

7. Share Stories Of Growing Others

Leadership isn’t just about personal success; it’s about helping others succeed. Share examples of how you’ve supported your colleagues, mentored less experienced team members, or helped peers achieve their goals. Management guru Jack Welch famously said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” Talk about times when you inspired others to exceed their own expectations or helped someone navigate a tough situation. These stories highlight your focus on others and ability to lead with empathy and vision.

Read ways 2,4,6,8 and the complete Forbes article 

 

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How to Master the Top 25 Interview Questions: A Comprehensive Guide

How to Master the Top 25 Interview Questions: A Comprehensive Guide

Interviewing for a job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. One of the most effective ways to boost your chances of success is by preparing thoroughly for the most common interview questions. While each interview may vary, there are certain questions that are nearly always asked, and being ready for them can make a significant difference.

Here’s how to master the top 25 interview questions and stand out as the ideal candidate:

1. Tell Me About Yourself

This is often the first question in an interview, and it's your chance to introduce yourself in a concise, engaging way. Focus on your professional background, key accomplishments, and what brought you to this particular role.

Tip: Craft a brief elevator pitch that highlights your experience and how it aligns with the job you're applying for. Keep it under two minutes.

2. Why Do You Want to Work Here?

Interviewers ask this to gauge your motivation and interest in the company. Your answer should demonstrate you've researched the company and understand its culture and values.

Tip: Mention specific aspects of the company that appeal to you, such as their mission, projects, or growth opportunities. Align this with your own career goals.

3. What Are Your Strengths?

This is your opportunity to showcase your top skills. Think about the qualities that make you good at your job and choose the ones most relevant to the position.

Tip: Provide examples of how you’ve demonstrated these strengths in your previous roles.

4. What Are Your Weaknesses?

This question can feel tricky, but the key is to be honest while framing your weakness as an opportunity for growth. Choose a weakness that doesn’t directly affect your ability to do the job, and show how you’re working to improve it.

Tip: Acknowledge your weakness and explain the steps you're taking to overcome it.

5. Why Should We Hire You?

This is your chance to make a compelling case for why you are the best fit for the position. Focus on your skills, experience, and attributes that align with the job description.

Tip: Summarize your key qualifications and show how they directly benefit the company.

6. Tell Me About a Time You Faced a Challenge at Work

Behavioral interview questions like this one are common. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answer.

Tip: Share a specific example, focusing on how you handled the situation and the positive outcome.

7. Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

Interviewers ask this to assess your long-term interest in the role and company. Your answer should convey ambition, but also show that you see this position as a step in your career development.

Tip: Link your future goals to the growth opportunities offered by the company, showing that you're looking for both personal and professional growth.

8. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

Salary questions can be uncomfortable, but it’s best to be prepared. Do research on industry standards and consider your own needs and value.

Tip: Provide a salary range based on your research, and express flexibility for negotiation.

9. Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?

Keep this answer positive, even if your departure was due to negative circumstances. Focus on what you learned from the experience and how the new opportunity aligns better with your goals.

Tip: Avoid speaking negatively about your previous employer. Keep the answer focused on your desire for new challenges or growth.

10. How Do You Handle Stress and Pressure?

The interviewer is trying to gauge how you perform under pressure. Share examples of how you've successfully managed stress in the past.

Tip: Discuss specific strategies you use, like time management, prioritization, or seeking support when needed.

11. Tell Me About a Time You Worked as Part of a Team

This question assesses your teamwork skills. Choose an example where you contributed positively to a team project.

Tip: Highlight your role in the team, how you collaborated, and the successful outcome.

12. How Do You Prioritize Your Work?

The interviewer wants to understand your time management skills. Share your approach to staying organized and meeting deadlines.

Tip: Describe specific tools or methods you use to prioritize tasks, such as to-do lists or digital project management tools.

13. What Is Your Greatest Achievement?

This is your opportunity to showcase your accomplishments. Choose an achievement that is relevant to the job and demonstrates your skills.

Tip: Use the STAR method again to explain the context and outcome of your achievement.

14. How Do You Handle Conflict?

Conflict resolution is an important skill in any workplace. Provide an example of how you've resolved a disagreement in the past.

Tip: Emphasize communication, empathy, and compromise in your answer.

15. What Makes You Unique?

This question is designed to help interviewers understand what sets you apart from other candidates.

Tip: Highlight a unique skill, experience, or perspective that adds value to the role.

16. What Do You Know About Our Company?

Before the interview, do your homework! Show the interviewer that you understand the company’s mission, products, and culture.

Tip: Mention a recent project, news item, or initiative that you find interesting or impressive.

17. How Do You Stay Organized?

Interviewers want to know how you manage your responsibilities. Discuss your organizational systems, whether they are digital or physical.

Tip: Highlight specific tools (e.g., project management software, calendars, or task trackers) that you use to stay on top of your work.

18. What Motivates You?

Employers want to know what drives you to succeed. Share examples of situations where you’ve been particularly motivated or passionate about your work.

Tip: Align your motivation with the company’s values or the nature of the job.

19. What Are Your Career Goals?

Your answer should show that you're committed to your professional growth and that your goals align with the company’s objectives.

Tip: Mention how this role fits into your long-term plans, while also expressing flexibility and openness to new opportunities.

20. What Is Your Management Style? (If Applying for a Leadership Role)

If you're applying for a leadership position, this question will gauge your approach to managing others. Be prepared to discuss how you motivate and guide your team.

Tip: Give examples of how you’ve effectively led teams, focusing on communication, support, and decision-making.

21. Tell Me About a Time You Failed

Failure is a part of growth, and interviewers want to know how you handle setbacks. Share an honest story about a failure, focusing on what you learned and how you applied that lesson.

Tip: Use the STAR method to explain the situation, actions, and the lessons you took away from the experience.

22. How Do You Handle Feedback?

Employers want to know that you can accept constructive criticism and use it to improve. Share an example of how you’ve received feedback and taken action to improve.

Tip: Emphasize your willingness to learn and adapt.

23. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?

This is your chance to demonstrate your interest in the company and the role. Prepare a few thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer.

Tip: Ask about the team structure, company culture, or future projects.

24. How Do You Keep Learning and Growing?

Employers value candidates who are proactive about personal and professional development. Share how you stay updated on industry trends, acquire new skills, or seek out mentorship.

Tip: Mention relevant courses, books, podcasts, or networking opportunities you engage with to continue learning.

25. Why Do You Want This Job?

This is similar to the "Why do you want to work here?" question, but it focuses more specifically on the role. Discuss how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the job.

Tip: Connect your professional strengths and aspirations with the specific duties and challenges of the role.

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Final Tips for Interview Success:

• Practice: Rehearse your answers to common questions, but keep them natural. You want to sound prepared, not scripted.
• Be Honest: Authenticity goes a long way in interviews. If you're unsure about a question, be honest about it.
• Stay Calm and Confident: Remember, interviews are as much about finding the right fit for the company as they are about finding the right candidate for the job.

By mastering these 25 interview questions, you’ll be well-prepared to leave a lasting impression and increase your chances of landing your next job.

by Tim Esse

5 Things All Interviewers Want to Know About Your Employee Brand

In today's competitive job market, your employee brand is more important than ever. It's not just about your skills and experience; interviewers are increasingly interested in how you present yourself as a professional and what value you bring to their organization. Here are five key aspects of your employee brand that all interviewers want to know about:

4. Your Continuous Learning and Adaptability

In a rapidly changing work environment, employers value candidates who are committed to growth. They're interested in:

• Recent courses or certifications you've completed
• How you stay updated with industry trends
• Your ability to adapt to new technologies or methodologies

Tip: Highlight specific examples of how you've applied new knowledge or skills in your previous roles.

5. Your Long-term Career Goals

Interviewers want to understand how the role fits into your broader career trajectory. They're curious about:

• Where you see yourself in the next 5-10 years
• How this position aligns with your career aspirations
• Your commitment to personal and professional development

Tip: Be honest about your ambitions while emphasizing how they can benefit the company in the long run.

By focusing on these five aspects of your employee brand, you'll be well-prepared to make a strong impression in your next interview. Remember, your employee brand is not just about marketing yourself—it's about authentically communicating your professional identity and the unique value you bring to potential employers.

Read the first three things that interviews want to know and the full article

 

Always ask these 4 questions when you’re interviewing for a job, says ex-Google recruiter

Gili Malinsky

When you’re interviewing for a job, “asking great questions is such an underrated way to differentiate yourself from everyone else,” says Nolan Church, former Google recruiter and current CEO of salary data company FairComp. Good questions can help make the case for why you’re a rockstar at work.

But asking great questions can serve other purposes, too. Specifically, Church would recommend asking ones that do two things: help you suss out your level of interest in the role and set you up for success on day one if you get an offer and decide you do want the job.

Here are four questions Church recommends asking.

1) ‘What is the company’s north star for the next 12 months?’

A company’s north star sums up its goals and mission.

The question gives you a sense of whether or not the people interviewing you “actually have clarity on what matters,” he says. Do they know what they want or are they just aimlessly working toward some nebulous idea of success? The latter would make it tough to know what to prioritize yourself.

It also gives you a sense of how aligned the various people interviewing you are. “If everyone can’t tell me the same answer here,” he says, “red flag.” It means your priorities could differ depending on the stakeholder, and it will be very hard to satisfy people across the board.

If the company is clear on where it’s going and everyone agrees, the question helps you figure out if you’re “actually excited about solving the problems associated with that north star,” he says. If not, maybe the job isn’t for you.

3) ‘What’s the one thing you love most about the culture?’

Questions like, “what’s the company culture?” can be vague, says Church. These questions likely won’t give you a detailed sense of what the vibe is like on the inside.

But if you ask about the one thing people love most, “you will get a very specific answer,” he says. “And that specificity will lead to insights.” Most importantly, if you connect with what people say they love about the company, it could very well be a place you, too, would enjoy working.

Read questions 2,4, & the complete CNBC article

 

The No. 1 reason people ‘fail’ job interviews, says ex-Amazon recruiter: ‘It causes a lack of trust’

Morgan Smith@thewordsmithm

Some job interview faux pas are obvious. Showing up late or badmouthing your former employer are almost guaranteed to ruin a first impression. 

But there’s one sneaky interview mistake that can cost you the job: Forgetting to provide specific examples in your answers. 

Holly Lee, a former recruiting leader at Amazon, Meta and Google, says it’s “hands down, the number one reason” people tank a job interview. 

“People are either overconfident and think that their resumes speak for themselves, that they only need to provide a vague, short answer, or don’t take the proper time to reflect on how, exactly, their work is benefitting a company’s bottom line — the who, what, when, where and why of it all,” says Lee, who is now a leadership career coach based in Phoenix.

For example: An interviewer might ask you, “What is the biggest impact you’ve made in your career at this point?” 

“If you answer with a brief line like, ‘I saved my company $1 million on a project’ or ‘I made our onboarding process more efficient’ without providing specific context or details, it’s not clear how, exactly, you did that and who you helped,” Lee explains.

Neglecting to provide specific examples of your strengths, contributions and impact in previous roles can hurt your chance of getting an offer because it signals to a potential employer that you’re not thoughtful or trustworthy, says Lee. 

“There’s no such thing as a perfect candidate, but you have to demonstrate what you’ve done in order to build trust and positively influence the person who’s interviewing you,” she examples. “Giving vague, clipped answers causes a lack of trust, it shows me that someone is unprepared and doesn’t have a deliberate approach to their work.”

Tips for acing your next interview .... Read the full MSNBC article 

Visit our sponsor jobsearchandcareeradvice.com

 

The No. 1 job interview phrase that will set you apart from everyone else, says career expert: It’s the ‘most powerful’

Erin McGoff, Contributor

A well-tailored resume with relevant experience will often get you in the door for a job interview. But if you want to land your dream job, you need to convincingly articulate why you are the best person for the role.

As a career coach, I’ve found that there are a number of compelling and powerful phases that hiring professionals love to hear. One of the most powerful ones you can use in a job interview is: “One thing that excites me about this role is ... .” 

Here are 3 reasons why this phrase will set you apart from other candidates:

1. It makes you sound confident

Job interviews are designed with a built-in power imbalance. You want the position, and you have to impress the hiring manager. But when you use this phrase, you subtly convey to the interviewer that you aren’t just in desperate need of a job.

It shows that you are a passionate, curious and capable candidate who is genuinely interested in what the work entails. By flipping the script, you are no longer asking the interviewer to be interested in you. You are telling the interviewer what’s interesting to you about the role.

This subtle power dynamic shift can only help you gain leverage.

Read reasons 2 & 3 plus the full CNBC article

 

A scientist explains the surprising influence of body language in job interviews

By Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Despite rapid advancements in the science of assessments and a booming market for recruitment technologies, it is still virtually impossible for anyone to get a job without first going through a traditional interview. 

This is bad news, since typical job interviews tend to be poor predictors of future performance, and unreliable markers of someone’s true talent. The reason is that all humans are biased, to the point that it’s impossible to resist the impact of first impressions, even when we are determined to do so.

As a result, intuitive inferences of people’s potential are generally flawed and contaminated by a range of irrelevant signals. Those are the things that interviewers cannot ignore but should because they are poorly correlated with future job performance.

A common example is body language or nonverbal communication, which is known to impact others’ evaluations of candidates’ job potential far more than it predicts candidates’ future job performance.

In fact, it takes just 30 seconds for people to make consequential judgments about us based on their initial gut feeling, so there is really no second chance for a first good impression.

To put things into perspective: Imagine that wearing a red sweater increases your chances of being hired, but without boosting your probability of actually being good at that job. In other words, our nonverbal communication, which includes face, voice, body, touch, and interpersonal space, plays a significant role influencing others’ views of our employability without actually being a relevant indicator of it.

To make matters worse, the commonly held belief is that body language matters a great deal more than it does, with popular estimates absurdly claiming that 80% of communication is nonverbal; if this were true, we would not need subtitles when we watch a movie in a foreign language, or interpreters when we travel to a remote country. 

But while we cannot stop people from making conscious and unconscious evaluations of our nonverbal behavior, we can pay attention to the signals we send, curating our professional self-presentation, and using our knowledge of what people look for to our own advantage.

In fact, a fundamental component of social and political skills involves displaying the right kind of verbal and nonverbal communicational signals to improve how we come across to others. 

Status

The more deliberately you seem to engage with the interviewers (e.g., nodding, smiling, making eye contact), the lower the status you will project. Conversely, if you want to project a powerful and high-status image, you may want to seem disengaged, disinterested, and basically play hard to get. 

Read the full Fast Company article to find out about more about Body Language and Interviewing

 

7 Unspoken Job Interview Rules That Everyone Needs To Know

Monica Torres

Rule #1: Interviewers want a highlight reel, not an exhaustive list of everything you have done. 

Job candidates are guaranteed to be asked some version of  “Tell us about yourself” and “Why are you interested in our company/role?” said Anyelis Cordero, founder of Propel on Purpose Coaching, a career coaching service designed for first-generation professionals.

You may think you can just repeat what your resume says. But that would be a mistake.

“Interviewers are going to expect [you] to be able to concisely walk them through your career. This is an area many experienced professionals struggle with, especially first-gen professionals, because the unspoken rule here is that the interview wants the highlight reel,” Cordero said.

“Since most interviews are 30 minutes, if you don’t practice, you’ll make the mistake of spending too much time on this answer and not leave enough time to answer other questions.”

Other job interview questions come with silent subtext and expectations, too.

The job search is all about demonstrating your competence, commitment, and compatibility, said Gorick Ng, a career adviser at Harvard University and the author of “The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right.”

“The interview question ‘Tell us about a time when…?’ is really a competence question of ‘Have you done a similar job before?’ and ‘Do you have a good head on your shoulders?’ The interview question ‘Do you have any questions for me?’ is really a commitment question of ‘Do you care enough about us to do enough research to ask a question that you couldn’t have found the answer to on Google?’ And the interview question ‘Tell us about yourself’ is really a competence, commitment, and compatibility question,” Ng said.

Rule #2: To be a stronger candidate, you need to understand the role of each person you interview with. 

Tailoring your questions and answers based on the roles that individual interviewers hold is one of the best unwritten rules to a successful interview, saidDaniel Space, a senior human resources business partner for large tech companies.

“The way I answer what a peer is going to ask me in an interview is going to be a little different than what I tell a manager,” he said. “I know what the peer wants is: ‘Can Daniel do his job? Can he hold up the team? Is he good for collaboration?’ What the manager wants to know is ‘Can Daniel do his job without a lot of interference from me? Can I trust him to make tough decisions? What level of support do I need to provide him?’”

It’s important to go into a job search process knowing how to tell the story of your career. But if you want to be an even stronger candidate, you need more than one story to tell interviewers, because often, they debrief each other.

Sharai Johnson, a sourcer for Latinx and Black engineering talent for a large tech company, said she wants job candidates to understand the differences between a sourcer, a recruiter and a hiring manager. Johnson said a sourcer’s job is to gain the interest of passive talent; sourcers may schedule the first interview, then pass off duties to a recruiter, who will be in contact with candidates through the end of the hiring process but doesn’t make final hiring decisions. 

“A recruiter and a sourcer can advocate on behalf of a candidate, but at the end of the day, the hiring manager is the one that actually can get the budget approval and send the ‘yes’ or the ‘no,’” Johnson said. “It’s just important to understand those moving parts and those people, so you know who to reach out to and who to direct questions to.”

Rule #4: You need to be prepared with more than one career story to tell. 

It’s important to go into a job search process knowing how to tell the story of your career. But if you want to be an even stronger candidate, you need more than one story to tell interviewers, because often, they debrief each other.

Space said that ideally, you should have three or four success stories that you can rotate between interviewers because he has seen hiring panels in which it counted against candidates if they told the same story to every person they talked with.

“If they have that one amazing story of how they sold that really difficult client, if all five people were told that story, sometimes it helps them because it helps reinforce it,” he said. “But in other cases, it actually helps to have different stories.”

Read the complete Yahoo Finance article for all 7 rules

**  I half disagree with #5 and #6 so take them for what they are worth **

 

I’ve done over 30,000 interviews, says hiring expert: Here are 3 ways to ‘instantly impress’

Morgan Smith@thewordsmithm

 

The first five minutes of a job interview can make or break your odds of landing an offer. 

Those fleeting moments set the tone for the rest of the conversation: If you show up late, unprepared or glued to your phone, it’s hard to convince the interviewer that you want the job, even if you are qualified. 

To capture a hiring manager’s attention, you need to project a friendly, confident and professional demeanor from the onset, says William Vanderbloemen, the CEO of executive search firm Vanderbloemen Search Group.

Vanderbloemen has interviewed over 30,000 job candidates throughout his career — and the ones who stand out, he says, always do these 3 things to instantly impress a hiring manager during the job interview:

Dress for success

You might have gotten comfortable dressing down for online meetings during the pandemic, but a more casual ensemble isn’t going to cut it for a job interview — even if it’s on Zoom. 

While it’s likely that the interviewer will only see your upper half online, they could catch a glimpse of your sweatpants, depending on the camera angle, Vanderbloemen warns. Some interviewers might even ask you to stand up during a video call, to check that you’re wearing professional attire. 

“I know that sounds like old curmudgeon stuff but if you want to impress a recruiter, you really need to dress for the job,” he says. “It’s an important sign that shows you’re taking this opportunity seriously.”

Regardless of the interview setting, Vanderbloemen recommends checking out a company’s website and social media to figure out what people are wearing to the office or, if the company is remote, to corporate retreats and in-person events. Then, match your outfit accordingly. 

Read ways 2&3 + the complete CNBC article

 

24 Phone interview tips: How to land a second interview

Written by Genevieve Carlton 

How should you prepare for a phone interview? What are the most common phone interview questions? And how can you stand out during a phone interview? Our phone interview tips walk you through the steps to take before, during, and after a phone interview to help you move on to the next stage of the interview process.

Why do companies have phone interviews?

Companies often use phone interviews to screen applicants and decide which candidates to meet in person. Phone interviews save the time and expense of arranging in-person interviews as the first step in a job search. 

During a phone interview, companies want to learn about the applicants' experience, qualifications, and if he/she is a good fit for the position. Candidates who make a strong impression land a second interview.

1) What to expect during a phone interview?

Most companies use phone interviews to screen applicants in the early stages of the interview process. As a result, candidates should prepare to answer questions about their work history and all the duties they have performed in their previous jobs. Interviewers might also ask about the candidate's career goals and knowledge of the company. 

Salary might come up during a phone interview, particularly when speaking with a recruiter. The interviewer may ask about salary expectations or provide the salary range for the role. Phone interviews might last as little as 15 minutes to as long as an hour.

Common phone interview questions

"Tell me about yourself." "What makes you a good fit for this role?" "What interests you about this role?" "What do you know about our company?" "What are some of your strengths?" "What are some of your weaknesses?" "Why do you want to work for our company?"

"Why are you looking for a new job?" "What are your salary expectations?" "What type of work environment do you prefer?" "What type of management style do you prefer?" "How would you describe your management style?" "Do you have any questions for us?"

2) Start prepping as early as possible

It's important to start preparing for a phone interview as early as possible. When scheduling the interview, consider blocking off time to prepare. Use that time to learn more about the company, practice your answers to common phone interview questions, and prepare questions for the interviewer.

3) Get the details down

You've scheduled a phone interview for 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. But what time zone? Is it a true phone interview or a video call? Who should place the call, you or the interviewer? Make sure you know the details or reach out to the company for clarification. While getting the details down, make sure they have both your phone number and email. If the call is on Zoom, make sure you have the link and test it 10 minutes before your call.

4) Research the company

During the phone interview, you'll want to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position. Researching the company — and determining why you want to work for them — will go a long way toward landing a second interview. Learn about the company, its values, and its goals. Reach out to anyone in your network who's worked for the company to get an insider perspective.

5) Make an accomplishments cheat sheet

The interviewer will want to know why they should hire you. Make a cheat sheet of your experiences, skills, and accomplishments. Read the job posting again and write down specific qualifications that the employer is looking for. Make sure you talk about these qualifications in your interview. Use the cheat sheet during the interview when they ask you to provide specific examples of your accomplishments. 

6) Practice answering common questions

Many phone interviews start with an open-ended question like "tell me about yourself." Practice a concise, focused answer to that question and other common questions. Practice speaking about your strengths and your professional accomplishments. Planning these answers will help you relax and sound confident during the interview.

7) Plan out your salary answer

Salary expectations might come up during a phone interview. Research the salary range for the role in your area to avoid undervaluing yourself. In fact, you might want to ask about the salary range to make sure the company's pay matches what you're looking for. Plan out how to answer the salary question without selling yourself short. For example, you can avoid saying an exact number but give a range. Or, you can ask the interviewer what the company's salary range is and base your answer off of their range.

8) Prep three questions for the interviewer

Almost every interview ends with, "do you have any questions for me?" Use your prep time to come up with three questions for the interviewer. Asking questions shows your interest in the role and demonstrates that you've done your research. You can ask about the day-to-day responsibilities, the company culture, or the metrics for success in the role.

Read all 20+ tips and the complete ZDnet article

 

Hiring Experts Say These Are The 3 Most Revealing Interview Questions They Ask

By Monica Torres 

Prepping for a job interview means knowing how to handle curveball questions about your past jobs, boss and projects. Impressing an interviewer means not just having great career stories to tell, but also thinking two steps ahead to the kind of questions hiring managers like to ask.

So here’s a peek behind the curtain: We talked with recruiters and human resources experts about the go-to interview questions they ask when they want to know how a candidate really thinks. Take notes, job seekers! 

3. “Walk me through a project that you’re most proud of.”

Gabrielle Woody, a university recruiter for the financial software company Intuit, said her go-to question is asking people to share their proudest project or accomplishment.

“It’s a really great question. Candidates get really nervous, but if they’re talking about something they truly love, they’re more comfortable. They’ve already done the project. It’s not a hypothetical,” Woody said. “It just allows us to evaluate a lot of their impact ... and it addresses a lot of the key skills and competencies.“

Woody said this question can lead to follow-ups such as how they accomplished the project under constraints, what metrics they used, and how they measured success or failure.

Woody recommends preparing a story around two to three projects you are proud of that are related to the role you are applying for.

She said a great answer happens “if it’s clear to me that they are passionate about what they do and the project involves skills they would be using in their future role,” while a bad answer is “just very vague, or you can tell they’re just sharing what their team did and they might not have had many contributions to it.”

Here’s how to craft an answer to these type of questions:

If you are stumped on how to answer an interview question that asks for a story, Woody recommended the STAR method. She said this checklist helps you stay on track and be very clear about the situation at hand and what your individual deliverables were.

With STAR, you tell an interview story with these four parts:
1. Situation: Which job was this? When was this? You set the scene and describe the context within which you performed a job or faced a project at work.
2. Task: You remember to highlight which specific responsibilities you had in the situation.
3. Action: Share what actions you took and showcase how your contribution made an impact.
4. Results: You share why your actions mattered to the team or business. This can be said with data or by detailing steps you took to improve.

“I literally have STAR written down as candidates are answering interviewing questions, and that helps me probe more if they’re missing one of these areas,” Woody said. 

See questions 1 & 2 plus the complete HuffPost article

 

 

3 better questions to ask in your next job interview

By Patrick Mullane

Job interviews are stressful events. Even if the interviewer tries to put you at ease, you know you’re being evaluated. But many who throw themselves into prospecting for a new job forget it’s a two-way street: Not only is the company evaluating you, but you’re also evaluating the company. At some point in the discussion, they’ll turn the floor over to you and ask, “Do you have any questions for me?”

In my 30-year career, I’ve learned this is a critical moment that many interviewees flub. Candidates forget that when they’re given control of the discussion, it’s an opportunity to do two very important things. First, it’s a chance to learn something genuinely useful about the firm you might be joining. Second, you get to show that you’re thoughtful and conscientious. Both are hugely important as you look to make a change. Don’t waste the opportunity.

Here are three questions candidates typically ask, and their better alternatives—to help you achieve the two-pronged goal of impressing and learning in a job interview.

Common Question #1: “Can you tell me about the culture here?”

Better Question: “Can you think of a time when the company’s culture made you excited to work here or helped you during a challenging time?” 

It’s easy for an interviewer to answer the first question with platitudes you’d expect from somebody representing their company. You can already guess what the answers will be. “It’s collaborative.” “We like to work hard and have fun.” “It’s inclusive and supportive.”

The second version, on the other hand, gets to the intersection of employee and culture. Since that’s the intersection you’ll live in if you get the job, it’s important to understand how you’ll fit with that culture. Imagine how much more you’d learn if you asked the better question and got an answer like this: “I had an unexpected death in the family and my peers proactively contacted me, not just to offer condolences, but to assure me they’d cover for me while I was out.” Wouldn’t that answer help you instantly understand what the culture is like? 

See Better Questions 2,3, and the complete FastCompany article

 

Never make these 7 job interview mistakes ‘that will instantly destroy a first impression,’ says CEO of 20 years

Gary Burnison

It’s a statistic you’ve probably heard before: It only takes a few seconds for people to make a judgment about you, especially when it comes to job interviews.

During that very short time, a hiring manager will make crucial determinations about you, including your likability, your trustworthiness, how aggressive or passive you seem and how well you would fit in with others on the team.

As the CEO of a large job recruiting firm, I’ve seen a lot of sloppy job interviewing mistakes in my decades-long career. Here are some of the biggest that will instantly destroy a first impression:

3. Having no relevant examples of accomplishments

The interviewer asks you to elaborate on the accomplishments you’ve listed on your resume, and because you’re nervous, you mind goes blank. You stumble along, maybe even reading from a copy of your resume.

But the interviewer is listening for specifics to determine how you match the demands of the job and how well you would communicate with colleagues and clients.

The examples you give should cover four key areas:

• The challenge (or opportunity) faced
• The actions taken
• The results achieved
• The lessons learned from the experience

4. Talking too much or too little

The interviewer asks you a question that you’re not prepared to answer: “Tell me how you would handle [X] challenge…”

In a panic, you either you go on and on, hoping that you’ll say something relevant, or you give a short answer and then go silent. Yikes!

The best way to prepare is by rehearsing. Do a mock interview with a mentor or friend and practice giving clear and concise responses to common interview questions. (Don’t forget to ask the interviewer your own questions as well.)

5. Appearing desperate

Nonverbal cues like sitting on the edge of your chair or saying things like “When will I hear from you?” can radiate desperation.

It may also raise doubts about your abilities, your fit with the organization and why others haven’t hired you.

Some quick body language tips that will make you look more confident:

• Make eye contact: You’ll appear friendlier and more focused.
• Avoid looking down: You’ll appear distracted or lacking in confidence.
• Arms free, not folded: You’ll project openness, while keeping your hands free to gesture.
• Sitting forward/back: Leaning forward helps you present your ideas. If you lean back while listening, keep your posture open.
• Smile: You’ll convey happiness and confidence, while making others feel good about themselves.

Read all 7 mistakes and the complete CNBC article

 

 

Job Interview Statistics [2021]: What You Need To Know Before Starting Your Job Search

By Elsie Boskamp

Research Summary. Job interviews might be a nerve-wracking experience, but breaking the process down into facts and figures might make it seem a little less scary. After careful research, our team found that:

• It takes the average person 24 weeks to go through the hiring and interview process and find a job.

• On average, a candidate will get one interview request for every six applications they complete.

• On average, women are 30% less likely to be selected for a job interview than men with similar qualifications and professional backgrounds.

• The average corporate job opening gets 250 resumes — of those, between four to six will be called for an interview.

• The interview process takes an average of 23 days.

• The average applicant applies to 27 companies before landing an interview.

How Many Interviews Does it Take to Get a Job?

• All job seekers have a 26.24% probability of receiving a job offer.

  Generally speaking, those who apply for 21 to 80 job postings have a 30.89% chance of receiving a job offer and getting hired, while job seekers who submit more than 81 applicants have a 20.36% chance of getting hired.

  After a job interview, it takes 20 to 40 days, on average, to receive a job offer. A rejected job offer usually comes five to eight weeks after a candidate’s first job interview.

• Job seekers have a 36.89% chance of receiving a job offer after having one interview.

  Professionals who have had at least one job interview after two months of submitting an application have a 36.89% chance of receiving a job offer, while those who have had no interview after two months have a 9.94% chance of receiving an offer.

• Job seekers who have had three job interviews have a 51% chance of getting hired.

  According to recruiters, people who have been selected for three job interviews have the greatest probability of receiving a job offer.

  Those who have had two interviews have a 17% chance, those who have had four interviews have a 22% chance, and those who have five or more interviews have a nine% chance of getting hired.

What Percentage of Applicants Get an Interview?

• Job seekers who apply for more positions receive more interviews.

  Professionals who apply for one to ten jobs in a two-month period typically are asked to interview for 0 to two positions, while those who apply for 21 to 80 jobs usually have one to seven interviews.

• Most job seekers receive one interview offer for every six applications they submit.

  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 47.3% of people who submit up to ten job applications and 35.1% of people who submit between 11 and 20 job applications receive one or two interview invitations.

Read the full article and see the stats for categories such as:

Average Length of a Job Interview

Job Interview Failure Statistics

Video and Phone Interview Frequency and Other Statistics

Job Interview Statistics by Age

Job Interview Statistics by Race

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to answer those bizarre riddle questions in a job interview

 By Stephanie Vozza

My niece Marley recently had a job interview for a quirky Michigan-based retailer. Towards the end of the interview, the manager asked her: “If Batman and Lobster Boy got into a fight, who would win?”

Her response? “Is the fight above or below water?”

She was hired on the spot.

I admit, I would have folded under that type of question and probably chosen Batman for no other reason than he’s Batman. But questions like this are more commonplace as companies try to screen for culture add.

In his book, How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck? Secrets to Succeeding at Interview Mind Games and Getting the Job You Want, author William Poundstone offers insight and help. Poundstone admits he’s always been good at puzzles. After receiving several emails from friends who were going on job interviews and getting these riddle-like questions, he decided to write a book on the topic, collecting the unusual questions and offering advice on how to answer them.

“There are a lot of reasons companies ask these questions,” he says. “In tech, it’s almost a tradition to ask off-the-wall questions. This is also the case with startups that have a unique culture. For example, [eyeglass retailer] Warby Parker [managers] asks, ‘What’s the last costume you wore?’ They’re assuming you go to costume parties, which, in their opinion, means you’re hip.”

Why Creative Questions Are Effective

Candidates sometimes assume that creative questions are there to trick them, but the goal is to get the person out of the traditional interview mode. Everyone walks in with standard prepackaged answers to questions like, “Talk about a time when you disagreed your supervisor.” Or “What’s one of your biggest weaknesses?”

When the interviewer asks something out of left field, they can see how well the candidate handles a challenge. The added benefit is that these questions can help remove unconscious bias.

“There is an awful lot of subjectivity in interviewing,” says Poundstone. “It’s an exercise in confirmation bias. Interviewers make snap judgement about applicants when they come in, and they ask softball questions to confirm what they already think.”

The advantage to asking creative questions is they don’t always have a right or wrong answer, and they can provide a reality check when properly used, says Poundstone.

“The questions should deal with intangibles that are not on a résumé,” he says. “It’s checking to see if the person can think on their feet, which can indicate how well they learn on the job. The best way to use them is to make them standardized, asking the same question to each person so you have some baseline for evaluating. If you ask a different question, you’re in danger of giving an easier question to someone you like.”

How to Answer Them.....  Read how to answer the questions and the full Fast Company article

 

 

Hiring Experts Say These Are The Three Most Revealing Interview Questions They Ask

By

Monica Torres 

 

Prepping for a job interview means knowing how to handle curveball questions about your past jobs, boss and projects. Impressing an interviewer means not just having great career stories to tell, but also thinking two steps ahead to the kind of questions hiring managers like to ask.

So here’s a peek behind the curtain: We talked with recruiters and human resources experts about the go-to interview questions they ask when they want to know how a candidate really thinks. Take notes, job seekers! 

1. “If I went to one of your former managers, what would they say is their favorite part of working with you, and what would they say is challenging about working with you?”

Daniel Space is a human resources consultant with business partners in strategic staffing. For roles that are manager level and above, he likes to ask this question to see if the candidate’s leadership style is aligned with the company’s. 

“That shows me, one, their ability to self-reflect, to self-analyze, to take accountability for growth,” he said, “as well as to find that middle ground in being confident in who you are or being overly braggadocious. I find that it really allows the candidate to open up about what’s a potentially challenging trait they have or something that they discovered that is a developmental flaw that they wanted to work on.“

When answering this question, take ownership of where you fall short in your performance, and what you are working on about yourself. Space said every once in a while, he sees candidates who blame a company and boss for their developmental challenges, and that raises his suspicions.

“It just shows that very one-sided approach of ‘I was perfect and nobody else was wrong,’” he said.

2. “Tell me about a time you failed.”

Tejal Wagadia, a senior talent acquisition specialist at MST Solutions, said asking about a time someone made a mistake, failed or had a conflict with a co-worker is her go-to question for getting a revealing answer.

“We all have failures, we all have conflicts, we all make mistakes,” she said, noting that what she is looking for in the answer is whether a candidate is being honest and if they learned from the situation. 

Don’t claim to be perfect. Wagadia said not remembering the last time you made a mistake is a red flag for her.

“That tells me they either don’t know that they have made a mistake ― they are oblivious or cannot introspect ― or they know, and are intentionally lying to make themselves look good. Which tells me they could potentially lie in the future about something else,” she said.

To show self-awareness, Wagadia recommends picking a job-related story about a career mistake through which you can show that you learned from the experience and have moved forward from it.

“It’s only a mistake if you don’t learn from it,” she said. 

Read the 3rd question and how to craft an answer to these type of questions

 

 

 

 

A self-made millionaire and CEO shares 5 ‘quick tests’ he always uses during job interviews to decide when to hire

Robert Reffkin

I never did that well on tests in school. But there are a number of simple tests that I’ve found helpful throughout my journey as the founder and CEO of a billion-dollar real estate technology company.

Having these quick tests in your back pocket helps you make smarter business decisions. Why? Because the more we think about something, the more our minds will try to play tricks on us. We second-guess, we let doubt and fear creep in, we hesitate, we overthink. The purpose of the five tests below is to get past all of that and get back to the truth that you’ve known deep down all along.

This is especially true regarding two of the most important decisions that managers at my company, Compass, make: When to hire someone, and when to pass on them.

1. The ‘good person’ test

Is this a good person?

If you have to take a long pause and struggle to answer this question, then they shouldn’t be on your team. Lots of people think goodness doesn’t matter at work — and some even think it’s a liability in business. Not me.

I always want to know: Do they live by the Golden Rule? Is their heart in the right place? Are they kind? Do they genuinely care about others? Do they want to give back? If everyone we work with is a good person, we’ll all be better off.

3. The ‘another offer’ test

If this person came to me tomorrow and told me they had a great offer from another company, would I fight to keep/win them over?

This test helps you admit that someone isn’t excellent, and it originated from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. He believes that excellent people are much better than “pretty good” people.

As the motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” So if you want to be better — like I know all of us do — one of the best ways is to do that is to make sure you’re surrounding yourself with exceptional people.

Read all 5 quick tests and the complete CNBC article