15 of the trickiest job interview questions – and how to nail them

Demonstrate your ability to convince others to express desirable behaviour and take specific action. You pride yourself on leading by example. Integrate one or more of the following answers into your description: “being able to effectively persuade, motivate, lead, empower others, negotiate, act positively, create opportunities and influence others.”

This is another way of asking how you manage people, with a twist. You always strive for positive reinforcement in your coaching with direct and timely feedback. You have a commitment to learning and treat each person how you would want to be treated (good old Golden rule). Close with examples of people you have hired, trained and promoted to greater responsibilities, and how great it made you feel.

Use these 8 tricks to use your body to build trust.

Does the interviewer mean personal or business? Ask the qualifier and if the answer is “both,” great; if it is “pick one over the other in rank,” go with business — maybe a major promotion that was a culmination of all your hard work, accomplishments and dedication. Steer clear of mentioning the birth-of-your-kid answer in a business interview; though it may be true (and it probably should be), keep in mind that you are interviewing for a professional job.

This is one of the most common job interview questions for sales jobs, especially entry level. It’s a test of your ability to open, persuade, then close. The interviewer is looking for you to uncover the customer’s needs and wants, to select key features of the product, and to sell the benefits of these features. A basic rule of selling: sell the benefits the customer will gain from the product rather than the list of features the product has. Don’t make the mistake of babbling about all the features before you know what the customer’s hot buttons are. Ask, “What’s important to you when buying a pen?” Then listen carefully.

You always have questions. Responding, “No, I think we covered it all” gets you the boot. This is your one last chance to make a favourable impression. Come prepared with a notepad with at least five good questions that demonstrate your research on the company. I like the kiss-up questions here: “With the impressive results the company has had in the last five years, where do you see the company in the next five years?” Or, “I’ve heard some wonderful things about your company. How do you think your competitors feel about it?” After the brown-nose questions, ask, “What key skills and attributes are most needed to succeed in this job?” After the interviewer gives you the answers, plug in some examples of demonstrated success you have in each of these areas.

A successful job interview is also about avoiding topics. Here’s what you should never say in an job interview.

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Source: RD.com