Tips to Conquer the Challenging Interview!
How to Address Those Tough Interview Questions
About a year ago, a client (we will call her “Jane”) reached out to the Wilbanks Consulting Group because she was having difficulty landing a job. She was securing interviews, but for some reason she wasn’t receiving job offers. After working with Jane on Interview Preparation, it was evident that she lacked confidence because she wasn’t prepared for the “tough interview questions.”
Prior to this job search, she was able to find jobs through her network and wasn’t required to interview. And any interviews she had were more of a formality. Jane found herself looking for a professional job in a new industry and was having a difficult time conveying her value to potential employers during interviews.
Many individuals find themselves in the same situation:they aren’t prepared for the “tough interview questions.” The good news is that you can not only prepare, but tackle those tough questions and conquer the challenging interview!
Why Even Ask the Tough Interview Questions?
If you have experienced a challenging interview, you might find yourself asking, “ why do interviewers ask these tough interview questions anyway?” You may think they are trying to purposefully trip you up in your thinking process or that they want to see you fail. However, according to Indeed.com, there is strategy and value behind asking challenging interview questions.
Employers like to see how you solve a problem or deal with a challenging situation. This gives them insight into how you will handle difficult situations if you are hired to work within their organization. This is actually a good thing! It is an opportunity for you to showcase how you process information to draw conclusions or find a solution, and then summarize the outcome in a concise format. This can help you stand out as the premier candidate.
Challenging interview questions also give you an opportunity to explain your reasoning and approach to various situations. This will give insight to the interviewer that he/she may not be able to glean from your resume. If you are able to show your creativity or logical thinking skills, it will highlight additional attributes you bring to the table.
Finally, these tough interview questions will help the interviewer understand your level of experience. Because candidates craft their own resumes, the information may not adequately represent the work they have actually done. These challenging interview questions will allow an interviewer to assess if you are a good fit for the requirements of the position.
How to Conquer the Challenging Interview
Before diving into specific “tough interview questions,” let’s talk about some practical ways you can address these questions when asked:
First, make sure that you don’t appear rattled when you are asked a challenging question that you weren’t expecting. Spend time formulating a response that addresses the question and showcases you in the best light. To do so, you may need to take a second to reflect and organize your thoughts. Give yourself the freedom to do this! And if awkward silence is bothersome, simply say something like “that’s a great question - give me a second to formulate a great answer for you.” This will allow time for a pause and silence, giving you time to formulate a great answer (and honestly, the interviewer will likely appreciate the time to catch up on note-taking!).
When preparing for your interview, take a moment to research “challenging interview questions” for your specific industry, job, or function so that you are aware of tough questions that could be asked during your interview. Make sure you specifically research behavioral-based interview questions. These are questions that will ask for a specific time that you demonstrated a behavior - and they could be asking about a positive behavior or a negative behavior. The thought behind these questions is that past behavior is indicative of future behavior, and an organization would like to assess how you might act in certain situations if you are hired. TheMuse.com has a list of 30 potential behavioral based interview questions that you can use to prepare for your next interview.
In the aforementioned Indeed.com article, you can review potential interview questions that have been seen as challenging to other job candidates. This list of twelve potential tough interview questions provides the reasoning behind the question and an example of how to answer. These questions aren’t necessarily tough on the surface; however, how you respond will tell the interviewer a lot about you.
Here is a snapshot of the recommended questions to prepare for in advance:
Tell me about yourself.
What critical feedback do you most often receive?
Tell me about a time you overcame an obstacle.
How do you handle stress?
What has been your most positive and negative management experiences?
What's your biggest weakness?
Why are you leaving your current position?
Why do you want to work here?
Why might we hire you?
Do you have any regrets so far in your professional career?
What's your greatest achievement?
In many cases, tough interview questions are only challenging because you haven’t adequately prepared for the interview. Prepare responses to these questions in advance and make sure you research additional role-specific questions so that you can conquer the challenging interview!
Build Your Job Search Confidence Today!
Do you remember Jane from the beginning of the article? She had confidence issues and was not prepared to answer the tough interview questions. The good news is that after two Interview Preparation sessions with The Wilbanks Consulting Group, Jane’s confidence and ability to answer questions grew exponentially. During her initial session, she was visibly nervous and would get flustered when posed a question she wasn’t expecting. But after spending time learning how to prepare for an interview and investing the time to prepare, she nailed her second interview preparation session and received a job offer in her new field within the month.
Interview Preparation is one of my absolute favorite career transition services that the Wilbanks Consulting Group offers. When working with a client, it is satisfying to witness someone’s confidence boost as their answers become more succinct and their preparation pays off. And true joy comes when they email weeks later to share the good news of a job offer received! But don’t take my word for it - here is a recent testimonial from a happy client:
“I wanted to share a quick update with you. I received a last-minute interview request…..and the interview went well! I felt more comfortable and relaxed during the interview, thanks to the techniques and tips from our previous discussions. Thank you!” J.S., Sales Director
If you are struggling to get a job offer or you feel uncomfortable during job interviews, reach out to the Wilbanks Consulting Group today! Schedule time for a free 30-minute consultation and let’s chat about how we can help you boost your confidence in your job search!