Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (33 page)

What aspects of this job are least appealing to you? Which elements are most appealing?

I’m really looking forward to learning about the industry. Of course, I realize that I will primarily be doing administrative work; I’ve done that kind of work in the past, and I definitely get a sense of satisfaction out of getting the job done, and doing it well.

Always lead with the positive (even if you are asked only the negative side of a question); in fact, try not to answer the negative part of the question at all. If the interviewer persists, talk about a prior job, focusing on a trivial “negative” that won’t be a part of the position at stake:
At my last job, I was on my feet for hours a day; I managed, but I’m certainly looking forward to having a desk and chair!

How do you react to criticism?

For what have you been criticized in the past?

What kind of relationship did you have with your former colleagues or supervisors?

Describe a time when your patience was tested.

Are there certain people you find difficult to work with?

Describe the best/worst managers you have worked with.

How do you make decisions? Describe the most difficult decision you had to make and how you handled it.

What do you do when you’ve made a mistake or think you’ve made a mistake?

When I interview candidates, I like to give them a real scenario and ask them how they would respond. The formal term for this is “behavioral interviewing.” “What would you do if” questions help employers gauge your problem-solving abilities. Here’s my scenario:
You mistakenly hit “reply all” and send a mildly damning in-house message to a client (i.e., “We need to fudge those dates….”). What do you do?

The only good answers are:
1) Immediately tell my boss and devise a strategy to tactfully apologize to the client. 2) After consulting with my boss, I would say something like, “I apologize for the e-mail you received in error; it was obviously meant for my colleague.”

How did you hear about this job?

What interests you about this particular industry?

What interests you about this particular job? About our company?

Where else are you applying?