100 Potential Interview Questions. Nothing we like more than a list here at The Hire Sense. Some of the questions from monster.com are utterly inane. I give you number 96: With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes. I’m not kidding. Some I wouldn’t know what a good answer would entail if I were asking the question. For example, number 40: If you were an animal, which one would you want to be? I shouldn’t be too harsh since there are some good ones also in the list like number 27: Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.… Read More
Continue ReadingReading the (Non-Verbal) Signs
How to Read Your Prospect Like a Book! by John Boe is a quick read article from Sales Vault with some great tips on understanding the nonverbal cues a prospect/client is sending you. He states: …that one of the easiest and most effective ways to close sales is to be aware of the prospect’s “buy signals.” The article gives clues to look for in reading body language, mainly head and facial gestures. For an example: Head Gestures Tilted back = Superior attitude Tilted down = Negative and judgmental attitude Tilted to one side = Interest For those of you that know this information already, it is a nice 5 minute… Read More
Continue ReadingHow To Answer Any Interview Question
Well, so much for focusing on the interviewer-side of face-to-face interviews. CareerJournal has come out with a new article that is the title of this post. There is nothing groundbreaking in the approach outlined in the article. Yet, I did enjoy this bit of cryptic strategy: He suggests when answering job-interview queries applying the formula Q = A + 1: Q is the question; A is the answer; + is the bridge to the message you want to deliver; and 1 is the point you want to make. “If you take the ‘+ 1’ off the formula, then the interviewer is controlling the session,” says Mr. Braun. I’m not sure… Read More
Continue ReadingFinally Some Interviewer Tips
We are back after a scorcher of a Memorial Day weekend here in Minnesota (record highs this past weekend). Instead of overheating as I read more candidate interview preparation articles, CareerBuilder.com finally chimes in with some tips for the interviewer with Top 10 Interview No No’s. We do enjoy top 10 lists here at the Hire Sense! Good fundamental advice in this column that are always a good refresher. (You cannot ask about race, age, religion, etc.). Point #3 cannot be stressed enough: 3. Avoid Closed Ended Questions – The first type of question to avoid is one that can be answered by a “yes” or “no”. Even if you… Read More
Continue ReadingInterview Questions
Monster.com continues their interview prep series with Interview Questions, Part 4 (I wonder when it will end?). I think most people who hire have an affinity for interview questions. There is one question that we use extensively: What is your management style? Intent: This is a classic question for management-level candidates. The interviewer’s intent here is threefold: to find out if your management style fits, to determine if you have management ability and to probe how much you understand your own work style. The author is insightful here. We use this question in a different manner in that we have already assessed the management candidate using our online tools. We… Read More
Continue ReadingInterview Tips – Part 4
As an employer, how much prep time do you put in before interviewing a candidate? Candidates have thousands of resources available to them through articles, books, coaches and websites (as we have pointed out in numerous posts). Monster.com offers multiple resources to the job searcher, from industry specific advice for job searches/career pathing to basic tips on resume writing to answer strategies for interview questions . In monster’s Self-Assessment Center they have a Random Interview Question Generator that not only generates questions but provides specific advice on how to respond to the questions. The site also provides advice on how to handle illegal questions like, “Do you have children, and… Read More
Continue Reading“Stress” Interview Questions
The online training continues with the CareerJournal.com article Don’t Let Tough Questions Sabotage Your Interview. The author refers to these questions as “stress questions” which is a fair description. The article is a long read so I have compiled the 10 example questions they use: Could you tell me a little about yourself? Why did you leave your previous employer, or why are you leaving your present job? What are your greatest strengths? What are your weaknesses? What type of salary do you have in mind? What do you like most and least about your present job? Are you applying for any other jobs? Why should we hire you? Where… Read More
Continue ReadingInterview Tips – Part 3
The online training of candidates continues. This time, monster.com offers up Interview Prep Tips which provides a general overview of strategy for a successful interview (from the candidate’s side). If you follow the link for Closing the Interview you will end up here. This complementary article is excellent advice for sales candidates to close an interview strongly. One approach we value is found in bullet #4: Ask about the next step in the process. It’s important for you to know the next step so you can follow up. Ask for the decision date. Sound advice…and you would be shocked how infrequently this question occurs among sales candidates.
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