What are the most tricky job interview questions and how to win any position

The job interview is one of the most important steps in the process of searching and finding a suitable job. And while we are not used to seeing the job interview as a “sales process” where marketing and communications intervene, it is inherently such – the job seeker “sells” their skills, the job offeror “buys” them for the promised salary. When a company is aiming to attract talent and highly skilled employees, usually it is the role of a “salesperson”, that’s when Employer Branding and the Employer Value Proposition messages that have become so popular lately step in. These sample job interview questions are some of my favorites and. although the selection is updated periodically, I trust you will find them useful. Whether you are on the side of the interviewee or the interviewer.

Some tips before job interviews

work skills and experience, teamwork and communication, future plans and ambitions

Personal information and motivation

When considering your potential questions and answers during a job interview, don’t just focus on professional questions and and resume. People say business is done with people, not companies, but the same rule applies to building teams. More and more companies are investing in building a corporate culture and if they can afford to, which is true for smaller and stronger leadership teams, are choosing people with personality traits and qualities that reflect the corporate culture.  The rule is – everything can be learned.   So if you lack some professional skills, don’t be scared and don’t lie. Everything is taught. But, don’t go to the other extreme and expect someone to pay and have immense patience to teach you. Unless your employer has a specially organised Further Education Academy or in-house courses – getting a job is no substitute for going to University, reading specialist literature and so-called ‘lifelong learning’. Educational activities are not the employer’s responsibility and no one would pay for you to learn at their expense or the expense of the clients you work with. My recommendation applies mostly to internship positions and is the result of dozens of interviews and laid off interns who come in with expectations of a paid internship, but the value added to their work not only tends to zero, but even disrupts the rhythm of the entire team with a million questions and inquiries about what is being done as far as completing specific assignments.  Second rule – ask Google. Or ChatGPT. If they don’t have an answer, your colleagues probably don’t either.  But it happens far, far too rarely. However, I recommend that you emphasize in your response what your efforts and intentions are to overcome your “lack of experience” or “lack of education” rather than assuming that your employer is obligated or motivated to invest money, time and energy to teach you.

Work skills and experience

For people who already have some experience, the opposite can be observed – overly long stories and cover letters in which they tell everything they have studied, experienced and learned. I’ll let you in on a secret, what every single interviewer is looking for is an answer to the question “how will you and your experience help them do the job they have”. It’s that simple. You have exactly 3 minutes to make a good impression and answer this question – how your skills and experience can help advance the company. If you use the time you have wisely, the rest of the interview will go well. Otherwise, your job interview will either be over too quickly or you’ll lose 30 minutes of both your day and your interviewer’s day to be nice to each other and then never see each other again. Remember – employers are only interested in the added value you can bring to their business. Education, wins, trophies, awards, clients, this is all information you can dig into once you get to the topic of money. However, on first reading, it is irrelevant and I recommend you be concise and clear in the answers you give. In cover letters – the first three sentences are the most important. If they aren’t strong and don’t answer the same question “how will you help the company achieve its goals and success,” trust me, no one will probably get to the end of your cover letter if you’re going to have taken even three weeks to write and polish it. When commenting on your professional successes during a job interview, I recommend that you have planned and thought through your responses. Especially if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like talking in front of other people and doesn’t feel confident.  One tip – practice your answers to all questions in front of a mirror. Or record yourself on a video camera and watch yourself afterwards.   It may seem absurd and feel ridiculous, but it will give you feedback on your body language and the information you are sending out as you speak. You’ve probably heard the statistic that only 7% of the message in a conversation is conveyed through words, the other 93% comes from non-verbal communication. You can’t afford to fail just because you haven’t put enough effort into practicing your reactions and expressions. Not to get too deep into the topic of body language, I’m going to share with you this video from TEDx and the legendary Lynn Franklin, I’m sure you’ll take away what’s important to you and will help you with this part of your interview preparation. Another wink on the questions of professional experience and expertise. Often when job candidates are unprepared and/or stressed during a job interview they improvise. I’m not saying they lie, but sometimes it feels the same. Both HR and interviewing managers’ software and online attestation questionnaires contain questions and tasks that aim to double and triple check interviewees’ answers.  Often this is related to teamwork skills, analytical skills or previous experience.  It is not enough to say that you know how to work in a team if you do not then demonstrate it during some of the practical tasks. Or to say you are creative, good at problem solving or planning and organising your time and then at the first challenge and lack of information, rush to email HR with 20 questions. Stop. Take a breath and think about whether this is a test that is important to pass in order to move forward in your job interview.

Teamwork and communication

The ability to work in an edkip is probably one of the most important skills for any company. And let’s be honest, if you have strong leadership qualities, a desire for career advancement, often confused with a high ego, you probably can’t work in a team in the traditional sense. I have always argued that individuals who for 12 years have only watched the backs of their classmates and any desire for teamwork, read “copying”, is punished with a low grade, do not have naturally developed collaboration and teamwork skills.  Teamwork is taught. The hard way, mostly. However, if you know it, you will make a special effort and attention to learn. To wait. To compromise. To listen. To read books on the subject and work in a professional coach, psychologist or therapist. To know where your own boundaries, skills and capabilities are and how they can contribute to the success and effectiveness of the whole team.

Future plans

Before the end of each interview there is usually time and opportunity for you to ask your questions. If you are genuinely interested in this job, I encourage you to take the opportunity. Whether you’re asking about the ability to work remotely, training, leave policies, or benefits programs, I encourage you to ask your questions. To that end, it’s important that you’ve researched the company, of course, as well as investigated rumors about it, if any. It’s not a good practice to trust everything you find on the internet, but I recommend doing a quick search so you know what to ask for and what to expect. I hope I’ve been able to help you look on the other side and understand more about the motivations and demands of interviewers so you can give your best and get the job you want. Remember that each of the questions pursues at least two purposes – to give more information about your personal motivation and experience, which is how your employer wants to answer the question “will you stay” if they hire you and “will you make them money”. In order to prepare and perform well in any job interview, it is important to go prepared. Know the employer and their business objectives. Have a history and answers to some of the most common questions ready and be confident that you can help your employer achieve their goals. Be sincere and authentic in your responses. Demonstrate professionalism and preparation. Practice your responses in advance and get feedback from colleagues or friends to make sure your communication is clear and compelling. And most importantly, be sure to demonstrate your motivation, ambition and passion for the job and position you are applying for. Your commitment, emotions and desire to succeed will help you stand out from the crowd and make a good impression on the interviewer.