How to Ace Worst Interview Questions?
While making an accurate prediction of the questions you will meet in an interview may be a daunting task, there are some questions that tend to be repetitive. First and foremost, these questions have nothing to do with your academic qualification. They are the kind of questions that you wouldn’t dare ask your plumber or electrician. When did you ever ask your plumber “What’s your greatest weakness?”
Electricians and plumbers are treated way much better than the job-seekers. It’s obvious that they deserve this respect, and a lot more, but job seekers should equally be treated with respect.
In one way or another, most department managers, HR people and recruiters tend to be following a common delusion. They are deceived into believing that their company is mighty and that job-seekers fall in the inferior category.
But that’s not true. The interviewers must learn how to treat the interviews as equals for the sake of mutual respect.
This post takes you through the five worst interview questions and how you can effectively answer them. When you meet these kinds of questions in an interview room, you may feel like walking away. But do not be quick to listen. Calm yourself down and most importantly – listen to your body!
The people asking you the offensive questions are not bad. It’s just that they lack any better way to interview you.
Five Worst Interview Questions
- If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
- With so many good candidates, why should I hire you?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What’s your greatest weakness?
- What do you bring to our department?
- What would your last boss say about you?
Probably you can now see why I consider these obnoxious questions to be offensive or worst. None of them is related to the job.
Old-school interviewers have come to get used to asking “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Surely, why should someone take his/her time to scrutinize your five-year plan? Now, this person wants to know your plan for the next five years yet they are offering you a job for less than 3 years. Who knows, probably after 3 months you will be gone.
The given timeframe is not only a non-issue for the interviewer but also, a plan of five years is too long to make sense in our era.
The interviewer takes his/her precious time to ask you what your last boss would say about you. Well, they want to judge you based on the opinions of other people. When did it become part of their business to ask what others think about you? They haven’t really realized how impolite the question is.
Who cares what your last boss thought of you? Probably he/she may have been fired for embezzlement.
Then comes this other question – “What do you bring to our department?” they are basically putting you to test so that you can trumpet your fabulousness. Well, do not fall for the trap.
One guarantee as you step into that interview room is that the employer is not going to beg you to work for them – unless you have a well-established reputation of course. For that matter, do not waste your time begging for the job as well.
How to Answer Five Worst Interview Questions
1. With so Many Good candidates, Why should I Hire You?
How about if you heard my past experiences and skills then you decide whether I am off base?
Then progress to summarize your experiences. Be brief or else you will appear as though you are just blowing a trumpet for yourself.
2. If You Were an Animal, Which One Would You Want To Be?
Some may be alarmed by this question but relax. Interviewers use it so that they can see whether you can think out quickly. Being that it is psychological, go for a strong animal like a “lion”. This will create an aggressive impression unlike a “bunny” which makes a passive impression.
3. Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?
If I am still alive in five years, I’ll be working on something important alongside smart and enthusiastic people.
4. What’s Your Greatest Weakness?
Do not go ahead and point out things that you are unable to do. That will out rightly make a negative impact of you. You may simply say:
I used to think I have weaknesses and I would research on what I couldn’t do well. Then I realized that there are a lot of things that I do well and that my job is a lot better if I perfect on them.
5. What do You Bring to Our Department?
I do reinvent processes and I am looking forward to doing the same if that’s important to you.
6. What Would Your Last Boss Say About You?
She would probably say that I was a positive force in the department and also challenged her to see things a different way at times.
The Do’s and the Don’ts
The Do’s
- Let your potential employer know that you are uniquely qualified for the job
- Tell a short “success story” that portrays you as having the qualities they are looking for
- Portray that you have significant knowledge of the company because you have researched on it appropriately
The Don’ts
- Don’t be too modest. This is an opportunity for you to shine
- Don’t sound too arrogant
- Don’t be discouraged when the recruiter says “they have well-qualified candidates.”
Main Image Source : Pixabay
Also See : 5 Ways To Earn Extra Money If You Already Have A Job
