Tough Interview Questions

Successfully Answer Behavioral Questions in Your Job Interview

2008-06-09T07:45:00.000-04:00

Many employers are now doing "behavioral interviews". Rather than focusing on your resume and reviewing your accomplishments as you have written them on paper, the "behavioral" interviewer will ask you open-ended questions that will cause you to describe real circumstances and your responses to them.

General answers about behavior are not what the employer is looking for. You must describe in detail a particular event, project, or experience and you dealt with the situation, and what the outcome was. The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations.

Although it will be more difficult to prepare concrete answers in advance to these interviews (as opposed to traditional ones), you can and should take some time to review your understanding of yourself, your past successes and concrete examples of your accomplishments. Work on honesty, sincerity and candidness. When you start to tell a behavioral story, the interviewer may try to sort out the details by understanding your behaviors.

The interviewer will probe for more depth, detail or understanding with questions like: “What were you thinking at that point?” or “Tell me more about what you discussed with that person.”

If you’ve told a story that’s anything but totally honest, your response will not hold up through these probes.

If you have a spouse or friend that can pose as an interviewer for you, it can be helpful for you to practice answering open-ended questions, such as the following. Have your friend probe further:

Tell me about a time that you demonstrated initiative?
Describe a situation when have you motivated yourself to complete an assignment or task that you did not want to do?
Think about a difficult boss, professor or other person. What made him or her difficult? How did you successfully interact with this person?
Think about a complex project or assignment that you have been assigned. What approach did you take to complete it?
Tell me about the riskiest decision that you have made. What were your considerations in making that particular decision.
Can you tell me about an occasion where you needed to work with a group to get a job done? What were the challenges and difficulties and how did you face these?
Describe a situation when you or a group that you were a part of were in danger of missing a deadline. What did you do?
Tell me about a time when you worked with a person who did things very differently from you. How did you get the job done? Would you work with that person again if given the choice?
Describe your three greatest accomplishments to date.
Tell me about a situation when you had to learn something new in a short time. How did you proceed?
Can you tell me about a complex problem that you solved? Describe the process you utilized.
Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision.
Give me an example of a bad decision that you made and what you learned from that mistake?
Tell me about a time when something you tried to accomplish and failed. What did you learn from that failure?
Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem. What did you learn from that mistake?
Tell me about a challenge that you successfully met.
Describe a situation when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
Please tell me about one or two unpopular decisions you have made. What were the positive and negative outcomes of those decisions?
What leadership positions have you held? Describe your leadership style. What aspects of your leadership style have you changed or deleted once you learned that these aspects were not successful?
Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
Summarize a situation where you successfully persuaded others to do something or to see your point of view. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion.
Give an example of when your persistence had the biggest payoff.
How have you most constructively dealt with disappointment and turned it into a learning experience? Please give me a concrete example in your life.
Tell me of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.
Describe a situation in which you effectively developed a solution to a problem by combining different perspectives or approaches.

When answering "behavioral questions", do try to steer clear of the pat answers that interviewers are adept at spotting. For example, don't try to portray yourself as a person that never makes mistakes. Or as a person whose only failings are that you work too much, are too dedicated, too loyal, etc.

Be honest about your mistakes since the experienced interviewer will be looking for "progress" and "growth", not perfection. But, do give an example of how you learned from your mistake and how that experience has benefited you in the long run.

Be succinct and concise! In all behavioral answers, the interviewer wants to hear:

A brief description of the problem, challenge or situation.
What your action was & how you decided that action.
A brief description of the result of your action and your assessment of its result.

The 150 Typical Job Interview Questions

2008-06-09T07:42:00.000-04:00

How would you describe yourself?

What specific goals, including those related to your occupation, have you established for your life?

How has your college experience prepared you for a business career?

Please describe the ideal job for you following graduation.

What influenced you to choose this career?

At what point did you choose this career?

What specific goals have you established for your career?

What will it take to attain your goals, and what steps have you taken toward attaining them?

What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?

How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successful accomplishments.

Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career?

What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently?

Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?

How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team?

What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?

Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you give us a reason to hire you?

Would you describe yourself as goal-driven?

Describe what you've accomplished toward reaching a recent goal for yourself.

What short-term goals and objectives have you established for yourself?

Can you describe your long-range goals and objectives?

What do you expect to be doing in five years?

What do you see yourself doing in ten years?

How would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict?

Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor or instructor? How did you resolve the conflict?

Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in resolving it?

Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations?

What quality or attribute do you feel will most contribute to your career success?

What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty in school or on the job?

What were your reasons for selecting your college or university?

If you could change or improve anything about your college, what would it be?

How will the academic program and coursework you've taken benefit your career?

Which college classes or subjects did you like best? Why?

Are you the type of student for whom conducting independent research has been a positive experience?

Describe the type of professor that has created the most beneficial learning experience for you.

Do you think that your grades are a indication of your academic achievement?

What plans do you have for continued study? An advanced degree?

Before you can make a productive contribution to the company, what degree of training do you feel you will require?

Describe the characteristics of a successful manager.

Why did you decide to seek a position in this field?

Tell me what you know about our company.

Why did you decide to seek a position in this company?

Do you have a geographic preference?

Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our company is located?

Would it be a problem for you to relocate?

To what extent would you be willing to travel for the job?

Which is more important to you, the job itself or your salary?

What level of compensation would it take to make you happy?

Tell me about the salary range you're seeking.

What are the most important rewards you expect to gain from your career?

How would you define "success" for someone in your chosen career?

What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in this company?

What skills have you acquired from your work experience?

What have you learned from your experiences outside the classroom or workplace?

What criteria are you using to choose companies to interview with?

If you were hiring for this position, what qualities would you look for?

How would you describe your leadership skills?

Which is more important: creativity or efficiency? Why?

How has college changed you as a person?

What have you accomplished that shows your initiative and willingness to work?

What was the toughest challenge you've ever faced?

What two or three things are most important to you in your job?

Some people work best as part of a group -- others prefer the role of individual contributor. How would you describe yourself?

When given an important assignment, how do you approach it?

If there were one area you've always wanted to improve upon, what would that be?

When you have been made aware of, or have discovered for yourself, a problem in your school or work performance, what was your course of action?

What kinds of things have you done at school or on the job that were beyond expectations?

What, in your opinion, are the key ingredients in guiding and maintaining successful business relationships?

What sorts of things have you done to become better qualified for your career?

Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way?

Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.

Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.

By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments.

Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping skills.

Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.

Describe a time when you had to use your written communication skills to get an important point across.

Give me a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree.

Give me an example of an important goal which you had set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.

Describe the most significant or creative presentation that you have had to complete.

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).

Sometimes it's easy to get in "over your head." Describe a situation where you had to request help or assistance on a project or assignment.

Give an example of how you applied knowledge from previous coursework to a project in another class.

Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?

Describe a situation in which you found that your results were not up to your professor's or supervisor's expectations. What happened? What action did you take?

Tell of a time when you worked with a colleague who was not completing his or her share of the work. Who, if anyone, did you tell or talk to about it? Did the manager take any steps to correct your colleague? Did you agree or disagree with the manager's actions?

Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or guide others to a compromise.

What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision.

We can sometimes identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a major problem. Give an example(s) of how you have done this.

In a supervisory or group leader role, have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee or group member? What was the nature of the discipline? What steps did you take? How did that make you feel? How did you prepare yourself?

Recall a time from your work experience when your manager or supervisor was unavailable and a problem arose. What was the nature of the problem? How did you handle that situation? How did that make you feel?

Recall a time when you were assigned what you considered to be a complex project. Specifically, what steps did you take to prepare for and finish the project? Were you happy with the outcome? What one step would you have done differently if given the chance?

What was the most complex assignment you have had? What was your role?

How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems?

Tell of some situations in which you have had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control. What was the impact of the change on you?

Compare and contrast the times when you did work which was above the standard with times your work was below the standard.

Describe some times when you were not very satisfied or pleased with your performance. What did you do about it?

What are your standards of success in school? What have you done to meet these standards?

How have you differed from your professors in evaluating your performance? How did you handle the situation?

Give examples of your experiences at school or in a job that were satisfying. Give examples of your experiences that were dissatisfying.

What kind of supervisor do you work best for? Provide examples.

Describe some projects or ideas (not necessarily your own) that were implemented, or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts.

Describe a situation that required a number of things to be done at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?

Have you found any ways to make school or a job easier or more rewarding or to make yourself more effective?

How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give examples.

Tell of a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you -- maybe a time when other people missed the key idea being expressed.

What has been your experience in giving presentations? What has been your most successful experience in speech making?

Tell of the most difficult customer service experience that you have ever had to handle -- perhaps an angry or irate customer. Be specific and tell what you did and what was the outcome.

Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person?

Describe a situation where you found yourself dealing with someone who didn't like you. How did you handle it?

Give me a specific example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others.

Tell me about a difficult situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude. What did you do?

Give me an example of a time you had to make an important decision. How did you make the decision? How does it affect you today?

Give me an example of a time you had to persuade other people to take action. Were you successful?

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation?

Tell me about a time you had to handle multiple responsibilities. How did you organize the work you needed to do?

Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision, but didn't have all the information you needed.

What suggestions do you have for our organization?

What is the most significant contribution you made to the company during a past job or internship?

What is the biggest mistake you've made?

Describe a situation in which you had to use reference materials to write a research paper. What was the topic? What journals did you read?

Give me a specific example of a time when a co-worker or classmate criticized your work in front of others. How did you respond? How has that event shaped the way you communicate with others?

Give me a specific example of a time when you sold your supervisor or professor on an idea or concept. How did you proceed? What was the result?

Describe the system you use for keeping track of multiple projects. How do you track your progress so that you can meet deadlines? How do you stay focused?

Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a challenge your company/class/organization was facing. What was the challenge? What role did others play?

Describe a specific problem you solved for your employer or professor. How did you approach the problem? What role did others play? What was the outcome?

Describe a time when you got co-workers or classmates who dislike each other to work together. How did you accomplish this? What was the outcome?

Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you fail to do? What were the repercussions? What did you learn?

Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker or classmate understand a task. How did you assist him or her? What was the result?

Give two examples of things you've done in previous jobs or school that demonstrate your willingness to work hard.

Describe the last time that you undertook a project that demanded a lot of initiative.

What is the most competitive work or school situation you have experienced? How did you handle it? What was the result?

Describe a project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities.

Give an example of when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?

Tell about a time when you built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions.

Some people consider themselves to be "big picture people" and others are detail oriented. Which are you? Give an example that illustrates your preference.

Describe a situation where you felt you had not communicated well. How did you correct the situation?

Describe a time when you took personal accountability for a conflict and initiated contact with the individual(s) involved to explain your actions.

Give me an example of when you were able to meet the personal and professional (or academic) demands in your life yet still maintained a healthy balance.

Everyone has made some poor decisions or has done something that just did not turn out right. Give an example of when this has happened to you.

What do you do when you are faced with an obstacle to an important project? Give an example.

Tell about the most difficult or frustrating individual that you've ever had to work with, and how you managed to work with that person.

Tell about a time when your trustworthiness was challenged. How did you react/respond?

Describe a situation when you were able to have a positive influence on the actions of others.

Tell about a recent job or campus experience that you would describe as a real learning experience? What did you learn from the job or experience?

Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What could you have done to prevent it?

Recall a situation in which communications were poor. How did you handle it?

Describe a time when you had to make a difficult choice between your personal and professional (or academic) life.

On occasion we are confronted by dishonesty in the workplace or in school. Tell about such an occurrence and how you handled it.

What motivates you to go the extra mile on a project or job?

STAR Interviewing Technique

2008-06-09T07:38:00.002-04:00

Situation or Task

Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

Action you took
Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did -- not the efforts of the team. Don't tell what you might do, tell what you did.

Results you achieved

What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

Preparation for the Potential Behavioral Interview

2008-06-09T07:35:00.000-04:00

What’s the best way to prepare? It’s important to remember that you won’t know what type of interview will take place until you are sitting in the interview room. So, prepare answers to traditional interview questions.

Then, since you don’t know exactly what situations you will be asked about if it’s a behavioral interview, refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You may be able to use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved problems or performed memorably. The stories will be useful to help you respond meaningfully in a behavioral interview.

Finally, review the job description, if you have it, or the job posting or ad. You may be able to get a sense of what skills and behavioral characteristics the employer is seeking from reading the job description and position requirements. Take a look at what employers are advised about developing the job posting for a behavioral interview on the About Human Resources site.
During the Behavioral Interview

During the interview, if you are not sure how to answer the question, ask for clarification. Then be sure to include these points in your answer:

* A specific situation
* The tasks that needed to be done
* The action you took
* The results i.e. what happened

It’s important to keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer is simply trying to understand how you behaved in a given situation. How you respond will determine if there is a fit between your skills and the position the company is seeking to fill. So, listen carefully, be clear and detailed when you respond and, most importantly, be honest. If your answers aren’t what the interviewer is looking for, this position may not be the best job for you anyway.

The Behavioral Interview - What to Expect

2008-06-09T07:32:00.000-04:00

Author: Julia Penny

The Behavioral Interview is increasingly used by companies for employment selection. Although it is a more demanding type of interview from the candidate’s point of view, it should be welcomed by candidates as an opportunity to effectively demonstrate why they are suitable job candidates.

Why the Behavioral Interview Works

Have you ever heard an interviewer saying that they know straight away on meeting a candidate if they are suitable or not, that they go on “gut feel” when deciding on the right job applicant? Fortunately this sort of haphazard approach to job interviews is seen less and less as companies take a much more structured and systematic approach to selecting employees.

Organizations are under increasing pressure to achieve accuracy in predicting an applicant’s job performance. The escalating costs of a hiring mistake (generally calculated at being about 50 percent of the position’s annual remuneration) and the negative impact of the wrong person in the job on both existing employees and customers mean that employers need an effective selection process that accurately identifies the right person for the job. The system used for selection also needs to be consistent to give every candidate a fair and equal opportunity of being selected for it to be considered legally defensible.

Behavioral (sometimes referred to as Competency-Based) Interviews offer a solution to the problem of an accurate and equitable selection system. The fairness and accuracy of the Behavioral Interview is based on the fact that the candidate is providing real, factual information about their past behavior and how it relates to the present required job competencies. The questions asked are designed to gain information on the candidate’s ability in the competencies that have been identified as necessary for successful job performance. All information gathered during the Behavioral Interview is relevant to the position and company being interviewed for. All candidates are asked the same type of questions, the interview is standardized which makes it a fair selection process.

The Behavioral Interview Process

The job is profiled and competencies required for job performance identified. Examples of job competencies include attention to detail, leadership, teamwork, initiative and adaptability among many others.

Questions are prepared to elicit information on the candidate’s previous experience as it relates to these competencies. The Behavioral Interview is based on the premise that past behavior predicts future behavior.

The candidate is asked to provide a specific example of when they previously displayed the desired competency. The candidate then describes a previous situation or instance when they were required to demonstrate the competency, the actions they took and the outcome.

The Behavioral Interview Question

“Adaptability” is an identified competency for the vacancy. The interviewer prepares the following question to ask all candidates : “Tell me about a time you had to change your approach when dealing with a customer”

The candidate then provides a specific example of how he or she adapted their approach to effectively manage the customer. The interviewer may need to ask a number of probing questions such as “Tell me more about that” in order to get enough detail from the candidate.

The question should result in a clear example of the candidate’s competence in adapting to the situation or individual. The interviewer can then rate the candidate on this particular competency.

The factual evidence generated by the behavioral questions provides a solid basis for evaluating the candidate’s suitability for the position. Too often an interviewer uses the following type of question in the job interview “Tell me how you would handle a difficult customer.” This requires a hypothetical-type response that only gives information on how the candidate thinks they would deal with a difficult customer rather than hard factual evidence of how they actually have done so in the past.

You can see the value in asking behavioral interview questions to determine the real suitability of a candidate.

The Behavioral Interview can be intimidating for the candidate as often it is difficult to think of specific examples in the limited time constraints of the interview. Preparing properly for the Behavioral Interview beforehand by thinking about examples of competencies that your position may require helps set you up for success. The Behavioral Interview provides an easy to use guide to managing the behavioral interview, including sample behavioral interview questions and answers.

Julia Penny is an organizational psychologist with many years experience in recruitment and hiring. She offers her expertise to candidates who want to succeed in their job interviews. Her website includes a complete and free guide to preparing for and excelling in job interviews.
http://www.best-job-interview.com

Interview Questions for Paralegals

2008-04-23T07:43:00.000-04:00

1. What are your long and short range career goals and objectives?

2. When and how did you establish those goals?

3. How are you preparing yourself to achieve them?

4. What goals, other than those related to your legal career, have you established for yourself for the next 10 years?

5. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

6. Why did choose to go to Northeastern State University?

7. What kind of life do you want?

8. How would you describe yourself?

9. How has your college degree prepared you to work in this firm?

10. Why should I hire you?

11. What are the most important qualities of a successful legal assistant?

12. How can you contribute to our agency/firm/company?

13. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?

14. What was your most rewarding collegiate experience?

15. What legal courses did you like the best? Least?

16. Are your grades a good indication of your academic achievement?

17. What area of law appeals to you?

18. Describe your ideal working environment.

19. Why are you interested in this firm/company/agency?

20. What do you know about this firm/company/agency?

21. What two or three things are most important to you in a job?

22. What do you know about (the city in which the firm is located) ?

23. Do you have other job offers?

24. What have you learned from the other attorneys/paralegals you've spoken with today?

25. Do you have any questions I can answer?

26. Why do you want to be a paralegal?

27. Tell me about your legal experience. (Or why haven't you acquired any legal experience?)

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a practicing psychotherapist and is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe. to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezines, Head Hunt Your Next Job and/or Natural Selection (his free recruiting ezine), or to find out about his VIP Personal Search Agent service, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff or locating consultants, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Interview Questions for Librarians

2008-04-23T07:06:00.001-04:00

1. Describe your strengths and weaknesses.

2. Considering your education and work experience, why do you feel you are qualified for this job?

3. What do you see as the value of belonging to professional organizations?

4. Why did you apply for this job?

5. What is your philosophy of collection development?

6. Do you like working with people?

7. Do you have any experience with audio-visual materials?

8. Do you have any experience in setting up displays?

9. How do you feel that your education has prepared you for this job?

10. Where do you expect to be professionally in five years?

11. How would you handle a person who objects to a sex education book on the shelf?

12. How would you handle a question over the phone that you canít answer immediately?

13. Is there any time that you would refuse to answer a patronís request?

14. If we ask your present supervisor what your present strengths are, what would he/she say?

15. Why should we hire you?

16. Name two books you have read within the past two months and describe one of them as though you were recommending it to a patron to read. Why would they want to read it?

17. What qualities do you think we should look for in a prospective reference librarian?

18. Considering your working career, tell about the most stressful event you ever faced, and how you coped with it.

19. Picture this: It is 5:00 PM and you are relieving the day shift. You are the only reference librarian on the desk and the following are waiting for help. In what order would you answer them and why?

a. A young child with a homework assignment

b. A trivia question; the contest is on now. c. A woman who has just read Jannette Daileyís latest book and wants a recommendation for a similar book. d. An elderly couple wanting advice on how to do their genealogy.

e. The city managerís office is on the telephone.

20. What did you do to prepare for this interview?

21. What is your style of leadership?

22. Describe your ideal job.

23. What was your most challenging supervisory experience?

24. What do you like most about archival work?

25. Describe differences among patrons in a public library, an academic library, and a special library.

26. If you were assisting a person at the reference desk and the telephone rang, what would you do?

27. After you have eliminated the backlog, how do you see this job as challenging to you? What will motivate you to come to work?

28. Why did you elect to attend the University of South Carolina?

29. Why did you choose librarianship as a career?

30. Can you tell us about a particularly tense or chaotic situation at the reference desk and how you handled the incident?

31. What would you do if you heard a staff member provide a patron with an incorrect answer?

32. Tell us about a team or group project you have worked on and how you have contributed to it.

33. Tell us about your experience with information technology.

34. Why are you interested in this particular career?

35. What strengths do you bring to a reference position and what areas would you like to improve?

36. What are the things you particularly like about your present job?

37. What was your most important work-related accomplishment in the past year?

38. What contributions could you make to our library?

39. How would you describe your management philosophy?

40. What type of management style do you prefer?

41. What sorts of people do you enjoy working with most?

42. What kinds of situations do you find stressful?

43. What would you do if you were at the desk and both the phones were ringing and there were three or four patrons already waiting and a demanding professor interrupted?

44. Outline your science background, including: science coursework, library school coursework in science reference, and science library experience.

45. What is your public service experience, including bibliographic instruction, reference desk, and collection development?

46. What is your knowledge and/or experience of library technology?

47. How does this position fit into the career path you have set for yourself?

48. Give us an example of a time in which you felt you were able to build motivation in your coworkers or fellow students in school.

49. Describe the most significant achievement or written project/presentation/report which you have had to complete.

50. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a librarian?

51. Give us an example you did in a former job that contributed to a teamwork environment.

52. What would you do if you were unsure of how to answer a reference question?

53. What are your current research interests?

54. The role of the reference librarian and the reference department has changed a lot in the past five years and will probably continue to change. How do you see reference service changing in the next five years?

Jeff Altman

Interview Questions for a Job in Journalism

2008-04-18T17:34:00.000-04:00

Why do you want to work for [news organization name]?
Tell me about a story you covered that went very well.
Have you ever failed? What did you learn from the experience?
How well do you handle deadline pressure?
What publications do you read? What news shows do you watch? Why?
What is your philosophy of journalism?
What do you think of our paper/magazine/show/station? How would you make it better?
How do you feel about the state of journalism today?
Please give me a short critique of our paper/broadcast/magazine.
What stories would you like to cover? (You should have at least 5 ideas).
Why will you make a successful journalist?
What is your news philosophy?
What is the most recent book you’ve read?
You have five minutes to describe the most relevant and specific items in your background that show that you are uniquely qualified for this job.
Are you tough? Are you aggressive? Provide examples.
Do you think your extracurricular activities were worth the time you devoted to them?
Give me an example of a story you think you handled very well.
Give me an example of a story you wish you had covered differently. How would you cover it now?
Tell me about your work habits. Would you describe yourself as a hard worker?
Do you work well under pressure? Do you mind working overtime?
In light of recent world events, do you feel that the media has placed themselves in positive light with regard to public support? Why or why not?
How do you feel about the state of journalism today?
Please give me a short critique of our paper, broadcast, etc.
What stories would you like to cover?
(You should always have at least five story ideas.)
Which story over the last 12 months would you most like to have covered and why?
Why will you make a successful journalist?
What publications do you read?
What news programs do you watch? Why? What are they doing right? Wrong?
What is your news philosophy?
You have five minutes to describe the most relevant and specific items in your background that show that you are uniquely qualified for this job. (Prepare several important points you want the interviewer to remember after you have left; be able to stress them in a short, concise statement.)
Are you tough? Are you aggressive? (Be prepared to back up your answers)
Was the time you spent traveling worth the time you devoted to it?
Do you think your extracurricular activities were worth the time you devoted to them?
Are you willing to relocate?
What do you have, that others may not, that is right for this organization?
Give me an example of a story you think you handled very well.
Give me an example of a story you wished you had covered differently? How would you cover it now?
Walk me through a situation in which you had to get information by asking a lot of questions of a number of people. What were their reactions to the questions? When did you have to go back and rephrase your questions?
Describe a recent time that you were unexpectedly in a position of orally promoting or defending something. How convincing were you?
What arguments did you spontaneously think of during the discussion? How did it turn out?
Getting through college requires a lot of writing. Tell me about some of the writing you?ve done: topics, length, format, etc. What difficulties did you have with any of the written assignments or projects?
What are some of the most difficult writing assignments you have been given or have taken on yourself? Please explain.
Tell me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get an important point across.
Describe for me a time when you effectively utilized your editing skills in a written project.
Can you describe a situation in which your written work was criticized?
What classroom experiences do you feel have best prepared you for a career in writing/editing/research?
In the areas where your experience falls short for this job, what steps will you take to make up for this shortfall?
What have you done in the last year to improve your writing/editing/researching skills?
Tell me about your work habits. Would you describe yourself as a hard worker?
Do you work well under pressure?/Do you mind working overtime?
In light of recent world events, do you feel that the media has placed themselves in positive light with regard to public support? Why or why not?

Interview Questions for Nursing Interviews

2008-04-18T17:33:00.000-04:00

Describe a challenging problem you faced on one of your clinical rotations. How did you solve the problem?
Give a specific example of a time when you knew you did a good job as a nurse.
How would you respond if a doctor in a rude and haughty tone questioned your work, which you knew to be top-notch and absolutely accurate?
Why did you decide to become a nurse rather than a doctor?
Describe a situation where you found yourself working with someone who was very sensitive or thin-skinned.
If you were told that the nursing field was closed and you could not be a nurse, what would you do?
What types of nursing tasks are most objectionable to you?
Describe a situation you experienced in the past year, connected with nursing that made you angry.
Why did you choose (ER, OR, ICU, LTC, FNP or other specialty area) of nursing?
What do you know about our hospital? About our community?
Tell me about a time when you had to handle an irate physician, co-worker or patient. How did you handle the situation and what was the result?

Interview Questions for Park Management Jobs

2008-04-18T17:32:00.002-04:00

What is your management philosophy?
Tell me about a time when you found it necessary to tactfully but forcefully say things that others did not want to hear.
Describe for me a situation that would demonstrate the level of confidence that you have in yourself.
Provide me with an example of how you?ve asserted yourself in an emergency or high-pressure situation.
What management style would you use today, and why?
Thinking back on your previous experience (internship/co-op), pick your finest hour. Describe the assignment or project that you feel best demonstrated your management skills.
Obviously as a manager, you must interact successfully with people, clients, upper management, subordinates, etc. in order to make a positive impact. Can you sketch out two or three key strengths you feel you have in dealing with people?
Describe the process and procedures you would put into place to improve the quality and timeliness of customer service.
Describe a time when you took action to provide quick and thorough service in response to a patron?s request or problem.
What type of ideas do you have for providing patron satisfaction and bringing patrons back on a repeat basis?
If you have done this, give me an example.
How can a supervisor establish effective communication with staff?
Tell me how you have attempted to build trust with your employees, peers and customers.
Would you want your subordinates to like you or respect you as a manager?
What can a supervisor do to enhance an employee?s job and the employee?s motivation?
Tell me about a time when you were able to build team spirit in a time of low morale.
As a manager, you will need to explain policies and procedures to trainees. Think of the most recent time you had to tell other people about an upcoming change.
It is sometimes desirable to lead other people by setting a positive example. Describe a work situation when your example served as a model for others.
Individuals vary in their abilities to influence others. Give me a specific example of a time you were successful in guiding another person to a worthwhile objective.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, subordinates remain confused about their objectives on a project or assignment we have given. How would you help to clarify these items for one of your workers?
What do you know about our park?
Aside from classroom texts, what journals or professional articles are you currently reading for professional development?
What are your expectations regarding your workload as a first year employee with this organization?
What have you done in the last year to improve your management skills?
If your career demands it, would you be willing to relocate in order to advance?
What are some of the hot topics that park managers are talking about?

Interview Questions for School Counseling Positions

2008-04-18T17:31:00.001-04:00

What is your philosophy of school counseling?
Tell us about your experience in school counseling.
Describe your ideal school counseling program.
Name and describe three different roles of the school counselor.
What does the phrase developmental guidance program mean to you? Is it really possible to have a developmental guidance program?
Describe the program or activity you developed for which you are most proud. Why did you select this particular program?
Describe your view of an excellent working relationship between the school counselor and teachers. How would you go about achieving this relationship?
What are the limits of confidentiality?
What do you know about our school district?
What would you do if a teacher referred a student to you and then stops you to ask for information?
In your first days in a new school counseling position, what things/activities would you do to establish a positive working relationship with teachers?
A student comes to you and says her friend Jennifer is talking about killing herself. What do you do?
In a small support group 12-year-old John tells everyone he is tired of being picked on and is planning to shoot a boy who is bullying him. What do you do?
A student comes to you and begins to cry, telling you she is being picked on by two girls who used to be her friends. She shares with you that the problem has been going on for over two months and now it is getting worse. What do you do?
In a counseling session thirteen-year-old Sara tells you that her father has touched her inappropriately. What do you do?
When we get emotionally involved in a problem situation, it is often very difficult to be objective. Tell me about a time when you were proud of your ability to be objective even though you were emotional about a situation.
You hear a rumor from a student that two boys took some ki

Interview Questions for Social Workers

2008-04-18T17:29:00.001-04:00

Why have you selected a career in social work?
What do you hope to accomplish as a social worker?
Have you had the experience of working with people of a race or sexual orientation different from yours?
Do you feel you can be objective in counseling a teen about abortion?
What do you think of the welfare system?
What is your philosophy of social work?
What techniques do you use in crisis intervention work?
What kinds of things go into a psychological assessment?
How do you describe your personal boundaries?
What do you think of the recent welfare changes?
What do you think is going to happen in the field in the next five years?
What are your thoughts on managed care?
Are you a member of any professional organizations?
How would you handle a psychotic outburst in the clinic waiting room?
In terms of family therapy, what is your theoretical orientation?
How do you handle termination?
Do you believe in short term or long-term treatment?
Think of a client you have liked/disliked and tell me how you dealt with the counter transference issues.
Are you sensitive? Are you intuitive?
Are you an active listener? Are you able to engage clients?
This position requires a lot of independent thinking and initiative. There is minimal supervision. Could you handle that?
What kinds of problems do you like to handle? Can you give me an example?
What kinds of problems are you good at solving? Give me one example.
How would your weaknesses interfere with your ability to do this job?
Would you rather draw up plans and design a program or be responsible for implementing a program? Why?
Knowing what you know now, is there something you would do differently in the management of one of your fieldwork cases?
What do you judge to be your major successes or accomplishments in your fieldwork? How did you achieve these?
What major disappointments/failures have you had in fieldwork?
Are you prepared to make home visits?
How is your previous experience applicable to the work we do here?
Why have you selected a career in social work?
What do you hope to accomplish as a social worker?
Have you had the experience of working with people of a race or sexual orientation different from yours?
Do you feel you can be objective in counseling a teen about abortion?
What do you think of the welfare system?
What is your philosophy of social work?
What techniques do you use in crisis intervention work?
What kinds of things go into a psychological assessment?
How do you describe your personal boundaries?
What do you think of the recent welfare changes?
What do you think is going to happen in the field in the next five years?
What are your thoughts on managed care?
Are you a member of any professional organizations?
How would you handle a psychotic outburst in the clinic waiting room?
In terms of family therapy, what is your theoretical orientation?
How do you handle termination?
Do you believe in short term or long-term treatment?
Think of a client you have liked/disliked and tell me how you dealt with the counter transference issues.
Are you sensitive? Are you intuitive?
Are you an active listener? Are you able to engage clients?
This position requires a lot of independent thinking and initiative. There is minimal supervision. Could you handle that?
What kinds of problems do you like to handle? Can you give me an example?
What kinds of problems are you good at solving? Give me one example.
How would your weaknesses interfere with your ability to do this job?
Would you rather draw up plans and design a program or be responsible for implementing a program? Why?
Knowing what you know now, is there something you would do differently in the management of one of your fieldwork cases?
What do you judge to be your major successes or accomplishments in your fieldwork? How did you achieve these?
What major disappointments/failures have you had in fieldwork?
Are you prepared to make home visits?
How is your previous experience applicable to the work we do here?

To also prepare

1. Know risk assessment/signs of abuse,neglect inside and out.

2. Know how to work with a family to develop a plan.

3. Be able to articulate what interviewilng skills are necessary when working with families we serve.

4. Know how to prioritize multiple tasks that include crisis, telephone msgs, immediates tasks assigned by your boss, personal dr appts, etc.

5. Be able to articulate your understanding of how culture impacts our work with families re abuse/neglect/prevention/intervention/reunification, etc.

Was this comment helpful? Yes (11) / No

Accounting Supervisor Test Questions

2008-04-16T07:01:00.000-04:00

ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR

INSTRUCTIONS:

Please read through this material and prepare a written response using a computerized word processing system. Please send a copy of the questions and your responses along with your other application materials.

SECTION I

Based on your past knowledge and experience you see a better way to do a process. You explain your proposed process to the finance manager. Upon discussion and review the finance manager explains several constraints that you were unaware of which would prevent your suggestion from replacing the current processing standard. This has happened several different times with different processes. How would you handle this situation and what would you do next?

You are now working for the City of Walla Walla. You have too much to do and not enough time to do it. How would you handle this situation?

One joy in working for a city is that there are a lot of different kinds of work to be done. You are given a choice of two projects to work on. Both projects are equally important, both need to be done and both will be assigned to somebody. Other workload requirements will be shifted around to reflect the new project assignment. Project one is well understood by a co-worker but she doesn’t have time to do it. She would be available to point you in the right direction, however, and answer questions as they arise. Project two is something brand new to the city but is required and so the city will have to figure out what the new requirements are; how it affects existing computer systems and define a new way forward. This project will require research and creation of new institutional knowledge. It will require the efforts of multiple departments to both implement and maintain the new process. Work load affects being equal, would you request project one or project two and why?

You are now working for the City of Walla Walla. It is the third week of the month and you find yourself having completed all of your monthly tasks. You ask your supervisor for additional work and she gives you the following options. Which task would you request and why?

i. Review the current purchasing policy and the purchasing processing manual and come up with recommendations to update or improve policy/procedures.

ii. Cover for an accounts payable clerk (work is related to your normal duties) who is on vacation that week.

iii. Cover for a utility billing clerk (work that is dissimilar from your normal duties) who is on vacation that week.

iv. Cover for another accountant (work is dissimilar from your normal duties) who is on vacation that week.

v. Test a new upgrade to the existing accounting system using a clone of the accounting software system to find out if there are any “bugs” in the new upgrade. This testing is done on a separate system from the “real” accounting system so that there is no risk in conducting the testing process.

vi. Come up with a training plan and meet with a department that has been making a lot of errors recently in processing that is causing your part of Finance to have to undo and redo work.

vii. Join a task force to coordinate the information flow of infrastructure between Finance, engineering and GIS departments and come up with processes to ensure all the correct data goes to all the correct departments at all the correct times.

Please compare and contrast governmental accounting and private sector accounting.

The city expects to invest in the training, support and professional growth of the selected candidate. Please out line a learning and training plan including the areas, timelines, resources, etc. that you would like in order to grow into a successful, productive, governmental accounting supervisor responsible for accounts payable processing, ambulance billings and collections, governmental bid and purchasing rules, audit and compliance and assisting in the preparation of the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report according to the Governmental Finance Officer’s Association award standards.

SECTION II

SCENARIO #1:

You are working in an accounting environment where: revenue information is posted in the general ledger when the cashier balances her cash drawer at the end of the day and when billings system information is posted throughout the day; disbursement information is posted to the general ledger when vendor checks are printed each day; information for fixed the fixed asset subsidiary system is created when the accounts payable system prints vendor checks; employees are paid once a month when payroll paychecks are posted the third business day of the following month. Departments can pull financial statements at any time and those statements include all information that has been posted at the time the statements are run, but typically departments print the statements about the 5^th of the following month. Full GAAP financial statements are published annually for bonding and audit purposes.

Banking activity (individual deposits, check clearing, transfers, interest revenue and bank fee information) for all accounts are available on-line as it occurs throughout the day. Transfers are made automatically at midnight, from the main account to cover checks that are redeemed in a separate check account. Banking activity reports can be run for any starting and ending range for up to two years. There is no cost to access this information or print these reports.

QUESTION:

On what interval (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, annually, etc.) would you recommend reconciling banking activity to the financial system and why did you choose that interval?

SCENARIO #2:

The cash receipting process works as follows. When checks come in the mail, the cashier batches all the checks for accounts receivable together. The cashier runs a ten-key tape of all those checks and then she enters all A/R payments into a special screen that updates the billing system. This screen provides her with a summary list by general ledger account number for her to enter a summary payment into her normal cash receipting screen. When the cashier posts her payment batch at the end of the day the billing system (subsidiary) customer balances screen reflects the payments as well as the general ledger accounts receivable balances. When a customer comes in to the counter to make an A/R payment, the cashier processes the payments in her cash receipt screen that updates the general ledger balances, but not the billing subsidiary customer balances. She then enters into an excel log the customer’s account and payment information. The day the billing clerk prepares the monthly bills, she reads the walk-in customer payment log and enters the payments into the billing system (this entry does not update the general ledger).

QUESTION:

What changes, (getting a new computer system is not an option), if any, would you recommend to the above processing flow and what were your considerations in making the recommendation?

SCENARIO #3:

Interest is earned on cash and investments. The bank posts the interest to our bank account on the last business day of the month. Our cash in the Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) post our interest on the last business day of the month, faxes us a statement the first day of the next month and mails us a hard copy 10 business days later. Our other investments have a fixed earnings rate and pay out interest earnings on April 30, and October 31 each year. General ledger cash balances for each fund change daily.

QUESTIONS:

When would you record each type of interest revenue?
What method would you use to allocate revenue between funds?

Please explain your reasoning.

SCENARIO #4:

Fixed asset information is created as a pending record in the fixed asset system as accounts payable is processed. More information is required to be added to the pending fixed asset record to make it complete. Once it is complete, the fixed asset information is posted to the general ledger. The capitalization policy for fixed assets is $5,000 per item and there are approximately 15 items a month that meet this capitalization policy.

QUESTIONS:

When would you recommend:

Completing the pending fixed asset records and posting them to the general ledger?
Running the automatic depreciation expense process and posting depreciation expense/accumulated depreciation?

Please explain your reasons for your recommendation.

Generic Questions for Entry Level Jobs

2008-04-16T06:53:00.001-04:00

Tell me about yourself.

Why have you chosen this particular field?

What courses did you like best? Least? Why?

Why did you choose your major and other academic pursuits?

I would like to begin by having you outline for me any practical experience you have had on previous jobs or others that is related to the profession of _______________.

Being able to learn quickly on the job is important. Tell me about a situation when you had to pick up an essential skill quickly.

What was the skill that you had to learn?
What led to this situation?
What did you do that helped you learn quickly?
What was the outcome of this situation?
When was the next time you used this skill? Tell me about it.

Sometimes, demands are placed on new employees that stretch their current knowledge. There are always times when we wish we knew more than we do. Describe an experience when you were most frustrated with your knowledge in _____________. (Tell me about the time that you most needed to know more).

What did you need to know?
How did you try to find it out?
How long was it before the problem was solved?
What did your supervisor say about this event?
What did you do to avoid this problem in the future?
When was the next time this type of situation came up?
What did you do then?

When you are assigned a difficult task, organization is important. Can you think of a time when you organized your work effectively in order to meet a deadline?

What was the task?
Who assigned it?
Who was working on it with you?
What steps did you take to organize the task?
How did the organization help get the work done?
Was the task completed on schedule?
Did you ever receive a comment on your organization? What?
How often did you follow the steps mentioned when organizing your work?

Give me an example of a problem you encountered either in school or at work and explain how you solved it.

We are interested in how you show initiative to go beyond everyday requirements. Give me an example of when you showed initiative on the job

What did you do that was beyond the call of duty?

What led you to take this initiative?
What was the outcome of your actions?
Did your senior say anything about your action? What?
How often in the past year did you show this kind of initiative?
Tell me about another time.

There are always times when things are so busy that your job can be quite hectic. There are also times when you have little to do. Tell me about the slowest period in your recent experience.

When did this occur?
What caused the slowdown?
What did you do during this period?
What were your co-workers doing during this time?
Did your senior comment on your efforts? What was said?
How often did this kind of slow period come up?
Did you ever handle it differently? What did you do differently that time?

How do you spend your spare time?

What are your major strengths / weaknesses?

Sometimes, we all run into frustrating customers or clients. Tell me about the most frustrating person that you had to deal with recently.

What specifically did the person do that was frustrating?
What did you do to resolve the difficulties this created?
How did the person react to what you did?

Tell me about a time when you were able to help improve a work procedure by making good suggestions to your supervisor or co-worker.

Where did you get the idea for the suggestion?
What suggestions did you make?
What help did you get from your supervisor on this suggestion?
How often were you able to offer this kind of help last year?
What comments did you receive?

Even the best of us have disagreements with co-workers from time to time. Describe the most serious disagreement you've had with a co-worker.

When did this happen?
What led to the disagreement?
How did you first approach solving the disagreement?
How did the co-worker respond?
What was the outcome of this disagreement?

Describe an experience in which you worked as part of a team.

Describe your best / worst boss.

In general, what do you consider to be your strengths in ___________?

What do you consider to be your weaknesses?

What have been your most satisfying and most disappointing experiences?

Explain how your past work experiences will aid you in the profession of ________?

There are many qualified individuals applying for a limited number of positions. What can you tell me that would make you stand out among the rest?

Why do you feel you would be successful in _______________?

Where do you see yourself in three years?

What are your long-term goals? Where do you hope to be in ten years?

If you were stranded on an island, what three items would you take with you and why?

If you could be an animal, which would it be and why?

What was the last book you read?

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a practicing psychotherapist and is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues.

Interview Questions--Legal Intern

2008-04-15T20:42:00.002-04:00

1. Why are you interested in this firm?

Ans: Your firm handled (insert name of case I read on their website) which I found to be exciting because it was just like another case I was reading in this class I got an A in. I've also asked some upper class-men about your office and they said it's a great work environment.

2. Why did you go to law school?

Ans: I went to law school because I want to be able to make a difference. Legal work allows me to be competitive and to work for justice, both of which are important things in my life.

3. Do you think your grades are an accurate reflection of the kind of work you will do as an attorney?

Ans: Law school has been a challenge, and I think my grades reflect that. More important than my grades, which by the way have steadily improved over my academic career, is my dedication to the work I do. My performance during my summer jobs is the best indicator of how I will work, and you will find that my previous employers were all pleased with me (or at least forgot who I am and so will not remember the fuck ups). .

4. What would you say is your greatest weakness?
Ans: My greatest weakness is that I get too personally involved with my work. For instance, when I am working on trial prep, and then the case settles favorably, I feel as though it should have gone to trial anyway, despite knowing that the settlement is what's best for our firm and our client.

5. Tell us about a recent mistake that you have made.

Ans: I accidentally misfiled a case at work that was set to go to trial the next week. As soon as I realized this, I alerted my supervisor and disaster was averted.

6. What do you do for fun?

Ans. I enjoy jogging, skydiving, and traveling to exotic countries.

7. Tell us about your style of leadership.

Ans: I lead by taking the initiative and working proactively with my peers to come up with solutions.

8. If you don't get hired by this firm, what will you do?

I will analyze what I could have done better during the interview and take that knowledge with me into my next interview with [rival firm name].

9. Do you have any questions for us?

Ans: Will I have a key so that I can come in and work on the weekends?

10. We value creativity among our associates. With that in mind, what kind of plant would you be, and why? Ans. I would be a tree, because they are tall, strong, and live a long life.

Sample Interview Questions--Lawyers

2008-04-15T20:38:00.003-04:00

Why did you decide to attend law school?
In what school activities have you participated? Why?
Which did you enjoy most?
How do you spend your spare time?
What jobs have you held? How were they obtained, and why did you leave?
What courses have you liked best in law school? Least? Why?
What do you know about our firm?
Do you feel your legal education has been good?
What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in this field?
How interested are you in sports?
If you were starting law school all over, would you still attend?
What is your rank in school? Is your GPA a good indicator of your abilities?
Was your involvement in school activities worth the time you devoted to them? Why?
What characteristics do you think a person needs to be a successful attorney?
Why do you think you would like practicing law?
Do you prefer working with others or by yourself?
Who are your best friends? Why?
Can you take instructions without feeling upset?
How did previous employers treat you?
What have you learned from other jobs you have held?
Can we get recommendations from your previous employers?
What interests you about our firm? Why would you want to represent our clients?
Have you ever had to withdraw from a class?
Have you ever had any difficulty getting along with fellow students or faculty?
What is the source of your spending money?
Do you like routine work?
Define cooperation.
Are you willing to fight to get ahead?
What area of law interests you? Why?
What job with the firm would you choose if you were given the choice?
What types of people seem to rub you the wrong way?
What are your special abilities?
What do you think the disadvantages of practicing law are?
What have you done that shows initiative and a willingness to work?
How many hours a day do you think a person should work?
What are your goals?
Do you have any questions for us?
Why should we hire you over our other applicants?

Interview Questions with a Technology Law Practice

2008-04-15T19:37:00.001-04:00

How does your experience and education qualify you for the position in our Technology Law Group?
Focus on the aspects of your experience that apply to this position. Include any information technology experience, knowledge or training.
Tell me about a challenging situation in which you had to apply both your legal skills and technical knowledge.
Would you say that your strength is in drafting or in the substantive review of documents? Why?
Regardless of where your strength is, provide examples of why drafting or substantive review is a strength. Can you tie it to technology or some aspect of this position?
How would your current law firm assess your drafting ability?
What the biggest mistake that you've made in your legal career? What did you learn from that mistake?
You've supervised project teams before, what steps do you take to insure that project teams work effectively and efficiently?
What experience do you have in negotiating technology contracts?
Give me an example of your ability to work under pressure and deal with deadlines in the legal environment.
Based on your knowledge of technology, what technological changes do you see in the next five years that will have the greatest legal impact?
What salary are you seeking?
How does your experience and qualifications match up to the job? Do you know how much other companies are paying? Check Salary.com for complete salary information.
Do you have anything to add?

Jeff Altman

He is the author of “Get Yourself Hired NOW! The Big Game Hunter’s Guide to Head Hunting Your Next Job and Every Job After That” (in ebook and audio formats) and “Get Your Job Search Organized NOW!” (ebook) Both are available at www.getyourselfhiredNOW.com Register at the site and you will receive free copies of The International Job Board List and a Guide to Resume Writing.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 4 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Sample Questions for Quantitative Roles

2008-04-15T07:07:00.004-04:00

Statistics
How do you test whether a data sample is normal or not?

Math
Show that a set is convex if and only if its intersection with any line is convex. Show that a set is affine if and only if its intersection with any line is affine.

Bond Pricing
I don't know anything about bond pricing, but I've heard people use something called the discount rate when they price bonds. Can you explain what this "discount rate" is? Why is it important? Where do I get its value? What is the current discount rate (as of today)? When I price a 30-year bond, should I use today's discount rate or should I use a different discount rate for each of the next 30 years?

Probability Theory
Say you are on a game show [historical side note: this question was first played on the 60s American game show Let's Make a Deal, hosted by Monty Hall], and there are three closed doors. Behind one door is a car, the prize you dream of, and behind the other two are goats. You pick a door. The host, who knows what's behind each door, opens another which reveals a goat. Now, the host lets you make another choice: should you stick with you first door choice, or should you switch and pick a different door, in order to win the car?

Applied Math
What's a Hermitian matrix? What important property does a Hermitian matrix's eigenvalues possess? What's the practical implication of this property in applications?

Econometrics - Time Series
Is an AR(p) process stationary? Why or why not?
Tough question: in practice, how do you determine the order of an MA or AR model?

Statistics
Random variable X is distributed as N(a, b), and random variable Y is distributed as N(c, d). What is the distribution of (1) X+Y, (2) X-Y, (3) X*Y, (4) X/Y?
(Comment: another very popular quant interview question, regardless of whether the position itself involves statistical modeling)

Econometrics
What are some of the causes of heteroskedasticity? How do you test for the presence of heteroskedasticity? (Please name at least two tests.) Finally, what are some of the techniques for dealing with heteroskedasticity?

Options
What's put-call parity in option pricing? How does one derive this relationship? What crucial assumptions are necessary?
Tough case question: if you observe put-call parity not currently holding in the market, how do you make money off this observation? As you trade, what do you need to watch out for and what risks must you be aware of?

Math - Stochastics
Show that exp{-t/2 + W(t)} is a martingale.

Portfolio Theory
Consider the utility function U(W) = W-1/2 . What are the characteristics of this function with respect to absolute and relative risk aversion?
Explain the difference between absolute and relative risk aversion.
[First question taken from chapter 10 of Elton, et al. Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis]

C++
Is the following valid C++ code? If so, what does it print?
cout << (int *) "Home of the jolly bytes"; Taken from chapter 4 of Prata, C++ Primer Plus (5th ed.) Financial Economics-Related Case Question
When you trade stocks, what are some of the different types of cost associated with your trading? How would you mitigate each type of cost?
(Hint: a cost need not be explicit...)

Econometrics - Time Series
What's a GARCH model? Why is it an important/useful model? When would you use the GARCH model?
Can you write down its general formulation? What does the GARCH model say in plain English? What does it "try" to achieve?
How do you determine the order of the model? How do you estimate the model in practice?
Tough follow-up question: how do you implement a GARCH model in Excel?

Econometrics - Time Series
People use the GARCH model to study volatility. Can you tell me if we can use the GARCH framework to study the correlation between two assets/time series? If so, what additional assumptions and/or adjustments must we make to the original GARCH model?

Brainteaser
With an ordinary tape measure and a watch, how would you measure the exact height of the Empire State Building (or the Sears Tower, or the Big Ben Clock Tower, or the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, or any famous tall building)?

Brainteaser - Logic - Deduction
(There are many versions of this type of question. Here are some examples.)

1. How many pizzas are consumed every day in the U.S.?
2. How many gas stations are there in the U.S.?
3. How many cars are stolen every month in the U.S.?
4. How many prostitutes do you think work the streets in New York (or London, or L.A., or Shanghai, or Tokyo, or Singapore, ...)?
5. How many quants are there in the world?
6. How many people make their livings on Wall Street?
7. How many university graduates try to find a job on Wall Street each year?
8. How many tennis balls can you fit in a Boeing 747 (or Airbus A320)?
9. How many Yankees fans go to every home game each season?
10. How many people in China can speak English?

Case Question
You work for an arbitrage desk. Your model shows that if you bought stock A and simultaneously sold stock B, you have a 51.3% chance of making a profit by today's close. Should you make this trade?

Control Theory
The latest "hot" topic in financial research is using the Kalman filter in various applications. Can you explain the basic idea behind the Kalman filter (i.e., what does the filter try to do with the data)? Can you write the basic Kalman filter model? What are some of the applications of the Kalman filter?
Tough question: How do you estimate (or implement) the Kalman filter? For example, to study stock price movement.

Asset pricing
Tell me the intuition behind CAPM. Can you write down the model? What does each of the variables stand for?
Two tough advanced questions: How do you test CAPM using real data? What are the major points of criticism against CAPM?

Econometrics
When modeling binary-choice problems, what are the advantages of using logit over probit? What are the disadvantages of logit vs. probit?
What about multiple-choice models: is logit or probit better?

Finance
What does VaR (value at risk) measure? What are some of the assumptions behind the VaR concept? Given two portfolios A and B, does the following relationship hold: VaR(A+B) = VaR(A) + VaR(B)? Why or why not (i.e., prove your previous answer)?

Stochastic Calculus
What is Ito's Lemma? What is its significance in studying stochastic processes? How is it used in finance? Can you write out the equation?
When used to model financial derivatives, what assumptions must be made of the properties of the derivatives for Ito's Lemma to be applied correctly?

Programming
I give you a text file, x.txt, which has millions of records with three columns in each record:
ID, age, income
The records are sorted by ID, and no two IDs are the same.
Now, write a short program in each of the following languages to pull out 10,000 randomly selected records from x.txt. Put these 10,000 randomly pulled records in an output file called y.txt.
C++
Visual Basic
Matlab
Perl
Python
SAS
R or S-Plus
UNIX shell script

Programming
You get the same input file x.txt with millions of records sorted by ID. However, some records are missing either age or income.
Now, your task is to write a program to pull out a random sample of 10,000 records, but only those with neither age nor income missing.
(Comment: both questions #21 and #22 test your ability to both write a working program and to produce an efficient program - but foremost you must write a program that works correctly)

Linear Algebra
In linear algebra, why are we interested in matrix decompositions? Explain each of the following:
LU decomposition
Singular value decomposition (SVD)
Cholesky decomposition
QR decomposition
When and how is each of these decomposition techniques applied?
(Comment: matrix operations, including decompositions, are extremely important in applied quantitative finance - they are often the clue between modeling and implementation)

Mathematical Brainteaser
Answer this as fast as you can, without writing anything down:
The perimeter of a right triangle is 5 inches. The two legs are each 2 inches long. What's the length of the hypotenuse?

Finance - Asset Pricing
Can you show me how the APT model is derived? What's the intuition behind APT? How does it compare to CAPM? What are some of the criticisms of APT?

Mathematics
What is Jensen's Inequality? What are some of its applications? Can you write out the inequality and provide a sketch of a proof?
(Hint: Jensen's Inequality is an important concept in probability theory; other important inequalities include Hölder's Inequality and Minkowski's Inequality)

Economics - Game Theory
What's a Nash equilibrium? Can you write down its formal definition? Can you provide an example?

SQL
In SQL, what's an inner join and what's an outer join? What's the difference between a left join and a right join?

Statistics
How do you calculate sample variance? Show me the formula and implement it in C or C++.

Finance Case Question
There are two stocks A and B. I already own A, but I'm thinking of buying B to replace A. (I can only own either A or B at the same time.) I'm a U.S.-based investor subject to all U.S. taxes. How will my tax situation affect my decision whether to keep A, or to sell A and buy B? Please explain in detail.

Probability Theory
There are 30 people in my group. What are the odds that at least two people share the same birth month and day (e.g., July 25). What are the odds that exactly two people share the same birth month and day? Finally, what are the odds that everybody was born in the same decade (where a decade is defined as any ten-year span, not necessarily "50s" or "60s" or "70s" etc.)?

Statistics
What's the difference between the t-stat and R2 in a regression? What does each measure? When you get a very large value in one but a very small value in the other, what does that tell you about the regression?

Options
Can you plot an option's delta as a function of the underlying stock's price? What does this plot tell you?

Perl
In Perl, given a hash %bonus where the key is employee ID and the value represents the employee's expected year-end bonus, sort this hash by value from highest bonus to lowest.
Bonus question: how would you do this whole ID-->bonus mapping and sorting in C++ or C#?

Brainteaser
(The interviewer writes down the following equation on the whiteboard...)
XI + I = X
This is an equation expressed in Roman numerals. Imagine this equation is actually written out using sticks. Without touching or adding any stick, how can you make this equation true?

Financial Time Series
What is Principal Component Analysis? Please explain in plain English as well as write down the model.
How does PCA differ from factor analysis?
(Comment: PCA is used heavily in studying asset returns; it is, for instance, a backbone of statistical arbitrage models)

Probability Theory
You are offered to play a game of chance. A fair coin is tossed repeatedly until you get the first tails, at which point the game ends and you get the prize. The prize "pot" starts at $1 and doubles each time you get heads. So for instance, if you get heads the first toss, the pot becomes $2. If you get heads again the second toss, the pot becomes $4. If you get heads the third time, the pot becomes $8. If the fourth toss gives you the tail of the coin, you win and take home the $8 prize.
Before you play, you must pay a fee to enter this game. The question is, what's the maximum amount you're willing to pay in order to play this game? Explain your answer carefully.

Probability Theory
What's the expectation of a uniform(a, b) distribution? What's its variance? Please derive your answers in mathematical terms, starting with the pdf.

Derivatives
Explain the difference between a futures contract and a forward contract. How are they priced differently?

Statistics
Given a dataset, how do you determine its sample distribution? Please provide at least two methods.

Algebra
Let n be a natural number. Give the reduced expression for the following:
(1) 1+2+3+...+n
(2) 1+22+32+...+n2
(3) 1+23+33+...+n3
(4) 1+2k+3k+...+nk, where k is another natural number.

C++
What are virtual functions in C++? What are they used for? Please write down an example of a virtual function to illustrate its usage.

Stochastics
A random walk process starts at the point 0. What is the probability that this random walk hits -2 before it hits 3? What if the process is a Brownian motion instead?

Options
What is the lower bound for the price of a European call option on a non-dividend-paying stock? Can you derive this lower bound in a formal fashion?
Now, what if the call option is American? What if the stock pays a dividend every quarter?

Excel
There are at least two ways in Excel to perform an OLS regression. What are they? What are some of the limitations of doing OLS in Excel (as opposed to using a real statistical package like EViews, Stata, R, S-Plus, or SAS)?

Capital Markets
Why do price spreads exist in asset-trading markets? Can spreads ever be negative? If so, under what conditions?
Tougher: what are some examples of markets where price spreads do not necessarily exist?

Jeff Altman

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 4 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Inestment Banking Questions

2008-04-14T21:24:00.000-04:00

Tell me about yourself.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
How would your friends describe you?
Are you entrepreneurial?
What are the most important things to you in a job?
Give me an example of a situation where you demonstrated leadership.
Give an example of how you worked on a team.
How creative are you? Give an example.
Why are you interested in the industry?
Why did you choose to interview with us?
Who have you met from our Firm? What did you learn from him/her?
Describe the ideal position for you within our Firm.
What qualities do you think make someone successful in business?
Why do you think you are qualified for this position?
Why did you select your college or business school?
What courses have you liked most? Least? Why?
What are you learning that will help you in your work with us?
What do you do in your spare time?
What would you like me to know most that is not in your resume?
What are the most important things to you in a job?
Give me an example of a situation where you motivated others.
Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team.
What attracts you to a career in this industry?
Why did you select your university?
What courses have you liked most? Least? Why?
What are you learning that will help you in your work with us?
Tell me about a time when you had to develop relationships with others.
Describe a situation in which it was difficult to obtain information you needed, and how you managed to be successful.
Describe an instance in which you had a significant impact on a situation.

Tough Interview Questions #52: Describe the most difficult problem you’ve had to deal with

2008-04-14T21:21:00.001-04:00

The best way to answer this question would be to say that you follow the five-step format every time you encounter a difficult problem:

1. Stand back and examine the problem.

2. Recognize the problem as the symptom of other, perhaps hidden, factors.

3. draw up a list of possible solutions to the problem.

4. Weigh up both the consequences and cost of each solution and determine the best solution.

5. Go to your CEO/director/manager, outline the problem, make your recommendation and ask for advice and approval.

Conclude your response by giving a real example of a problem you have encountered and your solution.

This question is designed to probe your professional profile, specifically your analytical skills and your ability to identify a creative solution.

It also looks to assess potential based on past behavior. Firms want candidates to demonstrate what they actually did and the choices they made when faced with a difficult problem.

Jeff Altman

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 4 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Tough Interview Question #51: Describe a time when you have solved a problem with an unconventional solution

2008-04-14T21:17:00.001-04:00

This question also allows you to show your logical thinking process, alongside other abilities such as communication and persuasion skills, as well as drive.

The best candidates will relate their answer with an example of their past experience and talk you through what the problem was, what creative solution they came up with, what steps they took to implement the solution, and the outcome.

The interviewer is not just looking for someone who is capable of doing the job, but one who could also think out of the box and bring in new perspective to the team and the firm.

Jeff Altman

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 4 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Tough Interview Questions: #50: The Price of Fruit

2008-04-14T18:17:00.002-04:00

There are four groups of Mangoes, Apples and Bananas as follows:
Group I : 1 Mango, 1 Apples and 1 Banana
Group II : 1 Mango, 5 Apples and 7 Bananas
Group III : 1 Mango, 7 Apples and 10 Bananas
Group IV : 9 Mango, 23 Apples and 30 Bananas

Group II costs Rs 300 and Group III costs Rs 390.

Can you tell how much does Group I and Group IV cost?

Group I costs Rs 120 and Group IV costs Rs 1710

Assume that the values of one mango, one apple and one banana are M, A and B respectively.

From Group II : M + 5A + 7B = 300
From Group III : M + 7A + 10B = 390

Subtracting above to equations : 2A + 3B = 90

For Group I :
= M + A + B
= (M + 5A + 7B) - (4A + 6B)
= (M + 5A + 7B) - 2(2A + 3B)
= 300 - 2(90)
= 300 - 180
= 120

Similarly, for Group IV :
= 9M + 23A + 30B
= 9(M + 5A + 7B) - (22A + 33B)
= 9(M + 5A + 7B) - 11(2A + 3B)
= 9(300) - 11(90)
= 2700 - 990
= 1710

Thus, Group I costs Rs 120 and Group IV costs Rs 1710.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Questions: #50: The Price of Fruit

2008-04-14T18:17:00.000-04:00

Group II costs Rs 300 and Group III costs Rs 390.

Can you tell how much does Group I and Group IV cost?

Group I costs Rs 120 and Group IV costs Rs 1710

Assume that the values of one mango, one apple and one banana are M, A and B respectively.

From Group II : M + 5A + 7B = 300
From Group III : M + 7A + 10B = 390

Subtracting above to equations : 2A + 3B = 90

For Group I :
= M + A + B
= (M + 5A + 7B) - (4A + 6B)
= (M + 5A + 7B) - 2(2A + 3B)
= 300 - 2(90)
= 300 - 180
= 120

Similarly, for Group IV :
= 9M + 23A + 30B
= 9(M + 5A + 7B) - (22A + 33B)
= 9(M + 5A + 7B) - 11(2A + 3B)
= 9(300) - 11(90)
= 2700 - 990
= 1710

Thus, Group I costs Rs 120 and Group IV costs Rs 1710.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question #49: The 50m long army platoon

2008-04-14T18:14:00.001-04:00

There is a 50m long army platoon marching ahead. The last person in the platoon wants to give a letter to the first person leading the platoon. So while the platoon is marching he runs ahead, reaches the first person and hands over the letter to him and without stopping he runs and comes back to his original position.

In the mean time the whole platoon has moved ahead by 50m.

The question is how much distance did the last person cover in that time. Assuming that he ran the whole distance with uniform speed.

The last person covered 120.71 meters.

It is given that the platoon and the last person moved with uniform speed. Also, they both moved for the identical amount of time. Hence, the ratio of the distance they covered - while person moving forward and backword - are equal.

Let's assume that when the last person reached the first person, the platoon moved X meters forward.

Thus, while moving forward the last person moved (50+X) meters whereas the platoon moved X meters.

Similarly, while moving back the last person moved [50-(50-X)] X meters whereas the platoon moved (50-X) meters.

Now, as the ratios are equal,
(50+X)/X = X/(50-X)
(50+X)*(50-X) = X*X

Solving, X=35.355 meters

Thus, total distance covered by the last person
= (50+X) + X
= 2*X + 50
= 2*(35.355) + 50
= 120.71 meters

Note that at first glance, one might think that the total distance covered by the last person is 100 meters, as he ran the total lenght of the platoon (50 meters) twice. TRUE, but that's the relative distance covered by the last person i.e. assuming that the platoon is stationary.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question #48: Move A Safe

2008-04-14T18:11:00.000-04:00

To move a Safe, two cylindrical steel bars 7 inches in diameter are used as rollers.

How far will the safe have moved forward when the rollers have made one revolution?

The safe must have moved 22 inches forward.

If the rollers make one revolution, the safe will move the distance equal to the circumference of the roller. Hence, the distance covered by the safe is
= PI * Diameter (or 2 * PI * Radius)
= PI * 7
= 3.14159265 * 7
= 21.99115
= 22 inches approx

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question #47: Who Is Married to Cam

2008-04-14T18:10:00.002-04:00

Three men - Sam, Cam and Laurie - are married to Carrie, Billy and Tina, but not necessarily in the same order.

Sam's wife and Billy's Husband play Carrie and Tina's husband at bridge. No wife partners her husband and Cam does not play bridge.

Who is married to Cam?

Carrie is married to Cam.

"Sam's wife and Billy's Husband play Carrie and Tina's husband at bridge."

It means that Sam is not married to either Billy or Carrie. Thus, Sam is married to Tina.

As Cam does not play bridge, Billy's husband must be Laurie.

Hence, Carrie is married to Cam.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question #46: The Cricket Match

2008-04-14T18:07:00.000-04:00

The cricket match between India and Pakistan was over.
• Harbhajan scored more runs than Ganguly.
• Sachin scored more runs than Laxman but less than Dravid
• Badani scored as much runs as Agarkar but less than Dravid and more than Sachin.
• Ganguly scored more runs than either Agarkar or Dravid.
Each batsman scored 10 runs more than his immediate batsman. The lowest score was 10 runs. How much did each one of them score

A simple one. Use the given facts and put down all the players in order. The order is as follow with Harbhajan, the highest scorer and Laxman, the lowest scorer.
1. Harbhajan
2. Ganguly
3. Dravid
4. Badani, Agarkar
5. Sachin
6. Laxman
Also, as the lowest score was 10 runs. Laxman must have scored 10, Sachin 20, Badani & Agarkar 30 and so on.
1. Harbhajan - 60 runs
2. Ganguly - 50 runs
3. Dravid - 40 runs
4. Badani, Agarkar - 30 runs each
5. Sachin - 20 runs
Laxman - 10 runs

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question #45: THe Orange Glass

2008-04-14T18:05:00.000-04:00

An orange colored glass has Orange juice and white colored glass has Apple juice both of equal volumes. 50ml of the orange juice is taken and poured into the white glass. After that similarly, 50ml from the white glass is poured into the orange glass.

Of the two quantities, the amount of apple juice in the orange glass and the amount of orange juice in the white glass, which one is greater and by how much?

Answer:

The two quantities are equal.

Solve it by taking example. Let's assume that both glasses contain 450 ml of juice each.

Now, 50ml of the orange juice is taken and poured into the White glass. Hence, orange colored glass contains 400 ml of Orange juice and white glass contains 450 ml of Apple juice and 50 ml of Orange juice i.e. total of 500 ml from white glass contains 450 ml of Apple juice and 50 ml of Orange juice. It means that every 50 ml from white glass contains 45 ml of Apple juice and 5 ml of Orange juice.

Similary, 50 ml of juice from white glass is poured into orange glass. Now this 50 ml is not a pure apple juice. It contains 45 ml of Apple juice and 5 ml of Orange juice.

Hence, Orange glass contains 405 ml of Orange juice and 45 ml of Apple juice. Similary, white glass contains 405 ml of Apple juice and 45 ml of Orange juice.

Jeff Altman

Investment Banking Questions to Prepare For

2008-04-14T17:58:00.003-04:00

* Why investment banking versus sales and trading? What is the difference?

* In what area of investment banking do you want to work? Can you tell us 3 differences between a generalist and someone in a sponsor group?

* Tell me about the time you worked the hardest in your life.

* On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the hard working and 10 being smart, which one are you? (hint: they want you to, ideally, say 1. They want people who are hard working given the long nights involved).

* Tell me about a time you had to develop relationships with others.

* Do you follow the market? For how long? Do you invest?

* Describe a situation in which it was difficult to obtain information you needed, and how you managed to be successful.

* Do you follow any stocks? Which ones and why?

* What was our firm's stock price yesterday?

* Describe an instance in which you've had a significant impact on a situation, either inside or outside your job.

Give concise answers.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question #44: Do Your Socks Match?

2008-04-14T17:37:00.000-04:00

Q: Let’s say you need to get up very early for an interview - in fact, before sunrise. You don’t want to wake your spouse, so you need to select your socks in the dark. In your drawer you have 8 red socks and 11 blue socks that are otherwise identical. What is the minimum number of socks you will need to take out of your drawer and carry into the other room to ensure you have a matching pair?

A: An oldie but goodie, this question is commonly asked and the solution is quite simple. The answer is you need to take three socks, that’s it. Two socks can be different, but a third must match one of the first two.

Tough Interview Question #43: The Macro Cube

2008-04-14T17:35:00.000-04:00

Q: Picture a 10×10x10 “macro-cube” on the table. This big cube is made up of 1×1x1 “micro-cubes”. Your dog walks by and knocks the macro cube off with his tail, causing it to crash to the ground. When it hits, the impact causes the entire outer layer of micro-cubes to fall off. How many micro-cubes are on the floor?

A: First, don’t beat the dog, he was just happy to see you. This is a popular question and you should be ready for it. There are a couple ways to solve this. The first (not the best), is to count the number of cubes on each face and add them up. This math is confusing for most people.

The better solution is to focus on the structure of the problem. The original macro-cube and new smaller macro-cube hold the answer. The difference between their volumes is how many micro-cubes fell off. The volume of a cube is n cubed. The answer is, therefore, 10 cubed - 8 cubed. So, 1,000 - 512 = 488.

Note: A common mistake is for people to think because only one layer fell off, the solution is 10 cubed - 9 cubed.

Tough Interview Question #42: Hats and a Blind Man

2008-04-14T17:30:00.000-04:00

Let's hear it for hedge finds to ask fun questions.

Q: Inside of a dark closet are five hats: three blue and two red. Three smart men go into the closet, and each selects a hat in the dark and places it unseen upon his head. Each man knows both that the closet contains three blue hats and two red and that the other two men have the same knowledge.

Once outside the closet, no man can see his own hat. The first man looks at the other two, thinks, and says, “I cannot tell what color my hat is.” The second man hears this, looks at the other two and says, “I too cannot tell the color of my hat.” The third man is blind. The blind man says, “Well, I know what color my hat is!”

What color is the blind man’s hat and how do you know?

A: If the first man saw the other two both wearing red hats, he would know his own hat was blue. Since he says he does not know its color, the second and third both know that between them, they are wearing both blue, or else one red and one blue.

Therefore if the second man could see a red hat on the first or third, he would know his own hat was blue. So, when the second announces that he cannot determine his own hat color, he effectively tells the third that his hat is blue.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question #41: Give Me An Example of a Time Where You Failed.

2008-04-05T20:10:00.000-04:00

The rest of the question is, "Were you disturbed by this? What actions did you take?"

I often think of questions like this coming in sales jobs--I failed to make quota for a quarter. Sometimes, it I asked in an operations job--I was given certain performance objectives and failed to meet them.

I think of the answer to this question as requiring an actor to really deliver the answer. The theme to it is the same no matter what the failure is you decide to reference. I'll use sales as an example.

"Frankly, I wasn't disturbed by it (pause) . . . I was angry with myself! Look, failing to meet targets has never happened to me before and has never happened since. Part of it involved not having sufficient time to ramp up . . . but that's an excuse, I needed to manage my tie and effort better and deliver what I was responsible for.

"And that's what I did. I came in $4 million below my $13 million quota and I was determined to make up what I missed and then some and made sure my boss knew. And that is what I did--$18.5 million the next quarter, $22 million the quarter after that and I haven;t looked back since."

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter Concepts in Staffing thebiggamehunter@cisny.com © 2008 all rights reserved. Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

He is the author of “Get Yourself Hired NOW! The Big Game Hunter’s Guide to Head Hunting Your Next Job and Every Job After That” (in ebook and audio formats) and “Get Your Job Search Organized NOW!” (ebook) Both are available at www.getyourselfhiredNOW.com Register at the site and you will receive free copies of The International Job Board List and a Guide to Resume Writing. To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.
Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series
Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better
Plus
Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 4 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Tough Interview Question #40: What Motivates You To Go The Extra Mile (on a Project or A Job)

2008-04-05T20:01:00.000-04:00

In my thinking, there is a suggestion in this question . . . mjost people do average work and need motivation or crisis to extend themselves. I believe the way to answer this is to acknowledge the suggestion and flip it.

You need to look the interview square in the eye and speak with sincerity.

"It's unfortunate that so many people are unwilling to go the extra mile all the time as part of their job. That they do see the the value of caring enough about their job or their employer to be busting a gut to do excellent work, to see problems, offer solutions or ideas to management . . .Its unfortunate that you have to ask questions like this because so many people most face crisis or be motivated to go the extra mile."

"That problem is not a part of my make up."

And then you sit quietly and wait for the next question.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter Concepts in Staffing mailto:jeffaltman@cisny.com © 2008 all rights reserved. Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

He is the author of “Get Yourself Hired NOW! The Big Game Hunter’s Guide to Head Hunting Your Next Job and Every Job After That” (in ebook and audio formats) and “Get Your Job Search Organized NOW!” (ebook) Both are available at http://www.getyourselfhirednow.com/ Register at the site and you will receive free copies of The International Job Board List and a Guide to Resume Writing. To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com/.
Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series
Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better
Plus
Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 4 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Tough Interview Quetion #39: How Have You Improved Your Knowledge Over The Past Year or So?

2008-03-31T07:11:00.000-04:00

Few employers will care if you have read Tolstoy or Dostoevsky over the past year or became involved with chanting.

What they care about is work related knowledge you have obtained. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't mention reading "War and Peace," but contextualize it.

For example, "I returned to school and have been attending a graduate program in literature because I have always been fascinated by great works. So, this semester, I needed to read 'War and Peace' and 'The Brothers Karamazov' in 4 weeks. Keeping to a schedule like that has helped me with time management techniques, managing resources and asking for help that I found difficult to do before."

Now your answer is always easiest if you reference a professional class you attended or certification training you obtained.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Questions #38: What Do You Worry About?

2008-03-29T07:41:00.000-04:00

Worrying is for losers. Admit to worrying and you are seen as a "Nervous Nelly".

Instead, redefine the word and change the perception.

Re-define it as being achievement-oriented and that you mull things over from different angles.

For example, "

I am a goal-oriented person. What I tend to do to keep turning things over in my mind that keeps me from achieving those goals until I find a solution. That’s part of my tenacity,”

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 3 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Tough Interview Questions #37: Behavioral Interviewing: Ambition

2008-02-24T15:32:00.000-05:00

1. How many hours a day do you put in at work (or what were your study habits like in school)?

2. Who is the greatest influence in your self-development?

3. Describe the ideal organization that you would like to work for.

4. Describe a project that was implemented primarily because of your efforts. What was your role and what was the outcome?

5. How do you feel about working for a company of this size? What do you see as the benefits and drawbacks?

6. Why should we hire you?

7. Tell us about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get something done professionally.

8. Tell me about a time where you made a suggestion that went beyond the call of duty.

9. Who is or was the greatest influence in your self-development?

10. Describe a time that you pushed through something you believed in.

Jeff Altman

He is the author of “Get Yourself Hired NOW! The Big Game Hunter’s Guide to Head Hunting Your Next Job and Every Job After That” (in ebook and audio formats) and “Get Your Job Search Organized NOW!” (ebook) Both are available at www.getyourselfhiredNOW.com

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 3 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Tough Interview Questions #36: Behavioral Interviewing: Attention to Detail

2008-02-16T06:56:00.000-05:00

Behavioral interviewing is a relatively new style of interviewing that was developed in the 1970's by industrial psychologists. Behavioral interviewing asserts that "the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in a similar situation."

It is one of the current fashions in human resource and management interviewing because it is designed to focus on behaviors and attributes that would allow a new employee to be successful in a new position.

Although I believe that it is often misused, because it is part of the current fashion (much like some of the other questions I have been coaching you for that reflects a previous style of interviewing), it must be paid attention to and prepared for.

In this section, we focus on offering you attention to detail questions that will allow you to be prepared when this line of inquiry begins.

Please give me some examples of things you have done on previous jobs that have demonstrated your ability to pay attention to detail. What resulted from your actions?

Please give me an example of where you may have found an error in some aspect of work that others may have overlooked. What was the error, how did you find out, what actions did you take, and what resulted from your actions?

Do you notice the quality of detailed thought they are looking for in the questioning? it goes beyond that to seeing how you interact with others. Do you create conflict or solutions? Are you cooperative or argumentative?

Here are a few more:

Tell about a time when you needed to develop and use a detailed procedure to successfully complete a project.

Tell us about a job or setting where great precision to detail was required to complete a task. How did you handle that situation?

How did you go about making the changes (step by step)? Please answer in depth or detail such as “What were you thinking at that point?” or “Tell me more about meeting with that person”, or “Lead me through your decision process”.

Please describe your experience in past jobs that required you to be especially alert to details while doing the task involved.

Some people consider themselves to be “big picture people” and others are “detail oriented”. Which are you? Give an example of a time when you displayed this.

This has danger associate with it because you need to understand the nature of the job and the corporate culture to answer it to the interviewer's satisfaction.

Here are a few more to prepare for:

Describe a situation where you had the option to leave the details to others or you could take care of them yourself.

Tell us about a situation where attention to detail was either important or unimportant in accomplishing an assigned task.

Tell us about a difficult experience you had in working with details.

These are all questions that require you to dig a little deeper and reveal facets of your personality as it pertains to attention to detail.

REMEMBER: What does your potential answer tell them about you in the context of the job being discussed?

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time

The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters

The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs

Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home

The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information

Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads

Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads

VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent

The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals

HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 3 Search Products in one place

Indian Job Network: Network for Work in

India

Tough Interview Question #35: Why Should I Hire You Instead of an Internal Candidate?

2008-02-11T07:31:00.000-05:00

When answering this question, you need to understand that they have already made that decision by interviewing you and other external candidates. They have already considered internal candidates and found them deficient in some way. That should ease some pressure from you and offer you a gateway to answering the question powerfully, yet kindly.

Acknowledge the situation.

"It is a great organization that wants to acknowledge give its internal staff opportunities for promotion and advancement. It's a wise one that evaluates all of its options to decide what serves the organization best."

"After interviewing me and, perhaps other internal candidates, you may decide that an internal candidate offers the best choice for serving the needs of the organization. At the same time, it is critical to make a decision that best serves the organization and its needs, instead of being loyal to someone who may not be capable of delivering what is needed."

"Now, I don't know the experience and capabilities of the internal candidates, but you have given me an idea of what you are looking for in someone to fill this position."

You have spoken of . . . .

Now review the job description and how your experience fits the role so that you can help them see what an easy decision it is to choose you.

He is the author of “Get Yourself Hired NOW! The Big Game Hunter’s Guide to Head Hunting Your Next Job and Every Job After That” (in ebook and audio formats) and “Get Your Job Search Organized NOW!” (ebook) Both are available at www.getyourselfhirednow.com

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 3 Search Products in one place
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India

Tough Interview Question #34: Tell Me About a Typical Day

2008-01-28T07:17:00.000-05:00

This is a fascinatingly simple question that so many people do a terrible job with by going through the minutiae of heir day.

Arrive at work at 9AM
Hang up coat
Pour coffee

I won't go through everything; I think you get the idea just fro those three.

But if you think about the job and what the interviewer cares about and illustrate how your work relates to what they care about, then the focus is something positive.

Even if there is no "typical day," you can say that there is no typical day because on some days you do this, and others you do that.

If your work is such that you maintain or preserve certain types of work during some periods and at other times, you do projects where you are doing something completely different, you can say that, too.

Just spend time talking about your daily work in the contxt of the job they are trying to fill.

Tough Interview Question #33: Tell Me Five Words That Describe Your Character

2008-01-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

This is one of the few questions for which I will not offer a specific answer, but instead the thinking about the questions.

For a second think of what your answer would be--honestly. No influence from me.

Once you have it, what is the message you convey about yourself with your answer and how would it appeal or repel a potential employer?

For example, answering

Leader
Hardworking
Honest
Caring
Generous

Might evoke follow questions asking you to talk about what you mean by "caring" and "generous". Do you notice how leader, hardworking and honest might be overlooked and the curiosity takes the interviewer to the other, more "sincere" character items?

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 3 Search Products in one place

Tough Interview Question #32: What Qualities Do You Believe a Successful Manager Should Have?

2008-01-18T15:49:00.001-05:00

I believe that there are three qualities you should highlight.

Leadership.
Vision.
Knowledge.

Leadership and vision are intertwined.

So, the idea is to say that there are two qualities that are intertwined--leadership and vision and then, ideally, the manager also has knowledge of the function they are managing.

You continue by saying that the ideal leader is one who can set the vision for the staff of where they are going (set the course), provide direction to them along the way based upon their experience and then inspire the staff to achieve it.

Then, offer an example of someone who was such a leader.

Jeff Altman

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001
4ITProfessionals: Search for jobs, resume services and post your resume—targeted on IT professionals
HeadHuntYourNextJob.com: 3 Search Engines in one place

Tough Interview Question #31: Have You EVer Had to Fire Someine? How did it feel?

2008-01-16T17:47:00.000-05:00

Never.

Never.

NEVER

Never make it seem like you enjoy firing people. Never seem like you detest firing people.

Just answer that sometimes, it is the right thing to do given business circumstances. Sometimes, that circumstance involves a reduction in staff to help a company survive; sometimes, it is releasing an employee whose behavior does not support the group's objectives, mission or requirements.

Whatever the circumstance, never speak of a responsibility you undertake lightly.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question 30: If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?

2007-12-03T07:52:00.000-05:00

Focus on a key turning point in your life or missed opportunity. Yet also tie it forward to what you are doing to still seek to make that change.

For example: “Although I’m overall very happy with where I’m at in my life, the one aspect I likely would have changed would be focusing earlier on my chosen career. I had a great internship this past year and look forward to more experience in the field. I simply wish I would have focused here earlier. For example, I learned on my recent internship…” …then provide examples.

Stay focused on positive direction in your life and back it up with examples.

Tough Interview Question #29: How Has Your Education Prepared You for Your Career?

2007-12-03T07:46:00.000-05:00

There are two parts two this question.

The first is to explain how your education helped you with both a good foundation AND an understanding of the way it is concretely applied in the real world. In other words, no one wants to hire someone with just book knowledge. They want to hire someone who has practical experience. Make it clear that there were two parts to your education--the foundation and the practical.

The second part is to give the interviewer specific examples of the difference.

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a practicing psychotherapist and is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues.

Tough Interview Question #28: Why Were You Fired?

2007-11-24T07:13:00.000-05:00

This question cuts to most people's core because it suggests that they failed in a previous job, even if they didn't.

Although there are countless ways to answer this question, I'm going to offer a few.

"Our firm experienced extreme setbacks and cut a large number of high performers from business areas that were judged to no longer be a part of the core business they wanted to pursue."

"My experience was not the right match for my previous employer's needs but it looks like they'd be a good fit in yours. In addition to marketing and advertising, would skills in promotion be valued here?"

"A new manager came in and brought in members of his old team. That was, of course, his right and afforded me time to think about what direction I wanted to take with my career; this opportunity certainly is in line with that (Be prepared to answer why).

"After thinking about why I left, I realize I should have done some things differently. That job was a learning experience and I think I'm wiser now. I'd like the chance to prove that to you."

"I made it through several reduction in workforce associated with outsourcing but this one got me."

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better
The Shopping Universe: More than a thousand stores in this mall AND help a child at the same time.

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
Search4JobLeads.com: The site that recruiters use to find job leads
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

Tough Interview Questions: If You Had A Lot of Money, What Would You Do With It?

2007-11-15T07:36:00.000-05:00

The full question is, "If you had a lot of money, whatever that means to you, tell me three things you would do with it.

Often asked of sales people, "What would you do if you had a lot of money" is designed to find out how high or low you've set the bar.

You could answer like one junior person I interviewed many years ago, "I would buy a used car and fix it up. (No I didn't hire him).

You can speak of helping your aging parents, extensive travel and other mature things.

You need to also put a big smile on your face and include something like buying a Jaguar, moving to this townhouse in Manhattan you saw a few years ago in the 60's and Park Avenue, or some other flight of fancy.

This is becausae Sales managers want to hire people with high goals and measures of attainment that will suggest that they will never be satisfied until they . . . (buy the townhouse, purchse the car, etc.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a practicing psychotherapist and is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues.

Tough Interview Question #26: What Would You Like to Know About The Job or Company That I Haven't Answered So Far?

2007-11-15T07:14:00.000-05:00

When managers or employers interview, they learn a lot from how you answer their questions, as well as the questions you ask. If you are asked this, the wrong answer is to say that they have covered everything.

Dig deeper. Find out more about them as a manager or about your future colleagues.

Minimally cover these points:

How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?

How would you describe a typical work week or work day?

Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do?

What is the company's management style? What is your's like?

What are my future colleagues like? If I am offered the position, can I meet them?

How many people work in this group/office/department?

Is travel a part of this job? How much travel would you expect me to do?

(If you live some distance away) Is relocation assistance possible?

Is overtime expected? How much overtime is normal in this job? Does it occur regularly? At certain times of the year?

What are the prospects for growth and advancement in this job and in the organization?

Can you offer any examples of successful employees and what caused them to be successful?

What do you like about working here? What keeps you here?

Assuming you are interested in moving forward, what will happen next and when might that occur?

When can I expect to hear from you?

Are there any other questions I can answer for you about my experience and qualifications?

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe. to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezines, Head Hunt Your Next Job and/or Natural Selection (his free recruiting ezine), or to find out about his VIP Personal Search Agent service, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff or locating consultants, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

(If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Tough Interview Question #25: If We Hire You, How Long Do You Expect to Be With US?

2007-11-14T07:34:00.001-05:00

Although it is a stupid question, it sometimes gets asked because once in a while, someone naively answers something like, "Well, my wife is up for a transfer to Sioux City in his job and if that comes through we're moving," or "I'm trying to get pregnant and . . . "

Being specific here is deadly to your candidacy.

It is far better if your answer is generic and non-controversial.

"I would expect that I would be here for many years--as long as you believe I'm doing a great job and as long as the firm rewards me well with interesting work and opportunities for growth."

The phrase "rewards me well" is used very intentionally; it suggests money without saying it. Then the rest of your answer speaks about job satisfaction.

Jeff Altman

Tough Interview Question #24: What Would Your Co-Workers Say About You?

2007-11-14T06:58:00.000-05:00

This is only a tough question if you aren't prepared for it; otherwise it is extremely easy.

Without preparedness, sometimes people reveal things about themselves including that they have never gotten any feedback from their colleagues because their work is considered unimportant.

However, the best way to answer is to offer "references" (these are almost like references) rthat speak to some of the problems they have in the department or in the company that they are trying to hire you to solve.

So, pause for a second and think and then answer.

"Well, a peer of mine in the department by the name of _____ has told me on several occasions how much I helped her (or him) with their work. "

"Another person, spoke of how I helped keep us on task without being bullying like a former manager he had did."

My boss has always told me that she gives me the impossible things to do because I make them possible and report to her every step of the way on my progress. "

"Of the managers in a department I support has always told me how reliable I am."

"My manager always tells me that I make him look good."

Answers like these are like the person providing a reference for you.

Tough Interview Questions #23: What Are Your Options Now?

2007-11-10T00:51:00.000-05:00

This is a polite way of asking, "Are you desperate?" "Can I get you cheaply?

One of the worst answers to give is to talk about how you've been on a bunch of interviews, gotten close and firms have chosen someone else. Answering like this invites the interviewer to start to think that there is something wrong with your skills or knowledge and probing intently to find out what it is. Often the questions that occur from this juncture explore minutiae so that they can say, "Ah-hah!" and disqualify you.

It is far better to say, I have spoken with a few firms so far and am starting second (rounds with a few. The jobs seem interesting, but this one seems particularly interesting.

Be prepared to answer why this one seems interesting and why one of the other ones does too!

Tough Interview Question #22: Tell Me About Your Ideal Job

2007-11-10T00:40:00.000-05:00

It can also be asked of your ideal location or ideal company.

This is an extremely sneaky question. Usually it is asked by an interviewer who senses that you are more qualified than the available job. Thus, if you answer the question honestly, he or she has the opportunity to disqualify you from consideration because they can say you will be bored in the role.

Thus, the only way to answer this question is to speak about the job you are interviewing for as being the ideal one.

If you're working at the #1 firm in it's sector, speak of joining a firm that wants to take over the top spot. If you are working in a leadership role and this is a staff job, speak of getting out of management and returning to your roots. It isn't that you don't like management; it's just that you notice you had a lot more joy when you were in staff.

Tough Interview Question #21: Would You Take Less (Less than What You Were Earning or Looking for)?

2007-10-26T15:12:00.000-04:00

The answers to this question is simple:

Yes. (Why) The position affords me an opportunity to do some things I'm really interested in doing.

No (Why) I want to join an organization that properly values staff to the market. Looking at some of the online research available, this position could pay anywhere between x and y (quote their own salary range from their job description or the salary range from a number of similar positions you've seen online).

I have been earning at midpoint of the range for more than a year; I don't believe it is worthwhile to bring me in at less than midpoint. I think it sends a bad message to members of staff . Frankly, you would be saving z dollars per week and leaving me tempted.

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better
The Shopping Universe: More than a thousand stores in this mall AND help a child at the same time.

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

Tough Interview Question #20: So Why Aren't You Making More Money at this Stage in Your Career?

2007-10-26T15:01:00.001-04:00

There are a few ways to answer this question.

There is the nice innocuous answer:

In my career, I have found that money isn't everything; it's important but not the most important motivator in my thinking. What has been more important to me has been:

Security (if you have worked at one company for a long time)
Interesting work (if you have not worked at one place for a long time.

If your answer was security, one of the prices of security is the 3-5% salary increase that came with staying at my firm for a long time.

If your answer was interesting work, I thought the project I was working on was sensational and would afford me an opportunity to do some great work with _______.

I am now hoping to leverage my experience and join your staff and continue doing interesting work.

Version 2 is specifically for the senior professional and is an honest statement of what your circumstances were and why you took a lesser position.

There was a time in my career when I was Director of ______ (or Manager of _______) with responsibility for ____; when the layoffs occurred and the economy slowed there wasn't a role I could step in like my previous one within my available window so I took a lesser position.

And you know, I like it! I like being a number 2 supporting a Director. Less stress. I se mids (whatever it is). For me the layoff turned out as a blessing.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better
The Shopping Universe: More than a thousand stores in this mall AND help a child at the same time.

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

Tough Interview Question #19: How Would You Feel Reporting to Somene Younger Than You?

2007-09-30T07:57:00.000-04:00

In the United States, for years, this same question was asked about reporting to a woman. Now we take it for granted.

Now, in the US, the question is asked about someone younger than you to acknowledge that may from The Baby Boom generation are aging and being replaced in management roles by people younger than they are. In your country, this may remain an issue may still be asked about women, religious or cultural affiliation in which case, you can use the same style of answer, adapted to the specifics of your circumstances.

So underlying the question is whether you have a bias that will cause friction between you and your future boss that would cause a management problem.

So the wrong answer is the simple, "No, " or "No problem. Some of my best friends are . . . "

Instead, opt for flattery.

"I greatly admire an organization that chooses to reward someone based upon merit, rather than through age (or gender or race, etc). In an organization like this one, the clear message is that if you deserve it, you will be promoted. If you don't deserve it, you won't. And more importantly, the message you are sending is that talent won't be held back for reasons of bias."

"To be successful, organizations need to attract and retain the best talent and that's what you are doing here."

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better
The Shopping Universe: More than a thousand stores in this mall AND help a child at the same time.

Plus

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent

The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

Tough Interview Question #18: On a 1 to 10 Scale, How Would You Rate Me as an Interviewer?

2007-09-15T14:55:00.001-04:00

DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

This is a question for which there is very little way to win.

The philosophy I have is do not give a "10". It will seem like you are trying to please the interviewer and give them the idea that you will be easy about other things in the future.

If you criticize the interview too much, you will be judged as too critical because you hurt their feelings.

Knowing how to give criticism is an art form.

You might answer with, "It's hard to know what questions to ask to discern the skills competency, character, self-confidence and leadership that are appropriate for your firm. I do know that for similar jobs in my firm, we cover (list several things that you screen for and, perhaps several questions that are asked." I'm not saying our questions are better. They fit for our firm given our culture. I don't know your culture or enough about what makes someone successful at your firm to judge whether you should have asked anything differently."

"I will say, I do have a good feel for your firm which makes it a good interview from my viewpoint and, I suspect, you you have a good idea about my skills, character and capabilities which would make this a good interview from your standpoint, too."

Notice. There is no number.

If they still press you (and there is a message in their pushing you), look them square in the eye and with firmness and seriousness answer, "I would have given you a 9 until this last question. My answer was far better than any numerical ranking could have provided. This last question had more to do with your needs than the requirements of the job you were interviewing for or the needs of your organization."

Jeff Altman

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money Better

Plus:

Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

Tough Interview Question #16: Uh, Aren't You Overqualified for This Job

2007-08-28T06:59:00.000-04:00

When a firm asks this question, they are putting the elephant that is standing in the middle of the room squarely into play.

They are worried that you will be bored and quit when something better comes along . . . and frankly they are right. You will quit because this is probably a job at a lower level than what you have been in and is paying considerably less than what you were earning.

Rather than lie and say, "Oh, no, I really want to take a demotion and work for much less than what I was used to earning, try this:

The job market is a marketplace and like any marketplace, it’s subject to the laws of supply and demand. Right now, it’s very tight. I understand and accept that.

I believe that there could be very positive benefits for both of us in this match.

Because I have a lot of experience in ________________ , I can be a strong contribute right away, perhaps much faster than someone who’d have to be brought along more slowly.

I can also help you in a lot of ways that many less experienced people can't-- how to hire, train, motivate, even coach, some of the junior people.

I want to work and, frankly, your position is exactly what I love to do and do extremely well.

I’ll be happy doing this work and that’s what matters most to me, a lot more that money or title.

At the same time, I’m looking to make a long term commitment in my career now.

I’ve had enough of job-hunting and want a permanent position at this juncture in my career. I also know that if I perform well, other opportunities cannot help but open up for me here.

REMEMBER: Their goal is to figure out if you will be bored and are willing to make a committment. Your answer needs to show that.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to me at: thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

Tough Interview Questions

Successfully Answer Behavioral Questions in Your Job Interview

The 150 Typical Job Interview Questions

STAR Interviewing Technique

Preparation for the Potential Behavioral Interview

The Behavioral Interview - What to Expect

Interview Questions for Paralegals

Interview Questions for Librarians

Interview Questions for a Job in Journalism

Interview Questions for Nursing Interviews

Interview Questions for Park Management Jobs

Interview Questions for School Counseling Positions

Interview Questions for Social Workers

Accounting Supervisor Test Questions

Generic Questions for Entry Level Jobs

More Investment Banking Interview Questions

Interview Questions--Legal Intern

Sample Interview Questions--Lawyers

Interview Questions with a Technology Law Practice

Sample Questions for Quantitative Roles

Inestment Banking Questions

Tough Interview Questions #52: Describe the most difficult problem you’ve had to deal with

Tough Interview Question #51: Describe a time when you have solved a problem with an unconventional solution

Tough Interview Questions: #50: The Price of Fruit

Tough Interview Questions: #50: The Price of Fruit

Tough Interview Question #49: The 50m long army platoon

Tough Interview Question #48: Move A Safe

Tough Interview Question #47: Who Is Married to Cam

Tough Interview Question #46: The Cricket Match

Tough Interview Question #45: THe Orange Glass

Investment Banking Questions to Prepare For

Tough Interview Question #44: Do Your Socks Match?

Tough Interview Question #43: The Macro Cube

Tough Interview Question #42: Hats and a Blind Man

Tough Interview Question #41: Give Me An Example of a Time Where You Failed.

Tough Interview Question #40: What Motivates You To Go The Extra Mile (on a Project or A Job)

Tough Interview Quetion #39: How Have You Improved Your Knowledge Over The Past Year or So?

Tough Interview Questions #38: What Do You Worry About?

Tough Interview Questions #37: Behavioral Interviewing: Ambition

Tough Interview Questions #36: Behavioral Interviewing: Attention to Detail

Tough Interview Question #35: Why Should I Hire You Instead of an Internal Candidate?

Tough Interview Question #34: Tell Me About a Typical Day

Tough Interview Question #33: Tell Me Five Words That Describe Your Character

Tough Interview Question #32: What Qualities Do You Believe a Successful Manager Should Have?

Tough Interview Question #31: Have You EVer Had to Fire Someine? How did it feel?

Tough Interview Question 30: If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?

Tough Interview Question #29: How Has Your Education Prepared You for Your Career?

Tough Interview Question #28: Why Were You Fired?

Tough Interview Questions: If You Had A Lot of Money, What Would You Do With It?

Tough Interview Question #26: What Would You Like to Know About The Job or Company That I Haven't Answered So Far?

Tough Interview Question #25: If We Hire You, How Long Do You Expect to Be With US?

Tough Interview Question #24: What Would Your Co-Workers Say About You?

Tough Interview Questions #23: What Are Your Options Now?

Tough Interview Question #22: Tell Me About Your Ideal Job

Tough Interview Question #21: Would You Take Less (Less than What You Were Earning or Looking for)?

Tough Interview Question #20: So Why Aren't You Making More Money at this Stage in Your Career?

Tough Interview Question #19: How Would You Feel Reporting to Somene Younger Than You?

Tough Interview Question #18: On a 1 to 10 Scale, How Would You Rate Me as an Interviewer?

Tough Interview Question #16: Uh, Aren't You Overqualified for This Job