Sample Questions for Quantitative Roles

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 MathWhat'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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008, 2014 all rights reserved.

Investment Banking Questions

• 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

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Questions: #50: The Price of Fruit

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

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).

Tough Interview Questions: #50: The Price of Fruit

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #48: Move A Safe

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #47: Who Is Married to Cam

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #46: The Cricket Match

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #45: The Orange Glass

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Investment Banking Questions to Prepare For

* 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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #44: Do Your Socks Match?

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.


Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

Tough Interview Question #43: The Macro Cube

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.



Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

Tough Interview Question #42: Hats and a Blind Man

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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

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."


Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us
And then you sit quietly and wait for the next question.



© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Questions #37: Behavioral Interviewing: Ambition

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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.



Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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 from 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.


Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

Never.

Never.

NEVERNever 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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2008 all rights reserved.

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

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.




Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

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

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
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #28: Why Were You Fired?

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
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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.

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

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?


Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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.


Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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!

Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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.

Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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.

Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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."

Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

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

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
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

Tough Interview Question #15: Why Are You Interested in Working for Us?

This is a wonderful question and much easier to handle than you might think.

One of my clients, an internationally known media firm uses it to knock out people who don'[t seem favorably pre-disposed to working for them.

And that's what you need to remember--firms want to hire someone who wants to work there.

So, when you answer this question, light up your eyes with enthusiasm and speak in an excited manner.

"Why would I want to work here? Why wouldn't someone want to work here? An internationally known firm,a leader in _______, a firm with a great reputation, I'm sure the work will be interesting, how couldn't it be!

In other words, flatter them and present yourself as excited.


Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #14: How Do You Make Difficult Decisions?

Firms want to believe that the new supervisor they hire is not a lone world,a maverick of a gun slinger. As a result, they will be listening to hear whether you act alone, in concert with others, asking for advice before you have some ideas or whether you make a decision and check to see whether it passes a "sniff test" (Oooh! That idea stinks).

The best thing you can do is acknowledge how, when you were young, you acted on your own without a lot of input and learned the lesson that you weren't expected to know everything but expected to make smart decisions.

Once you learned that lesson, you learned that it was important to ask great questions and have very good advisers.

Always use an example of a difficult decision to illustrate your point!

Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #13: What Motivates You?

The fact of the matter is that there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It is an opportunity to demonstrate character and leadership tat shows you can become a great hire for gthe firm.

In other words, this is actually an easy question that you can think about and prepare for in advance.

So as you prepare for this question, be prepared to discuss some of the challenges you have faced and how you exceeded expectations, offering specific examples in the context of your answer.

If you are in sales, you might say something like:

Having been in commission-based sales throughout my career, I have always been motivated to be the number #1 sales person earning the top compensation in the firm.

If you are in a role that provides service, you might say:

In my role, I love to help clients receive an extraordinary experience and, through that, help my firm achieve extraordinary success.

If you are in a technology-related job, you might say:

I directed development teams on several on several projects and was responsible for ___________. My teams achieved 100% on-time delivery and was motivated by the challenge of finishing the projects ahead of schedule and by managing the teams that achieved our goals.

Then, if you haven't done so already, offer concrete examples of challenging situations where you delivered.



Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Questions #12: The Silent Treatment PLUS

You may not know or may not recall, that I am a practicing psychotherapist.

There is a little trick I learned from being a therapist that I brought into interviewing and then added a little twist to in order to learn more about the person I've met. Let;s see if you've ever met someone who does this.

The traditional interview is like interview ju-jitsu--You are asked a question. You respond. They ask another; you talk some more. On and on.

Imagine where at the end of your answer, you are greeted by silence and eyes staring at you. Most people I meet become extremely uncomfortable when that occurs.

Instead of stammering on and filling the space, calmly (and I mean calmly) ask, "Is there anything else you want me to speak to with my answer?

Now, the twist I sometimes add with the silence is to ask, "Is there more you would like to add to that?" I suggests that there should be more, even if there actually isn't. I want to see someone secure with their knowledge and in their own skin so, if you are asked that, calmly answer, ""Is there something that I didn't cover that you want me to address?

Presenting yourself as calm and being secure demonstrates mastery and knowledge. Do not scramble or being psychologically intimidated to offer more.

Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Tough Interview Question #11: Why Are You Looking?

Too often, people answer this question with immature answers. By this, I mean an answer that allows a new employer to interpret the answer as being, "I hate my boss," or "I wanted to make more money."

It is extremely important to:

Keep Your Answers Concise.

"Our firm was acquired and management brought in a team that they were familiar with. That's understandable to me but the result was that I was offered assignments that were at a level below where I was with little opportunity to return to my previous level. Rather than remain for the inevitable layoff, I've decided to look for a new position."

Speak positivelyDo not criticize management for decisions they've made. Do not appear angry. A matter of fact attitude will dispel doubt far better than rage ever will. By looking at the interviewer square in the eyes and preparing your concise answer, most people are persuaded that you are being sincere . . . even though we all know the best liars can look someone square in the eye and lie to us.

Speak about what you learned from this experience.Although this is a tough interview question in itself, anticipate this question and be prepared to speak of the growth opportunity you derived from the experience or from the firm. If you made mistakes and can speak to those with sincerity (and without shooting yourself in the foot), firms will see that you are someone who can learn and grow.

And sometimes the right answer is to say, "I've thought about my experience with XYZ quite a lot and, the fact is, my performance was always strong . . . as a matter of fact my performance reviews are glowing and managers always found me to be an important contributor. No, I can't say I made mistakes and I as happy to help my firm transition to the new parent company."

REMEMBER: When they ask qualifying follow up questions, just stay with your original answer and state the facts!


Jeff Altman 
The Big Game Hunter
www.TheBigGameHunter.us

JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us

© 2007 all rights reserved.