How can you handle answering those tough interview questions and why do employers use them? This is Part 2 of our series on strange interview questions…
Why do employers use these kinds of questions?
Employers use them for several reasons including, getting them to divulge something that they may not have otherwise, or had not prepared for while getting ready for the interview. It could be to see how they think on their feet but also to get answers that are not canned or prepared so they can see how they answer authentically. Some employers feel if they can catch you off guard, they’ll get a more honest or authentic answer from you.
Here are some other examples of odd interview questions…
- What have you disliked about previous jobs or employers?
- You seem overqualified for this position, how would you address that issue?
- They’ll give you a scenario like a client calls you with X problem and is very upset, how would you handle it?
- If you could be any song or animal, what would you be?
How you can prepare for these unique questions…
- Prepare 5 stories of success, failures, challenges you addressed and weaknesses *and how you handle or manage them now.
- Have 5 things you want to ensure you get across during the interview that demonstrate why you are qualified and how you can help them.
- Understand and be able to communicate what your soft skills are, in addition to hard skills (communication, work ethic, ability to work in a team, etc.)
- Be clear about and able to communicate why you want their job, what your long term career goals are and why that position fits into those goals.
- Identify what your values and priorities are in terms of your career, and how your work performance would reflect those
Hallie Crawford
Ideal Career Coach
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