Common questions of PI

Review these typical interview
questions and think about how
you would
answer them. Read the questions listed; you will also find
some
strategy suggestions with it.

(Excerpted from the book The
Accelerated Job Search by Wayne D.
Ford, Ph.D, published by The
Management Advantage, Inc.)

1. Tell me about yourself:
The most often asked question in
interviews. You need to have a short
statement prepared in your mind. Be
careful that it does not sound
rehearsed. Limit it to work-related
items unless instructed otherwise.
Talk about things you have done and
jobs you have held that relate to
the position you are interviewing for.
Start with the item farthest
back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?
Stay positive regardless of the
circumstances. Never refer to a major
problem with management and never
speak ill of supervisors, co-workers
or the organization. If you do, you
will be the one looking bad. Keep
smiling and talk about leaving for a
positive reason such as an
opportunity, a chance to do
something special or other forward-
looking
reasons.
3. What experience do you have in
this field?
Speak about specifics that relate to
the position you are applying for.
If you do not have specific
experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself
successful?
You should always answer yes and
briefly explain why. A good
explanation is that you have set
goals, and you have met some and
are
on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about
you?
Be prepared with a quote or two from
co-workers. Either a specific
statement or a paraphrase will work.
Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith
Company, always said I was the
hardest workers she had ever known.
It
is as powerful as Jill having said it at
the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this
organization?
This question is one reason to do
some research on the organization
before the interview. Find out where
they have been and where they are
going. What are the current issues
and who are the major players?

7. What have you done to improve
your knowledge in the last year?
Try to include improvement activities
that relate to the job. A wide
variety of activities can be mentioned
as positive self-improvement.
Have some good ones handy to
mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?
Be honest but do not spend a lot of
time in this area. Keep the focus
on this job and what you can do for
this organization. Anything else is
a distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this
organization?
This may take some thought and
certainly, should be based on the
research you have done on the
organization. Sincerity is extremely
important here and will easily be
sensed. Relate it to your long-term
career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works
for us?
Be aware of the policy on relatives
working for the organization. This
can affect your answer even though
they asked about friends not
relatives. Be careful to mention a
friend only if they are well thought
of.

11. What kind of salary do you need?
A loaded question. A nasty little
game that you will probably lose if
you answer first. So, do not answer
it. Instead, say something like,
That’s a tough question. Can you tell
me the range for this position?
In most cases, the interviewer, taken
off guard, will tell you. If not,
say that it can depend on the details
of the job. Then give a wide
range.

12. Are you a team player?
You are, of course, a team player. Be
sure to have examples ready.
Specifics that show you often perform
for the good of the team rather
than for yourself are good evidence of
your team attitude. Do not brag,
just say it in a matter-of-fact tone.
This is a key point.

13. How long would you expect to
work for us if hired?
Specifics here are not good.
Something like this should work: I’d
like
it to be a long time. Or As long as we
both feel I’m doing a good job.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone?
How did you feel about that?
This is serious. Do not make light of
it or in any way seem like you
like to fire people. At the same time,
you will do it when it is the
right thing to do. When it comes to
the organization versus the
individual who has created a harmful
situation, you will protect the
organization. Remember firing is not
the same as layoff or reduction in
force.
15. What is your philosophy towards
work?
The interviewer is not looking for a
long or flowery dissertation here.
Do you have strong feelings that the
job gets done? Yes. That’s the
type of answer that works best here.
Short and positive, showing a
benefit to the organization.

16. If you had enough money to retire
right now, would you?
Answer yes if you would. But since
you need to work, this is the type
of work you prefer. Do not say yes if
you do not mean it.

17. Have you ever been asked to
leave a position?
If you have not, say no. If you have,
be honest, brief and avoid saying
negative things about the people or
organization involved.

18. Explain how you would be an
asset to this organization
You should be anxious for this
question. It gives you a chance to
highlight your best points as they
relate to the position being
discussed. Give a little advance
thought to this relationship.

19. Why should we hire you?
Point out how your assets meet what
the organization needs. Do not
mention any other candidates to
make a comparison.
20. Tell me about a suggestion you
have made
Have a good one ready. Be sure and
use a suggestion that was accepted
and was then considered successful.
One related to the type of work
applied for is a real plus.
21. What irritates you about co-
workers?
This is a trap question. Think real
hard but fail to come up with
anything that irritates you. A short
statement that you seem to get
along with folks is great.
22. What is your greatest strength?
Numerous answers are good, just
stay positive. A few good examples:
Your ability to prioritize, Your
problem-solving skills, Your ability
to work under pressure, Your ability
to focus on projects, Your
professional expertise, Your
leadership skills, Your positive
attitude
23. Tell me about your dream job.
Stay away from a specific job. You
cannot win. If you say the job you
are contending for is it, you strain
credibility. If you say another
job is it, you plant the suspicion that
you will be dissatisfied with
this position if hired. The best is to
stay genetic and say something
like: A job where I love the work, like
the people, can contribute and
can’t wait to get to work.
24. Why do you think you would do
well at this job?
Give several reasons and include
skills, experience and interest.
25. What are you looking for in a job?
See answer # 23
26. What kind of person would you
refuse to work with?
Do not be trivial. It would take
disloyalty to the organization,
violence or lawbreaking to get you to
object. Minor objections will
label you as a whiner.
27. What is more important to you:
the money or the work?
Money is always important, but the
work is the most important. There is
no better answer.
28. What would your previous
supervisor say your strongest point
is?
There are numerous good
possibilities:
Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude,
Leadership, Team player, Expertise,
Initiative, Patience, Hard work,
Creativity, Problem solver
29. Tell me about a problem you had
with a supervisor
Biggest trap of all. This is a test to
see if you will speak ill of
your boss. If you fall for it and tell
about a problem with a former
boss, you may well below the
interview right there. Stay positive
and
develop a poor memory about any
trouble with a supervisor.
30. What has disappointed you about
a job?
Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe
areas are few but can include:
Not enough of a challenge. You were
laid off in a reduction Company did
not win a contract, which would have
given you more responsibility.
31. Tell me about your ability to work
under pressure.
You may say that you thrive under
certain types of pressure. Give an
example that relates to the type of
position applied for.
32. Do your skills match this job or
another job more closely?
Probably this one. Do not give fuel to
the suspicion that you may want
another job more than this one.
33. What motivates you to do your
best on the job?
This is a personal trait that only you
can say, but good examples are:
Challenge, Achievement, Recognition
34. Are you willing to work overtime?
Nights? Weekends?
This is up to you. Be totally honest.
35. How would you know you were
successful on this job?
Several ways are good measures:
You set high standards for yourself
and meet them. Your outcomes are a
success.Your boss tell you that you
are successful
36. Would you be willing to relocate
if required?
You should be clear on this with your
family prior to the interview if
you think there is a chance it may
come up. Do not say yes just to get
the job if the real answer is no. This
can create a lot of problems
later on in your career. Be honest at
this point and save yourself
future grief.
37. Are you willing to put the
interests of the organization ahead
ofyour own?
This is a straight loyalty and
dedication question. Do not worry
about
the deep ethical and philosophical
implications. Just say yes.
38. Describe your management style.
Try to avoid labels. Some of the more
common labels, like progressive,
salesman or consensus, can have
several meanings or descriptions
depending on which management
expert you listen to. The situational
style is safe, because it says you will
manage according to the
situation, instead of one size fits all.
39. What have you learned from
mistakes on the job?
Here you have to come up with
something or you strain credibility.
Make
it small, well intentioned mistake
with a positive lesson learned. An
example would be working too far
ahead of colleagues on a project and
thus throwing coordination off.
40. Do you have any blind spots?
Trick question. If you know about
blind spots, they are no longer blind
spots. Do not reveal any personal
areas of concern here. Let them do
their own discovery on your bad
points. Do not hand it to them.
41. If you were hiring a person for
this job, what would you look for?
Be careful to mention traits that are
needed and that you have.
Review these typical interview
questions and think about how
you would
answer them. Read the
questions listed; you will also find
some
strategy suggestions with it.
(Excerpted from the book The
Accelerated Job Search by Wayne D.
Ford, Ph.D, published by The
Management Advantage, Inc.)
1. Tell me about yourself:
The most often asked question in
interviews. You need to have a short
statement prepared in your mind. Be
careful that it does not sound
rehearsed. Limit it to work-related
items unless instructed otherwise.
Talk about things you have done and
jobs you have held that relate to
the position you are interviewing for.
Start with the item farthest
back and work up to the present.
2. Why did you leave your last job?
Stay positive regardless of the
circumstances. Never refer to a major
problem with management and never
speak ill of supervisors, co-workers
or the organization. If you do, you
will be the one looking bad. Keep
smiling and talk about leaving for a
positive reason such as an
opportunity, a chance to do
something special or other forward-
looking
reasons.
3. What experience do you have in
this field?
Speak about specifics that relate to
the position you are applying for.
If you do not have specific
experience, get as close as you can.
4. Do you consider yourself
successful?
You should always answer yes and
briefly explain why. A good
explanation is that you have set
goals, and you have met some and
are
on track to achieve the others.
5. What do co-workers say about
you?
Be prepared with a quote or two from
co-workers. Either a specific
statement or a paraphrase will work.
Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith
Company, always said I was the
hardest workers she had ever known.
It
is as powerful as Jill having said it at
the interview herself.
6. What do you know about this
organization?
This question is one reason to do
some research on the organization
before the interview. Find out where
they have been and where they are
going. What are the current issues
and who are the major players?
7. What have you done to improve
your knowledge in the last year?
Try to include improvement activities
that relate to the job. A wide
variety of activities can be mentioned
as positive self-improvement.
Have some good ones handy to
mention.
8. Are you applying for other jobs?
Be honest but do not spend a lot of
time in this area. Keep the focus
on this job and what you can do for
this organization. Anything else is
a distraction.
9. Why do you want to work for this
organization?
This may take some thought and
certainly, should be based on the
research you have done on the
organization. Sincerity is extremely
important here and will easily be
sensed. Relate it to your long-term
career goals.
10. Do you know anyone who works
for us?
Be aware of the policy on relatives
working for the organization. This
can affect your answer even though
they asked about friends not
relatives. Be careful to mention a
friend only if they are well thought
of.
11. What kind of salary do you need?
A loaded question. A nasty little
game that you will probably lose if
you answer first. So, do not answer
it. Instead, say something like,
That’s a tough question. Can you tell
me the range for this position?
In most cases, the interviewer, taken
off guard, will tell you. If not,
say that it can depend on the details
of the job. Then give a wide
range.
12. Are you a team player?
You are, of course, a team player. Be
sure to have examples ready.
Specifics that show you often perform
for the good of the team rather
than for yourself are good evidence of
your team attitude. Do not brag,
just say it in a matter-of-fact tone.
This is a key point.
13. How long would you expect to
work for us if hired?
Specifics here are not good.
Something like this should work: I’d
like
it to be a long time. Or As long as we
both feel I’m doing a good job.
14. Have you ever had to fire anyone?
How did you feel about that?
This is serious. Do not make light of
it or in any way seem like you
like to fire people. At the same time,
you will do it when it is the
right thing to do. When it comes to
the organization versus the
individual who has created a harmful
situation, you will protect the
organization. Remember firing is not
the same as layoff or reduction in
force.
15. What is your philosophy towards
work?
The interviewer is not looking for a
long or flowery dissertation here.
Do you have strong feelings that the
job gets done? Yes. That’s the
type of answer that works best here.
Short and positive, showing a
benefit to the organization.
16. If you had enough money to retire
right now, would you?
Answer yes if you would. But since
you need to work, this is the type
of work you prefer. Do not say yes if
you do not mean it.
17. Have you ever been asked to
leave a position?
If you have not, say no. If you have,
be honest, brief and avoid saying
negative things about the people or
organization involved.
18. Explain how you would be an
asset to this organization
You should be anxious for this
question. It gives you a chance to
highlight your best points as they
relate to the position being
discussed. Give a little advance
thought to this relationship.
19. Why should we hire you?
Point out how your assets meet what
the organization needs. Do not
mention any other candidates to
make a comparison.
20. Tell me about a suggestion you
have made
Have a good one ready. Be sure and
use a suggestion that was accepted
and was then considered successful.
One related to the type of work
applied for is a real plus.
21. What irritates you about co-
workers?
This is a trap question. Think real
hard but fail to come up with
anything that irritates you. A short
statement that you seem to get
along with folks is great.
22. What is your greatest strength?
Numerous answers are good, just
stay positive. A few good examples:
Your ability to prioritize, Your
problem-solving skills, Your ability
to work under pressure, Your ability
to focus on projects, Your
professional expertise, Your
leadership skills, Your positive
attitude
23. Tell me about your dream job.
Stay away from a specific job. You
cannot win. If you say the job you
are contending for is it, you strain
credibility. If you say another
job is it, you plant the suspicion that
you will be dissatisfied with
this position if hired. The best is to
stay genetic and say something
like: A job where I love the work, like
the people, can contribute and
can’t wait to get to work.
24. Why do you think you would do
well at this job?
Give several reasons and include
skills, experience and interest.
25. What are you looking for in a job?
See answer # 23
26. What kind of person would you
refuse to work with?
Do not be trivial. It would take
disloyalty to the organization,
violence or lawbreaking to get you to
object. Minor objections will
label you as a whiner.
27. What is more important to you:
the money or the work?
Money is always important, but the
work is the most important. There is
no better answer.
28. What would your previous
supervisor say your strongest point
is?
There are numerous good
possibilities:
Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude,
Leadership, Team player, Expertise,
Initiative, Patience, Hard work,
Creativity, Problem solver
29. Tell me about a problem you had
with a supervisor
Biggest trap of all. This is a test to
see if you will speak ill of
your boss. If you fall for it and tell
about a problem with a former
boss, you may well below the
interview right there. Stay positive
and
develop a poor memory about any
trouble with a supervisor.
30. What has disappointed you about
a job?
Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe
areas are few but can include:
Not enough of a challenge. You were
laid off in a reduction Company did
not win a contract, which would have
given you more responsibility.
31. Tell me about your ability to work
under pressure.
You may say that you thrive under
certain types of pressure. Give an
example that relates to the type of
position applied for.
32. Do your skills match this job or
another job more closely?
Probably this one. Do not give fuel to
the suspicion that you may want
another job more than this one.
33. What motivates you to do your
best on the job?
This is a personal trait that only you
can say, but good examples are:
Challenge, Achievement, Recognition
34. Are you willing to work overtime?
Nights? Weekends?
This is up to you. Be totally honest.
35. How would you know you were
successful on this job?
Several ways are good measures:
You set high standards for yourself
and meet them. Your outcomes are a
success.Your boss tell you that you
are successful
36. Would you be willing to relocate
if required?
You should be clear on this with your
family prior to the interview if
you think there is a chance it may
come up. Do not say yes just to get
the job if the real answer is no. This
can create a lot of problems
later on in your career. Be honest at
this point and save yourself
future grief.
37. Are you willing to put the
interests of the organization ahead
ofyour own?
This is a straight loyalty and
dedication question. Do not worry
about
the deep ethical and philosophical
implications. Just say yes.
38. Describe your management style.
Try to avoid labels. Some of the more
common labels, like progressive,
salesman or consensus, can have
several meanings or descriptions
depending on which management
expert you listen to. The situational
style is safe, because it says you will
manage according to the
situation, instead of one size fits all.
39. What have you learned from
mistakes on the job?
Here you have to come up with
something or you strain credibility.
Make
it small, well intentioned mistake
with a positive lesson learned. An
example would be working too far
ahead of colleagues on a project and
thus throwing coordination off.
40. Do you have any blind spots?
Trick question. If you know about
blind spots, they are no longer blind
spots. Do not reveal any personal
areas of concern here. Let them do
their own discovery on your bad
points. Do not hand it to them.
41. If you were hiring a person for
this job, what would you look for?
Be careful to mention traits that are
needed and that you have.
42. Do you think you are
overqualified for this position?
Regardless of your qualifications,
state that you are very well
qualified for the position.

43. How do you propose to
compensate for your lack of
experience?
First, if you have experience that the
interviewer does not know about,
bring that up: Then, point out (if true)
that you are a hard working
quick learner.

44. What qualities do you look for in
a boss?
Be generic and positive. Safe
qualities are knowledgeable, a sense
of
humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and
holder of high standards. All
bosses think they have these traits.
45. Tell me about a time when you
helped resolve a dispute
betweenothers.
Pick a specific incident. Concentrate
on your problem solving technique
and not the dispute you settled.
46. What position do you prefer on a
team working on a project?
Be honest. If you are comfortable in
different roles, point that out.
47. Describe your work ethic.
Emphasize benefits to the
organization. Things like,
determination to
get the job done and work hard but
enjoy your work are good.
48. What has been your biggest
professional disappointment?
Be sure that you refer to something
that was beyond your control. Show
acceptance and no negative feelings.
49. Tell me about the most fun you
have had on the job.
Talk about having fun by
accomplishing something for the
organization.
50. Do you have any questions for
me?
Always have some questions
prepared. Questions prepared where
you will be an asset to the
organization are good. How soon will
I be able to be productive? and What
type of projects will I be able to
assist on? are
examples.