Why have you been out of work so long?

TRAPS:

A tough question if you’ve been on the beach a long time. You don’t want to seem like damaged goods.

BEST ANSWER:

You want to emphasize factors which have prolonged your job search by your own choice.

Example: “After my job was terminated, I made a conscious decision not to jump on the first opportunities to come along. In my life, I’ve found out that you can always turn a negative into a positive IF you try hard enough. This is what I determined to do. I decided to take whatever time I needed to think through what I do best, what I most want to do, where I’d like to do it…and then identify those companies that could offer such an opportunity.”

“Also, in all honesty, you have to factor in the recession (consolidation, stabilization, etc.) in the (banking, financial services, manufacturing, advertising, etc.) industry.”

“So between my being selective and the companies in our industry downsizing, the process has taken time. But in the end, I’m convinced that when I do find the right match, all that careful evaluation from both sides of the desk will have been well worthwhile for both the company that hires me and myself.

Common Behavioral Questions & Answers

"I needed to set the departmental objectives for the next six months. (Situation)
I referred to the company's vision and goals for the next two years to decide which activities and tasks my department should concentrate on. I clearly communicated the relationship between our department goals and the company's goals to my staff and explained which activities would best result in achieving these goals. (Action)
"The staff really benefited from having a clear idea of the company vision and how we could contribute to achieving this. Understanding the big picture meant they were able to see how each of them were an essential part of the company's success and this motivated them towards goal attainment." (Result)
Describe a situation when you negotiated with others in your organization to reach agreement (negotiation skills)
The interviewer is exploring your ability to communicate information or alternatives in a manner that gains agreement and acceptance. Show how you are able to look at the position of others, present alternatives and reach an agreement that is positive for both parties.
"My manager presented me with an unreasonable deadline to complete a project. (Situation)
I asked him how he had determined the deadline. He said that it was based on his deadline to present the project to the CEO. I outlined every step that needed to be taken to complete the project and how long each step would realistically take. We discussed possible ways of reducing these time frames. I suggested allocating more resources to the project. He asked me to put together a project proposal that covered what we had discussed and he would use this to negotiate with the CEO for a more realistic time line. (Action)
We were able to settle on a plan that worked for both of us." (Result)
Use these sample answers for questions that come up time and again in behavioral interviews to help formulate your own behavioral examples.

Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills (stress tolerance)

The interviewer wants to know whether you are able to perform under pressure and cope with difficult situations. Show that you can stay calm under pressure and are able to plan to reduce stress.
"I worked for a manager who used to yell at me when he was under pressure to meet deadlines. (Situation)
I got upset the first couple of times and then I decided to talk to him about it. I empathized with the stress he was under and suggested that he communicated his expectations clearly to me on a daily basis so that I knew exactly when he needed something and I could also give him feedback on progress. We arranged an early morning feedback meeting every day. (Action)
This helped as we were able to sort out issues immediately and anticipate likely problems." (Result)
Here is a behavioral question that explores the candidate's resilience.
Tell me about a time when you received negative feedback from your manager or supervisor. How did you handle this?(resilience)
The interviewer is looking at your ability to handle disappointment and rejection. Show how you handle criticism whilst maintaining enthusiasm and performance.
"I had worked hard on a presentation to a potential customer. My boss told me that he was disappointed in the quality of the information I presented and that the customer had not been impressed. (Situation)
I was surprised as I felt I had prepared well but I asked my boss to go through the presentation with me again and explain exactly what the problems were. He pointed out outdated information and I realized that I had not used the most recent financial information in my preparation. I researched the updated information and asked if I could rework things and prepare a new proposal for the customer. He agreed. Once I had sent the proposal I followed up with the customer to ask if he had any queries or wanted to discuss anything with me. (Action)
We didn't get that particular contract but the company has asked us to submit a proposal for some other business." (Result)
Tell me about a time you had to quickly adjust your work priorities to meet changing demands (Adaptability)
In this sample interview question the interviewer wants to know if you can effectively perform in different environments and with different tasks, people and responsibilities. Show that you can adjust your actions to meet changing demands and tasks.
"I was in the middle of drawing up my departmental budget when I was asked to put together a costing for a big project we were tendering for. (Situation)
Common Behavioral Questions & Answers
overview
problem-solving, initiative & judgment
team work, leadership & negotiation
attention to detail, work standards & organizing
I made an outline of the information I needed immediately for the costing and assigned a portion to each of my staff. I spent the next couple of days drawing up schedules of the tasks that needed to be carried out to complete the costing and meeting with staff members to brief them and get feedback. I was then able to re focus on completing the budget on time. (Action)
The costing was completed on time, each staff member really contributed and I didn't miss my budget deadline". (Result)
Use these answers to the sample interview question to prepare your own behavioral examples and succeed in the behavioral job interview!
View the behavioral interview questions commonly asked in a customer service job interview.

Describe a difficult problem you had to sort out in your last job (Problem-solving)

This behavior based interviewing question is designed to explore your ability to identify, analyze and solve problems.
Show how you are able to gather and organize the necessary information and identify the best solution.
Here is a sample behavioral interview answer that you can use as a guide to develop your own good answer.
"We were getting a lot of complaints about late deliveries. (Situation)I met with the staff involved in the customer delivery department and discovered that the problem seemed to be with the stock coming through on time.
I investigated and found that requests for new inventory were not been processed fast enough. The backlog was in the orders department as they were not following up adequately with the suppliers. A system for regular follow up was quickly implemented. (Action)This sorted out the stock problems and the delivery staff were able to meet their deadlines." (Result)

What aspect of your management style would you like to change?

No-one is the perfect manager so denying that you have any areas for improvement shows a lack of self-awareness and insight. Focus on an aspect of your management style that you're working to improve. Describe the steps you're taking and give evidence on your progress.
"I have been trying not to give my employees the answers when they ask for help with a problem. They need to learn how to come up with the solutions themselves and I need to guide and facilitate this process. I have read up on how to do this and have put these facilitation skills into practice.For example, I allocate however much time is needed to sit down with the employee and work through the problem. We discuss it, I give my view of the situation and then ask the employee to go away and think about the best solution."

What management style have you found to be most effective?

The interviewer is evaluating your ability to adapt your management style to different people and circumstances. Describe how you are able to employ different management styles and interpersonal skills to get the best out of the situation. Give reasons why you use a particular management style in a certain situation and why it works. For example:
"I find that it is not effective to use only one type of management style, I have to adapt according to the individual I am dealing with and the situation. For example with inexperienced employees I use a management style that involves a high level of task instruction and close supervision. I find this effective because the employee needs to be secure that they know exactly what to do and how to do it. They also require constant support to build their confidence. For a more experienced employee who is comfortable with the work, I delegate the task and expect them to come to me for help if they need it. This demonstrates my trust in their ability to do the job on their own."
Work-force diversity has important implications. Managers need to be able to recognize employee differences and respond to those differences in ways that ensure effective working relationships. Management interview questions will include:
What type of people do you work with most effectively?
This is basically asking what type of employees do you get on with and what type of employees do you find it difficult to work with.

This is an important question because it again evaluates the flexibility of your management style. Are you able to communicate and interact effectively with a variety of individuals? Are you able to establish good working relationships with a diverse group of employees?
"I work well with people who are hardworking, competent and confident of their abilities. Obviously I have had to manage people who do not fall into this category. When this happens I set myself the challenge of developing the employee and helping them to use their skills to their fullest potential. My goal is to support them towards competence and confidence through guidance, direction and mentoring."

How have you influenced employees to follow your strategic vision for the organization?

Leaders develop ownership by involving employees in the decision-making and planning process. They provide resources to facilitate employee success and empower employees by devolving authority to get things done efficiently. Effective leaders develop processes that engage employees in achieving the strategic vision.
How have you encouraged learning and development of employees?
Learning happens at every opportunity. Your answer to leadership interview questions like this should demonstrate that effective leaders develop employees by mentoring, coaching and providing performance feedback on a daily basis. Leaders act as models for their employees but the most effective leaders not only teach by example they take a personal interest in the learning of others and serve as mentors. Additionally they manage learning throughout the organization by continually focusing attention on the learning agenda and providing the resources to facilitate it. Finally leaders monitor learning by getting regular feedback.

What was the most significant change you brought about in an organization?

Leaders can recognize new opportunities and anticipate long term opportunities. They determine new business directions for the organization. They are able to create enthusiasm and acceptance of the new vision or change and use the appropriate leadership style to inspire and guide employees to embrace change.
Thinks about what the concept of leadership means to you when preparing for leadership interview questions. Look back over your experiences and select insightful examples of how you have demonstrated the competencies associated with leadership.

How would your staff and colleagues describe your leadership style?

Give me an example to support your answer.
The purpose of this question is to find out if the style is congruent with the organizational culture. The perceptive leader is able to adapt his or her style to fit the follower's, employee's and organizational needs.
What are the most important values and ethics you demonstrate as a leader? Give me an example of these in practice.
Integrity- being truthful and trustworthy and having conviction - is an essential leadership competency. The effective leader demonstrates values and ethics in personal behavior and integrates these values and ethics into organizational practices and activities. A good leader acts with the courage of his/her convictions. While leaders are open with their employees and model honesty, transparency and fairness, they do not violate confidences or divulge potentially harmful information.
Name some situations in which a leader may fail. Tell me about a time when you failed as a leader?
A number of factors can fall outside a leader's control such as the available skill pool in the organization, time constraints, the economic climate. If employees are lethargic and negatively orientated it can create a situation ripe for failure. In answering leadership interview questions that explore how you deal with difficult challenges focus on how you were able to analyze the setback and seek honest feedback to learn from failure. How you used the difficult situation to encourage constructive questioning of policies and practices. Show your ability to be resilient in the face of failure and to constantly work towards improvement.
What role does leadership play for a manager? How have you demonstrated this with your managers?
The leader's role is to communicate the strategic vision to management with clarity. To translate the vision into concrete direction and plans. To identify and communicate priorities, short term objectives, timelines, performance measures, clear accountabilities and performance agreements to management. To provide quality judgment and advice.
Tell me about an innovative solution you developed to a non-traditional problem.
Effective leaders promote change and innovation. Finding solutions to unique problems are facilitated by encouraging a constant information flow in all directions and emphasizing responsiveness to changing demands.
Tell me about a time when the going got really tough. How did you rally the staff and build morale?
Leaders build a sense of common purpose by promoting the organizational vision both internally and externally. They develop and implement effective communication strategies within the organization. Remove barriers to collaboration. Provide clear direction on priorities. Give clear and honest feedback to inspire trust.
What methods have you used to gain commitment from your team?
Leaders gain commitment by influencing and persuading the team to set objectives and buy into the process. They establish a spirit of cooperation and cohesion for goal attainment. They take the team into the performing phase as quickly as possible. Leaders encourage debate and ideas from all stakeholders. They inspire a commitment to success and excellence by demonstrating passionate personal commitment and promote a productive culture by valuing individuals and their contributions.
All leaders have to deal with conflict situations. Describe a recent disagreement or conflict you personally had to handle.
Leadership interview questions exploring how you handle conflict are looking at your ability to understand and respect different views. Demonstrate your ability to settle dispute by focusing on solving the problem taking into consideration the personalities involved. To evaluate the viability of different dispute resolution mechanisms available. To provide support and expertise to others. To negotiate compromise.

What are your career options right now?

TRAPS:

The interviewer is trying to find out, “How desperate are you?”

BEST ANSWER:

Prepare for this question by thinking of how you can position yourself as a desired commodity. If you are still working, describe the possibilities at your present firm and why, though you’re greatly appreciated there, you’re looking for something more (challenge, money, responsibility, etc.). Also mention that you’re seriously exploring opportunities with one or two other firms.
If you’re not working, you can talk about other employment possibilities you’re actually exploring. But do this with a light touch, speaking only in general terms. You don’t want to seem manipulative or coy.