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Be Prepared for Tough Interview Questions
Luci Peters
Certified Professional Resume Writer
July 25, 2022, 12:54 pm

Be Prepared for Tough Interview Questions

As we often speak about the hunt for industry experts, we often neglect to mention the job interview questions that can trap even the greatest minds unless prepared. Recruiters and interviewers do not only expect you to have outstanding expertise but also to know how to get away from a complicated situation. Thus, they ask uncomfortable or ambiguous questions to get a better idea of who you are and make the most of the short conversation you have.

Big companies looking to fill their best position expect several things from the perfect candidate: the ability to get things done, the industry-specific acumen and the ability to envision opportunities for further professional development and growth, and finally the ability and desire to fit into the company’s culture. Therefore, you should take every interview seriously because it is the best way to get to know you as a professional and as a personality. There are several questions that may turn your interview into a real ordeal unless you are prepared to answer them. Thus, the best way to avoid any trouble is to know how you would answer questions even before your interviewer asks them. Here is the list of the top tough questions for our judgment:

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1) Why is there a gap in your career history?

It may be easy to explain if one took paternal or maternal leave and took care of a child or needed a break to get better from sicknesses or car accidents. However, some situations are not that easy to explain. Gaps may result from workforce reduction, downsizing, and getting sacked. All these things imply that an employee was no longer of value to a particular company. Moreover, gaps often mean that these employees were in trouble finding a job afterward. In order to make up for the negative effect of your gaps in your career and to make the answer smooth, rehearse answering it in front of the mirror. Professional resume writers suggest being straightforward and honest about what happened and never saying bad things about your previous employer. Be open, accept your situation, and try using it for your benefit as an opportunity for your professional development rather than admit your weakness.

2) What is your biggest strength?

It seems to be an easy question because you must know your strengths. However, this question is designed to see how your strengths align with the company’s goals. It also shows how much time you spent preparing for the job interview because the answer should derive from the job description at hand and online research about the employer. This question is the best to show your deep interest in the company’s area and your knowledge of its achievements. For example, as a marketer or sales agent, you can answer that the most important strength is to know your audience if the company grows its revenue from direct sales. As an IT specialist, you may say that you have learned several programming languages, but it is valuable only if the company works with such.

3) What is your biggest weakness?

Everybody has weaknesses, and recruiters know about them. By asking this question, they try to know you as a person and get an idea of how far you can go to learn and grow. The best resume writers suggest being honest in answering this question but also offering a way in which you can mitigate or deal with the problem. You can also tell about the real-life situation where you handled or took over your weakness and came up with a perfect outcome. Sharing the story from your past with examples of how you have dealt with your problems successfully is the best way to answer this question.

4) What is your biggest failure?

This question is a tricky one. Highly qualified resume writing specialists suggest answering it from a positive perspective. It is important how you frame your answer, so it is better to say that you did not have any failures but rather learning opportunities that originated from adverse situations. If you have ever experienced a lack of quality resulting from a hurry and a short deadline, you can say that in a rush to deliver a major project on time, you failed to lead a team. In the end, you realized your mistake and skipped what was unimportant to meet the quality expectations and deadline requirements.

5) Why do you want a new job?

The question is tricky for those who currently hold a position but seek a new one. If you want to leave, it means that you lack something staying with your current employer. Professional resume writers recommend never mentioning money or other benefits as a reason to go. It is crucial to refer to your career goals and expectations as well as your dedication to continuous learning that has reached its full capacity in the present position. You want to leave because you seek professional development and growth. To sum it up, the main advice is never to neglect the preparation for the job interview. Some time spent on research about the company has the potential to land the right job for you and save you from long breaks and embarrassment when you do not have anything valuable to answer the question. Take it seriously and think of which tough questions can apply to you. Prepare the answers and ace the job interview.

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