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    Amazing Interview Answers: 44 Tough Job Interview Questions with 88 Winning Answers
    Amazing Interview Answers: 44 Tough Job Interview Questions with 88 Winning Answers
    Amazing Interview Answers: 44 Tough Job Interview Questions with 88 Winning Answers
    Ebook188 pages2 hours

    Amazing Interview Answers: 44 Tough Job Interview Questions with 88 Winning Answers

    By Richard Blazevich

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    About this ebook

    Job hunting? Or know someone who is? This book is perfect to help anyone gain an advantage during the toughest part of the process, the dreaded job interview. In Amazing Interview Answers, you'll find everything you need to successfully interview for the jobs you want. The author includes step-by-step instructions for preparing for interviews. He also shares 88 examples of great answers to 44 of the most commonly asked questions. Plus, he includes tips for researching jobs as well as frameworks for preparing your interview answers. If you're the type of person who learns by example, this book is for you. It's full of questions that are typically asked during interviews along with examples of winning answers for each question. It also gives you insider tips for what you should and shouldn't say during interviews. What a rush it will be when you conclude job interviews knowing that you nailed them. If you follow the advice in this book, you should experience that feeling every time you walk out of an interview.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAmazingJobSkills.com Publishing
    Release dateJul 14, 2020
    ISBN9781951678036
    Amazing Interview Answers: 44 Tough Job Interview Questions with 88 Winning Answers

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    Book preview

    Amazing Interview Answers - Richard Blazevich

    Amazing Interview Answers

    _________

    44 Tough Job Interview Questions

    with 88 Winning Answers

    by

    Richard Blazevich

    This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproductions or other unauthorized use of the material herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

    Copyright © 2020 by Richard Blazevich

    All rights reserved.

    ISBN 978-1-951678-03-6

    Amazing Job Skills Publishing

    Dallas, Texas

    www.amazingjobskills.com

    Introduction

    The fact that you’re reading this book suggests that the stakes are high. Perhaps you’re anticipating an interview for your dream job or trying to get into a competitive school. In any case, you may recognize that impressing an interviewer is the next crucial step in your career.

    You’ll be relieved to know that interviewing is an easy skill to master. You don't need physical strength or superior intellect. You just need a game plan and time to practice. In this book, I’ll give you a game plan. With it, and with some practice, you can quickly learn to give amazing interview answers and get offers for the jobs you want.

    While interviewing hundreds of candidates over the years, I've seen interviews that fall into three categories. About 70% are disappointing. Unprepared candidates struggle through their interviews with answers that are either vague or don't address the questions I ask.

    About 20% of interviews are good. Candidates are prepared, and they respond to most questions with clear, relevant answers.

    Finally, about 10% of interviews are amazing. These candidates answer every question with poise and confidence. Their responses are riveting, and I wish I could interview them for hours. This third group will breeze through life getting whatever jobs they want.

    In this book, my goal is to help you be amazing in your future job interviews so you can be in that top 10%.

    Most amazing candidates are not naturally gifted. They don't have super powers that enable them to answer any question that they are asked. Their secret is preparation. They know which questions are typically asked during job interviews, and they’re prepared to answer those questions.

    During business school, I became an amazing interviewee, as did many of my classmates. We knew exactly which questions to practice because recruiters told us the questions before they came to campus. We would spend a few hours every week practicing our answers to those questions, either on our own or in study groups.

    We practiced because our professors and other students told us the importance of preparing for interviews. Unfortunately, most students don't get that advice. Many schools teach everything but interview skills. When students graduate, they may be prepared to do their jobs, but they are not prepared to get their jobs. The good news is that this book will teach you the interview skills that you should have been taught in school.

    I'll explain how the approach I used in school will help you become an amazing interviewee. I've included 44 interview questions and sample answers for each question. You'll get a total of 88 sample answers to get you started. Your interview answers should be customized to your experience, but these sample answers will point you in the right direction.

    What a rush it will be when you conclude interviews knowing that you nailed them. If you follow the steps in this book, you should experience that feeling every time you complete an interview.

    You can also use these skills to be more persuasive in every aspect of your life. Not only do interview skills help you get the jobs you want, they help you persuade people to see your point of view in various situations. I haven't changed jobs in years, but I use my interview skills every day. I use them to get more resources at work; I use them to explain new concepts to my daughter; and I use them to give advice to friends.

    While this book focuses specifically on the interview process, I encourage you to also check out my other book, Start-to-Finish Job Search Guide. It includes tips for every step of the job search process including developing your job search strategy, preparing your resume, applying for jobs, and more.

    I hope you enjoy this experience. Now, let's get started.

    Preparing for the Interview

    Many candidates think of an interviewer as an opponent. They think the interviewer is hoping they will fail. Nothing could be further from the truth. An interviewer is more like a reluctant judge in a contest. They're hoping to find someone who meets the criteria of the contest. Once they find a worthy candidate, they're happy to select that person and award them the prize of a job offer. That way, they can end the interview process. An interviewer wants you to succeed. They want you to win the contest so they can hire you and get back to their regular job.

    Your goal should be to make it easy for the interviewer to select you as the contest winner. You want them to envision you in the role they are trying to fill. To do that, you should tailor your answers to the role. If the role requires creativity, you should highlight your creative skills. If the role requires organization, tell them how organized you are.

    In this book, I'll show you a range of answers to the most common interview questions so you can see how to tailor your responses for specific jobs. You should never use the specific answers I give you in this book. Hiring managers can tell when your answers aren't sincere. Instead, use the sample answers to inspire you. Then, craft your own answers based on your personal interests and experiences.

    To become an amazing job candidate, you should do three things: research the type of role you want; research the specific job you'll interview for; and practice your answers for the six most common types of questions. The first two topics are covered in this section. The third topic is addressed in the remainder of this book.

    Step 1: Research the Type of Job

    Research is surprisingly simple. You can find thousands of sample job descriptions on the internet. If you know the type of work you want, just find a sample job description and write down key responsibilities related to that type of job.

    This will help you prepare answers that will set you apart from other candidates. Once you know what employers are looking for, you’ll know how to best answer questions during your interviews.

    Here are examples of job details I found during a quick search on the website for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

    For sales representatives, responsibilities include working with potential and existing customers, meeting sales objectives, and building lasting relationships.

    For graphic designers, responsibilities include working with design software, creating compelling visual concepts, and preparing graphic files for production.

    For bookkeepers, responsibilities include working with accounting software, documenting financial transactions, and developing financial recommendations.

    Now, take a minute to research job descriptions for the type of position you want, and summarize the details below.

    Job Title:       ________________________________

    Responsibilities:      ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

    Step 2: Research Job-Specific Details

    If possible, get a job description for the specific job you want. Often, employers will post job descriptions online where they post job openings. If you can't find a job description online, contact someone in the company to request it. Often, hiring managers or human resource representatives will be happy to send you a job description prior to your interview.

    Read the job description and make notes about the responsibilities. This is your cheat sheet for formulating your interview answers. Getting the job description is like getting the answers to a test before you actually take the test. Employers usually tell you exactly what they're looking for in the job descriptions. You need to frame your answers to highlight your skills and experience that will make you successful for performing those responsibilities. Here is an example of job description highlights:

    For a paralegal position, specific responsibilities might include researching laws and regulations, writing reports to help attorneys prepare for trials, and filing briefs with the court.

    Throughout this book, I’ll show you how to use your job description summaries to frame answers to interview questions. Remember, your answers should be customized to the specific job you want, so use the employer’s job description to practice the answers to the upcoming test.

    Now, you can use this format to update the job details for the specific position that you want:

    Job Title:       ________________________________

    Responsibilities:      ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

    Step 3: Prepare for 6 Types of Questions

    Most interview questions fall into one of six categories. While there are variations, preparing for these six types of questions will help you succeed in almost any interview:

    1. Opening Questions typically ask about your background, education, and work experience. A common example is, Can you tell me about yourself?

    2. Interest Questions ask about your interests. One example is, Why are you interested in this job?

    3. Fit Questions help interviewers determine if you’ll be a good fit for their open positions. What is your leadership style? is an example of a Fit question. These questions are sometimes called Behavior questions because they often ask how you might behave in specific situations.

    4. Case Questions test your knowledge and thinking skills. For example, if you’re applying for a consulting job, the interviewer might ask, If your client is losing business to a competitor, how would you approach that challenge?

    5. Odd-Ball Questions test your ability to think on your feet. An example is, If you were an animal, what type of animal would you be?

    6. Closing Questions capture information interviewers might need before making a final decision about you. One example could be, Is there anything else I should know about you?

    I've organized this book based on these six types of questions. In each section, I'll explain what employers are looking for, the questions they typically ask, the frameworks you can use to answer questions, and examples to inspire you for your responses.

    In the back of this book, I've included additional sample answers and worksheets for you to complete. If you use these templates, you should be ready to give amazing answers to most interview questions.

    Dos and Don'ts

    Here are

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