Handling Three Interview Scenarios

Sometimes, the difficult questions to manage in an interview are not questions at all. Here are three common interview scenarios that a candidate may be asked to resolve.

1. Tell me how you resolved an incident where you were asked to do the impossible.

This exercise has a number of possible directions to examine. First, the statement presumes the candidate has met with impossible tasks, and in so doing, has had to come to some kind of resolution. If you are willing to take the bait, it would be good to relate some kind of situation which seemed impossible for others, but was resolved through personal efforts. In my own experience, the "impossible" merely needs to be redefined to become an attainable goal. For example, in one consulting situation, the supervisor asked me to gather information on an issue they had been unable to resolve or even identify. The task seemed clear enough, as the person wanted me to find out the procedural differences between two different business units, in order to pinpoint why one unit seemed to be producing more lucrative results than the other. As I probed into the situation for a number of days, I discovered there seemed to be no clear difference in the way each unit handled the work, yet both had the impression that the other unit's procedures were different. After focusing my effort on trying to find out what specific procedure variations these supervisors were referring to, I found out they were not referring to work procedures at all.

Though both units processed the same kind of work in the same general way, the policies associated with each unit were the significant difference between them. They had significantly different commission structures and incentives for success, and it was primarily the differences in policies that distinguished them. Thus, the impossible task of finding procedural differences between two business units that process work in the same way, was altered to reveal the real policy differences that contributed to creating significantly different results.

2. Tell me how you resolved a conflict you encountered on a job.
This is another non-question that is worded in a way to prompt the candidate to air some dirty laundry. There are two ways one could approach such a challenge. The candidate can defer the exercise by saying that there is nothing significant by way of conflicts that comes to mind, and ask the interviewer to present a specific hypothetical scenario to resolve. By forcing the interviewer to address their own scenario, the candidate does not admit to past "problems," while at the same time, it is possible to resolve the hypothetical issue in the comfort of an imaginary environment. To further press the issue, the candidate can put the interviewer on the defensive by asking if such issues can be expected in the job.

A second approach is to relate an instance of conflict which was initiated by someone else, but resolved in a positive fashion by the candidate. The idea here is to give the interviewer a good look at the problem solving skills which have been mastered. Do not select a scenario where you needed to ask someone else for assistance. Choose a challenge that you personally resolved to the benefit of everyone involved. If you have an instance ready, it will provide a good showcase for your leadership skills. If the interviewer refuses to provide a scenario, or you cannot think of a situation where your efforts produced a positive outcome, this kind is question is a prime candidate for developing amnesia. You can move the conversation forward by politely requesting time to think about the situation, and let the interviewer come back to it later on if they want.

3. The interviewer asks you about experience you do not have in an obtainable skill set.
When an interview takes you into uncharted territory, chances are good that other candidates will not have one or more skills requested by the potential employer. A candidate is chosen for an interview because of the skills they appear to possess, and in some cases, all the requirements will not be met. If an interviewer asks about a particular method, software title, or experience that is not in your background, the last thing to do is show signs of panic. A good approach is to comfortably admit you have not yet gained experience with that skill, but have no problem with picking it up along the way. If possible, try to present some alternative to the skill or software requirement, and demonstrate your ability to successfully acquire the necessary proficiency in stride.

Whether the company is willing to train, or you will be expected to pick up the skill on your own, the worst that happen is the company will not retain your services after they hire you for the job. No matter what the unknown task, someone else has either failed or succeeded in learning the task, so there is no reason to act as if it would be impossible for you to gain the same level of proficiency. You do not need to make up a lie to get the job; just showcase what you already can do. With this kind of challenge, confidence in yourself is almost as good as demonstrated ability. You would not have been called for an interview if the company did not see enough in your existing talents and experience to consider you for the job. Subdue your weaknesses and promote your strengths. Choose which questions to hit hard, which ones to defer, and which ones to move away from. If you do not get the job, there will be another one down the road. Try to find something more difficult than the missing experience that you have already tackled successfully.

John Dir LittleTek Center Check out our information channel and free softtware at http://home.earthlink.net/~jdir/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Dir

Interview - Nine Essential Questions For Hiring the Best Candidate

"Perfect person," you think. This candidate looks and sounds like just the person you want in that vacant job position."But...how can I be sure?" you wonder. Obviously, the probation period helps you get out of a bad hire, but who likes to go through that process?

We've all been there. You ask the standard questions about experience, ability to get along with other employees, desire for advancement, and you get the standard answers. At first glance, the person looks good, gives the right answers and, based on those answers, seems perfect for the job. But, on reflection, the answers are "vanilla" answers. They could be said by anyone. You know, "Yes, Mr. Interviewer. I've been looking for just this kind of position to maximize my talents." (Big smile, energetic voice, proper posture and just the right amount of dazzling personality stirred in). What a performance!

Good interview questions are the key to making you discover the most important characteristics about the candidate - and in the most accurate way. The following questions it will give you a clue as to how the person will think, do the job and interact with others after you hire him or her.

The candidate's general perspective on life and work

Question: Tell me a story about you and your past - experience, successes, regrets, obstacles, strengths or abilities you've learned, weaknesses you have not been able to overcome...

What you are looking for: Get the person talking about self, telling you a life story. Listen for themes, aspects that keep coming up - i.e. importance of relationships, the desire or necessity for material goods, the need for status or approval, etc. This will begin telling you what is important to this person. You could potentially hear themes of the person always being a victim, or how the person loves to tackle the next challenge. Listen for attitudes and characteristics that would be helpful (or a red flag) if the person were hired.

Reminder - don't ask all of this all at once. Ask a general question such as, "Tell me about you and your past?" Then conversationally follow up with additional questions like:

• What kinds of experiences have you had?
• What successes have you had?
• Have you had any regrets about life?
• What have been your major obstacles in life?
• How about telling me about your greatest strengths or abilities you've learned over time?
• What weaknesses do you have that you haven't been able to overcome?
• All the while you are engaging in conversational interaction while observing the candidates interaction and the content of their story.

The candidate's general direction in life

Question: Tell me about your future - goals while here, strengths you want to develop, weaknesses you want to overcome, personal dreams/goals/direction this position will help you obtain?

What you are looking for: This question and the story associated with it is designed to tell whether the person lives in the moment (i.e. paycheck to paycheck) or has plans or direction. There also may be clues as to whether or not the person sees this job as a stepping stone to a future dream. This can lead you to a time-line question so you can manage expectations.

If you are interviewing for an entry level job that has expected short term tenure, this question can give you an idea of how long this person may stay. You can also talk about a win/win situation and begin a conversation about the necessity of staying a certain length of time to facilitate the person's experience or learning that can take them to the fulfillment of their future dream or goal. Red flag content would be anything incongruent with the potential job position and/or your company's direction and corporate culture.

The ability to work in a team

Question: There are five people available to you. There is a task at hand that needs to be done quickly. It is possible for you to do the task within the time allotted although it could be done more quickly if you involve the five available people. The task is important to the company and will be a high profile achievement. What do you do?

What you are looking for: Notice, the question does not illuminate whether the task is assigned to the person. If the person automatically assumes the task is an assignment, that assumption could suggest initiative or independence. One way to handle this scenario is to either clarify the assignment with the appropriate manager or inform an appropriate manager that the person will be taking on the task at hand and will be using the five available people so as to get this important task done more quickly for the good of the company. This gives the candidate credit for accomplishing the task by leading a team of people.

In any case, one core concept that will come out of this question is the person's willingness to work with others or work alone. Listen for themes: Is there a true desire to work with a team; does the person see the other five people as equal team members or are they people to be exploited or "used" to get the job done (not exactly teamwork); what are the candidate's thoughts on leading a team.

Ability to cope with conflict

Question: Near Chicago there is a neighborhood with no fences between the back yards. There is a large tree between your home and another. This tree is rotting, in danger of falling, constantly losing branches and infested with insect pests. You know it would cost about $1,500.00 to remove the tree. It is unclear whose property it is on but your son has recently been bitten by those nasty insects, had a severe allergic reaction and had to spend a couple of days in the hospital. What do you do?

What you are looking for: Clearly, there is a lot at stake for the candidate as he or she puts self in the story. Does the person take care of the situation alone? Does the person look for more property data then negotiate with the neighbor? Does the sense of urgency dictate immediate action without due cause? (Cut down the tree even if it is on the neighbor's property). Is there an attempt to manipulate or overpower? - all of which indicate how the candidate would approach conflict in the work place.

Question: You have one brother (or sister). This sibling has had very little contact with you or your parents for the past 9 years; only calling a couple of times a year and never visiting face to face. Your parents have had severe health problems over the past 6 years and you have been the one faced with the energy, expense and responsibility to take care of them. They have recently passed on, leaving a small estate. Seeming like a large estate to your brother (sister), he (she) arrives to claim half of the estate. You are the executor of the will. What do you do?

What you are looking for: This unfortunate scenario should provide enough emotional elements to get the candidate to reveal his or her true beliefs surrounding this conflict. Some core issues that can come out of the person's dealing with this question include: relationship issues (which are more important, relationships or facts), "victim" issues (life owes me something), the ability to calmly deal with facts and make decisions objectively, etc.

Attitude toward ownership and accountability

Note: We believe a person with "employee mentality" only wants to do the job and get a paycheck for doing it. A person with "ownership mentality" does the job as if it was his or hers. This "ownership," albeit not literal ownership, has the benefit of increased motivation and creativity in doing the job.

Question: How do you handle delegated tasks?

What you are looking for: This deceptively simple question can reap great results. A person with employee mentality may say something as simple as, "I just do it." A person with a bit more involvement may speak about needing to understand time lines and outcomes before doing the task. Although neither of these answers or attitudes are bad, what is better is someone with ownership mentality who would want to find out more about the task - what is the bigger picture, how does it fit into the overall, what are the expectations surrounding the task, etc. This kind of a person may speak about needed resources to do the task and creative ways to accomplish it.

Inspiration - the energy in doing a job

Question: In life, what lights your fire, gives you satisfaction, gives you happiness?

What you are looking for: Notice, the words are "in life..." not "in your job." Here you are looking for what lights up this person's eyes. Here again you are looking for themes. Accomplishments, challenges, being or working with people, learning - all would be a benefit in an employee. Vacations, movies, reading, car racing, and other such activities or hobbies, though perfectly acceptable, indicate the person's "fire" won't be lit until they leave work.

Ego vs. confidence - how the person balances the two and views him/herself

Note: How a person views and speaks of self indicates security or insecurity, ego and self esteem. This will be the basis for a person's ability to work with others, communicate openly and deal with difficulty.

Question: How do you handle accomplishments?

Question: Tell me a story of a significant accomplishment of yours.

Question: If you were a representative for someone else - the perfect person for this job - what would you tell me about that person.

What you are looking for: In the answering of the general "handle accomplishment" question, in the story telling, and in the personification of the "perfect person," look for inflated pride, the necessity of building oneself up, graciousness in giving others credit, the willingness to admit frailties in the process of accomplishment, etc. All of this can give you an indication as to whether the person is an ego maniac (at worst) or is secure and gracious in the act of accomplishment. One further point, when the candidate is talking as a "representative" about "the perfect person" they are undoubtedly talking about how he or she sees self.

Communication - the ability to effectively get a message across

Question: Can you teach others? Tell me a story of how you taught someone something.

Question: Give me instruction on how to do something you know how to do that I may not know how to do - a hobby, a skill, an expertise in something such as painting or guitar playing.

What you are looking for: For the first question, is whether the candidate is able to clearly communicate and get a message across. Additionally, are there any bits of motivation or persuasiveness in the communication?

For the second question, you are looking for the characteristic of whether the candidate is other's-centered or self-centered. If the person simply begins teaching you something without asking you any questions, he or she may be self-centered and just doing what is needed to answer the question. An other's-centered person may ask you questions like, "What would you like to learn?" or I do tile work, do you know how to do that?" before beginning. An exceptionally other's-centered person would not only find out what best to teach you that you don't know, but would also ask you how you would like to learn it - hands on, verbally, with pictures,...or what?

In both of these questions you can look for additional characteristics helpful in the work place such as respect and consideration. How the candidate speaks of others and how he or she interacts with teaching you will give you a clue about their attitude in dealing with others.

Problem solving - the ability to creatively use the resources at hand to accomplish the goal

Question: A three-ton iceberg is floating in the sea. How long will it take to completely melt?

What you are looking for: There is not enough data to solve the problem. (What is the sea temperature, direction of float, sunny weather, cloudy weather, location - an iceberg floating in Antarctica will take much longer to melt than if it was floating closer to the equator). Refrain from giving the candidate any more information than what is in the question. The frustration factor is interesting to watch in the context of this question.

Does the person give up quickly when you can't give them any more information? Does the person make some assumptions so there can be some movement towards problem solving? How the person thinks and processes this question will reveal how the person will approach problems.

Here are a few additional suggestions that could help make your hiring a successful progress:

• After the hiring process screens candidates down to a few possibilities, have three or four current team members ask each candidate questions they feel are important. This accomplishes three goals: 1) Gives the candidate the understanding that the hiring process is a team effort and if they are hired they are joining a team, not just working for a boss; 2) Gives you additional information and perspective on the candidate; and 3) Gives the current employees greater ownership in retaining this person on the team.
• When you are quite sure of the candidate you want to hire, if your safety and human resource regulations allow for it, have the candidate come in for a day or half day with the instruction to "mingle." That open-ended assignment lets you observe the candidate around others. We have seen promising candidates prove to be overly pushy or opinionated during this "mingle" day. This provided timely and sufficient data that the person wasn't the right hire after all.
• Make sure you have a broad-based, extensive orientation system. Too often we have seen the "punt" method of orientation - kicking the new employees into the game right in the middle of the two minute warning (at least that's what it feels like to them). Mixing metaphors - this sink or swim methodology can set an otherwise good employee up for failure. When a company designs a successful orientation system, retention goes up.
• Turnover costs money! In direct costs, indirect costs, opportunity costs - it's expensive to replace someone. A good hiring process can create greater retention. This interviewing system is designed to do just that by finding the right person to fill the vacant role, and to stick around for a long time. Investing a little time in the interviewing process will result in long lasting returns.

Ask the question in a conversational way. Don't act like you're reading from a list. This will make for a more comfortable setting and put the person at ease. It will help the person reveal more of the true self. Ask a general question then gently ask the follow-up questions within the given category. You can follow the principle we are explaining using entirely different questions or tasks, questions or tasks you make up to parallel the dynamics in the job position for which the candidate is interviewing. For example, if the position you are interviewing candidates for demands the ability to concentrate in the context of distraction, have the candidate do a crossword puzzle while in the midst of a lot of noise or other distractions you can expose them to. Once again, you'll be able to watch how the person thinks, processes information and interacts.

There are many good interview questions. They are the key to making you discover the talent and adding the most valuable asset to your company. Bill and Joann Truby, are authors, consultants and speakers, who are focused on helping individuals achieve personal fulfillment and organizations increase their performance. They are the founders of Truby Achievements: http://www.trubyachievements.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Truby

Specific Second Interview Questions You Should Know

Interviews have many variations. There are behavioral interviews, analytical interviews, general interviews and so on. Typically, the first interview is conducted by a human resource staff. If you pass the first obstacle, you will then be interviewed by several more people. In some companies the second interview is usually a panel interview while in other companies it is conducted by an employee of the company you are applying at. The interviewer in the second interview can be your potential colleague.

The questions for the second interview are more specific and more detailed. The second interview questions are usually more focused on your preferred industry and the position you are interested in. This demands more practice, preparation and research. The second interview provides you the opportunity to demonstrate to the employer that you have learned something from your first interview. So, reflect on your first interview. Learn more about the position and communicate your ability that matches the requirements.

One of the popular degrees today is nursing. In some countries in Asia, there is a rise in the number of teenagers enrolling for a nursing education. This demand increases the competition among nursing graduates. Some will be lucky and other will not. However, you do not need luck if you can perform well in your job interview. In order to achieve this, think first what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Be very specific and learn from your first interview.

In a second interview, expect discussions about the position you are applying for, about the salary grade, and about the time schedule. On the day of the interview, one of the employers might give you a tour of the company. In addition, you may be introduced to other colleagues in your future office. If things go smoothly, you might even get a proposal to sign an employment contract. To be a competitive applicant, you should be prepared to the following questions:

• Have you ever tried breaking a rule before? Can you elaborate it further?
• In your past experience, did you ever make innovative moves to accomplish a task?
• What do you think is the best problem solving approach that works for you?
• Describe a time when you have a conflict with a physician or colleague. How did you handle the situation?
• Most often, you will be working in a group. If so, what do your expect your team members to say about your personality?
• Given a clinical scenario, what method/s do you use to assess and act on a changing condition of a patient?
• From your previous experience, have you ever experience a difficulty in patient assessment? Please tell me more about it.
• What procedures did you assisted or witnessed before?
• On your opinion, how many patients can you handle comfortably?
• Are you comfortable with the central lines and/or your skill level?
• Do you have plans for furthering your skills and knowledge?
• How would you react if the head of the nursing department ask you to do something that you do not want to do?

Landon Long is the founder of InterviewMastermind.com. You can download his FREE "Resume Rebel" Video Course to learn how to write a resume and stand out in a slow economy. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Landon_Long

Ace That Interview!

Your job interview doesn't have to be nerve-racking. With just a little planning, you'll step into it looking natural and confident! Here are some of the tips that will be useful for your upcoming interview.

Dress to Suit

Depending on the job that you are going for, you have to first decide to dress up or down for it. Here's a good and useful rule to follow: Dress one notch above what you would normally wear on a typical working day.

Keep Your Foot Out of Your Mouth

You just have to know to speak appropriately. This is importantly as you want to show your employer that you are the perfect candidate for the job. Here's a basic list of do's and don'ts:

1. Remember to smile when you first meet your interviewer! This is important as it creates a good impression that will stick in the employer's mind throughout the meeting and after.
2. Be sure to bring along a few copies of your resume, list of references, a pen, and notebook to your interview.
3. Don't overdress yourself. This would mean wearing tons of earrings and jewelry, gobs of makeup or putting on an entire bottle of scent.
4. Make a firm impression by offering the interviewer a confident handshake when you first meet him.
5. Give him the interviewer a sense that you you're attentive, interested and personable by making appropriate eye contact with him when he's speaking and vice versa.
6. Use positive body language and don't appear to be scared. Since good posture counts, don't even slouch, cross your arms, clench your fists, twirl your hair or clutch your back.
7. Don't chew on gum when you are in an interview!
8. Be truthful, even if it means admitting that you don't know something as a lie could land you in a lot of trouble.
9. Do your best from the start of the interview to the end of it.

Q & A

This is bound to happen when you are in an interview. Mr employer is definitely going to ask you some questions! The questions that he will ask may not be difficult, but give some thought ahead of time as to how you are going to present yourself. Here are some examples of the frequently asked interview questions:

1. Why do you want this job?
2. Do you have any experience doing this sort of work?
3. What motivates you to do well?
4. What school or extracurricular project are you proud of?
5. How would you handle conflict? Give me an example.
6. Tell me about your work habits.
7. What are your after graduate plans?
8. What would you do if you saw someone stealing?
9. What would you do if your friends requested for free things?
10. Besides money, what do you think you will gain from working here?

With all these tips above, I bet that you are going to ace your interview! Be sure to follow what you are told and avoid things that you shouldn't do. Good luck!

Next, find out about BeautySpa and Spa. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jaferre_Thomson

Useful Tips in Handling Job Interviews

Landing on your dream job is not all about just being skilled and experienced. It is a combination of adeptness, aptitude and confidence elucidated during a job interview. After all, an employer has not actually seen you working yet. All he has is his first impression on you during the interview. And this is how important job interviews are.

Types of Questions
The easiest questions asked during job interviews are those that probe on an applicant's technical knowledge on the necessary tasks to perform the various things associated with the job. When applicants have the required training and have the experience, then, answering the set of questions are relatively simple and easy.

Interviews, however, are meant not only to gauge knowledge or expertise. The set of interview questions are there to determine how the applicant will react to pressure, to certain situations and to generally gauge his or her ability to adapt to an existing company culture.

These interview questions that are designed to probe on an applicant's character, abilities and potentials are often the most difficult to answer. Some of them are not even in the form of formal questions but requests for applicants to relate some significant experiences in past jobs. A few interviewers make use of situational sets. These requests (questions) will focus on the applicant's ability to solve problems and conflicts in the workplace. Answers to these questions can either make or break an applicant.

Over the years, researchers have compiled a list of questions that HR professionals often ask their applicants. Standard questions to measure abilities and potentials include: Relate a particularly difficult problem in the past and how did you resolve it? Or how did you resolve a conflict in you past job? Or what will you do if .....?

Questions like what book you have read, preferred subjects in high school, ambitions when you were young or the famous people you'd like to meet, what foods are most likely to be on your refrigerator right now, and if you were an animal what would you be, will appear at first glance to be odd and nonsensical but these questions are intended to probe on the applicant's character and natural tendencies. Your answers here will tell them who you really are. It will reflect your personality and character.

Preparing for Interviews
Preparing for an interview requires an applicant to have a general idea of what type of questions are most likely to be asked. A research on this, including what might be the most appropriate way of answering them help a lot in ensuring that the interviewee comes prepared with well thought out answers.

Performing well during interviews, involves more than knowing the possible interview questions and having the most appropriate and relevant answers at hand. Even though this gives the applicant the confidence to pull-off a good performance, they should be able to address the issues based from their capabilities or past work-related situations. Applicants can make use of some valuable tips from experts.

During Interviews
Interviewers can derive a lot from the interviewees' answers as well as from the way the answers were confidently delivered. And more than the words spoken, the interviewers will also subtly observe your mannerisms, such as eye contact and hand gestures. Are your eyes roaming around the room rather than focusing attention on the person you are talking to? Are you fidgeting? Are you seated properly?

Some questions will appear aimless and even odd. Applicants will do well to take them seriously. Answers can be humorous but answering with a joke can be viewed negatively by your interviewers. They might think that the applicant is not taking the interview seriously.

There are some questions aimed to test the applicant's ability in order to maintain composure under pressure. Applicants should be aware of this and act accordingly. Questions of this type can be particularly trying. Applicants should show patience and should try their best even when they think the interview is not going well.

For more information on Job interview questions and Visa Interview Questions please visit our website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Urmann

The Problem With Job Interviews

Something that really irritates me in the corporate world today is how companies interview candidates for a job. Instead of having you describe who you are, what you've done in your professional life, and what skills you know, Human Resource types today ask questions like:

"Where do you want to be five years from now?"

"How do you handle pressure?"

"How do you deal with conflict?"

"Tell me something nobody knows about you."

"Did you notice the receptionist outside had six fingers?"

"What is your favorite color?"

"If you were an animal, what would you be?"

Instead of getting to the meat and potatoes of what the person knows, interviewers are asking pseudo-psychological questions aimed at examining the personality of the candidate. It kind of reminds me of the asinine question Barbara Walters asked of movie stars years ago, "If you were a tree, what kind would you be?"

These questions are aimed at determining what your personality type is (such as A, B, C, D) and how you present yourself, e.g., how articulate you can present an argument, and how well you can fit in with the corporate culture.

Instead of dancing around the issue, and using amateur psychological techniques, why don't they just ask for a psychological profile of the candidate instead, as prepared by accredited professionals? Somehow the interviewing questions asked today remind me of the neurotic Personnel Manager, Granville Sawyer, in the movie classic "Miracle on 34th Street."

Another interviewing phenomenon I have trouble with is what is now called "speed interviewing," which I'm told is derived from "speed dating," whereby a number of people are interviewed briefly in a rotational format. It kind of reminds me of how people audition for "American Idol" and some of the other entertainment contests. It might be nice for a first blush, but hardly a way of honestly getting to know someone.

The last thing I think is lacking in interviewing is professional courtesy. It used to be if you sent in a job application, you would get a written note acknowledging the company received it and what they intended do with it, which perhaps was nothing. Further, after an interview, the candidate would be sent a letter thanking him/her for their time and let them know what their status was. But you don't see such letters anymore, not even in this age of e-mail. To me, this says a lot about the professionalism of the employer, which is probably not very good.

Tim Bryce is a writer and management consultant located in Palm Harbor, Florida. http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com Copyright © 2009 Tim Bryce. All rights reserved. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Bryce

Practice Interview Questions - Part 2

The art of acing an interview is to be prepared. These practice interview questions will help you prepare and build your confidence for the interview. Or, if you are an employer, you can add these to your arsenal of questions to ask candidates.

The questions below have been compiled from top business executives from around the country. These are questions used by the top business and thought leaders that I know and are categorized based on what potential employers may be trying to determine through the interview process.

Social Awareness/Empathy:

* What do you think we expect most from someone in your job? How do you do on those things?

Relationship Management/Influence:

* Describe your basic leadership style with examples of how you practice it?

Relationship Management/Inspirational Leadership:

* How do you approach setting direction for your team?

* What's your favorite activity for team building?

Relationship Management/Conflict Management:

* Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone?

* What do you do when people are at each others throats?

* Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone that you didn't like particularly and how did you handle it?

Character Assessment/Leadership:

* Looking for patterns - where they involved, did they lead something? Leaders can be trained, but instinct, drive and initiative are instilled early on.

* What were your favorite things to do as a kid?

* How did you spend your summers?

* How would you describe your college years?

* What do you do outside of work?

* Where do you see yourself in five years?

* What motivates you?

Character Assessment/Interests and Passions:

* Looking for patterns - do they like to pursue new things, do they have a curious nature, are they passionate and enthusiastic.

* Last non business book you read (and last you would recommend - they may not be the same)?

* What's the craziest or most spontaneous thing you've ever done?

* In your 'out of the office' time, what are three things you're really passionate about?

* What do you do outside of work?

* What are your hobbies?

* What have you done recently for fun?

* What do you enjoy doing?

* What are you now interested in pursuing?

Always remember that being prepared will make you much more confident during an interview. By practicing your responses to the above interview questions you will master your interviewing skills - you will have well thought out answers, you won't be caught off guard, and this will allow you to shine and ultimately get the job offer. Good luck to you all.

Lisa Duncan is the Owner and Publisher of http://www.HotCareerSites.com With the underlying premise: Life is short. Love what you do! ... the site is designed as a job search and career planning gateway developed to help people find the perfect job that is right for them. Lisa knows how important it is to love what you do and has a passion for helping people achieve career success. Lisa is an extraordinary business thinker with an expertise in communications planning. During her 20+ years in the advertising and marketing business, Lisa has a record of success at building world-class brands and developing innovative marketing and media solutions across a broad range of industries. Her breadth of experience and noted success includes gold-standard clients such as: Publix Super Markets, Toyota, and Outback Steakhouse. Other noted experience includes travel and tourism giants Marriott International, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and Celebrity Cruises. Lisa also developed some of the industry's most innovative, award-winning work in the condom and cigar categories. The continued quest for knowledge, new experiences, and most importantly the desire to inspire others to find their career nirvana is what prompted me to start this site. Technology and the web, and its ability to connect the world amazes me. The constant change, evolution, and mind-blowing knowledge and conversations that are out there inspires me daily! Be remarkable, be amazing, be brilliant, be the very best at what you do! Remember ... Life is short. Love what you do! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Duncan