Foo - some tough interview questions!

had an interview today - did okay overall. however, these two questions really made me stumble:

* describe a time when you made a mistake and how did you go about fixing it?

* tell me about an instance where you didn't agree with a company policy and what did you do about it?


i should have prepared better for these. what are some questions that have stumped you guys?

"Are you drunk?"

"What's wrong w/ your face?"

Applying for a state job once:

Q. Who will you be working for if you accept this job?

I glanced across the table at the head guy there. I personally knew him and knew i would be working for him. So I looked at the gentleman and said, "him."

BZZZZZZZZZT! Wrong answer. They corrected me on the spot and said, "No, you will be working for the state of Kansas." A-holes!

that's a BS question! that totally sucks.

"You are in a basement and there are three light switches. One of the light switches turns the light for the second floor on and off. You are allowed to go upstairs and check only once. You have to find out which of the three light switches is responsible for the light on the second floor. How do you do it? You have 10 seconds to answer or you will receive another shock."

Are you "really" a woman?

Interviewer liked to faint when I hiked my skirt and show him my 'credentials' :)

Are you "really" a woman?

Interviewer liked to faint when I hiked my skirt and show him my 'credentials' :)


We have an opening (excuse the expression) where I work, just in case you're still looking!

;)

We have an opening (excuse the expression) where I work, just in case you're still looking!

;)


Thanks... When I get this Leukemia knocked I'll ring you up. :)

Thanks... When I get this Leukemia knocked I'll ring you up. :)

Cool! I'll be the one sitting by the phone!

Cheers.

describe a time when you made a mistake and how did you go about fixing it?

I cost the company thousands of dollars on an over-managed, over-produced and over-funded proposal. I blamed one of my employees and had him fired.


tell me about an instance where you didn't agree with a company policy and what did you do about it?

I completely ignored the policy, when applying it to myself, but adopted a "no tolerance" stance when dealing with everyone else.

---If you had given these answers, you'd be running the place right now. Upper management tends to look at things this way.:p

I cost the company thousands of dollars on an over-managed, over-produced and over-funded proposal. I blamed one of my employees and had him fired.



I completely ignored the policy, when applying it to myself, but adopted a "no tolerance" stance when dealing with everyone else.

---If you had given these answers, you'd be running the place right now. Upper management tends to look at things this way.:p


Please call me at around 9 AM tomorrow. I have an immediate upper management opening in our Texas regional resources office and you seem to have exactly the skills I'm looking for.

Regards,

R. Wagoner
CEO, General Motors

had an interview today - did okay overall. however, these two questions really made me stumble:

* describe a time when you made a mistake and how did you go about fixing it?

* tell me about an instance where you didn't agree with a company policy and what did you do about it?


i should have prepared better for these. what are some questions that have stumped you guys?

1st one is a classic question....in all the "interviewing books". Ya should have prepared for that one. Second one is pretty tough though.

1st one is a classic question....in all the "interviewing books". Ya should have prepared for that one. Second one is pretty tough though.

Actually the second is also a classic. They are looking to see if the applicant is a "team player." The best answer is "I will ask and research to understand why the policy is that way. It must be there for a good reason. "

1st one is a classic question....in all the "interviewing books". Ya should have prepared for that one. Second one is pretty tough though.

I agree, I always prepare for the first one - never got the second one before. How do you choose?

Actually the second is also a classic. They are looking to see if the applicant is a "team player." The best answer is "I will ask and research to understand why the policy is that way. It must be there for a good reason. "

nice response. i'll remember that from now on. my answer did involve discussing the policy with my manager but i kinda spoke in broad general terms and they wanted specifics (i'm interviewing within the company).

* tell me about an instance where you didn't agree with a company policy and what did you do about it?
"I've been around long enough to know not to bother banging my head against a wall to change a company policy that no one wants to change because it means more work for them no matter how stupid and unfair it is."

"Do these pants make me look fat?"

"What's the thing you'd like to change about yourself the most?" (Which is the oldest question in the book.)
I answer, "According to who? Me, my wife, the neighbors, my parents, my banker? Everybody seems to have a different idea, which means I'm either a mess, or nothing really needs too much attention!" That has always satisfied interviewers.
HR people seem to have nothing else better to do than dream up crap like that. Has anybody ever seen people in a HR office looking busy?
And I like the scam that they can peer into the details of our lives, but we get nothing about them!

Right now, I am the company. You should hear some of the interviews I have with my self, with the arguing, the name-calling, hair pulling. Then there was the time I fired myself, but I wouldn't go quietly. A fight broke out and my wife had to call the cops. To make a long story short, I currently have a restraining order against my self.

HRD is one of the departments under my leadership:rolleyes: I have the opportunity to sit in on lots of interviews. Here are a few of my favorite questions and replies (some are my questions and some are a few of our managers/executives.

What's the last book you read? Response: Mine!

If you could change one decision you made in your career, what would it be? Response: Having a burrito for lunch.

What is the best thing you've ever done? Response: My wife (goes on to explain the best decision he ever made was marrying her!

Design your own job, what would you do? Response: I'd be a park ranger at a national park! (We hired her)

What would your last supervisor say about you? Response: Who cares, he's why I quit!

Have you ever done anything in an interview that either embarassed you or you wish you could have immediately taken back? Me? -- When the interviewer came to accompany me to his office, I walked into a large glass door and came darn close to knocking myself out! The impact left a large whelt on my face

Answer #1: "One shot, one kill, I don't make mistakes."
Answer #2: "I kidnapped the commander in chief and put a gun to his head."

I think the worst interviewer I would ever have would be this hot tall blond who takes off her blouse in the middle of the interview and if my eyes so much as flinch, I'm fired.


had an interview today - did okay overall. however, these two questions really made me stumble:

* describe a time when you made a mistake and how did you go about fixing it?

* tell me about an instance where you didn't agree with a company policy and what did you do about it?


i should have prepared better for these. what are some questions that have stumped you guys?

Let me answer this question by posing another one, I know you spent all of 15 minutes googling proper interview questions last night before bed but how about we cut through all this text book interview 101 bull crap, stop wasting my time, and get down with some real pertinent questions huh, HUH!?

Easiest questions -
"When can you start?"
"Is says here your an Eagle Scout. That anything like Boy Scouts?"

I can't think of any "bad" questions during an interview. Right out of High School I interviewed at Blockbuster. The lady didn't really interview me, she more chewed me out for wasting her time, and then went into criticizing what I wore. "How dare you come in here wearing that. Your supposed to wear slacks not kahki pants. I wouldn't even had talked to you if you were wearing blue jeans. Are those boat shoes? Oh, and get a conservative haircut...." When she was done, and I knew there was no job for me... I tore up my Blockbuster card right in front of her. I then told her that I was here to interview for the lowest position, not her job. I then told her that if she is that unhappy in life, then she should really consider making drastic lifestyle changes."

had an interview today - did okay overall. however, these two questions really made me stumble:

* describe a time when you made a mistake and how did you go about fixing it?

* tell me about an instance where you didn't agree with a company policy and what did you do about it?


i should have prepared better for these. what are some questions that have stumped you guys?

"Why did you leave your last job?'

Ansering this without giving information which embarasses yourself or disqualifies yourself.

* describe a time when you made a mistake and how did you go about fixing it?

* tell me about an instance where you didn't agree with a company policy and what did you do about it?

These are actually pretty standard questions. The correct responses have nothing to do with the type of problems or whose fault they are -- it's all about your responses to the situation. In your answer, the interviewer is looking for qualities of ownership and accountability. They want to hear how you stepped up, acknowledged the problem, and took active steps to correct it. They also want to hear about interactions and escalations; if the problem required intervention of others, how quickly and effectively did you engage them. If the problem jeopardized timelines or budgets, did you escalate the issue to management and give them full visibility into a proposed solution.

yeah, they're definitely standard. the tricky part (for me) was that i'm interviewing for an internal job with people i sort of already know. so, basically they wanted examples of things from my current job. and i couldn't really BS my way through because the interviewers are aware of what my current job is. if it was a new company i could have answered them a lot easier.

anyway, i actually have a second interview with the department manager soon, so i must of did better than i thought i did.

We have an opening (excuse the expression) where I work, just in case you're still looking!

;)
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

yeah, they're definitely standard. the tricky part (for me) was that i'm interviewing for an internal job with people i sort of already know. so, basically they wanted examples of things from my current job. and i couldn't really BS my way through because the interviewers are aware of what my current job is. if it was a new company i could have answered them a lot easier.

anyway, i actually have a second interview with the department manager soon, so i must of did better than i thought i did.
I did pretty good with those questions it was the damn quizzes they gave me that usually stumped me.

I cost the company thousands of dollars on an over-managed, over-produced and over-funded proposal. I blamed one of my employees and had him fired.

I completely ignored the policy, when applying it to myself, but adopted a "no tolerance" stance when dealing with everyone else.

---If you had given these answers, you'd be running the place right now. Upper management tends to look at things this way.:p

You didn't get it quite right. The actual strategy is that you say the politically correct things in the interview, then you do what is described above once you've actually gotten the job

You didn't get it quite right. The actual strategy is that you say the politically correct things in the interview, then you do what is described above once you've actually gotten the job
Yep :D

When she was done, and I knew there was no job for me... I tore up my Blockbuster card right in front of her. I then told her that I was here to interview for the lowest position, not her job. I then told her that if she is that unhappy in life, then she should really consider making drastic lifestyle changes."

Since Blockbuster staff have to take a lot of abuse from the public, perhaps she was testing your patience and equanimity when under attack.