Hi, over the next few weeks I will be publishing regular advice on how to ace your job / university / MBA, or PhD interview. If you would like to book a lesson with me, I will provide you with a 28 page document that I have written with some sample questions and advice on how to answer them. In these articles that I am publishing, you will find a group of questions and the appropriate advice on how to answer them, and in some cases you will even find some sample answers. During a lesson, I will go through the questions with you, let you answer as if you were in an interview environment and then I will check, and if necessary, correct the content of your answer. I hope you find the following information useful and I really look forward to seeing you online if you choose a class with me! I am also offering a 20% discount for any new students for ANY of my lessons. 

Lesson link:

https://cafetalk.com/lessons/detail/?id=11273&key=ec0e3f840eb8c5a75b04f6306f25dd66

·       Who was your best boss and who was the worst?

This is a difficult interview question to answer unless you understand what the interviewer wants to hear. Employers generally look for people who are interested in contributing to the company, improving their job skills, and making a contribution. So, instead of insulting or demeaning your past bosses by telling the interviewer that he/she was always ‘hogging all the credit’ or was ‘completely incompetent’, state that you wished he/she had offered you more feedback about your job performance, provided you with more job training, or challenged you more by providing you with more opportunities to show what you can do, etc. You can answer the question, ‘who was your favourite boss and why?’ using the same answer, for example: "My favourite boss was a person who offered me lots of feedback about my job performance, taught me almost everything I know about marketing, and gave me plenty of opportunities to prove myself by giving me very challenging projects to complete". DO NOT mention the boss’s names when you are describing them as the industry in which you work may be very small and the interviewer may ‘know’ the person. Never put your past employers down or blame them for anything in a demeaning or insulting way, since it makes you come across as petty.

·       What could you have done to improve your relationship with your least favourite boss?

Again, refrain from stating negativities about your former boss. Put a positive spin on your answer by telling the interviewer that, if you had it to do all over again, you would have requested more feedback from your boss regarding your performance and requested to be assigned more projects, etc.

·       Why did/are you quitting your job?

You could state that you want a more challenging position, higher salary, or more responsibility.  Do not mention personal conflicts with your present boss or bad-mouth your current employer or co-workers as this will harm your chances of being offered the job.  Keep in mind that interviewers love people who are looking for more challenging positions or responsibility because it shows drive, ambition and motivation. A good standard answer would be to say that you have reached as far as you can get in your current company (because of company size or structure) and so in order to progress to the next level, a sideways or upward move is necessary.

·       What have you been doing since your last job?

It is ‘ok’ to be unemployed if you are between jobs, but if you are without work for an extended period, the interviewer will want to know that you have used this ‘free time’ in a worthwhile manner. Try to mention any courses that you may have undertaken in your own time, reading/training, or volunteer work, etc.. Do not say that you have become accustomed to waking up late, taking things at a leisurely pace and spending most of your time playing golf or watching TV! Make it sound like you have used the time constructively to develop yourself and prepare yourself for re-entering the workplace.

·       Why were you fired?

When answering this question, keep in mind that the interviewer knows that almost everyone has been fired at least once and it is almost always due to a personality conflict with the boss or co-workers.  So, answer this question honestly, but without attacking your former boss or employer, and without sounding defensive or bitter. Do not mention that you have been fired many times unless asked specifically, "How many times have you been fired?" Have a sense of humour when discussing your firings so that the interviewer does not get the idea you are a nut who might come back to the workplace with an assault rifle if you are fired! Tell the interviewer what you learned from being fired. If you have been fired many times, mention what steps you have taken to improve yourself (ie: “I have read self-help books about . . . getting along with others . . . improving my time management . . . improving knowledge, work habits, etc..”). Also, point out any past jobs you held when you got along well with your boss and co-workers or received good performance reviews or a promotion.