The Secret to Successful Interview Responses

You’re sitting in a large conference room with a panel of interviewers. You dressed professionally, printed out enough copies of your resume, and remembered to leave your phone in your car. You’re a great fit for the company, and you feel confident about knocking this interview out of the park. One interviewer looks up and asks, “Why is a man-hole cover round?”

What?

You feel the nervousness set in as everyone waits. You think desperately through the answers you’ve prepared, but you weren’t ready for that question. What do you do?

If that scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Interviewers are great at asking questions that showcase your scripted well-prepared responses –then cutting through the façade to get a glimpse of who you really are as an employee. Here are some complex interview questions, and the secrets behind giving an impressive answer.

 Question: “Tell me about yourself.”

Nowadays, it’s uncommon for an interview to not start this way. This question is asked to test your communication abilities and get an initial impression of you and your experience. This is your chance to highlight your professional character traits, not your chance to talk about where you’re from, how many siblings you have, and your love of Netflix.

To give an impressive answer:

1.       Address your relevant skills

2.       Prove these skills with specific accomplishments

3.       Speak clearly and concisely

Make sure you come across as friendly and personable. Your interviewer wants to hire someone that will not only be a good fit as far as qualifications are concerned, but who will also fit in with their company’s culture. If you seem difficult to work with, you won’t get hired.

 Question: “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?”

This question is tricky to many interviewees. Employers ask this to test your self-awareness and attitude toward your weaknesses. Do you have the ability to think critically about your flaws? Are you confident enough to discuss them?

What to do:

1.       Present a real weakness

2.       Ensure that this weakness is not a serious red flag

3.       Give an example of how you’ve been working to improve it

Example response: “I have had trouble in the past with public speaking. I know this is a weakness of mine, so I took public speaking courses in college and asked a more proficient classmate to help me. Since then, I’ve noticed an improvement in my ability to speak in front of audiences, and was even asked to speak at my graduation ceremony.”

What not to do:

1.       Say that you don’t have any weaknesses

2.       Give cliché answers like “I’m a perfectionist”

3.       Give an answer that’s inappropriate for the job

 Unusual Questions

After you get through the basic questions, your interviewer may surprise you with some that you weren’t expecting. These questions are asked to judge how quickly you think on your feet, your creativity, and even your character.

The “why is a man-hole cover round” question asks you to think critically and give a logical response. When you’re asked a question like this, stop and think about your answer before you start talking. It’s better to show that you’ve put thought into your response.  When you’re ready, answer confidently and phrase your response in a logical and organized way.

There’s not typically one right answer, but there are definitely wrong ones. Refrain from answering with “I don’t know.” This will only convey that you’re unwilling to think outside the box. As with every question you’re asked during the interview, give it your best shot.

 And just in case you’re curious about why man-hole covers are round, here are some of the best responses Microsoft technologist Brian Groth has received.

 

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