25 Most Difficult Job Interview Questions

If you have prepared for the interview well then it means you have prepared well to succeed. Being prepared is half the battle.

1. Tell Me About Yourself
This question is asked quite frequently but yet only those who know themselves very well are able to give the best answers. You can almost expect it to be asked each time you go in for an interview but how unique your response is will decide if you actually can answer this question. Rather ask a question yourself, say "What would you like to know about me?" Then the interviewer gets into the details of what kind of description aspect he is looking for. Do not go over the board speaking the nitty-gritty's of your personal life or personality. Center your response on positives which relate to the job you are applying for.

2. What do you know about our organization?
Once more, if you have prepared well i.e., researched well about the various facts and figures about the company such as products or services, revenues, management style, reputation, problems, people, image, goals, philosophy & history there will not be a hiccup that you will encounter while discussing any aspect of this question.

3. Why do you want to work for us?
The most impressive answer you can give is "Because I like working with good people." Such good answer are delivered only when you have thoroughly prepared for the interview, you should be brimming with confidence and enthusiasm all throughout the entire duration of the interview. Mix your personal aspirations with those that you think this company will offer, project it as though you are going to spend the rest of your career at this very organization and grow and help grow this organization. At the back of your mind you know that the company is offering better quality life, better work environment and challenging opportunities.

4. What can you do for us that someone else can't?
Here the recruiter is plain & simply asking you what can you offer the company by the way of your abilities, skills and experience and how do you think that by hiring you the company is making the right decision. Softly talk about your past track record of getting things done, and mention specifics from your resume or list of career accomplishments. Tell the recruiters that you understand priorities and are able motivate your team towards achieving goals additionally you have the experience to remain focused in tough situations.

5. What is the most attractive and least attractive thing about this position?
Start by stating 3-4 attractive factors of the job, also make a mention that the same factors lead you to applying for this job in the 1st place and then mention a single, minor, unattractive item.

6. Why should we hire you?
Answer that your ability, your experience, and your energy will be an asset to the company.

7. What do you look for in a job?
Say that you relish the opportunity to work at a company that itself is witnessing splendid growth and that you would feel honored to be a part of their success story.

8. What's Your Greatest Strength?
How you would want to answer this question depends upon you but again your answer must be a positive one where you show that your strength will benefit the company if you are hired for the job.

9. What time period do you estimate will be required before you make a meaningful contribution to our firm?
No need to hurry and prove that you can deliver, be realistic. Say that, in a week's time you would acclimatize yourself to the work environment and shall do all you can to meet expectation from the first day, whereas it could take 6 months to even an year prior to you knowing the organization and its needs well enough to make a major contribution.

10. What you think shall be the duration of you association with us?
Say that you are interested in a long term association with the organization, but at the same time challenges have to push me to give my best.

11. Have your fired anyone for their job? What was your reaction thereafter?
This is not a light question. Do not even smile when such a question is asked of you. Your response should be centered on saying that "at times difficult decisions have to made but the interest of the organization has to be taken care of. If an individual has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization." Firing is different from terms like layoff or reduction in force.

12. Describe your management style?
You should have significant knowledge about the company's style so that you can speak on the same lines. There are different styles like: task oriented, results-oriented or even paternalistic

13. What do co-workers say about you?
You should have a quote from co-workers. It could be a statement or even a paraphrase will do. It should be something that exemplifies one of qualities at work.

14. What do you look for when You hire people?
Think in terms of skills. initiative, and the adaptability to be able to work comfortably and effectively with others. Mention that you like to hire people who appear capable of moving up in the organization.

15. Have your fired anyone for their job? What was your reaction thereafter?
This is not a light question. Do not even smile when such a question is asked of you. Your response should be centered on saying that "at times difficult decisions have to made but the interest of the organization has to be taken care of. If an individual has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization." Firing is different from terms like layoff or reduction in force.

16. Have you ever had differences a boss? How was it resolved?
Straight away say no, most interviewers will try and get back if you say no but if there is a hint of a conflict then that really let's them drilling deeper to find a conflict and the reason for it flaring up.

17. What are the important trends currently prevalent in our industry?
You should be thoroughly updated on the major trends that have caught the imagination and changed the way people in the industry work. Knowing about the trends is not good enough you should be able discuss these trends and the impact they have created.

18. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?
They would clearly like to know how loyal you are willing to be if hired. Nothing you get carried away about as regards to deep ethical and philosophical implications. Answer in the affirmative.

19. Could you tell me why you applied for this job & why you should get it?
Here is the time that you have to be a bit elaborative; you have to give the right answers here. There are many reason why you applied for this job, say for example, the package is good, security is good, better growth opportunities etc. This is fine but the interviewer wants to see if there anything more than the obvious that brings you here. Talk about what you can offer the company and how your organizational abilities and being able to perform under time constraints is an added advantage.

20. At you current job, what features do you enjoy the most? The least?
Approach the answer with caution and your answer must again be positive. Talk of more positive features that interested you like you worked there, do not mention personality problems. Then almost liking brushing aside talk about just the one feature that you didn't like but it should not sound as if you were waiting all the time to speak about it.

21. What do you have to say about your boss?
Say the positive things only but not as stating that despite your boss being a good person you are not being loyal. Your statements have to be balanced because you potential boss would think is that the way you would think or talk about him at some point in the future.

22. Don't you think that you aren't earning enough?
Say you completely accept this and say it's amongst the reasons behind you looking for a new job. No need to be defensive about the matter.

23. Are you a team player?
Most of the candidates answer in the affirmative. But just don't try to finish the question by saying a yes/no. Your response needs to be backed up by behavioral examples.

24. Tell me about your long-range goals?
State that the search for a new job is part of planning process. Say that you see this company growing tremendously and that you would like to be associated with such a company, that you see yourself belonging to this company and that your services and expertise would be only enhanced by working for this company.

25. If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?
Say that although you do not regret much in life but you think if you had done things in a particular fashion you might have felt happier. State that you are in the right direction at this point in life and that your family is your biggest strength and whatever you do is for them.