Very good article here from Harvard Business Review. The worst question is, “What is your greatest weakness?”

As the author says, it’s a dumb question but many interviewers still ask. They recommend you prepare an answer, referring to a trivial weakness that won’t affect your ability to do the job.

Read the full article here.

Forbes Magazine just published an article about “weird” questions you might get asked at a job interview. You can read the article here.

The gist of the article is that most interviewers want to ask good questions. They create these questions to give you a chance to show your personality. So if you are asked, “Who is your favorite comedian?” you could say, “Jerry Seinfeld because he…” and use your answer to show something about yourself.

Then there’s, “If you were a brick in the wall, which brick would you be and why?” Questions like this one should be taken as reminders to build a big reserve fund so you can be choosy about your jobs and your interviews. Sure, it’s a way to find out about your personality. But it’s also a way to test whether you think on your feet and whether you’re gpd at readomg interviewers. No indication of how you will function as an employee.

Forbes doesn’t touch the really bizarre questions or suggest that maybe the interviewer is (a) incompetent or (b) bored and thinking of questions to keep himself awake. My least favorite question of all: “What excites you when you get up in the morning?” Obviously my interviewer had read a list of interview quesions and was trying them on for size. I don’t think my real answer was what they had in mind..

A blog claims that Google asks these 16 interview questions. The question you get depends on the job you want. You can read the post here.

As you will see from the comments, some readers thought the questions were really dumb. Do they predict success in the workplace? Or are the hiring managers just having some fun at applicants’ expense?

What do you think? What’s your craziest job interview question?

A job interview can be scary and stressful. After all, just getting to the interview meant you had to jump through hoops. You might be one of six interviewees chosen from over 300 applicants. But getting past the other five can be a minefield.

One challenge clients often raise is, “What about my problems with my boss in the job I just left?”

or

“What if my new boss is an acquaintance of my old boss?”

For instance, one career changer told me, “I’ve been job hunting for a long time. My past boss was abusive and he didn’t like me. It’s a small world. What should I do?”

Relax. Chances are your old boss is just a ghost who will never materialize in daylight. Your old and new boss probably don’t know each other. The odds of your name coming up are quite small. Of course, if your new employer calls your former boss for an off-the-record chat, there’s nothing you can do. You won’t even know about it, since those chats probably violate company policy. Still, the odds are in your favor. Bosses know they will look bad when they insult a former employee, unless they have straightforward factual information.

During your interview, you don’t need to bring up the past, recent or distant. If you are asked directly about your previous job, focus on enjoying a positive experience. Focus on what you learned, not what went wrong.

Your interviewer is not your therapist. She wants the answer to one question: “How will you contribute to the organization, department and mission? How will you make her look good?” Regardless of what you are asked, imagine framing your answer as, “The way I will contribute is…”

One surefire tip to banish ghosts: Make a list of all the ghosts that could possibly appear to embarrass you. For example:

Ghost #1: You’ve been out of work for eight months. You might be asked, “What have you been doing?”

Ghost #2: “Why did you leave your job? Why aren’t you working again?”

Think of every possible awkward or difficult question. Write out the answer as a soundbite that focuses on your contribution. Consider reviewing your responses with a career consultant or coach.

And I invite you to learn more:
Irrevent Guide to Mid-Career Job Search: Click here.
Consulting and Coaching (Often just an hour will make a huge difference): Click here.

Recently I’ve been looking at articles on job interviews, because I want to write a new freebie. There are dozens of articles out there, each promising to reveal the hottest 5, 7, 10 or even 13 resume mistakes.

But sometimes you may need to break the rules. For instance, the one cardinal rule you always hear is, “Never ask about salary or benefits.”

But there IS one time when you need to clarify your requirements, even before you go to the interview. Suppose you are currently employed and you don’t anticipate any problem keeping your job. In fact, you may be in the desirable position that one of my clients continues to enjoy: he’s constantly fielding invitations to interview for more jobs.

In that case, you don’t want to waste your time or the interviewer’s time. I realize that employers get upset when you raise this question, which is why recruiters earn their hefty fees. If you’re already earning $150,000, you don’t want to find yourself interviewing for a job that pays $95,000. Or if you are self-employed, you may be interested in a part-time gig, but only if the compensation exceeds your hourly rate.

There’s no easy way to do this. Ideally you can use your network to find out whether the company pays market, above market or below market. But you need to know your sources. When I was a full-time college professor, I once met a colleague who assured me that University of X paid below market. Way below. She was a department head at a reputable university…but she was clueless. X actually paid way above market.

Start when you are on the phone scheduling the interview. You might say, “Look, I realize it’s way too early to discuss compensation. But I don’t want to waste your time and mine. Can you give me a sense of the range?”

If they come back and say, “What are you looking for?” they’re not playing fair. But they are playing. My advice is always to give a really wide range…say, $95,000 – $150,000. That way if they’re at $75,000 they’re out of the running…but if you’re currently making just $92,000 you haven’t cut yourself off at the knees.

And if they won’t play at all…they’re horrified that you even raised the question? Well, remember I said to use this strategy only when you really, truly don’t need another job. If your prospective employer can’t handle this possibility, do you really want to proceed further? If they don’t respect your circumstances now, how will they feel in future?

Of course, no advice will be right all the time for everyone. Make your own decision and do your own due diligence. I’ve written a job search guide you can download. And check out my career consulting packages.

OK, you’ve read all the guides rules and advice on job interviews…and you still blew it. You said the wrong thing. Maybe you said a LOT of wrong things and felt like the basketball player who scored a point in the opponent’s side of the court. What happened?

Probably…

You really didn’t want the job. Deep down, you knew it was all wrong for you. In her book, Find Your Own North Star, Martha Beck wrote about a woman who was asked why she wanted a job in banking. The woman said, “I really don’t like banking.” Since she was interviewing with a bank (like, duh!) the interview rapidly went south.

Martha Beck advised the woman to forget about banking jobs. “Your body is telling you something,” she said. “You don’t belong there.”

I had a similar experience when I interviewed for a job in one of the midwestern “I” states. As soon as I got off the plane I knew I was in trouble. Everything felt wrong. My skirt was too short (yes, I wore nice  suits in those days, especially to interviews). I couldn’t get excited about the special lunch at the Holiday Inn with a choice between jello and macaroni salads.

And I still feel slightly guilty as I look back. The people were nice. They meant well. I was intrigued by the salary and many aspects of the opportunity. It just wasn’t right for me.

I didn’t know the job was all wrong for me. But my intuition did. And somehow my inner senses hijacked my brain and the rest is history. I took a job in Florida instead.

Learn more about how your intuition can help you reach your career and business goals. Other Special Reports available here.

Today’s Wall Street Journal reports that companies increasingly make applicants jump through hoops to get jobs. Theoretically, they want to take advantage of the recession to load up on talent.

But is this really a great way to get talent? The companies are asking applicants to do things like

come to an interview dressed for a formal dinner;

interview other applicants and present their qualifications to the group;

bring 3 years of W-2 forms;

and more.

Some companies have a culture that includes bizarre interviews. Southwest Airlines invites applicants to come in groups and interact with each other. I read that they once invited pilots to a group interview, then told them to strip down to their underwear. Presumably this interview took place before women pilots were part of the applicant pool. Maybe the kind of guys who want to be pilots wouldn’t mind. Apparently some who were hired thought it was a great idea, so maybe they did relate to the culture.

Maybe I am missing something, but I don’t see how these tactics help employers make wise decisions. Research shows that statistical models predict success more than interviews. Besides, wouldn’t a top quality applicant with a lot of offers say, “Why bother?”

Read the article here.

What are your own thoughts and experiences? Click on the “Comment” link to share.

Just reading Penelope Trunk’s article on how to handle a job interview. Her main tip is, “Rehearse.”

As she points out, few questions are really new. You can anticipate most of them and have answers ready. But she also talks about preparing yourself mentally, Think of all the good things you ever did. Think of why you’re the most qualified person for the job.

I’ve always interviewed well. In fact, one employer later said, “You were so relaxed we almost didn’t offer you the job. Most people are nervous,”

Well, why would I be nervous? I had another job. If I didn’t get the job I wouldn’t starve.

My interview secret: I would pretend I’m a guest on a radio talk show. Or I would pretend my interviewer is Diane Sawyer of ABC-TV.  Guests talk in sound bites. They answer questions the way they want. The duck bizarre or embarrassing questions.

As a career consultant, I work mostly with midlife, midcareer professionals who are most definitely not cowards. But I would still recommend this book.

First, I like the way Piotrowski suggests solid answers to tough questions. Most interview questions are pretty dumb but you have to keep a straight face and answer them anyway. (Like the time someone half your age asks, “What are your strengths?” Gimme a break. I want to say, “I survived.”)

Second, Chapter 5 (“Put muscle into your interviewing”) will help you create your resume as well as prepare for your interview. In fact, I would read this chapter before writing your resume (and I would ignore the author’s suggestion about functional resumes — even if you are changing careers 180 degrees, don’t do it). You’ll feel strong and confident if you work through the challenges.

Third, the book gives you exercises in every chapter. So if you’re between jobs and you’re waiting for the phone to ring, no more excuses! Start working your way through these exercises. You’ll be better prepared for your next phone call.

I think this book works on several levels. Even if you’re self-employed, you may have to endure an interview before tackling a big project. Try it out here.

You’re interviewing for a job and the interviewer wants to pick your brain. You sense they want your expertise without paying for it.

“Real” consultants run into this challenge all the time. Most of us learn to charge for “diagnostic” or “test-drive” challenges.

When interviewing, you may feel more constrained, especially if you need or really want the job. Here are some suggestions – but it’s always a judgment call. You’re on the scene. Use your intuition and your judgment.

(1) Are your interviewer’s requests common within your industry?

If not, recognize a red flag. For example, a senior manager normally would not be asked for a writing sample. You have to decide if the company is coming from left field… or if the HR people are incompetent or bored, but your own manager will be just fine.

(2) Did you initiate the contact through a back-door or informational interview approach?

You may be selling the employer on creating a job, not just filling one. Some experts recommend using the opportunity to demonstrate your problem-solving skills by presenting yourself as a consultant, not a candidate.

(3) Are you being asked to disclose information about specific programs and processes from your current career or business?

I’d view these requests as a danger signal. Your manager may be testing your loyalty and ethics…or displaying some peculiar value systems of her own.

(4) Are you asked to prepare a written report?

Be sure to write your name and identifying information on every page.

Frankly, I would take a risk and ask, “If you implement my recommendations, what will my compensation look like?” I can’t imagine an ethical company that couldn’t come up with a response.

But I get surprised all the time and I would love to hear from readers on this one. Just click on “comments” below.

(5) Are you asked for on-the-spot recommendations to a specific, complex challenge?

This technique may be legitimate. Some interviewers want to see how you approach a problem, such as the kinds of questions you ask.

But sometimes they’ve got a real problem and they want to free advice. Consider saying something like, “We had a similar problem in my last job. And here’s what I did…”

Prime your intuition: teach your intuition to send you a telegram, not a post card.

Irreverent Job Search Guide with interview advice.