Interview Technique: Difficult Interview Questions

Everyone knows you have to prepare fastidiously for job interviews; it’s just basic interview technique. You need to know everything you can about the job, the company, the industry, etc. The aim is to walk in there prepared for any question they might throw at you.


Of course this is impossible, there’s no way to prepare for every question a prospective employer might have, though there are some common ones they love to ask in the hope of getting you away from your prepared spiel and forcing you to improvise. In an effort to help you avoid the horrible awkward pause as you rack your brains for the right answer we’ve decided to list some of the most common, complete with some advice about how to answer.

Do you mind repetitive boring work?


A tricky one, this. You obviously can’t say ‘yes,’ without seeming disingenuous but you don’t want to seem like you think you’re above the less glamorous side of work life. A good answer would be one that shows you understand that routine is part of any job, but that you take all aspects of work equally seriously.

Are you a good leader?


They’re trying to size up your ability to manage people. Even if it’s not a management position you’re going for, this is important as they may be trying to gauge whether you have what it takes to advance up the ladder. It’s all very well saying yes but anyone can do that – try to think of some examples from your work or personal life when you’ve successfully employed people management strategies.


Why did you leave your last employer?

You’ve got to be honest here and, if at all possible, avoid criticising your former employers, this isn’t professional. A good interview technique is to frame everything in a positive light, even awkward things like redundancies or interpersonal problems. For instance, if you left because you simply hated the job, you could say that you needed to move on to fulfil your career ambitions.


What areas of the job appeal least?

Awkward one, isn’t it? This question is a trap, don’t buy into it. Say something like you can’t see any areas that you would find particularly unpleasant. If they push you, use it as an opportunity to talk about how much you want the job, something like, the reason I’m so excited about this position is that it matches my areas of interest so well.

Well, that’s a few specifics to remember, though obviously it’s not an exhaustive list. The thing to remember is always be positive, provide examples for any claims you make about yourself and show enthusiasm even when answering awkward questions. Remember this and you’ll be fine.