IF YOU FAIL TO READ THIS, THEN, WHAT CAN I SAY?

Scenario: You just received a phone call to audition for the 2019 Movie, "Cold Pursuit." as a co-star with other leading actors/actress. All you have to do is pass the audition and everything else is history. How should you approach this "lifetime" opportunity? Consider these 7 - UNDENIABLE STEPS:

#1. Plan for it. #2. Prepare for it. #3. Practice for it. #4. Research on it. #5. Rehearse for it. #6. Study about it. #7. Stage left on it.

Great job! You're on the set, you have the role. Now, you have the makings of a "rising star."

Folks, in contrast, these same seven steps apply when you're going for your interview. Nothing changes to say the least. If you want to pass your interview and be selected as the co-star for that job opportunity, consider putting these best business practices in action and the rest is history.

I Believe You Can...!

what can you do to make you a better worker

Answering Tough Interview Questions - Part 1

Only about two percent of applicants get asked to the interview process, according to an industry study. Proper interview preparation is a crucial step. Even the most qualified candidate can get shaken by an unexpected or difficult interview question. While it’s impossible to know exactly what a hiring manager will ask, examining tough questions, their purpose and ways to approach them can help job-seekers feel confident and prepared going into their interviews. Interviewees should consider the specific position they are applying for and tailor their answers accordingly. Doing extensive research on a company and the specific people in charge of hiring can be time-consuming, but it’s a necessary part of building thoughtful interview responses.

Thinking about potentially difficult interview questions in advance and taking the time to tailor answers to a particular company can go a long way toward making an interview go smoothly and helping a candidate stand out. Some of the toughest questions are quite common, pushing interviewees to think critically and creatively about their answers. Others are unexpected and may catch candidates off guard.

What If You Don’t Have Some Answers? No matter how much they prepare, there is still a chance that prospective employees will not have an answer to an interview question and will freeze up as they search for what to say. When a clear answer isn’t available, the best approach is to be honest rather than try to fake your way through. Stay calm and poised, and try to work around the question while still providing the information the interviewee is asking.

Try to think about the underlying intent of the question and address that. Consider this example: ‘What experience do you have with SQL?’ This is a common question for analysts, and often they do not have much experience. The way to pivot here is to discuss your relevant skills, which can include analyzing data and working with a variety of technological solutions, and to potentially articulate your understanding of SQL, even if you don’t have the experience. Express enthusiasm for applying your transferable analytical skills to SQL.

Showing a willingness to learn, whether it’s a particular skill or something related to the company’s inner workings, is a great way for candidates to demonstrate honesty, sincere interest and investment in the position.

Some companies like to ask word problems or trivia-style questions to see if a candidate can think on their feet and work through problems in stressful situations. If asked how many beach balls would it take to fill the room, a “would you rather” scenario or some other off-the-wall question, candidates should avoid saying they don’t have an answer. In these situations, employers are more interested in seeing analytical skills than correct answers.

Pauses to think are OK. Not knowing the answer, especially to a more technical question, is OK as well. Walk them through how you would find the answer or as much of the answer as you know. These hard questions show them how you deal with stress and pressure, so recover by showing tact in this stressful situation.

If an interviewee finds themselves in a particularly tricky situation they can’t handle in that moment, they should calmly acknowledge the question and say they need some time to think about it. In a follow-up email thanking the interviewer, include an answer to the tough question. While it’s not ideal, remembering the question and demonstrating that they’ve actually given it thought can show that the candidate is thoughtful and true to their word.

It’s important to remember that sometimes interviewers ask inappropriate questions about things like age, ethnic background, religious beliefs and gender, and that in these situations, it’s OK to not answer. Know what your legal protections are, and learn to respond appropriately: ‘Is there something specific you are wondering or worried about?’ Asking for the intent behind the question can help you clear up any concerns, no matter how awfully phrased the question. And at any point, if the interviewer is asking inappropriate questions, making you feel uncomfortable or disrespecting you or your time, you can leave.

Final Thoughts

Even if you aren’t able to recall the specifics of the answers you planned, simply knowing that you prepared will boost your confidence during the interview, help you minimize interview stress, and help you feel more at ease. You don't need to memorize all of your answers, but do think about what you're going to say so you're not put on the spot during the job interview. Your responses will be stronger if you prepare in advance, know what to expect during the interview, and have a sense of what you want to focus on during your interview.

Look for the upcoming article titled Answering Tough Interview Questions - Part 2, for examples of questions that an applicant will likely face at the interview along with recommended ways to impress the hiring manager with your great answers.

People getting ready for job interviews can access more tips, preparation tools, mock interview software and other useful job search resources by checking out these websites.

Additional Resources

Jobcase Jobcase is the only social media platform dedicated to empowering America's workforce! An open-access free hub for hosting your profile and praises, recommendations; tools for finding and succeeding in jobs; and access to a 70 million person community who are ready with advice, connections, guidance and resources to best help a person best navigate their vocational, professional and volunteering pursuits.

Creddle Before landing an interview, job-seekers need to have a good resume. Creddle allows users to customize a range of sleek resume templates. The templates automatically format to fit a single page and can be printed or used online.

Glassdoor Glassdoor is a job search and review site that focuses on workplace transparency. Job-seekers can research careers and salaries to help prepare for salary questions.

Headspace This popular guided meditation app can help job candidates gather their thoughts and stay relaxed before their interviews.

Huntr Huntr is a job search organization app that helps job-seekers keep track of all aspects of their search, including jobs they’ve applied to and interviewed for, wage information, job descriptions, locations and contacts.

LinkedIn This business-focused social media platform is full of job search resources and expert advice on tackling interviews.

Mindomo For some job-seekers, assessing themselves and identifying strong talking points is a real challenge. Mindomo is a brainstorming and organizational tool that can help users visualize and connect ideas by using mind maps, concept maps and outlines.

O*NET Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET is an excellent resource for career and salary research.

The Prepary This blog provides advice, templates, courses and other information to help job-seekers successfully navigate all aspects of a job search.

Visualize.me Using this site, job-seekers can make their resumes pop with eye-catching infographics based on information pulled from their resumes or LinkedIn profiles.

Rocket Interview Blog Find video and text-based answers to job interview questions and conundrums.

Interview Stream This interview training platform was designed specifically for college students to help them become stronger job candidates. The system allows professors and career coaches to customize training to specific fields of study and has a range of features to make providing feedback easier. Free memberships may be available through students’ schools.

Princeton University’s Career Services Department This is an example of an on-campus resource for student job-seekers. Many colleges and universities have career centers where students can draft resumes, research jobs and prepare for intreviews.

I have a job interview Friday! Any suggestions?

Just went with an open mind.. An was up front honest with my work ethic an capabilities that may have tie in with what work or job title that they wanted to put me as on the first day..

I have an Interview on Wednesday!! Any advice?

I researched their website and executive staff to get better understaning of their work and culture.

Showed up.

Knowledge wisdom and understanding focus on the work

Read up on behavioral interview styles. Depending on role, you’ll have to do a case study and a couple cognitive tests (similar to old SAT2 tests)