Table Contents

1. What Would Be Considered Your Professional Weakness?
2. What Did You Least Enjoy About Your Previous Job?
3. What Management Style Do You Thrive Under?
4. Why Do You Want This Job?
5. Do You Have Questions?

Have you ever been stumped with an interview question? You prepared for weeks or days for this interview but it all fell apart because of one particularly tricky question. 

First and foremost, rest assured that usually one question will not make or break an interview. If you feel stumped in an interview, remember that you can always ask a clarifying question, take a deep breath and, answer the question to the best of your ability.

When it comes to tricky interview questions, confidence and preparation are key. Here are 5 common tricky questions you may encounter and how to overcome them. 

What Would Be Considered Your Professional Weaknesses?

It seems like interviews are all about highlighting your strengths and the ways you would best fit into that role. So, what do you do when you are asked about your weaknesses? 

It is common for people to choose a weakness that can be spun into a strength but, that kind of answer lacks authenticity. The key is to choose a weakness that is manageable and not a red flag for your new employer. 

An inauthentic answer would be that you’re “too passionate” or that you “work too hard” – employers can see right through these answers. You don’t want to have an answer that would show that you’re unable to effectively do your job. If you’re going for a project manager role and you say that your weakness is “time management” or “organization”, that is a red flag. After you choose your weakness, a protip is to also talk about how you have worked to overcome that weakness now and in the future.

If you are going for a position as a chef you can mention something like sometimes you have a lack of patience when it comes to relying on other people in the kitchen. You can also say that you have worked to understand the value of a team in the kitchen and that more harmony in the kitchen means a good foundation for the service as a whole. 

What Did You Least Enjoy About Your Previous Job?

Bashing your previous employer is a red flag to an interviewer so, although this question seems like a green light to unload all the problems you have with your current job, you want to refrain from doing that. For this question, less is more. Make sure not to mention your previous manager or that you had a hard time fitting in with your team because that may be saying more about you than your previous role.

A good way to approach this question is to focus on what you would improve about the role. Ask yourself – Did I have room to grow? Was I passionate about what I was doing? Did I want more responsibility? Use those answers to form a response for what you would change about your role now and what you’re looking for in a new role.

What Management Style Do You Thrive Under?

If you haven’t been a manager or done research on types of management you may not be familiar with which style, by name, works for you. In that case, it’s best to just describe what kind of management you thrive under and what style tends to stifle your development.

If you enjoy being coached by your manager and seek constructive criticism, explain that to the interviewer. If you find that micromanagement makes you nervous or stops you from being your best it’s okay to say that that kind of management isn’t for you. It is safe to mention common management red flags because an interviewer will understand why that kind of management style doesn’t work for you.

Why Do You Want This Job?

The obvious answer to this question could be an increased salary or to leave a toxic work environment but that’s not what you want to mention in an interview. The key to nailing this question is to affirm your value to the interviewer. You can say that you want this particular job because you have skills that you believe will benefit the company. With this question, you want to confirm that you’re looking to learn and expand in a new role so that you can be a better waiter, host, or whatever you’re applying for and continue bringing value to another company.

If there are certain perks that the company offers like a DE&I initiative or special programs that you’re excited about then you can mention them and demonstrate that you researched the company. 

Do You Have Any Questions?

After you have made it through all the questions in an interview, the last question is usually whether you have questions for the interviewer. Asking questions is an opportunity for you to learn more about the role, find out what they’re looking for, and learn more about the company’s culture. It’s critical for you to ask a few questions here to show your interest in the role and company. 

Here are 2 unique questions that you can ask at the end of your interview.

What do YOU love most about working “here”? – This will allow your interviewer to open up more about themselves, which is great if you’ll possibly be working for them or with them. This also gives you a perspective of what you can look forward to as an employee.

What are YOU looking for in the person that is hired for this role? – The person interviewing will have some sort of opinion of what the person hired should be like or what experience they should have. This will give you perspective on if you are matching what the company is looking for. If you find that they mention a skill or experience that you haven’t talked about in the interview but are familiar with, you can expand more on how you fit what they’re looking for.

Other great questions include: 

What would the first 30,60,90 days look like in this role?

Is there anything from my resume or interview that gives you pause? 

In your opinion, what would make someone successful in this role?

When it comes to answering tricky interview questions it’s best to be prepared and practice selling yourself for a role. Remember one or two tricky questions likely aren’t the end of the world so take a deep breath and keep going!