If you have been an executive for any length of time you have probably been involved with the interview process in your company at one time or another. Whether you are part of hiring a new employee or not, you know that asking the right questions of a candidate is key to extracting information so you can identify if this person is the right fit for your organization’s culture.



Put the shoe on the other foot. You are the job seeker in the interviewing process with an organization. What do you think will be the most important information you can tell an interviewer about yourself and your experience?



Don’t let these 5 interview questions trip you up:



1. What skills are you lacking? The interviewer is trying to find out if you have gaps in your level of knowledge and expertise, and if so, how you articulate this.

TIP: You don’t want to answer this question so critical of yourself that the interviewer would question your ability to do the job. Try to position your answer in the best positive light, touching on the skill gap, followed by an example of how you are working on developing it more.



2. How long are you willing to fail at this job before you succeed? This question is often used to see how an executive reacts. The interviewer may not have a specific answer in mind.



TIP: Be positive and somewhat aggressive in your response. Examples: I’m willing to do what it takes for as long as it takes to see results. (This shows you have endurance and are committed.) OR, I plan to fail as quickly as possible so I can learn from my mistakes and move forward. (This indicates you are impatient, aggressive and not afraid to fail – something some companies like.) Avoid a response like: I don’t know; I’ll have to see; what do you think?




3. What would your boss who you didn’t get along with tell me about you? This question tests your self-awareness and how you talk about weaknesses from someone else’s perspective.



TIP: 3-point approach—be positive about your work relationships, be honest about your limitations, and be direct about what you have learned. Do not point fingers at the annoying boss no matter how awful the situation might have been. Maintain dignity, and it will gain you respect.




4. Tell me what you felt was unfair in your last position. Recruiters and hiring managers know that, at some point, there are situations that are unjust or biased. When they ask this question, they are looking for how you dealt with the situation.



TIP: Describe the unfair situation so they know the context and then shift to the proactive steps you took to solve the issue.




5. What are you most proud of in your career? Don’t hesitate when answering. You should know yourself and what you have achieved over the life of your career better than anyone.



TIP: Be prepared with several responses to a question like this so you can highlight the achievement that best matches the strengths the company is looking for in the executive they want to hire. Describe the impact the company experienced from the results of your achievement, the hurdles you had to overcome, etc. And you are proud because….. you reached a personal goal, or whatever it was for you.




Preparing and practicing your responses to questions like these will help you ace the interview!