Dear Job Seeker,
I will keep this short and to the point. Here’s what I have for you today:
In the eBook, you will find multiple great answers to each of the following questions:
- Describe a conflict you had with one of your colleagues.
- Describe a situation when you went above and beyond with your service (for the customer, for the colleague, for a friend).
- Describe a situation when you reached a goal and tell us how you achieved it.
- Describe a situation when you had to motivate someone in work (your colleague, your subordinate, or even your superior).
- Describe a situation when you did not agree with the opinion of your superior or supervisor, and knew that they were wrong. How did you handle the situation?
- Describe a situation when you faced a particularly demanding problem or challenge in your personal life. How did that affect you in your job?
- Describe a situation when you were unable to solve the problem on your own.
- Describe a difficult decision you had to make in your professional career. How did making this decision affect you?
- Describe a time when you experienced a conflict of your personal and professional interests.
- Describe the biggest failure of your professional career.
- and ten other tough questions you may face in your final interview with the employer.
Check the sample to see how this book can help you:
Sample from the book
Question: Describe a conflict you had with your colleague.
Hint: Conflicts belong to every workplace, and we can not entirely avoid them. Interviewers try to understand your attitude to conflict, if you always blame the other person, or if you can admit your mistake.
And they consider if you prefer a proactive approach, trying to find the compromise and solve the conflict on your own, or if you always call the manager (or supervisor) to take care of the situation.
You should show them that you try to avoid conflicts, staying honest and friendly to your colleagues. When it happened, however (and it has for sure happened in your life at least once), show them that you looked for a constructive solution, and that you tried your best to ensure that the conflict would not affect your work, or the work of your colleagues, once the waters settled again.
Sample answers
I do not seek conflicts, but I do not restrain from openly expressing my opinion. I always try to present it as an opinion, not a final call. I believe it is crucial to have creative conflicts with colleagues, and I am not afraid of entering one, or even starting a conflict myself, as long as it is good for the sake of the team, or the project.
One of my former colleagues did not like me. She was arguing with me all time, for no real reasons. I was a bit upset, because I had no problem with her, and I did not want to have conflicts with my colleagues, or show negative emotions on the workplace. I invited her for a coffee one day, and I apologized for my behavior, though there wasn’t much I should apologize for. But our relationship got better, and she stopped arguing with me all time. I believe that sometimes we have to humiliate ourselves, admitting the mistakes, even if we did not really make any mistakes. Sometimes it is the only way to solve a conflict with another person.
The biggest conflict I had in my last job was with a colleague from the same working group. They had a different opinion on the methodology of our work, and they blamed me for the results we had achieved, the results that had not matched the expectations of the management. I tried to stay calm and explain them that we agreed on the methodology together, and I also admitted that they might be right, and we might try a different approach next time, with the same target group. I did not go into an argument with them, and I did not take their accusations personally. Conflicts belong to every workplace, and I count with experiencing them here as well.
It’s my first job application, but I understand that people may argue with me, from both logical and illogical reasons. But I would do my best to build friendly relationships on the workplace, and I hope to help to minimize the number of conflicts we experience with the colleagues.
Question: Describe a situation when you went above and beyond with your service (for the customer, for the colleague, for a friend).
Hint: Are you an average employee who just takes care of their duties? Or are you an exceptional one, who strives to go above and beyond for their colleagues and customers?
Companies try to hire people who do not mind going above and beyond with their service, to help their employer to stand out from the competition.
Your tone of voice is important when answering this question. You should speak with enthusiasm about the situation when you did something extraordinary for the customer, or for your colleague. Try to stress that you understand the importance of excellent customer service, and show them that delivering such a service makes you proud of your job.
Sample answers
I consider it a duty to always try my best for each customer. For example, in my last job in retail, I called a friend—an expert in the area of electronics, when I needed an advice for a customer who asked a specific question about a computer we were selling, a question I could not answer. The customer really appreciated the phone call I made for them, and they eventually purchased the computer. Such moments make me proud of my work.
I have never gone above and beyond with customer service, because this is my first job application. However, I understand that the market is extremely competitive, and unless we deliver exceptional customer service, the clients will go and do business with one of our main competitors. I hope to learn, in your training program, how to satisfy the customers, and I also hope to come up with my own ideas on how to go above and beyond with my service…
—End of the sample—-
These were just two tough behavioral questions. You will find twenty in the book. And that’s not all.
To ensure you will get the job, I included in the book six principles you need to understand before you can ace this interview.
Without talking too much about them, let me show you another sample from the book:
Sample no. 2: One of the six winning principles for the final interview
Principle no. five: Count with the pressure, do not let it get the better of you.
I have witnessed the following situation many times in final interviews: The decision maker made a simple role play with the candidate, and they would not let them “win” the game.
Let me show you a real example.
A few years ago we were recruiting a head of a call center. The CEO of the company was present in the final interviews. He explained to each shortlisted candidate the following model situation:
Imagine that you have to contact nine hundred customers during the weekend, and tell them some bad news. You are leading the call center, it’s Friday, 3pm, one hour before your subordinates, the phone operators, go home for the weekend.
You stand up in the middle of the office, and tell them that they have to come to work on Saturday.
One of the ladies says she won’t come. They have been to work last Saturday, and she needs rest. What will you tell her?
A candidate (playing the call center manager) said something like this: I’d insist, say the situation was serious, and I’d say it’s an order, and they had to come.
CEO (playing the call center operator): I don’t care. It’s not in the contract. If you are so clever, come to work yourself, and make the phone calls to the customers.
Candidate: I am sorry. We will pay you 50% extra, on the top of your regular salary, and you will get an extra day off during the next week.
CEO (playing the operative): I don’t care about few extra bucks here and there. I have planned a nice weekend with my family, and I’m not going to risk a divorce with my husband, being at work all time. I won’t come to work tomorrow!
Candidate (with emotions): If you don’t come, we’ll have to fire you! Either you come, or you can start looking for a new job!
What happened next?
CEO ended the role play. We finished the interview, and the candidate did not get hired. CEO said no, because they did not want to hire a manager who will easily lose their temper, and let the emotions to get the upper hand.
Beware: They may put you under pressure in the final interview. They may ask you an uncomfortable, personal question. Or they will play a game with you, a game in which you cannot win.
In such moments, remind yourself that it is only an interview. It is a test.
Stay calm, stay level headed. They do it NOT to test your ability to actually deal with the model situation—because in reality, such situation will rarely happen.
It is a test of your attitude. Stay calm, try to come up with solutions, and play their game. If they ask a personal question, one you don’t want to answer, simply say that you can’t answer it.
Don’t get emotional, don’t start arguing with them. Regardless of what happens….
—-End of the sample—
So that’s it. I do not want to waste your time with lengthy sales pages, fake reviews, or imaginary discounts, just like other people do on their websites, while selling various digital products.
You have read the samples, you know what the eBook is about, and surely you can tell whether it will help you in your final interview.
I sincerely believe it will help you. And you can read it easily in two hours, it’s 10,000 words. Only things that truly matter, no secondary content.
Plus, of course, like with everything else we sell here on InterviewPenguin.com, you have a risk free sixty days money back guarantee. If you don’t like this eBook for any reason, or no reason at all, just let me know (email me at matthew[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com) within 60 days and we will give you a full refund.
Quick summary
- Brilliant answers to twenty difficult behavioral questions you will often deal with in a final interview.
- Several sample answers to each question, so you can choose the one that reflects your values and experience.
- Six principles of acing the final interview, things you simply need to know and understand, in order to make the right impression on the hiring managers and executives from the company.
- Instant download, .PDF format (you can read it on any device (mobile, kindle, PC), and you can easily print it).
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That’s it. Your interview does not have to be stressful, or difficult. You can interview with confidence, and give brilliant answers to all tough questions. Download the guide today, and succeed in your final interview with the employer.
Sincerely,
Matthew Chulaw,
Your personal job interview coach
P.S. Feel free to send me a message if you are still not sure how this guide will help you to get a job, or if you have any questions. I try my best to answer all messages within twelve hours (matthew[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com).
