Winning Answer to 500 Interview Questions - Page 26

65. What you have learned ever since you were born?

Why this question is being asked: The interviewer would like to know how you value knowledge and if you are a lifelong learner.

Strategy: Of course, you aren't going to list everything you've ever learned but you may want to emphasize a few of the most important principles you've learned that would be of value to the employer.

Sample answer: Well, we probably wouldn't have time for me to list everything I've ever learned. If I had to cut it down to the most important things I've learned it would be that you should treat others as you want to be treated, the more that you give the more that you get and that you always have to be open to learning in order to be successful.

66. Tell me about an incident in your life that shows how you faced a challenge and how you handled it.

Why this question is being asked: Every job has challenges and the interviewer likes to know how you can handle them.

Strategy: Provide a relevant example of an incident that you encountered on the job, how you handled it and what was the end result.

Sample answer: When helping clients, you can do your best but not everyone will be happy all of the time. One client felt that I wasn't doing all I could to help and she came screaming into the office. I was able to calm the person down and she met with the president of our firm and was given the forum to complain. I had documented all of my work with this client and was able to show how I provided the same service here as I had to many happy clients. We had heard later that this client was dealing with other issues. It gave me the chance to strengthen my relationship with the president and explain my process of work.

67. Describe how you have persevered with a difficult problem in order to achieve a successful outcome.

Why this question is being asked: Every job has challenges and the interviewer likes to know how you handle them.

Strategy: Provide a relevant example of an incident that you encountered on the job, how you handled it and what was the end result.

Sample answer: In my first week on a job, I realized that data had not been tracked in an effective way for several years. There were paper files with some information and different online databases that contained other records. It was a mess. I wasn't sure how I'd dig myself out and even begin to focus on the job's main tasks. Thankfully, I had been working for a while at that point and had confidence that I could get things organized-eventually. I decided to speed up the process by coming in an hour early, working through lunch and staying an hour late to work on the organizing project, while I spent my regular work hours concentrating on the main aspects of the job.

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