201 Knockout Answers to Tough Interview Questions - by Linda Matias (Paperback)

About the Book

Never get stumped by an interview question again. This indispensable guide shows job seekers how to wow potential employers by answering interview questions in a way that demonstrates the five most sought-after employee competencies.

Book Synopsis

This useful resource will help you gain a storehouse of sample interview answers that consistently highlight your ability in these areas.

Employers today are using increasingly tough interview questions to evaluate candidates based on key competencies and determine how well they think on their feet. To stand out in these competency-based interviews, job seekers must be prepared with situation-specific examples and answers to questions that highlight their accomplishments, knowledge, and abilities--and clearly display how all three meet their potential employers' needs.

In 201 Knockout Answers to Tough Interview Questions, you'll learn the five core competencies most interviewers are looking for:

• individual responsibility (decisiveness, independence, flexibility, career goals);
• managerial skills (leadership, delegation, strategic planning);
• motivational factors (ambition, initiative);
• analytical skills (problem solving, attention to detail);
• and people skills (teamwork, communication, customer service)

Featuring fill-in-the-blank exercises and a plethora of traditional and quirky interview questions to help you prepare, this powerful book will help you get noticed by key players during the interview process--no matter what questions get thrown your way.

From the Back Cover

These days more and more employers are using "competency-based" job interview questions to try to ensure that new hires' experience and abilities match the demands of the positions they're filling. Designed to elicit real-life career events demonstrating your knowledge, judgment, and skills, this new breed of interview question can trip up even the savviest job seekers. And in this extremely tough job market, there are no second chances.

201 Knockout Answers to Tough Interview Questions gives you the lowdown on this new competency-based interviewing style, including a huge range of sample questions complete with winning answers you can use to prep for any make-or-break job interview. This book will arm you with confidence-inspiring answers that highlight your accomplishments in each of the five core competencies every employer wants in an employee: Individual Responsibility, Manager/Leadership Skills, Personal Motivation, Analytical Skills, and People Skills. You'll find the best way to tailor your own response to tough questions like:

● Describe an occasion when you managed a situation that was your supervisor's responsibility.

● Tell me about a time when you had competing deadlines and had to choose one to miss.

● Describe a time when a customer had an issue with the way you managed his or her account. What did you do about it?

● Tell me about a time you spearheaded an initiative and met resistance from the overwhelming majority of staff.

You'll also discover seven ways to stand out during your interview, what to do when you lack experience, and how to avoid the common mistakes that keep candidates from being hired.

Complete with fill-in-the-blank exercises that will help prepare you to demonstrate the skills that will impress any employer, 201 Knockout Answers to Tough Interview Questions gives you the hidden edge you need to come out on top and get the job offer you know you deserve.

Linda Matias, JCTC, CIC, NCRW, runs CareerStrides, a career consulting firm, where she coaches clients on effective interview techniques. A former president of the National Resume Writers Association, her syndicated column appears on sites including CareerKnowHow.com, JobSeekerAdvice.com, and others. She also writes a column and produces a podcast for the YouTube Channel CareerStrides and is the author of How to Say It(R) Job Interviews. She lives in Long Island, New York.

Review Quotes

"Competency-based interviewing seems to be picking up steam at the nation's larger employers. If you have a crucial interview coming up, here's my recommendation: Spend some quality time with Matias' 195-page book -- the best I've seen on the topic." --Joyce Lain Kennedy, Tribune Media syndicated career columnist

"Featuring a plethora of sample questions, this indispensable guide features fill-in-the-blank exercises." --CareerBuilder.com

About the Author

LINDA MATIAS, JCTC, CIC, NCRW (Long Island, NY) runs CareerStrides, a career consulting firm. She coaches clients on effective interview techniques. A former president of the National Resume Writers Association, her syndicated column appears on sites including CareerKnowHow.com, JobSeekerAdvice.com, and others. She also writes a column and produces a podcast for the YouTube channel CareerStrides and is the author of How to Say It(R) Job Interviews.