- For each and every single job, ask about the following: Job title. Start and end date. Starting and ending compensation. Roles and responsibilities. …
- After the jobs review sections ask questions about the following: Analysis skills. Judgement/decision making. Creativity.
Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what questions a hiring manager would be asking you in your next job interview?
We can’t read minds, unfortunately, but we’ll give you the next best thing: a list of 50 of the most commonly asked interview questions, along with advice for answering them all.
While we don’t recommend having a canned response for every interview question (in fact, please don’t), we do recommend spending some time getting comfortable with what you might be asked, what hiring managers are really looking for in your responses, and what it takes to show that you’re the right person for the job.
Consider this list your interview question and answer study guide. (And don’t miss our bonus list at the end, with links out to resources on specific types of interview questions—about emotional intelligence or diversity and inclusion, for example—and interview questions by role, from accountant to project manager to teacher.)
The Best Stories to Tell in a Job Interview
6 Tips to a Successful CIDS Interview
You’re interviewing for a job? Fantastic.
And the company will interview you with the CIDS, or Chronological In-Depth Structured, Interview method.
Here’s why. A company that uses the CIDS Interview as part of its hiring process has committed to hire only A-players. The CIDS Interview will identify A-Players…quickly. And with a high percentage of success.
That implies the company sees you as a potential A-Player.
The CIDS Interview will allow you to show your consistent history of decision-making expertise, how you have learned and grown, your track-record of growing success and even how you have successfully handled setbacks or quirky bosses.
What is CIDS? CIDS or Chronological In-Depth Structured Interview is a systematic interview method. The goal of a CIDS Interview is a systematic, structured, review of the candidate’s behavior and decision-making patterns throughout their education and business career.
The advantage of a CIDS interview is its ability to discover and showcase those decision-making patterns as they were applied and as they have matured over the years. Those patterns are a key indicator of what is to be expected if that candidate is hired. Other benefits of a CIDS interview include avoiding interviewer blindspots, insuring the candidate is the primary speaker and superficial interviews.
Here’s how to prepare for this opportunity:
1. Relax. A. You’re an A-Player. B. A CIDS Interview should present ample opportunities to address your successes. And even the inevitable setbacks everyone has faced and how you grew from them.
2. Read the Smart Interviewer. The foundation for the CIDS Interview as well as the sequence of questions are included. This is not a cheat sheet for ‘acing’ the interview. A CIDS Interview includes calls to your former managers. However, you will see the patterns you have used over your career. That will allow you to answer for them. Remember: you’re an A-Player. This is your time to shine.
3. Tie the threads of your success. These are the threads that have woven your success. Tie them together in a complete understanding. Then you are prepared to present that understanding to your potential employer as an added asset for them.
4. Tie the threads of your failures. Everyone has a mistake or two or three. (I’ve lost count of mine.) But, you learned from each mistake. That makes you an A-Player. And you applied that new knowledge in the next opportunity. Tie that thread or those threads in the same way. Show your potential employer what you have learned. And that you have the ability to take responsibility, be accountable, and grow from your lessons. That’s the mark of a leader. A-Players are leaders. This is an opportunity for you to show in meaningful ways you are a leader.
5. Learn. Pay attention during the interview. CIDS Interviews are interviews you can conduct when you are a manager and leader at the company smart enough to hire you.
6. Celebrate. You will learn something about yourself during this process. That should reinforce you are an A-Player. Find a company smart enough to recognize you as one.
* Brad Smart spoke with me on my BlogTalk Radio show last year. You can listen on-demand at this link.
WARNING: Self-Promotion.
If you want to know more ways to engage with your employees as opposed to anonymous surveys, my book RECOGNIZE THEM: 52 Ways to Recognize Your Employees in Ways They Value offers 52 ways to recognize your employees, easy exercises to reinforce those habits and skills and inspirational quotes to keep you going.
My Book on Employee Recognition
The 12 Steps of Topgrading Interviews
See how a chronological interview approach helps you find top account executives.
Time to read: 2 minutes
When hiring top account executives, there is an essential tool I always leverage: the chronological interview. When done right, this approach acts like a truth serum.
The key focus is the candidateâs resume and his or her specific background. Itâs critical to walk through their relevant work experience chronologically as itâs the best way to surface and understand themes across their various opportunities.
To draw these out effectively, here are the specific executive interview questions I like to ask all sales executive candidates about each relevant step in their career. My advice for you is to be consistent, use some finesse, and give it a try.
FAQ
What is a chronological interview?
What are 10 good interview questions and answers?
- Tell me about yourself.
- Walk me through your resume.
- How did you hear about this position?
- Why do you want to work at this company?
- Why do you want this job?
- Why should we hire you?
- What can you bring to the company?
- What are your greatest strengths?
What are the 3 types of answering interview questions?
- What Are Your Weaknesses? …
- Why Should We Hire You? …
- Why Do You Want to Work Here? …
- What Are Your Goals? …
- Why Did You Leave (or Why Are You Leaving) Your Job?
