Trick Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Recruiters and hiring managers will ask some pretty straightforward questions in the job interview.  The reasons behind some of the questions might be pretty clear.  Sometimes though recruiters will ask some questions that job seekers might consider to be trick questions.  However, answering these trick job interview questions, might reveal more than the job seeker planned to share.

Here are just three of the so-called trick questions recruiters ask and some tips to answer them.  (Read full article 3 Trick Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them)

1. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Translation  - How long do you plan to stay with our company? This job interview question is designed to see what your intentions could be.  Before answering, consider what the answer might say about your long term commitment to the job or the company.

2. What kind of work environment is best for you?
Possible translations for this trick interview question could be. "Will you fit in here?" or "Did you do any research on the work environment?"
Good answers will show a match between what the job seeker considers a productive environment and what is typical for that company or industry. This is a good opportunity to share an example like the one in this article about Zappos.com.


3. How do you handle criticism at work?
Possible translations for this trick interview question - Has your work been criticized? What quality work should we expect? Are you a team player?
Try answering this question without stepping into a minefield.

As you practice answers to these kinds of question, think about not only the words you are saying, but also about what your body language might be indicating.

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