Overcoming Tricky Interview Questions

Category: Tips and Advice Publish date: 26/03/2015

What is a tricky interview question? Interviews can be challenging and what may be a straightforward question to one candidate can throw another. Sometimes, there are those ‘curveball’ questions that nobody seen coming! Preparation is the key to building confidence in answering any interview question so it is a good idea to research ‘tricky’ interview questions and develop answers that sell your skills and show you in the best possible light. You need to consider all the questions you would LEAST like to be asked and decide beforehand how to answer them.

Target Jobs gives a great overview of 9 common tricky interview questions and how to answer them; questions such as “what are your weaknesses?” and “how have you dealt with conflict?” are common questions employers ask. These may seem relatively straightforward but in a situation where you are trying to sell your strengths rather than your areas for development, it can be difficult to put a positive ‘spin’ on your answers under pressure. This is why it is vital to prepare for these types of questions!

Some organisations have reportedly gone one step further with tricky interview questions as this article from Glassdoor outlines! Interviewers may use all sorts of questioning techniques to find out more about you: “How would you cure world hunger?” and “If you could be a superhero, what power would you possess?” are just two examples of real interview questions. Whilst you may not have an answer prepared, remember that there is no 'right' answer for this kind of question; the interviewer may be assessing your reactions, your ability to apply logic or even your creativity and sense of humour.

In addition to tricky interview questions, sometimes you may come across an interview question on a sensitive subject or one that could even be viewed as discriminatory. Keep in mind that the person interviewing you may not be professionally trained in interviewing, and may not know which questions to avoid; it is likely that any inappropriate questions will be unintentional. If this occurs, you should not act defensively or challenge the interviewer but use common sense and react objectively. If this situation does arise in your interview be aware of your body language, maintain eye contact and try to find out what the interviewer is really looking for by asking for clarification on the question.

Finally, remember an interview is a conversation with a purpose – it’s not an interrogation and a good interviewer is not there to trip you up. They want to know CAN you do the job, WILL you do the job and WILL you fit in? The answers you give to the interview questions will demonstrate whether this is the case.