The best way to answer the 4 most common trap interview questions

By Ankur Hack | Views: 6168

You have your job interview in a few days that you’ve been eagerly waiting for. You have prepared yourself well and are confident of hitting the nail on the head. You are now facing the interviewer and you feel that the situation is under control and that you will be able to crack the interview successfully. But then suddenly, the interviewer asks you a tricky question. How would you craft your response without looking bad?   

Such tricky questions are asked commonly by hiring managers just to see how well you handle them. The best way to answer them effectively is to prepare them well in advance. The right approach to answer such questions will not only present you in a positive light but also prevent you from falling into those little traps. 

Here are the top 4 common trap interview questions and how to handle them.

  1. Tell us about your weaknesses?

Be very careful before you craft the answer to this question because your response can make you look bad in front of the interviewer. Again, word of caution – this is not the time to highlight your flaws. Instead, your focus should be on things you want to improve and achieve. A skill set or may be a certification that could help to take you to the next level. Leverage them as your weaknesses and express a strong desire to add them to your resume.   

  1. Why do you want to leave your current organisation?

If you’re looking for a job change and appearing for interviews, it means there is something that has prompted you to take such a step. Interviewers often ask this question to trap you into speaking something negative about your current job or organisation. Actually, they are looking for some red flags so avoid answering in the following manner:

I don’t gel with my boss.

My salary is too low.

It’s not a good company to work for.

I can’t work under so much stress.

These may be a valid reason for you to move on but telling all this to your prospective employer may reduce your chances of getting hired. Your focus should be entirely on what you want for your future. 

While answering this trappy question, talk about your achievements in your current organisation and why you feel you are ready to take on new challenges.

  1. Describe how you’ve handled a difficult situation?

With this question, the hiring manager wants to understand how well you are at handling difficult situations at the workplace. He further wants to know if such a situation arises whether you can think out of the box keeping the company's big picture in mind or not. How would you respond in a stressful situation and will you be able to keep everyone around you happy with your solution?

This is a tricky question and an excellent opportunity for you to show that you have problem-solving capabilities. Let them know how you will use your skills and then effectively organise your response while answering this question.

  1. Tell us about the gaps in your job history?

If there are gaps in your work history then the recruiter essentially wants to understand the reasons. He typically wants to know why you weren’t working for a particular period of time. Were you laid off by your previous organisation or you had genuine reasons for taking a break?

A trappy question though and while answering be honest, clear and precise. Don’t beat around the bush while responding to this question. If you were laid off, tell them. If you had taken a study break, state that. If you were on the family way, you can be explicit on that as well. Recruiters are people too and they’ll try to understand your perspective. Don’t be defensive while responding otherwise you’ll fall into the trap and might lose your chances of getting hired.


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