It has happened to all of us. We are on a roll then out of no where we are asked a job interview question that we don’t have an answer for. Until that point, you were answering all of the job interview questions like a pro.

But now, you are sitting there wondering what to say next. Each millisecond seems like an eternity as your interviewer stares at you waiting for your response.

Never again! In this article, I am going to answer the top job interview questions that are designed to stump you during an interview. If you really think about it, job interview questions are for your own good. All the interviewer is trying to do is make sure sure that you are a good fit for the job.

So assuming that you really are a good fit for the job, let’s focus on the content and delivery of your responses!

Job Interview Question #1: Tell me about yourself.

This is not the time for you to talk about your favorite teacher in grade school. It is at this moment that you drop your “T-VIB” statement. Your T-VIB is your value proposition to your future employer. After all, T-VIB translates to The Value I Bring. Keep that in mind when composing your “about me” pitch. You want to ensure you highlight every relevant value that you bring to the table.

ex: “I am a person of strong character and work ethic. My focus is on productivity and innovation. Throughout my life I have been known as the person who gets things done. At my last job I was also known for my superior technical abilities. I have a great family and a dog named Spike.”

Notice that the way this job interview question is answered, it highlights your strengths and ends on a humble note. This way you don’t sound to full of yourself, but still very confident. Use this answer as your template in composing and structuring your own T-VIB statement.

Job Interview Question #2: Why are you in the job market?

WARNING: This question is a set-up. The interviewer wants to see if you are going to bad mouth your current or previous employer or gripe about your old job. You want to stay away from any negative reasons why you are in the job market; even if your current or past job was worse than spending a week in the dessert without water!

No one wants to hire a person who gripes and complains. No matter where you work or where you are in life, there is always something to gripe about. Typically people don’t care what you have to complain about anyway because everyone else has problems of their own.

So keep the sad song to yourself and talk about how you are seeking personal and professional growth.

Job Interview Question #3: How much money do you want?

I think this is one of the most uncomfortable questions for most people. Money is such a sensitive issue during the interview that even the interviewer is asking you against his or her own natural instinct. So the best thing to do is deflect this question, especially if it is early in the interview process. The best way to deflect this question is to give a little that seems like a lot.

ex: Well sir/ma’am, my current salary is $X thousand and I receive 3 weeks vacation. Because I am still learning about this opportunity, it is hard for me to give you my true expectation. But I do know that your company has a good track record with compensating its employees fairly. (Keep in mind, this answer only works in the early stages of the interview.)

To learn how to respond to this job interview question in the latter stage of the interview, watch this video I recording on this exact subject titled, “Unraveling the Mysteries Around Salary Negotiation”.

Job Interview Question#4: Any behavioral question.

A behavorial question is designed to pry into your psyche. The idea is to see if you will answer a question in a manner that will reveal a personality flaw. The problem is that we all have some sort of personality flaw, some of us contain it better than others. I personally can be particularly intense about subjects I am passionate about. That can sometimes come across as a bit much, especially in an interview setting. So I know to tone it down a bit.

Here is what an interview question looks like:

“Tell me about a time when you had a difficult problem to solve that involved you collaborating with a group of people to find a solution.”

How you answer this job interview question or questions like it will make or break your interview. I am not telling you to lie, but I am telling you to use caution while talking about your past experiences. You can talk about a project that was challenging, but don’t talk about how one of your co-workers got on your last nerve and you just about had it with them. In reality it is OK to not like someone, as long as you don’t cross any professional boundaries in your expression of your feelings. So there is no reason to share those details because after all, you finished the project, found a solution and dealt with the challenges.

Job Interview Question #bonus: This is a question that you will never hear, but I know it is inside the interviewers head. The silent question you have to answer in order to ace the job interview is, “does this person really want this job?”

The answer to this question is always delivered at the very end of the interview. This is called the, “Strong Close”. If you don’t close strong, then you can lose out to an equally decorated candidate who did close strong. Sometimes you can be the less of the two candidates, but get the nod because your closing was stronger! When you drop a strong close, you leave a lasting impression in your interviewers mind. That is the last thing they will remember of you. A strong handshake and a confident line that looks something like this:

A Strong Close: Sir / Ma’am, I want to thank you for time and I want you to know that I am very interested in this opportunity. Especially now that I know more about it, I am confident that I can bring a lot of value to the table. If there is anything else I can do today to help you decide, just let me know.

That is what you call a home run close. Now you can customize your strong close any way you want, as long as you use this above example as your guide.

I hope this article has helped answer some of your top job interview questions. If you have additional job interview questions that I have not covered, then check out my video on this very subject titled, “How to Ace Your Next Job Interview”

Or send me a note and I will gladly assist.