5 Hardest Interview Questions and Answers

You’ve reworked your resume, polished your cover letter, and finally landed a job interview. But the interview doesn’t stop when you walk through that door, and hiring managers aren’t afraid to ask tough questions to whittle down the number of candidates.

While it’s hard to prepare for every question a hiring manager might ask, there are some that interviewers seem to ask more frequently than others. Here are the 5 hardest interview questions and answers that you should be prepared to answer with confidence:

Employers ask this question to see how proactive you can be as a worker. The best way to answer this question is to talk about a time you took action to improve a process at work. Be sure to highlight how you consulted other team members and came up with solutions that were implemented successfully.

What Are the 5 Hardest Interview Questions and Answers?

Hiring managers want to know how you might deal with a difficult coworker, so they can evaluate your ability to handle challenging situations. If you can’t answer this question positively, you may lose the opportunity to join their company. It’s important to remember that your instinct is to hide your flaws in an interview, but you must resist this urge and provide a positive response to this question.

This question helps interviewers understand how your long-term goals fit into their company’s vision. They want to know if your plans for the next five years align with the role you are applying for, and if so, how this position will help you get there. This is a tough question for many applicants, and it’s important to be honest and concise when answering. You don’t want to bad-mouth your current employer, but you also need to explain the reasons why you are looking for a new job. Some common reasons include a desire for a change in scenery, an interest in new challenges, or the desire to earn more money.

This is one of the hardest interview questions because it can be easy to fall into a long soliloquy or go overboard with details. The key to answering this question is to keep it short and sweet while highlighting your career accomplishments that will help you get where you want to be.

Hiring managers are looking for genuine answers to these tough interview questions, so avoid using a script and practice your responses with friends or in front of a mirror. By doing so, you can feel confident that your answers will be effective. The interviewer will be able to assess your personality and professional abilities, and you’ll be a step closer to landing the job of your dreams. Good luck! -Jonathan Greenberg, CEO, CareerBuilder