How to Answer Tough Interview Questions Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by [deleted]

Asking questions that get people to explain how they have tackled particular problems in the past are better than braint­easers for interv­iews, said Dave Denaro, vice president at Keystone Associ­ates, which provides career coaching to execut­ives. "You can probe for details to confirm the individual is being truthf­ul,­" Denaro said. "­Asking how have you handled this problem before is better than asking how would you handle it, assuming the candidate has had at least some work experi­enc­e."

Interv­iewers should try to get to the heart of the following questions,

Can the candidate deliver what needs to be done in the job?
Are they motivated to do it in this particular company?
Do they fit the company culture and management style?

"Not every candidate is enough of a match in all three areas to warrant getting an offer, nor should a candidate accept a job offer if they think there is not enough of a match in all three areas,­" Denaro said.

Here are some tips for handling brain teaser interview questions.

Oftent­imes, tech companies use the same type of braint­easer questions, so candidates can prepare for them ahead of time, Dinan said. Several brain teasers fall into similar catego­ries, such as the "How Many [Things] Are There in [Locat­ion­]?" question and the "How Many [Things] Could Fit in [Conta­ine­r]?­" question.

Once an interv­iewer throws you a difficult question, you can buy some time with filler statements such as, "­That's really intere­sting, I've never thought about it before­," said Jen Teague, a small business staffing and onboarding coach. You can also ask to have a few minutes to fully evaluate the question.

Listen closely to the question, and clarify the scenario before committing to a path to find an answer, Stokes said. "­Cla­rif­ication is one of the key points that needs to be make if you receive a curveball question so there is unders­tanding on both sides,­" she added.

"At heart, these are thinki­ng-­style questi­ons­," Denaro said. "­Often the interv­iewer is not looking for the absolute right answer, but rather how you think through the proble­m."

"The advice I give to handle this type of question is to verbalize your thought process as you answer the questi­on,­" Denaro said. "In other words, say out loud the steps you are going through in your brain. If their thinking style matches your thinking style then they will like your answer."

No matter the question, being able to demons­trate soft skills such as active listening is crucial during an interview, Teague said. "­Com­mun­ication is really essential when interv­iewing, even when it comes to these kind of off-th­e-wall questi­ons­," she added. "­Being able to talk it out and explain it in a rational manner is what's going to get you the positi­on."­

If available, use a whiteboard or piece of paper to outline the problem and the different potential routes to an answer.

To determine if your thinking styles matches that of the company, Denaro advises asking the interv­iewer directly, "Is that how you would go about figuring this problem out?" after you've concluded your response. "Then you will know if your answer scored points, or if you need to ask a clarifying question and try again,­" he said.

If you aren't happy with the answer you came up with, it's a good idea to follow up with the interv­iewer later on, Stokes said. "If you're still thinking about the problem and want to demons­trate to the potential future employer that you have the answer, encourage the dialogue even after the interview, to say 'I've got another two angles to presen­t,'­" she said.