The Interviewing Cheat Sheet: 100 Resources for Interviewers and Candidates
By HR World Editors on September 25, 2007
There'sno doubt that the interviewing process can be stressful, not only forthe person applying for the job but for those doing the hiring as well.There are ways, however, to make job interviews a more rewarding andsuccessful experience for both parties.
Witha little preparation and research, you can make interviewing a positiveexperience; read on to find useful articles and resources that will getyou on the fast track to interviewing success.
Sample Interview Questions
Notsure what you'll be asked when applying for a job? Unsure of what toask potential employees? These are a few lists of common interviewquestions that cover a wide variety of professions.
- Types of questions: Thisarticle from the University of Manitoba lays out some of the basictypes of questions asked at interviews including direct, indirect,hypothetical and behavioral questions.
- Fifty standard interview questions: CollegeGrad.com lays out some of the most commonly used interview questions.
- Illegal interview questions: Not everything is fair game to ask at an interview. Make sure you know what's allowed.
- Questions for academic positions: Thisguide can help you know what to kind of questions to expect whenapplying for an academic position, as well as some pointers on how toanswer.
- Sample interview questions for engineers: Engineers looking for work can expect to hear these kinds of questions at an interview.
- Interview questions for tech companies: Thisarticle provides sample interview questions for numerous types ofhigh-tech programming jobs. Questions pertain to Perl, shell scripting,MySQL and more.
- Sample interview questions for teachers: Virginia Polytechnic Institute provides a list of commonly asked questions for teaching candidates.
- Interview questions for lab positions: Here you'll find a list of questions you might be asked when applying for lab work.
- Interview questions for health-care positions: Nurses and other health-care professionals will find this a useful resource when preparing for an interview.
- Sample interview questions for management: If you're applying or interviewing for management and supervisory positions, these questions can be a valuable resource.
- Seven interviewer questions for first-timers: If you're new to interviewing candidates, this article's seven important questions can help you get started.
- Questions to ask your interviewer:When you interview for a job, you're not the only one who should beinterviewed; you should ask questions of your interviewer as well. Hereare some important questions to ask before you accept a new job.
Answers for Candidates
Knowingthe questions you'll be asked is only half the battle; you'll also needto be prepared with good responses. Here are some examples of answersto commonly asked questions.
- Fifty common interview questions and answers: Blogger Bhuvans provides answers to the most common interview questions, excerpted from the book "The Accelerated Job Search."
- Job interview questions and answers: Job Bank USA gives sample answers for more than 60 types of interview questions.
- How to answer interview questions: Tips on how to answer 10 common interview questions so you can make the most of the opportunity.
- Twenty-five most difficult questions: Reprintedfrom FOCUS magazine, this article gives you advice on how to answersome of the hardest questions you'll be asked at an interview.
- Ten tough interview questions and ten great answers: This article provides some guidance on how to answer tough interview questions.
- Interview questions and answers for IT professionals: Thoselooking for IT jobs will find good advice on this site. It providesquestions and answers for programming languages like C++ and Java, aswell as information on interviewing with companies like Microsoft andGoogle.
- How to give job-winning answers to interview questions: Don't just give answers, give the right answers. This article can help.
- Find the best answers to interview questions: This article from The Wall Street Journal offers advice on thinking over and formulating your answers to interview questions.
- How to give great answers to tough interview questions: Here, you'll find advice on how to formulate and think about your answers to tough interview questions.
- Ten killer job interview Questions and answers: Manyinterview questions have a hidden agenda. This article offers tips onrecognizing it and giving the answers that will get you the job.
Types of Interviews
Thereare many different ways to interview candidates besides the simpleone-on-one interview. Here are some helpful articles on differentinterview styles that can give employers some ideas and let candidatesknow what to expect.
- Group interview: Groupinterviews are often used to see how potential employees will act in agroup setting. This article gives some tips on how to prepare and excelin this format.
- Panel/board interview: Panelinterviews require candidates to present themselves before severalpeople from the hiring company. Here, you'll find advice on how tohandle a panel interview.
- Telephone interview: Phoneinterviews can sometimes be as stress-inducing as face-to-faceinterviews. This article from Quintessential Careers gives candidatessome advice on the proper etiquette for interviewing over the phone.
- One-on-one interview: Byfar the most common type of interview, this article from Monster givessome insight into what the one-on-one interview is all about.
- Impromptu interview: Impromptuinterviews are often not much like interviews at all, but you stillneed to know how to handle one. This article can give you some helpfulpointers.
- Dinner interview: A dinner interview can often feel informal, but you should rememberthat it can still have a big impact on getting the job. Use thisarticle to help you ace the dinner interview.
- Situational interview:Situational interviews attempt to put the candidate in a situation likeone they would experience on the job. This article provides tips on howto prepare for this style of interview.
- Structured interview:Structured interviews ask all candidates for a job the same questions.Learn how to make this style of interview work for you with this CandoCareer article.
- Multiple interviews:Multiple interviews can be taxing, as candidates have to talk to manydifferent people. Careerhub.com gives advice on how to prepare formultiple interviews.
Interviewing Techniques and Advice
Howyou conduct an interview can make a big difference in your ability tofind good employees. Below are some techniques and tips forinterviewing to help you find the best person for the job.
- The Microsoft interview: Your tech company might not be as big as Microsoft, but that doesn't mean you can't use the same interviewing technique.
- SOARA technique: Here you'll find the basic definition of the SOARA (Situation,Objective, Action, Results, Aftermath) technique and how to use it togather all the information you'll need from a candidate.
- Developing a behavioral interview: This site gives you instructions on how to develop behavioral interviews, as well as some sample questions.
- How to interview candidates: This guide from Monster gives you tips on every step of interviewing and hiring candidates.
- Five steps to giving quality interviews: Interviewing is serious business, and this article from CareerBuilder.com gives you tips to preparing for yours.
- How to interview and hire top people each and every time: Businessman Gregory Smith gives his take on interviewing in this informative article.
- How to conduct an effective employee interview: This article offers pointers on building your interviewing skills, so you'll always find the best employees for the job.
- Interviewing for employers: Whilewritten specifically for those working in the legal field, thisextensive article gives some great guidelines for interviewing in anykind of business.
- Seven steps to hire the best: ManagerMichael Mercer provides seven tips regarding how to predict who thebest employees will be before and during the interview.
- Seven warning signs to look for when interviewing candidates: This TechRepublic article gives interviewers seven things to watch out for when interviewing potential employees.
Interviewing Strategies for Candidates
Nomatter what kind of job you're applying for, you should go into theinterview with a strategy. Here are some ideas on how to be successfulin a variety of different interview styles.
- How to behave in a behavior-based interview: This article from JobWeb.com gives job seekers insight into what they'll need to know for a behavior-based interview.
- How to beat the stress interview: Stressinterviews can be extremely taxing if you're not prepared. This articlegives you some helpful hints that can help you be more successful withthis type of interview.
- Post-interview strategies:Don't let your interview strategy end with the interview. Use thisarticle to help you find success even after the hard part is over.
- Behavioral interviewing strategies for job seekers: This extensive article gives candidates everything they need to know about preparing a behavioral interview strategy.
- Interview strategies: This article from The Princeton Review Inc. gives some great general tips for making a good impression at your interview.
- Case interview strategies: Case-basedinterviews are growing in popularity among employers, and candidatescan get step-by-step advice on looking great in them with this article.
Interview Attire
The first thingemployers will see when they meet you is how you're dressed, so be sureyou're making a good impression; the following articles can help.
- How to dress for your interview: Here, you'll find general rules for both men and women when it comes to dressing for interviews.
- SYMS dress to achieve:SYMS is dedicated to helping young professionals and recent collegegrads learn how to dress appropriately for business. Here, you'll findcomplete guides to dressing for an interview.
- Dress to impress: Geared toward women, this site uses photographs to show what you should and shouldn't wear to an interview.
- Dress appropriately for interviews: This article gives basic advice on dressing appropriately for your interview.
- What to wear by industry: This site gives candidates suggestions of proper attire for women in five different fields.
- Dress codes deciphered: If you're not quite sure what business casual entails, you can use this guide from CNN to give you some insight.
What Not to Do
Whileit's useful to know what you should do in an interview, it's alsoimportant to know what you shouldn't do. These articles offer advicethat helps both employers and candidates alike avoid common mistakes.
- Eight hiring mistakes employers make: This article on About.com gives some assistance in avoiding common hiring pitfalls, saving you time and money.
- What not to wear to an interview: Think yo have the perfect outfit for your interview? Check out thisarticle to make sure you're not making one of these fashion blunders.
- Avoid these 10 interview bloopers: You can be the most qualified candidate and still botch your interview if you make these mistakes.
- Make-or-break interview mistakes: This article from BusinessWeek gives some advice on what not to do in an interview and how you can impress HR.
- The most common hiring mistakes and how to prevent them: This article gives some statistics-backed reasons not to make these hiring mistakes.
- Six IT interview mistakes: Score that tech job you've always wanted by avoiding these interview mistakes.
- Twenty things not to do at an interview: Thissite provides a guide to the most basic blunders to avoid wheninterviewing. Much of it may seem like common sense, but it's better tobe safe than sorry.
- How not to act in an interview: Here, you'll find real-life examples of outrageous interview behavior, which is definitely not to be imitated.
- What not to put on your résumé: GeekInterview.com gives advice on things you should never put on your résumé if you want to get hired.
- Things not to say at a job interview: Toppersonnel executives of 100 major American corporations compiled acollection of the absolute worst things to do at a job interview,providing education and humor to the rest of us.
Preparation Resources
Don'tgo into an interview just expecting to wing it. You need to preparebeforehand if you really want to be successful. Try checking out theseresources before you go into your next interview.
- Six steps to prepare for an interview the right way: This article walks you through the steps of preparing for an interview to make sure your interviewer will want to hire you.
- The ultimate guide to job-interview preparation: This extensive guide helps you get ready for your interview with tips on self assessment, research, references and more.
- Preparing for a software-engineering interview: Writtenby Niniane Wang, who has worked for Google and Microsoft, this articleofffers helpful pointers on what you need to do to get ready for asoftware- engineering interview.
- VideoJug's how to prepare for an interview: VideoJughas how-to videos on almost everything, and interview preparation is noexception. Watch this short video to get on the path to success.
- How to prepare for a behavioral interview: This wiki can give you the tips you need to prepare for any behavioral interview.
- How to prepare for a phone interview: Even though you don't have to see your interviewer face-to-face, youneed to prepare. This article can help get you ready for that phonecall.
- Preparing to interview candidates: These simple criteria can help you prepare to interview candidates for any position.
- Practice interviews: Practice makes perfect, so why not give your interview a test run with these practice interviews?
- The virtual interview: Get a friend to help you go through this virtual interview so you'll be better prepared for the real deal.
Follow-Up Resources
Justbecause the interview is over doesn't mean your work is done. Followingup is just as important, so use these resources to make sure you'regetting it right.
- Interview follow-up do's and don'ts: Professor of Marketing Dr. Randall Hansen offers some advice on what you should and should not do after the interview.
- Ten tips for interview follow-up: This article provides an informative look on what to do while you're waiting to hear back about the job you interviewed for.
- Guide to follow-up letters:Don't let a job slip through your fingers because you fail to write afollow-up letter. This guide can help you through the process andoffers sample letters and advice on what to include.
- The follow-up process: Here, you'll find a step-by-step guide to dealing with the follow-up to an interview.
- Thank-you letters:Want to write a thank-you letter but not quite sure how to go about it?This article gives you insight on what to include and how to addressthe letter.
- The two most important post-interview activities: Don't drop the ball on these two very important elements of the interview process.
Résumés and References
Doingwell in your interview is important, but you also need to have a greatrésumé and some reliable references for potential employers to call.Use these resources and articles to help you with both.
- Resumes.com: Whetheryou get a free or paid membership, Resumes.com can help you build abetter résumé with a résumé database and tools to help you create yourrésumé.
- Resume Help.org: ResumeHelp.org provides readers with resources for writing cover letters andrésumés, plus advice for doing well in interviews.
- Best Sample Resume:If you're not sure how to format your résumé or what to include foryour particular field, résumé samples can be helpful. This site hasofferings in dozens of professions.
- How to write a résumé: Find out how to put your résumé together using this site.
- Ten tips for an interview-winning résumé: It's hard to get an interview when you don't have an effective résumé.Check out this site for advice on how to put together a résumé thatwill fill your calendar with interviews.
- Reference guidelines for your job search: References can be an important part of getting a job. This article offers advice on who to recruit.
- Keys to choosing and using the best references: Here, you'll find a list of tips on the do's and dont's of giving references to a potential employer.
- Sample reference-check questions: If you're not sure what to ask when calling a candidate's references, try these questions.
- Cover-letter checklist: Before sending out your cover letter, make sure it includes these basics.
- Ten tips for writing effective cover letters: The cover letter is arguably the most important part of your résumé. Make yours stand out with these ten tips.
General Resources
Makesure to take a look at these general resources before your interview.They provide a wide variety of useful information for both interviewersand candidates.
- Interviewing potential staff: Here, you'll find everything you need to know about interviewing candidates, from preparation to questions.
- Tips for job seekers: Job seekers will find tons of information at this site, including strategies for before, during and after the interview.
- Interview resources at Monster:Monster is one of the largest job-placement sites on the Internet, butits usefulness doesn't stop there. It also has loads of information andresources for interviewing.
- Quintessential Careers:Here, you'll find articles on just about any career-related topic youmay need information on, including a job-interview-question database.
- Interview Info.net: InterviewInfo.net is a place where job seekers can get together and discuss their experiences and provide advice.
- JobWeb.com:JobWeb.com provides job-search and career advice for new collegegraduates and has a lot of valuable interview-related resources.
- WetFeet: WetFeet, a site for job seekers, has a great collection of interview-related articles.
- HR.com: HR.com is your one-stop site for everything related to human resources. Find articles on hiring, talent scouting and more.
- The Riley Guide to Interviewing: The Riley Guide compiles tons of articles on everything you'll need to know about the interviewing and hiring process.
- CareerOneStop: Sponsoredby the U.S. Department of Labor, CareerOneStop has resources foreducation, training, job searching, interviews and résumés.
- Job Searching at About.com: You'll find lots of helpful information on interviews, networking, job listings, résumés and more on About.com.
- Free course in taking on new employees: Expand Your Business created this extensive guide to hiring, with step-by-step instructions for interviewing candidates.