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101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions
No matter how good you look, how much research you've done, or how perfectly your qualifications match the job description, if you're not prepared with great answers to the toughest interview questions, you won't get the job. 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions is a manual that will help you hone in on exactly what the interviewer is trying to learn . . . with each and every question he or she asks. If you've never done well on interviews, never even been on a job interview, or just want to make sure a lousy interview doesn't cost you a job you really want, Ron Fry will help you get that job--as he has helped literally millions of people nationwide and throughout the world. This brand-new twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition of 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions is thoroughly updated to reflect the realities of today's job market. Whatever your age and experience, whether you are seeking your very first job or finally breaking into the executive office, this is the one book you need to get that job.
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First published January 1, 1991
276 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
About the author
Ron Fry
130 books42 followersRon Fry is a nationally known proponent for the improvement of public education and an advocate for parents and students, playing an active role in strengthening personal education programs. In addition to being the author of the best-selling How to Study series, which has sold more than 3,000,000 copies to date, Fry has written more than 30 other books in the areas of education and careers. He is the founder and president of Career Press, an internationally known independent publisher of trade nonfiction books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
May 19, 2012
This book was recommended to me by a friend of mine while we were talking about internships, job applications, and that sort of general process. I bought it in November but haven’t really had the time to devote to it (I saw some worksheets and figured it was more of a “dedicate-some-time-to-this” book). Today, I decided to finally pick it up and flip through it and BOY am I glad I did.
Whether you’re a recent college graduate, a post-graduate student, or already established in a career, the prospect of an interview is never an irrelevant matter. I know we’ve all been in the position where we nervously anticipate what questions we’ll be asked and how best to approach sensitive topics. I also know that we’ve all been in that position where we walk out of the interview with sweaty palms, shaking our heads in a permanent “WTF just happened” mode. Not a fun feeling.
So of course, getting a little insight into how to best handle those stressful situations is always a good idea. I have to say, this book surpassed my expectations. First of all, Chapter One goes through in detail encouraging you to take inventory of your own life and scrutinize things like past internships/jobs, skills that you developed, activities you’ve participated in, etc. Yes, it takes some time. You systematically make your own data sheet or fill out the ones in the book. It’s a bit time consuming, but I was really surprised as to how much I rediscovered about myself!
Now, I know the title of the book says 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions. Yes, he does give certain sample answers, but more importantly he explains what works well and what doesn’t for all the questions in a generalized manner. You’d be surprised to see that certain ‘sure-thing’ answers are actually not the way to go. What I appreciated about this book was that it doesn’t provide answers for slackers (sorry) to simply memorize and parrot out to the interviewer. It urges you to evaluate yourself and focus on turning your negatives into learning experiences and positive aspects. I’ve never been good at answering questions like “What are your personality strengths” or “What are your negative traits”, but this forced me to take a look at my performances and figure out things in detail. I took that and used it to answer sample questions according to my personality, strengths, and goals, while keeping in mind the types of positions I’m looking for.
I ended up with 8 pages of typed notes.
The best part about this is, I learned so much that I can apply to the work I’m doing right now, just between being a graduate student and working in group projects and with teams. Having everything laid out in an organized, honest fashion allowed me to take a look at what works, what doesn’t, and how I can use it in everyday life. I consider that a serious win. Two and a half hours of my life well spent, I’d say!
I had some reservations about posting about this book. Suppose a potential employer stumbles across this post? Will they question my interview responses and wonder whether they’re just taken from some book? Well, if I do get an interview, I hope to show that all my responses are catered directly to the position at hand, the company I’m going for, and my own personal facts. The book doesn’t do that for you, you have to put that extra effort in yourself. Secondly, is it ever a bad thing to be prepared? I don’t think so. I would hope that it shows initiative and an urge to better oneself. I personally like learning new things about myself and while I’m not the most open person in the world to finding out I’ve done something wrong (who does like that?), I do like to learn from my mistakes. It’s just nice to identify them before someone points them out to you
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is in between jobs, expecting to go on a lot of interviews, and even to people who are in team-work and management roles! If you’re willing to put in the effort of considering what is being discussed, rather than skimming through just the advice portions, you could really find a lot about yourself as a leader, a teammate, and a person.
Whether you’re a recent college graduate, a post-graduate student, or already established in a career, the prospect of an interview is never an irrelevant matter. I know we’ve all been in the position where we nervously anticipate what questions we’ll be asked and how best to approach sensitive topics. I also know that we’ve all been in that position where we walk out of the interview with sweaty palms, shaking our heads in a permanent “WTF just happened” mode. Not a fun feeling.
So of course, getting a little insight into how to best handle those stressful situations is always a good idea. I have to say, this book surpassed my expectations. First of all, Chapter One goes through in detail encouraging you to take inventory of your own life and scrutinize things like past internships/jobs, skills that you developed, activities you’ve participated in, etc. Yes, it takes some time. You systematically make your own data sheet or fill out the ones in the book. It’s a bit time consuming, but I was really surprised as to how much I rediscovered about myself!
Now, I know the title of the book says 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions. Yes, he does give certain sample answers, but more importantly he explains what works well and what doesn’t for all the questions in a generalized manner. You’d be surprised to see that certain ‘sure-thing’ answers are actually not the way to go. What I appreciated about this book was that it doesn’t provide answers for slackers (sorry) to simply memorize and parrot out to the interviewer. It urges you to evaluate yourself and focus on turning your negatives into learning experiences and positive aspects. I’ve never been good at answering questions like “What are your personality strengths” or “What are your negative traits”, but this forced me to take a look at my performances and figure out things in detail. I took that and used it to answer sample questions according to my personality, strengths, and goals, while keeping in mind the types of positions I’m looking for.
I ended up with 8 pages of typed notes.
The best part about this is, I learned so much that I can apply to the work I’m doing right now, just between being a graduate student and working in group projects and with teams. Having everything laid out in an organized, honest fashion allowed me to take a look at what works, what doesn’t, and how I can use it in everyday life. I consider that a serious win. Two and a half hours of my life well spent, I’d say!
I had some reservations about posting about this book. Suppose a potential employer stumbles across this post? Will they question my interview responses and wonder whether they’re just taken from some book? Well, if I do get an interview, I hope to show that all my responses are catered directly to the position at hand, the company I’m going for, and my own personal facts. The book doesn’t do that for you, you have to put that extra effort in yourself. Secondly, is it ever a bad thing to be prepared? I don’t think so. I would hope that it shows initiative and an urge to better oneself. I personally like learning new things about myself and while I’m not the most open person in the world to finding out I’ve done something wrong (who does like that?), I do like to learn from my mistakes. It’s just nice to identify them before someone points them out to you
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is in between jobs, expecting to go on a lot of interviews, and even to people who are in team-work and management roles! If you’re willing to put in the effort of considering what is being discussed, rather than skimming through just the advice portions, you could really find a lot about yourself as a leader, a teammate, and a person.
September 3, 2019
A nice quick read, explains and goes through common interview questions that can either set you in good grace or get you off an employer's hiring list. I guess it can be helpful to some people.
July 20, 2016
I read this book in prepping for an interview, but it is good to read it even if you're just updating your resume/CV. That particular interview was mostly a behavioral interview, where you are told to explain specific times you displayed attributes like composure, initiative, etc. There was also a hypothetical situation component, where you were given a scenario or problem and asked to explain what you would do, how you would solve it. 101 Great Answers covers those types of interviews pretty well toward the end of the book and that is where I paid most attention. It does not mention the well-worn STAR (Situation or Task, Action you took, Results you achieved) approach, which would have helped the reader; acronyms are helpful to remember steps in high-stress situations. But the employer-centered approach is good-- it's a reminder of the risks the interviewer is facing that you are being screened for.
Fry recommends putting together a dossier of information about yourself that you can recall quickly and easily.
- What's your employment, education, volunteer, and honors history?
- How would people describe you?
- What are your strongest skills, greatest areas of expertise, best personality traits, things you do best, key accomplishments, etc.
- Practice showing your strengths in behavioral questions, not specifics of a situation. How have you leveraged your skillsets to solve problems for your employers?
Relax. Replace words like "anxious" with words like "excited," (I don't remember if that was actually in the book but it was in an article I read the same week as this book and it's in my notes). Maintain eye contact. Practice putting a positive spin on everything; if a job or project didn't work out, state what good did come of it or what you learned from the experience. Lead the interviewer to his preferred conclusion.
Share your management experience; if none, talk about consensus decision making and teams. Importantly, give examples of your tenacity. If a failure is part of your CV, name something unrelated to the job you are applying for (unless you have a good interviewer who wants to know what you learned). How will you not make the same mistakes again? How will you manage if given the chance?
What's the difference between a good boss and a bad boss?
- A good boss helps others to learn.
Highlight your organization skills, and if you don't have them then develop them quickly. Make to-do lists and prioritize your tasks.
Show that you're adaptive to change. What changes were hard for you but turned out for the positive?
Know how to describe your current organization's tree? (In my own case, the tree might be confusing.) Make sure the organization tree matches your answers about your job responsibilities.
Answer this question: What do you want this job for?
- for more responsibility, more growth, etc.
- Say: "I look forward to..."
What are your new objectives or goals?
Hypothetical situational interview section:
You should demonstrate a "yes" to the following:
- Do you respect chain of command?
- Can you learn?
Admit it when a tough hypothetical situation would make you nervous.
Weigh the alternatives in each situation. Show how you reached your decision.
Don't be afraid to say you'd ask for help, or admit you don't know.
Never joke!
Also: Be aware of inappropriate questions
- Anything to do with current or applied for job are likely illegal.
Interviewer can ask about professional memberships. Avoid answering with church affiliations.
A current earnings question is legal and okay. Past earnings, however, is not, your assets are not. Know your state's guidelines.
In all, I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. A good, quick preparation.
Fry recommends putting together a dossier of information about yourself that you can recall quickly and easily.
- What's your employment, education, volunteer, and honors history?
- How would people describe you?
- What are your strongest skills, greatest areas of expertise, best personality traits, things you do best, key accomplishments, etc.
- Practice showing your strengths in behavioral questions, not specifics of a situation. How have you leveraged your skillsets to solve problems for your employers?
Relax. Replace words like "anxious" with words like "excited," (I don't remember if that was actually in the book but it was in an article I read the same week as this book and it's in my notes). Maintain eye contact. Practice putting a positive spin on everything; if a job or project didn't work out, state what good did come of it or what you learned from the experience. Lead the interviewer to his preferred conclusion.
Share your management experience; if none, talk about consensus decision making and teams. Importantly, give examples of your tenacity. If a failure is part of your CV, name something unrelated to the job you are applying for (unless you have a good interviewer who wants to know what you learned). How will you not make the same mistakes again? How will you manage if given the chance?
What's the difference between a good boss and a bad boss?
- A good boss helps others to learn.
Highlight your organization skills, and if you don't have them then develop them quickly. Make to-do lists and prioritize your tasks.
Show that you're adaptive to change. What changes were hard for you but turned out for the positive?
Know how to describe your current organization's tree? (In my own case, the tree might be confusing.) Make sure the organization tree matches your answers about your job responsibilities.
Answer this question: What do you want this job for?
- for more responsibility, more growth, etc.
- Say: "I look forward to..."
What are your new objectives or goals?
Hypothetical situational interview section:
You should demonstrate a "yes" to the following:
- Do you respect chain of command?
- Can you learn?
Admit it when a tough hypothetical situation would make you nervous.
Weigh the alternatives in each situation. Show how you reached your decision.
Don't be afraid to say you'd ask for help, or admit you don't know.
Never joke!
Also: Be aware of inappropriate questions
- Anything to do with current or applied for job are likely illegal.
Interviewer can ask about professional memberships. Avoid answering with church affiliations.
A current earnings question is legal and okay. Past earnings, however, is not, your assets are not. Know your state's guidelines.
In all, I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. A good, quick preparation.
February 19, 2019
I can’t even remember why this was on my to-read list, as I am not currently interviewing for anything, but it will be helpful when I have to update my resume for a promotion. It has some good info, even if the answers felt a bit common sense.
January 14, 2010
Whatever you do, don't be yourself! Just tell them what they want to hear! Use the word "challenge" in every sentence! Answer every question with meaningless bullshit, and always remember: what's good for the company is good for you! Productivity for all!
There's also a typo in the section on how to discuss your weaknesses. HOW FITTING.
There's also a typo in the section on how to discuss your weaknesses. HOW FITTING.
September 24, 2015
Appears to be a very popular book. Practical advice. Very useful book.
October 10, 2019
A quick read through this book is probably the equivalent of 1-2 practice interviews. It's one of the better resources I have seen for laying out the basics of how to interview. I would suggest this to anyone who has never interviewed before or for those that haven't in a while and need a quick refresher to help them visualize the process and to organize their pitch. For more experienced interviewers I would say skip this book and check out his other book 101 Smart Questions to Ask on Your Interview. This is a great for getting the gears turning to brain storm some excellent questions for you to ask the interviewers. Nothing worse than having all your prepped questions answered before you reach the "any questions" portion of the interview!
January 28, 2018
I think this is a good book to read for a broad introduction to interviewing. I had an early 90s edition, so some of the information is obsolete or illegal to ask. I do wish it was more focused on my industry, because a lot of the questions I'll likely be asked aren't even close to the examples given in this book. However this booking also made me more nervous; I'm not going to be even close to as eloquent with my answers as the examples given, partly because I don't have much experience with interviews and partly because I won't have days to come up with the perfect response.
January 11, 2022
Very helpful book and fast to breeze through.
I did not think his approach to 'Tell me about yourself' was as strong as it could be - the youtube video from Big Interview on this is much better at explaining how to construct a compelling answer. But otherwise a solid resource for job-seekers, and I agree with his statement at the beginning: at least 50% of interviews are about preparation, and a LOT of people don't do enough prep (which amounts to reflection and self-awareness).
Reading and applying his techniques is great practice for being able to tell concise stories.
I did not think his approach to 'Tell me about yourself' was as strong as it could be - the youtube video from Big Interview on this is much better at explaining how to construct a compelling answer. But otherwise a solid resource for job-seekers, and I agree with his statement at the beginning: at least 50% of interviews are about preparation, and a LOT of people don't do enough prep (which amounts to reflection and self-awareness).
Reading and applying his techniques is great practice for being able to tell concise stories.
April 5, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised by the jovial tone and wealth of information - and that all the situations didn't just apply to sales and the corporate world. Compared to another awful title I read, this was useful, to the point, not too repetitive, and actually helped with the interview I had yesterday!
August 28, 2018
I don’t know if this book helped me at all. There was one chapter about someone like me (22 year old just out of college looking for entry level position). But mostly it seemed like the advice and example answers were for someone with years of experience interviewing now for a management position. And most of the time, there was no useful advice for an answer, just “you better have an answer for this one”.
January 5, 2021
This was informative for not only tough interview questions but also for questions during the interview that may be illegal or controversial. I think this is helpful for those of us that don't know what to say during those types of situation. Another note that was helpful were questions that could be baited, how to be aware of those questions and how to answer them.
Overall, great examples and helpful.
Overall, great examples and helpful.
March 15, 2022
Before starting the book, I was pretty confident it will arrange the array of thoughts regarding interviews and the start of employment in a nice manner. However, what exactly happened was truly outstanding! I loved the book arrangements and how it highlights on the important basics of how sentences should be held, how to do the ‘homework’ prior to entering the interview and the many variations of one question that can be asked.
The book is very beneficial and I can say, I’m ready to conquer any challenge and to learn my way through the field I am in.
The book is very beneficial and I can say, I’m ready to conquer any challenge and to learn my way through the field I am in.
February 26, 2017
Récemment, j'ai lu quelques livres à ce sujet - c'est-à-dire, au sujet des questions d'entrevue - parce que j'étudie la langue et que le langage qu'on utilise dans ce type de livres est plus ou moins utiles. Parmi tous ces livres, celui-ci est le meilleur que j'aie lu. Les conseils sont hyper-bons et j'aimais la structure des phrases aussi. Cet auteur est intelligent et, bien sûr, un expert.
September 28, 2018
Practical advice, but advocates spewing baloney. To be fair, of course, the cult attitude is what most employers are looking for, but I feel like the world would be a better place if we could all practice and accept hearing honesty.
So, four stars because taking its advice will probably help you get hired. You can learn a lot about practical use of spin, angles, and manipulation.
So, four stars because taking its advice will probably help you get hired. You can learn a lot about practical use of spin, angles, and manipulation.
June 22, 2019
Inside information from an interviewer
I came across this ebook at just the right time, desperately needing an insight into the interview process, being a job seeker myself. I felt it gave me some insight into what was happening in the interview process and why. Solid reading for any potential interviewee.
I came across this ebook at just the right time, desperately needing an insight into the interview process, being a job seeker myself. I felt it gave me some insight into what was happening in the interview process and why. Solid reading for any potential interviewee.
July 18, 2020
If you are young and just now interviewing for your first job out of college, there are plenty of good pearls of wisdom to be found in this book. If you are over the age of 30 and you do not know by now the topics discussed in this book, you are destined to never reach management level.
March 5, 2022
I read the ebook and appreciated the tips offered by this author. He helped me realize that the interviewer might ask a typical question (eg "Tell us about yourself") in 10 different ways eg what are your strengths.
November 10, 2017
Excellent questions, wonderful analysis.
March 17, 2018
I used this book for reference when I taught a job search class. Very helpful.
February 6, 2019
Helpful with a dash of humor
February 17, 2019
It had some really good points through out the book as well as some nice interactive starters to practice.
July 15, 2019
very useful if prepping for an interview.
August 19, 2019
Nothing earth-shattering, but a great read for anybody prepping for an interview. Give yourself a quick read about a week or two ahead of any upcoming interview for refresher points.
September 18, 2019
This book provided very little useful information about how interviews are conducted via phone, skype,etc. Would not recommend
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October 3, 2021My response to, "oh! I gotta get ready for this interview next week after years of not doing this!"
December 9, 2021
Helpful guide
Being great at interviews comes from experience and/or education. The second is less painful, and it opens the door to more of the first.
Being great at interviews comes from experience and/or education. The second is less painful, and it opens the door to more of the first.
April 9, 2022
Excellent book that I should have read eons ago!
May 12, 2023
Good advice on interview questions. Some questions where just listed and didn't give any advice on how to answer them hence the 3 stars.
August 18, 2018
Interesante y con preguntas muuuy variadas, aunque solo concentrada en el ámbito privado y sobre todo de ventas. Personalmente, tenía expectativas de leer más anécdotas y tonterías que dice la gente, pero bueno este es un libro serio, así que el problema es mío.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews