1. How does your present position differ from past ones?
Describe the difference with regards to responsibilities, culture, team, career opportunity, and the work itself.
2. What can you offer us that someone else can not?
Bad Answer: Going negative - if the candidate starts trash talking other candidates, it's a sure sign of a bad attitude. Also, if they can't provide a solid answer, it may show that they lack thorough knowledge of the skills the job requires, and an understanding of where they fit in.
Good answer: The candidate can name specific skills, abilities or understandings they have that apply directly to the job that other candidates are unlikely to have, or are in short supply.
3. What makes you right for this position?
This question can be tricky because you need to show your worth In Application Security without sounding cocky or arrogant. Research the business ahead of time and become familiar with its mission and values. Take the time to figure out how your personal qualities fit the needs of the business and use that fit to provide your answer.
4. Do you think you are overqualified for this position In Application Security?
No matter your previous job experience or educational background, be sure to tell the interviewer you have the knowledge and skills to successfully execute the job responsibilities.
You want to first understand why the policy was put into effect. From there, if you truly disagree with it, explain your position to your management. If they don't change it, then you must accept their decision and continue to work or the alternative decision would be to find a new job.
6. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
Bad Answer: A generic or uninspired answer. Also, answers that show that this career/company is just a temporary stop for them.
Good answer: One that shows the candidate has thought about this question, has plans, and that those plans align with the job and a career path that is possible in the company. You want to see that this candidate is a good long term investment.
7. How long do you want to work for us if we hire you?
Here being specific is probably not the best approach. You may consider responding, “I hope a very long time.” Or “As long as we're both happy with my performance.”
8. What would you like to avoid completely in your next job In Application Security?
Bad business ethics, teammates / managers that are disrespectful / inconsiderate. But of course, this job wouldn't have things like this right?
First, the key is to state the differences in personality to give the interviewer some background. Second, you want to discuss how that was affecting the situation. Third, show how you were able to adapt to the way the person wanted to be communicated with to achieve your goals
There are some questions that your potential employer aren't allowed to ask (but trust me, they probably want to). For instance, they shouldn't really ask about your family or how far away you live from your potential place of employment. If you can find a way to answer these questions anyway (with the answers they want to hear), that will give them a little added info to help them make the (right) decision!
11. Why was there a gap in your employment In Application Security?
If you were unemployed for a period of time, be direct and to the point about what you've been up to (and hopefully, that's a litany of impressive volunteer and other mind-enriching activities, like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization: “I decided to take a break at the time, but today I'm ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways.”
12. Explain me about a problem or disagreement you had with previous supervisor?
This question is trap. It is meant to see whether or not you'll speak poorly of an employer. No one wants to hire someone who's going to speak poorly of them down the road. Stay upbeat and positive - and most of all don't say anything negative about a previous employer.
13. How do you keep others informed on work issues?
Possible methods:
Talking to them, emailing them, sharing best practices in meetings
First, find out which skills are the ones that you're currently lacking. Then identify what the steps would be to acquire/build those skills. Then take action to do so.
15. Tell us something about yourself?
Bad Answer: Candidates who ramble on about themselves without regard for information that will actually help the interviewer make a decision, or candidates who actually provide information showing they are unfit for the job.
Good answer: An answer that gives the interviewer a glimpse of the candidate's personality, without veering away from providing information that relates to the job. Answers should be positive, and not generic.
16. What's the difference between good and exceptionally great?
Being good is getting the job done as promised In Application Security. Being great is delivering the work in an exceptional way that completely exceeds expectations.
17. You notice there are too many non productive internal meetings being held, what do you do?
Reach out to your boss and let him know that first you value his leadership and organization but that you are being overwhelmed with the amount of non productive internal meetings.
18. How do you think you might fit this position In Application Security?
An important part of research before the interview is what the company does and how the job role relates to that. This includes the company philosophy and working methods. Questions such as this seek to find out how a candidate will fit into the organisation In Application Security. Answer positively; including practical examples of how you anticipate you would perform in the new role.
19. What motivates you the most?
Is it money? Is it career development? Is it recognition? Is it a sense of achievement? Is it to impress your peers? Is it for fame?
20. If you were hiring a person for this job In Application Security, what would you look for?
Discuss qualities you possess required to successfully complete the job duties.
21. Tell me about a decision you made recently and how you reached it In Application Security?
The key is to show that you put a lot of thought (weighing out the pros and cons) but were able to be decisive. Be sure to explain your logic in arriving at the decision.
22. Describe a time when you had to help a coworker out that did not directly benefit you?
There should be many times where you've assisted others In Application Security. If you haven't, think of how you would in the future. You can discuss charitable causes, how you mentored someone, and so on.
23. What are three positive character traits you don't have?
List three attributes that you aspire to attain / build in the next few years - and then explain how you would develop those.
24. How many tennis balls can you fit into a limousine? 1,000? 10,000? 100,000? Seriously?
Well, seriously, you might get asked brainteaser questions like these, especially in quantitative jobs. But remember that the interviewer doesn't necessarily want an exact number-he wants to make sure that you understand what's being asked of you, and that you can set into motion a systematic and logical way to respond. So, just take a deep breath, and start thinking through the math. (Yes, it's OK to ask for a pen and paper!)
25. What makes you a good manager?
Describe how you manage people, time, money and energy in the most effective manner to achieve the best return of that investment.
26. How do you feel about taking on repetitive tasks In Application Security?
This answer depends on whether or not the job has a lot of repetitive tasks with no variation. If it does, then you would need to be okay with the idea of doing the same task over and over again. If you feel you can offer more than repetitive work, then describe how you would be able to do so.
27. How do you stay up to date with industry?
Discuss how you stay up to date by reading industry specific sites, magazines, and Google / yahoo news. Also make sure you stay up to date by reading the current news on the company's website.
28. What is it about this position In Application Security that attracts you the most?
Use your knowledge of the job description to demonstrate how you are a suitable match for the role.
29. What motivates you to work In Application Security?
Describe what makes you passionate about the work. It could be the company's vision, the product, your desire to succeed, the clients, your peers and so on. They key is to first understand what internally motivates you to do your job and then to emphasize that in a positive way
30. What are your lifelong dreams?
If your dreams don't relate to the job closely, make sure you highlight aspects of the job that will help develop the skills that will help you with your dreams. Ideally, you want your dreams to relate strongly to the career path you're interviewing for though.
31. If someone had to say something negative to you, what would they say?
Again, be honest about sharing a story here about someone who may not have gotten along with you in the office here and explain how you were able to fix that relationship or change your attitude/action to be a better person / coworker.
32. What are you passionate about?
Ask yourself - what are your core passions that you wake up excited to act on each and every day? Ask yourself what makes you happy or drives you - is it helping others? Is it making money? Is it creating something? Is it about changing the world? Etc.
33. How did you find out about this job In Application Security? What do you know about the job?
Possible ways to find out about the job:
Online website listing, friend, professional referral, mentor, career fairs, networking events. You should know about the roles and responsibilities of the job and what they're looking for. Make sure you read up on that online beforehand or ask the person that referred you.
34. What types of situations do you consider "unfixable"?
Most situations are "fixable" - the ones that are not are typically related to business ethics (someone is cheating the company, someone is stealing, etc)
35. What is your biggest regret to date and why?
Describe honestly the regretful action / situation you were in but then discuss how you proactively fixed / improved it and how that helped you to improve as a person/worker.
36. How important is a positive attitude to you?
Incredibly important. I believe a positive attitude is the foundation of being successful - it's contagious in the workplace, with our customers, and ultimately it's the difference maker.
37. What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
What your interviewer is really trying to do with this question-beyond identifying any major red flags-is to gauge your self-awareness and honesty. So, “I can't meet a deadline to save my life In Application Security” is not an option-but neither is “Nothing! I'm perfect!” Strike a balance by thinking of something that you struggle with but that you're working to improve. For example, maybe you've never been strong at public speaking, but you've recently volunteered to run meetings to help you be more comfortable when addressing a crowd.
38. What do you know about this company?
Research the company on Google by searching recent news (to remain current on them) and their website. Make sure you understand their products / services, vision, competitive differentiators, and work culture.
39. Who are your role models? Why?
If possible, cite role models you're truly passionate about - passion is contagious and will show you're being genuine. If the role model is in the same or similar industry as the company in an executive level position, even better.
40. How will you approach learning this "new" job In Application Security?
Interview peers and leaders/managers, read industry news, practice the skill sets needed, absorb information on the job as much as possible.
41. What do you like to do outside of work?
Interviewers ask personal questions in an interview to “see if candidates will fit in with the culture [and] give them the opportunity to open up and display their personality, too,”. In other words, if someone asks about your hobbies outside of work, it's totally OK to open up and share what really makes you tick. (Do keep it semi-professional, though: Saying you like to have a few beers at the local hot spot on Saturday night is fine. Telling them that Monday is usually a rough day for you because you're always hungover is not.)
42. What other companies are you interviewing with?
Companies ask this for a number of reasons, from wanting to see what the competition is for you to sniffing out whether you're serious about the industry. “Often the best approach is to mention that you are exploring a number of other similar options in the company's industry,”. It can be helpful to mention that a common characteristic of all the jobs you are applying to is the opportunity to apply some critical abilities and skills that you possess. For example, you might say 'I am applying for several positions with IT consulting firms where I can analyze client needs and translate them to development teams in order to find solutions to technology problems.'
43. Explain me about a time when you reached a goal within a tight deadline?
I work well under pressure to meet deadlines without jeopardizing the quality of my work. I have always worked in a fast pace environment where we are constantly under pressure to achieve best results within a time frame.
44. What does "thinking outside the box" mean to you?
It means not doing things exactly the same way as everyone else. You've got to challenge the status quo and bring something new to the business.
45. How do you keep each member of the team involved and motivated?
Many managers mistakenly think that money is the prime motivator for their employees. However, according to surveys by several different companies, money is consistently ranked five or lower by most employees. So if money is not the best way to motivate your team, what is?
Employees' three most important issues according to employees are:
☛ Respect
☛ A sense of accomplishment
☛ Recognition
46. Rate yourself on a scale of 10?
If you truly believe you're a 10, you better be able to explain why with examples / stories. If you believe you're a great contributor and have room to grow, say 8 or 9. If you're below that, explain what you would do to improve yourself to get the ranking you believe you can be.
47. What was the biggest professional risk you have taken and what was the outcome?
First discuss how you weighed the pros and cons of the risk and the results you'd believe you could achieve. Then discuss the action plan you put into place for it and outline that step by step. Then discuss the outcome and if it wasn't optimal talk about what you would do differently in hindsight.
48. What are your salary expectations In Application Security?
This question is like a loaded gun, tricky and dangerous if you're not sure what you are doing. It's not uncommon for people to end up talking salary before really selling their skills, but knowledge is power as this is a negotiation after all. Again, this is an area where doing your research will be helpful as you will have an understanding of average salary.
One approach is asking the interviewer about the salary range, but to avoid the question entirely, you can respond that money isn't a key factor and you're goal is to advance in your career. However, if you have a minimum figure in mind and you believe you're able to get it, you may find it worth trying.
49. How good are you at problem solving?
Describe the problem first and then discuss how you were able to fix it.
50. What do you look for in terms of culture -- structured or entrepreneurial?
A good answer is to discuss the importance of having both elements in a company In Application Security. Structure is good to maintain a focus on priorities and making sure people are productive but having an entrepreneurial spirit can help cultivate new ideas that can truly help the company.
51. Does your boss know you're here today?
Usually, you probably haven't told your boss for obvious reasons. So it's ok to say that they do not. You don't want to upset the balance at your current job after all and nothing is guaranteed in an interview. The interviewer should understand this stance.
52. What type of work environment do you prefer?
Ideally one that's similar to the environment of the company you're applying to. Be specific.
53. What general trends do you see in our industry?
Examine what's happened in the industry in the last 5 - 10 years and how it's evolved and then look at what both the company and analysts are saying about the future of that industry in which that company competes in. Read trade magazines / online sources in that industry as well to make sure you stay up to date on trends.
54. What types of personalities do you work with best?
In the past, I have found it difficult to work with others who see themselves as better than others, who can take criticism, and who refuse to work with others. I have found it challenging to work with them b/c I am a team oriented person who feels the importance of working together over the needs of the individual especially in a learning environment.
55. Give me an example of an emergency situation that you faced. How did you handle it?
There was a time when one of my employers faced the quitting of a manager in another country. I was asked to go fill in for him while they found a replacement and stay to train that person. I would be at least 30 days. I quickly accepted because I knew that my department couldn't function without me.
56. How would you motivate your team members to produce the best possible results?
Trying to create competitive atmosphere, trying to motivate the team as a whole, organizing team building activities, building good relationships amongst people.
57. Why should the we hire you as this position In Application Security?
This is the part where you link your skills, experience, education and your personality to the job itself. This is why you need to be utterly familiar with the job description as well as the company culture. Remember though, it's best to back them up with actual examples of say, how you are a good team player.
58. Why do you want to work In Application Security for this organisation?
Being unfamiliar with the organisation will spoil your chances with 75% of interviewers, according to one survey, so take this chance to show you have done your preparation and know the company inside and out. You will now have the chance to demonstrate that you've done your research, so reply mentioning all the positive things you have found out about the organisation and its sector etc. This means you'll have an enjoyable work environment and stability of employment etc – everything that brings out the best in you.
59. What's your salary history?
When you are interviewing for a new job, it is common practice for the company to ask you about your salary history. I typically want to know what the candidate's base salary is, if they receive any bonus, the average bonus amount, and any additional compensation or perks, such as 500k matching, stock grants or stock options, paid time off and how much they are required to pay towards their medical premiums.
60. Do you have any questions for me?
Good interview questions to ask interviewers at the end of the job interview include questions on the company growth or expansion, questions on personal development and training and questions on company values, staff retention and company achievements.
61. How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the United States each month?
This is a classic guesstimate question where you need to think aloud. And so first off you round the U.S. population to 300 million people (it's actually about 315 million but rounding will be much easier and your interviewer will not score you lower for rounding). Then estimate how many people eat pizza. A decent educated guess is two out of every three people, or 200 million. Now let's say the average pizza-eating person eats pizza twice a month, and eats two slices at a time. That's four slices a month. If the average slice of pizza is perhaps six inches at the base and 10 inches long, then the slice is 30 square inches of pizza. So, four pizza slices would be 120 square inches (30 times 4).
Since one square foot equals 144 square inches (12 times 12), let's assume that each person who eats pizza eats one square foot per month. Since there are 200 million pizza-eating Americans, 200 million square feet of pizza are consumed in the U.S. each month. To summarize: 300 million people in America, 200 million eat pizza, average slice of pizza is six inches at the base and 10 inches long or 30 square inches, average American eats four slices of pizza a month, four pieces times 30 square inches equals 120 square inches (one square foot is 144 square inches), so let's assume one square foot per person, and thus one square foot times 200 million people equals 200 million square feet of pizza a month.
62. How do you handle stressful situations?
By remaining calm, weighing out all my options and executing a plan to get the situation resolve .
63. Explain me about your experience working in this field In Application Security?
I am dedicated, hardworking and great team player for the common goal of the company I work with. I am fast learner and quickly adopt to fast pace and dynamic area. I am well organized, detail oriented and punctual person.
64. What do you expect to be earning in 5 years In Application Security?
Discuss how you expect yourself to be excellent at your job. Thus, it would be reasonable to expect pay that is based on the merit of your work.
65. What would your first 30, 60, or 90 days look like in this role In Application Security?
Start by explaining what you'd need to do to get ramped up. What information would you need? What parts of the company would you need to familiarize yourself with? What other employees would you want to sit down with? Next, choose a couple of areas where you think you can make meaningful contributions right away. (e.g., “I think a great starter project would be diving into your email marketing campaigns and setting up a tracking system for them.”) Sure, if you get the job, you (or your new employer) might decide there's a better starting place, but having an answer prepared will show the interviewer where you can add immediate impact-and that you're excited to get started.
