Stumped By A Question - Deepstash
Navigate Office Politics

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How to build positive relationships with colleagues and superiors

How to navigate office politics without compromising your values

How to handle conflicts and difficult situations in the workplace

Navigate Office Politics

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Stumped By A Question

Instead of bluffing your way through a question that you are completely stumped with, it is better to be upfront and handle it with honesty and grace. Tell them straight away that you do not know the answer to this question and what similar things you have done which have been effective.

Your life experiences are unique and not identical to what the interviewer is trying to ‘slot’ you into.

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Different Interviewers Saying Different Things

Often, in a multi-round interview, where one gets to meet a variety of interviewers, there can be conflicting information regarding key result areas or training method/duration, and the transition process.

It is great to ask about it while balancing everyone’s views and staying neutral and...

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Explaining A Past Firing

While a majority of prospects have murky pasts, full of setbacks, gap months and difficult to explain scenarios, like getting fired, the employer will still ask and it can be a challenge to answer with ease.

The trick is to be calm and concise, not getting into too many details, no...

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Asking For A Perk

Asking for a Working From Home option or your own personal office seems like something you should negotiate in advance.

  1. For Work From Home, try to ask only if your job is possible from home and negotiate on a certain salary politely keeping the WFH condition on the table and providin...

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The Job Interview

The Job Interview

Hunting for a job is a tricky process and may have many pitfalls. Many of us are not accustomed to having these kinds of conversations or handling the power dynamics of a job interview. There can be many scenarios and awkward situations that we need help with.

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Bad Online Reviews

If you have to ‘clear your mind’ regarding the companies perception, or bad reviews online, before you make a multi-year career commitment, you can ask in a collaborative way, like: “I noticed there are some concerns online regarding the culture and work hours of the company. I am curious abo...

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A Bad Interview

If you are convinced your ‘performance’ was a bad and it happens, you can still try to salvage it. A thank you note/email explaining a few things and showing your interest in the job might help change the interviewer’s mind. Botching up the interview does have a side effect: they would re...

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A Long Multi-Round Process

A Long Multi-Round Process

If you feel there is fog ahead of you due to opacity in the interview process and the multiple rounds, you can simply ask the next steps of the process and the timeline for a decision.

If you think the employer has an elongated set of rounds ahead, request to consolidate them if possible.

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Handling Sample Or Free Work

From a learning perspective, it is good to have some assignment that the interviewer provides you with, as long as it does not hamper your current work or your work-life balance.

If you cannot do it, be upfront and state your concern in a polite way. Let them know about your limitations an...

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Negotiating Salary

There are some phrases that can be used to enthusiastically ask for the package you want.

“I am really excited about this job and am hoping the salary would be higher! Would you be able to go up to $X?” or something in similar lines, *and then keep quiet.*

...

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Handling Inappropriate Questions

While it is illegal to select based on one’s religion, ethnicity, or plans for children, many interviewers still ask about this as it is not illegal to ask.

Answer with a smile and ask a probing question to clarify the reason this kind of a question is asked, and what is the basic concern ...

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CURATED FROM

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isabelg

I love creating music, coffee, and film. Always strive for perfection.

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Tips For Any Tough Interview Question

  1. Take a few seconds to think, not feeling awkward at the slight pause. You can also ask the interviewer to repeat the question, while you think of a good answer.
  2. It is okay to let the interviewer know you are thinking about the answer, taking a minute to think of a suitable response...

Interview Question: Strengths And Weaknesses

Question: What is your greatest weakness? (and other variations of the same theme).

Answer: This question asks about your strengths and weaknesses, but as a decoy. The hidden question is about your honesty, self-awareness, ability to accept feedback and to unlearn ...

“Be a problem-solver”

A common interview question is "Tell me about a time you had to pivot your strategy." It can also be any question that asks you to discuss how you troubleshoot.

When you see this request, try to anticipate what problems this role will have and describe how you would handle...

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