Watch Out for These Interview Traps

Job interviews are often stressful on their own, but add in a few tricky questions and the interview can become a minefield of mixed emotions and nerves. Interviewers commonly ask trap questions — questions designed to display how well you react to stress and determine your ability to express yourself professionally. Review the following job interview questions to learn a few strategies for remaining calm.

What Kind of Salary Are You Looking For?

This question is designed to trip you up. Do not make the mistake of throwing out a specific figure. Instead, tell the interviewer that your salary requirements are on par with the average salaries for this position and industry. If the interviewer pushes for more detail, throw out a wide range, such as $30,000 to $50,000, that directly correlates with the range of salaries in your chosen industry.

Tell Me About Yourself.

This might be the trickiest job interview question ever uttered. In casual situations, answering this question is a breeze, but in an interview, you have to be very careful. The interviewer is not looking for a detailed rundown of your pets' names and Saturday night hobbies. Play it safe by discussing only your professional interests, work experience, educational background and specific skills that relate to the position being offered. Keep your answer concise and no longer than a minute in length.

What is Your Biggest Weakness?

This is a very common question in job interviews, and the answer you give needs to walk a very fine line. If you say you don't have any weaknesses, you can come across as delusional or arrogant. If you say you're a perfectionist or work too hard, the interviewer has heard that a million times. What they want to know is that you are aware of areas you need to work on and are actively taking steps to improve. So it is okay to mention a small weakness in response to this question; just make sure the weakness doesn't directly relate to the position you're applying for.

What Other Companies Have You Spoken With?

The interviewer really wants to know how valuable you might be to their competitors: the answer might affect how quickly the company decides to make a hiring decision and how much they plan to pay you. If you say you're not talking to anyone else, it might make you look less valuable as a candidate. If you say too many other names, it could make you look flaky or unfocused. So keep it generic. Mention that you're considering a few other opportunities, and then quickly change the subject back to the opportunity at hand.

You can't be sure whether the answers you give during a job interview will help or hurt your chances of getting an offer. Prepare in advance so you can anticipate having to answer tricky questions. Often, the employer is simply looking for clues into your personality and communication style, so try to keep calm during the job interview. Doing so helps you come across as confident and professional — traits of any good job candidate.

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