Discover how to decipher the most important job interview questions so you can tell your interviewer what they really want to know.

Interview Speak shows you how to ace job interviews by answering the questions behind the questions. Written for job seekers in any field, Interview Speak shows you how to draw on your own unique skillset and deliver answers that will make you stand out.

In Interview Speak you’ll learn how to:

• Break down questions from the interviewer’s point of view

• Anticipate potential questions from a job description

• Develop authentic answers that make you stand out

• Navigate different interview stages

• Recognize and respond to different types of interview questions

Ever felt like you needed a translation guide for a job interview? Interview Speak is that book! From “what are your weaknesses” to “what salary are you looking for”, “why did you leave your last job” to “what questions do you have”, you’ll learn what employers are looking for when they ask these questions and how to give the best answer for you.

Have you ever left an interview thinking “nailed it!” and all you heard back was a short rejection? What happened? Didn’t you say all the right things? Here’s the hard truth: probably not! Job recruiters, screeners, and interviewers speak their own language. If you want to know what they’re really asking, you need to learn interview speak!

About the book

Interview Speak translates the most common, important, and difficult interview questions into plain English and reveals how to answer them effectively and authentically. Experienced interview coaches and employment consultants Barbara Limmer and Laura Browne decode dozens of interview transcripts—including a few clueless responses that may seem all-too familiar. You’ll learn to appear confident and qualified as you turn your good answers into great ones.

What's inside

• An insider’s perspective on the job interview

• Dozens of sample answers to common questions

• No canned replies—develop your own authentic responses

About the reader

For job seekers in any field.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Preparation

1 ■ Welcome to Interview Speak

Part 2 Translations

2 ■ Common questions and special situations

3 ■ Interpersonal skills questions

4 ■ Perseverance skills, failures, and negative situations questions

5 ■ Leadership, hiring, and motivating skills questions

6 ■ Problem-solving, time management, negotiation, and change questions

7 ■ Questions by job function

Part 3 Don’t make these mistakes

8 ■ Not doing your homework, not being real, or leaving without

9 ■ Not hearing the question, the whole question, and the heart of the question

10 ■ Giving answers that sound good to you (but aren’t)

Part 4 Interview stages and interviewers

11 ■ Interview stages and translations before, during, and after

12 ■ How to deal with bad interviewers (and really good ones)

Part 5 Wrap-up

13 ■ Next steps

appendix A ■ Interview questions by chapter

appendix B ■ Questions to think about

appendix C ■ Interview preparation checklist

appendix D ■ Post-interview evaluation

About the Author

Professional career advisor and consultant Barbara Limmer has personally coached thousands of professionals and executives from around the world.

Laura Browne has extensive experience in leadership and management development, including time as Senior Director of Human Resources for a global tech company.