Interview Question and Answer Series: Continued

The first interview question below is a question that you can always expect from somebody on the interview team. To me, this should be a relatively easy question, provided you've done even minimal interview prep. But surprisingly, this question trips up more candidates -- including senior level candidates -- than you might imagine. The biggest mistake? Getting personal. Talking about the birth of a child as your biggest accomplishment totally misses the mark here. Totally unprofessional! You can do much better. Read on...

OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR CAREER, YOU'VE DONE SOME IMPRESSIVE WORK. WHAT IS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT AND WHY?

You need to be prepared to talk about your accomplishments. You need to know what's on your resume and know it cold. Candidates like to answer this interview question in broad strokes -- pulling in everything they've ever done in their career and tagging it as an accomplishment. Think back to building your resume and how we defined accomplishment -- STAR...situation, tactics, activities, results.

An accomplishment is specific; it is measurable. It is not the fact that you've risen from an entry level employee to an SVP in the last 20 years.

Answer the question that was asked here. Of all the things you've done, what stands out in your mind? Take something from your resume and expand upon it. Keep this professional -- the birth of a child or quitting smoking is NOT what we're looking for!

HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR WORK ETHIC? PROVIDE EXAMPLES.

Everyone I know has a strong work ethic...or so they would say. What does this really mean? To me, it means doing what it takes to get the job done. It's being accountable. Being responsible. Meeting deadlines. Working within budgets. Give the interviewer a couple of examples where you went above and beyond the call of duty. This doesn't mean that you worked until 8 PM one night...

WHAT'S THE WORST MISTAKE YOU'VE MADE IN A WORK SITUATION?

You may be able to spin a good story around your weaknesses, but what are you going to say here? To say that you've never made a mistake is deadly. The interviewer won't believe you. In answering this interview question, think about a mistake you learned a critical lesson from -- preferably from early in your career. Talk about what you did to correct your mistake and what you learned. I would add a footnote to my answer here with something that I happen to believe strongly in...when I make a mistake, present day, I am quick to admit it. I have found that it defuses almost any situation. People will not attack someone who's admitted to making a mistake. But get defensive, or try to cover it up...these behaviors are counterproductive. If you make a mistake, admit it, correct it and move on.