Job Interview Questions and Answers
Question 45: What could you have done to improve your relationship with your least favorite boss?
Again, refrain from stating negativities about your former boss. Put a positive spin on your answer by telling the interviewer that, if you had it to do all over again, you would have requested more feedback from your boss regarding your performance and requested to be assigned more projects, etc.
Question 46: What is the most foolish thing you've ever done?
Do not answer this question by claiming that you have never done anything foolish, because everyone has done something foolish. The ideal answer would be to admit a foolish thing you did in your personal life a long time ago (perhaps as a teenager) rather than admit a foolish mistake done in your recent professional life.
For example, one might answer, "When I was 14 years old, I decided to steal my father's car keys and go for a joy ride. Unfortunately, my driving skills weren't as good as I thought they were and I crashed into a telephone pole less than a mile from home. I was so afraid of my father's reaction, that I left the car there and ran to a friend's house. I did do some other silly things as a kid, but fortunately, I've never done anything I consider to be foolish as an adult or at work. Of course, I have made some mistakes at work, but I've learned from them and didn't consider them to be foolish."
Question 47: Have any of your past employers refused to give you a reference?
Of course, the best answer to this question is "no", but if you have to answer "yes", explain why in a professional manner. In other words, don't complain bitterly about the employer who refused to give you a reference.
Sample answer 1: "Yes, John Wilson at Acme refuses to give me a reference because he is unhappy that I resigned from the company. This is unfortunate because John and I really liked each other and worked well together. I did receive excellent performance reviews and two raises based on performance while at Acme, so his refusal to give me a reference is not based on poor performance. As I said, he is angry at me for resigning because he considers my doing so to be disloyal to the company."
Sample answer 2: "Yes, Acme Corporation refuses to give me a reference; however, this is not based on performance. Acme has been sued many times by former employers so they have adopted the policy of confirming only job title, work dates and salary through HR. If you contact Mr. Wilson at Acme, he will likely not respond or will refer you to HR. This is not based on my performance, but rather, on company policy."
Job Interviews > Questions 45, 46 and 47
