Interview question..

34 Comments

1. Peggie Arvidson * Career Consultant | Adoptee Advocate | RecruiterDecember 1,2022 at 10:39PM UTC

   It's a weird questions for sure, but depending on the type of role and who the interviewers were (i.e., are they HR / TA people or the manager) they may not have any real experience/training on how to conduct an effective interview.

   I work to teach my hiring managers how to have a replicable process for interviewing, so everyone is getting more or less the same questions focused on the specifics of the role.

   I'm curious how you responded?

   Remember a job interview is most successful when candidates make it into a conversation - because you are interviewing the potential employer too.

   Good luck on the job hunt.

2. Colleen NealonDecember 2,2022 at 12:29AM UTC

   well they asked if there was anything not on my resume I wanted them to know. I said nothing related directly do this position (liquor company educator) but I am a licensed massage therapist and certified yoga instructor. So I’m really into wellness and keeping a balanced lifestyle.

   At the end I had several questions. One interviewer took the time to answer and the other seemed short.

   Really not sure how to read the entire process.

3. Beth DaniellDecember 2,2022 at 2:09PM UTC

   These seem like good answers to me - show the human side of you and emphasize what's important to you outside the office. Don't let the anxiety get to you. Questions like these are just designed to see how you handle yourself. Good luck!

4. AnonymousDecember 2,2022 at 4:06PM UTC

   Since this is the third interview, have they already done a background or credit check or a drug test? Do you suspect there would be anything on any of those that could raise a flag? If they have done the checks, they might want you to explain something they have found voluntarily. If they haven't done the checks, they may be allowing you to explain something they might find. They might just be trying to allow you to provide them with anything you might have missed in the previous interviews.

   One note about drug tests. Most drugs leave your system within 2-3 days. Marijuana (technically THC), however, will show up in a urine test for 30 days, so if you have already been tested, let them know if you are taking any prescriptions that are controlled substances or are allowed to use marijuana for medical reasons, especially if the test was or will be within the timeframe of showing a positive result.

5. Colleen NealonDecember 2,2022 at 10:02PM UTC

   Exactly where my mind went but I have nothing on my record. THC is legal in NJ for recreational purposes and I sometimes have a gummy to sleep. But other than that.. nothing to report.

6. AnonymousDecember 4,2022 at 1:33PM UTC

   I beg to differ having been in HR for 40 years and knowing the most recent guidelines, none of your background check or drug testing, results should be shared with the hiring managers. HR is to keep that information and never disclose. They failed the background test or they failed the drug test is all that can be said, NEVER ever offer your prescription drug regime!!!!!

   move on if they don’t want you, even when hiring managers probed for the reasoning behind the failure of the test, it was not ever revealed!!!

   When the question comes up, say no there’s nothing else if they did a credit report, that’s another issue because we had a lot of individuals who had outstanding college loans but again I would keep this within HR certainly not with anyone that you’d be working with her for .

7. AnonymousDecember 4,2022 at 1:18PM UTC

   I had a similar question once. I had just passed a national certification exam the day before and it was not on my resume. So I bragged.

8. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 4,2022 at 2:29PM UTC

   As well you should brag!!

9. GirlBossanova934974December 4,2022 at 1:19PM UTC

   Sounds like a 'fill in the form' question to me. The company has probably decided for whatever reason to throw that question in that end for all applicants for all jobs. It may be there have been 1 or 2 applicants in the recent past who failed to disclose material information that later resulted in the job offer being withdrawn. I really would not read much into it. From an employer's perspective, it is a real downer when you think you have found the perfect candidate and you have to withdraw the offer when you find out something which IF someone had told you about at the beginning, you might have been able to look past. Background checks cost the company money. Starting all over from scratch looking for another candidate is far more expensive.

10. AnonymousDecember 4,2022 at 1:54PM UTC

    I have been out of the interview world for a while, but this doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. However…was this at the start of the interview or the end? If it’s at the end, especially, the company just might want to know what else there is to you that they might have missed. Another respondent said she bragged about a recently earned certification. I think that’s the kind of thing they’re looking for. Sometimes it’s just a question.

11. Balanced709141December 4,2022 at 1:55PM UTC

    When I interviewed potential candidates, I used to ask this question. Two folds, gives an opportunity for the candidate to brag about themselves or why they are the best candidate for this position. The second, some candidates are untruthful , it’s a technique I learned when I worked as a police officer. It catches people off guard and may divulge something that the candidate didn’t mean to say. For instance, I found out a candidate attacked his coworker over an argument while at work.

12. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 4,2022 at 2:13PM UTC

    I personally think this is a good question. Companies are now staying away from typical old and tired questions that can be prepared for and actually wanting to see how you think on your feet and actually asking questions so that in this very short time they can have some insight as to who you are as a person. How you answer this question really gives some insight as how you can think outside the box. Be prepared in this new world of interviewing to be asked questions such as what will your team say about you if asked, why are you interested on our company and specifically this job and they want to see your attitude as you answer these type of questions. Your facial expressions also reveal a lot about you as how you function in stressful situations. As well as your body language. Just being "qualified" for the job will alone not get you an offer. It is all of these other factors along with your qualifications that will put you at the top. Send an email thank you to each and every person that you interviewed with is certainly your choice but if you do not do it and the competition does, it will speak volumes about your sense of business etiquette. You can say it is old fashioned, but it is not and those who do will definitely be remembered and have an advantage.

13. Maureen B. WeisnerDecember 5,2022 at 12:33AM UTC

    Yes!

14. AnonymousDecember 4,2022 at 2:57PM UTC

    Open ended... puts all the work of response and searching for what they are looking for on you... I don't have an issue with it, but do find it a bit cagey.... Are you getting that vibe??

15. AnonymousDecember 4,2022 at 3:21PM UTC

    It sounds like they have run out of questions for you! I don’t think you should read too much into it

16. Bradford McCormickDecember 4,2022 at 3:34PM UTC

    It's not exactcly decent, is it? Do you have any felonies on your record of which they are not aware? If yes, it's time to fess up. Does your resume inflate your academic background saying you have a degree you do not have? Again, time to fess up? Is this the CIA? Or are you interviewing for a job in the Federal Government where you will be questioned by the Congress? Better dig deep, because somebody else likely will. No matter how bad or how old it is, in these cituations it is your oblication to not put your potential employer at risk.

    None of the above? What business is it of theirs? I would turn the question baak on them and very politely ask them to tell me what kind of information they were looking for so I could ***help*** provide it to them. Or just go sme place else.

17. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 4,2022 at 7:10PM UTC

    With that answer, they would probably politely telly you goodbye. Again, personality is so much a part of the hiring process.

18. Allison BranenDecember 4,2022 at 4:12PM UTC

    I probably would’ve told them something about a hobby or interest, since those aren’t usually on resumes and might not have been discussed in the first two interviews. If you’ve advanced to a third round, they might be trying to get a sense of cultural fit. So telling them you love to read/travel/cook/work out/volunteer, etc., reveals more about who you are.

19. Lynn KindlerDecember 4,2022 at 4:13PM UTC

    It's okay, it sounds like they wanted to give you a chance to add in anything you may have put on your back burner. It is also a time when if you hold steady and be who you've been during all your interviews, it confirms to them that you are who you've been telling them you are. There are probably some interviewees that when they are asked this question drop their guard and either babble too long or show a part of their personality that should have been kept under wraps!

20. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 4,2022 at 7:08PM UTC

    I agree with this. The response tells alot.

21. Afo Ogbeyalu KaluDecember 4,2022 at 4:15PM UTC

    It's a variant of the "tell me about yourself" opener. In the future consider sharing with the interviewer a career highlight or accomplishment which would distinguish you from other candidates. Always remember, the interview's main purpose is to determine how much value you'd add to the organization if hired. Your responses should reflect that.

22. Clydene HorriganDecember 4,2022 at 4:19PM UTC

    I look at it as another form of “tell me about yourself.” I may have reiterated some if the points I had shared in previous interviews for the things I really want to make sure they remember. If I had something I wish I had mentioned before, I would bring it up at this point. I would end with a question back to see if there is anything in particular they were looking for.

23. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 4,2022 at 7:07PM UTC

    yes excellent.

24. Shelby CDecember 4,2022 at 4:47PM UTC

    It's a legal way to ask if you have anything they can't ask about (eg children, chronic illness).

25. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netDecember 4,2022 at 7:06PM UTC

    Not really. It is a way to determine this kind of attitude. Exactly what they do not want to hire. If you cannot effectivly answer this kind of question without being a complaining naysayer, then you do not belong in this kind of company.

26. Lyn WelchDecember 5,2022 at 2:10PM UTC

    I disagree. It's a perfectly fine opening question. Everyone knows what are legal and illegal interview questions, so the interviewee should use the opportunity to give the interviewers a 1 or 2 minute "elevator" pitch about his or her finest qualities. After doing that, s/he should add, "And I'm very good at thinking on my fèet."

27. Shelby CDecember 6,2022 at 12:22AM UTC

    I did not say it was illegal. It is a loophole. Some people use it to pitch themselves and others incriminate themselves. I have found out that people have lied on resumes, omitted information on applications, need accommodations (great time to mention it), need flex-time due to childcare, etc. One guy proceeded to tell me a story about how he hid a dead body and another told me about a pending charge for child abduction - neither showed on their backgrounds.

28. AnonymousDecember 4,2022 at 10:08PM UTC

    I’ve actually had this asked before, I didn’t take it too seriously, they are just trying to see if you’re the right fit for their business, I just added some of my personal interests and hobbies to answer the question, I’d already told them anything else personal

29. Liz MilneDecember 5,2022 at 1:39AM UTC

    Possibly they've been burned by hiring someone who had withheld something that would have been a gamechanger before, and then couldn't get rid of them because they hadn't asked? This way, if they find out something about their interviewees, they can terminate them for giving false info/ omitting important revelations? But yes, odd for a third interview? Check your public socials: see if you've put up anything that might be construed as ambiguous?

30. AnonymousDecember 5,2022 at 1:39PM UTC

    I actually think that the question gives you an opportunity to shine. If you get it again, I would practice answers to call out skills or experiences that are difficult to capture on a resume. Also could use it to highlight your personality or even humor, depending how you read the interviewer. For example an interesting hobby or volunteer interest.

31. Kimberly GrahamDecember 5,2022 at 5:24PM UTC

    I love that question since it opens the door for you to address anything relevant that hasn't come up in the interview!

32. Lyn WelchDecember 8,2022 at 9:08PM UTC

    Yes - great question and a lot of interviewees get caughht offguard, spouting their entire 30 year employment history, starting with their paper route at 12 y/o. I like Kimberly's response, but also consider having ready a 2 minute "elevator" speech about your wonderful qualities that will make your company a bunch of money, or save them a bunch of money.

33. tiffany birchDecember 6,2022 at 2:15AM UTC

    What a great questions. Sounds like a good interviewer. Take it as an opportunity to shine. Any special activities that would highlight your soft skills?

34. Maria MolinariDecember 8,2022 at 7:24AM UTC

    Ugh this is a great question and I love when I’m asked this!

    YES there is always something more they should know before you get started. What have they asked you already? If it doesn’t have anything to do with your abilities, characteristics etc mention those. Mention anything about you that would make you a great fit for the role!