In this second article about the interview, I want to give you some insight about questions recruiters ask potential employees. Below, I'm going to describe five areas that help a recruiter evaluate your potential for success. The highlighted text is what they want to know, that will be followed by some example questions. So let's dig in.

1. Team Player

   1. Tell me about a time you were really busy at work and needed help. What did you do?

   2. What could your last employer have done better?

   3. How did you enjoy working for your last employer?

   4. What kind of people do you like to work with? What makes them pleasant to work with?

   5. What were some of the things about which you and your supervisor might occasionally disagree?

   6. Describe the most difficult personality you had to work with. How did you handle that person?

   7. What kind of people do you find it most difficult to work with? What is about them you would like to change?

2. Job Aptitude

   1. Tell me about a really busy day you had recently; how did you prioritize your responsibilities?

   2. What specific strengths do you think you can bring to this position?

   3. What did you do the day before yesterday on the job - in detail?

   4. What is it about your job that interests you?

   5. What do you like about being a ___? What don't you like about being a ____?

   6. What kind of pressures did you encounter in your previous job?

3. Empathy & Compassion

   1. Tell me about a time you dealt with an angry family member. How did you handle it?

   2. Tell me about a time you disagreed with your peers about how to handle a task. What did you do and what was the outcome?

4. Integrity & Honesty

   1. Tell me about a time when you had to take a short cut in patient care. What did you do?

   2. What kind of references do you think your previous employer will give you?

5. Communication Skills

   1. For this, employers won't ask you any specific questions. They will make this assessment based on observation. Keep in mind these few rules:

      1. Non-Verbal communication-at least 70% of what you communicate is done this way (body language, eye contact, subtle eye movement, tone, facial expressions and volume).

      2. The quality of your questions (do the questions relate an understanding of the position, an interest in the job or in the pay and benefits)

      3. The questions you didn't ask

A good recruiter will use an 80/20 rule. That is they will listen 80% of the time and talk only 20% of the time. As I mentioned in last months article, think before you answer questions. Silence after an employer asks you a question is okay. When you do answer, try to answer completely and accurately.