Handling ‘Soft’ Questions in the Interview

Sometimes the interviewer will ask a “Tell me about yourself” type of question. It might also be phrased as something like “Why should I hire you?”, but the idea is the same. Some candidates freeze at this point, but you should really look at such questions as freebies, opportunities to discuss your strengths in an open format. You should have your talking points prepared for just such a case. This is commonly called an “Elevator Pitch”, a convincing story you can deliver in 30 seconds.

Another question is one that’s becoming less common as it’s practically been rendered a cliché, but you might still be asked about your biggest weakness. I always roll my eyes when I hear the question, but you should have an answer prepared just in case it comes up. Remember, the interviewer is not trying to probe you for weaknesses here; they just want to know that you are aware of your own limitations and are able to deal with them.

A variation of the ‘weakness’ question is “What do you like / dislike about your work?” There is no right or wrong answer here; the interviewer is just looking for an intelligent sounding answer. Just don’t say something stupid like “I like getting paid” and “I hate debugging”.

You might also be asked “What motivates you (i.e., as a professional)?” This is a fair question, and one you should not have to think deeply about. If you can’t answer this right away, you need to take a vacation and ponder the question in depth.