Common Non-Technical Questions asked during IT Interviews

Non-Technical questions could be more difficult to answer if you are a true geek. In most of the interviews I gave, these same set of questions were asked...

• Why should we hire you?
  I generally answer this question by explaining how my skills will add to the existing skill in their department. For example, if all of them are firewall guys, then how my IDS experience will bring in new perspective to the team. Find the missing elements in the existing team and see how you will fill the gaps.
• Why are you leaving your current job?
  Its best to be upfront and true about this, unless you are suing your current employer or caught watching porn :p. Common acceptable answers would be looking for change, want to relocate to new area or maybe the current job is no longer exciting ( which is true for most geeks).
• What are your top three strengths?
  These questions are the most tricky, I generally answer them with soft skills such as - ability to write good documentations (esp. for security auditing) , work in team or alone depending upon the project, technical foundation (in other words if your foundation is strong you can pick up new technologies easily).
• What are your top three weaknesses?
  This question should be answered in a way that it shows your strength. Think of it as someone asking you why your code is slow and you answer that `because it does proper input validation and other checks for tainted values`. Now, your answer is +ve and showing that you are validating inputs etc.. So in the same way, your weakness could be that - I am a workaholic (now as a manager who wouldn't like that ;-) ).
• What is an example of a difficult situation with a peer, and how did you resolve it?
  Maybe you want to say, WITH A PUNCH... but that will probably only get you a job in WWE. Mostly people solve office matters amicably and answer should reflect that you can handle such situations with maturity. For example, you solved the situation by putting yourself into other persons shoes, understanding his perspective and then re-evaluating the problem.
• What is an example of a difficult situation with a supervisor, and how did you resolve it?
  Probably same as above...I take time to listen to their point of view, then I seek to work out a collaborative solution.
• If I asked your current or previous supervisor about your greatest strengths, what would he or she say?
  Simple, Just throw in any positive word...eg. Result Oriented
• If I asked your current or previous supervisor about your weaknesses, what would he or she say?
  Now say another positive word but twist it ...eg. She would say that i am overly meticulous (well, security auditors and pentester *should* be meticulous)

Well, this is it for now .. I am sure you will have something to add to this too :)