My new book, The Everything Job Interview Book, 2nd Edition, hit bookstores recently. With unemployment statistics climbing since then, I thought this might be a good opportunity to share some of the content with Long Island Press readers. With the publisher’s permission, I’ve excerpted part of a chapter titled, “The Abominable Zinger.” These are questions that are designed to catch you off guard, and will show the interviewer how quickly you think on your feet and can turn a negative into a positive. Here are a few questions, sample answers, and answering tips.

Q. Tell me about a project in which you were a bit disappointed in your own performance.

A. In my last job with a manufacturing company, I had to analyze all the supplier bids and present recommendations to the vice president of logistics. Because the supplier bids weren’t in a consistent format, my analysis often consisted of comparing dissimilar items. This caused some confusion in my final report, and by the time I’d reworked it and presented it to the vice president, we’d lost the critical time we’d needed to improve our approval process for these bids. In hindsight, I should have set the bid format so that we could assess similar items. Ever since, I’ve used a request-for-proposal process consistent with the results we are looking to achieve.

Describe the barriers you’ve come across in past experiences and how you’ve worked around them. How have your skills come into play? In hindsight, what could you have done differently? Most important, turn this roadblock into a lesson and tell the interviewer what you learned from having gone through the experience.

Q. What are some of the things your supervisor has done that you disliked?

A. The only thing I really don’t like is to get feedback in front of others. I want to hear good or bad feedback in private so that I have time to think and react to the issue without further distractions. I believe that’s the fair way to improve learning or to change future behavior.

Avoid being overly negative about your ex-boss or manager. Discuss a relatively minor example of one with which the interviewer is likely to empathize. Put a positive spin on your answer by describing what you learned from this difficult situation.

Q. What would you do or say if I told you that I thought you were giving a very poor interview today?

A. Well, the first thing I would do is to ask whether there had been any specific parts of the interview that you thought I mishandled. After that, I’d try to remember if there had been any faulty miscommunication on my part. Then I’d try to review possible problems I had understanding your questions, and I’d ask for clarification if I needed it. Finally, if we had time, I’d try to respond more fully and appropriately to the problem areas you identified.

This is a stress question; candidates hate them, but interviewers love them and they’ll slip them into the interview whenever they can. Take them in stride, don’t get defensive, and keep that smile on your face.

From The Everything Job Interview Book, 2nd Edition, © 2008, F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of Adams Media, an F+W Media, Inc. Co. All rights reserved.

Nancy Schuman is a vice president at Lloyd Staffing, headquartered in Melville, and is the author of seven how-to books on career guidance and job-search techniques. Lloyd Staffing offers temporary, contract and full-time employment services on a regional and national basis. Send your career-related questions to jobadvice@lloydstaffing.com.