As an experienced recruiter in the travel business I have heard almost everything that can be asked at an interview, although I suspect there are still more obscure questions out there just waiting to be asked! I’ve had a few experiences myself and have heard back from candidates applying for corporate and executive travel roles, as well as sales manager, product manager and marketing manager roles within the travel industry. I’ve decided to share my experiences in order to help you out at your interview for that dream travel job. So here are my top 10 worst interview questions with advice on how best to answer them. Good luck!

The worst interview questions and how to answer them

What disadvantages can you see in working for us?

Be honest in this situation - if you genuinely believe that there will be any disadvantages then talk about them but make sure that you have done your homework and know enough about the company to pass judgement. Also, do not simply be negative about the travel company - if there are disadvantages, explain how you would overcome these and, if possible, how you have overcome similar situations in you previous executive travel career.

How well do you handle criticism?

Everyone gets criticised in the job they do at some point in their career. Whether you feel that the criticism is right or wrong there are always two sides to every situation. An ideal answer to this question might be "We all at some point make mistakes and I am more than happy to take on board any constructive criticism that is given to me as it helps me understand and learn from the situation".

How have you managed to attend this interview within working hours?

A bit of a naughty question but it can show how honest a person you are. One potential answer could be: "I have taken some holiday to take part in this interview". If you are feeling really clever and you want to impress your interviewer you could say "Unfortunately I didn’t have any holiday left so I asked my employer if I could take a day of unpaid leave because I had a personal issue I needed to deal with. I preferred to take that action as I don’t feel it fair on my existing employer to attend this interview whilst he was paying me. I do not think it’s right to cheat".

Tell me a story

This is a very open ended question and is likely to throw you off guard so the trick is to fire back a question in response such as; "What would you like me to tell you a story about?" It is often a test to see how analytical you are, so people that respond without qualifying the question demonstrate that they don’t really think things through carefully. Ideally the story should focus on your career within travel – don’t ramble on about personal things.

Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten

A silly question really, but one that is made to gauge your self-esteem. Play it safe to avoid appearing arrogant or unworthy of the role, so go for an eight or nine. It would be wise to say that you always give your best but appreciate there is always room from improvement – no-one is perfect.

Have you ever had difficulties getting along with others?

A closed-ended question that requires only a yes or no – so it’s best to give one and then shut up.

What are your weaknesses?

Your strengths and weaknesses should be engrained in your brain but the trick here is to pick a something that you can turn into a positive such as; "I am a bit of a perfectionist, but that does mean I’ll put in the extra hours although I probably do need to be less hard on myself." What travel employer wouldn’t want a dedicated sales or marketing manager?!

If you were an animal what would you be and why?

A bit of a trick question, as the interviewer is trying to catch you off guard. Have an answer up your sleeve just in case as you never know and I have been asked this myself in the past. A few good examples would be Eagle or Lioness as they both represent strength (strong character) and power (ambition).

What are your pet hates?

This kind of question is more common the further up the career ladder you go. Again, the trick is having a positive slant on a negative statement. So you could mention that you don’t have as much respect for people who clock watch or are sick on a Monday or Friday – it bothers but doesn’t anger you.

Are you married, do you have children and other illegal questions?

Although the Sex Discrimination Act and the Race Relations Act forbid employers from discriminating against anyone based on age, sex or religion these questions do unfortunately crop up from time to time at interviews for senior travel jobs, tour operator roles and business travel roles. The best response is to not get angry and walk out but be positive. It’s unlikely you would accept the job from a discriminatory company but you could use the offer as leverage with other offers.

I think a good analogy to make about difficult interview questions is that every cloud has a silver lining, so bring out the positive in your answer even if the question is negative. At the end of the day the travel company is likely to feel you have the right skills and experience, they are most likely testing your response to stressful situations. So take a deep breath and go-get-‘em!