5 Tricky Interview Questions and How to Answer Them (With Examples)

With the writer's strike creating a ripple of project delays and layoffs, I thought this was a good time to write some tips about interview questions, from my perspective and experience as a supervisor. Let me know if this helps and if you have any other questions that you'd like to know about! Without further ado, here are 5 of some of the trickiest interview questions:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself

This is often an opener question and, even though it seems vague and open ended, it is not asking for your life story. Instead, this question is meant as an opportunity to introduce yourself and allow you to summarize your skillset and key traits that are relevant to the position you are applying for.

For example, you could start by giving a quick intro to your professional work:

"I've been working as an environment artist [or your role] for the past X years, out of which most recently at Y company, where I had the opportunity to work on some great projects, such as: [mention a few projects]."

You could then follow with a short statement about your strength(s), such as:

"I am really passionate about creating environments and over the years I have developed a [insert here your strongest skillset, such as a strong understanding of composition, photorealism, advanced technical knowledge etc.]"

To wrap it up, add a short statement about how your strength applies to your next role and any other secondary remarks, such as:

"What I am looking for next is a role where I can leverage my [skillset from above] in order to create complex environments and handle entire sequences on my own."

You can also end with a question, such as: "Is this what you are looking for?". This way, it create a dialogue and opens up the conversation.

2. Give us an example of a challenging situation and how you solved it

Our work in this industry has many challenges and oftentimes we want to make sure you have strong problem solving skills to work through common obstacles associated with the role. While this question is not often asked at junior and intermediate levels, you can be sure you will hear it if you apply for senior or higher roles.

When answering this question, focus on providing a specific situation, action and result.

The situation should be relevant to the position you are applying for - for example, if you are an artist, you could talk about a challenging sequence and answer these points:

• Why was it challenging? Was it a technical complexity, an artistic complexity, a short deadline?
• How did you overcome the challenge? For example, maybe it was a technique or workflow you implemented, or a way to automate certain parts of the work.

3. What are your weaknesses?

This is a fairly common yet difficult question. We ask this one in order to see if you can be honest and self-aware of your abilities.

To answer this question, you need to focus on your skillset, avoid negativity and always try to turn the negative into a positive.

For example, you could say: "I don't have an advanced knowledge of the 3D workflows, but I am always eager to learn that, given the opportunity."

Notice how you took a weakness and put it into a positive light - an employer might be willing to accept that weakness if they know you are open to improve it.

4. What are your strengths?

This is another fairly common question and, similar to the one above, you need to be honest. Focus on your skillset and how can it benefit your next role at the company you are interviewing with. You can also expand on the strength you mentioned during your introduction, if applicable.

For example, you could say: "One of my biggest strengths is the fact that I am highly organized, which, combined with my technical experience, allows me to iterate quickly and considerably shorten the time it takes to get a sequence approved."

Notice how not only you mentioned your strength, but you also provided an example of how it can benefit your employer and what results they can expect.

5. Do you have any questions?

Now this one might seem weird to include in the list, but it is actually one of the most important questions (and if it's not asked, it's already a red flag in regards to the company!). Not only does this question allow you to find out more about the job and team you will work with, but it also shows the company how interested you are.

When it comes to this moment, don't say "I don't have any questions"!

Even if somehow all your questions were answered during the interview, you need to show some level of interest and pro-activity. Ask about:

• The company culture, for example: "I'm wondering, how often are you organizing social events now that so many people are WFH?"
• The pipeline: "I wonder what kind of tools my department has"
• The software or the workflows.