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Last week, a former student called to tell me she had interviewed for a position she really wanted. Unfortunately, she didn’t think it went well. Although she felt she had the skills needed for the job, she said they asked her several questions she wasn’t prepared for and stumbled through many of her responses. I felt for her, because I know there are few things worse than really wanting a job you know you’re perfect for but being unable to convince an interviewer of this.

Alan Kramer, managing consultant for outplacement firm Drake Beam Morin, has helped hundreds of job seekers nail interviews and offers advice about how to handle tough questions.

If you are seeking a job or will be in the future, you might find the following tips helpful.

• “If you were an animal, what kind would you be?” If I were asked this question during an interview, the only response I think I could muster would be, “If you were an idiot, what kind of idiot would you be?” Luckily, I’ve never been asked this question. If you happen to hear this during an interview, Kramer offered the following advice: “It’s a question about self-perception, and how you answer it depends on the position you’re applying for. Just make sure the animal you choose exemplifies the personality traits of someone who is likely to be successful in this job. For instance, if the job calls for highly competitive behavior — sales would be one example — then you want to identify yourself as a lion, a shark or a tiger. In roles where nurturing behavior and concern for others are paramount, choose an animal like a koala bear or a dog.”

• Another question often asked is “What is your greatest flaw?” Being asked this question during a job interview is only slightly less unnerving than being asked this during a first date. Kramer said, “This is tricky because interviewers are quite familiar with the techniques of presenting an overdone strength as a weakness.” For example, “I’m too dedicated to my work” or “I put a lot of pressure on myself to do great work.” An employer may see this as evasive. What you can do is ask yourself what you’ve improved on to achieve the successes you’ve had so far. Emphasize what you’ve learned and how you’re better at your work because of your experience. Whatever you do, don’t try to get away with saying you have no flaws or worse, offer more than one weakness. An interview isn’t the time to spill your guts.

• I once was asked the question, “Which one of your references will tell me the real truth about you?” I wanted to say, “Probably the one I only paid five bucks.” Instead, I said, “All of them, of course,” and left it at that. Kramer tells his clients that “references should include managers, peers, subordinates and customers or clients. Then you can respond to this question by saying, ‘I have chosen a group of references who can tell you about my work from different perspectives, and I’ve encouraged all of them to speak frankly about my skills and abilities. I would expect them all to be truthful.’”

• If you are asked “Would you work for free?” avoid the temptation to grab your belly, laugh hysterically and say, “Are you kidding me? Would you?” Most likely, potential employers don’t expect you to work for free. They just want to see how passionate you are about your work. Kramer said, “If compensation was not an issue — if you won the lottery — would you still be in this line of work? So what you want to do here is talk about what attracted you to the field, what interests you the most about it and has been the most satisfying in your career so far.”

There are few things as intimidating as a job interview. When you are asked tough questions that come out of nowhere, it only makes the experience more nerve-racking. While it might seem insane to be asked, “If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be?” quickly think about what the interviewer is trying to discover about you — whether it’s your creativity level or how psychologically stable you are.

While there is no way to prepare for every possible interview question, rehearse a wide variety of them with a friend or family member to get comfortable with talking about yourself in a positive way. If this fails and you are left speechless from a barrage of grueling questions during your interview, resist the temptation to jump over the interviewer’s desk, get him in a solid choke hold and ask, “Now who’s asking the questions?” Instead, try to stay confident and focus on the skills and knowledge you would bring to the position.