1) Tell Me a Little Something About Yourself.
This is probably one of the most dreaded questions of all time. We quiver
and sweat in our seats wondering what the employer really wants to know.
Hey, relax! For starters, this is a great opportunity for you to sell
yourself to the employer. Talk about your key accomplishments and strengths
and how these factors will benefit the employer in the desired position.
Write down ahead of time what you plan to say; perfect it; then practice it
every chance you get.
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2) Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job?
This question is basically a wolf in sheep's clothing. It appears harmless
enough, but it can damage your potential in a heartbeat if you're not
careful. By all means, keep your answers to this question as positive as
possible. Above all, do not dwell on how much you hate your current boss!
The interviewer wants to hire a team player to the position, not a negative
and vindictive hater.
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3) Are You Still Employed and If Not, Why Not?
If you are, great, but if you aren't, you can still use your answer to this
question to shine a light on your positive features. For example, if you
were laid off or terminated, focus less on the actual termination and more
on what you learned from the whole process. You'll look mature and wise in
the employer's eyes!
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4) Do You Have Any Budgeting Experience?
If you haven't, be honest; but you can answer in a way that shows that you
have had some exposure to adhering to a budget on a project, for example.
If you do have budgeting experience, discuss your fiscal
responsibility.
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5) Have You Ever Managed Anyone?
This question is most important to those who are seeking a supervisory type
of position. If you have managerial experience, elaborate on how many people
you have supervised and what their positions were in the spectrum of the
organizational chart. However, if you haven't had direct managerial
practice, talk up how much you were a part of the decision process of a
team project, or how you organized volunteers for a fundraiser.
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6) What Are Your Strengths as an Employee?
To adequately answer this question, you need to be aware of the strengths
you possess in the following areas: personality, experience, and skills.
Once that information is known, match your strengths to the requirements
of the position for which you are interviewing.
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7) What Are Your Weaknesses?
Obviously, no one likes to admit that they have any weaknesses, especially
in front of a potential employer. So what do you do? You can provide ONE
trait about yourself that is the least important to the position. Refrain
from canned responses such as you are a perfectionist or a workaholic.
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8) Discuss How You Make Important Decisions.
If you are interviewing for a supervisory role, you definitely want to come
across as someone who is able to ask for input from others, yet is
comfortable making the final decisions. Also, consider the type of position
and company. For example, is it a budgetary role at a financial institution?
In that case, you probably will want to emphasize that you exercise great
care and caution when making big decisions.
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9) Where Do You Want to Be Five Years From Now?
Suffice it to say, do not answer this question with, "Retired". Keep your
answers positive and simple, with just a tinge of ambition. Think along the
lines of a "motivated" versus "rat race" mentality.
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10) What Have Been the Biggest Accomplishments of Your Career so Far?
Focus on accomplishments that directly relate to the open position. Discuss
the challenge you were presented with, your actions, and the end result.
Did you streamline processes? Devise a way to increase customer satisfaction?
Were you recognized by management for your efforts? The way you answer this
question will distinguish you from other applicants since your answer will
require you to go beyond the basic job responsibilities.
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11) Give us an example of a challenging situation you have had to overcome.
This is a request that will require you to know a lot about yourself. If you've prepared for the interview beforehand, you should be able to answer this question without any problems. You should reflect on your past work experience. You must quickly be able to think about any challenges you've overcome. It doesn't have to be something that is related to employment. If you were in the military, you could describe a challenge you overcame. If you are a college graduate, you can give an example of an academic challenge you successfully overcame.
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12) How do you handle conflicts at work place
On the job, there are many possible sources of conflict. Conflicts with: fellow employees management rules, procedures clients, customers demands of work vs. personal life, family. The best way to approach a good answer is to look at if from the employers point of view they want to be your first priority and they want you to solve problems (not bring them any). "I know everything cannot run smoothly at work all the time. When there is a conflict I usually try to determine the source of the problem and see if it can be solved. This might involve other members of the work team discussing the problem and offering possible solutions. I would then try to pick the solution which appears to have the best outcome and put it into action." A natural follow-up to this would be: Tell me when you solved a conflict at work. So, have a brief example… a short story… to illustrate your approach. Even if not asked, you can offer your story! If it proves your point and accentuates a skill needed for the position, go with it.
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13) Describe a challenging work issue you had to face, and how you dealt with it?
Consider what would be the requirements of the 'new' job/organization and find something in your past that highlights a skill, experience or situation that might occur or be needed going forward. It is always a good idea to make lists in preparation for interviews: you used the skill, exhibited the characteristic or handled the problem. This will not only give you 'short stories' to relate in an interview, it will also bolster your confidence and target your job search. You will need to provide an example of when.
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