July 22nd, 2010 → 12:28 pm @ marc
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:
New job will need I can provide Proof/example
For your proofs, list (for yourself) examples of when 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
In what way do you think you can contribute to our company?
Preparing to answer this question requires a 2-step preparation: assessing your skills and researching the needs of the company. An integral part of skill assessment (looking at your own experience, education and talents) is to ‘skill-match’. Considering the job opening, what are the skills needed? Make a list of the requisite skills (in priority order) and then list concrete examples of your possession of the skill. For example: a sales representative would need good interpersonal skills and the ability to deal with difficult people. For ‘proof’ of this skill, you could list experiences and examples of how you were successful in a difficult situation. These matched skills are your key selling points.
Next, what appears to be the current problems at the organization, based upon your research? What are their needs that you can meet? In other words, given the specifics of the company, what value can you add? After these two steps, you are in a great position to come up with concrete examples of what you can offer the company. This question, by the way, is just another version of “Why should we hire you?”. In the interview, when asked this question, you could respond with: “In my experience in sales, I know having the ability to deal effectively with all types of people is not merely a positive element — it is an essential one. With your plans to expand into ____ market, a sales representative with a proven ability to meet with all types of people and to be able to assess and meet their immediate needs would be a great asset. In the past __ years, I have increased sales __…..”
Tell us about your analytical skills?
This should be easy if you have done a realistic skill inventory for yourself, listing what skills you do have and how you can offer proof of this skill (where you learned it, last used it). Working off your inventory, focus on various analytical skills and match them to the skills you feel are most important for the job you are considering. You can now give specific examples of skills you can offer. (Do not neglect skills obtained in extracurricular activities, such as volunteer work.)
What are some of the things you find difficult to do?
The interviewer is looking to determine how well you know yourself and how you react to difficult situations/tasks and credibility. Look back over your work experience for examples of challenges…speaking in public at a meeting, disagreeing with a manager over an important issue, being asked to use a software program you have not had an opportunity to learn…
These ‘stories’ should illustrate a lesson learned, a problem overcome or a weakness being dealt with.
“I always seem to need a day or two to prepare myself to give a presentation to department heads. When I know I have to give a report on my projects, I plan out all the details in advance and rehearse. One time, there was a problem with a supplier and I was asked to update senior management…immediately. The supply chain was crucial to the completion of an important project we had been working on for 5 months and decisions had to be made based on the information I had to prepare and present at a moment’s notice. I gathered the information and presented it simply and in detail. It was much easier than I thought without the hours of concern and practice. The facts spoke for themselves. Since I understood the situation, I was able to make it clear to management and get a rapid decision. I still prefer advance notice but I know I can deliver when asked to.”
July 17th, 2010 → 2:49 pm @ marc
Before the interview
1. You can never be too prepared for a job interview! Check out the company’s website, do some internet research and ask your consultant questions. Get a good understanding of the company’s background, products/services, locations and competitors. The question “what do you know about our company” will almost always be one of the first questions the interviewer asks.
2. Look over the job description thoroughly. Think of possible questions you may be asked and also identify examples from your background that refer back to the job description and demonstrate your ability to do the job.
3. Put together a couple of samples of your work that illustrate your skills. Don’t bring too many samples as this can count against you if they’re pulling out too much info.
4. Think through likely questions that you will be asked… Some of these could include…
• Why are you seeking a position with our company?
• What attracted you to this role?
• What type of skills and attributes can you contribute to our company?
• Why do you think you are qualified for this position?
• Why are you leaving your current job?
• What are you career aspirations? Where do you see yourself in 2 years? 5 years?
• What have you enjoyed most in your career to date?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your limitations or weaknesses? (Think of these as areas for development, turn a potential negative into a positive!)
• Describe your personality.
• How do you cope with pressure situations?
• How have you managed conflict in the past?
• What is your learning style?
• What management style gets the most out of you?
• What are your greatest achievements to date?
5. Think about questions you would like to ask the interviewer (one or two would suffice). The emphasis should be on what is expected of you and not on what you expect from the company. Some examples of questions are…
• Why is the position available?
• What are the company’s plans for the future? How would I be expected to contribute towards this goal?
• What type of training and induction would be given for the role?
• What would a normal day in this role look like?
• What is the culture of the organisation?
• What opportunities are there for professional development?
• What attributes and skills would you hope that I’d bring to the job?
6. Prepare specific scenarios/examples from your private or work life on some of the following topics…
• Adapting to change
• Dealing with conflict (probably best to use an example from the work place)
• Leadership
• Time where you worked in a team
You may need to describe how you approached these situations, why you used the method you used and what the outcome was.
7. Bring a copy of your resume.
8. If you are unsure of the location of the interview look it up and plan how you will get there on the day. Plan to arrive a few minutes early!
9. Make sure you know the interviewer’s full name and pronunciation of it.
The Interview
1. Dress tidily and appropriately in line with the company’s dress policy. You won’t have a second chance at making a good first impression!
2. Never go into an interview smelling of smoke.
3. Turn off your mobile phone!
4. Be polite to the receptionist and friendly and positive with everyone you see/meet.
5. Meet with a good firm handshake and follow the interviewer’s direction on where to be seated.
6. Make an effort to talk and make eye contact to everyone in the interview.
7. Don’t slouch or fidget. Be alert at all times.
8. Be confident and smile!
9. Speak clearly and to the point and don’t be too lengthy in response to questions – keep your answers to 1-2 minutes.
10. Use examples where possible and refer to the samples of work that you have assembled. Don’t just answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
11. If you don’t understand what you’ve been asked reflect back “Are you asking me…?” Don’t be afraid to ask if a question can be rephrased.
12. If asked about salary expectations don’t put too much emphasis on money. Discuss what motivates you.
13. Talk about the skills that you will utilize in the role, what you will contribute to the company and what makes you different from other candidates.
14. Be able to describe why you want the job. If you are interested in the role state your interest and ask “what is the next step?”
15. At the end of the interview thank the interviewer for their time and consideration.
Don’t
• Say anything negative about a past employer/company.
• Interrupt anyone.
• Lie – Answer truthfully and to the point.
• Enquire about salary, bonuses or holidays unless the issue is raised first.
• Let discouragement show… if you feel the interview isn’t going well don’t act discouraged. Be positive.
After the interview
1. Contact your consultant and give them feedback from the interview.
2. Be decisive about your interest or otherwise in the role.
3. Clearly articulate any further questions you would like followed up in a further interview or on your behalf.
4. Tell your consultant about anything else that is going on that may impact this process like, other job interviews, changes with your current employer, anything happening at home – hide nothing!
5. Give your consultant all the information they need to help you win the job and a commitment to negotiate with clarity on your behalf.
July 17th, 2010 → 2:47 pm @ marc
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May 27th, 2010 → 2:22 pm @ marc
ob Interview Questions and answers. Different questions to test your different skills.
When going through different job interview questions and answers make sure that you’re very clear on the objective the interviewer has and what skills he/she is screening for.
1. Which of your past bosses and supervisors have you found easiest to work with and which have been most difficult? This is to judge your adaptability and how you can along with people.
2. What did are the areas of your previous jobs that you liked and didn’t like why? This question is get an overall feel for the type of person you are and what position you’re best for.
3. How good are you at persuading others and getting your opinion across? Give me an example and tell me what approach did you take? This question is testing your communication skills and assertiveness.
4. Describe a recent problem that you had to make in your life or at work. What did you do to deal with it? Decision making skills tested.
5. Give me an example of time of where you went the extra and did more than you were supposed to. Seeking initiative.
6. What was the best decision you ever made? What were the alternatives? How did you go about making it? Testing to make decisions and how good your judgment is.
7. Would ever bend the rules or seek loopholes to achieve your goals? Testing you integriety.
8. Describe a time you had to seek the cooperation of a group over which you had little or no
control. What did you do? Were you successful in your attempts? Testing your Leadership skills.
9. Have you ever learned another language before? Have you ever been in a situation where you were behind and not as good as your peers, how were you able to handle this situation? Testing your ability to learn.
10. Tell me about a problem you have had that would affect more than one department. How did you try to solve it? Again testing your leadership ability as well as your ability to organize cooperation with other groups.
A good rule of thumb for answering questions is to try to see the question from the interviewer’s perspective and figure out what they are testing. If you know what they are testing then that is more than half the battle giving a great answer to the question. If it nearly impossible for me to give you a written script to what you should say.
May 21st, 2010 → 3:34 pm @ marc
A school teacher’s job is a perfect job. You get good benefits and an easy work schedule compared to other jobs. This is even not effected by recession and there is complete job security.
Even if you have the right qualifications for a teacher’s job, you may not be well prepared for the interview. The school teacher’s job interview is a bit complex and you can lose a nice opportunity if you are not prepared to answer all those weird questions by the school management.
You may be asked the following questions:
-What will you do if a student refuses to do what you ask him to do?
-What will you do if a student never seems to complete his homework?
-Why did you choose this particular school?
-Explain about your classroom management style?
-Describe a model classroom.
-What kind of interesting techniques have you used in a classroom?
-What do you think students mean by a “fair teacher”?
Examples of some basic computer knowledge related questions:
-Do you have any computer knowledge?
-Do you know how to run an excel presentation?
-Tell us about any instructional software used by you?
See all detailed Teacher Interview Questions.
There are various types of questions you may be asked. Certain situational questions are quite popular with such job interviews. Many times, you may find it difficult to decide what to say if you are not prepared for it. If you give a wrong answer, you lose the opportunity. It helps a lot if you are fully prepared for all those questions. Now you can be sure that you will confidently answer everything they ask.
May 21st, 2010 → 3:32 pm @ marc
Honest workers are the aspiration of each company because they could entrust these individuals to their particular ventures and vision. This is one of the reasons, why a lot of companies take his or her time to discover the best candidates for vacancies. For many that are looking for work opportunities understanding a few of the normal workplace job interview inquiries will supply some edge. For this reason, the subsequent information and facts will give many of the top inquiries to anticipate for best preparing. It isn’t only about having the question but recognizing the way to reply to them that counts and this needs to be regarded.
One more reason to know essentially the most frequent boss job interview questions for those seeking to employ people is always to use a guidebook. In reality, there are many companies who get it wrong when hiring since they never ever get to fish the most beneficial employees from the ocean of people. There are plenty of alternative causes to know and also have a clear idea of these employer job interview inquiries.
Being mindful of this, these are generally some of the most probable inquiries to anticipate from a possible company. Companies will begin by asking job hopefuls to present their personal information or tell much more about exactly who they are. Countless will surely get mixed up but this will require a basic overview of professional life in relation to experiences of life.
A future plan is a question which never misses where job seekers will list out their own objectives professionally. It could appear hard nonetheless it will have to demonstrate to the company why the specific field has been chosen. Other pursuits that companies desire to find out from job hopefuls are their experiences in regard to the job requested. All this should always do the job to exhibit awareness and aspirations for delivering within the work which is on the line. It is vital for all job hunters to utilize extreme integrity because anything at all less won’t cut it. The targets and desires of the prospective companies must be highlighted in addition to their liking for the position.
Employers could also appear to intimidate whenever they question people to name the reason why they ought to employ them above others. A few may ask questions upon the kind of success if any that might have come to job hopefuls in their experiences. Future objectives are vital and they’re put into temporary types and the ones for the long term. If a prospect can easily exhibit their ideas and sound right, then they will have managed to answer inquiries to full satisfaction. Many are the workplace job interview questions and they will guide employers to the correct individual for the job.
April 29th, 2010 → 3:44 pm @ marc
Employers are “finding that now is the right time to go back out to the market to finalise and secure the best talent available. Many of the candidates we’re seeing in the finance sector now have more strings to their bow, a deeper skill set and a great involvement in business” because they’ve had to take on more responsibilities during the global financial crisis.
But some job seekers are making simple mistakes that are hurting their chances when seeking a fresh position. Common mistakes include making errors on your resume, failing to adequately sell your skills and experience, prematurely broaching the subject of salary and treating an interview as just a formality.
“We always advise potential candidates to take candidate interviews and client interviews very seriously. Make sure you prepare properly, know your resume and give yourself some time before you’re meeting the potential employer to make sure you completely remember all the skills that you’ve gained over time.”
Candidates also need to ensure the role they are applying for is appropriate for them and be careful to match their skills and background to what has been requested in any advertisement or job description. In addition, the quality of any resume as being “massively important”.
“Some of the key mistakes we see are spelling mistakes, which are almost unforgiveable, and badly structured, badly formatted resumes. You need to make sure that your resume reflects your skills. And, finally, remember that it is a competitive scenario so you need to have something in your resume that will make you compare favourably to the competition.”
Another common mistake is to assume that the interview process, and especially the final interview, is just a formality.
“The biggest fault or error that we see is for people to assume that, because you’ve got to the last round interview, you’ve got the job. Inevitably, when that happens something goes wrong in the last instance. Make sure that you maintain your professionalism and maintain your preparation and presentation the whole way through to the point that you get a contract.”
Other tips for candidates:
• Highlight why you are the best choice without appearing arrogant. Ensure the comments you make are in line with the skills and the requirements of the role, tie your achievements and skills into what the client is looking for (as laid out in the job description) and also into the overall direction of the company, which you have researched
• Prepare questions to ask at the end of the interview which demonstrate a healthy degree of interest in the company and its direction, as well as in the role
• Do not bring up the topic of remuneration too early in the process. Generally you should follow the lead of the interviewer and have the discussion on salary when it comes up at their instigation
• Always follow up an interview with a handwritten thank you note or a polite email. Thank the interviewer(s) for their time and consideration and also, if you’re interested in the role, express your interest. But don’t overdo it by calling or emailing repeatedly
• It is natural to be nervous in a job interview. Do be careful not to talk too much or talk over the interviewer. An interview is a two-way conversation
• You will always get questioned about the environment that you’re in at the moment and your relationship with people you’ve worked with in the past. Always talk about these people with respect and professionalism
• If you have been laid off or made redundant, prepare an explanation as to why. You’re not on your own, it has happened to other people and it’s not necessarily a bad sign. Talk through it calmly then move on to the next question.
April 7th, 2010 → 2:44 pm @ marc
At a job interview I know I’m supposed to ask questions, but what questions would I ask?
Employers like to give you, the interview candidate, a chance to ask questions. Why? Because the interview is about fit. They are checking to see if you fit what they are looking for, and you are checking to see if their job opportunity is what you are looking for.
So, to figure out which questions you might want to ask you can start by thinking about what you would like to know. What would help you understand the job and their organization better?
Some ideas:
Would you like to know what kinds of projects you might get to work on? “Can you tell me about the types of projects someone in this role would be working on?”
Are you curious about which other people in the organization you would be interacting with? “Who does the person in this role interact with?” and/or “How much time is spent working independently, and how much is spent working directly with others? And who are the other people that the person in this job works closely with?”
Wondering how this job came to be open? “How did this job come to be available? Is it a newly created position?”
Want to know more about the tasks of the job and more about the skills that will be important? “Can you tell me more about what you think will lead to success in this job?” or “What do you think will be the biggest challenges for someone in this job?”
Questions to keep for later:
While you may be really itching to find out more about salary, benefits, vacation, etc., it is usually best to hang on to these questions until later in the process. Once a job offer has been made (i.e., the employer has offered you the position) you can then start discussing and possibly negotiating the terms, such as salary and benefits.
The bottom line is that asking questions is a chance for you to learn more about the opportunity at hand and at the same time show the employer how interested in the job you are and that you are serious about making a good decision about your next job opportunity.
April 6th, 2010 → 2:22 pm @ marc
“How do I answer questions about my weaknesses in job interviews?” is the most common question we’re asked as interviewers.
It’s also a common job interview question so you’re right to want to be prepared for it.
Few people are so here’s your chance to get ahead of your competition.
We interview for a living and here’s our advice.
When asked about your weaknesses remember to talk about something you’ve perceived as a ‘weakness’ but worked hard to overcome or something which you find harder than others but can still do, using some strategy or another.
And make sure it’s not something central to the role!
Good answers might be:
For a job where organisation is important, but not central:
“I’d like to be more naturally organised like my manager who remembers everything and never has to write anything down. Although my memory’s not as good as hers I am able to keep on top of things by using a to-do list and keeping a diary so I know where I am with my work all the time”.
For a job where working as part of a team is important:
“I prefer working in teams to working alone. Although I’m able to stay focussed and complete the task, I prefer the sharing of ideas and achievements which happens when you work in teams. Some of my colleagues work better alone and this is something I am working on to improve”.
Notice how, with a little forethought, you can give your ‘weakness’ a positive spin? In this answer, you’re showing that you work well in teams, which is a quality most employers look for.
Finally, never identify emotional states or personality traits as weaknesses, only skills, experience, knowledge or preferences. Don’t ever say you get stressed, bored, demotivated, angry, upset etc.
People have said this in interviews with us. Although, as employers, we might accept shortcomings in people’s skills, experience and knowledge, few of us want to take on employees with attitude issues!
