Written by mayur | 24 October 2009
Posted in Interview and Job

In today’s job market you can never be too prepared. Competition is heavy and there always seems to be so many people all vying for the one job. So stand out above your competition by being prepared for the interview.

Know your skills Know yourself inside out! Besides what you wrote on your resume be prepared to answer in-depth questions about your skills.

The interviewer wants to find out how much of an asset you would be so be prepared to give in-depth details about your experience and qualifications. You need to sell yourself

Answering Interview Questions Before arriving for the interview make sure you have learned everything you possibly can about the company. That way when you are answering your interview questions you can tie yourself to the position and company. Remember you need to convince them why you are the best person for the job. That said don’t BS always be truthful and honest.

Common Interview Questions

1. Everyone has strengths & weaknesses as workers. What are your strong points for this job? What would you say are areas needing improvement?

2. How did your supervisor on your most recent job evaluate your job performance? What were some of the good points & bad points of that rating?

3. Do you prefer working alone or in groups? What kind of people do you find it most difficult to work with? Why?

4. Can you give me an example of your ability to manage or supervise others? In your previous job what kind of pressures did you encounter? What were some of the things about your last job that you found most difficult to do?

5. What special aspects of your education or training have prepared you for this job? What courses in school have been of most help in doing your job?

6. What is your long-term employment or career objective? What kind of job do you see yourself holding five years from now?

7. What do you feel you need to develop in terms of skill & knowledge in order to be ready for that opportunity?

8. Why might you be successful in such a job? How does this job fit in with your overall career goals? Who or what in your life would you say influenced you most with your career objectives?

9. What kind of things do you feel most confident in doing? How would you describe yourself as a person? Do you consider yourself a self-starter? If so, explain why ( and give examples)

10. Can you describe for me a difficult obstacle you have had to overcome? How did you handle it? How do you feel this experience affected your personality or ability? What do you think are the most important characteristics & abilities a person must possess to become a successful ( )? How do you rate yourself in these areas?

11. In your work experience, what have you done that you consider truly creative? Of your creative accomplishments big or small , at work or home, what gave you the most satisfaction?

12. Do you consider yourself to be thoughtful, analytical or do you usually make up your mind fast? What was your most difficult decision in the last six months? What made it difficult?

13. What organizations do you belong to? Tell me specifically what you do in the civic activities in which you participate. (Leading questions in selected areas. i.e. sports, economics, current events, finance.)

14. Can you give me examples of experience on the job that you felt were satisfying? Do you have a long & short-term plan for your department? Is it realistic?

15. What are your standards of success in your job? In your position, how would you define doing a good job? On what basis was your definition determined?

16. In your present job what approach do you take to get your people together to establish a common approach to a problem?

17. What approach do you take in getting your people to accept your ideas or department goals? What specifically do you do to set an example for your employees?

18. How frequently do you meet with your immediate subordinates as a group? What sort of leader do your people feel you are? Are you satisfied?

19. How do you get people who do not want to work together to establish a common approach to a problem? If you do not have much time & they hold seriously differing views, what would be your approach?

20. How would you describe your basic leadership style? Give specific examples of how you practice this?

21. Have you ever done any public or group speaking? Recently? Why? How did it go?

22. What kind of writing have you done? For a group? For an individual? What is the extent of your participation in major reports that have to be written?

23. What has been the highest pressure situation you have been under in recent years? How did you cope with it?

24. Describe your most significant success & failure in the last two years. What do you like to do best? What do you like to do least?

25. How much of your education did you earn? Have you taken a management development course?

Dress Appropriately If you can’t be bothered to look good and dress right for your interview why should the employer take the time to hire you. What you wear will depend on what industry and what type of job you are applying for. Dress appropriately for the interview. In other words if you are applying for a construction job don’t show up in your three piece suit, but if you are applying for a managers job don’t show up in your jeans.

Be Polite Greet everyone you meet during the interview politely. At the moment these people hold your future in their hands.

Show Up Early Always arrive at least ½ hour early. This gives you time to complete any paper work required before the interview. It also shows you are punctual.

Leave Cell Phones Behind Do not bring your pager or cell phone to an interview. If you have it with you be sure to shut it off. There is nothing more annoying to an interviewer than being interrupted.

Enthusiasm Wins Be enthusiastic. Let your potential employer know how excited you are to get the position.

Today’s job market is very competitive and the better prepared you are the better your chances are. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be in good shape for your interview.

About The Author:

Aura Mirchandani is the Editor and Publisher of Article

Source : articleclick.com

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