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Warm Up

The interviewer is seeking out your spirit with these question--wishing to see how excited your are about the available position. The answers likely appear on your resume. This sets the pace for the remainder of the interview. Be sure to show enthusiasm--answering with confidence.

-Why did you apply for this position?

-How did you hear about the available position?

-Briefly summarize your work history and education?

Work History

-What aspects of your work experience have prepared you for this job?

-Please describe one or two of you most important accomplishments?

-Please describe the biggest disappointment in your work history?

-How much supervision have you typically received from your previous jobs?

-What is the reason for wanting to leave your present job?

-What were the reasons for leaving your previous jobs?

-What characteristics do you look for in an employer?

These questions are meant to probe your skill set, ability to work on your own, understanding of what your needs are in a work environment and the decision making process utilized in leaving a company. In answering these questions, never disparage a past employer. This demonstrates bad character and is a window for the interviewer to see how his/her company will be treated by you; if offered a position. Be honest with your responses. If you attempt to appear more astute about a given topic and are called to demonstrate proficiency, then you may establish a level of incompetence the employer cannot afford.

Job Performance

-What are your strengths which enable you to perform this job?

-What would you say are the areas needing improvement?

-How does your supervisor in your current position evaluate your job performance?

-When you have been told, or discovered for yourself, a problem with your job performance, what have you typically done to rectify that problem?

-What kind of people do you find most difficult to work with and why?

-What would you consider the most important particular in a new job?

-Name a few things most appreciated about your current or last job?

-Do you consider your job performance representative of your ability; and why? 

-If I were to ask your present employer about your abilities in the position held, what would he/she say?

These questions determine past behavior established in the work place. Remember, be honest. Everything doesn't always work out as we planned. Explain that everyone has good and bad traits. Demonstrate that you are different by explaining what you did to improve upon, make up for, or accommodate for so that the task at work could be accomplished. Do not blame anyone for anything. These questions are also designed to get at the root of your thought processes; and how you overcome obstacles. This also provides an opportunity to demonstrate that you possess tact in dealing with stress of life changes, the job and yourself.

Career Goals

-What are your long-term career objectives?

-What kind of job do you see yourself holding five years from now?

-What skills will you need to develop in order to be ready for the opportunity?

-Why might you be successful in such a job?

-How does this job fit in with your overall career goals?

-Who in your life has influenced you most with career objectives?

-What would you most like to accomplish if you were awarded this job?

Be clear to distinguish between short and long-term goals. Whichever answer you provide, ensure to incorporate how the employer's open position you will be hired for will work in conjunction with your career plans. These questions are about proper alignment of the right candidate with their company. To begin with, they will not likely make an offer if you have no goals for yourself. If you have established goals for yourself, then it is equally important that your goals and theirs are congruent.

Self Assessment

-What kind of things do you feel most confident doing?

-Can you describe a difficult obstacle you have had to overcome, and how you accomplished this?

-How would you describe yourself as a person?

-What do you think are the most important characteristics and abilities a person must posses to become successful? Further, how do you rate yourself in these areas?

-Do you consider yourself to be a self-motivator? If so, explain why?

-What do you consider your greatest achievement to date, and why?

-What things give you the greatest satisfaction at work?

-What things frustrate you the most, and how do you usually cope with them?

Self assessment questions are not about you. They get at the heart of how you cope with, interpret and negotiate life's obstacles. Keep answers short so that you don't contradict yourself. It is important to the interviewer that you be clear. The many facets and dimensions of the human psyche give way to great philosophical dichotomies. Use an abstract response such as: loyalty, hard-working, creative, eager, fast-learning.

Creativity

-What have you completed that was truly creative?

-Have you experienced a problem when outdated methods didn't work; and you developed a new solution?

-Of your creative achievements at work or home, what has provided the most satisfaction?

-What problems have you recently solved; and what solutions were created?

Consider telling one or two stories that profile your creative zeal. Don't be afraid to provide too much detail here. Tiny particulars are the most important part of the story. Explain what went through your mind as you developed and delivered a solution. This can establish your ability to work independently on your fee.

Extra Curricular Interests

-What organizations do you belong to?

-Explain what you do in theses civic activities. (Leading the interview in areas specific to the job for which you are applying)

-How do you keep current with what's going on in your company, industry and profession?

These questions are of interest to your future employer. But not in the way you might expect. Your answers should be relatively short; unless it is of shared interest to the interviewer. What's being unearthed here is if you are a workaholic or social recluse. People with these personality types typically do not work well with others. If you are to be a team member, then getting along with others is paramount.

Leadership

-In your current job, what approach is utilized to build team cohesion; establishing a common approach to the problem?

-What tools are used to convince your subordinates to accept ideas or department goals?

-What specifically do you set as an example for your employees?

-What type of leader do your people feel you are?

-How do you get people who do not want to work together to build a common approach to an obstacle?

-Do you feel your work more effectively on a one to one or group situation?

-Have you ever led a task force, committee or group who didn't report to you? How did you get them to work together? What was positive and negative about the situation? Would have handled the situation differently; if so, how?

These questions are meant to decipher the processes utilized under stress; where your leadership was brought to bare. Be honest, but not disparaging. You are selling your service here. If you have ten stellar examples to provide, then let em fly. However, if you have the talent while the circumstances or team you were assigned possessed incorrigible attitudes, then put a positive spin on the story. In every situation, something can be gained.

Decisiveness

-Do you consider yourself to be thoughtful, analytical; or do you quickly make up your mind?

-What was the most difficult decision made in the last three months? What made it so difficult?

-The last time your were undecided, what did you do?

-How do you go about making an important career decision?

Make your responses fast. You do not want to appear indecisive. This category is related to leadership. These answers will easily come, if you're honest. It would serve you well to practice responses in advance. If you are not certain where you stand, then take the introspective time to delve into who you are. The answers may even surprise you.

Motivation

-What are your professional goals?

-Provide examples of job experiences that were satisfying.

-Do you have a short/long-term plan for your department? Can it be realized? Did you achieve it the previous year?

-How do you determine priorities in the performance of your job?

What drives you? Be enthusiastic when answering these questions. Don't be afraid to show a little emotion. Show them how interested you are in personal development; and how it will dovetail with the progress of the client company's goals. Be specific, but don't go into great detail. They're wanting to see passion, not fatal attraction.

Flexibility

-Tell us about an important suggestion you received from a subordinate. What was the outcome?

-What are your thoughts about continuous changes in a company's operation policies and procedures?

-How effective has your current employer adapted its policies to adjust to a changing economic environment?

-Tell us about a recent change at your company which greatly affected you. How successful were you at adapting and implementing the change?

Flexibility is an important leadership trait. Fortune favors the prepared mind...and open spirit. These questions should be fairly detailed. Don't over do it. Ensure the facts are consistent with experience and employment dates.

Stress Tolerance

-Do you feel pressure on the job? What kind?

-Tell us about a high-pressure event recently experienced. How did you handle the experience?

Be honest, direct, but calm about the situation. It's important that you convey an unflinching response to the crisis. As your response is relayed, refrain from exaggeration. If your story is checked out, and embellishment gained the better part of your judgment, then you might suddenly find yourself outside consideration.

Self Development

-What is the most important person or event in your self-development?

-Do you intend on pursuing more education?

-What kind of books or periodicals do you read?

-Have you taken any management or leadership development courses?

If you don't invest in your own development, then why should they? This line of questioning gets at you core value system. The interviewer wants to know if you have accepted the life-long commitment or self improvement. Don't delay answering these types of questions. You're going to need to go a little deeper with the content of your answers as well.