COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

What type of people do you find difficult to get along with?
During the course of your work you will deal with colleagues, clients and/or customers. Social skills are essential in any modern working environment. You should be capable of getting along with everyone.

Do you enjoy working?
Of course! I do something I enjoy very much. I've been lucky enough to work with some great people, and each day brings new challenges and new experiences. I'd hate not to enjoy work.

Are you competitive? Is that good or bad?
I'm quite a competitive person, but not overly so. I'd say the person I compete with most is myself. I work hard to achieve the goals and targets I set myself.

How do you cope with taking instructions?
I'm good at taking instructions. One of the reasons I'm a good team player is because I can accept the lead and guidance of a supervisor. It's also important to me to accept the advice of colleagues from whose experience I can learn.

Can you work in a team?
Absolutely. I feel very comfortable working in a team. I feel I have the necessary skills to communicate my own ideas and also to illicit contributions from my fellow team members. It's hard to imagine a project I've worked on where teamwork has not been key.

You've been out of work for a long time, haven't you?
I chose to spend time evaluating my options before deciding on my next career move. I have been offered jobs since my last employment but I wanted to wait until I found a job that fulfilled my career goals.

What did you dislike most about your last job?
If I was forced to name a dislike about my last company, I'd say it was their lack of commitment towards employee training and advancement. I know that RAMAZOTTI have an excellent corporate training program and it has a reputation for rewarding outstanding employees. I'm certainly not over-ambitious but I would relish the challenge of working to the best of my abilities within such a rewarding environment.
I enjoyed my last job very much and I really don't have any feelings of dislike towards it. The reason I decided to leave was because I wanted to join a multinational company where I could expand my horizons and broaden my experience on an international platform.
What did you like most about your last job?

I really enjoyed my time at Rama Zotti Ltd. It was a great company, with a lot of very talented people. I was probably most impressed by their training program. The three training courses I was allowed to take definitely added to my skills and enabled me to improve my job performance. However I felt it was time to move on and take the skills I have learned and apply them in a more challenging environment.

What type of people find you difficult to get along with?
(During the course of your work you will deal with colleagues, clients and/or customers. Social skills are essential in any modern working environment. You should be capable of getting along with everyone.)

What is the most difficult challenge you've faced? How did you resolve it?
When I assumed the role of Regional Development Manager at Rama Zotti ltd, team morale was low, users were dissatisfied, and deadlines were repeatedly being missed. The first step I took was to set a realistic timeline for improving the situation. I knew that creating unrealistic expectations would only increase the chances of failure and exacerbate the situation. Next, I re-organized the team structure to improve customer and product focus. I also worked with the business users to prioritise the work schedule. This allowed us to reduce the number of products we were developing, which in turn enabled us to better focus on our core deliverables. Six months later the business users were happy and the team was happy.
This is a terrific opportunity to shine. You should certainly prepare an answer to this question prior to the interview. If your mind goes blank during the interview you will give an impression of inadequate interview preparation and hint at a lack of challenging experience in your past.

What accomplishment has given you most satisfaction? Why?
I joined RAMAZOTTI as a junior administrator. At the time I was very 'green' and knew very little about the business. However I enjoyed what I did and decided to learn more. I worked extra hours, attended training courses in my own time, and worked closely with experienced members of the team to gain from their knowledge. I now manage a team of three people and have a recognized qualification in Customer Relationship Management. I'm proud that I've accomplished these achievements through my own endeavour and hard work.
This is a great opportunity to impress the interviewer. You should certainly prepare an answer to this question prior to the interview. If you have to strain to think of a suitable incident during the interview, the interviewer will assume that you've got very little to be satisfied about.

Describe a situation where you've used your initiative to solve a problem.
I once received two last minute requests from separate managers. The reports required by each were quite different, and there was no way that I could deliver both reports on time. Rather than get to the work straight away and hope that a miracle happened, I instead went back to each manager and suggested changes to their requirements that would provide a better solution for them. Of course, the improvements I suggested also brought the reports closer together. By increasing the overlap of the reports, I managed to reduce the effort required and produced both improved reports ahead of time.

How would your subordinates describe you?
I think they would describe me as being a tough but fair boss who is easy to approach, open to suggestions, and driven to achieving success.

How do you feel about your current employer?
I very much enjoyed my time at Rama Ltd. We parted on very good terms and I still have some great friends there. I learnt a lot during my stay at the company - it was a very rewarding experience. I decided to leave because I wanted to move to a company with greater ambitions where I could continue to fulfil my career goals.

What difficult decisions have you made?
A difficult decision I've made recently was to leave RamaZotti . I enjoyed my job and I'd learnt a lot during my three years with the firm. Although I thought long and hard about my decision to move on, this decision was made all the more difficult when I was offered a promotion and pay rise in return for staying with the firm.

What would your references say about you?
I'm sure my references will be very complimentary. They will likely state that I'm a very hard-working, conscientious employee with a strong desire to succeed, who operates at her best in a team-centric environment.

Does your current employer know that you've been interviewing for another job?
Answer 1:

No. I'm sure they're aware of my discontentment; however, I do not plan to tell them that I'm interviewing. Once I have a firm job offer that meets my expectations I will announce my decision to leave.
Answer 2:
Yes, I have an excellent relationship with my current employers and felt it was only fair to allow them to start preparing for my position to be vacated. I was offered an increased salary in In most cases your employer will not know that you are interviewing. If you state that your employer is aware of your intention to depart, your interviewer will immediately wonder why they are not doing more to retain your services. Be prepared for such a follow-up question. Return for staying, which I turned down. I'm confident it's time to move on.

What has been you favourite job?
It's hard to pick a single favourite job because there's been aspects of every job that I've enjoyed, each for different reasons. My ideal job would involve working in a challenging environment for an ambitious, forward-moving company. I get most satisfaction from a job well done, and from contributing to the success of a progressive organization.

Will your employer be surprised that you're leaving?
I think they will be surprised, but not shocked. My managers have been aware of my desire to take a more senior role, with greater responsibilities, and more managerial supervision. However opportunities for such advancements are not frequent in such a relatively small firm with a large number of long-standing senior staff.

Have you ever turned down a salary increase?
No, I work hard and I'm grateful if my efforts justify a salary increase.

Have you ever turned down a promotion?
No, I haven't. I've worked hard to achieve the promotions I've received and have always felt I was the right woman for the job. However, if I was ever offered a promotion for which I was sure I wasn't ready, I'd like to think I would have the courage to decline the offer at that moment but to be reconsidered if the situation arose in the future. I would not put myself in a position where I jeopardized the people working for me, or those for whom I worked, for the sake of vanity.
This is a very tough question. Most people will never be in a situation where they would consider turning down a promotion. However, many employees would respect an employee who were aware of their own limits.

What job have you really disliked?
I haven't disliked any of my past jobs. Obviously I've preferred some jobs to others but each job has presented a different set of challenges and I've enjoyed each for different reasons. Often the toughest jobs are also the ones where I've learnt most.
The interviewer is trying to discover what kind of work you dislike. She is also trying to assess any bad attitudes you may have towards working in such environments. The interviewer is particularly interested in any risks these attitudes may bring to this job. Don't be negative and don't slate a past work experience.
There is no such thing as a bad work experience. All experience, even that which we perceive to be tough, can teach us a great deal. Give an example of a difficult job you've had, how you dealt with it and what you learnt from the experience.

Have you ever been disciplined by your supervisor or employer?
In my very first job after college I was disciplined for being late for work too often. I feel the disciplinary action was very harsh, at the same time I realized there was room for improvement in my attendance. I changed my working hours immediately, making a conscious effort to arrive for work by eight AM. My manager commended the change in my behaviour and it's a habit I maintain to date.

Would you like your supervisor's job?
Naturally I'd like to be promoted through the company. However, this is a goal rather than an expectation. I hope that by working hard and proving my value to the firm I'll be rewarded with more responsibility.
Don't be tempted to fall into the trap of a glib one-word answer. Sell yourself by using this opportunity to notify the interviewer of your qualities such as ambition and work ethic.

What did you think of your last manager?
My last supervisor was a highly competent project leader and an excellent people manager. He fostered a spirit of training among his team, which resulted in my attendance of three training courses, and he led by example. I feel that I learned a lot from him.

How do you define 'success'?
That's very easy. For me, success is achieved if you attain the goals you have set for yourself or the goals that have been set for you. I believe that's true whether you're talking about a student, a managing director or even a large corporation. I know that Rama Zotti Ltd has set itself the target of being the number one telecoms firm in the country within five years. If the firm achieves that goal, it will most certainly be judged 'a success'.

How have your career goals changed over time?
For me, the most important aspect of goal setting is to always keep your goals fresh, and to ensure you're always challenged. My career goals have changed and developed over time to match my progress. For example, when I was promoted to a management role earlier than I anticipated, I set myself new goals to ensure that I would have new aims and aspirations relevant to the role.

What do you expect to be doing five years from now? What are your medium-term career goals?
I would like to be in a managerial role, ideally working closely with external clients. I have worked in client-facing roles for more than two years and I enjoy the challenge of keeping the customer satisfied. I think it's something I'm good at. I would also like to take on additional responsibility within this area, and possibly other areas such as _____. Finally, I'd like to be on the right career path towards eventually becoming a Senior Manager within the company. I'm very aware that these are ambitious goals, however I feel through hard work and dedication they are quite attainable.
The interviewer is trying to gauge your ambition and your desire to succeed. She is also attempting to discover how much thought you have given to your future career plans.
Avoid glib responses such as To have your job or To be a manager. Quantify your aspirations and how you plan to go about achieving them.

What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
Being a valuable part of a successful organization is a reward in itself. Within the organization I feel that advancement and responsibility are suitable rewards. While salary is important, I hope it would reflect my role and responsibilities within the firm.
Expressing the rewards you hope to achieve will give the interviewer an insight into the strength of your ambition and your desire to succeed. Be ambitious in your aspirations without being unreasonable.

What is most important to you - salary or advancement?
Answer 1:
Of course, salary is important, but I don't believe that it's the most important aspect of any job. I'd rather be promoted with the aim of making a greater contribution to the firm's goals. Ideally I would hope that my salary would reflect my position within the company and the contribution I made to the organization.
Answer 2:
Could you tell me more about how salary or advancement occurs within the company?
What are your ideal job specifications?
My ideal job would involve working in a challenging environment for an ambitious, forward-moving company. I get most satisfaction from a job well done, and contributing to the success of a progressive organization.

What size organization do you prefer to work for? Why?
There are advantages to working for a small company and advantages to working for a large company. Size is not the critical factor when I choose an employer. It's more important to me that the organization I work for is an ambitious, forward-moving company. I want to help it attain it's goals and contribute towards it's growth and development.

Are you willing to travel?
Yes, I enjoy travelling a lot. I realize there's a big difference between travelling for leisure purposes and on business, nonetheless I would be very interested in visiting other cities/countries/offices and would look upon it as a learning experience.

Would you be willing to relocate, if required?
Yes, I've lived in Finchley Central for three years but I would be open to the possibility of relocating to another city.
Or: I'm afraid not. I just moved to Malaysia last year along with my family. At this point I wouldn't like to uproot them so soon.
Or: I hadn't planned to relocate, but depending upon the timing and circumstances I would certainly give it serious thought if the opportunity arose.

Do you expect to work regular hours? Would working irregular hours cause a problem?
I don't have a problem working overtime. I understand that in today's competitive marketplace there is a need for flexibility in regard to working hours.
In today's modern working environment most jobs require flexibility with respect to your working hours. By expressing your willingness to work irregular hours or do overtime you will impress upon the interviewer your eagerness to succeed and contribute to the firm.

How do you correct a mistake?
My first reaction is to analyse the consequences of my mistake and assess whether immediate action is required prior to finding a more permanent solution. Depending on the nature of the mistake, I would notify my supervisor of the issue and relate to him the steps I planned to take to rectify the situation. I would also consult with my colleagues to find the best possible solution. Finally, I would set about correcting the mistake in a timely and diligent manner.

COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

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