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How
would you describe yourself? / How would others describe
you?
Pick your best attributes
and achievements from your career.
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Do
you consider yourself successful?
You should say you do.
Pick some work related achievements that are in line
with the position that you are discussing.
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What
was your greatest success? How did you achieve it?
You should pick an achievement
which is related to their needs.
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What
has been your biggest failure?
Try to pick a failure
which you were later able to correct or something that
is not really important.
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How
could you improve yourself?
Do not mention anything
negative about yourself - the interviewer is looking
for a chink in your armour.
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Did
you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last
job?
If you progressed faster
than normal you should say so. If growth was not as
good as expected then be careful how you phrase this.
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Are
you a leader?
State how you have successfully
acted as a leader, giving examples of your successes.
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How
do you handle criticism?
Your answer should be
along the following lines: "I always think that
it is important to get feedback on how I am performing
so that I can improve any areas which my manager/supervisor
highlights. Do you have regular staff appraisals and
a staff development plan?"
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What
sort of manager are you? / What makes a good manager?
You should say that
it is someone who listens to other people and can delegate
whilst maintaining overall control of the task at hand,
bringing in the project on time and to budget. Good
planning skills are essential.
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Do
you work well with others? Or are you a loner?
Some jobs mean that
you have to work very closely with other people whilst
other jobs mean that you are largely working on your
own, so you need to say that you are happy in both situations.
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Do
you need other people around to stimulate you or are
you self-motivated?
You need to say that
you are self-motivated.
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Are
you accepted into a team quickly?
Hopefully you can answer
a resounding "Yes" to this question.
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Can
you act on your own initiative?
You should say that
you can. You could ask how much responsibility you would
have.
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Have
you been responsible for implementing ISO9000/BS5750
or Total Quality Management (TQM)?
If you have, state how
you implemented it successfully. If you have not, you
will need to show that you are used to working to company
quality standards or that you have a methodical approach
to carrying out work.
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What
interests do you have outside work?
Your hobbies and interests
can tell an employer a lot about you, including whether
you are sociable or solitary, and whether you can take
on 'leadership' roles. So you should think about which
interests will paint the right picture of you given
the position you are discussing. If you have changed
jobs a lot you may be asked how long you would stay
in the new job. You should state that you are looking
for a long-term opportunity where you can learn and
develop. You could then ask them if this applies to
the job being discussed.
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Have
you ever been fired?
If you have, you will
need to handle this question with great care. Try and
put yourself in as favourable light as possible without
being too dismissive. If you have later been able to
correct any deficiency which resulted in you being fired
you should tell the interviewer.
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Are
you too old for this job?
Tell them that you feel
that your extra experience would enable you to make
a bigger contribution to their company sooner than someone
younger and less experienced.
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Are
you too young for this job?
"No, I do not think
so!" is the answer you should give and then state
the reason why you are not too young. If you have a
lot of experience gained in a short time, say so.
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You
may be over qualified for this position?
Tell them that you feel
that your extra experience would enable you to make
a bigger contribution sooner than someone with less
experience.
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Are
you prepared to relocate?
If you are, say so.
If you do not want to move then you do not have to accept
the job - try and come across as someone who is positive.
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Are
you willing to travel?
Again if you are, say
so. You want to sound positive, so find out how much
travelling is involved before you turn down the job.
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How
often are you off sick?
This can be a difficult
question to answer if you are frequently off sick or
you have just recovered from a prolonged period of illness.
If you have generally enjoyed good health and this period
of illness is not typical then you should say so.
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What
did you earn in your last job?
You have to be very
careful when answering this question because once an
interviewer knows your current salary they will try
and fix your next remuneration based on this figure.
This may be satisfactory if you only wanted a modest
rise in salary and your current salary is in line with
their salary range, but, what if your current salary
is substantially lower than the rate for the job, or
if you want a substantial salary rise? In these cases
you would be best advised to say that you do not really
want to prejudice yourself by being too high or too
low. Ask if you can discuss this later after the responsibilities
for the job have been discussed; you may also want to
ask them what the range for the job is (if you do not
already know).
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What
level of salary are you looking for now?
Be very careful when
you answer this question - you do not want to appear
to be greedy. If you are applying for a specific vacancy
you could ask them what the salary range is. Once they
have answered you could say "I think my experience
would place me at the top end of your range, don't you?"
If they ask you this question fairly early on in the
interview you could delay answering by saying "It
is hard to discuss salary without first knowing a little
bit more about the job and the responsibilities."
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What
will your referees say about you?
Say that you expect
excellent references.
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Difficult
questions
If you cannot answer
a question you might reply with "That's an interesting
question - how would you tackle it?"
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Fantasy
questions
These sort of questions
can be very difficult to answer. Such questions might
include: "What would you do if you won the National
Lottery?" You should give the answer, which in
your opinion will give you the best chance of getting
the job.
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