Ask4bigneyo:
Kudos to OP
Cc: dragnet

Lalasticlala

Thank you

Nice one OP!

I. Do you have any regrets?

Regret is a very strong, emotionally laden word. Again, the trap here is for
unwary candidates to end up confessing major misgivings about their lives.

Unskilled interviewers often ask closed questions. But even though answering with a simple yes or no is technically correct, avoid doing so as you'll lose out on an
opportunity to sell yourself.
One way to avoid the trap would be to say something like:

Sure, I've made mistakes, but I don't think that I have any real regrets. I believe that I've learnt from every situation that I've been in. And those situations and my choices in those
situations have made me the person that I am.

Alternatively, you can admit to wondering what may have happened if you had
made a different decision at some time in your career. But always assert at the end of
your tale that your decision was the right one to have made at the time. For example:

We had an of er from a big American conglomerate to buy our business a few
years ago. But the negotiations fell through because the conglomerate wasn't
willing to pay us fairly for our business. As it turned out, the bottom fell out of the
market and the value of our shares fell. But there was no way that we could have
foreseen that terrorist attacks would cause a slump in the economy. So at the time it
was the right decision.

J. Why should we hire you?

This question is often used to bring an interview to a close, so treat it as your
opportunity to sell yourself boldly to the interviewers. A good answer may match
three or four of your key skills and characteristics to the job. For example:

Your advert said that you were looking for someone who is highly numerate,
has good team working and presentation skills, and a willingness to work hard. I
hope that my experience as a financial analyst at Transworld Bank shows that I'm
good with numbers. Both of the jobs I've held so far have required me to work often
long hours in a close-knit team, and it's something that I very much enjoy. And my
boss singled out my presentation skills in my last appraisal. So I think that I am a
very strong candidate.

If you want to add the icing to the cake, you can go on to mention how much
you want the job. Try a bit of subtle flattery in talking about the reputation or standing
of the company. Or mention some other positive reasons you want to work for the
company, such as the quality of their training scheme or the fact that the business is successful and growing.

Part B-Talking about basic Job Skill

No matter what job you are going for – a head teacher, a shop assistant or a
magazine editor – employers are looking for some fundamental skills. Being able to
demonstrate that you are reliable, organised and able to work under pressure –
amongst other skills – are such prerequisites for any job that you must be ready to
answer these questions.

A. Would you say that you're reliable?

As Homer Simpson would say: ‘D'oh!’ Only an idiot would say that they are not
reliable. But rather than simply saying, Yes, I am reliable, the key here is to give an
example or to explain why you think so.

Try to figure out what the interviewer really means by ‘reliable’. If the job
requires staff to clock in and clock out, then perhaps the interviewer means punctual
and willing to work overtime. If the job requires a high level of responsibility, then
maybe the interviewer means dependable.
Consider these example answers:

*Yes, I am a very reliable person. I've never been late for work in the 18 months
that I have worked at the Grantham factory, and I'm happy to do overtime if we are
falling behind on our deadlines.

*Yes, I would say that I am very reliable. My boss knows that I'm the sort of
person that he can leave to get on with an important task, and I won't forget about it until I get it completely done.

B. What is your absenteesm/sickness record like?

If you have taken quite a few days off from work, make sure that you can give a
compelling reason why. But go on to stress that the reason has now gone away. For
example:

I did have to take four weeks of from work because I tore a ligament when I
slipped on an oil patch on the shop floor. But I've now fully recovered and have a
clean bill of health, so it won't pose any further problems in the future.

Never lie about your sickness record, as employers frequently check up on it.
Job offers are often made subject to reference (checking out your employment history
with former employers) and a lie at this stage can lead to the employer withdrawing
their offer

C. How would you describe your time management skills?

For most jobs, employers are looking for time management skills – the ability to
distinguish between what needs to be done immediately and what can wait. Of course
you need to say that you have good time management skills.
A good tactic is to say that you always prioritise the most important and urgent
tasks to the top of the pile. When that doesn't work, say that you enlist colleagues to
help or check whether the deadline can be moved. As a final option, you can say that
you simply get on with the work and stay late to get everything done.
Go on to demonstrate your time management skills by giving an example of a time
when you had to prioritise between different tasks.

As an example, just the other week I had a customer who wanted an emergency
order dealt with immediately at the same time as my boss needed some financial
data. There was no way I could have done both, so I asked a colleague to deal with
the customer order while I put together the data that my boss needed.

Time management is ultimately the ability to distinguish between urgency and
importance. Urgency describes whether a task needs to be done very soon or whether
it can wait for a few hours or a few weeks.

AMZYMAYO:
Part B-Talking about basic Job Skill

No matter what job you are going for – a head teacher, a shop assistant or a
magazine editor – employers are looking for some fundamental skills. Being able to
demonstrate that you are reliable, organised and able to work under pressure –
amongst other skills – are such prerequisites for any job that you must be ready to
answer these questions

Thumb up man! You are doing a great and wonderful job here, well done.

D. Are you an organised person?

Of course you are highly organised! Illustrate your organisational skills by talking
about some of the methods or systems that you use to organise your work, such as:

*Making lists of tasks
*Keeping files and records on different projects
*Developing a routine or process
*Using tables, spread sheets or computer programs (but only talk about these if you
genuinely have used them) to track progress on different pieces of work
*Don't forget to prove that you really are organised by providing a short example
about a project that you organised or co-ordinated.

Be careful not to imply that you're so organised that you'd find it difficult to
function without your methods and ways of working. Sometimes the world of work
throws up unexpected problems and situations that you just need to tackle
spontaneously.

As a subsidiary question, an interviewer may ask you: How tidy is your desk at
work? Such a question means that the interviewer probably believes that a tidy desk is
a sign of a tidy mind – so full marks go to candidates who can describe an orderly
workspace

Now that Tonto Dikeh is married,let all posts from this thread should make front page.this wil help thousands of job seekers.nice one bro. Am using this tips tomorrow


Moderators please move to front page

I need more. I have an interview on Friday with an Investment firm

akins33:
Now that Tonto Dikeh is married,let all posts from this thread should make front page.this wil help thousands of job seekers.nice one bro. Am using this tips tomorrow


Moderators please move to front page

lalasticlala o ya, come here o. Come assess ds thread o.

thanks for this guy. You've really helped alot. may God bless u immensely. Kudos

E. Do you work well under pressure?

While the answer to this question is obviously yes, be careful not to exaggerate
the extent to which you can cope with pressure. Try to relate your answer to the
demands that the job is likely to make on you.

For example, if the job is likely to involve significant pressure, the following
response may be fairly appropriate:

"I positively thrive on pressure. My worst nightmare is a job that is entirely
predictable and mundane. I really enjoy the fact that my job is different every day
and you never know what new situations or challenges you may be facing."

If the job is more gently paced, saying that you love working under pressure may
raise doubts in an interviewer's mind as to whether you would be bored by the job. So
try an answer along the lines of:

"I can cope with occasional bursts of having to work under pressure – for
example, for the final couple of days every month it always gets a bit frantic. But
for the most part, I enjoy the fact that this is a job that I can really learn and
understand in detail and get good at."

F. Would you say you're good with detail?

For the majority of candidates, the answer to this question should be a yes. Of
course employers don't want to take slipshod people on board.
If the job requires highly detailed work, give a simple example of how you
ensure that your work is of a consistently high quality:

"In my job it's really important to get all of the numbers right, so I always
double check the data after I have entered it. And I'm glad to say that in my two
years in the job so far, no one has ever found an error in my calculations."

The exception to this general rule is managers. For managers in middling to
senior roles, employers often expect them to pay attention to the big picture rather than
get too bogged down in detail. So if you already manage a medium to large team of
people – say at least a couple of dozen or more people – then you can get away with
saying:

"I have to admit that detail isn't one of my strong points. I try to keep focused
on the big picture. However, I always make sure that I have good people in my team
who can handle the detail."

G. How do you respond to change?

Interviewers don't want to end up hiring an inflexible and rigid employee. I'm
sure you know the type – the grumpy person who complains about how things are
nowadays and constantly reminisces about the good old days before such and such a change.

The world of work is changing quickly – with factors at play such as
globalisation, mergers and acquisitions, change programmes, and efficiency drives.
Talking about how you've coped with one of these changes illustrates your ability to
deal with change.
Make sure that you can show that you're willing to adapt to new circumstances,
maybe along the lines of:

"A couple of people left our team in the space of just a week, which meant that
we were heavily understaffed for a period of over a month. The rest of the team had
to readjust our shifts to ensure that the helpdesk remained manned at all times. I
volunteered for a few additional shifts because I knew that our customers would
otherwise have no one to sort out their problems.

H. How are you with new technology?

A variation on questioning your ability to cope with change, this question about
technology tends to get asked more of older candidates. If you think about it, new
technology is being introduced all the time – from new computers and laptops to
mobile phones and electronic key cards. Employers don't want to hire people who
struggle to master even the very basics of how to use them.

Give as concrete an example as possible of getting to grips with some new facet
of technology that has been introduced into your workplace:

"We used to use transparent acetates and old-fashioned overhead projectors for
teaching seminars. But the university decided to introduce laptops and projectors
and asked us all to prepare our materials using PowerPoint. I'm pleased to say that
after attending the briefing sessions on how to use the new technology, I've become
a real fan of this new way of working."

I. What software packages are you familiar with?

If you're going for a role where software packages are important, then it's usually
a good idea to list them somewhere on your CV. If an employer then asks you about
your level of proficiency with different packages, make sure that you can give
examples of what feats you can perform on each. For example:

"I'm responsible for creating the monthly department newsletter, which usually
means using that package to format and tabulate other people's contributions. I
also have to import images and create detailed proposal documents for my
manager. And I can merge lists of contacts with letter templates to create marketing
mailshots."

Even the most seasoned of executives is usually assumed to have a passing
knowledge of how to use a computer. Partners in top City law firms and senior
managers with budgets of hundreds of millions of pounds are expected to read and
send their own emails and type a few words into a document. So if you can't do at
least these two basic tasks, make sure you find someone to teach you how!

If you really don't know anything about computers, then try to go on a training
course or get a colleague or friend to teach you how to use the basics of the Microsoft
Office package. Microsoft is by far the most popular software developer in the
workplace, so is a good one to start with.

J. How would you rate yourself as . . .?

An interviewer can ask you to rate yourself on a number of criteria – such as your
skills as a leader, a team player, a teacher or a researcher. Obviously, you need to
begin by saying that you are a good leader, team player or whatever. Don't let modesty
get in the way of selling yourself – you can bet that other candidates are making all
sorts of wild claims about how great they are.

To back up your claim, go on to tell a short anecdote or cite an example as to
why you think you rate yourself so highly. If you've won any awards or ever received
any commendations or positive feedback from colleagues or customers, then this may
be the time to mention it.
For example, you could start your response by saying something like:

" I'll always remember my last performance appraisal because my boss Lee Hammond said something really positive. He said I was so outstanding in putting a particular project of creating new system of operation together. He commented the professionalism and enthusiasm I showcase during the project which made other team mates interested in the whole system."

If an interviewer asks for a numerical rating, avoid giving yourself a score of
10/10. Trying to claim that you are perfect will come across as incredibly big-headed.
A score of 8/10 is more reasonable. Go on to say something like:

"I believe that I'm very good at X, but there's always more to learn. This response shows an ounce of humility and willingness to improve even further – good traits to have in an employee."

What of if you are asked what you can contribute to a school as a teacher

Mummy123:
What of if you are asked what you can contribute to a school as a teacher

All what they are asking you to do is to describe how your strength will improve the school. Answer on strength has been explained earlier.

Thanks really appreciate your input

Part C- Talking About Problems, Perceptions and People
We have covered some important questions and answers so far. Hope you are grabbing the concepts that attach to interview. I want you to do me a favour, if you can: I want you to try and type your own answers to some of the interview questions and drop them here, or send to my email:adeagboahmed29@gmail.com.

A. What makes you lose your temper?

If you can truthfully say that you never lose your temper at work, then by all
means say so. Explain to the interviewer exactly how or why you manage to keep your
temper at bay when you're at work. For example:

" I'm not the kind of person who ever gets angry at work. Anger just isn't
productive and even in a crisis it's more important to figure out what can be done
to sort out the situation than to shout and scream and point the finger of blame at
people."

If you do occasionally lose your temper, word your response as carefully as
possible:

" I guess that sometimes I do let my frustration show. For example, when
colleagues promise to do something and then let me down at the last moment, I have
been known to have a few terse words with them."
(won't support the latter anyway)

B. How do you respond to authority?

No one wants to take on an argumentative employee who's resistant to authority.
But your answer to this question – or its variant How well do you take direction? –
may depend on the nature of the organisation.
In traditional and hierarchical organisations where employees are expected to
know their place and defer to people more senior, show your keen appreciation of the need to defer to authority in your answer:

"I respect authority and enjoy having a straightforward reporting relationship
where my boss gives me guidelines on what I can or cannot do. In my current job, I
know exactly what decisions I can make. For bigger decisions or larger items of
spend, I always check with my supervisor. If I were to be taken on in this role, I
would like to sit down with my manager as soon as possible to establish how best to
work together."

If you think that your interview is with a progressive organisation, position
yourself as a more freethinking candidate:

" I have the utmost respect for authority, but I'm not the kind of person who will
mindlessly do everything that my manager tells me. If I don't understand something
or think that a decision isn't in the best interests of the team, I'll ask questions until
I'm satisfied with my manager's response. But ultimately if I feel that management
has listened to my questions or objections, then I have to respect their decision and
get on with it."

C. How do you deal with disappointment?

Being able to deal with setbacks and disappointment is a really important quality.
Life (and work) doesn't always go the way you want it to, and candidates who admit to
giving up immediately are frankly a pain to work with! Employers want people who
live by the adage ‘If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.’

" Of course I don't enjoy being disappointed, but rather than dwell on the past I
try to focus on the future. As such, I always try to make the best of any situation. If I
feel that I can do anything to better the situation, then I try to do it. But if it looks
as if the chance has gone, then I try to see what I can learn from it."

If you can, give an example of a situation when an initial rejection or rebuttal
actually spurred you on to make a greater effort or take further steps that eventually led
to success.

" When I first wanted to work in music production, I sent of my CV to more than
80 companies and didn't get an interview from a single one. But I knew that I really wanted to work in the industry, so I took my CV round to some of their of ices and
literally knocked on companies’ doors. I physically visited 30 or 40 companies and
got offered a week's unpaid work experience at one of them, and at the end of the
week they offered me a job."

D. How do you cope with job stress?

The interviewer isn't asking you whether you can cope with stressful situations at
work, but how you cope with them. Engaging in sports or exercise is probably the
most socially acceptable way of letting off steam: No matter how bad the day I've
had – perhaps it's due to a difficult case or just too much to do – when I get home, I
get changed and go for a 20-minute jog. Whenever I do that, I can literally feel the
tension leaving my body.

Other ways of unwinding may include:
*Socialising with friends or colleagues.
*Cooking dinner for friends.
*Talking about a day's stressful activities with a friend or partner at home.
*Engaging in relaxing activities such meditation, yoga or having a bath with scented
oils.

Think about how your chosen method of unwinding may be viewed by the
interviewers. An activity that seems completely acceptable in one organisational
culture may be frowned upon in another. For example, interviewers at an investment
bank or a fashion house are more likely to view having a drink in a favourable light,
while they may be less impressed with people who go home to meditate. If you want
to get maximum brownie points, emphasise any common interests you have with the
interviewers or the people who typically work in their organisation.

E. What's your attitude to taking risks?

The key to answering this question is to think about the employer's likely attitude
to risks. After all, would you want to put your life in the hands of a surgeon or airline pilot who admits to living on the edge? As such, industries such as manufacturing, oil
and gas, airlines and the health professions are probably very conservative about risktaking because of the very real possibility of physical injury or death. Here's an
example of an answer that fits well in the oil industry:

" I'm a strong believer in never having to take risks. Ours is a difficult job and
it's imperative that everyone has had a full health and safety briefing. I always
assign two people to check that the equipment is sound before we proceed with the
drilling."

Other companies may actively encourage their employees to take calculated risks
if they feel that the downside is very much outweighed by the possible upside – and at
the end of the day, they may only be risking a small chunk of their budget rather than
loss of life or limb!
When talking about your attitude to risk, bear in mind that a world of
difference exists between a calculated risk and a complete shot in the dark:

" I don't mind taking risks if I feel that I have done whatever I can to establish
the pros and cons. At the end of the day, most business decisions are slightly
uncertain, but if the financial projections don't look too bad and my gut feeling is
good, then I'll take a chance. Generally, my instincts have been sound and the
majority of our projects make money."

F. Ours is a work hard, play hard culture – how do you feel about that?

Employers like to hire in their own image. You've probably heard of the Old
Boys’ Network – chaps from stuffy schools and colleges hiring other chaps who went
to the same schools and colleges. But even if the interviewers didn't go to a
prestigious school, they still like to hire people who are like them.

If an employer describes the company culture, then obviously say that you think
you'd fit into that culture really well. If you'd be happy working and playing hard –
which probably means working a 12-hour day and then going out drinking with your
colleagues – then tell the interviewers exactly that.
If you really don't feel that way, this probably isn't the right job for you. And
admitting that you don't feel that way will almost certainly count against your candidacy.

G. Tell me something interesting about yourself

Hmm, this is a tricky one because the interviewer wants someone who has
something to talk about outside of work. And this is a perfectly understandable
question, too – would you want to work with someone who had nothing to talk about
apart from work?
Do you have a skill or talent that you can talk about? Perhaps you have an unusual
hobby or interest. Or may be you have achieved something remarkable. What you talk
about almost doesn't matter, so long as you can talk about something outside of the
workplace.
Consider these genuine examples that I've heard:

*A call centre supervisor said that she was taking dance classes and her ambition was
to be able to do the splits.
*A management consultant revealed that he used to be an aerobics instructor when he
was at university.
*A primary school teacher mentioned that he had a turntable at home and spent
occasional weekends DJ-ing at local nightclubs.

Be careful about trying to be funny. Humour is really difficult to judge –
especially when you don't know people very well. Innuendoes can go down like a ton
of bricks while an ironic statement may get taken at face value. For example,
I once met an interviewer who thought a candidate was being deadly serious when he joked
that he was wearing his girlfriend's underwear! So try to think of an interesting fact
about yourself rather than answering this question in a flippant fashion.

H. What would you say your Unique Selling Point is?

A Unique Selling Point (USP) is a bit of marketing jargon. The interviewer is
asking what makes you unique and why you stand out from the other candidates. As
you can never know exactly what skills and experiences the other candidates have, talk about how you differ from (and are a better candidate than) your peers (people
that you know at your own level in your industry). Or you can argue that your
combination of skills and characteristics makes you unique.
Consider a couple of examples:

" I've been working as a beauty consultant for a few years now. But without wanting
to sound too big-headed, I've noticed that I tend to pick up information about new
products a lot more quickly than just about any other consultant I've worked with.
And that enables me to sell the products much more successfully."

" What hopefully makes me unique is the fact that I have bundles of enthusiasm and a
real ambition to progress. I am ever so keen to get on and build a career in this
industry, and I think that you would find it difficult to find someone who has my
energy and willingness to work hard."