talk2yommex2000:
Thumbs up bro. Still following.

Bro I always see you in HD. Kudos bro!

Thank you, My thumbs-up

Part 6- Hypothetical and Analytical questions

While interviewers are interested in your past and the skills that you can bring to
the job, they also want to know how well you may fit into their organisation. Having
certain skills is all very well, but can you exercise them in any situation? So
interviewers may ask hypothetical questions to gauge how you would deal with
situations that they can foresee happening. If you're being interviewed for a
management position, interviewers may also ask you to define key management
concepts to see if you think along the same lines as they do.

If you are being interviewed for a job that requires a fair degree of ability with
numbers, be ready to show you can analyse simple numerical problems and give the
interviewer an answer. More often than not, interviewers expect you to handle these
problems in your head rather than by using a calculator or even a pen and paper.
In this part, I discuss ways to deal with some of the most common
hypothetical questions, and questions requiring definitions of management concepts.
And I round off by giving you some examples of the most common numerical questions
that interviewers are likely to pose

* Responding to Hypothetical Questions

Hypothetical questions almost always have the word ‘would’ in them. Look out
for phrases such as How would you...? or What would you...? Another common tactic
is to ask, If Bleep happened, what would you do?
Don't assume that a single right answer exists. Interviewers in a small costconscious business may be looking for a very different answer to interviewers in a
large, growing and very successful company. Do your research and devise responses
to the following hypothetical questions for each interview that you attend.

The secret to handling hypothetical questions is telling the interviewers what
you think they want to hear – which may sometimes be different from what you would
actually do.

A. What would you do if your boss asked you to do something
that went against your principles?

Most people would probably answer this question by saying that it depends on
what your boss had asked you to do. But ‘it depends’ is not a satisfactory answer. Tell
the interviewers what they probably want to hear – that you would act in the best
interests of the organisation.

This is a hypothetical situation. Even if in reality you are prepared to stand up
for your principles, the interviewers would probably rather know that you would do
what is best for their organisation.

"The first thing to do is to weigh up the request against the values and rules of
the organisation. If my boss has asked me to do something that is in line with those
values but just goes against my personal values, I would have to do it anyway –
because it is for the good of the organisation. However, if my boss has asked me to
do something that is not in keeping with the organisation's values, then I would
question it."

B. What would you do if you disagreed with a decision taken
by your manager?

This is a similar question to the one above, so a similar tactic is probably a safe
bet. Emphasise that you would try to discuss the decision with your manager first.
In preparing a response to this question, think about the nature of the
interviewers’ organisation. Do you think they would consider it most important to
obey your manager? Or would they want you to act in the best interests of the
organisation?
Contrast these two responses:

"How I behave would depend on why I disagreed with the decision. For example, if I
thought that the decision was not in the best interests of the organisation, then I
would raise the issue with my manager and try to convince him or her of my
arguments. If my manager listens to me and understands my reasons, but still wants
to go ahead with his or her decision, then I would have to abide by it."

"If I thought that a decision would go against the interests of our organisation and
our customers, then I would have to challenge my manager on the issue. If my
manager did not see reason, then I may talk to a colleague and get a second
opinion. If, on discussion, we felt that the decision was completely inappropriate –
perhaps because it would damage the organisation or harm our relationships with
customers – then I would have to escalate the issue and perhaps raise my concerns
with my manager's manager."

The second answer is more appropriate for situations in which you think your
manager is clearly wrong. The first answer may be more appropriate if the decision is
merely about a difference of opinion

C. What would you do if your child were suddenly taken ill?

This question is rather unfair – potentially illegal – especially as it tends to be
aimed at women with children rather than men. As such, you may be technically within your rights to refuse to answer it.
However, refusing to answer it can make you appear unnecessarily testy or aggressive. So try to keep any irritation in check.
Remember that this question relates to a purely hypothetical situation. In
reality you may want to drop everything and head home to look after your child. But
that answer won't get you the job.

Nurseries and day centres typically ask parents to remove their children if
they have any illnesses that can infect other children. A good response to this question
is saying that you have other people to look after your child if necessary.

"My son is at a full-time nursery. But in case of medical emergencies, they have the
contact details of my mother as well as my partner's parents. So one set of his
grandparents would be more than happy to look after him. And certainly my parents
nursed me and my siblings through everything from the measles to chickenpox."

"I have a very good nanny who looks after the children. So I'm sure that she would
be able to cope with any minor medical emergencies – certainly most common
childhood ailments and even a broken bone. It would have to be a very major
emergency for me to have to go home – and I don't foresee that happening."

D. Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond or a small
fish in a big pond?

The right answer to this question depends entirely on the size of the company that
you are applying for. Read the organisation's literature carefully to work out how
many people are employed – is it counted in dozens, hundreds or thousands?
Interviewers can also ask you much more direct questions such as: Why would
you want to work for a small organisation like ours? or Why are you looking to join
a large company when all of your experience so far has been with smaller firms to what's on offer in each particular interview.
Take a look at these two different responses:

"I'd much rather be a big fish in a small pond. Working in my current firm, with
nearly 800 other lawyers, I feel that I have very little impact on the overall running
of the business. I want to join a firm in which I can get to know the team better and
feel that I am having more of a say in shaping its future."

"I'm looking to jump into a bigger pond. One of the main reasons I'm looking to join
your organisation is that so far I have only worked for small companies. Joining a
large business will give me exposure to larger and more complex projects across a
number of offices and locations. Working in a large organisation will also give me
a greater understanding of more sophisticated, leading-edge processes, to?

E. If you spotted a colleague doing something unethical, what
would you do?

In most instances, in response to this question the interviewers want you to say
that you would take a course of action to intervene or report the person as appropriate.
If there are certain right ways of acting in your particular industry – for example, the
legal and medical professions have very clear guidelines on how to deal with such
individuals – then make sure your answer includes these.

"I would get in touch with the human resources department to speak about the
matter. I would try to discuss the issue confidentially and without mentioning the
individual's name. If it became clear that his behaviour was definitely unethical,
then I would report the issue to my line manage."

F. What would you do if a colleague came to you in tears?

Empathy and consideration for others are important qualities in employees. The
worst thing in a crisis situation is having a colleague point the finger of blame or
simply say I told you so.

Show the interviewers you have good listening skills and can offer not only
practical assistance but also a shoulder to cry on.

"I'd take my colleague aside – perhaps to an unoccupied office – and try to find
out what had upset them. But to start with, the colleague probably doesn't want to
be bombarded with questions, so I'd try to be sympathetic. Once they have calmed
down, I would try to find out what the matter was. Then I would look for ways to
help – such as taking on some of their work, talking to a difficult customer or
getting another colleague involved. But throughout, I'd focus on being sympathetic
and reassuring."

G. How would you react if your boss said that you needed to
come into the of ice for the entire weekend?

In practice, you may be a bit disgruntled about working at the weekend. But your
response to this question needs to demonstrate your flexibility and commitment to the
job.

"Obviously, working at the weekend is not a situation that I hope will happen
very often. But I'd have no problem with it. In fact, one of the reasons I'm looking to
change jobs is because I'm starting to feel that my current role isn't suf iciently
challenging – I'm being under-utilised. So in fact it may be a nice change to have
too much work to do!"

H. What would you say if I were to of er you this job right
now?

The right answer depends on how much the interviewers expect you to know about the job. For example, if you have been headhunted for a specific role and know relatively little about a post, then you can say:

"Well, it sounds very interesting so far. But before accepting the job, I'd need to
spend a bit more time researching the business and reading up on your products
and the challenges ahead of you. Ideally I'd like to meet a few more of the team to
find out whether we'd get on together. But so far it all sounds very promising."

If, however, the interviewers provide you with plenty of information about their
organisation, the role, the salary and benefits, and you still want the job, then a better
answer is to declare your enthusiasm:

"I would say yes immediately. I've done a lot of reading about your
organisation, and I think that your positioning with regards to your competitors is
fascinating. I also like the fact that this interview has been quite relaxed yet
challenging. For me, that's a sign that this is the right place for me to work."

I. How would you define team work?

In asking this question, the interviewers want to know whether you can put the
needs of the team ahead of your own needs.
Two common variations on this question are: What makes for good team work?
and How would you define co-operation?

"I would define team work as the ability of a group of individuals working
together to accomplish more than they could accomplish individually. In practical
terms, this means that individuals must be willing to put the needs of the team
above their own needs at times."

Be ready to give an example of a time you demonstrated good team-working
skills, as the interviewers can easily follow up this question by asking: And can you
tell us about a time when you demonstrated your team-working skills?

J. What makes for a good working environment?

Answering this question requires a good idea of the kind of culture that typifies
this industry or even this specific company. For example, interviewers in a public
sector organisation may be looking for an answer that mentions the need to follow
established rules, while a pharmaceutical company may expect candidates to talk
about the need for people to have a thirst for knowledge.

Good research pays off in answering this type of question. Read widely to get
an idea of the culture and kind of team environment within the interviewers’
organisation. If, however, you're not sure of the working culture, talk briefly about
some general features that all organisations aspire to:

"I think it's really important for everyone to feel that they can express their
opinions openly. Managers must be willing to listen to ideas and encourage
everyone to pull together in the best interests of the team."

K. How would you define leadership?

Hundreds of definitions of leadership exist, so feel free to adopt one you already
know. However, how you respond to this question may depend on the nature of the
organisation interviewing you.
For example, a traditional organisation may expect an answer along these lines:

"Leadership is about communicating the goals of the organisation to the team
and then delegating tasks to appropriate members of the team, checking up on their
work and ensuring that they're making progress."

Alternatively, a more progressive organisation may want to hear about terms such
as ‘vision’ and ‘empowerment’:

"Leadership is about involving stakeholders to create a shared vision, and then
motivating and empowering the team so that they want to achieve that vision. Good
leadership is about getting to understand the strengths, weaknesses and needs of
individual members of the team and being able to coach and develop them so that
they can tackle progressively greater problems and opportunities."

L. How many bottles of carbonated water are consumed daily
in California?

On the face of it, this question seems impossible to answer. How the heck should
you know how many bottles are consumed daily in Britain – let alone California?
But the interviewers are not looking for a correct answer. They may not even
know the precise answer themselves! Instead, what the interviewers are looking for is
whether you can take a problem and, using reasonable assumptions and some mental
arithmetic, come up with a sensible estimate.
A correct answer to numerical hypothetical questions rarely exists.

Extrapolate from information that you do possess to calculate your estimate. As you
may imagine, management consulting firms and investment banks, in particular, like to
use these sorts of guesstimate questions.
The answer to this question may go along these lines:

"I've read somewhere that if California were a country in its own right, it would
be something like the sixth or seventh largest country in the world. On the other
hand, it's not as densely populated as most European countries, so I'd hazard a
guess that it has only a tenth of the population of the UK or France, so it would
have around five million people living there.
Thinking about the people that I know, I'd say that a lot of middle class people
are drinking bottled water – so maybe one in three people in the UK drinks a bottle
of water a day. But the question was about carbonated water. As most people seem
to drink still water rather than fizzy, I'd estimate that only one in four bottles of
water are carbonated. So that means that around one in twelve people in the UK drinks a bottle of carbonated water daily.
But people in California are reputedly much more health-conscious than those
in the UK. So let's say twice as many people there drink bottled water. So that
makes one in six people in California. So one in six out of five million people –
that's, um... Well, one in five would be one million. So one in six is going to be
around 850,000 people. So the answer is around 850,000 bottles of carbonated
water a day."

In this example and those following, whether the number is correct or not isn't the
point. Rather, the assumptions, estimates and mental calculations must seem
reasonable – and these are more interesting to the interviewers than the actual answer
itself.

Talk out loud as you work out your answer. The interviewers don't want you
to sit in silence calculating the answer and then simply say, ‘60,000 bottles a day’ at
the end – they want to hear your chain of thought.

M. How many cars does Pakistan have?

This is another guesstimate question. Again, the interviewers are interested in
your line of reasoning. You may start this challenge by working out the population of
Pakistan based on your general knowledge of the world, and then try to estimate how
many people will own cars.
Remember, to talk through your assumptions out loud.

"I think I read that India is the second largest country in the world, with a
population of around 800 million people. From maps that I've seen of that part of
the world, Pakistan is roughly a fifth or sixth of its size. Assuming it has a similar
population density to India, let's call that 150 million people in Pakistan.
Now, large parts of the population are very poor, so won't have a car. I'd
assume that around 90 per cent of the population are too poor to own a car. So that
leaves 15 million people as potential car owners. Let's assume that each family only
has one car."

N-I have a dinosaur on an island – how many sheep would I
need on the island to feed it in perpetuity?

This is yet another guesstimate question – although it is dressed up as a more
complex problem. As dinosaurs died out millions of years before sheep lived on the
planet, there really is no right answer to this question! Again, you need to make a
number of reasonable assumptions and then arrive at an answer. By the way, I heard
an interviewer at a top investment bank ask candidates this question – I'm not making it
up!

So the question is basically how many sheep would I need on the island in
order for them to be able to breed enough to feed the dinosaur. Okay, let's assume
that a meat-eating dinosaur needs to eat hundreds of kilograms of flesh every day –
so let's call it 20 sheep every single day. Multiplying that number by 365 equals
about 7,000 sheep every year.
Now let's think about the rate at which sheep can breed. One ram can
impregnate many dozens of female sheep, so let's assume that the population is 99
per cent female. I assume that there's plenty of green grass on the island and
perfect breeding conditions. One sheep can produce several lambs at a go, and let's
assume that they all make it to adulthood because of those perfect conditions. So if
each sheep is producing on average four lambs every year, then you would
basically need 7,000 divided by four sheep on the island, which equals
approximately 1,700 sheep to give birth and not be eaten.
So you'd need 7,000 sheep in the first year, who would all get eaten. And you'd
need another 1,700 sheep to produce the next year's lot of sheep. So you would need
approximately 8,700 sheep to begin with."

Now, the assumptions made above may be a bit flaky, and there is actually a
precise mathematical formula you can apply to questions about perpetuities. But the
interviewers aren't looking for mathematical formulae – they're looking for the ability
to make assumptions and apply rough rules.

O. I'd like you to multiply 8 by 9 and then take 13 away from
the result

This question is a straightforward numerical challenge. Unlike the previous
guesstimate questions in this section, a right answer exists. The answer to 8 multiplied
by 9 is, of course, 72. Taking 13 away from 72 gives you 59. But the challenge is
whether you can do that calculation in your head – and quickly.
If applying for a job that involves numbers – anything from working as an
analyst to working behind a bar or in a shop – practising your multiplication tables
and mental arithmetic helps.

To prepare for such an interview, have a go at calculating the answers to the
following sums – without using a calculator or even pen and paper of course!

What is 12 plus 36 plus 17?

*A pint of beer costs £1.23 in my bar. How much will a round of four pints cost?

*As quickly as possible, what is six times eight?

*I am expecting 60 guests in my restaurant tonight. Assuming that each person eats
one-fifth of a cake, how many cakes will I need to buy?

*A customer buys some goods in our shop costing £11.16. She gives you a £50 note.

*How much change will you give her back?

*A customer says that your colleague has short-changed him. He was expecting 64p
back but actually received 37p. How much would you need to give him back?

You get the idea. If you don't feel comfortable doing these sums, make up some of
your own and practise doing them in your head.

Part 7- Taking Control in an Unusual Manner

* Dealing with Panel Interviews

In a panel interview, you may find yourself confronted with a row of up to eight
or ten interviewers. Panel interviews are particularly popular in the public sector and
for more senior roles.
To pass panel interviews with flying colours, follow these tips:

-Follow the lead of the interviewers. If faced with many interviewers, you may not be
offered the chance to shake hands and say hello to each of them. In some cases, not all
the interviewers even introduce themselves.

-Maintain eye contact mainly with the person on the panel who asks you each question.

-Do look occasionally at the other panel members when answering the question, but for
the most part maintain eye contact with the person who actually asked you the question.

-Don't let yourself be put off by a panel. The questions fly at you from all corners, but
take your time to answer each at your own pace.

-Prepare for panel interview questions as you would any other type of interview.

-Never assume that any of the panel members are unimportant. A common ruse
used by interviewers is to pretend that one of them is merely a note taker.

A. Hanging on the telephone

Telephone interviews are tricky because establishing rapport or conveying your
enthusiasm for the job without the face-to-face element of most interviews is difficult.
However, you can create a positive impression on the phone if you always:

-Eliminate background noises.

-Smile when speaking.

-Use verbal cues (such as I see and That's interesting) instead of nodding and eye
contact.

-Have a copy of your CV or application form in front of you.

-Thank the interviewer at the end.

Make sure you get the interviewer's name and contact details and consider
sending a thank you email or letter afterwards to maximise your chances of getting the
job.

B. Handling video conferencing and webcams with finesse

A growing number of employers are exploiting video technology – through
professional video conferencing or Skype – to conduct first interviews over the
Internet.
Follow this advice to help your hi-tech interview run smoothly:

-Dress smartly.

-Avoid wearing too much white (beware screen glare!).

-Check your webcam settings.

-Speak more slowly than normal (watch out for time lags).

-Avoid using hand gestures (they blur on screen).

If you're video conferencing from home, check that what's visible in the background is
appropriate (so no laundry hanging out to dry or an untidy room!).

If you experience any technical problems – such as not being able to see or
hear the interviewers clearly – speak up immediately! Don't expect the problem to go
away of its own accord.

C. Completing personality questionnaires

Personality tests assess how you typically respond to different situations. Would
you rate yourself as a tough or fairly sensitive person? Would you say that you tend to
be very talkative or a bit quiet at work?

Personality tests are not usually timed. But the best way to complete them is to
read through the questions and jot down your response fairly quickly. The more you
mull over the responses, the more likely you are to confuse yourself.

Be careful not to try to second-guess the aim behind the personality test. Many
candidates think that they should answer as if they are more extroverted and outgoing
than they actually are. But sometimes an employer may be looking to reject candidates
who are too extroverted in case they get bored of the job quickly.

AMZYMAYO:
A. Hanging on the telephone

Telephone interviews are tricky because establishing rapport or conveying your
enthusiasm for the job without the face-to-face element of most interviews is difficult.
However, you can create a positive impression on the phone if you always:

-Eliminate background noises.

-Smile when speaking.

-Use verbal cues (such as I see and That's interesting) instead of nodding and eye
contact.

-Have a copy of your CV or application form in front of you.

-Thank the interviewer at the end.

Make sure you get the interviewer's name and contact details and consider
sending a thank you email or letter afterwards to maximise your chances of getting the
job.

Nice tip

Hello Brother, I must say you have done wonderfully well here. Your tips are top notch. I lost a job when I was asked "why do u want to with with this coy" I ignorantly said, I want to learn new skill, apply my skills and communicate with people.

Now a friend that made it I called to inquire how he answered it, what he told me already made me understand I would be dropped. She told the HRM that she after so many things she said, she noted awards the coy won recently, ppl she admire and that the coy is a winning team that wants to work with d winning team.



Modified """"

Please I want concised information on this new job.
I have done interview twice a another coy, they are stit keeping intouch though, the didn't advertise any position when I sent them a hadcopy of my CV b4 shortlisting me for job.

They said after our last interview that they will contact on 15/11/15 being Sunday when the CEO is fully back from USA. I have not seen their call till now.
So I called the HR just now to know my status, he told me things are still in good shape that our list is intact. That soonest they will call. But I further asked him the position I was being interviewed for.

HE SAID ITS STORE UNIT MANAGER. that we would be trained after hiring us.
I have 3 yrs managerial experience in administration. Please what do I expect here? Again incase of salary, what do I say. Note they coy is the biggest gadget bulk and retail sales in Nigeria.



I was ask in my last interview to give range of my salary. I wanted to respond technically, the HRM insisted I should give a range. So in order not to lose it, I gave rangerange 80-120k
He asked if they can't pay upto that shouldn't he call me? I responded no call me cos I am open for negotiation.

Thanks please pardon all my errors here. Was typing with touch pad.

Thanks ALL

Mr zieraw2005, let me start by appreciating your comment, and you really have a good handler there.

Now, to your questions. About the question of what you want from the company, I would say you don't really answer that badly, but research, like your friend did about the award they won, would have given you an edge too. A lot of things happen in interview. I have seen an interview where the applicants didn't say much; and she was called for the job out of thousands, yes I said thousands. So, it all comes to God. So next time you have an interview, pray to God and do your research (I believe you are not an atheists).

Now, about the store manager's position you requested for, I see your name on the payroll already (winks). Thank God you have the contact of somebody from the organization. You know what you will do, try to request for a lunch time with that person. During lunch, ask questions about:

A. What the organization is all about- her culture and background.
B. What the position entails, and salary of the past employee
C. Any other relevant question you think is necessary to prepare you to face the oga at the top.

*about the mistake, we all do bro. I hope I have solved part of the problem.

AMZYMAYO:
Mr zieraw2005, let me start by appreciating your comment, and you really have a good handler there.

Now, to your questions. About the question of what you want from the company, I would say you don't really answer that badly, but research, like your friend did about the award they won, would have given you an edge too. A lot of things happen in interview. I have seen an interview where the applicants didn't say much; and she was called for the job out of thousands, yes I said thousands. So, it all comes to God. So next time you have an interview, pray to God and do your research (I believe you are not an atheists).

Now, about the store manager's position you requested for, I see your name on the payroll already (winks). Thank God you have the contact of somebody from the organization. You know what you will do, try to request for a lunch time with that person. During lunch, ask questions about:

A. What the organization is all about- her culture and background.
B. What the position entails, and salary of the past employee
C. Any other relevant question you think is necessary to prepare you to face the oga at the top.

*about the mistake, we all do bro. I hope I have solved part of the problem.

Thanks brotherly, you nailed it. But inviting him for a lunch won't be a bad idea,
He will never oblige me that.

He often sees my calls as nuisance. He picks at will

I also think calling him for lunch would look as if I am buying him over. I so wish we could talk via voice over phone. Will appreciate getting your contact so I can tell you the coy, who knows you may have contact person to savage this situation for me. Thanks for your swift response @Amzymayo

Lest I forget , I have made wide research on the internet about their salary structure but all to no avail. I contacted another person, he told me that I will know when offer letter comes handy. But I have also realised I can screw up things if I say amount too far higher than what they pay existing hires. May God help me.

zieraw2005:


Thanks brotherly, you nailed it. But inviting him for a lunch won't be a bad idea,
He will never oblige me that.

He often sees my calls as nuisance. He picks at will

I also think calling him for lunch would look as if I am buying him over. I so wish we could talk via voice over phone. Will appreciate getting your contact so I can tell you the coy, who knows you may have contact person to savage this situation for me. Thanks for your swift response @Amzymayo

Lest I forget , I have made wide research on the internet about their salary structure but all to no avail. I contacted another person, he told me that I will know when offer letter comes handy. But I have also realised I can screw up things if I say amount too far higher than what they pay existing hires. May God help me.

LOL. Sir, am no better than you sir. Still hurting. So sir, if you never try something, you wouldn't know if it will work or not. So, send a text to him that you will like to have lunch with him, indicating time and venue. Ask for his reply. No matter what he thinks, buying over or not, no him saying (proverbs 17:

AMZYMAYO:

LOL. Sir, am no better than you sir. Still hurting. So sir, if you never try something, you wouldn't know if it will work or not. So, send a text to him that you will like to have lunch with him, indicating time and venue. Ask for his reply. No matter what he thinks, buying over or not, no him saying (proverbs 17:

That I will do. One love

AMZYMAYO:

Please drop your email address

aericox@gmail.com