1."If you could start your career over again, what would you do differently?"
This depends on several factors. If your university major is different than your career choice, then you could answer that you would choose a different major to prepare you for your choice in career. Or if you started at a small company and didn’t have many opportunities, you can say that you would have started at a larger company. This is not a significant question so a regular answer should suffice.
Short Answers
"I started my career at a small company. I feel I would have benefited more if I started at a larger company. A large company usually provides training that I didn’t receive, so I would like to have started my career in a larger company."
"I didn’t know how much I liked working with computers until I finished college. If I had known earlier, I would have liked to have worked with computers earlier in my career."
Long Answer
"Well, I majored in chemistry and now I’m working in the marketing department for a telecommunications company. I had a lot to learn in the beginning, but I quickly learned what I needed to know to be an effective member of the marketing team. However, I always felt that if I majored in business or marketing, I would have started off with a better foundation. I’m great at what I do, but if I could start over again, I would probably choose to have majored in business administration."
This is an acceptable answer because the answer doesn’t display any problems in the work history. Many people change careers or go into a field that is unrelated to their major. This is common, so answering this question using this answer is common. If you don’t want to use this common answer, then thinking about a scenario early in your work career that you would have done differently might be more effective.
2."During your performance reviews, what criticism do you hear the most?"
This question is primarily for people with work experience. If you are fresh out of college, then you will not be asked this question. The answer to this question should not disclose any real faults. Instead, try to think of something that doesn’t sound too bad. Here is what I hear at my reviews and this is how I would answer this question.
Short Answers
"I heard that I need to be proactive. I always perform at an exceptional level, but I didn’t volunteer for additional work. I wasn’t accustomed to it so I’m glad that I received this criticism. I now practice keeping an eye out for additional projects I can take on."
"During my review, my manager told me to voice my opinions more frequently. He always liked my suggestions when I told him, but in group meetings, I usually let my manager speak. Now, I feel more confident that I can suggest my ideas in groups."
"My manager told me that I should send more updates. He told me I did my projects well, and that I was never late, but he would like more updates so he can report to his manager."
Long Answer
"I actually like to receive criticism because it gives me information on how to improve. But the most common criticism I hear is hard to correct because I disagree with the comment. I’m told that I should be more visible. I’m told that I do great work and I do a lot of extra work, but in a large organization, it’s important to visibly stand out. I’m not a person who likes to be secluded in the office. I like to go out and collaborate, I like to work with people, and I email my co-workers with valuable information that will help with their job, so I can’t say I agree, but I always try to be more visible."
This criticism is actually a common comment used by managers if they can’t give you a good review score but have nothing bad to say about you. In large organizations, you are measured against your peers. That means if you do well, you might get a bad review score because everyone did better. Likewise, if you are just mediocre and everyone else is terrible, you will get a good review score. Because of this system, I’m regularly told to be more visible. So when I answer this question, I make sure to back up my disagreement with examples of being visible.
3."Tell me about your last three positions?"
This type of question is generally asked by lazy interviewers who want to hear you talk for a while. A better question would be to separate the three positions and ask them one by one. But some people will ask this question, so you should definitely prepare for it. You can use this as your advantage. If you don’t have many good things to say about your second position, you can briefly comment on it and spend more time talking about the other two positions. I’ll give an example in the long answer, but here are some short answers first.
Short Answers
"I’ve only had one position. In my last position, I worked as a marketing analyst for South American markets. I worked closely with partners in Chile and Argentina."
"I’ve only held two different positions. In my first job, I was a lab manager for ABC Software company. I monitored 50 computers and performed diagnostics regularly. In my last position, I was a network engineer fixing network problems and trouble shooting bottlenecks."
"I worked as a translator for the King County court house. Afterwards, I worked as a translator for hospitals. My last position was translating help documents for a software company."
Long Answer
"The first position I held was working at Radio Shack as a salesman. I learned a great deal about retail stores, about sales and working with customers, and became more independent. I thought I learned a great deal and enjoyed my work, but I wanted to experience different types of work. So I started working for Verizon. I had an office job and did a variety of different tasks such as planning, data entry, and organizing projects. I learned a little about the office setting, but I wanted to get back into sales. So I was given an opportunity to sell cell phones for Verizon at a retail store. I used my past sales experience and worked hard becoming one of the top sales person three years in a row. I’ve been there ever since."
I haven’t worked at three different positions, so I just made one up. The question is pretty general, so the answer is pretty general. It does emphasize sales skill and coming back to the type of work that this person enjoys. But you should think of something that is related to the position you are interviewing for. Only thing you should be concerned about it clearly explaining your past three positions, what you learned there, and if you did something notable, include that as well.
4."Tell me about your last position? What did you do and how did you do it? Include the people you worked for and the people you worked with."
This question is a little better than asking about the last three positions. It is more direct and focuses on getting more information about the last position. You might not get this question with so much detail. It might just be, "Tell me about your last position." But you can use the other questions as a guide when answering this question. You should mention what you did, how you did it, how you work in a team, what you learned, how well you did your job, etc.
Short Answers
"I was a staff auditor for a small accounting firm. I performed audits for small to medium size businesses. This involved meeting the clients and retrieving data required to complete the audit. I worked closely with my supervisor that presented my findings of the audit to the clients."
"I worked for a large insurance company as an agent. I made sales to new customers and provided customer service to existing customers. I worked with three other people in my group and we helped each other by sharing ideas and experiences."
"I was a program manager for a manufacturing company. I was in charge of cost analysis concerning different quantities of manufacturing. I also worked on planning the procedure for the next deliverables."
Long Answer
"In my last position, I was a senior auditor. My duties included auditing governmental businesses and Native American tribes. For all the audits I was conducting, I was the in charge auditor overseeing the audits of other team members and doing a portion of the audit myself. I have experience in conducting an audit from beginning to end without supervision and I worked with controllers and senior accountants on a regular basis. Along with working with experienced and knowledgeable client’s, I also had to work with junior level accountants that didn’t know all the details of auditing. I was clear and concise in asking for what I needed. In the last year I was working as the senior auditor, I planned and organized each visit to our client’s site. I regularly trained and managed new members of our team and I was the go to person for technical auditing questions."
The question wanted detail so the answer has to be a little long detailing some of the highlights of the last job. I included the type of people I worked for, the people I work with, the job description, and included that I was a great team member and a leader at the last position. Most of you will not be in the accounting field, so you can’t use this example. But you should follow the steps of being detailed and showing off your strengths.
5."What is your management philosophy?"
This is another question only for managers and above. You can make this short or long, but in the least it should be an answer that stands out. Think of a guideline that you follow as a manager that you think is a good philosophy to follow.
Short Answers
"I think management should provide guidance, direction, leadership, and finally set an example to subordinates."
"My management philosophy is to provide an environment that leads to productive employees. I achieve this through conflict management, keeping the morale high, providing encouragement to low performers, and also rewarding the strong performers."
"I believe in setting an example. My favorite managers in the past were the ones that worked smart and efficiently. I learned a great deal and found that leading by example is a strong way to influence directs to work diligently."
Long Answer
"Before I was in management, I had many types of managers. I learned a lot from observing their management styles. I also learned a lot from the bad managers I had. I had a manger who was never there, another that didn’t care, and another that had a phrase similar to, ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ So the traits I acquired are from my good managers such as working smart instead of working long, but the philosophy I always think about is from my bad managers. So I believe I should lead by example, provide guidance and growth by giving important feedback, and to be accessible to everyone."
If you want a shorter answer that is to the point, you can consider this one.
"I believe management should provide guidance for employees to do their job well. This includes several meanings. First, it means management should provide challenging tasks related to the job that gives employees experience. This also stretches their abilities and brings growth. Also, by guiding employees to do their job well, it benefits the company by having productive employees."
Questions that are related to what you think should differ person to person. So think what your management philosophy is and write it down. Put more thought into it and then you will be able to explain exactly what you mean. If you have no idea, then consider what I wrote down in my two examples above.
6."What was your favorite job?"
I have never been asked this question, but I know some people who ran into it. That means you should at least give it a little thought so you can think of a good answer ahead of time. The best way to answer this question is to select a job that is most similar to the job that you are applying for. For example, if a person who is applying to be a financial analyst says their favorite job was being a salesman, then the answer is basically useless and not effective at all. Rather, you should say that you like your last marketing job because you have passion for it and you really enjoy it. Many people fail interviews based on lack of enthusiasm. So make sure you show them that you love the job you are applying for.
"My favorite job was working as a financial analyst. I wanted to pursue other areas of finance so I accepted a position as a financial consultant. After a while, I realized how much I enjoyed my work as a financial analyst so I’m looking for a financial analyst position."
"The last position I held was my favorite job. I really enjoy all aspects of accounting and auditing. However, I don’t want to limit myself to just governmental accounting so I want a position where I can be doing similar type of work but in a larger setting."
"My favorite job was the last position I held in the marketing department. That’s why I’m applying for this job. It’s similar to my last position and I really enjoyed it. Even though I really like my job, I want to experience the same work for a larger company. That’s the primary reason for wanting to leave my current job."
This answer is brief but effective. It states that this person loves marketing. The second part of the answer is basically answering a question before it is asked. If you love your job, why are you leaving? You can answer this in several ways, but my example is using the excuse of wanting to work for a larger company because it shows that I want to take the next step in my career. It shows that I want to grow and that I want to go to bigger and better opportunities. Basically, it is showing a little ambition without saying it directly.
7."Tell me about the best manager you ever had."
This question is primarily used to see what you value in a manager. The best way to answer this question is to explain a little bit about the manager and list the things you respect. Also include that you learned how to become a good manager through your experience with your good manager.
Short Answers
"My favorite manager was a person with a lot of knowledge. She stood her ground firmly and knew the best process to take by analyzing all the information."
"My favorite manager was very trusting and easy to approach. I grew in many ways under this manager and I valued his method of dealing with directs. I believe in growing employees and this manager did a great job."
"I had a manager that worked efficiently. Instead of bossing everyone around, he set an example of hard work through his actions. I respected that trait and learned to be more like him by working smarter."
Long Answer
"The best manager I had was during my first year at Microsoft. Since then, I have been under many different managers, but nobody matched up to his level. I respected him the most because of two reasons. He spent a great deal of time mentoring me and teaching me many work related things. I became a great employee because of him. And second, he produced the greatest amount of quality work among all the other managers. I always wondered how he could spend so much time with me and still find ways to out perform other managers. But that is where I learned how to work smart and efficiently. He showed me how to be the best employee through his action and through the individual lessons he gave me. I was so happy to have had a great manager early in my career."
This is an easy answer for me because I was truly amazed at my first manager. I made sure to explain why he was the best manager and what I learned from him. Another reason why it is important to be able to answer this question is because most great employees were taught by a great manager.
8."Tell me about the worst manager you ever had."
Just like learning from a good manager, you should learn from bad managers as well. When you tell the reason why your manager was bad, make sure to include that you learned not to be like that.
Short Answers
"In my last position, I had a manager who didn’t like to give instructions. I managed to figure a lot of it out, but I would have saved a lot of time if my manager gave a simple 5 minute overview on the project."
"I had one manager that was very disorganized. Whenever I ask a question, he would look around his desk for a couple minutes looking for information to give to me. I like to be organized so this trait really bothered me."
"One manager didn’t like talking to people. He always had his office door closed and whenever anyone asked a question, he seemed disturbed. He was very intelligent and produced a great deal of work, but as a manager, I believe you should be approachable by your directs."
Long Answer
"The worst manager I had was when I was working at a database company. I didn’t like my manager because he was never available. When ever he was given an assignment, he always delegated the work without explaining the details. We were told to figure it out. I believe that you can learn from figuring some things out by ourselves, but it was obvious that this wasn’t his intention. But the worst thing about it was that I didn’t know that he was bad until I changed to a different manager. He kept feeding us false hope saying we are close to being promoted. Basically it was a way to keep us motivated to work extra hard. Sure it worked for a while, but I didn’t gain anything else out of it except what not to be as a manager."
This is a pretty easy answer that just explains the behavior of a bad manager. If you haven’t had many managers, then it might be difficult to think of one. But you should definitely think of an answer even if you have to bend the truth a little. Although my example was ordinary, you can make a better answer by listing out what you learned through your bad manager.
9."What could you have done to improve your relationship with a manager you didn’t like?"
This question could be a follow up to the question about having a bad manager. In my case, I didn’t know he was a bad manager until I switched managers. But here is a generic answer that shows professionalism.
Short Answers
"If I communicated my problems earlier, I feel we both would have benefited. I waited several months before approaching my manager, and after our talk, our relationship got much better. So I could have improved my relationship by talking about problems sooner than later."
"I feel I should be more understanding of different work styles. I didn’t like my manager not communicating enough, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t approach him. So I’m learning to work seamlessly with different types of people."
"One of my managers gave too much criticism. I value criticism, but hearing something negative every other day was difficult. I think I could have communicated how the criticism affected me in order to improve our relationship."
Long Answer
"I had a manager in the past I didn’t like that much, but I couldn’t say he was a bad manager. Our personalities conflicted and we had some arguments. This affected my performance and willingness to work in the beginning, but I asked myself this same question. I thought I should try to get along with my manager despite my personal feelings. I set them aside and maintained a professional relationship. Taking this approach really helped. Because I was willing to look past minor differences, our work relationship got stronger and I performed at a higher level."
This answer shows that this person took proper actions before it was too late. It shows that this candidate has the ability to work with managers and team members despite personal differences or feelings of dislike. When you think of your own answer, make sure you answer this question showing that you dealt with this problem before and that you overcame the situation.
10."What were the most memorable accomplishments in your last position?"
"What were the most memorable accomplishments in your last career?"
Both of these questions can be answered with the same question. If you do not have much experience, it might be hard to think of a good answer. Also, if your previous job was very simple or followed a regular routine, then a memorable accomplishment might be hard to think about. So take a lot of time to think of anything. Because answering this question with nothing to say is basically the only wrong answer. Here are some ideas. Did you save the company money? Did you create a new process and put it into place? Did you break a sales record? Did you meet a difficult deadline? You can use all of these types of experience for this answer.
Short Answers
"I remember the day I completed an audit from beginning to end all by myself. Since I was an entry level auditor, this accomplishment really felt good because it was my first major step."
"One day our director came out of his office asking who wrote up the documentation for ABC firm. I didn’t know if he was upset or impressed. I said I did it and he basically said, great job and went back to his office. This was memorable because the director never did this before."
"The most memorable accomplishment I had as a sales associate for a software company was closing a deal worth $17 million. This was the second largest order our company ever had and it felt like hitting a grand slam."
Long Answer
"My last position was selling copy machines. I had one month where I broke the sales record for a given month. I think that was a great accomplishment. However, throughout the calendar year, I exceeded the average number of sales by 20% ten out of twelve months. Having a great month is good, but I feel it is a greater accomplishment maintaining solid numbers throughout the whole year."
"I think the greatest accomplishment in my last position was implementing a simple process that reduced the number of broken builds by 20%. Whenever we have a broken build, it slows down work for 20 different people. That puts risk on slipping the ship date. But my process involved following 25 steps prior to building to ensure a successful build. The 25 steps only took 15 minutes to complete and we reduced the number of build breaks significantly. It worked for our product and upper management instructed other groups in our organization to put this process in place. I really felt excited about that accomplishment."
These two examples are different. One is for a sales position and the second is for a technical engineer position. Both of them are great accomplishments. Sales is easy to answer because you can just throw out numbers and it sounds good. The second is a little more difficult because you have to explain the situation a little. But make sure you explain your scenario enough so the interviewer can see the significance of your contribution.
11."Why do you want to leave your current job?"
There are many wrong answers to this question. Some of them include saying things like, I hate my job, I hate the company, I’m not appreciated there, I hate my boss, I’m sick of working there, etc. Basically, anything negative is a bad answer. If you say something negative, they will think you will eventually get into that situation again while working for them. So I highly recommend you have a good answer that leaves a positive impression while displaying good traits.
Short Answers
"I want to find a company with more opportunities. My previous company was very small and didn’t have opportunities for growth. After learning about the work environment here, I felt this is exactly the type of place I want to work."
"My current company is very large and it’s difficult to do different tasks. We have routine work that never changes. I want to work in an environment where I can utilize more of my skills."
"Our family moved to live near a better school district for our children. This area is great and I want to find a job closer to my new home. My previous job was too far away to commute."
Long Answer
"I really enjoy what I’m doing, but I feel I’m following a routine. I looked around for more opportunities to grow, but because the company is small, I’m very limited. I want to work in an environment that will help me realize my full potential and a place I can contribute everything I’m capable of doing. My current job doesn’t provide these things for me and that’s why I want to work here. I know ABC Company has a lot of opportunities for growth and encourages employees to take on challenging projects to learn more. That is what I’m looking for."
This answer shows a couple of good traits. It also shows excitement and mentions the company name. It is personal and direct. This is a generic answer so you can use this if you want. If you decide to think of your own, make sure it displays good traits and the reason for wanting to leave your current job is not a negative reason.
12."Where did you tell your boss you were going?"
"Where does your boss think you are?"
I highly doubt you will be asked this question. But it is true that interviews are conducted during office hours. That means if you are employed, then you will have to have a reason for not working. There are a couple of options. If the interview is less than two hours, you can schedule one during lunch time. If so, you can say you told your boss that you had to take care of some personal matters and you are taking an extended lunch. Another option is to tell the interviewer that your boss is aware of your interview schedule. But make sure it is true. I don’t know what the best way to answer this question. But if I had to respond to this question, I would answer by saying I’m taking a personal day, or a vacation day. But make sure you don’t say you are using a sick day. That is a complete lie and the interviewer will see that you are willing to lie for your personal gain.
"I wasn’t required to tell my boss because I used one of my vacation days to be here. I’m really excited to have this interview opportunity and using a vacation day was very well worth it."
This answer is turning an awkward question into an opportunity to show enthusiasm for the interview and the company. This is a key example where little things count. By adding the last sentence, the interviewer is sure to remember your answer more. That is because he or she will see your enthusiasm and excitement. If all the answers are the same, this one will be sure to stand out. When interviewing, everyone has similar answers. The key is to find opportunities to put in little extra comments to give you the advantage.
13."Are you currently employed at the last place listed on your resume?"
This is a simple yes or no answer. I do not recommend lying. They can find out and if they catch you lying, then you lost your chance at this job. The reason this question is important is because someone who is currently employed appears to be a better candidate than someone who doesn’t have a job. I do not believe it is true that an employed person is better qualified for any job, but it is one of those things that most people grew up with. If you are currently employed, then simply answer yes. You don’t’ have to say anything else. If no, then you can say something to justify your reason for not having a job. But make sure it is a good reason. Otherwise, it might be better to simply answer, "No, I’m not currently employed."
This depends on several factors. If your university major is different than your career choice, then you could answer that you would choose a different major to prepare you for your choice in career. Or if you started at a small company and didn’t have many opportunities, you can say that you would have started at a larger company. This is not a significant question so a regular answer should suffice.
Short Answers
"I started my career at a small company. I feel I would have benefited more if I started at a larger company. A large company usually provides training that I didn’t receive, so I would like to have started my career in a larger company."
"I didn’t know how much I liked working with computers until I finished college. If I had known earlier, I would have liked to have worked with computers earlier in my career."
Long Answer
"Well, I majored in chemistry and now I’m working in the marketing department for a telecommunications company. I had a lot to learn in the beginning, but I quickly learned what I needed to know to be an effective member of the marketing team. However, I always felt that if I majored in business or marketing, I would have started off with a better foundation. I’m great at what I do, but if I could start over again, I would probably choose to have majored in business administration."
This is an acceptable answer because the answer doesn’t display any problems in the work history. Many people change careers or go into a field that is unrelated to their major. This is common, so answering this question using this answer is common. If you don’t want to use this common answer, then thinking about a scenario early in your work career that you would have done differently might be more effective.
2."During your performance reviews, what criticism do you hear the most?"
This question is primarily for people with work experience. If you are fresh out of college, then you will not be asked this question. The answer to this question should not disclose any real faults. Instead, try to think of something that doesn’t sound too bad. Here is what I hear at my reviews and this is how I would answer this question.
Short Answers
"I heard that I need to be proactive. I always perform at an exceptional level, but I didn’t volunteer for additional work. I wasn’t accustomed to it so I’m glad that I received this criticism. I now practice keeping an eye out for additional projects I can take on."
"During my review, my manager told me to voice my opinions more frequently. He always liked my suggestions when I told him, but in group meetings, I usually let my manager speak. Now, I feel more confident that I can suggest my ideas in groups."
"My manager told me that I should send more updates. He told me I did my projects well, and that I was never late, but he would like more updates so he can report to his manager."
Long Answer
"I actually like to receive criticism because it gives me information on how to improve. But the most common criticism I hear is hard to correct because I disagree with the comment. I’m told that I should be more visible. I’m told that I do great work and I do a lot of extra work, but in a large organization, it’s important to visibly stand out. I’m not a person who likes to be secluded in the office. I like to go out and collaborate, I like to work with people, and I email my co-workers with valuable information that will help with their job, so I can’t say I agree, but I always try to be more visible."
This criticism is actually a common comment used by managers if they can’t give you a good review score but have nothing bad to say about you. In large organizations, you are measured against your peers. That means if you do well, you might get a bad review score because everyone did better. Likewise, if you are just mediocre and everyone else is terrible, you will get a good review score. Because of this system, I’m regularly told to be more visible. So when I answer this question, I make sure to back up my disagreement with examples of being visible.
3."Tell me about your last three positions?"
This type of question is generally asked by lazy interviewers who want to hear you talk for a while. A better question would be to separate the three positions and ask them one by one. But some people will ask this question, so you should definitely prepare for it. You can use this as your advantage. If you don’t have many good things to say about your second position, you can briefly comment on it and spend more time talking about the other two positions. I’ll give an example in the long answer, but here are some short answers first.
Short Answers
"I’ve only had one position. In my last position, I worked as a marketing analyst for South American markets. I worked closely with partners in Chile and Argentina."
"I’ve only held two different positions. In my first job, I was a lab manager for ABC Software company. I monitored 50 computers and performed diagnostics regularly. In my last position, I was a network engineer fixing network problems and trouble shooting bottlenecks."
"I worked as a translator for the King County court house. Afterwards, I worked as a translator for hospitals. My last position was translating help documents for a software company."
Long Answer
"The first position I held was working at Radio Shack as a salesman. I learned a great deal about retail stores, about sales and working with customers, and became more independent. I thought I learned a great deal and enjoyed my work, but I wanted to experience different types of work. So I started working for Verizon. I had an office job and did a variety of different tasks such as planning, data entry, and organizing projects. I learned a little about the office setting, but I wanted to get back into sales. So I was given an opportunity to sell cell phones for Verizon at a retail store. I used my past sales experience and worked hard becoming one of the top sales person three years in a row. I’ve been there ever since."
I haven’t worked at three different positions, so I just made one up. The question is pretty general, so the answer is pretty general. It does emphasize sales skill and coming back to the type of work that this person enjoys. But you should think of something that is related to the position you are interviewing for. Only thing you should be concerned about it clearly explaining your past three positions, what you learned there, and if you did something notable, include that as well.
4."Tell me about your last position? What did you do and how did you do it? Include the people you worked for and the people you worked with."
This question is a little better than asking about the last three positions. It is more direct and focuses on getting more information about the last position. You might not get this question with so much detail. It might just be, "Tell me about your last position." But you can use the other questions as a guide when answering this question. You should mention what you did, how you did it, how you work in a team, what you learned, how well you did your job, etc.
Short Answers
"I was a staff auditor for a small accounting firm. I performed audits for small to medium size businesses. This involved meeting the clients and retrieving data required to complete the audit. I worked closely with my supervisor that presented my findings of the audit to the clients."
"I worked for a large insurance company as an agent. I made sales to new customers and provided customer service to existing customers. I worked with three other people in my group and we helped each other by sharing ideas and experiences."
"I was a program manager for a manufacturing company. I was in charge of cost analysis concerning different quantities of manufacturing. I also worked on planning the procedure for the next deliverables."
Long Answer
"In my last position, I was a senior auditor. My duties included auditing governmental businesses and Native American tribes. For all the audits I was conducting, I was the in charge auditor overseeing the audits of other team members and doing a portion of the audit myself. I have experience in conducting an audit from beginning to end without supervision and I worked with controllers and senior accountants on a regular basis. Along with working with experienced and knowledgeable client’s, I also had to work with junior level accountants that didn’t know all the details of auditing. I was clear and concise in asking for what I needed. In the last year I was working as the senior auditor, I planned and organized each visit to our client’s site. I regularly trained and managed new members of our team and I was the go to person for technical auditing questions."
The question wanted detail so the answer has to be a little long detailing some of the highlights of the last job. I included the type of people I worked for, the people I work with, the job description, and included that I was a great team member and a leader at the last position. Most of you will not be in the accounting field, so you can’t use this example. But you should follow the steps of being detailed and showing off your strengths.
5."What is your management philosophy?"
This is another question only for managers and above. You can make this short or long, but in the least it should be an answer that stands out. Think of a guideline that you follow as a manager that you think is a good philosophy to follow.
Short Answers
"I think management should provide guidance, direction, leadership, and finally set an example to subordinates."
"My management philosophy is to provide an environment that leads to productive employees. I achieve this through conflict management, keeping the morale high, providing encouragement to low performers, and also rewarding the strong performers."
"I believe in setting an example. My favorite managers in the past were the ones that worked smart and efficiently. I learned a great deal and found that leading by example is a strong way to influence directs to work diligently."
Long Answer
"Before I was in management, I had many types of managers. I learned a lot from observing their management styles. I also learned a lot from the bad managers I had. I had a manger who was never there, another that didn’t care, and another that had a phrase similar to, ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ So the traits I acquired are from my good managers such as working smart instead of working long, but the philosophy I always think about is from my bad managers. So I believe I should lead by example, provide guidance and growth by giving important feedback, and to be accessible to everyone."
If you want a shorter answer that is to the point, you can consider this one.
"I believe management should provide guidance for employees to do their job well. This includes several meanings. First, it means management should provide challenging tasks related to the job that gives employees experience. This also stretches their abilities and brings growth. Also, by guiding employees to do their job well, it benefits the company by having productive employees."
Questions that are related to what you think should differ person to person. So think what your management philosophy is and write it down. Put more thought into it and then you will be able to explain exactly what you mean. If you have no idea, then consider what I wrote down in my two examples above.
6."What was your favorite job?"
I have never been asked this question, but I know some people who ran into it. That means you should at least give it a little thought so you can think of a good answer ahead of time. The best way to answer this question is to select a job that is most similar to the job that you are applying for. For example, if a person who is applying to be a financial analyst says their favorite job was being a salesman, then the answer is basically useless and not effective at all. Rather, you should say that you like your last marketing job because you have passion for it and you really enjoy it. Many people fail interviews based on lack of enthusiasm. So make sure you show them that you love the job you are applying for.
"My favorite job was working as a financial analyst. I wanted to pursue other areas of finance so I accepted a position as a financial consultant. After a while, I realized how much I enjoyed my work as a financial analyst so I’m looking for a financial analyst position."
"The last position I held was my favorite job. I really enjoy all aspects of accounting and auditing. However, I don’t want to limit myself to just governmental accounting so I want a position where I can be doing similar type of work but in a larger setting."
"My favorite job was the last position I held in the marketing department. That’s why I’m applying for this job. It’s similar to my last position and I really enjoyed it. Even though I really like my job, I want to experience the same work for a larger company. That’s the primary reason for wanting to leave my current job."
This answer is brief but effective. It states that this person loves marketing. The second part of the answer is basically answering a question before it is asked. If you love your job, why are you leaving? You can answer this in several ways, but my example is using the excuse of wanting to work for a larger company because it shows that I want to take the next step in my career. It shows that I want to grow and that I want to go to bigger and better opportunities. Basically, it is showing a little ambition without saying it directly.
7."Tell me about the best manager you ever had."
This question is primarily used to see what you value in a manager. The best way to answer this question is to explain a little bit about the manager and list the things you respect. Also include that you learned how to become a good manager through your experience with your good manager.
Short Answers
"My favorite manager was a person with a lot of knowledge. She stood her ground firmly and knew the best process to take by analyzing all the information."
"My favorite manager was very trusting and easy to approach. I grew in many ways under this manager and I valued his method of dealing with directs. I believe in growing employees and this manager did a great job."
"I had a manager that worked efficiently. Instead of bossing everyone around, he set an example of hard work through his actions. I respected that trait and learned to be more like him by working smarter."
Long Answer
"The best manager I had was during my first year at Microsoft. Since then, I have been under many different managers, but nobody matched up to his level. I respected him the most because of two reasons. He spent a great deal of time mentoring me and teaching me many work related things. I became a great employee because of him. And second, he produced the greatest amount of quality work among all the other managers. I always wondered how he could spend so much time with me and still find ways to out perform other managers. But that is where I learned how to work smart and efficiently. He showed me how to be the best employee through his action and through the individual lessons he gave me. I was so happy to have had a great manager early in my career."
This is an easy answer for me because I was truly amazed at my first manager. I made sure to explain why he was the best manager and what I learned from him. Another reason why it is important to be able to answer this question is because most great employees were taught by a great manager.
8."Tell me about the worst manager you ever had."
Just like learning from a good manager, you should learn from bad managers as well. When you tell the reason why your manager was bad, make sure to include that you learned not to be like that.
Short Answers
"In my last position, I had a manager who didn’t like to give instructions. I managed to figure a lot of it out, but I would have saved a lot of time if my manager gave a simple 5 minute overview on the project."
"I had one manager that was very disorganized. Whenever I ask a question, he would look around his desk for a couple minutes looking for information to give to me. I like to be organized so this trait really bothered me."
"One manager didn’t like talking to people. He always had his office door closed and whenever anyone asked a question, he seemed disturbed. He was very intelligent and produced a great deal of work, but as a manager, I believe you should be approachable by your directs."
Long Answer
"The worst manager I had was when I was working at a database company. I didn’t like my manager because he was never available. When ever he was given an assignment, he always delegated the work without explaining the details. We were told to figure it out. I believe that you can learn from figuring some things out by ourselves, but it was obvious that this wasn’t his intention. But the worst thing about it was that I didn’t know that he was bad until I changed to a different manager. He kept feeding us false hope saying we are close to being promoted. Basically it was a way to keep us motivated to work extra hard. Sure it worked for a while, but I didn’t gain anything else out of it except what not to be as a manager."
This is a pretty easy answer that just explains the behavior of a bad manager. If you haven’t had many managers, then it might be difficult to think of one. But you should definitely think of an answer even if you have to bend the truth a little. Although my example was ordinary, you can make a better answer by listing out what you learned through your bad manager.
9."What could you have done to improve your relationship with a manager you didn’t like?"
This question could be a follow up to the question about having a bad manager. In my case, I didn’t know he was a bad manager until I switched managers. But here is a generic answer that shows professionalism.
Short Answers
"If I communicated my problems earlier, I feel we both would have benefited. I waited several months before approaching my manager, and after our talk, our relationship got much better. So I could have improved my relationship by talking about problems sooner than later."
"I feel I should be more understanding of different work styles. I didn’t like my manager not communicating enough, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t approach him. So I’m learning to work seamlessly with different types of people."
"One of my managers gave too much criticism. I value criticism, but hearing something negative every other day was difficult. I think I could have communicated how the criticism affected me in order to improve our relationship."
Long Answer
"I had a manager in the past I didn’t like that much, but I couldn’t say he was a bad manager. Our personalities conflicted and we had some arguments. This affected my performance and willingness to work in the beginning, but I asked myself this same question. I thought I should try to get along with my manager despite my personal feelings. I set them aside and maintained a professional relationship. Taking this approach really helped. Because I was willing to look past minor differences, our work relationship got stronger and I performed at a higher level."
This answer shows that this person took proper actions before it was too late. It shows that this candidate has the ability to work with managers and team members despite personal differences or feelings of dislike. When you think of your own answer, make sure you answer this question showing that you dealt with this problem before and that you overcame the situation.
10."What were the most memorable accomplishments in your last position?"
"What were the most memorable accomplishments in your last career?"
Both of these questions can be answered with the same question. If you do not have much experience, it might be hard to think of a good answer. Also, if your previous job was very simple or followed a regular routine, then a memorable accomplishment might be hard to think about. So take a lot of time to think of anything. Because answering this question with nothing to say is basically the only wrong answer. Here are some ideas. Did you save the company money? Did you create a new process and put it into place? Did you break a sales record? Did you meet a difficult deadline? You can use all of these types of experience for this answer.
Short Answers
"I remember the day I completed an audit from beginning to end all by myself. Since I was an entry level auditor, this accomplishment really felt good because it was my first major step."
"One day our director came out of his office asking who wrote up the documentation for ABC firm. I didn’t know if he was upset or impressed. I said I did it and he basically said, great job and went back to his office. This was memorable because the director never did this before."
"The most memorable accomplishment I had as a sales associate for a software company was closing a deal worth $17 million. This was the second largest order our company ever had and it felt like hitting a grand slam."
Long Answer
"My last position was selling copy machines. I had one month where I broke the sales record for a given month. I think that was a great accomplishment. However, throughout the calendar year, I exceeded the average number of sales by 20% ten out of twelve months. Having a great month is good, but I feel it is a greater accomplishment maintaining solid numbers throughout the whole year."
"I think the greatest accomplishment in my last position was implementing a simple process that reduced the number of broken builds by 20%. Whenever we have a broken build, it slows down work for 20 different people. That puts risk on slipping the ship date. But my process involved following 25 steps prior to building to ensure a successful build. The 25 steps only took 15 minutes to complete and we reduced the number of build breaks significantly. It worked for our product and upper management instructed other groups in our organization to put this process in place. I really felt excited about that accomplishment."
These two examples are different. One is for a sales position and the second is for a technical engineer position. Both of them are great accomplishments. Sales is easy to answer because you can just throw out numbers and it sounds good. The second is a little more difficult because you have to explain the situation a little. But make sure you explain your scenario enough so the interviewer can see the significance of your contribution.
11."Why do you want to leave your current job?"
There are many wrong answers to this question. Some of them include saying things like, I hate my job, I hate the company, I’m not appreciated there, I hate my boss, I’m sick of working there, etc. Basically, anything negative is a bad answer. If you say something negative, they will think you will eventually get into that situation again while working for them. So I highly recommend you have a good answer that leaves a positive impression while displaying good traits.
Short Answers
"I want to find a company with more opportunities. My previous company was very small and didn’t have opportunities for growth. After learning about the work environment here, I felt this is exactly the type of place I want to work."
"My current company is very large and it’s difficult to do different tasks. We have routine work that never changes. I want to work in an environment where I can utilize more of my skills."
"Our family moved to live near a better school district for our children. This area is great and I want to find a job closer to my new home. My previous job was too far away to commute."
Long Answer
"I really enjoy what I’m doing, but I feel I’m following a routine. I looked around for more opportunities to grow, but because the company is small, I’m very limited. I want to work in an environment that will help me realize my full potential and a place I can contribute everything I’m capable of doing. My current job doesn’t provide these things for me and that’s why I want to work here. I know ABC Company has a lot of opportunities for growth and encourages employees to take on challenging projects to learn more. That is what I’m looking for."
This answer shows a couple of good traits. It also shows excitement and mentions the company name. It is personal and direct. This is a generic answer so you can use this if you want. If you decide to think of your own, make sure it displays good traits and the reason for wanting to leave your current job is not a negative reason.
12."Where did you tell your boss you were going?"
"Where does your boss think you are?"
I highly doubt you will be asked this question. But it is true that interviews are conducted during office hours. That means if you are employed, then you will have to have a reason for not working. There are a couple of options. If the interview is less than two hours, you can schedule one during lunch time. If so, you can say you told your boss that you had to take care of some personal matters and you are taking an extended lunch. Another option is to tell the interviewer that your boss is aware of your interview schedule. But make sure it is true. I don’t know what the best way to answer this question. But if I had to respond to this question, I would answer by saying I’m taking a personal day, or a vacation day. But make sure you don’t say you are using a sick day. That is a complete lie and the interviewer will see that you are willing to lie for your personal gain.
"I wasn’t required to tell my boss because I used one of my vacation days to be here. I’m really excited to have this interview opportunity and using a vacation day was very well worth it."
This answer is turning an awkward question into an opportunity to show enthusiasm for the interview and the company. This is a key example where little things count. By adding the last sentence, the interviewer is sure to remember your answer more. That is because he or she will see your enthusiasm and excitement. If all the answers are the same, this one will be sure to stand out. When interviewing, everyone has similar answers. The key is to find opportunities to put in little extra comments to give you the advantage.
13."Are you currently employed at the last place listed on your resume?"
This is a simple yes or no answer. I do not recommend lying. They can find out and if they catch you lying, then you lost your chance at this job. The reason this question is important is because someone who is currently employed appears to be a better candidate than someone who doesn’t have a job. I do not believe it is true that an employed person is better qualified for any job, but it is one of those things that most people grew up with. If you are currently employed, then simply answer yes. You don’t’ have to say anything else. If no, then you can say something to justify your reason for not having a job. But make sure it is a good reason. Otherwise, it might be better to simply answer, "No, I’m not currently employed."
14."What is the title of the person you report to? What responsibilities does he or she have?"
This is a trick question for people who are giving them a bigger title. An interviewer will know what you really did by finding out what your manager does. For someone who didn’t prepare for this question, he or she will fall into a trap. Let’s say a person said he or she was a manager. If the interviewer asks this question and the person responds by saying similar types of responsibilities, then something is wrong. Why do you have the same responsibilities as your manager? To prepare for this question, make sure you answer that your manager did higher level work than your own. The work that you mention you did should be showing off your skills, but your manager should have even greater responsibilities. Then it really shows how high you are. The example I’m going to give represents me as a Group Program Manager.
Short Answers
"He was a sales manager. His duties included scheduling, customer support, and managing a group of 15 sales associates."
"My manager had a supervisor title. He was in charge of distributing work to staff auditors, reviewing final audits, scheduling business trips, and he also performed audits as well."
"My manager had the title Test Manager. She was in charge of delivering high quality features for each software application. She planned each project giving a timeline of completion, worked with management from different groups to make sure quality is assured, and provided direction to our team of 20 testers."
Long Answer
"The title of the person I report to is Product Unit Manager. The Product Unit Manager is responsible for overseeing the entire project. He uses the information from Test, Development, and Program managers to make sure the project is on line. He also is the person representing our whole group and reports progress to the vice president of our organization. He provides high level guidance and direction making sure we are following our mission statement. Other people who report to him are the Development manager and the Group Program manager."
The more details you provide the better your answer. It ensures you are telling the truth and that you are aware of what you need to be able to do to take the next step up. Finally, a great way to answer this question is to know what position you are applying for and then list off the responsibilities of the person you would be reporting to if you got hired. That will make the interviewer think that you have very similar or exact experience for the job you are applying for.
This is a trick question for people who are giving them a bigger title. An interviewer will know what you really did by finding out what your manager does. For someone who didn’t prepare for this question, he or she will fall into a trap. Let’s say a person said he or she was a manager. If the interviewer asks this question and the person responds by saying similar types of responsibilities, then something is wrong. Why do you have the same responsibilities as your manager? To prepare for this question, make sure you answer that your manager did higher level work than your own. The work that you mention you did should be showing off your skills, but your manager should have even greater responsibilities. Then it really shows how high you are. The example I’m going to give represents me as a Group Program Manager.
Short Answers
"He was a sales manager. His duties included scheduling, customer support, and managing a group of 15 sales associates."
"My manager had a supervisor title. He was in charge of distributing work to staff auditors, reviewing final audits, scheduling business trips, and he also performed audits as well."
"My manager had the title Test Manager. She was in charge of delivering high quality features for each software application. She planned each project giving a timeline of completion, worked with management from different groups to make sure quality is assured, and provided direction to our team of 20 testers."
Long Answer
"The title of the person I report to is Product Unit Manager. The Product Unit Manager is responsible for overseeing the entire project. He uses the information from Test, Development, and Program managers to make sure the project is on line. He also is the person representing our whole group and reports progress to the vice president of our organization. He provides high level guidance and direction making sure we are following our mission statement. Other people who report to him are the Development manager and the Group Program manager."
The more details you provide the better your answer. It ensures you are telling the truth and that you are aware of what you need to be able to do to take the next step up. Finally, a great way to answer this question is to know what position you are applying for and then list off the responsibilities of the person you would be reporting to if you got hired. That will make the interviewer think that you have very similar or exact experience for the job you are applying for.
15."In your previous position, how much time did you spend on the phone?"
"In your previous position, how much time did you spend in meetings?"
"In your previous position, how much time did you spend working by yourself?"
"In your previous position, how much time did you spend working in a team?"
These questions all depend on the type of position you are applying for. If the position is a product support position, then time spent on the phone is going to be large. Let’s say your previous work involved working alone a lot, and the position you are applying for requires a lot of teamwork. Even though you worked by yourself a lot, you should emphasize the work you did in teams. If this is the situation, then I would say I did a combination of both.
"In my last position, we had large projects that involved multiple people. We had meetings to discuss the project and worked in teams whenever it involved overlap of feature. After the meetings and working with the team, I was required to finish my work by myself. So it was quite balanced between meetings, team work and working by myself."
This is not an extravagant answer, but it definitely shows that this person is capable of working in groups and working alone. Most office work requires a combination of working in groups and alone, but if your situation is different, then answer according to what the interviewer wants to hear.
16."If you don’t leave your current job, what do you imagine you will be doing in several years?"
There are several things the interviewer wants to learn from this question. The interviewer knows you are looking for another job because you are not happy with where you are at. Knowing this, they want to find out how you react to situations where you are not happy. Most people who do not prepare for this question will have a generic answer that doesn’t stand out. You can use this opportunity to give a solid answer.
"I’m confident I’ll be in a management position several years from now. In my current position, junior employees ask me many questions and I like to mentor people. My work is very routine and I’m very efficient. I want to find more challenges my work currently doesn’t offer."
"To tell you the truth, I feel I’ll be doing the same thing I’m doing now. I always look for more work and different opportunities, but my current company doesn’t have many opportunities for advancement."
"I’m a very proactive person and I’ll continue to do my job well. I’ll always look for opportunities and even create places where I can improve my work. I know if I continue to perform well, I’ll have more opportunities to get promoted when a position opens. So hopefully, in several years, I’ll be managing people that are in my current position now."
Despite having some negative feelings about work, this answer shows that he or she will continue to do hard work regardless of being unhappy. You shouldn’t say you are unhappy, but looking for another job is one indication of not being happy.
17."If you’re very happy with your current job, why do you want to leave?"
If you portray that you are very happy with your current job, then they might ask you this question. I was in a very similar situation and I will include my answer as the example. You can use other reasons, but make sure it doesn’t contradict you being happy.
Short Answers
"I like the work I’m doing and I like everyone on my team, but I have a strong desire to learn other aspects I can’t learn in my current position."
"I have been in my current position for four years and I want to gain experiences in other areas. I love my job, but I want to grow more as a professional."
"I love to learn new things and after several years in my current position, I realized I was doing the same thing over and over again most of the time. So the only reason I want to leave my current job is to broaden my knowledge by gaining other experiences."
Long Answer
"I have been with my previous group for more than three years. I was doing the same thing on a regular basis. Although we received different projects from time to time, it was very similar to my previous work. So I had a desire to gain new experiences and learn from different products. I believe having a variety of experience is good for my career so I made the decision to leave my current job."
This is simple and direct. It answers the question without including unnecessary excuses. It also shows my desire to grow, learn more, and improve myself. This is a good indication of a good employee so using an answer like mine is a safe answer.
