Intervies Quiestion Answer

Internerviews

If you could start your career over again, what would you do differently?

"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.

During your performance reviews, what criticism do you hear the most?

"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.

What is your management philosophy?

"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.

What was your favorite job?

"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.

Tell me about the best manager you ever had.

"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.

Tell me about the worst manager you ever had.

"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.

 

English job interviews match questions and answers

Instructions: Cut up the worksheet below into a pack of cards. Mix up the cards and try to find two questions that mean the same thing. Then find two possible answers to those two questions.

Do you have any questions for us?	Is there anything you would like to ask?	No, I think you’ve told me everything I need to know thanks.	Yes, I have 20 or so questions for you, if that is okay.
What are your mainweaknesses?	What areas do you most need to improve on?	I am naturally a bit impatient, but since I took up yoga I am much calmer at work.	I often get angry.
How would your colleagues describe you?	Tell us something about your personality.	I think most people would say I am quite serious at work but also good fun when we go out.	I am quite stressed when I am at work, so maybe my colleagues don’t see my real personality
Why did you decide toleave your last job/ present job?	Is there any special reason why you’ve decided to move on now?	My boss is very aggressive.	I have learnt a lot in my company, but I am ready for a new challenge.
What was your greatestaccomplishment?	Can you give us one example of somethingyou have achieved?	In my previous position I helped my team double sales.	I single-handedly forced my company to install a new computer system.
What do you know about our company?	Is there anything about this company that made you choose us?	I’ve been reading a lot about your industry, and you seem to have some original ideas.	My wife wants me to work for a big, well-known company.
Why should we choose you for this job?	What do you have to offer this company?	As I haven’t worked in this sector, I can bring in ideas from other industries I know.	I know several secret marketing plans from my company I can let you know
What are yourprofessional ambitions?	Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?	Maybe  management, but the important thing is to keep developing	I think I could be a good CEO.
Please give us an example of overcoming difficulties at work	Can you think of anyproblems you have had to solve in your job?	My new colleague was completely incompetent, but I trained him up and it was okay.	I undertook some cross-cultural training that really helped working with a foreign boss.
Would you say you area natural leader?	Does leadership come naturally to you?	I don’t think I would say that, but I have learnt a lot about leadership in the last 5 years.	Yes, I think so. I’ve always thought that about myself.
How is your experience relevant to this job?	Do you think your previous jobs are good preparation for this one?	It’s basically exactly the same job as what I will be doing with you.	Although it seems different, the skills of teamwork and detailed planning are very similar
Can you work under strict deadlines?	Do you have the ability to stay calm under pressure?	Yes. I am a very calm person.	I believe so. I have shown that ability over several big projects in the last 12 months.
How do you feel aboutmoving abroad for you job?	Does working abroadappeal to you?	It’s not something I’ve really thought about, but it sounds like a great challenge.	That is my childhood ambition. I would really love to do that.
What skills have you learnt in your present job?	How have your skillsdeveloped over the last few years?	Nothing special. I’ve always found my present job quite easy.	Computers were totally new, so though I’ve still got lots learn that has improved
What experience do you have of ISO certification?	Have you been involved in ISO certificationbefore?	None, I’m afraid.	I don’t have any experience of exactly that, but my previous job was quite similar.
When can you start?	When are you available to take up the position if it is offered to you?	I’m supposed to give them 2 weeks’ notice, but I could phone in sick if you want me sooner	If you could let me know by next week, I could start at the beginning of the new year.

In each pair of answers there is one good answer and one bad one, which one is which?

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