面试技巧培训资料

Case Questions

Case questions are most commonly used in consulting interviews but they can be used in other situations such as in interviews for marketing positions with consumer goods companies Simply put a case interview is the analysis of a business question Unlike most other interview questions it is an interactive process Your interviewer will present you with a business problem and ask you for your opinion Your job is to ask the interviewer logical questions that will permit you to make a detailed recommendation The majority of case interviewers don't have a specific answer that you the candidate are expected to give What the interviewer is looking for is a thought process that is at once analytical and creative Here's a sample case question
You are advising a credit card company that wants to market a prepaid phone card to its customers Is this a good idea
You What is the role of our company Do we simply market the card or must we create them ourselves
Interviewer This card will be comarketed with an outside phone company We don't need to perform telecommunications functions
You What are our expenses connected with the card
Interviewer We must pay 15 cents for every minute we sell We also have to pay 100 as a startup cost for the card and card systems
You What are our marketing expenses
Interviewer We normally use slips of paper that are attached to the backs of our credit card payment envelopes We sometimes also send customers a direct mailing in a separate envelope Or we can have telemarketers call selected customers
You What's the cost of each of these marketing techniques and what is their response rate
Interviewer Telemarketers have a 2 percent response rate and cost 100 per call Direct mailings cost us 40 cents per mailing and have a 050 percent rate of response Our payment attachments have a 025 rate of response but only cost us 5 cents each
You I'm going to assume we will sell onehour phone cards That will cost us 900 for the minutes and a dollar per card so each card costs us 10
Interviewer That sounds reasonable
You And what is our expected revenue on a onehour phone card What is the current market rate for a 60minute phone card
Interviewer Assume it's 50 cents a minute
You So if we sell the cards for 30 we have a 20 profit minus our expenditures on marketing
Interviewer What's our cost structure look like
You Okay let's figure this out To sell 1000 cards through telemarketing we would need to contact 50000 people That would cost us 50000 To use direct mail we would have to contact 200000 thousand people which at 40 cents per mailing costs us 80000 Since the envelope inserts aren't very reliable we will need to contact 800000 people using that method But at 5 cents each it costs only 20000 to sell 1000 cards
We make 20 profit on each card But even at the cheapest promotional vehicle at 20 profit we would only break even because our profits on 1000 cards would be 20000 We shouldn't market this card unless we can further cut our marketing costs or increase the price of the card If we could slice the cost of the envelope attachments a penny or so or sell the card for 35 or convince our comarketer to reduce our costs it might be worth selling
Commonlyasked Questions

Companies these days look for more than whether you're a witty or especially cool individual when it comes to personality Among the characteristics highest on their list are teamwork and innovation They may not ask whether you are a team player or creative doesn't mean you shouldn't go ahead and tell them But then again a lot of interviewers will ask you outright tell me why your personal traits will work here
1 Why are you applying for this position
Probably the most commonly asked question at job interviews You need to convince your interviewer that you are enthusiastic about the job
2 Tell me about a time when you used initiativeGive me an example of when you came up with an innovative solutionGive me an example of a time you exceeded expectations
In this everchanging world in which we work employees are supposed to be innovative to be able to think outside of the box Questions like these (such as the way the initiative question and exceeded expectations questions are worded) can be used as opportunities to talk about creative faculties pick an instance when showing initiative meant coming up with an outoftheordinary solution
3 I see on your resume that you served as chairperson of suchandsuch committee What was that experience like
Along with innovation employers often look for leadership ability In general interviewers are looking for evidence of a willingness to listen an ability to give feedback and a firmness when it comes to getting things done
4 What would members of your basketball teambusiness school cohort butterfly catching expedition say about you Tell us about a time you had to deal with a difficult team member
Teamwork is another highly valued trait these days companies are looking for employees who work well in groups If your interviewer doesn't bring up teamwork do it yourself These questions are similar to the leadership questions interviewers are looking for both an openness to ideas and a willingness to nudge team members toward a goal
5 Why did you decide to switch careersWhy did you decide to go back to schoolWhy did you take time off during college
Be prepared to walk through your resume with your interviewer especially at companies that like to promote from within They want to know that you're committed to the industry and will be loyal to their company
6 Where do you see yourself in 5 years
You don't necessarily need to say that you want to work for the company forever but you should express how you think the position to which you are applying will help you grow
7 So you just graduated How did you like school
Loved it Learned so much And let me tell you a little bit about what types of activities I was involved in
8 What lessons did you learn from you last job that you think can be transferred to this position
9 What do you consider your biggest fault
Interviewers love this question even though it sort of invites dishonesty You're supposed to say something like I'm a perfectionist Or I tend to work too hard You may want to prepare a more thoughtful answer but you should at least anticipate this question
10 If you could go anywhere for 24 hours with an unlimited budget where would you go
Sometimes interviewers will ask offthewall questions just to get a better sense of who you are as a person
Questions to Ask During Your Summer Internship Interviews

* Can you give me an example of my summer responsibilities Try to make sure the answer you receive is as specific as possible Particularly if you're new to the industry you want to ensure that you will perform work that is representative of a fulltime associate
* How many people are typically given permanent job offers And ask for percentages too This shows you're interested in opportunities after graduation at the firm and allows you to plan your strategic options Some firms like Goldman Sachs are known for giving offers to a small proportion of the summer class You may want to try better odds at another firm
* Will I be able to rotate between departments Again the more you know about the company the better you will be able to determine which department interests you most or whether you want to work at the firm at all If there's a specific department you want to work in you should make this known
* Do you provide any assistance with relocation Many firms will help locate and even subsidize summer housing If this makes a difference in whether you take the position ask

Strategies for Answering Business Case Questions

If you're going into an interview where you might expect a case question (a business question presented to you for your detailed analysis) it's important to have a few basic tips down pat
1 Take notes
As your interviewer presents your case be sure to take careful notes on the numbers or other facts given (Always bring a notepad and a pen to a consulting interview) You don't want to ask your interviewer to later repeat information that has already been given
2 Ask questions
Your interviewer expects you to ask questions as many intelligent questions as you need to obtain an accurate picture of the relevant facts in the case Many inexperienced case interviewees make the error of not asking their interviewer any questions perhaps afraid that they will look ignorant or not wishing to bother the interviewer On the contrary not asking questions is a fatal error in a case interview If you don't know the first thing about the helicopter market ask how much it costs to manufacture a rotor If you need to estimate the demand for a beefflavored potato snack in Wichita Kansas then feel free to ask the population of Wichita and environs
3 Be prepared to take charge
You will often find that your interviewer will direct your line of questioning to a specific area but you must always be ready to control the conversation in case the interviewer does not direct your reasoning If you are unsure simply ask the interviewer For instance if you find the interviewer offering little direction as you move through your initial scooping questions you may wish to ask I find the lack of a risk assessment to be a potential showstopper Might I ask some detailed questions about this Or you might say Given what you have told me about the situation I would like to drill down for further clarity regarding the client's current relationship with its distribution partner Would that be OK In this way you take charge of the line of questioning without stepping on the interviewer's role
4 Make no assumptions
As a case interviewee you should never make any assumptions You should assume the persona of an actual consultant trying to learn about an assignment It might seem obvious that there is no preexisting work plan (because if there was why would this be a case interview) but you should ask You should also ask if the company has encountered a similar problem or what other companies in the field have done when faced by similar problems Your interviewer may not release that information but will be impressed that you asked these sensible questions Some good basic professional questions to ask which apply to most cases
· Who hired us
· How long will these engagements last
· Is there a work plan
· Has the company faced this problem (or opportunity) before
· If so how did it react
· What was the outcome
· What have other companies facing this situation done
· Has the firm already done any research into the issue
· If so what were its findings
5 Maintain eye contact
Always maintain direct eye contact during the case interview Eye contact is critical when answering case questions it demonstrates confidence and authority Remember that in consulting you may find yourself in front of 20 executives at a major corporation presenting a strategy you were briefed on only a halfhour ago And then you have to answer questions So you can see why business case interviewing is so important to consulting it is a direct parallel to the environment consultants must face every day
Finance Interview Questions

With Wall Street salaries skyrocketing investmentbanking jobs are as hot as ever This means it's especially important to be prepared for banking and finance interviews These finance interview questions should help For more questions and interview advice read the Vaultcom Guide to Finance Interviews
1 How would you value a company you're considering buying
One of the most common questions Wall Street interviewers ask (Other variations of this question are how would you value a stock you were considering buying taking public etc) Wall Streeters use this question to separate the finance jocks from the neophytes Here's a basic answer that should impress your interviewer
One answer to this question is to discount the company's projected cash flows by a riskadjusted discount rate After projecting the first five or 10 years you add in a Terminal Value which represents the present value of all the future cash flows that are too far into the future to project You can calculate the Terminal Value in one of two ways (1) you take the earnings of the last year you projected say year 10 and multiply it by some market multiple like 20 times earnings and that's the terminal value or (2) you take the last year say year 10 and assume some constant growth rate after that perhaps 10 The present value of this growing stream of payments after year 10 is the Terminal Value
Note To figure out what discount rate you would use to discount the company's cash flows tell your interviewer you would use the Capital Asset Pricing Model (or CAPM) (In a nutshell CAPM says that the proper discount rate to use is the riskfree interest rate adjusted upwards to reflect this particular company's market risk or beta)
Finally you should also mention other methods of valuing a company including looking at comparables that is how other similar companies were valued recently as a multiple of their sales net income or some other measure
2 Walk me through the major line items on a Cash Flow statement
A question to test your accounting skills The answer First the Beginning Cash Balance then Cash from Operations then Cash from Investing Activities then Cash from Financing Activities and finally the Ending Cash Balance
3 What is EBITDA Also known as cash flow EBITDA is Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization
4 Say you knew a company's net income How would you figure out its cash flow
A basic answer You start with the company's net income Then you add back depreciation and amortization Then you subtract the company's Capital Expenditures (called CapEx for short this is how much money the company must invest each year on plants and equipment) The number you get is the company's cash flow
5 Company A is considering acquiring Company B Company A's PE ratio is 55 times earnings whereas Company B's PE ratio is 30 times earnings After Company A acquires Company B will Company A's earnings per share rise fall or stay the same
Company A's earningspershare will rise because of the following rule when a higher PE company buys a lower PE company the acquirer's earningspershare will rise The deal is said to be accretive as opposed to dilutive to the acquirer's earnings
Defeating the 12Ball Question

Some interview questions are notoriously difficult This particular logic problem has made its appearance at various consulting investment banking and tech firms (including McKinsey and Microsoft) Will you be prepared if your interviewer springs upon you the knotty 12 ball dilemma Thanks to Vault Reports you can answer in safety
Here's the question
You have 12 balls All of them are identical except one which is either heavier or lighter than the rest it is either hollows while the rest are solid or solid while the rest are hollow You have a simple twoarmed scale and are permitted three weightings Can you identify the odd ball and determine whether it is hollow or solid
This logic problem is sure to put your analytical ability on display First we'll examine what thought processes an interviewer is looking for and then we'll discuss one solution
Start with the simplest of observations The number of balls you weigh against each other must be equal Yeah it's obvious but why Because if you weigh say three balls against five you are not receiving any information In a problem like this you are trying to receive as much information as possible with each weighing
For example one of the first mistakes people make when examining this problem is that they believe the first weighing should involve all of the balls (6 against 6) This weighing involves all of the balls but what type of information does this give you It actually gives you no new information You already know that one of the sides will be heavier and by weighing 6 against 6 you will simply confirm this knowledge Still you want to gain information about as many balls as possible (so weighing 1 against 1 is obviously not a good idea) Thus the best first weighing is 4 against 4 That way you reserve 4 balls and can obtain some information about each subset of 4
Secondly if you think through this problem long enough you will realize how precious the information gained from a weighing is You need to transfer virtually every piece of information you have gained from one weighing to the next Say you weigh 4 against 4 and the scale balances Lucky you Now you know that the odd ball is one of the unweighed 4 But don't give into the impulse to simply work with those balls In this weighing you've also learned that the eight balls on the scale are normal Try to use this information
You must be both creative and analytical Most people who work through this problem consider only weighing a number of balls against each other and then taking another set and weighing them etc This won't do There are a number of other types of moves you can make you can rotate the balls from one scale to another you can switch the balls etc
Let's look at one solution
For simplicity's sake we will refer to one side of the scale as Side A and the other as Side B
Step 1 Weigh 4 balls against 4 others
Case A If on the first weighing the balls balance
If the balls in our first weighing balance we know the odd ball is one of those not weighed but we don't know whether it is heavy or light How can we gain this information easily We can weigh them against the balls we know to be normal So
Step 2 Put three of the unweighed balls on the Side A put three balls that are known to be normal on Side B
I If on this second weighing the scale balances again we know that the final unweighed ball is the odd one
a Step 3 Weigh the final unweighed ball (the odd one) against one of the normal balls With this weighing we determine whether the odd ball is heavy or light
II If on the other hand with this second weighing the scale tips to Side A we know that the odd ball is heavy (If it tips to Side B we know the odd ball is light but let's proceed with the ass
Brand Management Case Question The Brand Launch

While Wall Street may control our purse strings and Hollywood may control our dreams and imaginations it is the brand managers whose guiding hands shape everything we eat and wear and in fact shape the way we think about these things The most soughtafter brand management positions are with leading consumer products companies such as Procter & Gamble and General Mills To climb to such lofty heights brand managers (sometimes known as marketing managers) undergo rigorous interviews that often involve case questions Brand cases vary in breadth and specificity some may be about promotions some about pricing others about longterm strategy Vaultcom takes a look at one type of brand case the Brand Launch
SAMPLE QUESTION If our company were looking to introduce a carpet cleaner to our line of products how would you go about developing a business plan
In general interviewers are interested in what kinds of questions you ask and your understanding of market forces Here the interviewer is looking for an answer that describes the process you would use in developing a business plan not asking for a business plan itself The interviewer may be pleasantly surprised if you happen to know the size of the carpet cleaner market but they certainly don't expect it Here's one approach to attacking this case
STEP 1 ANALYZE THE MARKET The first thing the marketing manager should do is gather all available information about the market The logical place to start would be the carpet cleaner market and its future How large is the carpet cleaner market currently Is it expected to grow in the next several years What are the main companies involved Finally how often is carpet cleaner sold and in what channels in grocery stores in hardware stores in convenience stores as an impulse buy as an emergency buy etc
STEP 2 ASSESS YOUR COMPANY'S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES The next issues a marketer should be aware of are his or her company's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to this market Does the company produce similar products and therefore have a base of R&D expertise Does the company have a distribution network in place Is the company sitting on extra capital it is looking to invest into a product launch Make sure to identify the company's weaknesses as well Perhaps the company is best known among home owners for its easy to use and disposable cleaning products this demographic group may not overlap much with the market for carpet cleaner
STEP 3 ASSESS CONSUMER PREFERENCES A diligent brand will also consider broader issues in developing a business plan One major category of these is consumer preferences Are homeowners opting for hardwood floors and throw down rugs rather than carpeting
STEP 4 CONSIDER MACRO TRENDS and OTHER ISSUES Another major concern for marketers is major macro trends such as demographic trends What is the key demographic group that uses this product Is this group becoming larger over time or shrinking Are foreign markets beginning to consume more carpet cleaner Legal and regulatory issues should also be considered Are aerosol carpet cleaners becoming less feasible because of environmental regulations
STEP 5 DETERMINE OUR COMPANY'S OBJECTIVES Finally you must determine your company's objectives Because consumer trends are fickle and technological innovation can quickly transform an industry brand strategy should in general not be too farsighted A fiveyear plan is a good safe way to compromise the need for longterm strategy with the pitfalls predicting future strategy inevitably brings
Interviewers may present you with objectives at the start of the case If they don't ask If no objectives are proffered funnel your thinking into three main areas market share growth financial performance and brand identity
Guesstimates

Guesstimates are commonly asked in consulting and investment banking interviews Generally your interviewer asks you to estimate the number or size of something and observes your reasoning process Most interviewers don't care if you actually get the correct number what they want to see is that you are able to logically think through a process creatively think through any possible exceptions or short cuts and calculate basic sums in your head You won't be given any real data (though you won't need to know much more beyond the fact that the United States has about 270 million inhabitants and 25 million businesses) and you shouldn't request any it's irrelevant to the problem at hand Make reasonable assumptions with easytoworkwith numbers and go from there (remember that you're expected to use a pen and notepad to work through your calculations)
These guesstimates may also involve elements of creativity and problem solving For example when posed the question How much change would you find on the floor of a mall you might want to ask Is there a fountain in the mall Let's take a look at a sample guesstimate
1 How many gallons of white housepaint are sold in the US each year
THE START BIG APPROACH If you're not sure where to begin start with the basic assumption that there are 270 million people in the US (or 25 million businesses depending on the question) If there are 270 million people in the United States perhaps half of them live in houses (or 135 million people) The average family size is about 3 so there would be 45 million houses in the United States Let's add another 10 percent to that for second houses and houses used for other purposes besides residential So there are about 50 million houses
If houses are painted every 10 years on average (notice how we deftly make that number easy to work with) then there are 5 million houses painted every year Assuming that one gallon of paint covers 100 square feet of wall and that the average house has 2000 square feet of wall to cover then each house needs 20 gallons of paint So 100 million gallons of paint are sold per year (5 million houses x 20 gallons) (Note If you want to be fancy you can ask your interviewer whether you should include inner walls as well) If 80 percent of all houses are white then 80 million gallons of white housepaint are sold each year (Don't forget that last step)
THE START SMALL APPROACH You could also start small and take a town of 27000 (about one ten thousandth of the population) If you use the same assumption that half the town lives in houses in groups of three then there are 4500 houses plus another 10 percent then there are really 5000 houses to worry about Painted every 10 years 500 houses are being painted in any given year If each house has 2000 square feet of wall and each gallon of paint covers 100 square feet then each house needs 20 gallons and so 10000 gallons of housepaint are sold each year in your typical town Perhaps 8000 of those are white Multiply by 10000 you have 80 million gallons
Your interviewer may then ask you how you would actually get that number on the job if necessary Use your creativity contacting major paint producers would be smart putting in a call to HUD's statistics arm could help or even conducting a small sample of the second calculation in a few representative towns is possible
Other guesstimates
1 How much orange juice is consumed each day in America
2 How many golf balls would fit into a 747
3 How many grocery stores are there in the US

Brainteasers

Hightech companies investment banks and consulting firms are famous for their brainteasers Anyone after all can come up with a canned answer to display their leadership and management skills but fewer people can quickly come up with three solid reasons why a manhole cover is round Whether you're applying for a technical corporate finance or marketing position expect to get a few of these beauties Creativity and mental flexibility and speed are of paramount importance to hightech firms and one surefire way to test these qualities is through these slightly offbeat questions
If you field one of these brainteasers your interviewer may give you a time limit Don't become flustered Simply try to think through the question from every angle you can Most questions require either logic that everpopular out of the box thinking or both
1 If you look at a clock and the time is 315 what is the angle between the hour and the minute hands
The answer to this is not zero The hour hand remember moves as well The hour hand moves a quarter of the way between three and four so it moves a quarter of a twelfth (148) of 360 degrees So the answer is seven and a half degrees to be exact
2 A company has ten machines that produce gold coins One of the machines is producing coins that are a gram light How do you tell which machine is making the defective coins with only one weighing
Think this through clearly every machine will have to produce a sample coin or coins and you must weigh all these coins together How can you somehow indicate which coins came from which machine The best way to do it is to have every machine crank out its number in coins so that machine 1 will make one coin machine 2 will make two coins and so on Take all the coins weigh them together and consider their weight against the total theoretical weight If you're four grams short for example you'll know that machine 4 is defective
3 Four members of U2 (Bono the Edge Larry and Adam) need to get across a narrow bridge to play a concert Since it's dark a flashlight is required to cross but the band has only one flashlight and only two people can cross the bridge at a time (This is not to say of course that if one of the members of the band has crossed the bridge he can't come back by himself with the flashlight) Adam takes only a minute to get across Larry takes two minutes the Edge takes five minutes and slowpoke Bono takes ten minutes A pair can only go as fast as the slowest member They have 17 minutes to get across How should they do it
The key to attacking this question is to understand that Bono and the Edge are major liabilities and must be grouped together In other words if you sent them across separately you'd already be using fifteen minutes
What does this mean That Bono and the Edge must go across together But they can not be the first pair (or one of them will have to transport the flashlight back) Instead you send Larry and Adam over first taking two minutes Adam comes back taking another minute for a total of three minutes Bono and the Edge then go over taking ten minutes and bringing the total to 13 Larry comes back taking another two minutes for a total of 15 Adam and Larry go back over bringing the total time to 17 minutes

Illegal questions

Interviewers are legally barred from asking questions about your religion color race national origin marital status sex sexual orientation childcare arrangements or other family plans Federal and State laws such as The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) which was amended in 1991 allow you to avoid discussing any of this information The interviewers ask should focus exclusively on the position and your experience and qualifications for it You do not have to reveal any private information that does not relate to your ability to perform on the job
Your interviewer might not realize they're asking an illegal question they might think they are simply breaking the ice So if they do ask a question of this sort you should make a decision about their intentions and whether or not you want to answer it In some cases the question might be innocuous enough that you'll feel comfortable answering it If you don't wish to discuss something that you fear might wrongfully be used against you then you should tactfully say that question does not relate to your abilities to perform the job abilities that include xy and z
Here are some examples of illegal questions
· Are you married
· Do you have any kids Are you planning to have any(more)
· What political party do you belong to
· Do you have any illnesses we should know about
· What nationality are you
· What church do you go to
· Do you smoke

Career Essentials

Common Interview Questions
Questions asked by skilled and wellprepared interviewers always have a purpose regardless of how irrelevant to the position they may seem

It is important to realize that the purpose of many questions is to test out whether you have the specific qualities and skills required for the position There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer to such questions rather interviewers are seeking evidence of such qualities as your motivation energy attitudes initiative or maturity
An example of a seemingly irrelevant question could be Tell me how would you go about buying a car In this situation the interviewer is not concerned so much about what car dealer you would go to or the order in which you would go about doing this but rather about the sort of approach you would use Do you plan Do you give up easily Do you seek assistance from other people How do you budget your time and money
The following are examples of some of the more difficult questions you may be asked in interviews The guidelines are intended only to stimulate your thinking They are not model answers You will not necessarily be asked all or even many of these questions in one interview The questions as set out here are not in prioritysequential order
Please note that these questions are in addition to those that relate to specific job competencies eg research skills writing skills technical knowledge customer service skills etc Look carefully at the job description or analyse the role carefully to identify the skills the interviewer is likely to focus on
Question 1
What do you have to offer us
Guidelines Answer in terms of the skills and personal qualities you have relevant to the job You may refer to your academic qualifications relevant sections of university courses experience in the workplace leisure activities or personal qualities
Question 2
What has prompted you to apply for this position
Guidelines Explain why you are interested in the organization If you have had a longterm interest in them say so If location is significant you could mention this after talking about your interest in the firm Try not to focus on what you will get from the organization but the qualities you will bring to them You could mention that you see the position as offering challenge a chance to learn new things and to enhance and develop skills and abilities necessary for the position
Question 3
What do you want from us
Guidelines This is a good time to talk about training or promotion opportunities giving some idea of longterm career plans There may be aspects of the organization’s work that really interest you and you may wish to move into another area of that organization later on The interviewer is probably trying to assess your enthusiasm and ambition
Question 4
At the end of the first year if you got this job how would you measure your success
Guidelines In your preparation for the interview you would have developed a good understanding of the duties and personal attributes listed in the job description as well as finding out about the goals and objectives of the organization Think about tangible results you might be able to achieve on the job that contribute to those goals and objectives The interviewer is not so interested here in what tasks or duties you plan to have completed but how you go about planning and assessing your own performance Are there any practical ways you currently measure your success in parttime work or study eg sales figures grades and feedback from your supervisor or lecturer
Question 5
What appeals to you about this job
Guidelines This is similar to Questions 2 and 3 but you may want to focus more closely on the specific duties outlined in the job description or what your understanding of typical tasks for this kind of job would be Again cover the kinds of skills interests or knowledge from previous study or work that you would bring to the position
Question 6
What are your longterm plans
Guidelines If you are flexible about your longterm plans say so however it pays to give a general picture of what interests you now and how you see that developing You should not commit yourself to a longterm period with an employer if you do not honestly feel that you can do so At this stage you may not be in a position to know how long you would see yourself staying in any one job On the other hand you are keen to put to work the skills that you have developed Avoid 'I don't know' and a shrug of the shoulders as an employer is usually trying to assess how motivated and interested you are
Question 7
What do you see yourself doing in five years from now
Guidelines Similar to Question 6 Your answer will give evidence of whether or not you are the sort of person who plans ahead Remember that fewer and fewer employers expect all their employees to make a lifelong career in their organization You may want to express a desire to progress as rapidly as ability and opportunities allow within the organization or what you would like to do on a broader scale
Question 8
How long do you expect to stay with us
Guidelines Do not commit yourself to a specific time unless you are quite clear on this Indicate you anticipate staying in the position for as long as it takes to learn the job and to gain experience in it and that you then hope to move on within the organization After making a comment yourself you can always turn this question back to the employer and ask how long they would expect you to stay with them
Question 9
Tell us about yourself
Guidelines If this is asked at the beginning of the interview give a quick run down of your qualifications and experience to date and then ask whether the interviewer(s) would like you to expand If the question is asked towards the end of the interview and you have already talked a lot about yourself then this is the opportunity for you to elaborate on any positive points and put across any messages you have not had the chance to give so far

Question 10
Why should we appoint you
Guidelines Answer in terms of the qualifications skills and interests that you have which are relevant to the position ie summaries your suitability Where a job description is available before the interview make sure you have studied it thoroughly as part of your preparation for the interview Your reply should be based on the required skills outlined in the job description Do not compare yourself with other applicants even if you know some of them If you are invited by the interviewers to compare yourself with other applicants politely state that you are not in a position to judge others and leave that side of the interviewing to them

Question 11
Have you applied for other jobs
Guidelines Be honest This question is often used during graduate recruitment Your approach to job hunting indicates how you approach challenges Employers are aware of the competitiveness of the job market They would be most surprised if you indicated that you have not applied for other jobs and may question your initiative or motivation
If you are not a studentgraduate participating in a university recruitment programmed you may wish to approach this question more carefully The interviewer may be looking to ascertain how focused and clearly defined your job objective may be

Question 12
How do you handle pressure
Guidelines Give examples of situations where you have been under pressure and ways in which you have positively handled it Remember this is a typical example of a question where there is no one correct answer The employer is more interested in whether you have developed strategies for coping under pressure rather than in what these strategies are

Question 13
Aren't you over qualified for this position
Guidelines This is a leading question If you have been called for an interview it is unlikely the employer considers you greatly over qualified Otherwise they could not justify the time spent interviewing you Do not apologize for your degree Rather state your willingness to start at the bottom and work your way up your enthusiasm for the organization and your desire to develop a broader range of skills Emphasize skills such as fact finding analysis your capacity to acquire new knowledge quickly rather than the specific content of your degree Some employers are more interested in what you can offer in the 'practical handson' sense than in the 'academic' sense

Question 14
What are your major strengths and weaknesses
Guidelines Once again the employer is seeking to ascertain how mature you are and your awareness of yourself as a person If you have a job description you may find it useful to focus on where you see your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the tasks listed Remember weaknesses can be turned into strengths Talk about the strategies you use for dealing with that weakness or its positive side eg taking time to make decisions may slow you down but on the other hand you are not impulsive Listing too many weaknesses will type you as very negative You may have to admit that you do not have a particular type of experience called for however you may be able to give evidence of your ability to determine the skills required Don't bring up too many weaknesses one or two will suffice

Question 15
How much do you know about our organization
Guidelines Your answer will reveal the amount of homework you have done before the interview For example if the company has products in the market place looks for these at points of sale Use your initiative to find out as much as you can about the organization and during the interview cite ways in which you have gone about finding out this information

Question 16
How much do you expect to be paid
Guidelines This question is generally more common in the private sector when you have applied for a position with no identified salary scale Where the salary range is unknown it is very important to investigate comparable rates elsewhere before you attend the interview Never discuss salary until the end of the interviewing procedure when they have actually offered you the position If the question is asked before the offer reply along the lines that until an offer is made you feel any discussion of salary is premature You might also add that as a reputable organization you expect that they will be paying a fair and competitive salary for the position When an offer is made talk about a range rather than a fixed figure Since the employer created the position they will already have some figure in mind Find out what that is use your salary research and don't undersell yourself

Question 17
Have you any questions for us
Guidelines It is important that you do have questions for the following reasons
· In order to make your own assessment of the job you need to find out as much as possible about what the job is really like or more information about the organization
· To show your serious interests in the position and preparation for the interview
· To further outline achievements and skills not covered so far in the interview This is a good time to ask the employer what skills they consider to be the most critical for the position and whether they see a gap in the skills you have to offer This will give you an opportunity to identify skills andor experiences which have not yet come up during the interview

Question 18
Why did you choose to major in
Guidelines Avoid the impression of aimlessness or uncertainty It is fine to major in a subject because of your interests However be willing to talk about this interest Show evidence of knowledge positive attitude towards study and an understanding of skills and knowledge you have gained

Question 19
What do you do in your spare time
Guidelines employers seeking a fuller picture of you or to help you relax during the interview generally ask this Finding out about your other interests and leisure activities gives employers another opportunity to uncover skills and abilities which may not have been discussed Other activities also give employers a chance to assess your enthusiasm curiosity and quality of life

Question 20
What are the most important considerations for you in choosing a job
Guidelines Answer in terms of job objectives training experience available or future prospects Do not answer in terms of pay or overseas travel or other indications of self rather than job interest

Question 21
How do you get on with other people
Guidelines This question is asked to find out more about your social and interpersonal skills Quote examples of past participation in teams committees or community organizations Avoid discussing reasons why you do not get on with certain people This is a good opportunity to give evidence of any situations which you may have had to use skills of negotiation motivation or conflict resolution

Question 22
Tell us about a project or piece of research you have worked on while at university
This is a question commonly asked at graduate recruitment interviews The interviewers are not particularly concerned about which researchproject you choose to give as an example but are more interested in finding out the steps you took in completing the projectresearch By examining 'why' and 'how' these steps were taken the interviewers can get an idea of some of the skills you possess and assess your ability to solve problems Skills identified in your answer may include preparation and planning team work time management organizing and researching Interviewers may also ask you to elaborate further on this issue by asking questions such as 'what did you learn from this project' and 'why do you consider this project to be an achievement'

Finally
1 Remain flexible in the interview so that you hear and answer the actual questions that are asked rather than the ones you thought or hoped the interviewers would ask After interviews are over reflect upon any of these and other questions you were asked Think about the ways in which you could improve your answers so that when such questions are asked in the future you will be able to answer them more competently
2 Keep in mind that answering interview questions with general responses is not making the most of your opportunity Interviewers want to hear evidence of your abilities By being factual in your approach you can reveal your skills without appearing to be boastful Illustrate your answers with concrete examples wherever possible Graduates with no fulltime work experience will be able to use as their examples their participation in sports voluntary committee work casual employment or university studies to give evidence of initiative administrative research or communication skills
3 PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
Get a friend or family member to ask you some of the questions listed in this handout and practice your answers until you feel comfortable with your response However be aware of developing pat answers and listen carefully to the questions
4 If you feel you would like more assistance a Careers Adviser is available to discuss informallyconfidentially with you ways in which you can improve your skills in handling these and other interview questions Also you can sign up for one of our many workshops run throughout the year in order to gain more practice in interview skills

Common Job Interview Questions
By rehearsing interview questions you'll become more familiar with your own qualifications and will be well prepared to demonstrate how you can benefit an employer Some examples
· Tell me about yourself
Make a short organized statement of your education and professional achievements and professional goals Then briefly describe your qualifications for the job and the contributions you could make to the organization
· Why do you want to work here or What about our company interests you
Few questions are more important than these so it is important to answer them clearly and with enthusiasm Show the interviewer your interest in the company Share what you learned about the job the company and the industry through your own research Talk about how your professional skills will benefit the company Unless you work in sales your answer should never be simply money The interviewer will wonder if you really care about the job
· Why did you leave your last job
The interviewer may want to know if you had any problems on your last job If you did not have any problems simply give a reason such as relocated away from job company went out of business laid off temporary job no possibility of advancement wanted a job better suited to your skills

If you did have problems be honest Show that you can accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes You should explain any problems you had (or still have) with an employer but don't describe that employer in negative terms Demonstrate that it was a learning experience that will not affect your future work
· What are your best skills
If you have sufficiently researched the organization you should be able to imagine what skills the company values List them then give examples where you have demonstrated these skills
· What is your major weakness
Be positive turn a weakness into a strength For example you might say I often worry too much over my work Sometimes I work late to make sure the job is done well
· Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others
The ideal answer is one of flexibility However be honest Give examples describing how you have worked in both situations
· What are your career goals or What are your future plans
The interviewer wants to know if your plans and the company's goals are compatible Let him know that you are ambitious enough to plan ahead Talk about your desire to learn more and improve your performance and be specific as possible about how you will meet the goals you have set for yourself
· What are your hobbies and Do you play any sports
The interviewer may be looking for evidence of your job skills outside of your professional experience For example hobbies such as chess or bridge demonstrate analytical skills Reading music and painting are creative hobbies Individual sports show determination and stamina while group sport activities may indicate you are comfortable working as part of a team

Also the interviewer might simply be curious as to whether you have a life outside of work Employees who have creative or athletic outlets for their stress are often healthier happier and more productive
· What salary are you expecting
You probably don't want to answer this one directly Instead deflect the question back to the interviewer by saying something like I don't know What are you planning on paying the best candidate Let the employer make the first offer

However it is still important to know what the current salary range is for the profession Find salary surveys at the library or on the Internet and check the classifieds to see what comparable jobs in your area are paying This information can help you negotiate compensation once the employer makes an offer
· What have I forgotten to ask
Use this as a chance to summarize your good characteristics and attributes and how they may be used to benefit the organization Convince the interviewer that you understand the job requirements and that you can succeed

Here are some other job interview questions you might want to rehearse
Your Qualifications
· What can you do for us that someone else can't do
· What qualifications do you have that relate to the position
· What new skills or capabilities have you developed recently
· Give me an example from a previous job where you've shown initiative
· What have been your greatest accomplishments recently
· What is important to you in a job
· What motivates you in your work
· What have you been doing since your last job
· What qualities do you find important in a coworker
Your Career Goals
· What would you like to being doing five years from now
· How will you judge yourself successful How will you achieve success
· What type of position are you interested in
· How will this job fit in your career plans
· What do you expect from this job
· Do you have a location preference
· Can you travel
· What hours can you work
· When could you start
Your Work Experience
· What have you learned from your past jobs
· What were your biggest responsibilities
· What specific skills acquired or used in previous jobs relate to this position
· How does your previous experience relate to this position
· What did you like mostleast about your last job
· Whom may we contact for references
Your Education
· How do you think your education has prepared you for this position
· What were your favorite classesactivities at school
· Why did you choose your major
· Do you plan to continue your education

While every employer will have his own favorite interview four of the most commonly asked are
· Tell me about yourself
· What are your strengths and weaknesses
· What experience have you had that qualifies you for this position
· Why should we hire you
The first question is straightforward enough and is intended to put the interviewee at ease A brief description of experiences relevant to the job applied for is enough The interviewer is not really asking for your life story

Before the interview prepare yourself for the second question by reviewing your academic or work experience Most people are well aware of their strengths but have a problem owning up to their weaknesses The key here is in the presentation For example I work well independently makes a strength out of being a bad team worker

Focussing on your strengths for the last question should have prepared you to discuss positive experiences that qualify you for the position

The fourth question is more than just another reiteration of your strengths and skills Employers are not only interested in past work experience they also want to know you are dedicated and committed that you are not going to be a disruptive influence and that you will fit into the company culture

To help you prepare for your interview see how many of the following questions you can answer comfortably and work on those areas where you are less confident

The moment of the job interview has come You've done all the hard work got the qualifications sent in the impressive resume  now for the last hurdle the interview You sit there waiting for the barrage 
The interviewer gazes at you clears his throat and
· Why aren't you earning more at your age
· Would you like to have my job 
· When do you expect a promotion
· What was the last book you read How did it affect you
· What would you say if I told you your interview so far is lousy
· Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten
· Tell me a funny story
· How do you rate me as an interviewer Please answer now
No matter how hard you have worked or how impressive your resume or experience may be the interview can make or break you Today interviewers are getting more and more sophisticated in the art of interviewing 
They are using what can only be described as tough mean and more and more various trick questions to test and draw you out 

Yet the secret to being successful at interviews is very simple when you realize There are only so many core questions and  variations of the same basic questions that the interviewer can ask you

Once you master them you'll realize there is nothing the interviewer can throw at you that you cannot respond instantly and confidently to
In our eCourse to job interview questions we have brought together some of the toughest and trickiest questions that any interviewer  can throw at you
With each question we will provide you with a sample answer and how you can change it to suit your own requirements

Also we will explain to you why the interviewer asked that particular question and what he is really trying to find out To check the full list of questions we will cover click here

The course
'Instant Answers' to the most difficult interview questions is an  ecourse that you can download onto your computer in two minutes after you order No waiting No delays
Over the next few days it will become your vital training guide as you prepare for your interview
Our special 24 Express Service
Also when you order our ecourse you can email our team of career interview specialists at any time for any personal help or guidance
For example you may require help with a specific question you are convinced is going to be asked Our team will answer all questions within 24 hours 
Tough Interview Questions
Your Career Goals

1 If you could start your career again what would you do differently
Nothing I am happy today so I don't want to change my past
2 What career options do you have at the moment
I see three areas of interest Relate those to the position and industry
3 How would you describe the essence of success According to your definition of success how successful have you been so far
Think carefully about your answer and relate it to your career accomplishments
Tough Interview Questions
General Questions

1 Tell me about you
Keep your answer to one or two minutes don't ramble Use your resume summary as a base to start
2 What do you know about our company
Do your homework before the interview Spend some time online or at the library researching the company Find out as much as you can including products size income reputation image management talent people skills history and philosophy Project an informed interest let the interviewer tell you about the company
3 Why do you want to work for us
Don't talk about what you want first talk about their needs You would like to be part of a specific company project you would like to solve a company problem you can make a definite contribution to specific company goals
4 What would you do for us What can you do for us that someone else can't
Relate past experiences that show you've had success in solving previous employer problem(s) that may be similar to those of the prospective employer
5 What about the job offered do you find the most attractive Least attractive
List three or more attractive factors and only one minor unattractive factor
6 Why should we hire you
Because of your knowledge experience abilities and skills
7 What do you look for in a job
An opportunity to use your skills to perform and be recognized
8 Please give me your definition of a (The position for which you are being interviewed)
Keep it brief give an action and resultsoriented definition
9 How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm
Not long at all you expect only a brief period of adjustment to the learning curve
10 How long would you stay with us
As long as we both feel I'm contributing achieving growing etc
Silly Interview Questions Not Really
Solid interviewing skills are crucial to landing a good job Many people work very diligently on their resume and cover letter but don't think about preparing for the interview This is a step that you shouldn't ignore during your job search
Most of us have been on interviews during which we were asked seemingly silly questions It's nearly impossible to prepare yourself for such questions However many interviewers use a method called behavioral screening and this is something for which you can prepare yourself
Behavioral screening means that the interviewer will ask questions directed toward actual past experiences you have had in relation to a situation One such question might be Give me an example of a time when you needed to adjust quickly What did you do and how did it turn out
Before you begin to answer this type of question keep in mind that the interviewer doesn't want to hear your opinion or the way you tend to act They would like you to think of a specific instance from you past which fits the question stated Therefore responses that begin with I think I believe I am or I will are not appropriate
When you respond to interview questions phrased like the example above the interviewer will be looking for the following information 1) a brief description of the problem or situation 2) your actions and 3) results of your actions
Many times people who are being interviewed feel that they must have an answer immediately upon being asked a question This is not the case for behavioral interviews The interviewer expects that you will need time to think in order to remember a specific past experience Relax and tell the interviewer you need a minute and take that time to formulate the best possible example Don't worry about a minute or two of silence Pausing to think is much better than giving a poor example
Behavioral type answers are a great way to communicate what you can do for a potential employer It may be in your best interest to take time before the interview to come up with some examples of situations which you want to include if asked such questions Even if you are not asked behavioral questions working these examples into the conversation will help to impress the interviewer
Some examples of characteristics you may want to prepare behavioral examples for are teamwork ability to deal with stress initiative tenacity attention to detail followthrough customer service orientation technical skills and communication skills The key is to think about the types of characteristics that are important to your career field and prepare a couple of behavioral examples for each
In general you should be relieved when you are asked these sorts of questions during the interview Behavioral interviewing is an excellent way to assure that the interviewer really gets to know you during your meeting Another benefit there are no trick questions when someone is simply asking you to recall what you've done in the past
This article previously appeared in Now Hiring
Traditional Employment Interview Questions
Here is a list of sample interview questions jobseekers can expect especially at first more traditional interviews Prepare answers to these questions but don't memorize your answers so that you come off sounding like a robot in other words be prepared for these questions and have an outline or script ready but don't worry about remembering your answers wordforword
1 What are your long range and shortrange goals and objectives
2 What specific goals other than those related to your occupation have you established for yourself for the next ten years
3 What do you see yourself doing five years from now Ten years from now
4 What do you really want to do in life
5 What are your longrange career objectives
6 How do you plan to achieve your career goals
7 What are the most important rewards you expect in your business career
8 What do you expect to be earning in five years
9 What did you choose the career for which you are preparing
10 Which is more important to you the money or the type of job
11 What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses
12 How would you describe yourself
13 How do you think a friend or professor who knows you well would describe you
14 What motivates you to put forth you greatest effort
15 How has your college experience prepared you for a business career
16 Why should I hire you
17 What qualifications do you have that make you think that you will be successful in business
18 How do you determine or evaluate success
19 What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like ours
20 In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company
21 What qualities should a successful manager possess
22 Describe the relationship that should exist between the supervisor and those reporting to him or her
23 What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction Why
24 Describe your most rewarding college experience
25 If you were hiring a graduate for this position what qualities would you look for
26 Why did you select your college or university
27 What led you to choose you field or major study
28 What college subject did you like best Why
29 What college subject did you like least Why
30 If you could do so how would you plan your study differently Why
31 What changes would you make in your college or university Why
32 Do you have plans for continued study An advanced degree
33 Do you think that your grades are a indication of your academic achievement
34 What have you learned from participating in extracurricular activities
35 In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable
36 How do you work under pressure
37 In what parttime or summer jobs have you been most interested Why
38 How would you describe the ideal job for you following graduation
39 Why did you decide to seek a position in this company
40 What do you know about our company
41 What two or three things are most important to you in your job
42 Are you seeking employment in a company of a certain size Why
43 What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work
44 Do you have a geographic preference Why
45 Will you relocate Does relocation bother you
46 Are you willing to travel
47 Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee
48 Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our company is located
49 What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it
50 What have you learned from your mistakes

文档香网(httpswwwxiangdangnet)户传

《香当网》用户分享的内容，不代表《香当网》观点或立场，请自行判断内容的真实性和可靠性！
该内容是文档的文本内容，更好的格式请下载文档