Answers to Interview Questions – Good Answers to Popular Interview Questions
Posted by Administrator on Apr 6, 2011
Most people dread job interviews. However, with a bit of preparation, the experience can be very rewarding.
Most interviewers tend to ask similar questions during job interviews. All you need to do is find out what those questions are and prepare some answers beforehand. After you do that, have someone role play the part of the interviewer and ask you the questions. That way, you can practice your answers to interview questions so you can be more relaxed at the actual interview.
Some of the most popular interview questions asked during an initial interview are:
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
This is difficult for some people. If you are unsure of what to say, you might want to ask the interviewer what they would like to know about you. However, most interviewers want to know things about you that would be relate to the position. Try not to ramble on. Keep your interview answer short and informative.
2. What do you feel are some of your strengths?
When you begin to think about your strengths, think about some of the aspects of your personality and character that would be an asset to the job. Don’t just mention one, but focus on three or four. If you are applying for a sales position, you might mention that you enjoy helping people. If you are applying for an accounting position, you might say that you are very detail oriented.
3. What is your greatest weakness?
We all have weaknesses, so you will need to come up with something for an answer. Be as honest as possible, but then emphasize what you’ve done to overcome it. For instance, if delegating jobs has been hard for you in the past, mention what you have done to overcome the problem – perhaps taking a course in how to be an effective manager or a course in time management skills.
4. What do you consider to be your greatest success?
Choose an example from your past of which you are particularly proud. In your interview answer give specific details about what you did, how you did it, and what the results were.
5. How do you handle stressful situations?
List some stressful situations in past positions and explain how you handled them. Give them some ideas of some strategies that you have successfully used, such as making a to-do list.
6. Why do you want this position?
This is where researching the company will help in your answers to interview questions. Bring up some of the successful traits of the company and stress how you’ve always wanted to work for a company with those traits. Emphasize how your skills and qualifications mesh well with the company.
7. Why are you the best person for the job?
Here is your chance to sell yourself. Emphasize your strong points – i.e. you are a dedicated employee, a fast learner, an enthusiastic person who hits the ground running, etc. End it by saying; “I know that you will have no regrets when you hire me for the position.”
While no one knows exactly what questions will be asked during an interview, the above are common questions asked by most employers. With a bit of work, you can prepare yourself so that you can approach the interview with confidence and enthusiasm. That confidence and enthusiasm may just get you the job!
Working in Accounting Executive Search Firms
Posted by Administrator on Jul 21, 2010
Accounting executive search firms basically help in providing financial staff. Or more specifically, they help companies recruit financing and accounting staff. If you’re looking for an accounting career, then it will do you a whole lot of good if you sign up with an accounting executive search firm.
Starting Out
If you’re looking for employment in executive accounting search firms, let me tell you, your first few months are not going to be easy at all. This is simply because you have to start right from the bottom here – as is the case with any other form of employment. But over here, it is especially difficult, because a good firm always works around its clients’ schedules and not the other way around.
As a result, being a newbie, you might have to do a lot of running around in odd hours, because really, when are busy executives free, except for maybe Sundays, and that too, very rarely do they not bring work home!
Setting up appointments, interviews and meetings when it is convenient for your client will be a major responsibility. After that, you will slowly be promoted to more lucrative positions and will have your own subordinates in turn.
Starting out is especially difficult because all of these firms are known for their incredibly short response time, so you might have to run from one busy office from another all day everyday. So the starting months might feel like one big slaving experience, but it’s totally worth it!
Positions
So what positions can you hold in executive accounting search firms? The most obvious one is that of a recruiter, where your job will be to find the most suitable candidates for your clients. In order to be a recruiter, it is helpful if you have a sales driven attitude. An executive recruiter is a senior recruiter who has several recruiters working under him.
You can also be a business development consultant, where you will be responsible for bringing new clients and bettering relations with existing ones. So as you can guess, you’ll probably have to spend the larger part of your time in the field! Management and office administration positions too are a part of working in such an accounting executive search firms.
Firms in executive accounting generally have a large database of prospective candidates who are looking for accounting and financial positions of employment. The firm may reach out to its highly sophisticated database in a matter of minutes, for the clients’ convenience and respond accordingly.
The job of the search firm in executive accounting is to basically find the candidate who meets the clients’ criteria completely, or fits the bill as closely as possible. If you’re looking for executive accounting work, then definitely do try signing up with accounting executive search firms.
What To Wear On A Job Interview
Posted by Administrator on Jul 6, 2010
Knowing what to wear on a job interview is half the battle of the interview itself. The old adage could never be so true, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
When you’re going on a job interview, your appearance is extremely important. Whether or not you look professional or sloppy could play a huge role on if you get hired.
When first deciding what to wear on a job interview, you should first take into consideration the culture of the company you are interviewing with, and dress accordingly. Are you interviewing with a company where the employees wear suits everyday or do they wear t-shirts and jeans?
A suit is not always the best choice for what to wear on a job interview. If you show up wearing a suit and tie and all the employees are wearing shorts and flip-flops, you will look out of place, feel uncomfortable and give off the wrong energy. The same is true of the opposite. If you show up wearing shorts and flip-flops to a company that wears professional attire, you will be just confirming that you don’t fit into the company.
If you want to get the job, your choice of what to wear on a job interview should match or be slightly dressier than the normal work attire of the company. For example, if the normal work attire of the company is business casual, it’s ok to wear a suit to impress. If the normal work attire is casual, it’s ok to wear a business casual outfit to impress as well. Appropriateness is the most important factor on what to wear on a job interview.
After you decide whether a professional, business casual, or casual outfit the most appropriate for your interview, here are some guidelines you will want to stay with in when deciding what to wear on a job interview. The key is to wear clothing that you feel comfortable and look great in, while at the same time matching the corresponding dress code of the company. That way you’ll give off great energy and your true personality shine through.
Here are the guidelines:
1. Make sure your clothes that are neatly ironed and press. Nothing gives away the lack of attention to detail than wrinkled clothing.
2. Make sure your clothing fits properly. If your pants or sleeves are too long or something is too loose or too tight you’ll look and probably feel awkward.
3. Don’t wear flashy jewelry. You’ll want the interviewer to pay attention to you, not your bling.
4. Dress according to the season. Don’t wear a stuffy turtleneck sweater in the middle of the summer.
5. Don’t wear perfume or aftershave. You never know if your interviewer is allergic and this isn’t a good way to find out.
6. Make sure you have a nice, clean haircut that makes you look well groomed.
7. For men, make sure you shave and keep facial hair to a minimum.
8. For women, don’t wear anything that is too revealing. It’s best to keep your body parts inside your clothing and not be too exposed.
9. Avoid articles of clothing with loud, busy prints. It’s best to wear solid colors that flatter your skin tone.
10. For women, make you wear appropriate lingerie and/or pantyhose underneath your clothing. This will give you smooth lines and assure you don’t have visible panty lines on your backside.
11. For women, don’t overdo your makeup. Wear natural colors and avoid heavy eyeshadow, eyeliner and bright colored lipstick.
12. For pants outfits, make sure you wear a belt that matches the color of your shoes.
So, congratulations on getting the interview. Now, know you know exactly what to wear on a job interview so you can get the job.
Government Job Descriptions
Posted by Administrator on Jul 3, 2010
There are many governmental jobs that are advertised almost every day through every medium, ranging from newspapers, to television and radio and even the Internet. This is because there are millions of government jobs that are available every time in the nation. However, there is one major problem that often comes to notice whilst relating to government job descriptions. This is that most government job descriptions are vague and not to the point. Besides this, they sometimes advertise for requirements that far exceed the actual needs of the job.
The reason for bulking up the qualification in job advertising is simple: while the government wants to fill a managerial level position, they would advertise for it and seek the qualifications of a executive level position, hoping someone overqualified will apply and accept the job. It is hence very important to work through the clutter when talking about government job descriptions.
One can do that by first of all knowing the true strengths that one possesses. It is easy to decide from there what field you would like to go into. Then one can decide whether one would like to go in for private sector jobs or rather opt for government jobs in that field.
If one chooses to get a government job, one can search the newspapers and the various Web sites for the particular job. Often when you are not expecting it, suddenly a government job description pops that matches what you were seeking. Hence, it is very important to be an alert opportunist.
Once one finds a government job description, matching what one was looking for, the next step is to understand the job profile, which most of the time can be extremely confusing. This is in fact, one of the major complaints that the government gets. However, there is nothing one can do about it and one needs to simply read the ad thoroughly to understand the requirements. One can also call up the government office to learn more about the job profile and similar details.
Government jobs can be great, though, as they provide long-term security and ensure regular income for its employees.
Job Interview Issues – How To Dress To Match The Interview
Posted by Administrator on Jun 26, 2010
Recently a job seeker sent me this inquiry below, relating to their problems with how to dress for an interview. Read on and see how sometimes the issues become confusing.
“Hello Mark,
Couple days ago I went to a job interview with a national restaurant chain. I got the interview through a recruiter, who told me to dress “appropriately” for the job interview. So I wore Dockers, a nice shirt with button down collar and neck tie. And I wore my non-slip shoes, as the interview was to take place at one of their restaurant locations, I figured safety first. I would have wore my dress suit, but when the recruiter said to dress “appropriately,” I took that to mean to dress according to the interview location. So I did. Well, I just heard back from the recruiter and he told me I was out of consideration for the job. One of the reasons he mentioned for me being removed, was my manner of dress, and specifically mentioned my shoes. The interviewer didn’t feel I was dressed correctly for the job interview. I feel as though I was dressed correctly, because we met at a in-operation restaurant location. How is one to know what is appropriate and what is not appropriate job interview dress?
Tracy M, Lexington, KY”
As you see from the letter above, job interview dress issues can be confusing. When I speak with my own job candidates, my advice about how to dress for any job interview is almost always the same: “Dress as though you are going to meet the President of the Company.” When you enter a job interview, first impressions are lasting. You are not dressing to impress the person or persons with whom you are meeting — though that may also be a benefit of your appearance — instead, you are dressing to exhitbit yourself as a professional in your vocation. Never quibble over this, always dress for success, however cliche it may sound.
Now, there are some exceptions, which is why I say above my advice is ‘almost always the same:’ when it comes to what to wear to a job interview. For example, when your interview may include a work environment tour that requires protective clothing or when formal clothing may be vulnerable to destruction, such as a tour of a factory or manufacturing plant, or construction site, or mining facility. But in such cases, don’t assume, ask your interviewer prior to your visit what they consider proper attire. Don’t guess, and if you cannot verify their opinion of what to wear, ‘always dress for success.’ Risking the cost of cleaning or even replacing a dress suit may seem an expensive way to get a job, but if you get the job, it may seem a small price to pay.
Best Of Luck With Your Job Search
CPA Jobs – CPA Careers Explained
Posted by Administrator on May 10, 2010
If you’re thinking about a career as an accountant, you could have a very lucrative and steady job for many years to come. With the right degrees and experience, accounting professionals can have rewarding careers in CPA jobs who submit documents to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with a state-issued license. But you may be wondering, what exactly does a certified personal accountant do?
The federal government mandates that any certified personal accountant who submits documents to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) must have a state-issued license. There are many CPA jobs. These jobs require compiling financial reports for prominent individuals, companies, nonprofit organizations and small businesses. The financial reports may include profit-and-loss statements and expense reports. This type of career may also involve advising clients on how to decrease the amount of income taxes they owe and preparing tax statements for the client.
If you are looking for career information for the accounting field, you will first need to look into receiving a degree. Degrees in accounting typically require a college education consisting of four to five years of schooling. This means you must obtain your bachelor’s degree in accounting or graduate from a master’s degree accounting program. All states also require certified accountants to take the Uniform CPA Examination after getting their education. The Uniform CPA exam, which was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, is an electronic test given in four parts. An accountant will need to pass all four parts of the exam within 18 months of passing the first part.
There is a lot of skill and clearly a lot of education required to become an accountant, but the career can be very rewarding. CPA jobs can offer an average CPA salary of around $80,000. Aside from the excellent pay, this is also a great career option because it will be in demand in many states throughout the country for many years to come. Plus, there are jobs available in big businesses as well as for small firms or individuals. With so many career options and a great job outlook, becoming an accountant is a good choice indeed.
Example For Answering Job Interview Question – What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job?
Posted by Administrator on Apr 24, 2010
This question is somewhat of a trap, because it asks for a negative answer. If you haven’t given it some thought, you may blurt out something about your boss or the company, and talk yourself right out of a job. One of the purposes of the question is to find out if you are going to be satisfied in this job. If you were dissatisfied before, you may be dissatisfied again if the circumstances are similar.
Three candidates answers:
Roopal – “I didn’t have enough challenges. After a while, all the projects became repetitive and the same. I thrive on challenge.”
Interviewer’s thoughts – “A lot of the tasks here are repetitive. What makes her think she will like it here any better? Will we be able to keep her challenged?”
Kevin – “Lack of stability. After three company acquisitions, I had five bosses in three years. I couldn’t take it any longer. What I am looking for is stability in a job and company.”
Interviewer’s thoughts – “While our company is stable now, there are no guarantees about the future. This guy sounds like he may have some burn out and flexibility issues.
Barry – “In my last job, my boss was overbearing and wouldn’t let me do my job. If she didn’t like they way I was doing something she’d criticize me.”
Interviewer’s thoughts – “Could he work with me as a supervisor? How would he react if I had to critique his work? He sounds like he could be a problem to supervise.”
Focus
When you answer the question, it is best to focus on tasks rather than talking about company politics or people.
“I’ve given this question some thought, and overall I have been very satisfied with my jobs. I’ve been able to work with some really interesting people. I have to admit that I did have a job where there was an inordinate amount of paper work. Because working with people is my strength, the paper work really bogged me down at times.”
Notice the word “inordinate” Not normal paper work, but unusually large amount, keeping you from doing what you do best: working with people.
Exercise
Make a list of the times in your past jobs when you have been dissatisfied; times when you didn’t look forward to going to work, when you “hated” what you were doing. Was it the nature of the work or the office environment that were making you dissatisfied? Spend some time looking at your list for patterns. Are there some projects that recur on your list; some situations that you don’t want to get into again? This exercise will help you identify areas to watch for and to ask questions about during the interview.
“What percentage of this job will be travel?”
“What are some of the specific tasks and responsibilities of this job?”
Job satisfaction
When you can identify the factors that give you job satisfaction, as well as the factors that were unpleasant or tedious for you, you can determine if this is the right job for you. It is a known fact that people perform best when they are doing something they enjoy. Thinking about the answer to this question is an opportunity for you to identify what you want – doing the things you like to do best, as well as what you don’t want.
5 Things You Must Do Before a Job Interview
Posted by Administrator on Apr 17, 2010
So you just found out that you have a job interview tomorrow and unfortunately procrastination is a weaknesses you haven’t yet conquered. Here are the down and dirty tips to pull it together at the last minute.
1. Look at the job posting you are applying for, and develop sound bites that address the needs of the employer. Think of examples where you demonstrated the skills that appear in the job posting and develop answers that clearly show an employer that you are the perfect candidate for this position. All sound bites should be 2-3 minutes in length.
2. Use the TODAY acronym to develop additional sound bites of your experiences. TODAY stands for Teamwork, Overcoming Obstacles, Duties of your past positions, Achievements, Your strengths and weaknesses. Remember to clearly describe exactly what you did in each situation. The employer is hiring you, not the other people in your story.
3. Research the company. Search the internet for any recent press releases and check out the company’s website. Know what they do, and develop some idea as to how the position you are hiring for fits within the company.
4. Think of questions to ask an interviewer. Look at the job posting and your research about the company and think of 3-5 questions you can ask during the interview. What are you curious about? Do they manufacture a product you are familiar with, or never even knew existed before you started to research the company? Where does this department fit in the grand scheme of the company? What projects is the department currently working on?
5. Lastly, prepare answers to the following questions: Tell me about yourself, Why did you leave your last position, or why are you looking for a new job, Why should I hire you, and The Salary Question. You know that these questions will be asked in one form or another, so there is no excuse to not have prepared an answer.
And that’s it. Interviewing is just that simple when it’s broken into it’s simplest components. Focus on preparing answers to all of the scenarios above, and you will be ahead of the game. Remember to clearly articulate in each and every sound bite exactly what you did. Practice with a tape recorder to critique yourself, or with a friend to repeat back to you exactly what you did in a situation to make sure you’re preparing correctly.
For more tips, use the link below to purchase the booklet “Successful Job Interviews Revealed.”, or attend the upcoming “Sweaty Palms and Awkward Answers” Continuing Education class in Stamford. And yes, I am always willing to try to fit in a last minute coaching appointment for interview emergencies.
© Red Inc. Melanie Szlucha
Tips For Your First Job Interview
Posted by Administrator on Feb 3, 2010
If you are about to leave school or college and are applying for your first job, the thought of your first job interview can be pretty scary.
Having a formal interview for a post which could launch you on your career is much more important than an interview for a casual student job such as working in a burger bar.
There will be a number of people shortlisted for the job and invited to interview. Every one of them has got past the first hurdle – they have produced a resume and cover letter or application form which proved they can do the job.
So you are competing against the best. If you want to get the job, you have to make sure that you stand out.
First of all, you must get the basics right. This means dressing appropriately for the interview. You’ll need to wear a business suit if you are going for a corporate job. In other industries, where dress code may be more casual, wear something a little smarter than you would expect to wear on the job.
Make sure you show up on time. You should work out the route in advance and time the journey. If possible, do a trial run at the same time of day as your interview. This will give you an idea of traffic conditions and help you find the building.
If you can’t do this, leave plenty of time on the day. It can be difficult to find some addresses, despite having a map. As if that’s not enough, you could find yourself faced with a company which is housed in several buildings with a complex network of connecting corridors. Arriving 5 minutes early is no good if it takes you 10 minutes to find the place you are meant to be.
Be sure to have the phone number handy so that you can let them know if something goes wrong on the journey, or an unavoidable crisis means you will be late.
Think about the type of questions you might be asked and come up with short intelligent answers. For a first job it’s likely you’ll be asked about your studies, why you have chosen this career or company. Make sure you know the answers.
It’s important to really think about your strengths and what you have to offer the company. What special contribution will you be able to make, which sets you apart from the other candidates?
Look at your work experience and find transferable skills – even if you have only worked as a waiter or waitress, you’ll have developed customer service and communication skills. Don’t forget about any clubs or societies you belonged to at college or any volunteering you were involved in.
Take a copy of your application to remind yourself of what you said and be sure you can explain any gaps in your resume. With the right preparation, you can ace that first interview.
Keys to a Successful Job Interview
Posted by Administrator on Jan 15, 2010
The purpose of this article is to cover the most frequent mistakes made by applicants. Although most of these points appear to be common sense, human resource professional often witness these pitfalls. For more information visit our resume and job interview training and services on one of the largest job sites in Canada, US and UK.
1. First, turn off your cell phone during an interview. A ringing cell phone won’t impress an interviewer. With today’s reliance on cell phones, in our experience about 1 in every 5 applicants forget to turn off their cell phones during an interview.
2. Reciting your resume and cover letter is also something that’s common, but should be avoided. The interview is your chance to expand on these documents and discuss your qualifications.
3. Mumbling is another common mistake that can often be corrected with ease. Some applicants mumble, are soft-spoken, or perhaps have a slight accent. Remember to speak up and speak clearly when you are in a job interview.
A useful exercise to refine interview skills is the use of role-play. Find someone who is willing to role-play some interview questions with you and ask them to provide feedback. For your convenience, we have a Mock Interview Exercise that simulates a real interview and contains grading tools to show ways to improve and reveal answering patterns. You can also enhance this exercise with the use of an audio/video recording tool.
4. Over answering is one of the most common and easily correctable mistakes. Over answering is also one of the biggest pet peeves among interviewer circles. Know when to stop. The interviewer’s body language can signal to the applicant when it is appropriate to stop answering. These signals include briefly looking away, leaning away from the applicant, and shifting their positions frequently during your answer. If you see one of these signs in your next interview, ask yourself: “have I answered the question?” and act accordingly. Try timing your answer to see the length of your response. On average most people take between 5 to 7 mins to answer which exceeds the attention span of most interviewers.
5. Avoid being negative. While your previous employer may have been a tyrant and difficult to work for, it is not to your advantage to speak negatively about past work experiences.