Tell us about yourself I am an accounting professional with four years corporate experience who would now like to move

over onto the public accounting side," I was very interested in learning more about the opportunities here." "Is there anything you would like me to add."

Do a skill matching exercise: The organization/job needs ..(skill/experience) and I have it because I did ..... The organization needs first class customer service..... and i can provide..... Be certain to have specific examples of how you have added value in the past and be enthusiastic on how you can add value to this organization. Do not forget...the organization is looking to solve a problem and you are selling yourself as a solution.

"What are your strengths?"

make your answer to this common job interview question relevant. Tailor your strengths to the job and highlight why they qualify you as the right candidate for the job opportunity. Don't make the mistake of frustrating the interviewer as you describe what a great athlete you are and list your latest sports achievements during your sales job interview. However, with some thought you can translate almost all of your strong-points into jobrelevant attributes that will contribute to your success in the job.

When answering this job interview question you can point out how the determination and discipline you need to be a good athlete are certainly important strengths in a sales position. Free interview answers include: "To achieve as an athlete I had to stick to a tough training program and make sure I kept myself motivated . I had to be disciplined and determined. I believe these strengths strongly contribute to my success in sales" Don't just list your strengths, back them up with facts. An attribute is far more powerful if it is rooted in a relevant example. Sample free interview answers include: "I'm an adaptable person. I work for three different managers, they have very different management styles and expectations of me. I am able to adjust my approach to meet each of their needs" Avoid over-used, vague terms such as "people's person". Be specific and pertinent. "I am good with customers. I enjoy the challenge of turning a dissatisfied customer into a satisfied one. Just last week I had an experience when ......." and quote a specific example of how you successfully managed an unhappy client.

Focus on three or four strengths. Good examples include organizational and planning skills, perseverance, persuasive ability, communication skills, leadership ability, stress tolerance, ability to learn and apply new information and skills, flexibility, independence, problemsolving, creativity, technical and professional knowledge, reliability, self-motivation and initiative.

"What are your weaknesses?"

With this typical interview question the interviewer is assessing your self awareness and insight rather than your weaknesses. The ability to acknowledge a weakness is often seen as a sign of maturity and wisdom. Refer to a true weakness but then turn it into a positive by describing it as an area for development. In your job interview answer relate what steps you have taken to try and improve. "I'm impatient with people who don't work at the same pace as me but I'm learning to manage this. I make sure that they have the right resources for the job, I follow up to see that they are on track and I step in and help when needed" "I can be disorganized, I am aware of this and make sure I answer my emails and messages straight away. I update my calendar as soon as I have a new task or appointment, this really helps" A good guide is to acknowledge one or two weaknesses, describe the efforts made to overcome these and end your story on a positive note. "I've been reluctant to delegate. I have had to re-evaluate this as it was creating a big workload for me. I assign each person a specific, manageable task and then follow up to satisfy myself that it is being done properly, this seems to work well" Some weaknesses can be interpreted as a strength. Examples include: "I can be a bit aggressive in getting to my goals" "At times I can get too involved in other people's problems, trying to help them"

"Why should we hire you?"

Review the job description and note down the job requirements. Refer to your skills and experience relevant to the job requirements and the company's needs. What benefits are you bringing to this job? Mention your previous successes and your goals for the future. Be straightforward and confident about your abilities. " I have the right combination of skills and experience for this job. I also bring the additional quality of strong analytical and problem solving ability as shown by my introduction of a more efficient work flow system at ABC Company.

My commitment to excellent work standards will add value to the team. I am a fast learner, I had to learn a totally new operating system in my last job and I was up and running within a couple of weeks. One of the reasons I want to work for this company is your reputation for staff development, learning and growth are important values to me. I sincerely believe I am the right person for this job and for this company"

OVERVIEW "In my previous 2 positions I worked as part of a team on a number of projects. A big project I was involved with at ABC company was writing a new safety policy. It was a really in-depth project so I put together a safety review committee. We worked together for a month to identify the safety needs of the various departments and what procedures would meet those needs. Our policy has been well accepted and safety problems have decreased in all areas" By pointing out to the Interviewer the specific benefits of hiring you for this job, rather than giving a rambling autobiography, you will be positively remembered and set yourself apart from the other candidates. Be enthusiastic about why you want this job. "I really would like this job selling gift items and I strongly believe I will be good at it. I enjoy talking to customers and helping them find what they are looking for. I am meticulous about handling cash. I look forward to having regular hours and I am very reliable. In fact, my reference emphasizes that as one of my strong points"

When answering interview questions like this, don't try to say that you are the best qualified candidate, you are not familiar with the other candidates' skills and experience. Rather highlight the reasons why you are the right candidate for this job. "My abilities in sales really seem to fit this job. My success at ABC in achieving an annual growth rate of 25% support this. I have worked with a similar product line and have an in-depth understanding of the technical aspects. My experience as a member of a

large team will contribute to your department and I am enthusiastic about the new challenges involved in this position"

"What has been your greatest achievement to date?"

Choose an achievement that is related to the position and is fairly recent. Review the job description, if you have it, or the job posting or ad. What skills are listed as necessary for the job?. This will guide you to the most relevant answer for this employment interview question. If a requirement is attention to detail: "I am responsible for taking the customer orders by phone. I listen carefully, ask for clarification and always confirm the order to make sure I have everything correct. In this past year I am the only person in my department who has not made an error on the orders. Errors are often costly and frustrate customers. It was really satisfying receiving that recognition and I was given a bonus by my supervisor" When asking employer interview questions about this, Interviewers particularly want to know about achievements that increased revenues, decreased expenses, solved problems, were innovative or improved a company's reputation. "My department manager asked me to investigate a bottleneck in the production line. I did some research and suggested a redesign of the department layout so that the production units were in a more efficient sequence. It worked so well, increasing production by up to 20 percent, that my layout design has been adopted by all our branches" If you have little or no work experience, refer to an accomplishment at school or in an outside activity. Just remember to relate the skills you used to the job in question. "I was part of the rowing team that recently won the championships. It was a particularly satisfying win as we had trained very hard, requiring a lot of discipline and perseverance, to come up from the bottom of the league. We also really had to work together as a team and keep each other motivated" It is often difficult to single out one achievement when answering this question. "I believe I have had a number of successes to date. It is difficult to say which I think has been my greatest accomplishment as they were all important. I am going to focus on my recent achievements as being the most pertinent..." and go on to describe your relevant, recent accomplishments.

Does the position need superior sales ability, someone with keen attention to detail, strong management skills or excellent problem-solving ability? Reflect upon achievements that demonstrated this skill. Describe your accomplishment and highlight the job-related skills you used. Point out how the results benefited the company.

What do you like most about your current or last job? The interviewer wants to evaluate your compatibility with the position you are interviewing for. Make your answer relevant to the job requirements. General reasons such as new challenges, interacting with people, growth and learning opportunities, using your initiative, working as part of a team and meeting set objectives and goals are usually applicable to most job opportunities.

If a requirement is problem-solving skills: Highlight the reason and make it more specific by quoting an example. "I enjoyed having to use my "Recently I was asked to implement initiative. I have implemented and improved a number a new system to reduce our debtors of the systems including the order processing system." days. I analyzed the problems with the What do you like least about your current or last current system, got input from all job? the stakeholders, and developed a faster way of getting the accounts With typical interview questions like this be careful out and monitoring follow up. that the dislikes you talk about do not refer to specific characteristics of the job opportunity you are interviewing for. Stay away from reasons such as overtime and salary. Avoid criticism of your boss, management or co-workers. Be general and refer to the lack of or absence of what you seek in a job or work environment. For example, "There was very little opportunity for me to use my initiative. I regard this as one of my strengths and found it frustrating that I was unable to get past the bureaucracy of such a big company to implement any improvements. That is why I am enthusiastic about working for a smaller company like this which I know encourages employees to use their initiative." Or "There was a lack of growth opportunities in such as small company. One of the reasons I am so interested in your company is that it is a much larger organization with formal career planning structures in place." This way you emphasize why you are a suitable candidate for this job and company as well as turning it into a compliment to the company you are interviewing with.

"Why do you want to leave your job?"

Be straightforward but avoid negative comments about past employers in the job interview. Don't bad-mouth the company, your manager or colleagues, it puts you in a bad light. Keep it positive and make the reason for a leaving a constructive one such as a new challenge, exciting opportunity, increased responsibility or learning possibility. Use this job interview question as an opportunity to focus on the future.

"I have reached the ceiling in my particular job, and I am ready for more responsibility" "After a number of years in my last position I am now looking for a new experience where I can contribute and grow in a bigger environment" Avoid stating your salary as a prime motivator for change. However location is a perfectly acceptable reason for moving. "I am relocating to this area for family reasons and left my job to make this move" "I was spending hours each day commuting. I would prefer to be closer to home" When asked common job interview questions like this, relate how you worked hard in your last position and now you want to use your skills and experience to benefit this company. "I am interested in an opportunity to use the skills and abilities I have developed over the last couple of years in a new and challenging position" If there is an obvious issue with the company you were working for, such as layoffs, acknowledge and discuss this. "There is a great deal of uncertainty about the security of our jobs. I am looking for a stable company where there is the long term opportunity to grow and advance" Sometimes, it is just the wonderful opportunity offered by the new position that made you consider a move. "In all honesty I wasn't really looking to move jobs, but this looks like such a great opportunity to use all my skills and experience and I have always admired this company" Situations to be considered when asked common job interview questions along these lines include the following. You may have taken time out to raise a family. Use this as an opportunity to reassure the Interviewer that you are now ready to return to the workplace and detail the child care arrangements you have put in place. Point out to the Interviewer the efforts you have made to keep up to date in your particular field. Taking time off to study is a positive reason. Highlight how this has taken your skills and abilities to a new level, and how it demonstrates your desire for self-improvement and growth. A travel break can also be seen in a positive light. Emphasize how it has added to your life experience, enabled you to deal with a number of new challenges and increased your selfconfidence. The reasons for deciding to spend time traveling should show you as an individual who is keen to learn and grow. "I believed that I had reached the ceiling in my previous job. I needed to make a career move and decided that I would take the opportunity to spend some time fulfilling my dream

and travel before looking for a new position. I have discovered so much about myself and developed a number of skills dealing with all the challenges I faced. I am really excited about returning to the workplace and using all I have learned to contribute in a positive and constructive way" Make sure the reason you provide for leaving is congruent with the reason you have provided on your resume and the reason that will be given by your previous employer when a reference is done.

"What do you see yourself doing in five years?"

It is not easy to answer this interview question in terms of specific job or company expectations. One cannot accurately predict what the job or the company will look like in 5 years time. You can answer in general terms about the type of situation you would like to be in and the way you want to have grown and developed. Avoid giving specific time frames or job titles. Focus on realistic career opportunities you could expect in your industry and what you hope to have gained from these opportunities. "It is an uncertain world and one can't predict what is going to happen. However, my hope is that I will have contributed to the success of the company and grown both personally and professionally within my position" For example: "I want to have developed new skills and abilities and to have made the most of my opportunities. This position will give me the opportunity to learn more about managing a work team, this is a goal of mine. I would like to be recognized as an individual who has really added value to the company" When faced with this job interview question and answer, avoid making over-ambitious predictions about your future potential. This indicates a lack of insight and maturity. Broadly discuss your work values and goals, not focusing on a specific career plan. "I want to have learned and grown within my work, to have increased my responsibilities and skills. I enjoy a challenge and would like to know that I am constantly meeting new challenges. My goal is to be the best at whatever level I am working at within the company" Demonstrate that you understand that reward (salary, promotion, responsibility) will be based on the quality and value of your contribution. "I want to make the most of my abilities and potential. By always doing my best I can ensure that there will be opportunities to increase my value and to grow in ways that benefit both the company and me" Align your success with the company's success.

"I want to continue to gain experience and be a top -performing employee in a big company such as this one. I want to contribute as much as possible to the company's expansion and success" The interviewer will respond positively if you present yourself, in this job interview question and answer, as a mature, insightful and self-motivated candidate who wants to make an important and constructive contribution to the company.

How would you describe your previous manager/boss/supervisor When answering typical interview questions about previous managers avoid saying anything that can be interpreted as negative. It sends up a red flag about your attitude to authority and supervision. Even if there is something truly negative about your boss rather try to find something positive to focus on. The answer you give should be fact-based and not just your opinion. For example: "My manager was very experienced, he had managed a number of big call centers over the past 12 years. He liked his staff to be able to work independently and I had to learn quickly to become independent about analyzing problems and finding solutions." How would your co-workers describe you? The interviewer wants to find out if you have a good understanding of how you are perceived and how your behavior impacts on others. Your answer should demonstrate an objective view of your strengths and areas for improvement in terms of teamwork and your interpersonal skills. In your job interview answer describe the good points and perceptions but also discuss one or two areas that you are aware need attention. Emphasize what you have done to improve on these areas. This makes your answer both real and insightful. When you refer to the positive characteristics, support your answer with a quote or paraphrase from one or two of your colleagues. For example, "I know they considered me to be hard working. In fact, the other team members often thanked me for the extra hours I put in." Then move on to the areas for improvement "I know that I was initially considered intolerant if I felt they were not putting in the same amount of effort as I was. I realized it was better to encourage them to meet our deadlines by offering help where needed. This has worked much better for all of us." What motivates you in your job?

This is a personal trait, there is no right or wrong answer. However, you need to prepare for this job interview question and note down some specific examples. It is often difficult to verbalize your motivation properly in the stressful context of a job interview. Other interview questions will determine whether you have the skills for the job - can you do the job. With this question the interviewer is exploring whether you will be a good motivational fit with the job opportunity - will you want to do this job? What does motivate you will depend on your background and work experiences, but try to make your motivation relevant to what this job can provide. For example if the job is a fairly isolated one do not give "working with other people" as a motivation! You can use this preparation as an opportunity to think about whether this position is really suitable for you in terms of motivational fit. Here are some sample answers to top interview questions about your motivation to help you prepare your own answers: "I am motivated by the challenge of difficult tasks and projects.My previous manager gave me more and more responsibility as I proved myself, I found this very motivating." "It is important for me to meet the customers needs. I give them the best service and when I exceed their expectations or get positive feedback it motivates me." "I like to know that I am growing as an employee. Learning and using new skills is a big motivator for me." There are many different motivators. Challenge, achievement, recognition, learning opportunities, increased responsibility, coaching or mentoring others, team involvement and interaction, task complexity and variety are all possible answers to top interview questions about motivation How do you define success in your job? The best way to handle this job interview question is to provide an accepted definition of success and then support this with good examples of your success. One of the well-accepted definitions of success is goal attainment. Achieving a challenging goal or set of goals would be considered success by most people. It is important to relate your job interview answer in some way to the position you are interviewing for. Measurable and specific examples of success are more convincing. You can use this sample answer to help prepare your own interview answer for this question. "Success means the achievement of a challenging and measurable goal that I have set for myself or that has been delegated to me. In my previous position I had specific sales targets to meet every quarter. I set myself the goal of been up on my monthly targets by 5

percent. I managed to exceed my quarterly targets by 8 percent on average. That, for me, was success!" How do you handle conflict? The interviewer wants to know how you react to conflict and how you manage it. Try to focus your job interview answer on the behavioral process that you use to resolve the conflict. Don't direct your answer at how difficult you boss or co-workers are and how hard it is to work with them. This portrays you as someone who does not get on easily with other people and employers want someone who gets on well with others. Use your interview answer to highlight your interpersonal skills, your maturity and your ability to stay calm in the face of difficulty. For example: "Everyone has to deal with conflict at some point. I have found that when there is conflict it helps to try and put yourself in the other person's shoes and understand their perspective. It is important to ask questions and listen to their point of view. If you know what their interpretation of the situation is, then it is easier to work out a solution. For example.... ( give a specific example of a conflict situation and how you dealt with it)." Emphasize the techniques you use to diffuse conflict such understanding the other person's position, asking questions to find out the cause of the conflict, not conveying blame and not becoming too emotional. Demonstrate your ability to work collaboratively to reach an acceptable resolution. Here is another of those standard interview questions that is exploring a number of aspects at once. What has been the most difficult situation you have had to face? Avoid discussing difficult situations that were directly caused by you. Make sure it is a situation that most people would consider difficult or tough. Think of specific problems that tested your skills and abilities and had positive outcomes. Highlight the way you analyzed the situation, the skills you used to professionally deal with it and what your particular contribution to resolving it was. Always try to end on a positive note Examples of difficult situations include having to discipline an employee, unreasonable goals and deadlines, unreasonable customers and clients, adapting to change and

facing unethical work practices. Job skills that should be highlighted include common sense, perseverance, diplomacy, maturity, stress management and assessment skills. For example: "I have faced a number of difficult situations, but the one that comes to mind now is ...... ( describe the situation). I was able to deal with it by assessing the situation, determining the possible different approaches and deciding on the most effective one. I had to remain unemotional and objective and focused on a solution." Preparing your answers to job interview questions like these sets you up for interview success. Click on the table above to view more standard interview questions and good sample answers.