InterviewWorkshop-2002

1、IMBA PROGRAM INTERVIEW WORKSHOP November 2002 Stanford Lin Project Manager MIT-China Management Education Project ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Selected portions of this presentation have been reprinted from materials published by the Career Development Office of MIT Sloan, the Career Services Office of Harvard B

2、usiness School and V. Outline Introduction Interview Preparation The Reception Room The Interview Answers, Please Questions, Please Common Mistakes Q talk about what you know about the company and why you are a good fit for the company. What qualities do you think will be required for this job? The

3、job posting may answer this, but you should also think of the other qualities that may be required. These may include leadership ability, supervisory skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving, analytical skills, etc. What can you contribute? This is your chance to sell your

4、self. Tell them about your achievements in your previous position(s) which are relevant to the new position you are applying for. What do you know about this company? What interests you about our products and services? Impress the interviewer with your knowledge of their company. Briefly describe th

5、eir products/services, customers, news, financials, etc. Answers, Please (2 of 10) What can our company offer that your previous company cannot offer? Be careful here - do not mention money. Stress opportunities for personal growth, new challenges, etc. You have not done this sort of job before. How

6、 will you succeed? Say that you are the sort of person who tries to succeed at everything you do and that you are very determined and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Why should we employ you? The answer to this question should based on your previous experience and achievements which r

7、elate to the company. At the end you could add that you think there is a good fit between you and the job. How long do you think it would be before you were making a significant contribution to the company? If you think that you could contribute from day one then say so. Then turn the question round

8、 on the interviewer and ask how soon would they expect it. What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing? Likes: Stress things such as a new challenge or the opportunity to bring fresh experience to the company. Dislikes: Imply there is nothing to dislike about the job, which is why y

9、ou are so interested. Answers, Please (3 of 10) Why are you changing careers? This question will be asked if you are making a career change. Be positive about your reasons for choosing your previous career. Then stress the positive aspects of a career change (e.g., looking for a new challenge) rathe

10、r than the negative aspects of your previous career - you do not want to come across as someone who is moving just because you hate your old job. Discuss why you think you will be good in the new career you should probably discuss your experience, achievements and skills (e.g., leadership skills). H

11、ow much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the differences? The interviewer is trying to see how well you would fit in to the position. You should stress the similarities rather than the differences. When it comes to discussing the differences it will help if you can

12、show that either you have done something similar in the past or that you can quickly pick up the new skills. What do you think of the last company you worked for? Why did you join them? Did they live up to your expectations? Why are you leaving now? Always be positive about your reasons for joining

13、and leaving a company. Do not say anything negative about your former employer. You should stress the positive aspects of your former company saying that they were a good company to work for. Tell them about the training you received or the experience you gained. Then, say that you are looking for a

14、 new challenge and that you feel that the new company will offer this type of challenge. Answers, Please (4 of 10) Explain the organizational structure in your last company and how you fit into it? This question may be used to find out whether your old job is at a comparable level to your new job. I

15、f the new job being discussed would be a step up you will need to show that you are ready for a more demanding position. You may be able to show that you have already had many of the responsibilities and the necessary skills which would be required for the next step. What are you looking for in a ne

16、w job? Make sure your answer matches the company who is interviewing you. A suitable reply would be that you are looking for a new job where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones. What would your ideal job be? Describe your ideal job in terms of the criteria the company has used to d

17、escribe the job you are applying for. An ideal job might include things like challenging work, pay for performance, nice colleagues, good career prospects, good team atmosphere, opportunity to learn new skills, apply old skills, etc. Do you prefer to work in a small, medium or large company? If the

18、company interviewing you is a small to medium sized company say that you enjoy a close atmosphere with a good team spirit. At a large company say that you enjoy the stability of working for a large and established company. Answers, Please (5 of 10) What did you do on a day to day basis? Stress the p

19、ositive things you did including your achievements. Even if some or much of it was paperwork, you can still show your interest in the way it was performed. What did you think of your previous manager? Say that he/she was the sort of person you could learn from and you communicated well, which meant

20、that the task in hand was completed on time. How would you describe yourself? How would others describe you? Pick your best attributes and achievements from your career. Are you a leader? State how you have successfully acted as a leader, giving examples of your successes. Do you consider yourself s

21、uccessful? You should say you do. Pick some work related achievements that are in line with the position that you are discussing. What was your greatest success? How did you achieve it? You should pick an achievement which is related to their needs. Answers, Please (6 of 10) What are your weaknesses

22、? How could you improve yourself? What problems did you encounter in your last job? These questions test a key business skill - marketing. So there should be no negatives when you are marketing yourself. Turn a weakness into a strength. Think of something that might have been a minor difficulty in t

23、he past, and how you corrected the situation. For example, you might mention that you previously had a fear of public speaking, that you recognized this problem, took steps to fix the situation (such as taking communications courses, or joining a student club or did things at your previous job which

24、 involved public speaking), and now consider yourself much improved in this area. Another example: Im an effective leader. I was the head of my finance study group. But I occasionally try to do too much myself. I recognized this, and toward the end of the semester, I began to delegate more. For prob

25、lems at your last job - mention only the problems that you were able to solve, i.e. I had problem X, which I later managed to resolve by doing Y. This shows that you are a person who can solve problems rather than someone who lets things get on top of them. Do not use common answers like “My weaknes

26、s is that I work too hard”, etc. These have been used too much in the past and everyone knows them. Answers, Please (7 of 10) How do you handle criticism? Your answer could be: I always think that it is important to get feedback on how I am performing so that I can improve any areas which my manager

27、/supervisor highlights. Do you have regular staff appraisals and a staff development plan?“ What sort of manager are you? What makes a good manager? A good manager is one who listens to other people and can delegate while maintaining overall control of the task at hand, bringing in the project on ti

28、me and to budget. Good planning skills are essential. Do you need other people around to stimulate you or are you self- motivated? Can you act on your own initiative? You need to say that you are self-motivated. Are you accepted into a team quickly? You should answer Yes and describe previous team e

29、xperiences. How do you run a meeting? You could say that you must start with an agenda and stick to it. You could add that you would try to get the views and ideas from everyone present. If people moved off at a tangent you would bring them back to the item being discussed. What management style get

30、s the best results out of you? Try and think about how you have reacted to different managers and which factors have motivated you. Be sure your answer matches the management style of the company you are applying to! Answers, Please (8 of 10) What motivates you? Discuss career growth, opportunity to

31、 learn new skills, good co-workers, etc. Do you know how to motivate other people? You should answer Yes, and say that you have to find out what motivates a person and give them recognition for a job well done. You should always give them encouragement and help them when required. Are you competitiv

32、e? Your answer depend on the sort of job you are doing. If you will be working as part of a team you will need to show that you can work in the best interests of the team and not just for your own benefit. Are you aggressive? You could answer “If you mean by this someone who gets things done, then t

33、he answer is yes.” What do you dislike doing? Say that you are prepared to do whatever it takes to get the job done well and on time and try to do disagreeable things first to get them out of the way rather than putting them off. What would you like to avoid in your next job? You should be positive

34、here and say that there is nothing in particular that you would like to avoid. Answers, Please (9 of 10) Do you feel you are ready to take on greater responsibilities? Show how you have progressed throughout your life and how you have accepted and taken on responsibility for the actions of yourself

35、and others. If you have not really had many work related responsibilities you can mention other responsibilities you have had outside work. Can you work under pressure? You need to say that you can work under pressure and perhaps give an example where you did so. How many hours are you prepared to w

36、ork? You would be prepared to work the necessary hours to get the job done on time. Do you mind working for someone older / younger than yourself? Here you should say that you are prepared to work with anyone. What are your career goals? Discuss goals that are aligned with the company who is intervi

37、ewing you. How did you get on with your previous manager, co-workers and subordinates? Hopefully you can say that you got on well with everyone. How long will you stay in this job? State that you are looking for a long-term opportunity where you can learn and develop. Answers, Please (10 of 10) Are

38、you too old for this job? Are you too young for this job? Older applicant - State that you feel that your extra experience would enable you to make a bigger contribution to their company sooner than someone younger and less experienced. Younger applicant State No, I do not think so! then state the r

39、eason why you are not too young (e.g., you have gained a lot of experience in a short time). What interests do you have outside work? Your hobbies and interests can tell an employer a lot about you, including whether you are sociable or solitary, and whether you can take on leadership roles. So you

40、should think about which interests will paint the right picture of you given the position you are discussing. What level of salary are you looking for now? Be careful here - you do not want to appear greedy. If you are applying for a specific job you could ask them what the salary range is. Once the

41、y have answered you could say I think my experience would place me at the top end of your range, dont you? If they ask you this question early on in the interview you could delay answering by saying It is hard to discuss salary without first knowing a little bit more about the job and the responsibi

42、lities. Questions, Please What do you like and dislike about your job/company? What surprised you about your job and the company? How would you describe the firms culture? Have there been any major changes in the companys culture in the last few years? What are common mistakes MBAs make? I am really

43、 interested in learning more about your function/industry: how should I go about it? If a new hire was a spectacular success in this position after six months, what would he or she have accomplished? Whats a typical day for a new employee in this position? How are deals/projects staffed? What type o

44、f training should I expect? How will my work be evaluated? Interview End Reiterate your interest in the company Reiterate 1-2 of your selling points Say goodbye as you said hello Do not ask how you did in the interview After the Interview Keep notes about the interview Send thank-you letters Thank i

45、nterviewer for time and interest Mention 1-2 interview highlights Reiterate interest in the job and the company Keep letter short and avoid excessive flattery Even if you dont get the job, you might consider asking for feedback to help you in future interviews Common Mistakes Being unprepared Not us

46、ing time efficiently Poor handshake/bad body language Saying negative things about past jobs Being too passive.or too arrogant Discussing salary, work hours or vacation time Questions & Answers Consulting Questions FOCUS: problem solving skills, leadership, teamwork, ability to persuade others 1.Giv

47、e an example of an analytical challenge you have faced, how you addressed it, and how it was resolved. 2.What do you think it takes to be a successful consultant? 3.Are you comfortable with the travel requirements and lifestyle aspects of work as a consultant? 4.Discuss your style both as a team mem

48、ber and as a team leader. 5.Tell me how you would answer a client who asks “Youve never worked in my industry, how can you possible help me?” Entertainment Questions FOCUS: passion for industry, creativity, willingness to start in non-glamour role, past experience with media content 1.Why are you in

49、terested in the entertainment industry? 2.What sector are you interested in (film, music, etc.)? 3.What trade magazines or journals do you read? What did you think about the recent article about _? 4.How many CDs/videos/DVDs do you own? 5.What kind of music/films/TV do you listen to or watch? 6.What

50、 was your favorite movie/TV show? Was it successful? Why or why not? How would you have improved it? 7.Give me an example of a time when you have been most creative? 8.Why did you get an MBA? How will it help you in this industry? 9.What is your goal in this industry? High Tech Questions FOCUS: flex

51、ibility, understanding of and passion for technology, creativity, marketing point of view, strategic thinking and entrepreneurship 1.Who could you see out company being in a strategic alliance with? Why? 2.Why high tech? Where do you want to be in this industry? 3.Who are our competitors, what are t

52、heir competitive advantages and what are ours? 4.What excites you about this industry? 5.What role do you want in this company? 6.Have you seen our website? What do you think of it? 7.How would you grow our business? 8.Give me an example of where you used technology to solve a problem. Investment Ba

53、nking Questions FOCUS: passion for finance, commitment to industry, deep understanding of competitors, financial skills, willingness to work long hours, client skills, initiative 1.Why investment banking instead of other finance jobs? 2.Describe your quantitative skills. 3.Why join us instead of our

54、 competitors? 4.Tell me about the time you worked the hardest in your life. 5.Tell me about a time you have had to develop or manage client relationships. 6.What stocks do you follow and why? 7.What was our stock price yesterday? 8.If you were scheduled to attend a cousins birthday party and you were closing a deal, how would you handle this scheduling conflict? 9.Where do you want to be after five years in this company? Asset Management Questions FOCUS: passion for investing, financial analysis skills, ability to take risks,