Professional experience
You've probably already talked a lot about your previous posts, and yet, the interviewers have your CV. Therefore, we will focus here on issues that give a more complete picture for you and help your future employers to evaluate not only the experience but also your potential for dealing with difficult situations.- What is your greatest professional achievement?
- In my last job as a junior analyst, it was my role to manage the invoicing process. In one month, I streamlined the process, which saved my group 10 man-hours each month and reduced errors on invoices by 25%.
- I’m very proud of the fact that the new and improved program is earning rave reviews — with 92% of participants rating it as “very valuable,” compared to just 24% who rated the previous version that way. My manager was very pleased and promoted me to lead a high-profile training project in our foreign office.
- I found myself bored with the work and looking for more challenges. I am an excellent employee and I didn't want my unhappiness to have any impact on the job I was doing for my employer.
- I'm looking for a bigger challenge and to grow my career, but I didn’t feel like I could give equal attention both to my job search and to my full-time work responsibilities. It didn’t seem ethical to slack off from my former job in order to conduct my job search, and so I left the company.
- I try to react to situations rather than to stress. That way, I can handle the situation without becoming overly stressed. For example, when I deal with an unsatisfied customer, rather than focusing on feeling stressed, I focus on the task at hand. I believe my ability to communicate effectively with customers during these moments helps reduce my own stress. I think it also reduces any stress the customer may feel.
- I'm very sensitive to the nuances of group dynamics. If there’s an unhealthy amount of stress within the team, I can feel some of that stress as well. So, what I do is to try to proactively listen to the concerns of the people around me, checking in frequently to see if they, themselves, are under stress. If they are, I think about how I can help them with their workload so the collective stress of the team doesn’t escalate.
Desire for Development and Ideas
This is generally your idea of the future - dreams, aspirations and goals. Try to explain how the company fits into them.- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- My goal right now is to find a position at a company where I can grow and take on new challenges over time. Ultimately, I’d like to assume more management responsibilities and get involved in product strategy. But most importantly, I want to work for an organization where I can build a career.
- I am driven to be the best at what I do and I want to work somewhere where I’ll have opportunities to develop my skills, take on interesting projects, and work with people I can really learn from. Some of the most innovative thinkers in the industry work here and that’s a big reason why I would love to build a career here.
- What's your dream job?
- What I look for in a job, and what I love about this customer service representative position, is the ability to utilize my communication and customer service skills. I love interacting with customers and quickly and effectively problem-solving with them. Down the road, after becoming an expert in your product line and developing strong relationships with your customers, I would love to work in sales.
- My dream job would allow me to develop web content for a variety of companies. I love getting to know different clients and developing content to suit their unique needs. For example, in my last job, I worked for clients in industries ranging from healthcare to education and received praise for my work with a variety of companies. I love that this job would allow me to work with a range of clients.
Feedback
The questions here will actually give clarity to your expectations about future employers. Be precise and do not be afraid to ask or specify details that have not been clarified before.- What are your salary requirements?
- Well, according to my research and past experience, my understanding is that 75-90 euro per year is typical based on the role and requirements.
- Since this position is not exactly the same as my current job, let’s discuss what my responsibilities at this company will be and work together to determine a fair salary for this position.
- Do you have any questions for us?
- What are the biggest challenges that someone in this position would face?
- What are the most immediate projects that need to be addressed?
- What types of skills is the team missing that you're looking to fill with a new hire?
- What is the company culture like?