First Round Interview

"Tell me about yourself"

The perfect opening for your two-minute presentation! Describe your educational and work background, identify your Key strengths and provide a couple of illustrations, and state your intended career direction. Usually, this is the first question asked. If it isn't, you can usually defer answering a different question by saying "It may help if I start by providing a bit of background" and following with your presentation. Then you can return to the interviewer's question.

"Why would you like to work here?"

Explain what you have Learned about the company, highlighting what you find appealing or admirable. Try to be specific—broad generalities sound trite.

Good answer: "I've researched the leading companies in this industry, and yours seems to be the one that does the best job in terms of customer relations, encouraging risk taking, and setting tough goals while giving people an idea of how they're doing. That appeals to me." (Shows that you've done some research and are basing your decision on specific criteria.)

Bad answer: I've heard it's a good company, and I have friends here. (You don't appear to have done any serious research, and the interviewer may wonder if you're more interested in socializing than in working.)

"What are your career goals?"

Focus on the idea that you want to grow professionally, but realize that there may be a variety of opportunities in the company as time goes on. Avoid naming titles—you may shoot too high or too low.

Good answer: "I've learned from the experiences I described earlier that I enjoy leadership, communication, and negotiation. I'm interested in leading to manage projects, people, and business situations. My goals are to work for a manager I can learn from, to develop on-the-job experience, and to achieve or surpass the goals that are set." (Ties together the past and future and shows business awareness and achievement orientation.)

Bad answer: "I haven't set any specific goals, but I know I want to work here." (If you don't have any goals, how do you know you want to work here? Are you focused on learning, or have you already completed all the learning you intend to do?)

"Why should I hire you?"

Be prepared to cite the key strengths that you see as necessary to do the job, relating them to your own demonstrated skills, as illustrated in stories you've already told. Then try to name one desirable extra that you provide, such as your enthusiasm, your ability to work long hours when necessary, or your love of learning.

'Tell me about your greatest challenge and how you dealt with it."

This is the perfect entre for telling another of the accomplishment stories you developed when you were preparing your two-minuie presentation.

"Do you have any more questions?"

Never say no! Keep several good questions in reserve for just this request (more tnan one, because over the course of the interview the manager may address one or more of them).

Some good questions:

• "Can you give me an example or two of teamwork in action here?"

• "How can I learn what I need to know about the organization's strategic plan?

• "Assuming you hire me, how would you like me to spend my first month here?"

• "Have I said anything that causes you concern about my fitting in here?"

And to cap it of, make a final presentation of what you feel you have to offer, then inquire about how the decision-making process is expected to proceed. A good dosing statement will reiterate the strengths you have that would be most valuable on the job; your enthusiasm for the work; and your desire to become a member of the team.

"Who is your hero?"

Pick someone — don't answer that you don't have a hero or heroine, because the question is about the traits you value. (If you don't want the job, you might say that no one lives up to your standards.) This should be someone you genuinely admire, and you should make sure to name the traits that give rise to your admiration. Also consider whether the values these traits represent will seem positive to the company.
If you say, for example. "I'Ve always admired my Uncle because he did whatever it look to pile up a fortune, "you'll come off as greedy and selfish.

Interview tips and tricks: www.prepareinterview.com