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Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Mark Roy 講師的專欄

Ace your job or university interview!! Part 12

2020年8月24日

Hi, over the next few weeks I will be publishing regular advice on how to ace your job / university / MBA, or PhD interview. If you would like to book a lesson with me, I will provide you with a 28 page document that I have written with some sample questions and advice on how to answer them. In these articles that I am publishing, you will find a group of questions and the appropriate advice on how to answer them, and in some cases you will even find some sample answers. During a lesson, I will go through the questions with you, let you answer as if you were in an interview environment and then I will check, and if necessary, correct the content of your answer. I hope you find the following information useful and I really look forward to seeing you online if you choose a class with me! I am also offering a 20% discount for any new students for ANY of my lessons. 

Lesson link:

https://cafetalk.com/lessons/detail/?id=11273&key=ec0e3f840eb8c5a75b04f6306f25dd66

 

·       Give some examples of teamwork.

 

Teamwork is a vital activity in most businesses and so try to give examples of constructive teamwork where a major objective was achieved, what your role was and what the highlights of the team’s performance were. State why it was a success and try to emphasise any pivotal role you played, especially if you were elected as the team-leader and state why you were chosen for the role you were given.

 

·       What type of work environment do you prefer?

 

If you already have an idea of the working environment of the position you are applying for (maybe you walked through the office or location where you will work on the way to the interview room), try to customise your answer accordingly. For example, if you know your desk will be located in an open office area that is busy and maybe a little noisy, state the advantages of this working environment like; open face-to-face communication channels, exciting atmosphere etc. If you know your desk is going to located in an isolated office, state that this is beneficial for concentrating on project work, holding private meetings or discussions etc. Do not state that you absolutely cannot concentrate around other people and prefer a quiet environment and prefer to keep yourself to yourself.    

 

·       How do you evaluate success?

 

Some people measure success through the material aspects of life like a large house, expensive car, designer clothes and accessories, or sophisticated lifestyle etc. Others measure success through the achievement of a good work-life balance, job satisfaction and having everything one wants but neither a shortfall or excess of disposable income. Probably the best answer to give is that you measure success on the achievement of personal life-goals and how content you are with the job and personal life that you have. Some jobs will require a person to achieve financial goals, either in the form of revenue for the company, or via a bonus scheme for outstanding employees. It is good to be ambitious but try not to sound too materialistic in your answer by stating that “the more money I make, the happier I am”. Earning a fortune is not what everyone wants out of life, most people want to be able to afford the creature comforts in life but you should not be consumed by the prospect of becoming a millionaire, which after all, is out of reach for the majority of company employees.

 

·       If you knew your boss was 100% wrong about something how would you handle it?

 

The worst answer you could give is that would go straight to a higher manager with your grievance. The best possible answer is that you would discuss the matter with your boss first in a calm and collected manner, state your reasons for disagreeing with him/her and suggest an alternative solution based on evidence and reasons. However, if this does not work then you may have no choice but to escalate the issue with higher management, but before you do this, maybe you could say that you would try to convince your colleagues of your views and try and get them on-side and use peer-pressure to persuade your boss to change his mind. If your boss is intent on his decision and will not budge, then you must inform him first of what action you intend to take, but this must be done in a professional and non-threatening way. Remember that although you know you may be right, you will still have to carry on a working relationship with him/her in the future so do not put yourself at risk of any potentially negative repercussions.

 

·       Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it.

 

The interviewer will want to know how you handle high volumes of work and that you will not fall apart under pressure or stress. Think of an example of some work you have done which carried a tight deadline and caused some degree of pressure (remember- pressure is not always negative and some people become highly ‘motivated’ under pressure). Explain how you dealt with this work or project and focus on your skills like; planning, allocation of tasks (if you were in a position to delegate responsibilities), and time management. Describe the outcome of this project (obviously choose a successful project in the first place!). Explain your role in ensuring it was a success.

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