Hi, I have a question here which I hope you could help me with.

I am 23 years old and have been working for 2 years. Currenly, I am in the midst of looking for a new ob, and I am happy because I!ve been called for an interview ne"t week# $he position is %arketing &"ecutive for a big cosmetics and fragrance distributor. $he main responsibilities are to complement the 'rand %anager in planning and e"ecuting marketing programmes which include coordinating advertising and promotional activities and building strong trade ties and relationships with principals. I must also maintain productive and amicable relationships with departmental stores and duty(free buyers. $he Human )esources %anager would like me to do a *little assignment*, which is to prepare a presentation about myself using %+ ,ower ,oint, in less than - slides. +o far, I have never attended an interview which requires me to do such presentation about myself. Honestly, I am a little apprehensive, and I am not sure what information to put in the slides. Can I have your advice on this issue. $hank you very mich in advance. 'est regards, /essica

Answer /essica, $HI+ 0,,)10CH $1 +&2&C$I13 I+ '&C1%I34 %1)& C1%%13 I3 $1506!+ +&2&C$I13 $112+. 6ou may consider the following si" sections for your si" slides. 7.0'18$ 618)+&29 ...3ame,family,'ackground ,:ualifications... 2.+;I22 +&$+<C1%,&$&3CI&+ 8 ,1++&++ 3.=1); &>,&)I&3C& $I22 50$& ?.618) +$)&34$H+ @.,- H1= 618 C03 %0;& 0 %&03I34982 C13$)I'8$I13 $1 $H& )12& 618 H0A& 0,,2I&5 91) 'ased on the above outline you could make the powerpoint and also be prepared for discussions on them. 'est =ishes ,rof ) + + %ani

What motivates Brand Managers to move on? %arketing ,eople ( the marketing recruitment specialist division of $he ,eople 4roup ( surveyed a cross section of IrelandBs brand managers within the food and drinks arena to find out what are the key motivators when they make the move to switch brands. %oney is a long way down the list as marketers seek better career progression, the ability to influence strategic direction and more autonomy. 3ot surprisingly, the location of their employer is a key factor for many marketers as 5ublin traffic makes commuting long distances difficult. Checkout ( in association with %arketing ,eople ( presents the marketing salary survey for 2CC- and the key reasons why brand managers are moving to new employers. 1. Broadening brand experience was the most common reason for moving. =ithin this, lifestyle brands were preferred by most brand managers as desireable brands to work on. However equally important was getting strong above the line advertising e"posure ( DCE of brand managers viewed this as an essentially bo" to be ticked in their brand career in the first three years after the completion of their academic studies.

2.

The ability to influence, shape and set the strategic direction of a high profile brand was a ma or attraction to most senior marketers ( the end goal in many cases. $his would include full advertising F promotion control and running a brand team to implement their brand plans.

3.

Location of employer and length of time spent travelling to work has become a ma or influence in the last two years ( even if the marketing ob of their dreams was presented to them ( GCE of marketers in the survey put location ahead of career.

4.

Career progression was an important influencer ( companies with multiple brands and large marketing departments which have developed career mapping and planning policies favoured well amongst branders looking to progress their career. $hese companies are always trying to attract the very best brand talent in the marketplace. %ost branders are more than aware that blue chip companies only hire talent from blue chip brand(led companies ( so getting e"perience in the larger groups can be key to evolving your career in the marketing community in Ireland.

5.

6.

Money (marketers are more career focused than other professionals such as sales professionals ( H?E of branders agreed ob satisfaction and career progression potential rated higher in a move than the money on offer. 4etting an increase in basic salary is important ( but what is equally as important is the breakdown and scope of the benefits package ( with the likes of the percentage of performance bonus on offer, the type of pension plan, health plan and car package<allowance being key factors. Car parking availability and the amount of holidays per annum are equally important components in the package from a brand managerBs perspective. Their Boss ( $he reporting structure, the amount of autonomy they have within this structure and the style of their immediate boss all entered the equation ( -@E of respondents are looking for a boss who has an open style of management and would be viewed as a mentor to their brand career

'y /en 4oodman Interviewers will want to know, first and foremost, whether you have the analytical capability and marketing knowledge to run a brand. Case questions will vary in their breadth or specificity ( some may be more

geared toward figuring out how an applicant formulates long(term strategy, while others will require candidates to price potential promotions. Interviewers want to hear what questions you might ask, what hypotheses you might create and what plan of action you will suggest. =hen answering a case question, you must reason out loud. $ake a minute or two to map out the question and to organiIe it in your mind but then begin a dialogue with them. $he ? Cs and @ ,s are a great way to ensure that you!ve touched on all key points. 5on!t openly refer to the framework, however. 'eginning an analysis with *=ell, the first !,! is product* will not impress your interviewer. 8se the frameworks without being obvious.

What is the

ifference Between Mar!eting and "ales?

By Mark Smock

Like many complex business issues, it is sometimes easier to define something by what it's NOT than to define it by what it is. There seems to be a ne er ending argument among marketing and sales professionals as to what really is the difference between marketing and sales functions. !ore often than not, both business acti ity terms are used to describe any business acti ity that is in ol ed in increasing re enues. "or small businesses, with limited resources, there often is no practical difference in marketing and sales functions, all re enue generating acti ities are typically implemented by the same personnel. #s a company grows in re enues and number of personnel, it typically follows a logical business function progression of $speciali%ation$, a process where the lines between more generic, departmental descriptions and functions became much more definiti e and associated functional responsibilities become much more focused. !arketing and sales functions are no exception. !arketing and sales functions are di erse yet ery interdependent. Typically $sales$ cannot exceed re enue ob&ecti es without an effecti e marketing planning and support, and $marketing$ directi es ultimately becomes useless without sales to implement the plan. Like many complex business issues, it is sometimes easier to define something by what it's NOT as it is to define it by what it is. Let's take a closer look at marketing to better define what sales is not. 'imply defining $marketing$ as the $"our ('s$, product, price, place and promotion, based on your !arketing )*) class in college is not practical in today's global markets. +n a general sense, marketing is more theoretic than sales, focused on purchase causality and is more prescripti e in purpose than descripti e. !arketing in ol es micro and macro market analysis focused on strategic intentions where sales is dri en more by tactical challenges and customer relations. Let's take a closer look at how marketing is truly different from sales, !arketing responsibilities are distinct from sales in that marketing, - .stablishes and &ustifies the company's best competiti e position within a market - +nitially creates, helps sustain, and rigorously interprets customer relationships - Locates and profiles potential markets and key participants within - /enerates 0uality sales leads - 1e elops effecti e selling tools - "ormally analy%es and tracks competitor's business strategies and tactics

- 1efines, prioriti%es and &ustifies new product or ser ice impro ements and de elopments - (romotes an explicit company product or ser ice image - "acilitates information transfer from customers to the rest of the company - 'implifies the customer's product or ser ice procurement process # full time !arketing !anager would be responsible for the following tasks, New (roduct 2ollouts, 'trategy de elopment, program incenti es, timing and media co erage #gency . aluation, 'election and e aluation of outside marketing contractors 3ustomer 1atabase !anagement, 'oftware selection, training, maintenance of customer contact +nformation !arket 2esearch, !arket definition, prioriti%ation, pro&ect management, data gathering (ricing #nalysis, (ricing as a marketing tool, initiate and analy%e competitor's pricing practices (roduct #udits, .stablishment of a formal means to e aluate competiti e offerings (ublic 2elations, .stablishment, guidance and coordination of all areas of public 2elations Trade 'hows, 1efinition, participation, prioriti%ation and audit for effecti eness of all trade shows (roduct (romotions, 'trategy formulation, program composition, premium definition, all media co erage !arketing 3ommunications, #ll printed 4 electronic communication, brochures, catalogs, price lists, case histories !edia 'election, #ssist in selection and prioriti%ation of all media options, print, broadcast, multimedia +nternal 3ommunications, .stablish and maintain all inter5company corporate communication means +nternational !arketing, .stablish company presence in targeted international markets, audit for effecti eness 'trategic (lanning, Offer strategic information and alternati e insights to corporate management strategies Board !eeting (articipation, 3ommunicate and reinforce the company marketing priorities, strategies and tactics 3orporate 6ision 'tatement, (roliferate and reinforce the corporate ision throughout the Organi%ation 3orporate +dentity and +mage, 3reate, maintain, impro e and $manage$ all corporate images and symbols To a $pure$ marketer, the marketing role in a company is not &ust a business function, but a business philosophy. #n effecti e marketer truly belie es $dominating$ their target market is $owning$ their market. The more a marketer can do to maintain market leadership the more effecti e they are percei ed within the organi%ation and within the industry.

#s customer retention has become more of a business priority in our intensifying competiti e markets, the marketing function has e ol ed from influencing potential customers to in ol ing them the company's business planning and ad ancement. .ffecti e marketing also has blurred the distinction between product and ser ice and continues to apply more influence on the company's sales representation priorities. +n conclusion, marketing and sales functions are deeply rooted in each other's purpose and re enue growth intentions. There are few functional areas in business that relate more to each other. 'o the next time you hear someone say the word $sales$, when the appropriate description would ha e been $marketing$, or ise ersa, think of this article and choose from any one of these documented business functions to make your point of distinction7

#nterview Tips and Techni$ues %verybody Can &se

By Susan Wietsma

8e ha e been doing a lot of inter iewing at B96, and the more + inter iew people, the more surprised + am at the lack of inter iewing skills + encounter. This is especially disturbing considering that the ma&ority of positions for which + am inter iewing are for client5facing roles. Therefore + would like to make some suggestions for how to make your inter iews successful. 'ome of these +' e learned the hard way myself. 'ome are things that seem inherent, but it's good to be reminded of them. 8hile these apply to all industries, my particular focus is around agency and account ser ice positions. (rior to the inter iew, (roofread your resume. +f there is a typo in it, it will be thrown away :or at least it should be;. 8rite a co er letter. +n this day and age of emailing resumes, it is far too easy to skip this important step. !any times, + am sold on inter iewing someone based solely on her co er letter. That way, + don't ha e to 'work' at finding the information + need in her resume. +f you don't write a co er letter, it indicates that you are not taking the opportunity seriously enough to de ote time to it. 2esearch the company. "ind out as much about the company as possible. +t is much easier in this day and age of the +nternet. +t doesn't take long, and the payoff of showing your interest is more than worth the little time it takes. 1e elop a list of 0uestions. !ost inter iewers will wrap up by asking you if you ha e any 0uestions for them. !ake sure you ha e some prepared. Think of them before you arri e at the inter iew. 8hate er you do, do not say you do not ha e any 0uestions 55 it appears ery apathetic.

1ress appropriately. +t is better to be o erdressed than underdressed for an inter iew. 1o not wear anything clothes5wise or &ewelry5wise that might be o erwhelming and4or distracting to your inter iewer. 1uring the inter iew, #rri e early. +f you are going to be late, make sure you ha e a good excuse, and call ahead to alert the inter iewer. Time is money in our business, and chances are, if people are hiring, then they are way too busy to be waiting on you to arri e. !aintain eye contact. Nothing makes me more cra%y than chasing someone's eyes and trying to get them to look at me. This is a turnoff for many people. (ractice with someone, and if he says you ha e an issue maintaining eye contact, be cogni%ant of it and work on it. 'hifty eyes breed distrust e en if there is no reason for it. 1o not bounce your leg. Or twist your hair. Or chew on your pen. Or tap your fingers. Or play with a pencil. 8e all ha e ner ous tics. "ind a way to control yours. (lease. +t's distracting. Bring copies of your resume. 1on't assume we ha e printed it out. Nice paper makes a good impression. 1isaster management. 3oping with 'disaster' is a must5ha e skill for many agency people. 1emonstrate how you were able to ward off a disaster or deal with one effecti ely. Bosses don't want to ha e to deal with this 5 if you can fix it first, then all the better. 'how off. Think about your best assets and come prepared with scenarios you can relate that demonstrate them. 3ome prepared to discuss how you personally ha e contributed to the success of pro&ects. 1on't talk too much O2 too little. 2ambling on and on with no clear direction is boring to an inter iewer. (regnant pauses are painful and awkward. 'trike a balance and be engaging. Be positi e. 1on't bad5mouth your current or any former employers or &obs. 8hen asked why you are looking to lea e or why you left other &obs, be prepared to pro ide an honest answer that indicates career and4or personal growth ob&ecti es for lea ing. #fter the inter iew, 8rite thank you notes. .mail is immediate and acceptable 5 maybe e en preferable these days. #lthough being a good 'outhern woman, + still personally appreciate the thought and effort of recei ing a handwritten note in the mail in addition to the email thank you. But that might &ust be me7 "ollow up within a couple of days. (eople are busy, and sometimes hiring is &ust not their top priority, e en though it should be. 1on't feel bad if you ha en't heard back yet. 3heck in e ery < or = days until you hear something regarding the next steps

'ow would you describe yourself?

Sample excellent response: %y background to date has been centered around preparing myself to become the very best financial consultant I can become. 2et me tell you specifically how I!ve prepared myself. I am an undergraduate student in finance and accounting at JJJJJJJJJ 8niversity. %y past e"periences has been in retail and higher education. 'oth aspects have prepared me well for this career. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. () What specific goals* including those related to your occupation* have you established for your life? Sample excellent response: I want to be working for an e"cellent company like yours in a ob in which I am managing information. I plan to contribute my leadership, interpersonal, and technical skills. %y long(range career goal is to be the best information systems technician I can for the company I work for. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +) 'ow has your college experience prepared you for a business career? Sample excellent response: I have prepared myself to transition into the the work force through real(world e"perience involving travel abroad, internship, and entrepreneurial opportunities. =hile interning with a private organiIation in &cuador, I developed a 7@(page marketing plan composed in +panish that recommended more effective ways the company could promote its services. I also traveled abroad on two other occasions in which I researched the indigenous culture of the %ayan Indians in $odos +antos, 4uatemala, and participate din a total language immersion program in Costa )ica. 0s you can see from my academic, e"tracurricular, and e"periential background, I have unconditionally committed myself to success as a marketing professional. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. ,) -lease describe the ideal .ob for you following graduation) Sample excellent response (equates ideal job with job he's interviewing for): %y ideal ob is one that incorporates both my education and practical work skills to be the best I can be. 3amely combining my education in finance with my working knowledge of customer service operations, entrepreneurial abilities, computer skills, and administrative skills. I want to utiliIe my analytical e"pertise to help people meet their financial goals. $his is e"actly why I am convinced that I would be a very valuable member of the %errill 2ynch team. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. /) What influenced you to choose this career? Sample excellent response: %y past e"periences have shown me that I en oy facing and overcoming the challenge of making a sale. =ithout a doubt, once I have practiced my presentation and prepared myself for ob ections, I feel very confident approaching people I don!t know and convincing them that they need my product. 2astly, I like sales because my potential for success is limited only by how much of myself I dedicate toward my goal. If any profession is founded on self(determinism, it surely must be sales.

+ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. 0) At what point did you choose this career? Sample excellent response: I knew that I wanted to pursue information systems technology about my sophomore year in college. It was then that I realiIed that my that my hobby KcomputersL was taking up most of my time. %y favorite courses were I$ courses. I also realiIed that I was doing computer(oriented work(study that I en oyed so much I would have done it for free. 1) What specific goals have you established for your career? Sample excellent response: %y goals include becoming a Certified 9inancial 0dvisor so I can obtain a better working knowledge of financial research analysis, which would allow me contribute to my client base as a better financial consultant since I would have that e"tra insight into the companies they are seeking to invest in. 0lso this is the foundation block to advancing my career to portfolio manager or even branch office manager. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. 2) What will it ta!e to attain your goals* and what steps have you ta!en toward attaining them? Sample excellent response: I!ve already done some research on other workers at %errill 2ynch to see how they achieved similar goals. I know that %errill 2ynch encourages the pursuit and will reimburse for tuition of a graduate degree. I plan on pursuing a %'0 to give me an even more e"tensive knowledge of business and financial analysis. 3) What do you thin! it ta!es to be successful in this career? Sample excellent response: I believe successful salespeople put forth that e"tra effort that turns potential clients into first(time customers. +alespeople who attend to the details by doing whatever it takes to win over a prospective customer distinguish themselves from the countless others who don!t go to any e"tra effort. +econd, I think that if you label success as an attainable goal, you will never consistently remain successful. 6ou can only succeed if you learn all there is to learn about your product, your competitors, and personal selling. +ince this learning process is continuous, it!s an unattainable goal. =ith good reason, salespeople should not consider success an attainable ending point but an ob ective that will always linger slightly beyond their reach. 45) 'ow do you determine or evaluate success? 6ive me an example of one of your successful accomplishments) Sample excellent response: 2ast semester I was hired by by university!s Council for +tudent 0ctivities. $he group negotiates contracts of entertainers, sets up sound equipment, markets the entertainers to students, and generally decides what kind of programming should be done. =hen I got hired, I didn!t know the first thing about how fill any of those responsibilities. I decided, however, that I wasn!t going to fail. 9our months later, I have become the =ebmaster for the group. I also write our campus newsletter and created 4ame 3ight, a student competition of table games. $hat event yielded the biggest audience ever for a non(concert event.

44) o you have the $ualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career? Sample excellent response: I believe I have a combination of qualities to be successful in this career. 9irst, I have a strong interest, backed by a solid, well(rounded, state(of(the(art education, especially in a career that is technically oriented. $his basic ingredient, backed by love of learning, problem(solving skills, well( rounded interests, determination to succeed and e"cel, strong communication skills, and the ability to work hard, are the most important qualities that will help me succeed in this career. $o succeed, you also need a natural curiosity about how systems work (( the kind of curiosity I demonstrated when I upgraded my two computers recently. $echnology is constantly changing, so you must a fast learner ust to keep up or you will be overwhelmed. 0ll of these traits combine to create a solid team member in the ever(changing field of information systems. I am convinced that I possess these characteristics and am ready to be a successful team member for your firm. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. 4() What has been your most rewarding accomplishment? Sample excellent response: 0 recent satisfying accomplishment I was sent to one of our branch banks that was notorious for not growing their loan base. $he branch had logged MH@,CCC in new loans in an 7D(month period prior to my arrival. Having a reputation as a *hired gun* when it came to loan production I was successful in the solicitation and booking of MHCC,CCC in my first si" months at the branch. 4+) #f you could do so* how would you plan your college career differently? Sample excellent response: I wouldn!t change anything. 0ll that I have done was a great learning e"perience that I will carry forward throughout the rest of my life. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. 4,) Are you more energi7ed by wor!ing with data or by collaborating with other individuals? Sample excellent response: I like the validity of information and also like the energy that comes with working with people. $he best thing about working in a group is combining the great minds from different perspectives and coming up with something e"tremely great, compared with when you!re working alone. 0t the same time, information can generate vitality in the pro ect you!re working on. 3o matter how many heads you!ve got together, without information, you can!t go very far. $he perfect situation would be a combination of working with information and people, and I!m confident of my abilities in both areas. N+ubmitted by *+tacey*O +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. 4/) 'ow would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to wor! as a member of a team? Sample excellent response: I have had many opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my skills as a team

player. %y tenure as a rower with my college!s crew team serves as a good e"ample. I learned a great deal about teamwork while rowing because all the rowers in the boat must act as one, which meant that we incessantly worked to keep each movement in the boat synchroniIed. 1n an individual basis, we still worked toward group goals through weightlifting and land(rowing. %y e"perience as a marketing research team leader also helped me to learn the role of *team player.* I viewed my position as that of group leader and of group member. I ensured that everyone in the group had equal opportunity to contribute, maintained e"cellent communication among group members, and coordinated their energies toward reaching our team!s goal. 40) What motivates you to put forth you greatest effort? Sample excellent response: 6ou would think that because I am interested in sales, only financial compensation would motivate me to achieve. 0lthough monetary rewards are important to me, I am driven to succeed internally. %ore than anything, I want to be respected by my friends and coworkers for being the best at what I do. =hether I am considered to be the best car detailer in my hometown or the best columnist for my college newspaper, I want to be recogniIed as the best

41) 6iven the investment our company will ma!e in hiring and training you* can you give us a reason to hire you? Sample excellent response: I sincerely believe that I!m the best person for the ob. I realiIe that there are many other college students who have the ability to do this ob. I also have that ability. 'ut I also bring an additional quality that makes me the very best person for the ob (( my attitude for e"cellence. 3ot ust giving lip service to e"cellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In college and at my previous obs, I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can become. I think my leadership awards from my college, and my management positions are the result of possessing the qualities you!re looking for in an employee. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. 42) Would you describe yourself as goal8driven? Sample excellent response: 6es, and I demonstrated my goal orientation as president of the local /aycees, a community service organiIation. I am very proud of the fact that I set a goal of signing @C new members by the end of the year, and I accomplished that. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. 43) escribe what you9ve accomplished toward reaching a recent goal for yourself)

Sample excellent response: %y first few years in banking had me on the fast track to branch management. I realiIed at some point along the way that my true passion was in offering financial advice not limited to checking accounts and loans. It was at that point that I made the necessary arrangements to go back to school full(time to pursue my goal, which I am ust about to achieve.

(5) What short8term goals and ob.ectives have you established for yourself? Sample excellent response: %y short(term ob ectives are to graduate from the ,rofessional 5evelopment ,rogram before the standard two years and begin developing a clientele. 0s an intern, I prepared ahead of time by studying for the +eries H and +eries -? e"ams that constitute a ma ority of a beginning financial consultant!s time. I!d like to make make the company that hires me wonder what it ever did without me. (4) Can you describe your long8range goals and ob.ectives? Sample excellent response: %y primary ob ectives are to learn as much as possible about your company!s product offering, organiIational structure, and professional sales techniques so that I may become the most productive member of your sales team. (() What do you expect to be doing in five years? Sample excellent response: 0lthough it is hard to predict the future, I sincerely believe that I will become a very good financial consultant. I believe that my abilities will allow me to e"cel to the point that I can seek other opportunities as a portfolio manager Kthe ne"t stepL and possibly even higher. %y ultimate goal continues to be (( and will always be (( to be the best at whatever level I am working at within %errill 2ynch!s corporate structure. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. (+) What do you see yourself doing in ten years? Sample excellent response: $en years from now I see myself as a successful consultant for a world(class firm like yours. I want to have developed a wonderful bond with my employer I will have proven myself a highly competent systems analyst and will represent my company in helping others find solutions to their information(systems needs in a professional and timely manner. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. (,) 'ow would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict? Sample excellent response: I believe I am quite good at handling conflict. =orking in retail and in the residence halls required that I make many unpopular decisions at times, whether it was terminating an associate or taking udicial action on a resident. 1ften the person in conflict with me would be upset and sometimes physically outraged. I would always make sure that I fully e"plained the situation, the policies behind my decision, and why those policies e"ist. 8sually by the end of the conversation, the person could see the other side of the situation.

(/) 'ave you ever had difficulty with a supervisor or instructor? 'ow did you resolve the conflict?

Sample excellent response: 6es, I had an incident with my +panish professor. I turned in an essay that she said was too good to be mine. I was honest with herP I told her that I had a native speaker review the essay, but he made very few corrections. However, I had broken the 4olden )ule of +panish Composition (( the essay must not even touch the hands of a native speaker. $o prove to her that I was capable of producing an essay that e"ceeded her e"pectations of a non(native speaker, I offered to re( write another essay in her office. I earned an 0(minus. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. (0) Tell me about a ma.or problem you recently handled) Were you successful in resolving it? Sample excellent response: =hile working at ;(mart, I was one of three people to work in the electronics department. 1ne day upon arriving at work, I was told the district manager was coming the ne"t day to do a store inspection. $he two other people who worked in electronics were both over @@. 3either could lift heavy ob ects, and one refused to work at all. 0s a result, the electronics department was usually left to me to keep stocked with product and kept in order. I had about five hours of work time to get the entire department in order. $hose five hours passed around, and there was still a substantial amount of work to be done. I asked the store manager if I could stay and work after hours while the overnight stockers were there. He said that because of the employment budget, he could not let me. I was faced with bringing the entire store!s rating down, so I suggested a creative staffing solution, allowing me to work the e"tra hours while temporarily reducing the hours of the other two members of the department. 'ecause of this solution, in a matter of hours, the department was in tip(top shape (( and still under budget. 0nd the results. $he electronics department got a score of G@ out of 7CC. (1) Would you say that you can easily deal with high8pressure situations? Sample excellent response: 6es. %y past e"perience as an 0dministrative Coordinator required me to deal with many serious situations since I held emergency on(call duties as a supervisor. 1ne e"ample was when I was called by a )esident 0ssistant to deal with an attempted suicide on her residence hall floor. $he situation required that I think clearly and quickly in this life(and(death situation. I had to weigh the many tasks that needed to be completed. I had to assign )0s to call G77, make sure that &%+ could get into the locked building, while at the same time applying first aid, and ensuring that the rest of the residents on the floor were 1;. I also had to make sure the privacy of the resident in need was respected. I basically prioritiIed and dealt with each task by its importance. I delegated responsibility to )0s for things that they were capable of handling because I could not physically be in many places at once. 1nce the resident was taken to the hospital, I was responsible for paperwork and follow up to make sure the staff members, residents, and the resident(in(need ad usted back to *normal* life. I know this is an e"treme e"ample not found in the financial consulting fieldP however, it shows ust how well I can deal with e"treme pressure. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. (2) What $uality or attribute do you feel will most contribute to your career success? Sample excellent response: %y greatest strength is my fle"ibility. I have learned that work conditions change from day to day and throughout the day, as well, no matter where I have worked in the past. I also have realiIed that certain pro ects require individual attention and others involve a teamwork approach. $hese are ust a few e"amples of the changes that happen in the financial consulting field, as you are

well aware. %y fle"ibility to adapt to the different demands of the ob has allowed me to surpass my supervisor!s e"pectations. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. (3) What personal wea!ness has caused you the greatest difficulty in school or on the .ob? Sample excellent response (shows how he recognized his weakness and worked to improve): %y greatest weakness had been delegation. I would take it upon myself to do many small pro ects throughout my shift as a manager that could have been done by others in an attempt to improve my workers! efficiency. 1nce I realiIed that I was doing more work than the other assistant managers, and they were achieving better results, I reevaluated what I was doing. I quickly realiIed that if I assigned each person ust one small pro ect at the beginning of their shift, clearly state e"pectations for the pro ect, and then follow up that everything would get done, and I could manage much more efficiently and actually accomplish much more. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +5) What were your reasons for selecting your college or university? Sample excellent response (tells how education specificall will benefit the emplo er): %y college has always had a reputation as having an e"cellent accounting department, so I knew that if I enrolled there, I would achieve first(class preparation for my chosen career field. It is also a highly accredited school known for satisfying employers with the preparation of its graduates (( that!s why companies like yours recruit at my school (( the school produces top graduates. $he school offers an e"cellent liberal(arts background, which research shows equips graduates with numerous qualities, such as versatility and strong critical(thinking skills. 9inally, having visited the campus before enrolling, I knew that the business school emphasiIed group pro ects. 5uring my four years in the school, I participated in more than 3@ group pro ects, which taught me invaluable teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +4) #f you could change or improve anything about your college* what would it be? Sample excellent response: %y ma or department had a wonderful internship program, and I was able to complete three valuable internships with my department!s guidance. +ome other departments in the business school don!t have internship programs that are as strong as my department!s. I!d like to see all the departments have strong internship programs so all my school!s business grads would have the same opportunities that I had. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +() 'ow will the academic program and coursewor! you9ve ta!en benefit your career? Sample excellent response (response is ver specific to the job he is interviewing for): 0s you will note on my resume, I!ve taken not only the required core classes for the finance field, I!ve also gone above and beyond by double ma oring in accounting. I doubled ma ored since I knew that the financial consulting field requires much knowledge of portfolio analysis and understanding of the ta" laws. I believe that my success in both areas of study have specifically prepared me for this area. 'ut it!s not ust taking the classes in these two areas that allows me to

offer %errill 2ynch clients more. I minored in +panish to understand the growing hispanic clientele in the Central 9lorida area, which as you are well aware is a growing source of revenue for the industry. If you like, I can elaborate on other aspects of my education further

++) Which college classes or sub.ects did you li!e best? Why? Sample excellent response: %y favorite classes have been the ones pertaining to my ma or, which is marketing. $hese classes have laid the groundwork for my career in marketing. $hey have also taught me skills that I can bring to my employer, ranging from communication skills to interacting with others. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +,) Are you the type of student for whom conducting independent research has been a positive experience? Sample excellent response: 6es, I love it. I thoroughly en oyed my senior research in college while many others in my class were miserable. I was never tired of learning more about my topic and found it e"hilarating to be researching something that had not been studied before. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +/) escribe the type of professor that has created the most beneficial learning experience for you) Sample excellent response: %y favorite professors were the ones who gave me hands(on learning e"periences that I can apply to my career. 0ny person can make you memoriIe the quadratic equation, but someone who can show you how to use it, and why, were the professors I liked. I liked teachers who realiIed that sometimes there is more then one answer and everyone thinks differently. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +0) o you thin! that your grades are a indication of your academic achievement?

Sample excellent response: I have focused much of my energy on work and obtaining real(world e"perience. I commend my classmates who have earned high 4,0s, but I also feel it!s important to be well(rounded. In addition to work e"perience, I participated in sports and e"tracurricular activities in school. $hese activities taught me leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. +ometimes my heavy load has not allowed me to keep up with some of my studies, but I have learned an enormous amount that I can apply in my future industry. 0s you will discover if you talk to my supervisors, my ability to work effectively is much more reflective of my future potential than is my 4,0. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +1) What plans do you have for continued study? An advanced degree? Sample excellent response: I plan to continue my education for the rest of my life. In any technology(related field, keeping up to date through continuing education is of the utmost importance. Continuing education can

include on(the( ob training, courses sponsored by the employer, and courses taken in new technologies as they emerge. I plan to be not only a career employee but a career student so that I can be the best information systems analyst I can be. I will ensure, however, that any education I pursue not only doesn!t interfere with my ob or the company!s policies, but will enhance my value as an employee. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +2) Before you can ma!e a productive contribution to the company* what degree of training do you feel you will re$uire? Sample excellent response: %y background has been focused on preparing me for the financial consulting industry, so I can be productive right away. I already have obtained the educational credentials and skills to allow me to become an immediate asset to %errill 2ynch. 0fter interning for a semester, I am well aware of the shared beliefs of the organiIation and its corporate values. I already have a very good working knowledge of the financial consulting business. I am confident of my ability to get up to speed quickly in any assignment with which I!m not familiar. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. +3) escribe the characteristics of a successful manager)

Sample excellent response: 0 successful manager should have the vision and capabilities to formulate strategies to reach his or her ob ectives and communicate these ideas to his or her team members. In addition to serving as a positive role model for co(workers, successful managers must also be capable of inspiring others to recogniIe, develop, and apply their talents to their utmost potential to reach a common goal. $hese are the traits I hope to demonstrate when I!m a manager. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. ,5) Why did you decide to see! a position in this field? Sample excellent response: I want to work in the marketing and ,) industry because ever since I took my first marketing course in college, I have felt very passionate toward the industry and cannot imagine myself doing anything else.

Tell me what you !now about our company) Sample excellent response: 6ou!re large and respected worldwide. 6ou!re both a clinical and teaching hospital. 1ver the last -C to HC years you!ve produced award(winning research. In reviewing your =eb site, I!ve familiariIed myself with many of your corporate goals and ob ectives. N+ubmitted by */udy*O +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. ,() Why did you decide to see! a position in this company?

Sample excellent response: I am convinced that there would be no better place to work than 0ccenture. 6ou are the top consulting firm in the 8nited +tates. 6ou provide your employees with the tools they need to stay competitive and sharpen their skills while working in an open, team(based environment. I am also aware that you provide a mentor for all new employees, and I would embrace any opportunity to work with a mentor and eventually become one myself. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. ,+) o you have a geographic preference?

Sample excellent response: 0lthough I would prefer to stay in the %id(0tlantic area, I would not rule out other possibilities. ,,) Why do you thin! you might li!e to live in the community in which our company is located? Sample excellent response: /ust a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend several days in your community, and I fell in love with it. I love the fact that you have a thriving riverfront. I!m impressed with the many cultural opportunities here (( opera, theater, art, and independent films. I!ve also already become a fan of the +aints and the other sports teams based here. I have conducted significant Internet research on this city, so I am quite comfortable with your location. ,/) Would it be a problem for you to relocate? Sample excellent response: I!m open to opportunities within the companyP if those opportunities involve relocation, I would certainly consider it. ,0) To what extent would you be willing to travel for the .ob? Sample excellent response: I am more than willing to travel. I understand the importance of going above and beyond the call of duty to satisfy customer requests is sometimes required and that %errill 2ynch!s customer focus belief means that travel is e"pected in some circumstances. I am willing to make this commitment to do whatever it takes to develop that long(term relationship with a small business or client. It is only through this relationship that loyalty can be maintained and financial gains and growth can occur for both the client and %errill 2ynch. It is my understanding from other financial consultants that I have interviewed at %errill 2ynch that this occurs maybe one or two times a month. ,1) Which is more important to you* the .ob itself or your salary? Sample excellent response: 0 salary commensurate with my e"perience and skills is important, but it!s only one piece of the package. %any other elements go into making up a compensation package, but more importantly, it!s critical to me to en oy what I!m doing, fit into the corporate culture, and feel I!m making a genuine contribution. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. ,2) What level of compensation would it ta!e to ma!e you happy?

Sample excellent response: I am not depending on money to make me happy. =hat makes me happy is having a satisfying ob that provides challenge and new situations daily.

) Tell me about the salary range you9re see!ing) Sample excellent response: I am sure that I am the candidate you are looking for. If you feel the same, the I!m sure your offer will be fair and commensurate with the value I can bring the company. +ee also this page of our /ob Interviewing $utorial. /5) escribe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way? Sample excellent response: )ecently my company asked for bids on a phone system for our new college campus. $wo companies came in very close with their bids, and most of my department wanted to go with a vendor that we have used in the past. 0fter I looked over the proposals, it was clear that this was the wrong decision. +o, I talked individually with each member of our staff and was able to change their minds and get the best product that would save money and provide the highest quality. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. /4) escribe an instance when you had to thin! on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation) Sample excellent response: =hen I was a resident assistant at my college, a student I did not know asked me if he could use my phone to call another room. 0lthough I did not know the student, I allowed him into my room. He used the phone and in the course of his conversation, he stated that he had ust come from a fraternity party and was high from taking some drugs. =ell after his conversation, I had to enforce the student conduct code by writing him up. He became very hostile towards me and would not give me any identification or information. I stood in the doorway to prevent him from leaving. I noted the serial numbers on his keys, so when the situation got to the point where I felt unsafe, I allowed the him to leave. I still preformed my ob without eopardiIing my or his physical welfare. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. /() 6ive me a specific example of a time when you used good .udgment and logic in solving a problem) Sample excellent response: I had a client come into the bank where I worked and request a M@,CCC personal loan to *pay off some bills.* In the customary review process, I determined that what was really needed was a M2@,CCC debt(consolidation loan. )ather than giving the customer a *quick(fi"* to the problem, I logically solved the problem in a way that was in the best interest of both the bank and the client. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story.

/+) By providing examples* convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people* situations and environments) Sample excellent response: I!ve shown my ability to adapt by successfully working in several very different obs. 9or e"ample, I lived with a native family in Costa )ica. I worked as a nanny for a famous writer in Cape Cod. I was responsible for dealing with 5rug Court participants. 0nd I catered to elite country(club clientele. I did it all well and had no trouble adapting. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. /,) escribe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping s!ills) Sample excellent response: 0rriving at the language school I was attending in Costa )ica in the middle of the night with very minimal +panish(language skills, I found my way to a very small town with no street addresses or names and found my temporary residence. I was scared, but I handled the situation very well, very calmly. In very stressful situations, I am always the one in the group to stay calm and focused. %y friends, family, and professors have always said that I am an oasis of calm in a storm. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. //) 6ive an example of a time in which you had to be relatively $uic! in coming to a decision) Sample excellent response: $his happens often in the I$ industry, but one recent e"ample was when we had a core backbone switch die. It died at the worst possible time (( during e"ams (( as they always seem to do, and I needed to get it back up and running quickly. I analyIed the logs and system status, and using my previous e"perience,I made some quick decisions that rectified problem and got the equipment back up only minutes later. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. /0) escribe a time when you had to use your written communication s!ills to get an important point across) Sample excellent response: 0s an 0dministrative Coordinator, I had a staff of 2H students. Having such a large student staff all working different shifts and having varying class schedules meant that meetings could not be held with everyone at one time. I needed to communicate with everyone about important policies and information often, so I came up with the idea of designing a =eb page for my staff with written announcements. &ach 5esk 0ssistant was required to check the =eb page daily at the beginning of his<her shift. I also sent email communications by a distribution list that allowed each 5esk 0ssistant to keep informed about anything. $he one situation that stands out in my mind is a last(minute summer camp that decided to come in a day early with only one day!s notice. I had no staff scheduled to check in the camps or to organiIe the keys. I posted an update to the =eb page and sent an email. =ithin four hours, I had the following day completely staffed and desk assistants there to organiIe room keys for the campers that night.

/1) 6ive me a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree) Sample excellent response: =hen I worked at Home 5epot as an assistant manager, I was always looking for way to boost my employees! morale. 8nloading trucks is a very routine and physical ob and can become very boring and e"hausting, so to improve the unloaders! attitude toward their duties and make the best of the situation, I put a radio in the receiving dock. It workedP however, the district manager did not approve of the radio in the workplace even though it did not interfere with any set policy of company ob ectives. $he radio was also out of any areas where customers would hear the music. I did not agree with my 5%s decision to remove the radioP however, I understood his point of view once he e"plained it to me and promptly complied to his request. $he employees were not happy that their radio was gone, so I found an alternative method of reward and morale boosting by implementing a program in which we provided lunch for the unloaders from any restaurant of their choice if they unloaded the trucks faster than normal. $his program succeeded by increasing their unloading time from 2 7<2 hours to only 7 7<2, a savings in payroll of D percent of sales for that shift. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. /2) 6ive me an example of an important goal which you had set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it) Sample excellent response: 0s a senior in high school, my goal was to attend college and play college golf. 'ut I was nowhere near the player I needed to be to play or even get on the team. +o over that summer I worked on my golf game to the point where I won almost every tournament I entered. I spent every hour I had during the day to make myself a better all(around player. I eventually walked on my freshmen year and was e"empted from qualifying because I played so well in my first outing. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. /3) escribe the most significant or creative presentation that you have had to complete)

Sample excellent response: $he most significant presentation I have ever had to present was at a national research symposium. I was presenting research I had completed on digital analysis of mammograms and had to present to a panel of more than 7CC udges who were at the top of their field. I focused on the research, which could sell itself, and ust let the information flow. It went over very well, and I received many more invitations to present the research, including on national television. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 05) Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a .ob done) Sample excellent response: 0lthough I had already punched out, I stayed behind to help a colleague solve a problem. 0 customer was very angry as he had waited very long for his coffee. %y colleague was new, she was quite slow. I came out and e"plained things to the customer. 0lthough he was very angry at first, I ust listened to him and told him that we try to bring our best out to each customer who walks in to our store. 0fter a one(hour discussion, he left with a happy face and was satisfied. N+ubmitted by *9iIah.*O

0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 04) 6ive me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally li!ed you :or vice versa;) Sample excellent response: 5uring my time in the theater, I had one director with whom I absolutely did not work well. However, because of my track record, she would assign me as stage director and<or assistant director. I was usually involved in the day(to(day operations of the play and the details of how the play would be performed. I handled the operation for the play by directing scenes the best way I could and then showing them to her for approval. If she did not like the way a scene worked, I gave her my opinion as to why it should be my way. If we still could not compromise, I would follow her directions to the best of my ability. 8nderstanding that people don!t usually have malicious intentions is key, and understanding that you will never be able to convince some people that your way is right is the best way to avoid conflict and still get the ob done. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 0() "ometimes it9s easy to get in <over your head)< escribe a situation where you had to re$uest help or assistance on a pro.ect or assignment) Sample excellent response: It!s impossible to know everything in the I$ field because of rapidly changing technology, so recently when we were having troubles with our circuit emulation over our 0$% network, I had to call in some engineers from 3orth Carolina to come help me out. $he nice thing about asking for help is that when you get the assistance, you can learn from what you are told and apply it to future situations. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 0+) 6ive an example of how you applied !nowledge from previous coursewor! to a pro.ect in another class) Sample excellent response: 2ast semester I was taking a microeconomics and a statistics course. 1ne of the microeconomics pro ects dealt with showing the relationship between the probability that customers would stop buying a product if the price was raised a certain amount. $hrough what I learned in statistics I could find the median where the price was the highest and still kept most of the customers happy. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 0,) escribe a situation where others you were wor!ing with on a pro.ect disagreed with your ideas) What did you do? Sample excellent response: I was on a pro ect team in a business class in my freshman year in college, $he group brainstormed ideas for the video we were assigned to produce, and everyone but me was leaning toward an idea that would be easy. I suggested instead an idea that would be more difficult but would be something different that no other group would be doing. I used my communications skills to persuade the rest of the group to use my idea. 5uring the pro ect, we really learned what teamwork was all about, became a close team, and ended up putting a lot of hard work into the

pro ect. 0ll the team members ended up feeling very proud of the video, and they thanked me for the idea (( for which we earned an 0.

0/) escribe a situation in which you found that your results were not up to your professor9s or supervisor9s expectations) What happened? What action did you ta!e? Sample excellent response: )ecently I was asked to put together a proposal for a migration of network systems. %isunderstanding my boss, I thought it was ust an informal paper. =hen I presented it to him days later, he was upset with the quality since it had to be presented to our A,. I e"plained my misunderstanding, apologiIed, reworked the paper, and had it back to him with enough time for him to review it before he presented it successfully at the meeting. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 00) Tell of a time when you wor!ed with a colleague who was not completing his or her share of the wor!) Who* if anyone* did you tell or tal! to about it? id the manager ta!e any steps to correct your colleague? id you agree or disagree with the manager9s actions? Sample excellent response: 5uring a group pro ect in college, we had one member who would do no work whatsoever. $he pro ect was to compare and contrast four companies in a single industry, so his work was vital. =e first discussed the situation and asked for the bare(bones minimum of what we needed from him. =e got ust below that. 0s a result we as a group went to the professor and told her our situation (( not e"pecting or requesting action (( ust informing her the situation we were dealing with. $hen we as a group split up the non(contributor!s work, and completed our work collectively on his share. In phase two in which we analyIed the information and reported how each of our companies fared compared to the others, we did not get a paper from the group member. 0s a result, we told the teacher that we had our work done, and were willing to do the e"tra paper but that we would rather spend time polishing our own work, and not picking up slack. +he agreed and said to focus on the three companies we had compiled the most info on while not entirely neglecting the fourth. $he papers came out very well, but were understandably weak when comparing the fourth company. $he professor understood, and we received the grades we deserved. I was pleased with our teamwork and the way we handled the situation. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 01) escribe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or guide others to a compromise) Sample excellent response: %y first semester in college, I was a political(science ma or. %y introductory government class professor had a differing political view then I. =e disagreed on everything, and many classes were filled with criticiIing each others! view. However, on one test I answered a question with the view I believe in, and she marked it wrong. +o I asked her how an opinion can be wrong, and she said because her opinion is the way she taught it in class. I pointed out that my answer showed I understood the concepts of the question. +he agreed, and I also agreed not be so combative in answers on tests. Compromise is the key to problem resolution. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 02) What steps do you follow to study a problem before ma!ing a decision)

Sample excellent response: 9ollowing standard models for problem(solving and decision(making can be very helpful. Here are the steps and how they helped me solve a problem with a group pro ectQ 7. 5efine the problem to be solved and decision to be made. 9or a pro ect in an introductory management class the assignment was to report on the corporate structure and financial situation of a couple of companies. $he decision to be made was what companies to profile and how to present the information. 2. 4ather the necessary information. +ome group members wanted to report on automakers, while others wanted to do electronics firms. =e gathered information on both types of company. 3. 2ist all possible choices. =e made lists of companies in both categories. ?. Consider possible outcomes for each choice. =e decided that a report about car companies could have a positive outcome, but one about electronics firms might be more futuristic with high(tech products such as H5$A, video game consoles, and 5A5 players. @. Check out how you feel about each of the choices. 4iven that this was a group pro ect, we had to consider the feelings of all group members. -. )elate the choices to your values and priorities. 0gain, all group members weighed in on their values and priorities. H. 9rom the possible alternatives, choose one. =e decided that we!d do electronics companies because we could bring in products from each company and show what lies ahead. D. Commit yourself to your chosen decision and disregard the others. Concentrate your energies in one direction. 1nce we made our decision, we focused all our work on electronics forms. G. $ake steps to turn your decision into positive action. 0ll group members got interested in how the companies were doing. 7C. &valuate your progress from time to time. Change your decision if necessary. =e were pleased with our progress and didn!t feel a need to change our decision. =e got an 0 on the pro ect 03) We can sometimes identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a ma.or problem) 6ive an example:s; of how you have done this) Sample excellent response: =hen I worked in a large retail store, the standard procedure was to leave a product on the shelf until it ran out, then place more items out. $his practice obviously wasted a lot of man(hours. 1f interest particularly to me were the air conditioners. 3ot only did I have to put the heavy thing on the shelves, but they were selling at a very high rate. +o if somehow 0C units ran out on a day in which I could not restock them, they would not be available to customers. 0s a result I started making a list of products Kincluding the 0C unitsL that the overnight stock people could put on the shelves. 0s a result, the people on duty always had a ob to do, so labor hours were not wasted, and the shelves were always stocked full of product. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 15) #n a supervisory or group leader role* have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee or group member? What was the nature of the discipline? What steps did you ta!e? 'ow did that ma!e you feel? 'ow did you prepare yourself? Sample excellent response: 0s president of a community(service organiIation, I was faced with a board member not carrying out his duties as management development vice president. I consulted with him as to what we could do together to fi" the problem. =e agreed that he really couldn!t devote the time that it took to carry out certain pro ects, and he ended up resigning his position, but he also stated he would help his replacement in whatever capacity he could. It made me feel as though we had come to

the conclusion together, rather than him thinking I was criticiIing his performance, which was not the case. I had a plan of action and carried it out successfully. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 14) =ecall a time from your wor! experience when your manager or supervisor was unavailable and a problem arose) What was the nature of the problem? 'ow did you handle that situation? 'ow did that ma!e you feel? Sample excellent response: %y supervisor was absent once when I was in charge of a soccer game. 0n actual assault took place at the game. 0 player hit the referee. =ith no supervisor to turn to, I immediately called the police, who quickly restored order to the situation. I felt I made an effective decision. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 1() =ecall a time when you were assigned what you considered to be a complex pro.ect) "pecifically* what steps did you ta!e to prepare for and finish the pro.ect? Were you happy with the outcome? What one step would you have done differently if given the chance? Sample excellent response: I had to give a marketing presentation while attending community college. $he pro ect was about 0nheuser('usch. =e were assigned to report on key management personnel KC&1, Chairman of the 'oard, ,resident, key A,sL, divisions and subsidiaries, ma or products<brands<services, key financials for the most recent year Ksales revenue, e"penses, total income, net income, sales growth or loss for the last yearL, market share, key competitors, mission statement, product positioning, and number of employees. 0mong the steps I took were visiting the company!s %iami branch to interview employees and gather visual aids for the pro ect. I spent a lot of time organiIing and writing the presentation. $hen I spent time reviewing my speech over a period of several days. 0s a result I was calm while giving the presentation and received an *0* for the pro ect. $he one additional step I perhaps wish I!d taken would have been to talk to some consumers and store owners about the product.

1+) What was the most complex assignment you have had? What was your role? Sample excellent response: %y senior research was my most comple" assignment. It took two semesters to complete and was made up of many components. I had to make many critical decisions along the way that would affect the outcome of my research. I made these decisions independently with minimal influence from my professor. I was very successful and happy with my final product. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 1,) 'ow was your transition from high school to college? id you face any particular problems? Sample excellent response: $he transition was somewhat challenging for me because I traveled a great distance to attend college. $o help myself adapt, I got involved with as many organiIations as I could. I also made it a point to get to know my professors. I used my interpersonal and communication skills to the best of my ability to make a lot of friends, and college became one of the best e"periences of my life despite a beginning that seemed a bit overwhelming.

0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 1/) Tell of some situations in which you have had to ad.ust $uic!ly to changes over which you had no control) What was the impact of the change on you? Sample excellent response: $he bank in which I worked instituted a policy that centraliIed the lending process. 0n application was to be taken from the client and sent off to be approved<declined, processed, prepared, and returned to the branch to be signed by the client. =hile the process was streamlined, it also took away valuable face(to(face knowledge about the client and the loan. If the employee did not have any prior lending e"perience, he or she couldn!t answer simple loan questions from the client. =hile I appreciated the newly created time on my schedule, I felt that the clients were being slighted. I did ad ust quickly to the new procedure and did my best to help those around me by sharing my knowledge. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 10) Compare and contrast the times when you did wor! which was above the standard with times your wor! was below the standard) Sample excellent response: I was involved in two group pro ects in a psychology class. In the first, we had to decide on a research e"periment to conduct and garner results from it. $he group I was in was not very motivated, and the members wanted to do a simplistic comparison on color preferences of men and women. I felt that pro ect was below the standard I was capable of. 9or the second pro ect, I proposed a study in which we compared how people of different age ranges valued money. I knew the pro ect would go over well with the teacher and would not be difficult to conduct. I proposed the idea in a way that sounded fun. Instead of collecting data in someplace boring, I suggested we could go to the mall. $he group agreed and worked relatively well on the pro ect. 5iscussion is the key to mediation, and the key to my achieving a second pro ect that I felt was above the standard. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 11) escribe some times when you were not very satisfied or pleased with your performance) What did you do about it? Sample excellent response: I failed my first business calculus test, which made me very unhappy. I wasn!t going to let this incident set the trend for the rest of the semester. I went to my counselor and arranged to meet with a tutor once a week. %y tutor helped me out incredibly. %y grades soon improved, and I went on to redeem myself from my one slip(up on the first test. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 12) What are your standards of success in school? What have you done to meet these standards? Sample excellent response: I don!t believe in trying to get by with the least possible effort, and I am always willing to ask questions to learn how to perform an assignment successfully. In my human(resources management class, for e"ample, we were assigned a paper on *=hy corporate culture is a practical way to increase income and productivity.* 0ll of the literature on the sub ect was written

in the language of ,h5s. I asked some other students what they were doing, and they said ust writing their opinions and not doing any research to back up the claims. I felt I could do better. +o I worked closely with my professor, who *translated* the academic literature for me, and over time I understood what was being written. =orking with the professor!s guidance, I turned in a very good paper. 0sking questions is one thing I am not afraid to do and realiIe that without them I will be turning in work that is not as beneficial as it could be. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 13) 'ow have you differed from your professors in evaluating your performance? 'ow did you handle the situation? Sample excellent response: 0fter I wrote a paper for an &nglish class, my professor told me that I was not doing the paper in the proper format or with the proper content. I went to him and asked if he would help me learn the correct way so that I could succeed with the paper. He did help me, and I ended up doing well in the course. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 25) 6ive examples of your experiences at school or in a .ob that were satisfying) 6ive examples of your experiences that were dissatisfying) Sample excellent response: I turned a dissatisfying e"perience into a satisfying one when I was on the cross(country team in college and had never run the whole race in under 3C minutes. =ith only a month left in the season, I decided that I would run the race in 2@ minutes. I ran every day to build up my stamina, and in that last race I achieved my goal time of 2@ minutes, which was a very satisfying e"perience

24) What !ind of supervisor do you wor! best for? -rovide examples) Sample excellent response: I like to work for a supervisor who allows me the autonomy to perform my ob to the best of my abilities. I also like constructive criticism and feedback so I can improve myself and the organiIation. 1ne e"ample was my boss at a university. He hired me as an administrative coordinator because of my administrative and organiIational skills. He knew that I had many new ideas and allowed me the opportunity to implement many new programs. 1f course, I kept him constantly informed and sought advice when needed. I improved communications in the department by implementing a departmental =eb page. I also streamlined the check(in process by preparing the amount of work that could be done the day before. I improved staff morale by implementing a desk(assistant(of(the(month, which led to lower turnover. $hese are ust a few e"amples. I was given the )ecogniIing 1utstanding +tudent &mployees 0ward for my efforts and unique ideas. I gained not only my boss!s confidence and support but his respect as well. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 2() escribe some pro.ects or ideas :not necessarily your own; that were implemented* or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts)

Sample excellent response: I had been recently given the duty of being the head swim team coach for the 6%C0 I was employed with. 0 swim meet was ust around the corner, but only five swimmers had enrolled for the program, none of whom had ever been a part of an organiIed team. 9unding would be cut for the team if more interest could not be generated. +o I decided that I would take action and actively recruit people to oin. 3ot only did I have to run the practices and correct any technical mistakes the swimmers were making, but I had to contact other local swim teams to invite then to oin the meet. I had to meet with the parents and the children separately and organiIe a way to help pay for t(shirts, swimsuits, goggles, and swim caps. 'y the third week of the program, I had gained 7@ more swimmers and every single one had beat his or her own time in practice. =hen the meet came, I organiIed the events, ordered ribbons, and recruited volunteers. 0t the end of the meet, my team had come in first place among four other teams. $he parents were delighted, and the profits from the swim team had skyrocketed to the approval of the board of directors. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 2+) escribe a situation that re$uired a number of things to be done at the same time) 'ow did you handle it? What was the result? Sample excellent response: In my current ob, I have to handle multiple responsibilities in developing new pro ects, maintaining e"isting ones, and maintaining good client relations. I allocate a certain amount of time for each area daily. $hat way clients can see very clearly that pro ects are progressing, and I have more satisfaction in accomplishing multiple tasks under pressure. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 2,) 'ave you found any ways to ma!e school or a .ob easier or more rewarding or to ma!e yourself more effective? Sample excellent response: I find that taking a proactive mindset to recogniIing and solving problems before they happen make any ob more rewarding. It not only saves time and effort but gives me a sense of accomplishment and ownership in my ob. I demonstrated my proactiveness when I worked with 9ood 2ion. 0s a bookkeeper, I was responsible for the offices. $he safe was kept outside of the office in front of the cash registers, where anyone could get inside of it if I or another office associate had it open to drop a deposit or get money in and out. I realiIed that the situation was a security haIard. 0lthough we could not move the safe to the inside of the office where it was more secure, I ordered a timelock compartment and had it installed, and the safe could be opened only at a specific time when the store closed each day. 1nly money could be dropped through a slot in the compartment door. =e kept large sums of money in that compartment. =e kept operating cash on hand since we needed some e"cess money to perform daily functions. 1ne month after I left that store to attend college, I learned that it was robbed. 'ecause of my efforts and foresight, the robbers only got a small amount of cash. %y previous supervisor thanked me for my efforts, which gave me a great feeling, and I carried this proactive mindset to my other obs thereafter. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 2/) 'ow do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? 6ive examples) Sample excellent response: I took a time(management course in which I learned to prioritiIe all tasks on 0, ', or C lists. I always try to tackle the 0 list first. In every working situation, co(workers have always

complimented me on how well I manage my time. I en oy the social atmosphere of the office, but I make it a point not to waste much time on chitchat with colleagues. I!ve also learned that the average office worker spends about an hour a day handling e(mail. I make it a point not to deal with my e(mail more than once or twice a day, and I filter my messages into folders so I can prioritiIe the way I deal with them. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 20) Tell of a time when your active listening s!ills really paid off for you 88 maybe a time when other people missed the !ey idea being expressed) Sample excellent response: =hen I presented my senior research in college, I was questioned by the members of my ma or department as a *panel.* %y grade was determined largely on my ability to answer the questions effectively and smoothly, which depended very much on my ability to listen carefully to what was being asked. I had seen other students slip up when they misunderstood what the panel was asking because they didn!t listen well enough. I succeeded in listening well and did well on my presentation. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 21) What has been your experience in giving presentations? What has been your most successful experience in speech ma!ing? Sample excellent response: I have grown to be a confident presenter. %y most successful presentation took place at my university when I was responsible for presenting a leadership(development program for a class of )esident 0ssistants. $he point of my program was to teach each )0 his<her leadership style, so he<she knew how to interact on his<her floor as a student leader. $he most significant aspect of this program is that it taught them about their leadership styles without their knowing it. &ach student filled out a general questionnaire that asked about preferences. &ach person according to his<her responses were assigned to a group with a general name. I then gave each group a book to read. &ach group had to read it aloud. 0fter each group read each book, I then e"plained how each group tackled the task. $hey all had handled the task differently. &ach student successfully understood how they approached tasks and from that how they would approach their ob as a )0. 3ot only did I engage the audience in what was being presented, I have since seen the program adapted in other presentations by )0s in that class. 3ot only did they en oy it, they learned something about themselves that would help them help their residents. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 22) Tell of the most difficult customer service experience that you have ever had to handle 88 perhaps an angry or irate customer) Be specific and tell what you did and what was the outcome) Sample excellent response: I was making business phone calls behind the membership office at the 6%C0 when an angry man came up to the counter demanding a refund. He began yelling at the membership workers and complaining about the swimming program, saying that it was a rip(off. $he other workers were flustered, and even though membership services were not my department, I calmly asked the man what was wrong. He that his son had been in swimming lessons for four weeks and was still afraid of the water. Instead of instantly giving him the refund, I offered to personally give his son private swim lessons for a week, e"plaining to him that sometimes children react differently to each instructor!s teaching techniques. He finally agreed to accept without the refund. 0fter a week

of private lessons, his son was no longer afraid of the water and he could swim nearly a lap of the pool. 0t the end of the lessons, not only did he sign his child up for another paid session of private lessons, but he bought a family membership and apologiIed to me for his behavior the week before.

23) 6ive an example of when you had to wor! with someone who was difficult to get along with) Why was this person difficult? 'ow did you handle that person? Sample excellent response: 0s a )esident 0dvisor, I had another )0 who often sought me as a person to confide her complaints to and shared quite a bit of information about activities she!d engaged in that violated the rules. 0lthough I did not mind being a resource for this person, I knew that I could not compromise my integrity or her residents! safety. 0lthough she became very outraged and angry with me, I talked to her about the situation and and told her that I would have to tell my supervisor. +he eventually understood my responsibility and why I had to come forward with information. +he knew that what she had done was against the rules, but never realiIed before I talked to her that she had eopardiIed her residents! safety. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 35) escribe a situation where you found yourself dealing with someone who didn9t li!e you) 'ow did you handle it? Sample excellent response: =hen I first began working at the 6%C0, I was the youngest member of the staff. 0n older woman really *knew the ropes* of the place. =hen I first got there she barely acknowledged my presence, and through word of mouth I discovered that she thought that I was too young to successfully fulfill my duties because I was so ine"perienced. +he assumed I was immature. I did my ob and took every opportunity to make a good impression. I was a very diligent worker and behaved in a highly professional manner at all times, learning quickly the best way to do things. 0fter about two weeks of the silent treatment from her, she came up to me and told me how impressed she was with me. +he told me that I had done an e"cellent ob and was the fastest learner that she had ever seen. +he apologiIed to me for ignoring me and took me under her wing and shared what she knew with me. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 34) 6ive me a specific example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others) Sample excellent response: =hen I was coaching my swim team at their first swim meet, the swimmers on my team were intimidated by the other team because they were bigger and obviously more e"perienced. $he other team members looked like pros in their matching swimsuits, unlike my swimmers! mismatched suits. I encouraged them and told them that they had practiced for so long and so hard that they deserved ust as much respect as those other teams. I told them that it didn!t matter whether we had matching swimsuits or not and that I would stand behind them 7CC percent no matter what. $hey were so e"cited and pumped after my speech. $hey cheered each other on, and not only did every child break his or her own record, but my team won first place in the meet among four other teams that had been together for a much longer time. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story.

3() Tell me about a difficult situation when it was desirable for you to !eep a positive attitude) What did you do? Sample excellent response: =hile directing a play, I was faced with numerous problems. $he sets were not coming togetherP the performers were fighting and not working hardP the technical aspects of the play were far from complete, and in general it was a mess. I was the *stage manager,* which means that I tell people when to go on stage and tell the crew when to bring pieces of the set on stage. +o I organiIed everything and told people to do specific obs and asked them in a firm yet positive manner. ,eople began to have fun, and the production went on e"tremely well Kall performances sold outL. $he play was regarded as one of the smoothest shows to have been produced by the group. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 3+) 6ive me an example of a time you had to ma!e an important decision) 'ow did you ma!e the decision? 'ow does it affect you today? Sample excellent response: %y sophomore year was about to begin and I had to decide on a ma or. I could not waste any more credits figuring out what I was interested in. I took some personality and career assessments to get a better handle on my interests, skills, and values. I talked to faculty in several departments to decide which faculty members I was most comfortable with. I studied the course offerings to see which courses appealed to me the most. I decided on communications studies and feel it is the best decision I ever could have made. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 3,) 6ive me an example of a time you had to persuade other people to ta!e action) Were you successful? Sample excellent response: I was the leader of my macroeconomics group in college. 0s leader, I had to delegate parts of the assignment to other group members. 3ot only did I do a written part for each paper, but I gathered all of the props we needed for our oral presentation, and I typed all of the five papers assigned. I was also taking four other classes at the time. 'y the fourth paper, I decided to persuade some of the other group members to edit and finaliIe it. I learned a lot about delegation and leadership when I discovered that they were happy to help out. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 3/) Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person) 'ow did you handle the situation? Sample excellent response: I have participated in several groups throughout my academic career. )ecently, I had to work with a group in my statistics class and I had some personality clashes with one of the group members. However, I realiIed the importance of completing the assignment in a prompt and efficient manner. I made it a point to put my differences aside and complete my part, along with offering assistance to the other group members. 0s a result, we finished our assignment without any conflict. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story.

30) Tell me about a time you had to handle multiple responsibilities) 'ow did you organi7e the wor! you needed to do? Sample excellent response: =hile attending college, I also worked at a law firm. I was successful because I practiced good time(management skills and I made a to(do list every day. 0s I completed each task, I checked it off the list. It is funny how something so simple can keep you so organiIed. 0s a result of my to( do lists, I was able to visualiIe my daily progress

31) Tell me about a time when you had to ma!e a decision* but didn9t have all the information you needed) Sample excellent response: I had to make a decision recently between two configurations on one of our routers. $ime was quickly moving away from me, and I had to have all the equipment back up in a matter of minutes. I chose the configuration that I had the most data on because I knew at least that I could better troubleshoot it if there was a problem. %y decision was the right one. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 32) What suggestions do you have for our organi7ation? Sample excellent response: 0fter e"amining several sources, including your company!s annual report and =eb site, as well as some of your competitors! sources, I see that you have a strong product line with good demographic segments, in a growing industry. I did notice that your competitors seem to direct more of their efforts to the baby boom market, and while that is certainly a large market for your products, I think you have a great opportunity to e"pand your target market and increase your market share by marketing your product line to the 'aby 'oomers! kids (( 4eneration 6. $hese teens and preteens are e"tremely brand conscious and have a high discretionary income (( and you are in a great position to attract them to your product and build a very large core of brand loyal consumers on top of your e"isting customer base. 33) What is the most significant contribution you made to the company during a past .ob or internship? Sample excellent response: %y organiIation was undergoing an accreditation process. I developed two detailed accreditation self(evaluation reports that documented how the organiIation met accreditation standards. $hese self(evaluations served as basis for accreditation site visits and enabled all eligible programs to be accredited in record time. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 455) What is the biggest mista!e you9ve made? Sample excellent response: $he biggest mistake in my life that I have made is taking for granted the sacrifices my parents endured for me. I look back and realiIe that everything they did for me was so that I could succeed in life. I am thankful now and do everything to my best ability to make them proud because I am so thankful that they have been there for me so that I can give back to society and to my ob the opportunities that they never had.

0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 454) escribe a situation in which you had to use reference materials to write a research paper) What was the topic? What .ournals did you read? Sample excellent response: In my academic career I have had to write several research papers. $he most recent one I wrote was on whether Iero(tolerance policies about drugs and weapons in high schools are reasonable. $o answer this question, I went to several high schools and interviewed their principal or top(level employees. I also interviewed students and parents. I visited the Health 5epartment to gather data. 9inally, I conducted the remainder of my research on the Internet. 0s a result, I was able to get perspective from every group this topic would effect. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 45() 6ive me a specific example of a time when a co8wor!er or classmate critici7ed your wor! in front of others) 'ow did you respond? 'ow has that event shaped the way you communicate with others? Sample excellent response: 0nother manager became upset with me since some pro ects were not being completed. =ithout discussing the situation with me first, she criticiIed me in front of one of the employees I directly supervised. I was upset that she made me look bad in front of my workers, but I remained calm and asked her to step into the office so that we could talk about it in more detail. =e discussed the problem, and she learned that the non(completion of the tasks was not my fault. 0nother manager did not receive his instructions telling him the tasks he needed to complete. 0fter that I learned not to ump to conclusions when dealing with others that I work and that sometimes a miscommunication can lead to a much larger problem. I!ve learned to get the complete facts. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 45+) 6ive me a specific example of a time when you sold your supervisor or professor on an idea or concept) 'ow did you proceed? What was the result? Sample excellent response: 2ast summer, I wanted to help organiIe a summer camp for local low(income children. %y supervisor knew the demand would be there but feared we would not have enough staff. I convinced her that since I went to the facility daily, I could network with acquaintances and convince them of the importance of this camp. %y supervisor trusted me. =e had hundreds of children sign up for the program, and I had reached so many people that we were able fully staff the camp, as well as have a backup supply of people who were willing to volunteer their time and services to the organiIation. 0lso, remember the +(0() Ksituation(action(resultL technique and see a sample +(0() story. 45,) escribe the system you use for !eeping trac! of multiple pro.ects) 'ow do you trac! your progress so that you can meet deadlines? 'ow do you stay focused? Sample excellent response: I keep an electronic hand(held organiIer that I synchroniIe with a schedule on my computer. I keep track of each task in order of priority and due date. I use an electronic organiIer because it is very portable and has an alarm to remind me of about what is due so I don!t have to waste time by looking at my organiIer every hour. I start with the pro ects with the closest due date and the

highest priority. I take these tasks and then schedule times in my calendar for me to work on them to ensure I meet deadlines. I stay focused by going over my organiIer each night before bed so I know immediately what I have accomplished and where I need to start the ne"t day. Here let me show you...

The Best Answers to Tough #nterview >uestions Tell me about yourself) $his is really more of a request than a question. 'ut these few words can put you on the spot in a way no question can. %any quickly lose control of the interview during the most critical time( the first five minutes. $his is not the time to go into a lengthy history or wander off in different directions. 6our response should be focused and purposeful. Communicate a pattern of interests and skills that relate to the position in question. Consider your response to this question as a commercial that sells your autobiography. ,rovide an answer that includes information about where you grew up, where you went to school, your initial work e"perience, additional education and special training, where you are now, and what you intend to do ne"t. 1ne of the most effective ways to prepare for this question is to develop a -C(second biographic sketch that emphasiIes a pattern of interests, skills, and accomplishments. 9ocus your response around a common theme related to your ma or interests and skills. $ake, for e"ample, the following response, which emphasiIes computers. !" was born in #anton$ %hio and attended &incoln 'igh School( )ver since " was a teenager$ " tinkered with computers( "t was m hobb $ m passion$ and m wa of learning( &ike most kids " enjo ed computer games( *hen m folks gave me a computer as a reward for making honor roll m sophomore ear$ " mastered +%S$ *indows$ and *ord,erfect within six months( " then went on to teach m self programming basics( - the time " graduated high school$ " knew " wanted to stud programming( .rom that point on$ ever thing fell into place( / life revolved around computing( - m junior ear at S racuse$ " decided " wanted to work for a major software manufacturer( 0hat is wh " had an internship last summer at .ast0rack Software( " now want to work for a major pla er so " can be at the forefront of breaking trends and new technolog ( *hen m college roommate told me about his start in our department$ " hounded him until he helped me get a referral$ which brought me here toda ( " am prepared to answer an questions ou ma have about m education and experience(! $his response sets a nice tone for starting the interview. $he interviewee is able to say a lot within -C seconds by staying focused. $he message is clearQ the interviewee has both passion and focus relating to the position. He stays on message and concludes by leaving the door open for additional questions about his education and e"perience. 8nfortunately some candidates get off on the wrong foot by rambling on for several minutes about their childhood, family, hobbies, travels, and interests. )epeat ;ey 0ccomplishment +tatements $hroughout the interview you will be asked numerous questions about your attitude and ability to do the ob. =henever possible, talk about your accomplishments in terms of what you did and the results of your actions for employers. 4ive e"amples of your effectiveness, which should include specific skills and statistics. Where do you see yourself five years from now? $his open(ended question is one of the most difficult and stressful ones ob seekers face. &mployers ostensibly ask this question because they are looking for people who know what they want to do and who are focused on specific professional goals. If you

lack goals, you will have difficulty answering this question. 'e sure you arrive at the interview with a clear vision of what you want to do today, tomorrow and five years from now. 'e consistent with the ob ective on your resume and the skills and accomplishments you!re communicating to the interviewer. 6our answer should be employer(centered. 9or e"ample, !In five years I hope to be working with an employer in an increasingly responsible position, that enables me to utilize my talents and work closely with my colleagues in solving important problems. I see myself taking on new and exciting challenges in an enjoyable environment and hopefully this will be with your company(! 5o not indicate that you hope to start your own business, change careers, or go back to school. +uch responses indicate a lack of long(term interest since you do not plan to be around for long. =hile some may respond that they honestly haven!t really thought that far ahead, the interviewer infers that the applicant lacks vision and goals. escribe a ma.or goal you9ve set for yourself recently) 4ive an e"ample of a goal you both set and achieved. Ideally, this should be a professional goalP such as improved time management skills, achieved new performance targets, or learned a new skill. 0 personal e"ample can also be appropriate if it reinforces your pattern of accomplishments. 9or e"ample, if you take a great deal of initiative and quickly move into leadership positions, you might use a personal e"ample relating to your recent community workQ organiIed a community walk(a(thon that raised M3C,CCC in matching funds to purchase new computers for the local library. $alk about results of achieving your goal. $his indicates you set realistic goals and that you can focus on outcomes. +elect an e"ample that has interesting outcomes related to your efforts. $he e"ample should showcase your skills and abilities. ?ow that you9ve had a chance to learn more about us* what would you change about our company? 'e careful here. %ost companies don!t want you to come in and shake up the place. 0t the same time, they don!t want someone who says, *3othing, everything looks great here.* +eek a middle ground by focusing on one or two non(threatening issues that may have come up in your discussions. 9or e"ample, !.rom our discussion of the problem with the southwest accounts$ " think we should look into the possibilit of consolidating them the &1 office( 'owever$ " think we need to do a thorough cost2benefit anal sis of this region before making such a move( *e ma find the ,hoenix office to be more beneficial(! +uch an answer indicates you are open to making changes but you also have a certain non(threatening decision(making style. 6our response should sound sensible and innovative. We all have wea!nesses) What are some of your ma.or wea!nesses? $his is not the time to confess all your problems nor to confidently say you have no weaknesses. $he best way to handle this question is to mention personal weaknesses that are outside the ob or a professional weakness that you have already improved upon. 9or e"ample, !" have a real weakness for chocolate that tends to go right to m waist3 "'m watching m calories carefull these da s3! or !"'ve never been good with accounting( "'m glad this job doesn't involve accounting(! %r !" have a tendenc to take on too much on m own( " am working on this b delegating more(! What type of decisions do you have difficulty ma!ing? +how that you are generally decisive but mention that there are situations that give you time to pause or you are learning how to better make decisions. 9or e"ample,

!" sometimes have difficult choosing between two equall good ideas(! or !" used to have difficult sa ing 'no' to people until " learned to better set priorities(! What is your biggest failure? 9ocus on something outside your work or something that happened on the ob that you later fi"ed. 5o not admit to any personal quality that might hamper ob performance, such as procrastination, laIiness or lack of concentration. Choose something that will not reflect badly on your ability to perform in the given position, such as one that took place early in your career. 9or e"ample, !/ biggest failure was not being selected as a S)1& because " was diagnosed with night vision problems( *hen " was 45$ all " wanted to be was a S)1&( -ut "'m glad " didn't$ because " ma have overlooked an exciting career in information technolog ! or !*hen " was working at #& 1dvertising 1ssociates$ " lost the 67 million 8ettler account after onl six weeks on the job3 " felt awful and thought " would be fired( " was determined to get the account back and did after six months( 0oda the account makes up 49: of #& 1dvertising(! What are the ma.or reasons for your success? $his is not the time to become e"tremely self(centered and arrogant. ;eep in mind that employers are often looking for team players rather than 2one )angers. 0 good response to this question may relate to a mentor<and or philosophy of work or the people you work with. 0lso, use this question as an opportunity to inquire about an appropriate *fit for success* with this company. 9or e"ample, !/an ears ago " learned an important lesson from -ob ;elson$ who was m first supervisor and reall became m most important mentor( 'e told me his secret to success was to '&ook at each da as a new opportunit to be our ver best( Set high goals$ be honest$ never sa no$ and work with people who share our passion for doing their best(' "'ve alwa s remembered that advice and tr to live it ever da ( " am ver self motivated$ determined and honest( " reall love what " do and " tr to surround m self with people who share similar passions( " thrive on this t pe of environment( 1m " likel to find this environment with our compan < #an ou tell me a little more about the characteristics of successful people at our compan < *hat do ou see as some of the ke success factors for this position<! We9re considering two other candidates for this position) Why should we hire you rather than someone else? 5o not be distracted by the mention of two other candidates, you don!t know anything about them and they could be fictitious. 9ocus on what strengths you bring to the table. $hese should be consistent with the four things most employers are looking for in candidates during the ob interviewQ competence, professionalism, enthusiasm, and likability. )emember, they are looking for chemistry between you and them. 'e prepared to summariIe in -C seconds why you are the best candidate for the ob. 0lso, let the employer know you want the ob and you will en oy working with them. 0 lack of interest in the ob may indicate a lack of enthusiasm for the ob and them. 'ow do you spend your free time? $his question may have several purposes. $he interviewer may be ust curious about your personal life without getting into illegal questions. He may also want to know how well rounded you are in your personal and professional lives. 9ocus on some of the standard hobbies or activities that most people engage inQ golf, tennis, boating, reading, music, opera, collecting, gardening, or cooking. If you are operating a home(based business as a sideline, you may not want to reveal your entrepreneurial spirit(it may indicate you are planning to leave and go solo as soon as the business starts doing well. +ourceQ Haldane!s 'est 0nswers to $ough Interview :uestions, 'ernard Haldane 0ssociates, 2CCC.

Why do you want to wor! in this industry? $ell a story about how you first became interested in this type of work. ,oint out any similarities between the ob you!re interviewing for and your current or most recent ob. ,rovide proof that you aren!t simply shopping in this interview. %ake your passions for you work a theme that you allude to continually throughout the interview. !"'ve alwa s wanted to work in an industr that makes tools( %ne of m hobbies is home2 improvement projects$ so "'ve collected a number of saws manufactured b our compan ( " could be an accountant an where$ but "'d rather work for a compan whose products " trust(! 'ow do you stay current? 5emonstrate natural interest in the industry or career field by describing publications or trade associations that are compatible with your goal. !" pore over the *all Street 8ournal$ the 0imes$ "nstitutional "nvestor$ and several mutual fund newsletters( 1nd " have a number of friends who are anal sts(! Why do you thin! this industry would sustain your interest in the long haul? =hat e"pectations or pro ects do you have for the business that would enable you to grow without necessarily advancing. =hat e"cites you about the business. =hat proof can you offer that your interest has already come from a deep curiosity(perhaps going back at least a few years(rather than a current whim you!ll outgrow. !0he technolog in the industr is changing so rapidl that " see lots of room for job enhancement regardless of promotions( "'m particularl interested in the man applications for multimedia as a training tool(! Where do you want to be in five years? 5on!t give specific time frames or ob titles. $alk about what you en oy, skills that are natural to you, realistic problems or opportunities you!d e"pect in your chosen field or industry, and what you hope to learn from those e"periences. 6ou shouldn!t discuss your goals in a fields or industry unrelated to the ob you!re applying for. $his may sound obvious, but too many candidates make this mistake, unwittingly demonstrating a real lack of interest in their current field or industry. 3eedless to say, such a gaffe will immediately eliminate you from further consideration. !"'d like to have the opportunit to work in a plant as well as at the home office( " also hope to develop m management skills$ perhaps b managing a small staff(! escribe your ideal career) $alk about what you en oy, skills that are natural to you, realistic problems or opportunities you!d e"pect in this particular ob or industry, and what you hope to learn from those e"periences. 0void mentioning specific time frames or ob titles. !"'d like to sta in a field related to training no matter what happens( " was too interested in business to work at a universit $ but " believe that teaching is somehow in m blood( "'ve been good at sales because " took the time to educate m clients( ;ow " look forward to training the new hires(! Tell me something about yourself that # didn9t !now from reading your resume) 5on!t ust repeat what!s on your resume. $hink of a talent or skill that didn!t quite fit into your employment history, but that!s unique and reveals something intriguing about your personality or past e"perience. !=ou wouldn't know that "'ve managed m own small portfolio since " was sixteen$ but " believe that it's important for ou to understand m interest in investment sales( "'ve averaged a 47 percent return over the past eight ears(! Tell me what you !now about this company) 5escribe your first encounter or a recent encounter with the company or its products and services. =hat would be particularly motivating to you about working there as opposed to working the same type of ob in a different company. $he recruiter will look for

evidence of genuine interest and more than ust surface research on the company. )eciting the annual report isn!t likely to impress most recruiters, but feedback from customers and employees will. !" served as an intern to a restaurant anal st last summer$ so " followed all the steak2 house chains closel ( *hat ou've done especiall well is focus on a limited menu with great consistenc among locations> the business traveler trusts our product an where in the ?(S( "'m particularl interested in our real2estate finance group and expansion plans(! What have you learned about our company from customers* employees* or others? 5escribe how your interest has grown from personal dealings with the company representatives. $hink creatively in preparing for ob interviews. 9or e"ample, prior to your ob interview, speak with retailers or workers at other distribution points about the company!s product line. =hat can they tell you. 4ive one or two e"amples of what you!ve learned to e"plain why you!re interested in this company. =hat!s the most compelling e"ample you can describe to prove your interest. !" actuall called several of the ke accountants mentioned in our brochure( 0wo of the customers " spoke with explained wh the continued to bu from ou ear after ear( =our distribution operation is phenomenal( 1re there an service improvements ou think could still be made<! Tell me what you thin! our distinctive advantage is within the industry) 5escribe things you believe the company does very well, particularly compared to its competition. &"plain how the financial strength of the company is important. !*ith our low2cost2producer status and headquarters operation in a low2cost area of the countr $ ou seem in a better position to be able to spend aggressivel on @A+$ even in a down ear compared to our closest rival(! What other firms are you interviewing with* and for what positions? 1ften the candidate will try to impress the employer by naming some large firms in unrelated industries with completely different types of obs. $his is a big mistake# =hat employers want to hear is that you!re interviewing for similar obs in the same industry at similar firms Ksuch as their competitorsL. $his illustrates that you!re committed to finding a ob in your field of interest and are likely to be a low(risk hire. !1ctuall $ "'ve definitel decided to pursue a career as a restaurant manager$ so "'m appl ing for restaurant management2training programs( "'ve recentl had interviews with several other large national fast2food chains$ such as Super -urger and #lacke 's #hicken(! o you believe you9re over$ualified for this position? %ost people don!t e"pect to be asked if they have a great deal of e"perience. $his question could quite easily catch a candidate off guard, which is e"actly the interviewer!s intention. $he candidate doesn!t hesitate in answering this question and shows complete confidence in his or her ability. !;ot at all( / experience and qualifications make me do m job onl better$ and in m opinion$ m good design skills help to sell more books( / business experience helps me run the art department in a cost2efficient manner$ thus saving the compan mone ( .inall $ " think "'m able to attract better freelance talent because of all m industr contacts( / qualifications are better for our compan $ too$ since ou'll be getting a better return for our investment( 1gain$ "'m interested in establishing a long2term relationship with m emplo er$ and if " did well$ " would expect expanded responsibilities that could make use of even other skills(! What would you do if one of our competitors offered you a position?

$he interviewer is trying to determine whether the candidate is truly interested in the industry and company, or whether he or she has chosen the company randomly. Contrast your perceptions of the company with its competitors, and talk about the company!s products or services that you!ve encountered. In the long run, which players do you believe are most viable and why. $his is also a good place to ask the interviewer for his or her opinion. !"'d sa no( "'m not interested in other pla ers in this industr ( " want to work for ;ike because " won a number of races wearing the ;ike brand( -ecause of m positive experience with ;ike$ " know "'d be convincing selling our product to retailers(! What9s your dream .ob? $his is your ideal chance to sell your aptitudes that fit the ob description. +how an interest in finding new ways these skills can be put to use in a new ob with additional responsibilities. $ie in the industry, siIe of company, or other factors where appropriate. !/ dream job would include all of the responsibilities and duties in this position ou're tr ing to fill( " also thrive in a fast2changing environment where there's business growth( =our plans call for expanding internationall during the next ear$ and this would satisf one of m ultimate goals of being involved in an international corporation(! What motivates you to do this !ind of wor!? $he interviewer will want to know about your belief in the products or services of the company. 8se personal e"perience to demonstrate your interests and strengths. In an interview for your ideal ob, you!d be highly motivated to get paid for working at something you liked. $he interviewer will want to know if your natural interests are compatible with its particular ob. !"'ve been fortunate in m own schooling> " had wonderful teachers( " want to be that same kind of teacher2who not onl encourages kids to learn but also sets an example that inspires others to want to teach( "n the long run$ that's our best chance of turning around the qualit of education in this state(! Why should # hire you? 5on!t repeat your resume or employment history. 1ffer one or two e"amples to e"plain why you!re talking to this particular company. =hat!s the most compelling e"ample you can give to prove your interest. $his question often remains unasked, but it!s always in the back of the recruiter!s mind. &ven if this question isn!t asked, you should find an opportunity to use your prepared response sometime during the interview, perhaps in your closing remarks. !/ uncle had a compan that was a small2scale manufacturer in the industr $ and although he later sold the business$ " worked there for five summers doing all sorts of odd jobs( .or that reason " believe " know this business from the ground up$ and ou can be assured that " know what "'d be getting into as a plant manager here(! What are your strengths? 5escribe two or three skills you have that are most relevant to the ob. 0void clichRs or generalitiesP offer specific evidence. 5escribe new ways these skills could be put to use in the new position. If you have to talk about weaknesses, be honest without shooting yourself in the foot(avoid pointing out a weakness that could be a ma or obstacle in landing the ob. 9or e"ample, it might be wise to mention you barely have the required work e"perience for the obP the interviewer has surely noticed this much, and then you can e"plain how you!re qualified nonetheless. !/ strengths are interpersonal skills$ and " can usuall win people over to m point of view( 1lso$ " have good judgment about people and an intuitive sense of their talents and their abilit to contribute to a given problem( 0hese skills seem to me directl related to the job( " notice that ou require three ears' work experience for this job( 1lthough m resume shows "'ve onl two ears' experience$ it doesn't show that " took two evening

college courses related to m field and have been active in one of the professional societies( " also tr to gain knowledge b reading the industr 's trade journals( "'m certain that m combined knowledge and skill level is the equivalent of that of other people who do have three ears' of work experience( "'m also currentl enrolled in a time2 management course> " can alread see the effects of this course at work on m present job(! 'ow do you explain your .ob success? 'e candid without sounding arrogant. %ention observations other people have made about your work strengths or talents. $his question is similar to the question *=hat sets you apart from the crowd.* !" never assume our customers are satisfied with our product$ so " do m best to follow up with ever customer( 0his feedback has provided valuable insight into the qualit and characteristics of our products( 0he customer$ as well$ alwa s appreciates this follow2up$ especiall when something hasn't gone right and ou still have the opportunit to correct it on a timel basis( "n addition$ "'m able to pass on information to our design and production units to help improve both process and product(! Would your current boss describe you as the !ind of employee who goes the extra mile? 'e ready to offer proof that you persevere to see important pro ects through and to achieve important results. +hare an e"ample that demonstrates your dependability or willingness to tackle a tough pro ect. If you describe *long hours of work,* make sure you demonstrate that the hours were productive, and not ust the result of poor time management. !1bsolutel ( "n fact$ on m annual evaluations she writes that "'m the most dependable and flexible person on her staff( " think this is mostl because of m abilit to juggle and prioritize( *ould ou like an example<! Tell me about a time you didn9t perform to your capabilities) $his question forces the candidate to describe a negative situation. 5o so in the conte"t of an early career mistake based on ine"perienceP then demonstrate the better udgment you now have as a result of that learning e"perience. !0he first time " had to give a presentation to our board$ " failed to anticipate some of their questions( " was unprepared for an thing other than what " wanted to report( ;ow m director and " brainstorm all the what2ifs in advance(! 'ow do you manage stress in your daily wor!? It might be helpful here to describe a stressful pro ect you!ve worked on and the specific actions you took to organiIe each step and see the pro ect through. How do you keep yourself calm and professional under pressure. !" tr to get out for lunch at least once during the week to clear m head( " also have a personal rule that stops me from reacting to a problem until " feel calm about it( " think$ then act2but "'ve learned to do that over time(! 'ow do you regroup when things haven9t gone as planned? 5escribe a time when some obstacle forced you to change your original plan, but you were still able to achieve the desired result. 5id you rally the support of others to make this happen. =ith hindsight, how might you have better predicted the obstacle. !" start b tr ing to imagine the worst possible outcome> then " back up and identif precautions " can take to avoid that scenario( "n this wa " usuall end up with a result close to the original goal( 0he training example " described earlier is proof of that skill(! Why is service such an important issue? $he interviewer is trying to determine if the candidate understands the importance of customer service in establishing a positive image in the marketplace, and its impact on new business sales. 1utstanding customer service is also a great help in establishing

long(term clients and repeat business(the profitable company!s bread and butter. $he longer the relationship, the greater the possibility for profit. !Service is a major contributor to customer satisfaction( 8ust as important as$ or ma be even more important than$ cost( "f a customer isn't receiving a level of service that meets or exceeds his or her expectations$ that customer won't be a customer for ver long( "n addition$ that customer's experience with our compan ma affect how potential customers in the marketplace view our compan ( ,eople do talk and share information( 0his ma affect not onl profits but future sales as well( "n man instances service ma be the one thing that distinguishes a compan from the competition( 1 bad reputation for service ma compromise a compan 's position in the marketplace(! Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate customer) 'ow did you handle the situation? How you react when others lose their temper or become upset is very important in most positions, especially those in service industries. $he interviewer will be looking for evidence of your aptitude for work that involves a great deal of contact with the public. 4ive an e"ample of a time when you were faced with a difficult person and how you handled it. 6our answer should illustrate your maturity, diplomacy, and awareness of the needs and feelings of others. !/ customer service position at the telephone compan involved dealing occasionall with irate customers( *hen that happened$ "'d tr to talk in a calm$ even voice$ in order to get the person to respond in a businesslike manner and focus on tr ing to resolve the situation( /ost times " was able to rectif the problem and pacif the customer$ but " remember one incident in particular in which the caller became verball abusive( " tried to remain calm and professional and not to let m personal feelings enter into the situation( " didn't respond to the abuse$ " just made a not of it and continued to help he customer as best " could( *hen the abuse persisted$ however$ " politel asked him to call back and ask for m manager$ because at that point " knew " shouldn't resolve the problem(! 'ow do you manage your wor! wee! and ma!e realistic deadlines? $o answer this question effectively, describe in detail how you establish priorities, set deadlines, and determine schedules. !" alwa s reserve two hours of dead time ever da to handle an unanticipated problems that ma occur( " used to plan for eight or nine hours of project time$ but now " find that "'m able to manage m own projects$ as well as whatever m boss and staff need from me(! What personal s!ill or wor! habit have you struggled to improve? $his question is similar to *5escribe a professional skill you!ve developed in your most recent ob.* However, here you probably want to discuss an improvement from the earliest days of your career or from your relatively distant past. %ake sure you convince the interviewer that this particular work habit is no longer an obstacle. !" had to learn to sa no( " used to be helpful to the point that other staff abused m goodwill( ;ow " offer to help b countering with something "'d like help on in return( %n balance " believe the trade2off is more equitable$ and cooperation in our office has improved over time(! What color is your brain? 'e aware that you!ll probably be asked Iany questions. $he point is not to stump you, but to find out what makes you tick. =hen the standard interview questions are asked, people are prepared, and it!s harder for the recruiter to get to know the real person. 0n advertising recruiter, for e"ample, tries to avoid this. $here is no right or wrong answer to this type of question. In fact, the recruiter won!t even really care what your answer is. He or she ust doesn!t want to hear something like, *I don!t know, I guess it!s blue because

that!s the way I imagine it.* $he point is to see how creative you are and how you think. 'e sure to e"plain why you answered the way you did. !/ brain is red because "'m alwa s hot( "'m alwa s on fire with new plans and ideas(! #f you got on an elevator where everyone was facing the bac!* what would you do? Interviews in creative fields like advertising and graphic design are different from other types of ob interviews. 0dvertising recruiters tend to have a different interview style and process, usually conducting more of a behavioral interview. )ecruiters ask questions like these to figure out what your behavior might be in a particular real(life situation. !" think "'d face the front an wa and sa aloud$ '"t's reall much more comfortable facing forward$ ou know(' ! What9s the most creative or innovative pro.ect you9ve wor!ed on? ,rovide e"amples of your initiative and resourcefulness. 5iscuss how your leadership skills have helped you accomplish your goals. 4ive a specific e"ample that shows a creative, new, or unusual approach to reaching your goals. !+uring m summer job at #ellular %ne$ " noticed that the sales inquiries were distributed haphazardl to all the marketing assistants in the office( " decided to set up a s stem grouping inquiries according to region or according to compan size( 0his approach enabled the entire marketing team to come up with better and more creative solutions to our sales problems(! Consider the following scenario@ Aou9re wor!ing late one evening and are the last person in the office) Aou answer an urgent telephone call to your supervisor from a sales rep who9s currently meeting with a potential client) The sales rep needs an answer to a $uestion to close the sale) Tomorrow will be too late) Aou have the expertise to answer the $uestion* but it9s beyond your normal level of authority) 'ow do you respond? $his response shows that the candidate is confident in his or her ability and can be counted on in an emergency. +imilarly, your answer should indicate that you!re not afraid to be the decision maker in a tough situation, even if the situation!s beyond your normal level of authority. !"'d get all the pertinent information$ taking well2documented notes( "'d answer the question based on m knowledge and the information provided( "'d leave m supervisor a note and fill him or her in on the details the next morning( "'d be sure to explain m decision$ as well as the thought process behind it(! 6ive me proof of your persuasiveness) $his is a question about leadership, but try not to use an e"ample in which you were the designated leader. If possible, describe a time when you didn!t really have authority but instead used your powers of persuasion to get people on your side. 5escribe your goal and the outcome of your efforts. =hy did people trust or believe you. !+uring m summer internship " was assigned the task of conducting a benchmarking stud for all the communication expenditures for a major utilit ( " had to get the consensus of emplo ees in several different departments( ?nfortunatel $ the resented the fact that " was just a summer intern$ and the refused to cooperate( " had to schedule individual meetings with ever emplo ee and persuade each one that " was doing what would be ultimatel to his or her own department and to the compan ( 1fter a frustrating month$ " finall got ever one's cooperation$ the project went flawlessl $ and in the end " received a bonus for m efforts(! What9s your most productive or ideal wor! setting? $he interviewer wants to know the impact that the candidate!s working environment has on his or her ob performance. How well would you fit the position, physical layout of the department, and attitudes of the particular work group. &mphasiIe your ability to work in

a variety of settings and how you!ve managed to be productive in less(than(ideal work environments. !" like having at least one hour of uninterrupted time in the earl morning to plan m da ( " usuall start around B a(m( %therwise$ " enjo an office with open doors$ constant feedback$ and lots of energ and activit ( "t helps me work more productivel when " sense how bus ever one else is$ too(! o you prefer continuity in structure or fre$uent change in your daily wor!? 6our answer should be consistent with the ob description. 5escribe environments that have allowed you to remain interested and learn new things without getting bored. !" enjo challenge and change$ which is wh " frequentl ask for the tough assignments( 0he last two projects we discussed were ones that " asked for( " don't allow m self to get bored(! What environments allow you to be especially effective? &mphasiIe your fle"ibility and your ability to work in many different types of environments. 6our answer should not consist of a laundry list of requirements Kprivate office, few interruptions, and so onL or the interviewer may conclude that you will be difficult to satisfy. !1lthough " can work effectivel in most environments$ " prefer environments where people are their own bosses$ within reason( " like to have a goal but be able to draw m own map to get there( 0o accomplish goals$ " rel on asking questions and finding people receptive$ so cooperation and access are important to me in a work group(! 'ow will you complement this department? 5escribe how your personality and<or skills would help round out the department. =hat types of people en oy working with you for hours at a time. How would the company!s customers or clients react. 0ssure the interviewer that there will be no surprises about your work personality. !" enjo an environment in which people bounce ideas off each other and have the flexibilit to ask for help when the need it( "'m usuall a great troubleshooter for ,# problems in m office$ and "'m often going to ask for help proofreading important memos( " believe in give2and2take(! Whom did you choose as your references and why? $he interviewer is looking for a logical mi" of people without any obvious omissions. 9or e"ample, a former sales person would do well to include a former salesperson as a reference. 5escribe what you!d e"pect each of your references to say. Include a diverse group(senior to unior, an associate from work, and old professor from college. !" selected a former boss$ a peer$ and customer as references$ to demonstrate that "'m a prett well2rounded person and get along with all the important work associates in m life(! Can we call all of your references? $his is a question designed to protect you. If your current ob employer doesn!t know your looking for a new ob Kas is most often the caseL, you can request that the interviewer contact your current employer after you!ve accepted a position and given your notice to your current employer. !"'d prefer that ou call m current boss onl after ou've made me a firm offer of emplo ment and "'ve had a chance to tell her m self that "'m changing jobs( 0hen$ of course$ " understand our need to verif that m application was accurate(! Are you most productive wor!ing alone or in a group? $he interviewer is looking for someone who can work in an environment without the environment disrupting the candidate!s preferred way of getting work done. 'e honest but communicate that you!re a fle"ible and reasonably adaptable employee.

!" need some privac time for planning$ but otherwise " like the activit and noise of people around me and the abilit to share ideas( " think most writers need reinforcement$ because we all get writer's block occasionall (! Tell me about an effective manager* supervisor* or other person in a leading role you9ve !nown) $alk about a supervisor!s management style and interpersonal skills. 9ocus on the positive(how the person worked rather than what type of work he or she did. How was the person able to accomplish so much and get your support. !0he best professor " ever had alwa s reviewed the most important points from our last class before he moved on to new material( 'e also watched our faces carefull and repeated information whenever he saw a blank stare( Sometimes he would just ask for feedback b sa ing$ '*hat are ou having difficult with<'! 'e never assumed too much or made us feel dumb for not grasping a concept quickl (! What type of people do you wor! with most effectively? 9ocus on the positive here. =hat type of boss, employee, and colleague would you be. ;eep in mind that the interviewer wants to find out how well you would fit in with the other personalities in the company(not how well the other personalities in the company would suit you. !" tend to work well with people who are confident and straightforward( "t's more difficult for me to be around timid people$ because " move quickl and am decisive(! What things impress you in colleagues? $he recruiter will want to see how developed your interpersonal skills are. %ore than likely, you!ll be interacting not only with your own department, but with other people in the company, and possibly colleagues. +how the recruiter that you will shine in this area. !" admire and work best with people who are of good character and have integrit ( " also think confidence and enthusiasm is positive in an business environment(! 'ow do you organi7e and plan for ma.or pro.ects? 4ive the interviewer a good idea of your general approach to mastering comple" tasks. 6ou may wish to include here how you decide time frames, set deadlines, determine priorities, delegate tasks, and decide what to do for yourself. !" love to brainstorm a best$ worst$ and most likel scenario( 0hen " set out a timetable that's realistic( *hat " usuall find is that some combination of m best and worst cases evolves> " can adjust m schedule easil as these things unfold because "'ve alread visualized what could happen and how "'d react(! What personal characteristics add to your effectiveness? $alk about what makes your personal style unique and effective. 9or e"ample, how are you able to get cooperation from others. =hat specific skills and traits help you get results, and why. !" alwa s sta in touch with m network( "f " see an article that might be of interest to someone " know$ " clip it and send it to that person( 0hen$ when " need help and make a phone call to that person$ the phone call gets returned promptl (! 'ow have your technical s!ills been an asset? 5escribe how you!ve used technical skills to solve a problem. $ell a specific story. 5emonstrate how these same skills have been useful in other situations or in most of the obs you!ve held. If you!re hired, what situations will you handle particularly well. !1lthough " never planned on a career as a writer or publisher$ much of m job in marketing has depended on good writing and creative la out skills( / part2time college job with a newspaper taught me a lot about desktop publishing$ how to position something on a page effectivel $ and how to write short sentences with maximum impact( "n all of m marketing jobs$ "'ve been able to explain m goals clearl to graphic designers$ which has helped me avoid costl design revisions(!

'ow do you usually go about solving a problem? $he interviewer will want to hear the logic you use to solve problems as well as the outcomes you!re able to achieve. 0re you decisive. How do you narrow the options and make decisions. =hat do people say about your reasoning skills. =hat e"amples would they cite of your effective decision(making. !*hen " need to solve a problem$ " generall start b writing down as man ideas as " can think of about possible causes( ;ext " look for relationships among causes so " can group together s mptoms of bigger problems( ?suall $ after " stud these groups of problems$ the real cause becomes readil apparent(! 'ow practical or pragmatic are you? 4ive the interviewer an e"ample of some practical or sensible approach you!ve used to solve a problem. =hen was a simple solution the best solution. Had others overlooked the obvious. In this e"ample, you!ll want to show off your commonsense skills rather than your academic skills. !" can usuall pick up on an underl ing problem$ even if it's not too obvious( " recall an investment banker who visited our real2estate2finance class and asked us what might cause the 0ok o investment communit a problem in attracting local investment dollars( 1 number of finance students in the class started tr ing to think of some complicated set of reasons( " decided it would have to do with getting out of a bad market quickl $ and that a non2liquid investment would create problems( " said investors would be unsettled if the primar investment is local real estate and inflation has caused the paper value to exaggerate the real street value( 1s it ended up$ that was the answer he wanted(! Tell me about a time when there was no rule or precedent to help you attac! a problem) Can you operate without structure. 5escribe your problem(solving process, especially the steps you took and measures you established in a particularly trying situation. 5emonstrate confidence and the willingness to take on more challenges. !" was the first emplo ee in a newl created position( " spent the first week developing an understanding of the histor that had led to creation of the position( %nl then did a method for setting priorities on the job become clear(! What9s your greatest achievement to date? 'e sure that the achievement you describe here is relevant to the ob you!re interviewing for. 0lso, be careful that your answer doesn!t sound as if the best is behind you. %ention something great that you!ve achieved, but clearly communicate your belief that the best is yet to come. !"'m proud of the fact that " graduated on time with a solid C,1 while " pla ed varsit basketball for four ears( 1 lot of women on m team either took a reduced course load or let their grades suffer( " believe the reason " got through it all was sheer determination> " never even let m self visualize an thing but finishing on time and with good grades( So " firml believe$ as a professional counselor$ in the importance of a positive outlook(! Tell me about something you accomplished that re$uired discipline) $his is your opportunity to discuss a skill you worked to develop, or a time when the quantity of your work required solid time(management skills. How did you remain focused. !" had to work two jobs to put m self through graduate school( " interned at the newspaper while " studied journalism during the week( 0hen on weekends$ " sold real estate( 8uggling those three schedules was a challenge$ but " did it because it was important to me to graduate without school loans(! Where do you hope that your career will have progressed to in the next few years?

0void the temptation to suggest ob titlesP this makes you seem unbending and unrealistic, since you don!t know how long it might have taken your interviewer to reach certain levels, and you wouldn!t want to insult. 5escribe new e"periences or responsibilities you!d like to add that build on the ob you!re applying for. !%ver the next few ears "'d like to have progressed to the point there " have bottom2line budget responsibilit $ and "'m also in charge of a production unit where " have labor2 relations$ qualit 2control$ design$ and manufacturing responsibilities( " believe this job will go a long wa to helping me meet m career goals(! "ince this will be your first .ob* how do you !now you9ll li!e the career path? $his can be a difficult question to answer convincingly, unless you!ve done a little bit of preparation. 5iscuss, for e"ample, an internship or a conversation that!s allowed you to assess the culture of the organiIation or to preview the work involved. 5escribe other people in the profession who have been mentors or who have taught you about the field. 0lso, point out why you!re interested, how you learned more about the industry, and how you stay current with industry trends. !1lthough it's true that "'ve never worked a job in our industr $ "'ve talked to man friends and alums at m school who've been successful in our compan ( " alwa s ask them questions$ '*hat's the most frustrating thing about our job<' and '*hat's the most rewarding thing about our job<' .rom the information "'ve gained$ "'m confident that "'ll be able to adapt quickl to our culture and will find the next few ears rewarding$ based on m goals and values(! What are your aspirations beyond this .ob? 0gain, don!t fall into the trap of specifying ob titles. +tick to a natural progression you see as plausible. How should this ob grow for the good of the organiIation. $hen turn your attention once again to the ob at hand. If you seem too interested in what lies beyond this ob, the interviewer will fear that you won!t stick around for long. !-e ond this job as a marketing assistant$ " see m self moving up through marketing anal sis into brand management and eventuall running a categor ( "'m aware that there are several skills " need to develop in the interval$ and " believe with our continuing2 education program and m own motivation for self2improvement$ "'ll have those skills when the opportunities arise for greater responsibilit ( 0hat's wh "'m determined to learn from the ground up$ starting as a marketing assistant(! 'ow long do you thin! you9d continue to grow in this .ob? $his is a variation on the question, *=here do you want to be in five years.* 'e as specific as you can, considering what you know about the position. 5on!t mention a ob title you!d want ne"t, or the interviewer will wonder if you!re already preoccupied with moving on. !/ own personal measure of growth in a job is acquiring new skills$ new knowledge$ and new insights into the industr ( 1s long as " can measure this t pe of growth$ " consider m self successful( "'m a believer in stretching a job b reaching out to learn more about other areas that are peripheral to the job "'m in(! Compare this .ob to others you9re pursuing) +ome consistency or thread of commonality among your other prospects is important here. 6our choices must reflect your career aspirations. =hat common skills are clearly needed in all the obs you!re pursuing. !"'ve narrowed m job search to onl those large securities firms within the finance industr ( 0he basic skills necessar with all of these firms are similar: strong quantitative and anal tical abilities$ the abilit to make decisions quickl $ and good interpersonal skills to react to a customer's needs(! Tell me about your salary expectations)

0 well(prepared candidate can effectively turn this question around. 0sk first for the company!s salary range, then answer in general terms based on your qualifications in relation to the ob requirements. !"'ve become a little frustrated in the past ear because the downturn in our industr has caused limited promotional opportunities( -ased upon salar information published b our national association$ the market price for someone with m experience and educational background is in the broad range of thirt to fort thousand dollars per ear( 1lthough "'m not certain how our salaries compare to the national norms$ m feeling is that m value would certainl be in the upper half of this national range( " hope ou'll share with me some of our salar ranges relative to the national norms(! What do you reasonably expect to earn within five years? 0gain, turn this question around and ask what!s typical for the career path. $hen consider, based on your skills and performance, the areas you!ll e"cel in. 2eave it to the interviewer the appropriate time frames for promotions. 5on!t speculate, or you!ll risk sounding arrogant, unrealistic, or the opposite(too reserved or too tentative. !/ expectation for the next five ears is that m contributions will be recognized and appropriatel rewarded( " realize that salar levels are based on a number of factors$ including the compan 's profitabilit and the general business c cle that affects our industr $ but " expect to take on greater responsibilit each ear and to be appropriatel compensated for m efforts and contributions(! Bther than wor!* tell me about an activity you9ve remained interested in over several years) $he interviewer is looking here for a history of commitment over time, and consistency of interests. 5o you sustain your hobbies over a period of time, or do you have a different hobby every year. 0re your interests compatible with the ob you!re applying for. =ould they be of value in any way to the company. !"'ve been involved in #ancer Societ fundraising ever since m grandmother died from the disease( "n the back of m mind " guess "'m hoping the research can lead to findings in time to save the life of someone else in m famil (! What do you en.oy in your spare time? $he interviewer wants evidence that you!re well rounded, not ust one(dimensional. He or she is looking for shared interests or common ground. 6ou should always, in some way, relate your answer to the ob description. !" reall enjo getting outside2" often go camping and hiking( "'ve learned a lot about different fabrics that are good for various weather conditions( 0hat's wh "'m so interested in our textile operations(! o you live a balanced lifestyle? 5o you have an outlet, a way to break from work, so that you show up each day refreshed and ready to perform at your highest level. 5escribe something specific that allows you to rela". 0re your personal and career interests compatible in terms of their logic or thought process. !" make an effort to get out of the office at a reasonable hour twice a week( " go home and walk m dog( 0hat's one of the most relaxing things " do$ but it often helps me to think of solutions for problems at work$ even though "'m not consciousl tr ing to solve those problems(! What outside activities complement your wor! interests? $he interviewer is interested to see if the candidate!s personality is reflected in both work and outside activities. 6our answer to this question will shed light on your personality and thus possibly on your compatibility with the ob. !"'ve alwa s enjo ed tennis( "n man wa s it's a game of strateg and pacing( *hen something isn't working in the first set$ ou have to change our strateg for the second

set( =ou also have to pace our energ in case ou go to a third set$ and constantl watch and read our opponent's reactions( "'m a guts tennis pla er2" go for the big points sometimes2but "'m careful with timing( 0hat's the wa " work$ too(! #f you found yourself getting burned out* what would you do to revitali7e your energy? 0re you disciplined enough to avoid burnout. =hen you!re not being productive, do you recogniIe it. =hat do you do to cope with stress. !" don't allow m self to get involved in a routine to the point that " get burned out( "'ve alwa s been the t pe of person who asks for new assignments so that " sta motivated and interested(! Bur company believes that employees should give bac! time to the community) 'ow do you feel about it? 5escribe a time you gave something to a community or organiIation as a volunteer. 5o you go above and beyond what!s e"pected of you. 5o you use your skills productively. 0re you unselfish(a team player. 5emonstrate how your personal interests make you productive even when you aren!t being paid. =hat incentives other than a paycheck inspire you. !" believe that$ too( "n m last job as manager " told each of m emplo ees that the could spend one .rida afternoon a month at a charit of their choice on compan time as long as the weren't gone on the same .rida s( "ronicall $ productivit didn't decrease at all> the got more done in the morning2and " guess .rida afternoons weren't that productive to begin with( "'ve spent m afternoons with an adult reading program(! What community pro.ects that can use your professional s!ills are particularly interesting to you? $his interviewer wants to know if the candidate will be a good corporate citiIen. $he question also gives the interviewer a sense of the ob seeker!s values. $ry to focus your answer on productive applications of your work(related skills. 5on!t get sidetracked describing a cause that doesn!t demonstrate ob(related skills. 0void discussing any charity or organiIation that may be considered controversial. !1s a marketing person$ "'ve offered free advice to our local high school for its fund2 raisers$ as well as to a local real2estate office whose success could help m rural communit 's real2estate values(! escribe how a sport or hobby taught you a lesson in teamwor! or discipline) $ell about a time you had to use teamwork to get a desired result. $ell a specific story, then e"plain how the same skill or lesson has been used in your work. !/ football coach from high school taught me alwa s to watch out for the other gu ( "f ou do$ he'll cover ou when ou need him to( "'ve applied that principle in all m work groups$ especiall on the trading floor(! When you aren9t at wor!* do you prefer to stic! to a schedule* or do you prefer to be spontaneous? Why? 'e careful that, whichever answer you choose, it!s consistent with the ob you!re interviewing for. 9or e"ample, since accounting is a profession that requires discipline and precision, your answer should reflect your natural inclination toward agendas, schedules, and precision. However, for a sales ob, you!d probably want to show that you!re prepared to wing it. $his question is essentially about your ob personality but is also about your compatibility with the ob. !/ workda is ver structured because "'m generall in four or five meetings a da ( %n the weekends$ " like to have a plan$ but not necessaril a set schedule( 0hat in itself is a relaxing change of pace for me$ but " feel "'d be wasting time with no plan at all(! Tell me about an interest that you outgrew)

5escribe a former interest or hobby that you no longer pursue, making sure that the interest isn!t related in some way to the ob you!re interviewing for. $alk about why you outgrew the interest and how it!s not compatible with your current interests. 'e sure to discuss how your current interests are related to your career. !)arl on$ " wanted to be a research ph sician( 0hen " spent time in a chemistr lab and realized " wasn't looking forward to the next two ears of lab work( 0hat's wh "'ve chosen marketing for medical equipment instead( "t combines m respect for the medical profession with a job that's more suited to m personalit (! What would you do if # told you that # thought you were giving a very poor interview today? Interviewers like to ask stress questions like these to see how well you hold up under pressure. 6our best bet is to stay calm and rela"edP don!t allow your confidence to be shaken. !*ell the first thing "'d do is ask ou if there was an specific part of the interview that ou thought " might have mishandled( 1fter that "'d think back and tr to remember if there had been an fault communication on m part( 0hen "'d tr to review possible problems " had understanding our questions$ and "'d ask for clarification if " needed it( .inall $ if we had time$ "'d tr to respond more full and appropriatel to the problem areas ou identified for me(! Tell me about your most difficult wor! or personal experience) $he interviewer will want to know how you hold up under pressure. 5escribe a situation, either personal or professional, that involved a great deal of conflict and challenge and placed you under an unusual amount of stress. =hat, specifically, were the problems, and what did you do to resolve them. !%ne time m coworker went through rehab for six months after a wreck$ and " picked up a lot of additional work to help him out( " know he would've done the same for me$ and it's important for me to have that kind of trust along the members of m work group(! #f this were your first annual review with our company* what would # be telling you right now? 9or this question you obviously want to present a positive impression. *I wish you would show up on time more,* is definitely not a good answer. )emember to focus on one or two of your key strengths based on the personal themes you!ve developed. !=ou'd be thanking me for a job well done and would be explaining how ou look forward to continuing to see good work from me( .urthermore$ " would anticipate our explaining how ou reall appreciated m putting in extra time on some ke projects and how m creative thinking helped come up with some innovative solutions to existing problems(! 6ive an example of a time when you were as!ed to accomplish a tas! but weren9t given enough information) 'ow did you resolve this problem? 0lthough this e"ample may seem trivial, the candidate demonstrates maturity and an ability to approach work conceptually. $he interviewer will want to know that you understand that ust getting the ob done isn!t enough. 6our response should show resourcefulness and initiative. !1t m last internship$ m supervisor$ an account executive$ asked me to assemble five hundred press kits for a mailing( " wasn't sure in what order the pages and press releases should go$ but m supervisor had alread left for a client meeting( 1fraid of putting the information together in the wrong order$ " managed to track down her cell phone number and called her in her car( She explained the order of the materials over the phone$ and in the end " managed to prevent a mistake that would have cost hours of work and a dela in the mailing2not to mention a few headaches(! 'ow have you handled criticism of your wor!?

$he interviewer is looking for an indication of the candidate!s accountability and professional character. 5escribe a specific pro ect or work habit that caused you a problem until you faced up to it and overcame it. 0lternatively, you might describe a time you responded ob ectively and professionally to particularly harsh or unreasonable criticism of your work. !" wasn't able to keep a good emplo ee once who'd been in our manufacturing facilit for ten ears( 'is job description was rewritten to require computer skills( " offered to send him to night classes$ but he refused the help( " had no option but to replace him( "n retrospect if "'d encouraged him and other emplo ees to acquire new training periodicall $ he might not have been overwhelmed b the time his position was reworked( ;ow "'m vigilant about encouraging m group to attend seminars and courses to enhance their job skills and to avoid becoming outdated(! Tell me about a situation that frustrated you at wor!) $his is another question designed to probe the candidate!s professional personality. $he interviewer will want reassurance that you are able to hold up under pressure. 5escribe how you!ve remained diplomatic, ob ective, or professional in a difficult situation. !" was frustrated once when one of m clients$ who'd insisted on a high2growth stock$ called in a panic because the stock price had dropped more than twent points in one da ( " had a hard time convincing him to ride it out rather than cut his losses( 0his happened despite m attempts from the beginning to explain the short2term volatilit of that stock(! Tell me about your least8favorite manager or professor) 0nswering this question will be a bit like walking across a loaded minefield, so be aware# ;eep in mind that the interviewer doesn!t want to learn about your former supervisorsP he or she does want to learn about the way you speak about them. $hough the interviewer may bait you to make a negative statement about your former employer, doing so can create a host of problems. &ven if your claim is completely true and ustified, the recruiter may conclude either that you don!t get along with other people or that you shift blame to others. $he best way around this dilemma is to choose and e"ample that!s not too negative, touch upon it briefly, then focus the rest of your answer on what you learned from the e"perience. !*ell "'ve been prett fortunate as far as managers go$ and " didn't have an problems with m professors( "n m first job out of college " worked with a manager who was prett inaccessible( "f ou walked into his office to ask a question$ ou got the sense that ou were bothering him$ so we just learned to get help from each other instead( " wouldn't sa he was m least2favorite manager$ because he was a good manager in a lot of wa s$ but " would have preferred that he'd made himself more available to us and given us more direction(! Who9s the toughest employer you9ve ever had* and why? 0gain, you should avoid making negative statements about your previous employers, at all costs. $urn the question around with a positive, upbeat response, as this candidate does. !0hat would be /s( 'enson at .ranklin 1ssociates( She'd push people to their limits when things got bus $ and she was a stickler for detail( -ut she was alwa s fair$ and she rewarded good$ hard work( "'d call her a tough boss$ but a good boss(! Time management has become a necessary factor in productivity) 6ive an example of a time8management s!ill you9ve learned and applied at wor!) =hen answering this question, describe a time(management technique you!ve applied to work that!s allowed you to save time and resources. In such areas as public relations time is precious, and the interviewer will want to see that you have an idea of how

valuable your time is. $ry to give an e"ample that demonstrates how you!ve managed to increase productivity because of effective time management. !" regularl use scheduling software$ which helps me effectivel plan for the da $ week$ month$ or ear( "t also has a to2do2list feature and an alarm option$ which is helpful for meeting timel deadlines( "n general$ though$ "'m ver goal oriented and self2disciplined( " like to focus clearl on one project at a time for a set amount of hours( "n the past "'ve found that this has helped me save time$ which in turn has given me the opportunit to implement new procedures that have ultimatel saved the department time and mone (! Would you be willing to locate to another city? 6ou may, even in some first interviews, be asked questions that seem to elicit a tremendous commitment on your behalf, such as this one. 0lthough such questions may be unfair during an initial ob interview, you may well conclude that you have nothing to gain and everything to lose with a negative response. If you!re asked such a question une"pectedly during an initial ob interview, simply say something like *$hat!s certainly a possibility* or I!m willing to consider that.* 2ater, if you receive an offer, you can find out the specific work conditions and then decide if you wish to accept the position. )emember, at the ob(offer stage you have the most negotiating power, and the employer may be willing to accommodate your needs. If that isn!t the case, you might wish to e"plain that upon reflection, you!ve decided you can!t Kfor instanceL relocate but you!d like to be considered for other positions that might open up in the future. !"'d prefer to be based here$ but it's certainl a possibilit "'d be willing to consider(! Would you be able to wor! extended hours as necessary to perform the .ob? 6our response should match closely the position you!re applying for and should reflect a realistic understanding of work and time required. 0sk about seasonality of work, if you!re unsure, and show a willingness to work occasional e"tended hours. !"'m accustomed to working long hours during the week( " usuall work until at least six2 thirt $ because " get a lot done after the business office closes at five( " can make arrangements to be available on weekends$ if necessar $ though " do prefer to have at least twent 2four hours' notice(! "ell me this stapler) =ith this kind of question the interviewer will want to determine how quickly you can think on your feet, as well as your ability to communicate effectively and succinctly. 'e prepared to give a thirty(second speech on the benefits and advantages of virtually any common office ob ect, from a paper clip to a telephone, particularly if you!re interviewing for a sales position. !0his is a professional2qualit stapler$ designed to be functional as well as attractive( "t will help ou reduce clutter b enabling ou to fasten pages together( 1nd since papers relating to the same subject will now be attached$ ou'll be more efficient and will save time searching for papers( .inall $ its sleek shape and back color are coordinated to match the rest of our office furniture(! What is your biggest wea!ness? $his is a great e"ample of what is known as a negative question. 3egative questions are a favorite among interviewers, because they!re effective for uncovering problems or weaknesses. $he key to answering negative questions is to give them a positive spin. 9or this particular question your best bet is to admit to a weakness that isn!t catastrophic, inconsistent, or currently disruptive to your chosen professional field, and to emphasiIe how you!ve overcome or minimiIed the problem. =hatever you do, don!t answer this question with a copout like *I can!t think of any,* or even worse, *I don!t really have any ma or weaknesses.* $his kind of a response is likely to eliminate you from contention.

!" admit to being a bit of a perfectionist( " take a great deal of pride in m work and am committed to producing the highest2qualit work " can( Sometimes if "'m not careful$ thought$ " can go a bit overboard( "'ve learned that it's not alwa s possible or even practical to tr and perfect our work2sometimes ou have to decide what's important and ignore the rest in order to be productive( "t's a question of trade2offs( " also pa a lot of attention to pacing m work$ so that " don't get too caught up in perfecting ever last detail(! Why weren9t your grades better? It!s likely that if you!ve made it to the interview stage, you fulfill the basic criteria for the position, including the education requirements. $he recruiter is probably trying to udge here how well the candidate handles adversity. It!s important not to get defensive or to place blame. Instead, try to put a positive spin on the question(for e"ample, by concentrating on what you learned and the e"tra effort you put in, rather than on the grades you received. !School was a wonderful experience for me( " reall enjo ed learning new ideas$ " studied consistentl $ and " was attentive in class( -ut " never believed in cramming before the night of an exam just to get a higher grade or sta ing up all night to finish a term paper( " reall believe " learned just as much as man students who went for the grades(! Was there a course that you found particularly challenging? $he interviewer will want to see how well you respond to difficult situations. 5emonstrate that you won!t fold in the face of difficulty, and that you!re willing to put in the e"tra effort to meet a challenge. !"nitiall " was completel overwhelmed b the introductor chemistr course that " took last ear( ;o matter how hard " studied$ " seemed to be getting nowhere( " failed the first three quizzes( So " tried a new approach( "nstead of just stud ing b m self$ " asked a friend who's a chemistr major to help me with m studies( " also began to seek help from the professor after class( 1nd " found that more time " spent in the lab was critical( " ended up with a -2plus in the course and thought " achieved a solid understanding of the material( /ore than that$ " learned that tackling a new field of stud sometimes requires a new approach$ not just hard work$ and that the help of others can be crucial3 Why didn9t you participate more in extracurricular activities? $he interviewer may be worried that if you don!t have many outside interests, you may eventually suffer from burnout. &mployers like candidates who are well rounded and have interests outside of work. If you didn!t participate in formal e"tracurricular activities in college, you still may want to talk about some of your interests, such as reading or e"ercising, that you may have a passion for running even if you weren!t on the college track team. !" wanted to give as much effort as possible to m studies( " came from a high school in a ver small town$ where " received a lot of 1's$ but this didn't prepare me well for college( So " studied hard( " have$ however$ found time to explore the cit and make new friends$ and " do socialize formall on the weekends

What are your responsibilities as an Assistant Brand Manager? I oined ,F4 in 2CC3 and worked in 4uangIhou where I was responsible for the *=hisper* brand in the 4reater China region. In 9ebruary 2CC? I was transferred back to Hong ;ong and now manage both *=hisper* and *,ringles* brands. %y current position requires frequent travel to 4S < $aiwan. %y daily tasks include conducting market research and constructing marketing and promotional strategies together with $AC copy development and ,). =e then present our plans and schedule to other functional groups and product supply teams. =e also monitor and evaluate the business of our brands regularly.

oes -C6 provide training? ,F4 provides Corporate and 9unctional $raining. Corporate $raining equips our employees with general business skills like creativity, presentation, communication, leadership, language, time management, etc. 9unctional $raining teaches skills specifically related to the employee!s ob function. 9or e"ample, 0ccount &"ecutives are taught selling techniques. &mployees are taught through classroom training, one(on(one coaching by line managers and online training.

Why did you choose to wor! at -C6 instead of an #)T) company? I like marketing and ,F4 is one of the biggest 9ast %oving Consumer 4oods K9%C4L company among the world which I believe my development curve can be accelerated. 0lso, I also prefer working with people rather than machines, and my ob for ,F4 gave me that opportunity.

What did you do at 'D& to enhance your success in the .ob mar!et? I participated in various competitions to better understand real life business and to sharpen my logical thinking, interpersonal and presentation skills. 0t the I'% 4en(I Challenge 2CC7 I earned not only priIes K'est e('usiness ,lan 0ward and 'est Individual 0wardL but also friendship with other teammates. =orking e"perience was also very critical. 0s an intern for Intel +emi(conductor Corporation I handled an e(business solution pro ect, which was closely related to my current work.

What is uni$ue about -C6? ,F4 emphasises early responsibility of employees and allows young managers, such as myself, to influence the direction of pro ects and make decisions at an early stage. 2ine managers share their e"perience and give guidance to ensure correct decisions are made. $he company also encourages promoting employees from within. $his ensures young managers are ready to be future leaders of the company. %ost of the staff oined ,F4 as fresh graduates and want to develop a long(term career in the company. $he average service of ,F4 staff is D(7C years.

What do you find most challenging about your wor!? 1ur company values results. 0s a business, ,F4 wants to ma"imise profit and e"pects staff to work hard and help the company achieve this aim. $his performance(based culture keeps me working hard and makes me strive for improvement. It is challenging for me and my satisfaction comes from the rewards for being able to deliver results.

What do you find most en.oyable about your wor!? 0ll my colleagues are sincere and friendly, including my boss and senior staff. $hey treat everyone equally, regardless of rank and e"perience. $hey are willing to understand and care about our feelings and e"pectations. I en oy working in this friendly and nurturing environment.

What sort of person will do well in your .ob? ,eople with strong creativity, leadership skills and integrity are suitable this position. 0s ,F4 is a global firm &nglish proficiency is essential. 1ur colleagues come from different countries and Chinese make up a small portion of the whole company. &nglish is our first language for communication between colleagues. +taff may need to be stationed in other countries or travel to different cities so they must be adaptable and geographically mobile. 9luency in ,utonghua is a definite advantage.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in applying for the training programme? 'e prepared for long(term development at ,F4. $here are plenty of learning opportunities and this is why people recognise ,F4 as a *$raining +chool of ,rofessional %anagers*.

What procedures did you go through for your position at -C6? In my year there were several screening proceduresQ 7. Bnline Application ( ThttpQ<<www.hk.pg.comU 2. Written Test ( ,roblem +olving $est and &ssay =riting in &nglish. 3. "creening #nterview ( 0t that time, this was a one(to(one interview with a 'rand %anager. 1ne question they asked was whether I had been to the company!s recruitment talk. $hey wanted to understand the candidate!s background and if they knew the ob requirements well. ?. Comprehensive #nterview ( $his was a panel interview with the +enior 5irector, 'rand %anager and other senior staff. It lasted for around 2 hours and the atmosphere was friendly. $hey focused on matching a candidate!s personality with specific ob requirements.

#s it necessary to study the company9s literature beforehand?

Candidates should have basic information about ,F4. %ore importantly, they should know how is ,F4 different from other 9%C4 companies and why they want to work in the industry. However, there is no need to study piles of company and product information excessively as the interviewers do not e"pect students to have in(depth industry knowledge. However, they must be able to back up their answers with solid information and evidence. Instead of in(depth industry knowledge, the personality and overall quality of the candidate is a very important factor in the selection process.

What are the secrets to passing paper screening and interviews? 6ou need to understand who you are and what you want to do. $he interviewers are friendly and do not ask e"tremely difficult questions to challenge you. 'eing yourself and being honest are the keys to success. +tudents in technical disciplines such as &ngineering should avoid using terms that are too technical when presenting assignments or pro ects to interviewers. 8se common words to communicate with the interviewers.

Types of Marketing Firms All marketing positions will encompass a mix of functions including advertising, competitive analysis, consumer researc , pu!lic relations, pricing strategies, distri!ution strategies and new product development. "or most marketing #o!seekers, t e first step usually involves finding an industry t at appeals to you. A !rief list of typical marketing companies and t eir respective marketing activities is s own in t e following ta!le. Marketing Activity %onsumer packaged goods $2% "oodstuffs and !everages %osmetics 1etail 3ransportation $2$ 7ndustrial "inancial 3ec nology & armaceutical Company &rocter and 'am!le, (nilever, %olgate) &almolive %oca)%ola, &epsi%o, 'eneral *ills, +raft, ,A$ *iller -./r0al, 1evlon, 2ste0 -auder 3arget, 4ome 5epot, 6al)*art, 'ap "ord, 3oyota, $oeing, -ock eed)*artin, Air!us 3*, +im!erly)%lark, '2, 3yco %iti'roup, *errill -ync , American 2xpress A/-, 8extel, Avaya, 7ntel, *icrosoft, 7$* &fi9er, 'laxo,mit +line, *erck

As can !e seen, virtually no industry is untouc ed !y marketing w ic creates a !evy of opportunities to !reak into t is career field. -iterally, one cannot go to a company wit out coming across some form of marketing function. "rom t is list, one can detect two ma#or su!)groups, $2% and $2$, w ic o!viously dictates t e type of work done at t ese firms. 7n s ort, $2% firms are more apt to rely on advertising and consumer)focused promotional activities. $rand managers are t e most visi!le aspect of t e marketing function and fre:uently engage in customer)oriented activities. 7n contrast, !usiness)to)!usiness organi9ations typically do not do a great deal of advertising activity rat er opting to leverage c annel partners, direct sales forces and t e trade. *oreover, t e marketing function primarily resides wit product managers. 3o summari9e, t e following lists summari9e t e c aracteristic features of t e two primary types of marketing. $2% features;

3ransactions t roug t e dealer to t e end consumer. <alue determined !y end)consumer perception. "ocus on !rand management. -arge num!er of generally similar consumers. ,mall transactions. -inear selling process, usually of s ort duration. % annel management oriented toward retail. ,ales activity focused on t e end user.

$2$ marketing features;

3ransactions among and wit in value c ains. <alue primarily determined !y !usiness economic use. ,mall num!ers of customers, many re:uiring personali9ed marketing, including customi9ed products and prices. -arge customers wit formida!le market power. =7n $2$, your customers often are also your competitors.> 6idely varying customer types and customer needs. -arge)unit transactions. %omplex and lengt y selling processes involving many players creating a demand decision c ain. 5eeper partners ips wit mem!ers of t e value c ain, including customers. % annel management oriented up and down t e supply c ain. ,ales focused on key account management, and multiple purc asing influencers =many of w om are not likely to !e end users t emselves>.

What Exactly Will I Be Doing? ?ou.ve pro!a!ly !een a!le to glean an idea of w at marketers do from t e discussion a!ove. 8o matter w at specific area an *$A may enter =i.e. !rand management, general management, market researc , etc.>, t e eart of w at a marketer does is in understanding t e needs, preferences, and constraints t at define t e target group of customers. At a deeper level, marketers must answer t e :uestions of; ow and w ere can 7 expand t e company.s profit !ase aggressively@ A85 ow can 7 keep customers satisfied@ 3 ere is no :uestion t at !rand =or product> management is a visi!le position in t e marketing areas of a company. 3ypical duties and responsi!ilities include; monitoring t e competitive landscape of your category, strategy development to capitali9e on market opportunities, leading a cross)functional team in t e execution of strategies and marketing plans and delivering sales volumeAmarket s areAprofit pro#ections for your !usiness. 7n essence, a !rand manager is essentially a small)!usiness owner. As a !rand manager, ot er activities may include drafting !usiness plans, ad#usting pricing sc emes, approac ing senior executives for additional resources and daily interaction wit t e sales force. 7n s ort, !rand management presents a myriad of interesting opportunities and a dynamic work environment for t ose interested in pursuing t is pat . 7n more strategic marketing roles, daily responsi!ilities can !e vastly different from t ose

encountered !y !rand managers. 7n t ese types of roles, *$As can !e expected to leverage a variety of skill sets in a num!er of duties to include; analysis of a potential market to determine strategic attractiveness =e.g. competitive analysis, &2,3, etc.>, market segmentation =e.g. interpret market researc data to develop a segmentation sc eme>, pricing strategy =e.g. assist !rand managers in developing pricing sc emes>, and new product development =e.g. analy9e socioeconomic trends for t e next B!igB t ing and translate into product attri!utes>. Alt oug t is list is not nearly ex austive, one can imagine t e numerous opportunities t at a strategic marketer can !e involved in. Again, muc like !rand managers, t e work environment is dynamic and t e focus is clearly external. Typical Marketing Positions 6it a !etter understanding of t e day)to)day activities of a typical marketer, t e following discussion focuses on more specific #o! positions. Brand Management A formal definition of !rand management is toug to pin down !ecause t e actual #o! description varies widely across t e vast universe of consumer products companies. 7n essence, !rand management is like running your own !usiness wit in a large company. An Assistant $rand *anager or $rand *anager is responsi!le for all aspects of t e !rand e is working on. 4e as to manage manufacturing capacity, distri!ution, packaging, pricing, advertising and customer relations ips. *ost *$A #o!s are in %&' companies like &rocter C 'am!le, (nilever and 'eneral *ills. 7t is typical t at you will !e rotated into different marketing functions andAor !rands wit in your first t ree years. Product Management *arketing as emerged as a driving function in tec companies. 7n many ways, t e role of t e marketing manager in a tec !usiness strongly resem!les more traditional marketing roles in !rick)and)mortar companies. 7n ot er ways, tec marketing differs significantly from traditional marketing, owing to a uni:ue !lend of c aracteristics t at define t e tec world, suc as; a start)up environment, a strong entrepreneurial culture, tec nology t at allows Breal)timeB market feed!ack, a lack of marketing training programs, limited !udgets and demand for rapid execution of marketing programs. 7n t is world, marketers also need up)to)date knowledge of tec nological c anges t at may affect ow t eir company delivers its product or service. 7nternet marketing strategy affects t e companyDs !usiness development strategy =and vice)versa> and t e allocation of advertising resources. *arketing works closely wit t e companyDs production or service delivery departments to ensure t at product or service specifications will meet consumersD demands. *arketing professionals must understand t e companyDs finances and t e costs and profits associated wit a particular product or service. *arketers ave to get involved in t e companyDs long)term strategic planning, including assessing market c anges and t e potential t at new !usiness alliances may !ring. 4

Business Development $usiness development is exactly t at ) working on strategies t at will elp develop a !usiness eit er !y using current core competencies internally or !y ac:uiring competencies externally. $usiness development departments or functions can !e found in most ma#or !usinesses. 6orking in !usiness development is an excellent way to !ecome adept at !usiness strategy w ile gaining ands)on experience in negotiating deals and managing partner relations ips. $usiness development #o!s are also ig ly cross)functional, re:uiring close colla!oration wit various internal and partner)company teams suc as sales, engineering, and marketing to ensure t at a deal is consummated. 6it its focus on strategy, !usiness development steers t e direction of a companyEt e deals forged today determine w at t e rest of t e company will !e working on tomorrow. Marketing Communications 2ncompassing pu!lic relations, advertising, pu!lic policy and communications, marketing communications is all a!out ow t e pu!lic and consumer see a company. 7n some cases, it involves ow to position a product, !rand or company to garner positive pu!licity and perceptions. ,ome large companies ave *ark%om internally and nearly all ave at least a &1 department. /t ers ire outside agencies to manager t ese needs including crisis management. *$A roles are more likely to !e found in a larger company t an an agency. What Skills Do I Nee ? 8ow t at you know w at a marketer does, it may !e elpful to pinpoint w at relevant skill sets are needed to !e successful. 7t can !e argued t at t e skills necessary to !e a good marketer are t e same as t at w ic any successful *$A needs. A detailed list of t ose a!ilities follows. 1. Leadership; any successful marketer needs to ave t e a!ility to lead, motivate and directly manage ot er people effectively. *ore specifically, marketers must !e a!le to influence people w en t ey do not ave direct supervision of t em. 2. Creativity; marketing in and of itself is a creative activity. After all, marketers are trying to get consumers to !uy t eir products. 3 e capacity to generate new ideas and approac es to issues is a necessity for a good marketer. *oreover, marketers ave to visually communicate images to attract consumers. attention. 3. Analytical skills; marketers must !e a!le to not only solve pro!lems !ut more importantly, define its parameter. All t is re:uires t e use of analytical skills in !ot t e :uantitative and :ualitative sense. ,pecifically, marketers ave to understand market dynamics and determine ow !est to allocate resources so as to reac t ose markets. 4. Communication skills; marketers must ave t e a!ility to listen well and to write and speak to individuals and groups in a clear and effective manner. 5. Teamwork; as wit any !usiness activity, t e a!ility to work in a team is critical in marketing as well. ,pecifically, marketers must !e a!le to work in cross functional teams t at include counterparts from manufacturing, distri!ution, and advertising.

6. Multi-focus; marketers must ave t e capacity to #uggle many ideas, responsi!ilities, and pro#ects at once. 7t is important to keep in perspective t at t ese skills can !e developed in a variety of different #o!s ot er t an marketing. /ftentimes, t e finest marketers are t ose t at initially started in a different discipline. 3 erefore, it is important to reali9e t at career switc ers can indeed make successful marketers !ecause t ey !ring t ese skills and a different perspective to t e field.
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"rom %areer -eader, B7nternet *arketingB

Mar!eting Careers

Under this system of organization, each brand or product within a company is operated a Brand Management business, with each standing on its own merits among its competition. This brand indepen

the company to market vigorously a number of different products--some competitive with same company.

Except for top corporate management, members of the brand group are the only ones in deal with all aspects of the company s business. !rand managers plan, develop, and direc efforts for a particular brand or product. They are generalists who coordinate the activitie production, sales, advertising, promotion, "#$, marketing research, purchasing, distribut development, and finance.

%n brand&product management, individuals can expect early responsibility which should e learn 'uickly and to demonstrate ability by contributing from the very outset to the opera brand(s) to which they are assigned.

*irtually all consumer goods companies use this system of organization. + number of indu companies also have brand&product management. %n consumer goods companies, in part management is considered the best training ground for top corporate officers.

,uccessful brand managers are results oriented and creative- possess strong interpersona communication, and analytical skills- and have entrepreneurial leanings.

!rand management re'uires a broad background in marketing s functional core. advertis consumer behavior, and strategy. %n addition, analytical skills are extremely important an encouraged to prepare by taking accounting and finance courses.

Market Research

%ndividuals employed in the field of marketing research are involved with providing mana information needed for decision making. %nformation about consumers, the marketing env the competition are needed to operate effectively in the marketplace today. The marketin be involved with the decision maker in formulating the problem and identifying the inform the decision maker for resolving the problem. /e&she will generally be involved with desig pro0ect, including the data collection method(s) to be used and the sample to be taken. + market researcher will be concerned with data tabulation, analysis, report preparation, an findings to management.

1areer opportunities exist within a variety of institutions, manufacturers, retailers, some w and industry associations, and governmental and other public agencies. ,trong analytical, methodological, and communications skills are important.

2ne of the ma0or problems facing modern managers is the 'uestion of how to plan and im Product Developmentproducts and services. 3illions of dollars are spent annually by large and small organizati

products and services. 3any of these fail due to poor planning. 4ersons who specialize in planning can find opportunities in the marketing of consumer products, consumer service medical services, and public service programs. 4ersons involved in new product planning understanding marketing research, sales forecasting, and promotional planning.

1areer opportunities exist in the consumer industries, advertising agencies, consulting fir agencies, medical agencies, retailing management, and many more. This broad set of ind very promising career potential for the marketing planner.

5ormal positions in product planning are becoming plentiful. /istorically, such positions ca 6assistant manager&director6 of product planning or new product development. 7arge firm positions in staff departments. The 3!+, though not a re'uirement everywhere, does app sought for these positions. Undergraduates are usually hired as 6new product assistants.6

8ew product work demands a uni'ue combination of creative and analytical talents. + 6pr must be able to conceptualize new ideas, research the new ideas, and evaluate them ob0e market and financial standpoint.

Unlike managing an existing business, new product development is ever changing and re with a high degree of tolerance for uncertainty. ,ince products eventually succeed or fail, definite 6report card6 to let one assess one s own performance. The uncertainty and press product work are compensated by the fun of giving birth to new entrants to the market. +nyone desiring this career path should take course work in product planning, marketing consumer behavior and advertising. 1ourses in capital budgeting, entrepreneurship, and would likewise be valuable.

International ,pecial opportunities in international marketing arise because of the wide variety of socia political conditions confronting international marketing personnel as well as the increased Marketing

which decentralized decision making and greater distances from head-'uarters generally and managerial positions abroad usually go to people who have had some international m experience at head'uarters. ,tarting 0obs in international marketing at head'uarters vary person with a master s degree, it usually involves research, planning or coordinating activ

Service Marketing

The economy s service sector now exceeds the manufacturing sector in terms of relative 9$4. %n addition, the service sector is there much of the economy s most vigorous growth conse'uence, numerous marketing positions are available in banking and financial servic health care organizations, leisure oriented businesses, and in various other service settin

,ervice sector career paths in many cases parallel those found in traditional packaged go management. 5or example, the individual who manages the marketing of a bank s 682: is a generalist who coordinates the activities of specialists in sales management, advertis and market research. These are high visibility opportunities that offer the possibilities of a top level marketing positions.

Entry level positions are increasingly available to those with undergraduate business deg those with 3!+s. 4ositions are analogous to those of the traditional packaged goods assis manager. 2ther positions may be available in sales capacities, or in a large service firm s department. The latter would typically be available only to those with advanced degrees.

%ndividuals seeking service management positions should be strongly motivated, tenaciou healthy competitiveness. They should also have strong analytical and communications sk ability is important because of the need to coordinate the diverse activities of many mark !ecause of the intangible (relative to packaged goods) nature of most service sector prod should feel thoroughly comfortable dealing with product attributes and issues that are ha and classify.

Business-toBusiness Marketing

%ndustrial marketing involves the planning, sale, and service of products used for commer purposes. These products may be simple, familiar products like office supplies or complex computer systems, machine tools and commercial aircraft. %ndustrial products for purpose usually categorized into supplies, capital e'uipment, installations, raw materials, and com

,ome industrial products are purchased on a new or one-time purchase basis, but most a modified or straight re-buy basis from one of several acceptable suppliers. This is done to source of supply at the most favorable prices the competitive process offers.

%ndustrial marketing re'uires the ability to understand the customers re'uirements, and t purchase of the product that best fits the customer s needs. %n this type of endeavor, the often acts somewhat like a consultant to the buyers in order to assist them in determining suitable products for their needs. The successful industrial marketing person is self-relian present the product line to the customer in the most favorable light.

3ost industrial marketing activities involve a continuing relationship between supplier an circumstance, the selling relationship is not really selling as it is commonly thought of, bu maintaining and enhancing an on-going business relationship. This means that the indust person must be able to help serve the needs of a wide variety of industrial and commerci continuing basis. The re'uirements for a successful career in industrial marketing are tha energetic, self-motivated, and interested in the products and customers who buy the prod basic work habits, the ability to ac'uire product and industry knowledge, and human rela important.

Internet Marketing

The most recent channel for direct marketing to reach customers. E-commerce and onlin thus far the biggest moneymakers on the :eb, though both niches are constantly evolvin commerce first arrived on the scene, people thought that e-malls, which like regular malls wide variety of products, were the way to go. !ut by ;<<=, the online retail market was sa 8et marketing is using tools like e-mail to help market your product :eb marketing involves developing a :eb presence to help market your product

3anagers in this area must consider how the %nternet can be used across a range of funct advertising- brand creation, extension, and growth- customer service- internal and extern communications- market creation and expansion- market research- and channel design.

High Tech Marketing

+s the high-tech industry booms, 0obs proliferate. The U.,. 1ommerce $epartment has co that reveal that between ;<<> and ?@@>, the industry will employ over ;.A million new sy engineers, programmers, and computer scientists in the United ,tates. That doesn t begin legions of content providers, marketers and new media industry analysts the booming hig will re'uire. /ere are some top 0obs in high tech.

To succeed in such a fickle industry, firms must constantly search for new applications for and create new ones to sell. That means that the duties of marketers are more essential t some companies, marketers in the field (often called product managers) identify product work with engineers in research and development to produce what consumers say they w necessarily need a technical background to work as a marketer for a technology firm, but

Causal (Social Marketing

1ausal marketing is the selling of ideas. %n more complicated terms, it s the creation, exec of programs designed to influence social change. %t uses many principles of commercial m assessing needs to identifying audiences, developing products and measuring results. !u different. The goal of social marketing is not 0ust a one time business transaction. The goa marketing is to build a long-term relationship between your organization and its different success of the blue box recycling program in 2ntario shows how a well-planned social m campaign can influence the way society thinks and acts. There are two keys to social marketing for organizations. first, understanding the attitudes of the society in which an organization exists.

second, tackling a social marketing campaign in an orderly, step-by-step, manner.

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Mar!eting Terms

Advertising 5 M's

The C ma0or decisions in developing an advertising program - 3ission, 3oney, 3essage, 3edia, and 3easurement. These are identified after a marketing manager has identified the target market and buyer motives.

Brand

+ttempt to differentiate a product or service by establishing a relationship between the consumer and the brand.

Brand Equity

The value of the brand - creating measurable value for a brand name, often referred to as superbrands or power brands- also includes the measures of such value which includes rankings of most valuable brands, "eturn on %nvestment ("2%) for advertising spending or !rand awareness.

Brand Genericide

1ategory leaders become complacent and the relationship between the brand and consumer is weakened allowing private labels and generics to enter the market. To counter this, brand e'uity must be reestablished.

Bundling

,ellers often bundle their products at a set price that is generally less of a cost than if purchased individually.

Campaign Effectiveness

The results of a campaign in terms of increased sales, increase in market share or change in level of awareness- also includes assessment of the reasons for the campaign success or failure.

Category Management

3anufacturers compete with each other to help retailers manage their categories in the stores in order to maximize variety and profits. 5or each category, there is a portfolio of brands that offers consumers products at prices they want to pay.

Character Symbol

/istorical figures, animated characters, animals, ob0ects that are used to advertise a brand and that come to be associated with the brand, e.g. Doe 1amel for 1amel cigarettes, 1harlie 1haplin (played by an actor) in %!3 ads.

Cobranding

+ partnership between two ma0or brands that results in a 0oint new product. 5or example. EelloggFs 6/ealthy 1hoice6 cereal, +merican +irlines *isa card.

Con oint Analysis

+ popular research method for deriving the utility values that consumers attach to varying levels of a product s attributes. 3anagement can use the results to determine the most appealing offer and estimated market share and profit the company might realize.

Consumer Adoption Used by managers to build a effective strategy for market penetration. !rocess The stages of the process are. +wareness, %nterest, Evaluation, Trial, +doption. 1onsumer movement through each of these phases should be managed.

Consumer Behavior "esearch that focuses on psychographics, e.g. the criteria for segmenting consumers by life-style, attitudes, beliefs, values, personality, and buying motives.

Cooptation

+n effort by one organization to win the support of the leaders of another organization by including them in advisory councils, boards of directors, and the like. This is common among firms that have complimentary products. %t is also common to reduce conflict among channel members.

Cooperative Campaign

1ollaboration of two or more advertisers and advertising in which the manufacturer of a product provides materials to and reimburses a retailer for part or all of the retailer s advertising expenditures.

"emar#eting

+ marketing task that re'uires finding ways to reduce the demand temporarily or permanently, because the demand level is higher than an organization can or wants to handle. $emarketing seeks discourage overall demand and consists of such steps as raising prices and reducing promotion and services. ,ome organization may choose to do selective demarketing by reducing the demand of the less profitable areas of the market.

"irect Mail

+dvertising that uses person-to-person communication through the mail rather than mass media. +dvertising is sent via fliers, letters, brochures or reprints.

"irect Mar#eting

+n interactive marketing system that uses one or more advertising media to effect a measurable response and&or transaction at any location.

"isintermediation

The removal of intermediaries between manufacturers and consumers.

"umping

+ company either charges less than its costs or less than it charges in its home market in order to enter or win a market. The U, 1ustoms !ureau can levy a dumping tariff on the guilty company.

E"$!

Every $ay 7ow 4ricing. Eliminates coupons.

%S&

5ree ,tanding %nserts. Example - coupons provided in the ,unday paper. These are expensive for the manufacturer and not as effective as first believed. 1onsumers have mostly been 6trained6 to use these coupons.

Gross 'ating !oint (G'!)

,um of all rating points over a specific time period or over the course of a media plan. Each rating point is e'ual to ;G. 9"4 is used in designing a media schedule in an attempt to deliver a maximum number of 9"4s at minimum cost. The 9"4s are calculated by multiplying the total reach (unduplicated audience) by the fre'uency (average amount of exposure) of the medium in the proposed schedule.

Gro*th Share Matri+

+ matrix developed and popularized by The !oston 1onsulting 9roup. %t is divided into H cells, each indicating a different type of business. Iuestion marks (high growth market, low relative market share), ,tars (high growth market, high relative market share), 1ash cows (low growth market, high relative market share), $ogs (low growth market, low relative market share). + company uses the matrix to determine whether its portfolio is healthy. +n unbalanced portfolio has too many dogs or 'uestion marks and&or too few cast cows and stars.

,arvesting

9radually reducing a product or business s costs while trying to maintain its sales.

&nteractive

+dvertising through various 6new media6 technology such as 1$- "23based electronic kiosks, online services (including %nternet, +27).

$atent "emand

The demand by consumers for a strong need that cannot be satisfied by any existing product. The marketing task is to measure the size of the potential market and develop effective goods and services that would satisfy the demand.

$ine E+tensions

+dding another variation to a product line, also can include brand extension, when an established brand name is used in a new product category- for example - Dell-2 pudding pops.

$oyalty

%ncludes programs for increasing customer loyalty including fre'uent flyer programs, fre'uent shoppers, etc.- also includes general discussions of consumer brand loyalty and how to increase it.

Mar#eting Mi+ (!'s)

The set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its marketing ob0ectives in the target market. The H 4 s are 4roduct, 4rice, 4lace, and 4romotion.

Mass Customi.ation The ability to prepare on a mass basis individually designed products and communications to meet each customer s re'uirements.

Media Buying/ Service

+ company other than an ad agency that purchases media time and space 2ften referred to as unbundling, since the creative function is separate from the media portion.

0iche

+ narrowly defined group, typically a small market whose needs are not being well served. + niche is usually identified by dividing a segment of the market into subsegments or by defining a group with a distinctive set of traits.

!erceptual Map

Two attributes of a products&services are placed on a map as they are perceived relative to competitors. The map shows which brands are perceived as being similar and compete against each other. 2ne of the most important pieces of information conveyed by the map is it identifies how every brand is perceived on each attribute. 4roduct maps only re'uire rating data where consumers evaluate products&services on specific attributes.

!lacement

3arketing of a product by its appearance or use in a movie or television show.

!oint/of/!urchase

+dvertising that targets shoppers within the retail environment. 2ften aimed at impulse purchases. 424 includes counter displays, window displays, store banners, aisle displays, etc.

!ositioning/ 'epositioning

4romoting a product to an unexpected audience- makeover or re-stating of a product to attract a new audience. e.g. 4ositioning orange 0uice as a soft drink to be used anytime, as opposed to a breakfast drink.

!roduct Mi+

+ set of all products and items that a particular seller offers for sale to buyers.

!ush vs1 !ull Strategy

4ush strategy - involves manufacturer marketing activities (primarily sales force and trade promotions) directed at channel intermediaries. 4ull strategy- involves marketing activities (primarily advertising and consumer promotions) directed at the end users.

Speciali.ation

:hen a manufacturer wants the brand to be number ; or ? in the market not number AJ +nything but number ; and ? brands are often sold or discontinued- except for mature cash cows. The key is to focus.

Sales !romotion

+ctivities, materials, and techni'ues used to supplement traditional advertising, includes trade advertising, and in-store media.

Sampling

4roducts offered to consumers usually for free to introduce a new product.

2easer Campaign

+dvertising intended to tease the public by offering only bits of information without revealing either the sponsor of the ad or the product being advertised. The purpose of a teaser ad is to arouse curiosity and generate attention for the campaign that follows.

2ransit Advertising 2utdoor advertising. +dvertising on signs that are located outdoors in public places. Examples include billboards, posters, buses, taxis and painted displays

3mbrella Mar#eting 1ampaign that focuses on a family of brands, or a multi-product group. e.g. 4anasonic ad showing *1", T*, *ideocam, etc.

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Mar!eting Lin!s

! "ritic Ad 4ee# 5nline Advertising Age 2he American Mar#eting Association Brand !ac#aging Business 4ee# Ecommerce 2imes Ellett Group / ,igh 2ech Mar#eting eMar#eter %ast Company %ortune Guerrilla Mar#eting 5nline ,ealthcare Mar#eting / 2he 6ran. Connection &nternational Mar#eting 'esources 2he Mar#eting 'esource Center The National MB! So#rce 2he 0e* 7or# 2imes Social Mar#eting / 4einreich Communications Strategic ,ealthcare Mar#eting 2he 4all Street 8ournal &nteractive

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Eob "earch "trategies

9 %rom 6noc# 'Em "ead :;;;< Martin 7ate "irect 'esearch Use reference books in the library (e.g. Dob !ank, ,tandard # 4oor s "egister, !usiness-to-!usiness Bellow 4ages, etc.). Take notes on relevant information about the company that you can refer to in an interview. 5or online resources, check out. +merican !usiness %nformation - http.&&www.abii.com. 2ne of the largest brokers in the the nations. Their lists cover over ;@ million businesses. +merican 7ist 1ounsel - http.&&www.amlist.com. They maintain over ;>,@@@ different lists. Bou can search online or re'uest a free catalog. :1

=1

0e*spapers

Use as a complement to direct research. $irect research gives hard facts about a company, but the newspaper lists immediate openings for 0obs. Use newspaper ads to identify all companies that are currently hiring, not 0ust to identify specific 0ob openings. 2nline resources are. The 8ew Bork Times - http.&&www.nytimes.com&classified& :all ,treet Dournal - http.&&www.careers.ws0.com 8ational !usiness Employment :eekly - http.&&www.nbew.com

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!ublic and !rivate Employment Agencies

These agencies include state employment agencies, private employment agencies and executive recruiters, and career counselors. +s an 3!+ the private agencies and executive recruiters would be used. There are A types. permanent employment agencies where you pay the fee, permanent agencies where the employer pays the fee, and contingency and retained search firms. !e sure to understand which type you choose. ,elect only ? or A in your field. $o not mass mail your resume to every agent in town. This can lead to multiple submissions of your resume to a single company. 2ne resource is the $irectory of Executive "ecruiters, Eennedy 4ublications.

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7our 'eferences as a 'esource %dentify as many possible personal references as possible at the beginning of the 0ob search. The more options you have, the better your chances at success. Use these contacts as 0ob search leads. 1all or write the person briefly explaining your background and what you are searching for. +sk these people for advice. +sk to meet for a cup of coffee or lunch to discuss the type of opportunity for which you are looking.

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College !lacement 5ffices and Alumni Associations Dust remember that the 1areer 4lacement 1enter should not be your only resource and will not 0ust hand you a 0ob. %t can help you accelerate your 0ob search process and aid you in finding your own 0ob. $on t wait until the last minute to get to know the folks in the placement office - start early getting guidance and listening to their advice. Take advantage of on campus company receptions and interviews, as well as interview and resume workshops that are offered. +lso, take advantage of the alumni directory. 3ost alumni are more than willing to assist you by providing advice and additional contacts.

?1

!rofessional Associations Examples of these associations are The +merican 3arketing +ssociation, The +merican "etail 5ederation, etc. Doin these organizations to show your commitment to the profession and expand your knowledge in a given field. Use the membership directory for direct contacts and attend regularly scheduled meetings to network with other professional members. +lso, read the newsletters that the associations publish for other inside tips and information.

@1

8ob %airs 7ook for announcements of these fairs in the newspaper and on the radio. :hen you attend, go prepared. Take. business cards, resumes, a notepad and pen in a folder. *isit every booth for companies in which you are interested even if they are not hiring for the position you would like (ask for contact names in your field). $efinitely talk to someone at each booth asking 'uestions about the company and what they do before talking about yourself. !e sure to collect business cards from everyone you speak with so that you can follow up with a letter if you want. 5or most companies a 0ob fair is a way to collect resumes. They do not hire at the fair very often, but there are times when employers will want to interview on the spot, so be prepared. +lso, gather company brochures and materials. :hen you attend the fair dress for business - first impressions are important. 5inally, arrange times and dates to follow up with each employer.

A1

2rade and Business Maga.ines This includes professional association periodicals, trade magazines, and the general business press. 1ontact the individuals and companies mentioned and using the article to begin discussion. These publications provide focused articles about interesting companies, industry overviews and market developments, 'uotations, articles by industry professionals, help-wanted sections, and advertisements for new products that can tell you about the company s direction. Bou may want to keep a binder of pertinent articles that you can reference.

;1

0et*or#ing Use others to assist in your 0ob search. 8etworking re'uires nurturing and development. These networks can be. friends and relatives, coworkers, managers (past and present), service industry ac'uaintances (banker, doctor, dentist, lawyer, etc.), other 0ob hunters, and other professionals in your field. ,ome tips for writing networking letters or making calls to ask for assistance. establish connectivity by mentioning the last time you spoke or met tell why you are writing or calling ask for advice and guidance about your tactics, what the happening companies are, and whether the person can take a look at your resume (for an ob0ective opinion) - don t ask if their company can hire you don t rely on a specific contact to get you in a certain company let the contacts know what you are open for discuss the profession, industry, areas of opportunity, and the people worthwhile to contact. at the end of the call, make sure the contact knows how to

get in touch with you say thank you when you do get help - follow it up in writing keep an open mind - you never know who your friends are whether your contacts help you or not, let them know when you do get a 0ob and keep in touch at least once a year

:B1

2he Electronic 8ob ,unt Tap into the huge reservoirs of online data before launching a search or going to an interview. Use the web to look up companies and research their products, 0ob openings, mission, analyst reports, press releases, and annual reports. Use online 0ob search resources such as. The 3onster !oard - http.&&monsterboard.com 1areer 3osaic - http.&&careermosaic.com /ot Dobs - http.&&hot0obs.com 1areer 4ath - http.&&careerpath.com 1areer :eb - http.&&careerweb.com *ault "eport, %nc. - http.&&vaultreports.com :etfeet - http.&&wetfeet.com

$ack to 3op

#nterview Tips
&nformational &ntervie*s
%nformational interviews are ideal for making contacts and getting the inside story. +lthough you re still on display, these aren t the same as interviewing for a position. %nformational interviews are either to obtain information or referrals. They can be used to get the buzz on industries and companies and find out how comfortable you feel in certain environments--in short, almost anything you wish to pursue. Though the purpose may be different, follow the same advice as for application interviews. $ress appropriately, find out as

much as you can about the company or individual, know what you re going to ask, be open to 'uestions, and send a thank-you letter. 2here are si+ main goals of informational intervie*sC ;. Establish rapport with the interviewers. 9et to know them. ?. 7et them know who you are. !e genuine and interested. A. 9et advice on your 0ob-search, particularly on improving both your approach and your presentation. H. 5ind out about your 0ob market. +sk about latest developments, publications to read, or professional groups you should investigate. C. 9et referrals. %f you haven t received names by an interview s end, it s appropriate to ask for other people with whom you might talk. >. !e remembered favorably. !efore leaving, tell an interviewer that you would appreciate being kept in mind in case s&he hears of anything.

Behavioral &ntervie*s
!ehavior based interviewing focuses on experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities that are 0ob related. %t is based on the belief that past behavior and performance predicts future behavior and performance. Bou may use work experience, activities, hobbies, volunteer work, school pro0ects, family life - anything really - as examples of your past behavior. 1urrent employment literature indicates that there is a strong trend towards this type of interviewing. %n addition to 'uestions found in many current resources, you should also consider the following in your interview preparations. Employers are looking for A types of skills. 1ontent ,kills, 5unctional - also called Transferable ,kills, and +daptive - also called ,elf 3anagement ,kills. 1ontent ,kills -- Enowledge that is work specific such as computer programming, accounting, welding, etc. expressed as nouns. 5unctional or Transferable ,kills -- Used with people, information or things such as organizing, managing, developing, communicating, etc. expressed as verbs. +daptive or ,elf-3anagement ,kills -- personal characteristics such as dependable, team player, self directed, punctual, etc. expressed as ad0ectives. 2here are > types of questions typically found in intervie*sC Theoretical 'uestions -- Iuestions that place you in a hypothetical situation. These 'uestions are more likely to test your skill at answering 'uestions rather than in doing a good 0ob. Example. /ow would you organize your friends to help you move into a new apartmentK 7eading 'uestions -- Iuestions that hint at the answer the interviewer

is seeking by the way they are phrased. Example. :orking on your own doesnLt bother you does itK !ehavioral 'uestions -- Iuestions that seek demonstrated examples of behavior from your past experience and concentrate on 0ob related functions. They may include. 2pen-ended 'uestions -- these re'uire more than a yes of no response. They often begin with 6Tell me...6, 6$escribe...6, 6:hen...6. Example. $escribe a time you had to be flexible in planning a work load. 1lose-ended 'uestions -- Used mostly to verify or confirm information. Example. Bou are focusing in marketing, is that correctK :hy 'uestions -- Used to reveal rationale for decisions you have made or to determine your level of motivation. Example. :hy did you decide to ma0or in this program at "ice rather than at a larger universityK To best answer these types of 'uestions, think of 64+" for the 1ourse6. + complete answer to a behavior-based 'uestion must explain the task or problem for which you were responsible, the specific action you took, and the results of your actions. Bour answer must contain all of these components to be a 4+" answer. Tell the interviewer a 6story6 (with a beginning, a middle, and an end) about how you used a practical skill. !roblem (!) - +dvertising revenue was falling off for the $aily 8ews and large numbers of long-term advertisers were not renewing contracts. Action (A) - % designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of $8 circulation with other ad media in the area. % also set-up a special training session for the account executives with a professor who discussed competitive selling strategies. 'esult (') - :e signed contracts with fifteen former advertisers for daily ads and five for special supplements. :e increased our new advertisers by twenty percent ('uantities are always good) over the same period last year. 2o prepare for the behavioral intervie*C +nalyze the type of positions for which youLre applying. Try to get an actual 0ob description. :hat skills are re'uired by employersK +nalyze your own background. :hat skills do you have (content, functional, and adaptive) that relate to your 0ob ob0ectiveK %dentify examples from your past experience where you demonstrated those skills. /ow can you 6tell a story6 about your use of particular skills or knowledgeK 1oncentrate on developing complete 4+" answers and remember that a good story has a beginning, middle and end. :herever possible, 'uantify your results. 8umbers illustrate your level

of authority and responsibility. !e prepared to provide examples of when results didnLt turn out as you planned. :hat did you do thenK !efore starting the interview process, identify ? to A of your top selling points and determine how you will convey these points (with demonstrated 4+" stories) during the interview. 2nce employed, keep a personal achievement diary to help document demonstrated performance (4+" stories).

Case &ntervie*s
2ver the past few years, corporate recruiters have begun to utilize a different form of interview 'uestion, i.e., the 61ase %nterview6 'uestion. This interview 'uestion format consists of a 'uestion and answer format wherein the interviewer presents a hypothetical business problem, either actual or made up and you have to develop a 6process6 for answering the 'uestion as clearly and with as much detail as possible. %n many instances the actual answer is not obtainable. The gist of the 6case interviewF 'uestion is to sample how logical and creative you can be in analyzing the 'uestion, developing a process for gathering the necessary information, extrapolating information from general knowledge and formulating an answer based on 6all6 the knowledge and resources you have at hand. (The process is as important as the answer). A 5 step approach to case intervie* questionsC Step : - $evelop a frame or structure for the 'uestion. Use 6!ig 4icture Thinking6 :ork from the 9eneral to the ,pecific, using what information you are given, what you already know and what additional information the interviewer might give you if asked. Step = / 4rioritize and identify the basic issues contained in the problem and use problem solving logic. Step > / 8arrow down your potential answers to the most logical, using the M@&?@ +pproach. Step - / +nalyze the problem from all perspectives, working from 6!ig 4icture6 information that suggests possible alternative methods you can use to derive the best possible answer (guess). Step 5 / $raw conclusions from your analysis, demonstrate results based on information and logical conclusions. %inal tips for the case intervie*eeC $onFt be thrown by the interviewerFs 'uestions. "ealize that there are numerous good answers. The interviewer is using the case approach to gain an understanding of your thought processes.

!e concise. %f asked for the 6top two6 issues, confine your response to two items only. +void going into too much detail. The more explicit your thinking the better. 4rovide logical back-up for your answers. !e sure to explain what case facts led you to a conclusion, and how you reasoned from those facts to your conclusion. $onFt be afraid to ask clarifying 'uestions. %f you donFt understand the case facts, you will find it difficult to ace the interview. "emember common sense goes a long way. +lso, try and relax in the process.

E+amples of Case &ntervie* Duestions (9) 3oving the /ub + ma0or airline company is thinking about moving their hub city in the hopes of saving money. /ow would you approach this problem to analyze the cost-effectiveness of such a moveK 3uddying the :aters There is a client in the bottled-water industry. Their market is high in ,outhern 1alifornia. ,ales are increasing, but profits are decreasing. :hat information do you need to assess what is happeningK ,uper !atteries + client has invented a new type of a battery that is compact and has a much longer life than normal batteries. %t will only be about twice as expensive as ordinary batteries, but will last ten times as long. :here would the market be for super batteriesK :hat are the broader implications for such a productK 9reen Tires + client approaches you at a party with an idea for selling green automobile tires. :ithout expertise in the auto or tire industries, how would you estimate the overall market for tires, the percentage of people who might be interested in green tires and the profitability of such an ideaK :hat factors need to be considered in determining profitabilityK 1offee *ending in ,an 5rancisco + chain of gourmet coffee shops from the 8orthwest is considering expansion into the ,an 5rancisco area. They sell coffee, coffee beans, light snacks, and coffee-making e'uipment. This chain has been highly successful in the 8orthwest and has an extensive distribution system and well-known name there. :hat factors should they consider before opening in the ,an 5rancisco !ay +reaK :hat would you expect ma0or cost areas to be in the new locationK /ow could you reduce those costsK /ow should the chain determine the locations of its !ay +rea storesK :hat other factors are important for this client to considerK

&ntervie* %ollo* 3p
+ thank-you letter is so basic that some employers will exclude you from the applicant pool if you don t send one. !e prompt and personal, incorporating elements from your interview. There s usually room for negotiating a better offer, whether for salary or benefits. %f you re willing to walk, you can be firm about your conditions. %f you re not, be prepared to take no for an answer. +lways get the offer in

writing. There s no way to remove all risks from a career decision, but you can increase your chances of making the right choice. "evisit your criteria for choosing a career or 0ob, weigh the advantages against disadvantages, and consider the following factors. Money. $oes the 0ob pay what % need now, or will % feel resentfulK $oes the field offer salary levels that will meet my future needsK Security. %s the 0ob year-round and full-timeK /ow great is the turnoverK :hat benefits does the 0ob offerK %s the field expandingK Mobility. $oes the 0ob allow for or re'uire one to move from place to place or stay in one locationK %le+ibility. :ould the 0ob let me keep my options open or does it re'uire intense specializationK $oes it permit independenceK Dualifications. +m % 'ualified for the workK %s on-the-0ob training offered to me help me 'ualify or prepare for future advancementK "ay/to/day Content. :ill the work keep me interestedK +re the other workers in the field the kind of people % won t mind spending time withK 'e*ards. $oes the 0ob offer the kind of rewards % need, along the lines of status, helping others, seeing finished product, and using creativityK

What motivates Brand Managers to move on? %arketing ,eople ( the marketing recruitment specialist division of $he ,eople 4roup ( surveyed a cross section of IrelandBs brand managers within the food and drinks arena to find out what are the key motivators when they make the move to switch brands. %oney is a long way down the list as marketers seek better career progression, the ability to influence strategic direction and more autonomy. 3ot surprisingly, the location of their employer is a key factor for many marketers as 5ublin traffic makes commuting long distances difficult. Checkout ( in association with %arketing ,eople ( presents the marketing salary survey for 2CC- and the key reasons why brand managers are moving to new employers. 1. Broadening brand experience was the most common reason for moving. =ithin this, lifestyle brands were preferred by most brand managers as desireable brands to work on. However equally important was getting strong above the line advertising e"posure ( DCE of brand managers viewed this as an essentially bo" to be ticked in their brand career in the first three years after the completion of their academic studies.

2.

The ability to influence, shape and set the strategic direction of a high profile brand was a ma or attraction to most senior marketers ( the end goal in many cases. $his would include full advertising F promotion control and running a brand team to implement their brand plans.

3.

Location of employer and length of time spent travelling to work has become a ma or influence in the last two years ( even if the marketing ob of their dreams was presented to them ( GCE of marketers in the survey put location ahead of career.

4.

Career progression was an important influencer ( companies with multiple

brands and large marketing departments which have developed career mapping and planning policies favoured well amongst branders looking to progress their career. $hese companies are always trying to attract the very best brand talent in the marketplace. %ost branders are more than aware that blue chip companies only hire talent from blue chip brand(led companies ( so getting e"perience in the larger groups can be key to evolving your career in the marketing community in Ireland.

5.

6.

Money (marketers are more career focused than other professionals such as sales professionals ( H?E of branders agreed ob satisfaction and career progression potential rated higher in a move than the money on offer. 4etting an increase in basic salary is important ( but what is equally as important is the breakdown and scope of the benefits package ( with the likes of the percentage of performance bonus on offer, the type of pension plan, health plan and car package<allowance being key factors. Car parking availability and the amount of holidays per annum are equally important components in the package from a brand managerBs perspective. Their Boss ( $he reporting structure, the amount of autonomy they have within this structure and the style of their immediate boss all entered the equation ( -@E of respondents are looking for a boss who has an open style of management and would be viewed as a mentor to their brand career