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Standard
Questions
by ResumeEdge.com
The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service.
1. Tell
me about yourself.
2. What did you most
enjoy about your last job?
3. How would your
colleagues or supervisor describe you?
4. What can you offer us
that other people cannot?
5. What about this job
attracts you? What is unattractive?
6. How long do you see
yourself with us?
7. How would you
describe an ideal working environment?
Standard
interview questions might not seem difficult, but your answer to
each should be polished and sharp. Craft responses and practice
them before your interview so that they roll off your tongue
when you face the interviewer. Effective responses answer
questions honestly, positively, and briefly, highlighting
important qualities and accomplishments that are relevant to the
position at hand. Give examples to illustrate and corroborate
your statements when possible. Your responses should work
together, making connections between what you have previously
done, the available position, and your goals.
Mark is preparing for an important interview. He is a recent
graduate from law school who wishes to become a financial
planner at a mid-sized firm that deals with families who have a
minimum account of twenty-five million dollars. Before he went
to law school, he was a financial analyst for three years and
passed two levels of testing toward a CFA certification. He
decided not to complete the CFA training.
His company promoted him twice during his time there, once into
a management position that suited him only fairly well. He did
not get the kind of training from his company that he felt he
needed in order to manage people effectively. Still, he likes to
help people make good decisions and he effectively led his team
to create a clearer strategy for approaching new accounts. Mark
seems to have a sixth sense for how to compound wealth. He knows
how to spot trends and retreat from them just as they crest in
profitability. He thinks he might one day become an estate
planning attorney in a financial planning firm. Of course, he
does not know what life will bring him. Mark does not want to
constrict his options unnecessarily, and he certainly is not
ready to settle down into a firm for the next ten years.
Consider how Mark might answer standard questions effectively
and ineffectively.
Tell me about yourself.
Ineffective:
I am a hard-worker who is good with numbers. After I worked as
a financial analyst for a few years, I decided to go to law
school. I just finished and now am looking for a new
challenge.
Effective: I began developing skills relevant to
financial planning when I worked as a financial analyst for
three years. In that role, I succeeded in multiplying the
wealth of my clients by carefully analyzing the market for
trends. The return on the portfolios I managed was generally
2% more than most of the portfolios managed by my company. My
initiative, planning, and analytic skills were rewarded by two
promotions. As the manager of a team, I successfully led them
to develop a more efficient and profitable strategy for
dealing with new accounts. My subsequent training in the law,
including tax law and estate law, gives me an informed view of
what types of investments and charitable gifts would be most
advantageous for your clients.
What
did you most enjoy about your last job?
Ineffective:
I liked lots of things-the people, the challenge, the rewards.
Sometimes we had to work long hours, but it always seemed to
pay off.
Effective: Of the many things that I enjoyed, I would
say that the strategic aspects of my job most energized me. I
liked setting concrete performance goals for myself and
finding ways to meet them. I similarly enjoyed analyzing
markets for trends and identifying when would be the most
beneficial time to enter or withdraw from certain funds. When
I was a manager, my team and I developed a new approach to
accounts that became a standard for the company. Strategizing
gave my work a sense of tangible direction and accomplishment.
How
would your colleagues or supervisor describe you?
Ineffective:
I guess they would say that I am a hard worker who is
successful.
Effective: My supervisor and colleagues have described
me as a dependable worker. My supervisor has appreciated that
I prioritize tasks and manage my responsibilities so that she
can rely on me. My bosses tell me I have a sixth sense for
markets and I learn new information and procedures quickly.
These skills account for my two promotions in three years. My
boss was also impressed by how I was able to lead my team.
What
can you offer us that other people cannot?
Ineffective:
I have a unique combination of skills. I also really want the
job.
Effective: I have a track-record of multiplying wealth
through investments and developing strategies with teams.
Since I have a JD, I also know what legal parameters and
loopholes affect families and individuals planning their
finances. My CFA training not only shows that I will succeed
in the CFP courses, but also gives me a broader view of why
financial plans work as they do. Since I am organized and
self-motivated, I will add value to the company without
requiring much tending and supervision.
What
about this job attracts you? What is unattractive?
Ineffective:
I like that it is in the field I am targeting. I don't like
the commute that it will require.
Effective: As I evaluate my skills and goals, this job
maximizes on both. I will be able to merge my knowledge of law
and markets while strategizing for the sound financial future
of clients. Since this is a small company, I imagine that
there will be opportunity for increased responsibilities and
challenges. I share the values of the company. I am not eager
to do much data processing, but the position is very
attractive.
How
long do you see yourself with us?
Ineffective:
I don't want to make any hasty commitments, and I like to keep
my options open. Maybe I will be here for one year, maybe for
five. It depends.
Effective: I see myself here as long as we both think
that I am contributing to the vitality of the company while
still being grown through challenges.
How
would you describe an ideal working environment?
Ineffective:
A laptop and cell phone on a beach sound ideal to me. Short of
that, I would like an environment in which I am able to work
as I please, without much supervision.
Effective: It is important to me that my company has
clear objectives and strives for success. Similarly, I like
having colleagues whom I admire for their skills and
perspectives. When communication is clear between colleagues,
our energy becomes synergy. In addition, I find that I
flourish when given discretion after having gained the trust
of my supervisor.
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