Master These 5 Attributes and Your Job Offers Will Soar!

Step 1: Big picture thinking
The interviewer lays out the facts and asks the candidate to articulate the critical issues facing the business. “Big picture thinking” requires a focus on the key issues and not a “laundry list” of every problem facing the business. The interviewer then asks why the candidate chose the answer (s)he did.

Question:
You have just been promoted to be the President of the University you are currently attending.
What do you think the biggest challenge facing you might be?

A good answer:
The University has several powerful constituencies—under graduates, graduate students, professors, alumni, government and community. However, the University doesn’t have unlimited resources, and therefore it must prioritize where it spends its dollars. Long term success for the University is driven by figuring out what the most important areas are, and at the same time ensuring that all constituents feel they are being treated fairly.

Step 2: Problem-solving logic
The interviewer asks the candidate to lay out all the elements of the problem: What factors should be considered?

Question:
How should you prioritize your limited resources?

A good answer:
Think about what drives the University’s success—reputation, economics, quality of students, quality of research. Understand what “focusing resources” really gets you. Each factor has a different set of implications/impact.

Step 3: Focus on value
The interviewer then lets the candidate choose which avenues to pursue, leaving the discussion open ended: without suggesting focus, the interviewer determines if the candidate is instinctive about which path to choose and then asks why the candidate selected this path.

Question:
Which opportunity do you think will have the biggest impact?

A good answer:
Reputation. If you have a good reputation it can influence other areas. Reputation can be a long-term asset. Also, it is probably the hardest to fix once it is broken.

Step 4: Depth and breadth—business intuition
After getting the recruit to focus on a key area, the interviewer asks the candidate some probing questions about how (s)he would analyze that area.

Question:
Okay, so how would you improve the University’s reputation?

A good answer:
I would focus on improvement in two areas:
• Promote activities that build reputation
• Eliminate factors that negatively impact reputation
Discussion then continues down both of these paths with specific improvement ideas.

Step 5: Results orientation
The interviewer returns to a key area of discussion, asking the candidate how (s)he would implement his/her solution. The interviewer could pose a tricky or hostile client situation and ask how the candidate would get results in a difficult environment.

Question:
Well, those seem like pretty sound strategies. How exactly would you implement those ideas?

A good answer:
We will need to start with a PR blitz, so I would encourage several articles to be written about “The New University” in the popular press. Also, I would heighten the pressure on professors to publish articles.…(The answer continues with other implementation ideas).

The preceding information is based on an article from Bain & Company, one of the world’s leading global business consulting firms.

Now I’m sure we’ve all had our fair share of questions thrown at us during interviews that we looked back on and thought, “Jeez, I could’ve answered that question a little differently to get my point across more clearly!”

So feel free to reply with some of your questions and we’ll see if we can provide you with some ideas on how to improve for future interviews.

Today's Tip -- Want to really impress hiring managers? Know how to answer their questions!

Do you get nervous at the mere thought of having to answer questions during an interview when you’re not sure what the interviewer will even ask?

Don’t be! The details below are extremely helpful in keeping you on track when answering questions. You’ll have the confidence to tackle any question that may be thrown your way.

The following information is based on an article from Bain & Company, one of the world’s leading global business consulting firms.

Even if you’re not seeking a consulting job, these strategies will help you stand out from the crowd of other candidates with which you are competing in any industry. You can apply this method of thought and structure to your responses that truly showcase your value to the company.

It all starts with planning. You must have the ability to:

• Break a complex problem into its component parts


• Apply business judgment to identify value


• Generate a creative range of solutions to a problem’s component parts


• Identify the most likely or attractive solutions through logical reasoning


• Generate thoughtful questions and ask for clarification if you are not sure what is being asked


• Translate your analysis into actionable recommendations


• Effectively communicate solutions in a concise and persuasive manner.

Here are some additional interview tips that will help you:

• Don’t get thrown by the interviewer’s questions. Think of the interviewer as your ally because they use questions to get a better understanding of your thought process – not to stump you!


• Be concise. If asked for the two top issues, confine your response to two items.


• Provide logical backup for your answers. Be sure to explain what facts led you to a conclusion.


• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s kind of hard to accurately answer a question if you don’t totally understand it.

Finally, relax and have fun. You are there to interview the hiring manager just as they are there to interview you. Look at this as an opportunity to learn as much as you can about the company and see if it’s a good fit for you at the same time they are determining your fit for them.

What are some other interview tips that you’ve had success with that you could post replies on this subject?

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This is where you can read about, post details on and/or search for information regarding the interview process for Training jobs.

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This is where you can read about, post details on and/or search for information regarding the interview process for Telecommunications jobs.