Know Your Strengths, Minimize Weaknesses. Even with some practice role playing, you will be nervous. That's natural because this is an important conversation and some anxiety about its outcome is to be expected.

• Relax! Take a deep breath, remind yourself of your career successes and think of what you have to offer this organization! Describe your abilities and assets in relation to the job you want…this will more than likely impress the interviewer and help you to be more relaxed and confident.


• Emphasize the positive and indicate that you could contribute to the organization. Don't volunteer weaknesses, but be prepared to discuss what limitations you have, and more importantly, what you are doing or have done to improve them.


• Arrive for the interview early…this is really important!! Lateness can leave a lasting negative impression. Haveenough time to collect your thoughts and make a final check of your appearance in a mirror. This will lessen your nervousness… and help you to feel prepared and more relaxed.

Dress Appropriately. You should look the part you wish to play. Dressing "conservatively" is advised, and most often means a suit for men and suit or professional looking attire for women.

• Minimize jewelry, make-up and overpowering fragrances. Once in the interview, avoid excessive gesturing, eye contact with the floor instead of the interviewer and poor posture that may indicate a lack of enthusiasm or interest.

Conversation Is a Two-Way Street. Try to think of the interview as a conversation, an exchange of information. Though it tends to be more formal than most, establishing rapport with the interviewer and having a sense of humor (note: this does not mean "trying to be funny") can be as important as communicating the ability to make sound decisions and having a fistful of credentials. Having poise and confidence definitely counts.

• Be prepared to answer certain significant questions about yourself. Know what questions you want to ask the prospective employer regarding training programs, new products, services or clientele, general working conditions, etc.. If you have adequately researched the organization ahead of time, you should already know some of these answers, but the interview is the right time to find out more. You'll score more points with the interviewer if you already know something about the organization and the kind of position you want. Knowing little about either is an instant turn off.

Interview Structure

Understand that interviews have beginnings, middles, and endings as all conversations do.

1. The Warm Up: Introduce yourself with firm handshake and a look that says "I'm looking forward to this" rather than "I hope you don't ask me something I can't answer." Usually that first minute or two is devoted to light chitchat about the weather, your hometown or perhaps something interesting in your resume. Remember that first impressions, positive or negative, die slowly. Make yours count.

2. Getting Down To It: Most of an initial interview will be spent discussing:

1. Your qualifications: choice of major, most valuable courses, types of jobs held and related experiences, achievements, role in campus/ community activities and recreational or cultural activities.

2. Your goals: long term, but particularly your immediate career objectives and how you have realistically assessed your abilities in relation to these goals.

3. Your knowledge of the organization: its major services and products, opportunities for training and advancement, and how you can fit in.

The employer is basically looking for a qualified person with a positive attitude and the intelligence and energy necessary to accept responsibility and follow through. Be prepared to give specific examples of how you have demonstrated some of these attributes.

3. In conclusion: wrapping up involves

1. Making sure you have answers to your questions (but do not needlessly prolong the interview)

2. Knowing what further information (references, transcripts) the organization requires

3. Knowing when you will be notified of the interview results.

Write down the interviewer's name so that you can send him/her a "thank you" note. This is a professional courtesy and is especially advised if you are still interested in the job.

Remember to be yourself, know your strengths and be honest with the interviewer. Practice and preparation are the keys to interviewing successfully. Do all you can to be as confident and prepared as possible.

Remember to be yourself, know your strengths and be honest with the interviewer. Practice and preparation are the keys to interviewing successfully. Do all you can do to be as confident and prepared as possible?

Here we go! Take a look at these questions and know what you would say if you were asked!

• Tell me about yourself?
• Why did you choose to interview with our organization?
• Describe your ideal job?
• What can you offer us?
• Where do you want to be in five-years? Ten-years?
• What skills have you developed?
• What did you enjoy most about your last employment?
• What did you enjoy least about your last employment?
• Have you ever quit a job? Why?
• Why should we hire you rather than another candidate?
• What do you consider to be your greatest strengths?
• Can you name some weaknesses?
• Do you prefer to work under supervision or on your own?
• Tell me about how you have contributed to a team’s success?
• Of which three accomplishments are you most proud?
• What do you know about our company (product or service)?
• Who are your role models?
• Give me an example of a time you worked under deadline pressure – what did you do to meet the deadline with a quality product?
• Are you able to work on several assignments at once?
• Do you prefer large or small companies? Why?
• Tell me about a time when you worked in a structured position?
• How much overtime are you willing to work?Are you willing to travel to fulfill the responsibilities of this position?
• Are you available for relocation?
• What problems have you solved in your previous positions?
• Are you willing to work flextime?
• Define success / failure?
• Have you ever had any failures?
• Describe your relationships with your former supervisors and co-workers?
• What are your salary expectations?
• Describe your computer skills?

You are in the interview. The interviewer asks you if you have any questions for them. Why not ask some of these?

1. Why is this position open? How often has it been filled in the past 5 to 10 years?


2. What have been the primary reasons for peopleleaving?


3. Why did the last person leave?


4. In what ways were you pleased with what he or she did?


5. Where was the greatest room for improvement?


6. What would you like done differently by the next person who fills the position?


7. What are some of the objectives you would like accomplished in this position?


8. What is the most pressing? What would you like to have done within the next two or three months? Six months? One to two years?


9. What are some of the longer-term objectives you would like to complete?


10. What freedom would I have in determining my objectives, deadlines, and methods of measurements?


11. What kind of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances, etc.?


12. What are some of the more difficult problems that one would face in this position? How do you think these could best be handled?


13. In terms of status, prestige and influence, how does this department compare with others, especially from the viewpoint of the top person?


14. How would you describe your management style?


15. How does this compare with your boss and those above him or her, especially the chief executive?


16. What personality traits do you consider critical for this position? What do you see as my strengths, shortcomings and chances for this position?


17. Where could a person go who is successful in this position and within what time frame?


18. In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products and services over the years, particularly more recently? Are new markets being developed? If so, what are they?


19. What significant changes do you foresee in the near future? Expansion plans? Reorganization? What significant changes have happened recently? What was the impact on this department?


20. Is there any reason why I would not be considered for this position?


21. Are there plans for mergers or acquisitions?


22. What is the best thing you know about this organization? What is the worst thing you know?


23. What is the corporate mission statement? What are the company's goals?


24. What formal and informal benchmarks will you use to measure my effectiveness and my contributions?


25. How does the reporting relationship work? What are the acceptable channels of communication?

Here are more tips on how to answer some tough question during the interview!

Q. 1. What position do you expect to hold in five years?
A. This question tests how realistic you are. It's not realistic to say you want to be president in five years when you are five levels below that and there are one hundred people ahead of you. It's okay to have such a goal, but don't express it. Employers seek promotable people, but tend to be suspicious of the person who expects to turn the hospital upside down. If your interviewer will be your boss or your boss's boss, you might say,

"I would like to move up the ladder with you. I realize you have other very capable people in this department, but through my contributions I'll seek to be the person who moves into your position when you're promoted. In five years I'd like to move up two or three notches."

Q. 2. Why would you like to work for us?
A. If this question is asked at or near the beginning of the first interview, you have an opportunity to describe what you know about the organization by way of your research. If the question is asked after the interviewer has described the job and the company in detail, you could mention positive points that you had discovered on your own, as well as some mentioned by the interviewer. This might include the reputation of the company or department, its rapid growth, or your personal attraction to the interviewer as a boss. You might also mention that the job itself is a factor in your wanting to work for the hospital.

Q. 3. What is your opinion of your present (past) employer?
A. The interviewer does not expect you to speak in glowing terms about your employer, but you should emphasize the positive qualities. If you really like your present organization, your response will be easy. If you hate it, be careful. Start by saying something positive, followed by one or two minor negatives, and finish with a strong positive. This is not the time to blast your employer. If you mention only, negatives, the interviewer may assume you are a negative person who is difficult to satisfy.

Q. 4. How long would you stay if we offered this position?
A. This is an impossible question to answer since no one really knows how long he or she will stay. The best way to handle it is to lay out the conditions for your staying:

"I hope to stay for many years. Everything I know about the hospital tells me this is an ideal fit. The philosophy of top management matches mine and I like everything I've seen so far. Advancement and pay are certainly important to me. As long as my responsibilities and income grow with my proven worth, I expect to stay a long time."

Notice how stating the conditions made it seem like a much more realistic and honest response. You are unlikely to be believed if you say that you expect to stay with the hospital "for 20 years and then retire." Furthermore, such a statement may make it seem as though everything you say is designed simply to match what the interviewer wants to hear. If you have an unstable work history, you must develop a convincing statement, which clearly shows that those days have ended. Actually, you should begin dealing with this issue as soon as you can in the interview; don't wait for the interviewer to bring it up. At the first opportunity, mention what makes this job appealing. You could also sprinkle in subtle hints that there is more stability in your life at this time and that you would value a stable job as well. These comments will help you emphasize that you are a very reliable, responsible person.

Q. 5. What do you know about our hospital?
A. The employer asks this question to determine your interest, enthusiasm, and initiative. There's no faking this answer-- either you've done your homework or you haven't. Typically you would describe what you know about their products or services, the reputation of the organization, the size of the organization in relation to its competitors, and any financial information you've picked up. If you've thoroughly analyzed the hospital's annual report, don't overwhelm the interviewer with financial data. Share any interesting knowledge about the hospital you've gathered, such as a new product or acquisition.

Q. 6. Why do you want to leave your present employer?
A. The four most acceptable reasons for leaving an employer include the desire for more money, more responsibility, more challenge, or more job satisfaction. Less acceptable reasons might be a personality conflict with your boss, not wishing to relocate, or having to work too much overtime. These last three reasons may be real, but they cast suspicion on you as a worker. Be prepared to offer two or three reasons since employers realize that changes are seldom made for one reason alone. Every employer understands someone wanting more money.
A good response might be:

"With my level of expertise, I should be earning more. Of course I realize my hospital is not going to pay me more than my manager earns, so I've decided to look elsewhere. I've gained some outstanding experience there. I'm interested in Liberty Medical Center because of the quality of your patient care."

Top quality people seek greater challenges and more responsibility; some hospitals allow faster growth than others do. Hospitals that promote primarily by seniority and those with slow growth make promotions more difficult. You could explain your reason for leaving by saying:

" Hamilton Hospital is an excellent hospital and I've learned a lot, but right now it's in a slow growth pattern. My Director has told me I'll have his spot when he moves up, but both of us realize that could take four or five years. I just want to use my abilities to the fullest."

Q. 7. Starting with your first job out of college, tell me why you left each organization.
A. Generally, people will have several reasons for leaving a hospital. Select the most appropriate and acceptable reason for each move. Do not use such negative statements as "I had a personality conflict with my boss" or "It was a lousy hospital to work for." Learn how to soften your statements. Your answer may require some elaboration since the reasons for leaving are often complex. If you had four or five reasons for leaving, select one or two that will cause the employer to understand and accept your reasons.

Q. 8. What kind of recommendations will you get from your previous employer?
A. You should know the answer to this question. Although many companies are hesitant to make negative statements about former employees because of possible defamation of character lawsuits, some will say negative things. If you've been fired from one of your last three jobs, you would be wise to contact your former boss or the personnel department and ask what they will say. If the termination was justified, but you have since changed your ways, explain that to your former boss. Explain, too, how the firing was actually a blessing in disguise because you really learned from the experience. If you know you will receive good recommendations you might simply say,

"I'm certain each of my former administrators will have only positive things to say about me. We worked well together and I learned a lot from each one."

You could also expand and describe some specific points the managers might make. In other words, let your managers sell you even though they are not present.
You may have had excellent relations with all but one former manager. How you would respond to the question, in that case, depends on what you find out when you re-contact past managers. If you are confident that nothing negative will be said, simply respond by stating they will all say positive things. If you are fairly certain that a particular manager would say negative things about you, describe some of your results and indicate some areas where you and your boss differed. Your intent would be to soften or counteract what you believe your former boss may say. Psychologically it has less negative impact when an employer has already heard from you the negative statements that a former boss might make. Of course you need to be discreet about what you mention. If your relations with that manager were poor, but you know the hospital has a strict policy about not giving out information beyond the dates of employment, do not indicate that your former manager would say anything negative about you.

Q. 9. Describe your relationship with your last three managers.
A. This question is easy to answer if you've had great relationships with your managers. If the relationships were less than sterling, you don't have to pretend they were wonderful, just accentuate the positive. If you had a hot and cold relationship with a manager, stress the things which you know your boss valued about you. It is acceptable to say,

"We didn't agree on everything, but we both respected each other a great deal. We learned how to work around those differences. Once decisions were made, I would back her completely, and she valued that."

A statement like this shows maturity on the interviewee's part. After all, even your interviewer has probably had four or more managers. I can guarantee you that not all of them were wonderful. If you try to paint a picture that your relationship with each manager was ideal, you will seem less credible to your interviewer.

Q. 10. What are your manager's strengths and weaknesses?
A. Be prepared to answer this question for each of your managers. To answer it, concentrate on strengths. Play down weaknesses, even if they were many. Select a fairly minor weakness to discuss.

Q. 11. What kind of managers do you like the most? Least? Why?
A. To prepare for this question, list all of the qualities you truly like and dislike in a manager. When the question is asked, select those that are most appropriate. For your preferred characteristics, select two or more that your future boss appears to have. For dislikes, select qualities that appear not to be true of this person. Be careful with a statement like, "I don't like a manager who won't give me enough independence." You may come across as a maverick. Don't just make a statement -- explain what you mean. Instead of the above response, you might say, "It's frustrating working for someone who can't delegate effectively." See the difference? No one appreciates someone who does not delegate well. With this answer you would then go on to describe yourself as one who is highly reliable and self-directing, capable of taking on major challenges.

Q. 12. How has your manager helped you grow?
A. Whether you have a great manager or a not so great one, every manager will add to your personal growth in some way. If, for example, your manager has no human relations’ skills, emphasize how the person has helped you grow in technical knowledge

Q. 13. What did your manager rate you highest on during your last review? Lowest?
A. Emphasize the positive and give a complete explanation as to why your manager valued that quality. Undoubtedly there are four or five things that you were rated highly on. Pick the one or two items that will score the most points with this particular interviewer. Of those things you were rated lower in, you might say,

"Overall, I was rated quite high in everything. I suppose if there were anything that my boss wanted me to work on it would be to work on my presentation skills. That's why I'm now in Toastmasters."

When possible, emphasize a technical skill that your manager simply wants you to work on, as opposed to a personality characteristic. It is always more acceptable to say you need to learn to perfect a technical skill rather than say,

"My manager wants me to work on my tendency to be rude to customers."

Q. 14. What kind of manager gets the best results out of you?
A. Base your answer on what you've learned about your prospective manager. If you know this person keeps a tight rein on employees, you would not mention your strong need for independence. Think through and identify several qualities that really help motivate you and be prepared to share two or three. You might answer by saying you prefer a manager who is fair, open-minded and has high-integrity. You could also say you prefer a manager who leads by example and motivates people.

Q. 15. What is your manager like?
A. This is similar to the question regarding your manager's strengths and weaknesses, but with this question you will only discuss your director's strengths. No matter how bad a director may be, every manager has strengths--concentrate on those.

Ok, you're in the interview and you are prepared to talk about your past job experiences. Then, the interviewer starts to ask more general and maybe, uncomfortable questions. Here are some of those questions and things to think about before you go to the interview!

1. Tell me a story about yourself.
   Just talk for 2 minutes. Be logical. Start anywhere, e.g. high school, college or first position. The interviewer is looking for communication skills, linear thinking. Also try to score a point or two (describe a major personal attribute.)

1. Why are you leaving your current position?
   This is a very critical question. Don't "bad mouth" your previous employer. Don't sound too opportunistic. Some description could be major problems, buy-out, or shutdown. It is also good to state that after a long personal consideration your chance to make a contribution is very low due to company changes.

1. What do you consider your most significant accomplishments?
   This can get you the job. Prepare extensively. Score points. Tell a 2-minute story, with details and discuss your personal involvement. Make the accomplishment worth achieving. Discuss hard work, long hours, pressure, and important company issues at stake.

1. Why do you believe that you are qualified for this position?
   Pick two or three main factors about the job and about you that are most relevant. Discuss for two minutes, with specific details. Select a technical skill, a specific management skill (organizing, staffing, planning), and a personal success attribute to mention.

1. Have you ever accomplished something you didn't think you could?
   Interviewer is trying to determine your goal orientation, work ethic, personal commitment, and integrity. Provide a good example where you overcame several numbers of difficulties to succeed. Prove you're not a quitter, and that you'll get going when the going gets tough.

1. What do you like/dislike most about your current position?
   Interviewer is trying to determine compatibility with open position. If you have interest in the position be careful. Stating you dislike overtime or getting into the details, or that you like management can cost you the position. There is nothing wrong with liking challenges, pressure situations, and opportunities to grow, or dislike for bureaucracy or frustrating situations

1. How do you handle pressure? Do you like or dislike these situations?
   High achievers tend to perform well in high-pressure situations. Conversely, questions also could imply that position is pressure packed and out of control. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you know what you're getting into. If you do perform well under stress, provide a good example with details, giving an overview of the stress situation. Let the interviewer "feel" the stress by your description of it.

1. The sign of a good employee is the ability to take the initiative. Can you describe situations like this about yourself?
   A pro-active, results oriented person doesn't have to be told what to do. This is one of the major success attributes. To convince the interviewer you possess this trait you must give a series of short examples describing your self-motivation. Try to discuss at least one in detail. The extra effort, strong work ethic and creative side of you must be demonstrated.

1. What's the worst or most embarrassing aspect of your business career? How would you have done things differently now with 20/20 hindsight?
   This is a general question to learn how introspective you are, also to see if you can learn from your mistakes. If you can, it indicates an open, more flexible personality. Don't be afraid to talk about your failures, particularly if you've learned from them. This is a critical aspect of high potential individuals.

1. How have you grown or changed over the past few years?
   This requires thought. Maturation increased technical skills, or increased self-confidence are important aspects of human development. To discuss this effectively is indicative of a well-balanced, intelligent individual. Overcoming personal obstacles, or recognizing manageable weaknesses can brand you as an approachable and desirable employee.

1. What do you consider your most significant strengths?
   Be prepared. Know your four or five key strengths. Be able to discuss each with a specific example. Select those attributes that are most compatible with the job opening. Most people say "management" or "good interpersonal skills" in answer to this. Don't use this unless you can describe the specific characteristics of management (planning, organizing, results, staffing, etc.) or how your relationship skills have proven critical to your success.

1. What do you consider your most significant weaknesses?
   Don't reveal deep character flaws. Rather discuss tolerable faults, which you are working towards improving. Show by specific example how this has changed over time. Better still, show how a weakness can be turned into a strength. For example, how a concentration on details results in higher quality work even though it requires overtime.

1. Deadlines, frustrations, difficult people, and silly rules can make a job difficult. How do you handle these types of situations?
   Most companies, unfortunately, face these types of problems daily. If you can't deal with petty frustrations, you'll be seen as a problem. You certainly can state your displeasure at the petty side of these issues, but how you overcome them is important. Diplomacy, perseverance, and common-sense can often prevail even in difficult circumstances. This is part of corporate America , and you must be able to deal with it on a regular basis.

1. One of our biggest problems is ________. What has been your experience with this? How would you deal with it?
   Think on your feet. Ask questions to get details. Break it into sub-sections. Highly likely you have some experience with sub-sections. Answer these, and summarize the total. State how you would go about solving the problem, if you can't answer directly. Be specific. Show your organizational and analytical skills.

1. How do you compare your technical skills to your management skills?
   Many people tend to minimize their technical skills, either because they don't have any, or they don't like getting into the details. Most successful managers possess good technical skills and don't get into enough detail to make sure they understand the information being presented by their group. Try for a good balance here if you want to be seriously considered for the position.

1. How has your technical ability been important in accomplishing results?
   Clearly the interviewer believes he needs a strong level of technical competence. Most strong managers have good technical backgrounds, even if they have gotten away from the details. Describe specific examples of your technical where with all, but don't be afraid to say you are not current. Also, you could give examples of how you resolve a technical issue by "accelerated research."

1. How would you handle a situation with tight deadlines, low employee moral and inadequate resources?
   If you pull this off effectively, it indicates you have strong management skills. Need to be creative. An example would be great. Relate your toughest management task, even if it doesn't meet all the criteria. Most situations don't. Organizational skills, interpersonal skills, and handling pressure are key elements of effective management. Good managers should be able to address each issue, even if they are not concurrent. Deftly handling the question is pretty indicative of your skills.

1. Are you satisfied with your career to date? What would you change if you could?
   Be honest. Interviewer wants to know if he can keep you happy. It's important to know if you're willing to make some sacrifices to get your career on the right track. Degree of motivation is an important selection criterion.

1. What are your career goals? Where do you see yourself five years from now? Ten years?
   Most importantly, be realistic! Blue-sky stuff brands you as immature. One or two management jumps in three to five years is a reasonable goal. If your track indicates you're on line for senior management in ten years, it's okay to mention. However, if you've had a rocky road, better to be introspective.

1. What do you think of your last boss? Favorite boss? Least favorite boss?
   Realize that complainers are recognized as potential troublemakers. Keep your answer short, sweet and move-on. "I like him as an individual and respect him professionally and I learned a great deal." Do not elaborate further. Find a growth opportunity in any situation.

1. What is your energy level like? Describe a typical day?
   Demonstrate good use of time; include planning in advance and that review of your performance helps you reach your desired goals.

1. How do you take direction? How do you take criticism?
   The preferred situation is when a manager can provide fully detailed directions. Remember that managers have a larger agenda, which might not be shared. Learning what signals could have been recognized earlier is preferred to taking offense to criticism.

1. Why should we hire you for this position? What contribution would you make?
   Good chance to summarize. By now you know the key problems. Re-state and show how you would address. Relate to specific attributes and specific accomplishments. Qualify responses with the need to gather information. Don't be cocky. Demonstrate a thoughtful, organized, strong effort kind of attitude.