Interview Research and Preparation Questions (55 points-5 points for each response)
Compose written responses to the questions below as if you were interviewing for the position you selected for your Job Vacancy assignment. Each response will be given a value of 0 through 5 points (0-2=Needs Improvement, 3-4=Acceptable, 5=Excellent).
1. Tell me about yourself.
- This introduces you to the employer and allows him or her to see the potential fit between brands.
- Consider your motivation for pursuing the company and how your brand aligns with its.
- Focus on the skills that you possess that you know are required.
- Remember to use "SEAT:"
- Skills
- Examples
- Achievements
- Tie it back to employer
2. What most interests you about working for this company?
- This question can go many ways emanating from personal desire to facts and financials. Prepare to respond in a manner that presents you as a knowledgeable, qualified, valued candidate.
- Access Carlson Library Business Databases including Business Insights Global and Business Source Complete
- What are the strengths or opportunities of the company?
- What do you like about the product or industry?
- What is appealing about the size of the company?
- What is appealing about the location of the company?
- Why this company and not one of its competitors?
- Review the company website for its values, vision, priorities, principles. What "speaks" to you that drives you to represent them?
- Draw from the company's LinkedIn presence. What's happening there that captures your attention?
3. Describe a time when you had to handle multiple, competing priorities. What did you do? Provide specifics.
- Apply the STAR Technique
- Situation or
- Task
- Action
- Result
- Make sure you tie your answer back to the relevance of this experience and how it can impact your performance with the company.
4. You are competing with a lot of other business school applicants. Why should we pick you?
- Identify what is unique about you over all your class colleagues. Is it:
- Internship/s?
- Grades?
- Personal qualities unique to you?
- Involvement in organizations, professional associations, athletic teams?
- Achievements?
- Consider this your competitive advantage
5. What are some qualities that an individual possesses that makes it difficult to work with them?
- The employer wants to know what types of individuals may not gel with you. If you want to stay positive, speak to personality types the complement yours.
- If you have not had difficulty working with someone, say so. Be prepared to project what you may do if confronted with a situation where there may be a conflict.
- Go back to your personality blend on Woofound (Use that resource to develop a response if necessary.
6. What is your greatest weakness? What have you done so far to try to improve in this area?
- The employer is looking for learning and progress. Identify a quality or practice you have or are trying to improve.
7. What would you consider to be your one greatest strength?
- This will likely be one of the skills identified in the job vacancy. Be prepared to back up this strength with specific examples of how you have built it.
8. Where do you want your career to go in the next 5 or 10 years?
- The employer is looking for loyalty and commitment. S/he does not want to hear that you intend to build some skills and savings and leave them for another opportunity.
9. Have you ever faced an ethical or value conflict in your job? Explain the situation and how you handled it?
- There is rarely one "right" answer here. The employer is looking for you to walk through the steps you would take to handle this.
10. Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem with very little guidance or direction.
- Apply the STAR Technique
- Situation or
- Task
- Action
- Result
- Make sure you tie your answer back to the relevance of this experience and how it can impact your performance with the company.
11. What additional questions can I answer for you? (compose at least two additional questions worth 5 points total)
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