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General Interview Preparation
Tips
. Be prompt. Give yourself ample drive time to ensure you are on time. If an
application needs to be completed, allow yourself enough time to complete it before
your scheduled interview. If you are running late, please contact me immediately, so I
may inform the client.
. Dress Professionally. First impressions are critical! Also, be sure your shoes are
polished and your nails and hair are neatly groomed. Men ensure facial hair is neatly
trimmed or be clean-shaven.Women should keep make-up and jewelry simple.
. Bring several clean copies of your resume with you.
. Bring a pen & paper inside a neat folder to take notes during the interview
. Shake hands firmly, smile, and maintain good eye contact.
. Maintain good posture during the interview and be aware of your body language.
. Do not discuss salary or benefits.
. Whetheryou're meeting with an internal recruiter, HR manager, Hiring Manager,
team lead or other team member, treat each person with the same level of respect.
They wouldn't be meeting with you if they weren't part of the final hiring decision.
. Stay positive! Avoid discussing negative situations or past experiences.
. When the interview closes ask for the job! A good response would be "Thank you
for your time. I'm sure I'll think of questions Ishould have asked after I leave.
However, based on our conversation, I want you to know that I'm very interested in
this position.I'm confident I can more than meet your expectations. How do you see
me fitting into yourteam?" Or if you have a feeling that there is a doubt in the
employers mind, you can respond with, "Do you have any questions about my ability
to handle this position?"
Interview Guidelines
. Questions asked by skilled and well-prepared interviewers always have a purpose
regardless of how irrelevant to the position they may seem. I t is important to realize
that the purpose of many questions is to test out whether you have the specific
qualities and skills required for the position. There is not necessarily a right or wrong
answer to such questions; ratherinterviewers are seeking evidence of such qualities
as your motivation, energy, attitude,initiative or maturity.
. Be honest and consistent.Be thoughtfuland truthful in your responses.
Turn the interview into a conversation by answering questions and incorporating a
question into yourresponse.
o Example: The interviewer asks,"Are you willing to travel?"
o Ideal Response":Yes, I am. Can you please give me an idea of the extent
and kind of travel involved in MY position?"
o Result: You get valuable information beyond the percentage of travel and
by personalizing the question forces the interviewer into visualizing you on the job.
General Questions
1. Tell me about you! Keep your answer to one or two minutes; don't ramble. Use your
resume summary as a base to start.
2. What do you know about our company? Do your homework before the interview!
Spend some time online or at the library researching the company. Find out as much as
you can, including products,size, income, reputation, image, management talent, people,
skills, history and philosophy.Project an informed interest; let the interviewer tell you
about the company.
3. Why do you want to work for us? Don't talk about what you want; first, talk about
their needs:You would like to be part of a specific company project; you would like to

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solve a company problem; you can make a definite contribution to specific company
goals.
4. What would you do for us? What can you do for us that someone else can't?
Relate past experiences that showyou've had success in solving previous employer
problem(s)t hat may be similar to those ofthe prospective employer.
5. What about the job offered do you find the most attractive? Least attractive? List
three or more attractive factors and only one minor unattractive factor.
6. Why should we hire you? Because of your knowledge, experience, abilities and
skills.
7. What do you look for in a job? An opportunity to use your skills, to perform and be
recognized.
8. Please give me yourdefinition of a .... (the position for which you are being
interviewed). Keep it brief -- give an action- and results-oriented definition.
9. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm? Not
long at all -- you expect only a brief period of adjustment o the learning curve.
11. Where would you like your career to be in2-3 years? Demonstrate goal-setting
and career planning. Match your goals to the company or department’s objectives.Don't
respond in terms of job titles. A good general answer discusses future job CONTENT
such as "I would like to have the responsibility of people reporting to me, helping them to
realize their potential, strengthening weaknesses,motivating them, etc. Is this
opportunity available to me here?"
12. What activities in your current or last position did you enjoy the most? The
least? They are looking again for strengths and weaknesses,people tend to like the things
they do well and avoid the tasks they are marginal or weak at.
13. All new jobs come with difficulties, what do you think some of the difficulties
might be in this position? Provide a response that includes how you would overcome
the challenges or additional training you might need to perform the job.
14. It the company gave you $5000 to spend anyway you wanted in the first year of
employment, what would you spend it on? Provide a quick and creative answer that is
relevant to the position.
15. Describe the type of boss you would like to work for? Would least like to work
for?
Personality Questions
1. Do you generally speak to people before they speak to you? It depends on the
circumstances.
2.What was the last book you read? Movie you saw? Sporting event you attended?
Talk about books,sports or films to show that you have balance in your life.
3. What is the toughest part of a job for you? Be honest.Remember, not everyone can
do everything.
4. Are you creative? Yes. Give examples that relate to your current job.
5. How would you describe your own personality? Balanced is a good word to use,but
Remember the type of company you are interviewing at. Some companies may want
Someone who is aggressive and a go-getter.
6. Are you a leader? Absolutely!Cite specific examples using your current job as a
reference point.
7. What are your strengths? Present at least three and relate them to the company and
job you are interviewing for.
8. What are your weaknesses? Show that you have done a self-assessment.Think of
traits you have noticed in yourself that you are trying to change, i.e. too bold, impetuous,
impatient. A response to this might be, "I'm aware that sometimes I'm too impatient.
When I see someone doing a job that I know a bettertechnique for, I want to jump in and
do the job for him or her. I try to remind myself that people have to learn on their own so
I try to hold myself back. Later on, I will mention to the person that they might try this
technique. Sometimes, I forget and dive in but I'm working on that issue."

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9. How would your last boss orformer teammates describe you? Be honest!And,
highlight yourtraits relevant to the position you are interviewing for.
10. Describe a situation where you were under a lot of pressure and how you
handled it. Keep your answer to one to two minutes; don't ramble. Pick a situation that
had a positive outcome.
11. Describe your work ethic.
Questions you should be prepared to ask the client
1. What are the primary goals for this position? This department? Company?
2. What is the current technical environment and structure of the team?
3. What projects have they recently completed or in the process of completing?
4. What projects are scheduled for the future?