Questions to Ask Recruiters

Ask questions about new products, how research and development is structured at the company, management strategies at the company, how the company has changed, and potential product growth.

Basics of Interviewing

  • Arrive early for the interview- get mentally prepared.
  • You are interviewing the company, it is a two-way street.
  • Be enthusiastic – you must show that you are interested in the job. This leaves a big impression on the interviewer.
  • Dress to your advantage- conservative is best.
  • If at all possible, do not discuss salary in the initial interview. This might be tempting, but you do not have enough

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Interview strategies for fighting age bias

The key to coping with age bias is to provide the right feedback and dismiss concerns about age right off the bat. Most times, a subtle age bias will appear in questions and comments from interviewers. The trick is identifying the questions and knowing the best way to answer them. Here are nine practice questions and suggested replies.

  1. Tell me about yourself. Focus on your

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Get a better picture of a potential job by asking these 14 questions

  1. What do you find most frustrating about your position?
  2. Why is this position open?
  3. Can you describe a typical day in this role?
  4. Where do you see this position in three to five years?
  5. What is the company’s policy regarding training?
  6. Would the job description assigned to me be based on my interest areas?
  7. What are the company’s financial stability and future growth possibilities?
  8. Could you describe the work culture (do people

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Interviewing Approaches

You should be prepared for a few different approaches to interviewing. You may encounter behavioral interviewing or the case approach to interviewing. On occasion a company may give a stress interview to determine how a candidate handles himself under pressure. You may also get a panel interview, however employers often tell you in advance so you are prepared for it.

What is a stress interview?

Most commonly used in investment banking, stress interviewing is the deliberate creation of an uncomfortable situation in order to test how the candidate reacts to pressure.

The ethics of this kind of interviewing are questionable, and it is far from certain that the stress created is similar to what would occur on the job. However, it’s also true that one person’s stress situation … [ Read more ]

Questions You Shouldn’t Ask

  1. Avoid asking questions that are answered in the company’s annual report or employment brochure. Recruiters are familiar enough with their own information to recognize when you haven’t done your homework. If some information in the annual report isn’t clear to you, by all means ask for clarification.
  2. Don’t bring up salary or benefits in the initial interview. This is a major mistake. The majority of companies

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Behavioral Interviewing

This method is used by large consulting firms and multinational companies.

  • The purpose of this interviewing approach is to screen for certain skills and characteristics found in successful employees in the company.
  • Interviewer will ask specific questions about a candidate’s experiences to determine if he/she has demonstrated certain job characteristics such as: leadership, creativity, initiative.
  • The interviewer will ask pointed follow-up questions such as:
  • “Can you

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Three Levels of Preparation

Before an interview, learn about career-related issues in your selected field and prepare a two-minute presentation; think through the key points you want to make in response to typical interview questions; develop a portfolio; create a weighted list of must-haves and nice-to-haves in a job; and choose and brief your references. For a specific interview, there are three levels of preparation you can do, depending … [ Read more ]

How to Handle Such a Situation–if You Still Want the Job

If the interviewer ignores you when you walk in the room, just dive in with something like, “I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you why I think I’m the right person for this job.” After a long pause, you might say, “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear.” Then explain your previous response.

If the manager ridicules your background, … [ Read more ]

Questions You Should Ask

Now that you know what you shouldn’t ask during the interview, determine what questions you should ask. If you plan to ask a lot of questions, it would be wise to have a typed list.

  1. Ask specific questions about the position. You need to know what duties will be required, and if this hasn’t already been covered, it’s time to ask appropriate questions to

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Tips for Behavioral Interviewing

  • Be as specific as possible. Avoid “usually” or “always” responses – no hypothetical answers.
  • Try to use examples related to education, work or extracurricular experience.
  • Take the necessary time to organize your thoughts and responses, “I’ll have an answer for you in a second.”
  • Ask for clarification if needed: ” Am I answering the question … am I on the right track?”

I-Banking Interview

Questions You Can Ask in an Interview

Quality and comprehensive questions score points. Do not discuss job mechanics.

  • What is the number one priority of the person who accepts this job?
  • What do you consider the five most important day-to-day responsibilities of this job?
  • What do you see as the strengths of the department?
  • What does the department hope to achieve in the next two to three years? How will that help the company?
  • How

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Case Method Interviewing

This method is usually used by management consulting firms and large corporations.

  • Employers use this method to assess if you think logically, have problem solving skills and know business principles.
  • Classic business cases are given to test analytic ability, the ability to sort out key facts and stay focused.
  • Some consulting firms think that this is the best test of a typical consulting situation for

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How To Ace A Consulting Firm Interview

Because McKinsey, Andersen Consulting, Mercer, and the rest are only as good as the people they recruit, and because a job as a consultant demands that you be intellectually rigorous and nimble, all while keeping your poise in front of clients paying six-or seven figure sums for your wisdom. Here are four main types of interviews consultants use to test these skills, plus tips on … [ Read more ]

How to Answer Questions About Your Weaknesses

To make sure this question doesn’t trip you up, here are seven possible strategies that you—as an interviewee—can use to frame an effective response. Remember that context is as important as content. Whenever you cite a weakness, be sure to remind employers of your strengths. Be honest about your shortcomings, but never cite anything that might genuinely interfere with your ability to do the available … [ Read more ]