Strong & Weak Qualities for an Interview

Common questions seem to pop up in many job interviews. Inquiries about where you see yourself in five years or what you liked about your last job can be expected. You might also be asked about what you consider to be your strong and weak personal and professional qualities. Potential employers are looking for honesty and how you fit into the company. Have a few answers like these ready to go because you never know what you may face in terms of interview questions.

Focusing on People Skills

One way to answer a question about your strong or weak qualities is to focus on your people skills. A potential employer wants to know how you interact with others and if you work well with a team. Strong interpersonal qualities that you can emphasize are examples of how you have communicated with your coworkers or took the lead on specific projects. If you feel that you have weaknesses in the area of working with others, turn it into a positive. Say you work very well independently and don't need a lot of guidance to get your work done.

Highlighting Techie Tendencies

When conducting interviews, many companies want to know what technical and computer skills you bring to the table. If techie skills are a strength for you, focus on what specific software or specialized job skills you possess. If you are able to calculate complicated equations in a spreadsheet program, share that in a story. If you are weak in terms of technology, you could say that you are eager to learn new programs. Focus on specific qualities you have that make you a quick study instead.

Organizing Your Time

If you have a Martha-Stewart-like brain for organizing, questions geared toward your ability to manage time and resources are easy to answer. To show off your strengths, think of specific examples where you juggled many tasks at once. You could also detail how you've kept track of schedules for your previous managers. If you're asked about your weak qualities and this area is one for you, focus on what you've done to overcome it. You could explain that a traditional to-do list isn't your strength, but that you downloaded an app to your phone and it keeps you organized.

Motivating Yourself

Your potential employers want to know about your ability to be self-motivated. Strong qualities that fit in this area include taking initiative at work to solve problems or seeking out opportunities to advance in your career. If you have trouble getting motivated and this is a weakness for you, explain that you work best with other people and that you get your energy when you're working together as a team. Turn your weaknesses into some kind of strength that is an asset to your boss.

Written By:
by Gina Scott, studioD
Posted on : http://oureverydaylife.com/ 

About the Author

Based in the Midwest, Gina Scott has been writing professionally since 2008. She has worked in real estate since 2004 and has expertise in pop culture and health-related topics. She has also self-published a book on how to overcome chronic health conditions. Scott holds a Master of Arts in higher-education administration from Ball State University.

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Salary Question - What is Your Current Salary?

When companies ask you about your last salary they are trying to screen you out. This is a high risk moment and hence you want to delay the salary discussion for later in the hiring process. The representative from the company is trying to make sure there is reasonable alignment of your salary requirements and their salary range. The following is just one example of the value you'll get when you use Interview Mastery.

 
Here is a recommended response when this question is asked early in the interview processes (before they have decided to hire you). First is the overall strategy then specific examples of how to respond to this question.
The overall strategy is to delay stating a specific salary number until the company has decided to hire you. Any discussion of compensation before this time runs a high risk of eliminating you from further consideration.
Response Strategy

1. I was paid well and in line with job market conditions.
2. You'd be happy to discuss salary history later in the hiring process
3. You're interested in the opportunity so far

Specific Examples When asked "What was your most recent compensation?" state the following (or something similar that is comfortable for you).
"I was paid well in my last position and in-line with market conditions and the results I delivered. I will be happy to discuss my compensation history in detail when we have decided that I'm the right person for this position."
If they asked again; "I realize that you need to make certain that my salary expectations are consistent with the salary range. To ensure we are aligned, please tell me the salary range and I'll let you know how my salary matches the range."
If they ask yet again; "When deciding on a position I consider the following factors; quality of the opportunity, quality of the company and the people I'd be working with, long term growth potential, location and compensation. Compensation is the least important criteria I use to evaluate a position. So far I'm impressed with what I have learned about this opportunity and remain very interested."
Remember that the first person to give a number is at a disadvantage. You want to discuss salary only when they are absolutely convinced they can't live without you. It is at this point that you have negotiating leverage and not until then.
Craft a response that feels comfortable for you and practice saying it. Decide right now that you are not going to discuss salary until you are ready.
Best of luck on your next interview. It is the most important moment in your search for a better position.
- Michael Neece
CEO Interview Mastery

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Job Seeking - The "7" Deadly Sins

The 7 Deadly Sins of Job Seeking

Are you making recruiters cringe? Waiting by the phone to hear back from a hiring manager?

Wake up.

You’re sabotaging your own job search. Take a deep breath and ask yourself if you’ve fallen for any of the 7 deadly job-seeking sins:

7) I Have an Unsavory Web Presence: Really? In this day and age?  Get that Facebook cleaned up, those Flickr albums locked up. Treat Google and your name like it’s a second resume.

6) I Have Bad Grammar: It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO or an entry-level candidate, you’ll be judged by your writing competency. It’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but glaring typos are a bad sign to see on your resume, cover letter, or Thank-you letter. Speaking of which…

5) I Don’t Have a Thank You Letter: You need one. After every Interview. A quick email will suffice, but a personalized handwritten letter says a bit more.

4) I Immediately Want To Know How Much It Pays: Compensation is a tricky subject. If you bring it up too soon, it’ll look like your priorities are misaligned. You’re saying you don’t care about the company, the job itself. Money is immodest, don’t start a conversation with it.

3) I Skip HR and Send My Resume Right to the CEO: This “advice” pops up now and again from those who think there’s a fast-track to the hiring process. You’ve been fed a lie. The CEO is too busy for your gimmicks. Follow the proscribed avenues first – then try going “around” to get into the company.

2) I Don’t Have a Customized Cover Letter and Resume: You should have at least 3 or 4 resumes saved on your computer for different jobs. Never lie about your skills, you’ll be found out – but you might want to highlight different aspects of your career (aside from your transferable skills across industries) and SHOW don’t TELL how you accomplished various goals.

1) I Went On the Interview. I Must Be All Done: Time to sit back and wait by the phone right? No. Keep applying to positions and going on interviews. Nothing is a done deal until you hear, “you’re hired.”

Job seeking is a full time job – one that you probably don’t want for long! Work smarter, not longer and you’ll have that handshake in no time.

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