What is Your Greatest Weakness? a sense of urgency to get projects completed When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule. What is Your Greatest Strength? •When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule. •I have exceeded my sales goals every quarter and I've earned a bonus each year since I started with my current employer. •My time management skills are excellent and I'm organized, efficient, and take pride in excelling at my work. •I pride myself on my customer service skills and my ability to resolve what could be difficult situations. Describe a Typical Work Week focused on work and show the interviewer that you're organized ("The first thing I do on Monday morning is check my voicemail and email, then I prioritize my activities for the week.") and efficient. Describe the Pace at Which You Work Options for answering this question include saying that you work at a steady pace, but usually complete work in advance of the deadline. Discuss your ability to manage projects and get them done on, or ahead, of schedule. If you work at a job where you have set criteria (i.e. number of calls made or responsed to) that measures accomplishments, discuss how you have achieved or exceeded those goals. How Do You Handle Stress / Pressure? • Stress is very important to me. With stress, I do the best possible job. The appropriate way to deal with stress is to make sure I have the correct balance between good stress and bad stress. I need good stress to stay motivated and productive. • I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful. • I actually work better under pressure and I've found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment. • Prioritizing my responsibilities so I have a clear idea of what needs to be done when, has helped me effectively manage pressure on the job. • If the people I am managing are contributing to my stress level, I discuss options for better handling difficult situations with them. What Motivates You? • I was responsible for several projects where I directed development teams and implemented repeatable processes. The teams achieved 100% on-time delivery of software products. I was motivated both by the challenge of finishing the projects ahead of schedule and by managing the teams that achieved our goals. • I've always been motivated by the desire to do a good job at whatever position I'm in. I want to excel and to be successful in my job, both for my own personal satisfaction and for my employer. • I have always wanted to ensure that my company's clients get the best customer service I can provide. I've always felt that it's important, both to me personally, and for the company and the clients, to provide a positive customer experience. Salary Negotiation give the employer a salary range based upon the salary research you've done up front. "What are the most difficult decisions to make?" or "Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it Give concrete examples of difficult situations that actually happened at work. Then discuss what you did to solve the problem. Keep your answers positive ("Even though it was difficult when Jane Doe quit without notice, we were able to rearrange the department workload to cover the position until a replacement was hired.") and be specific. Itemize what you did and how you did it. The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions, is to refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved a difficult situation.