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The answers to the most common interview questions that you need to be prepared for.

It is obvious that nobody can know in advance all the questions that can be asked on an interview. The theoretical exception is the structured interviews when all the candidates get the same set of questions in prepared list in advance. But this kind of interview doesn’t happen often. However, in practice it is possible to make a list of 15-20 common questions, many of which you can hear in a similar way in almost every interview.
Let’s review the list of such questions.

Tell us about yourself.

This is the perfect chance to present yourself in the best way, especially if you prepared in advanced. The employer is looking for a worker that can do work, has the necessary qualification, experience, and cares about the job.  The employer must see that you are really interested in this job and understand your motives. Also the employer is looking for a worker that is a good team player, feels responsibility, discipline, positively react to criticism, and can listen and understand.
It is necessary to prepare a story about yourself which will show that you have the required qualities above that are really important to employers. If you are applying for a certain position, your story should be built based on that. Tell them about yourself; make it a short description with some biographic information, but don’t get into details. The most important thing is to mention the practical experience, the knowledge and skills which can be useful to the employer. Also, it is important to show a positive attitude and interest in the job.

Do you have any questions?

This question can be asked in the beginning of the interview and only preliminary preparation will help you respond correctly. It is good to have a list of prepared questions that during the interview, depending on the situation, you can ask the employer.  It is not necessary to ask the employer more that three different types of questions unless because of the situation you have to ask more.

Why did you choose this position (organization)?

Show the employer serious reasons: a desire to use your qualification and experience in the field where you can receive great feedback, an opportunity to grow, a chance to work in a growing and strong team.

Have you had any other job interviews?

If you had, tell them. The idea that somebody wants to hire you will only raise your chances.  But certainly it is necessary to tell that you are interested in this job more.

Did you pass the interview in other places?

Based on common sense, it is better to say the truth “yes”, but do not hurry up to say where exactly.

Might your private life affect your work if you will need to travel or work late hours?

More often the employer asks this question of women. On such an attempt to avoid the law, answer firmly: “No, it won’t.”

What are your strengths?

Emphasize first all those qualities that might be useful to the given job.

What are your weaknesses?

Never ever answer this question straight. You have to turn the answer to show minor quirks that are compensated by good advantages.

Why do you wish to get this job? Why should we hire you?

This is the best question “to sell” yourself. But it is necessary to be prepared for it carefully in advance.

Why did you leave your previous job?

Don’t talk about any conflicts at your previous job even if they existed. Never criticize the former managers or the employer. If the interviewer knows that you had a conflict, do not go into detail; just explain that it was a small case because of some special circumstances. Focus on what was positive in the previous work: experience, skills, professional communications, etc.

Why have you decided to change your place of work?

You can be asked such a question if you are still working at the moment of the interview.
To give a good answer to this question is not easy. It is possible to say that in your company, the real opportunities for your professional growth have already finished and you would like to continue your growth.

How do you see yourself in three (five) years?

It is better to give a general answer: I would like to work in the same organization, but at more responsible work.

At what kind of salary you are looking for?

In the beginning of the interview try to avoid answering this question, just say that you are not ready to discuss salary right away. If the interviewer insists, then name the amount that sounds reasonable to you and matches the company’s expectations. If you don’t have such information, then name the amount that you are looking for and tell the interviewer that you are open to negotiation at the end of the interview when you will known more about the position.

What would you like to know more about the position?

Never say that you don’t have any questions. Try to ask a question which would speak well for your hiring. For example, ask the interviewer to specify something important about the work that wasn’t clearly discussed during the interview. Prepare these questions in advance but don’t try to discuss them all if the interviewer won’t ask you. Do not forget to thank the employer for the given information.

What kind of innovations would you bring to us if you will get this position?

This question is more often asked for applicants for manager or an administrative position.
It is necessary to show confidence and skills to take the initiative but don’t be overzealous.
Also be careful of offer changes if you didn’t have a change to get enough information to make the offer.

These are the most common questions that are offered to candidates at an interview.
Sometimes, it is possible to bump an unexpected and externally harmless question.
For an example: “What you did today?” Think of how favorably for yourself you can answer this question. However the problem also involves how you actually spend time and what kind of style of life will raise your chances of getting a job.

If you want to master the secrets to acing any interview and winning a new job whenever you want, then spend 5 minutes reading this eye-opening report… Click here.

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We spend a third of our life at work. There are many of us that don’t like what they are doing. We get up in the morning and without enthusiasm go to work, then we sit there and wait until the day will be over. This repeats day after day. Do you like this prospect? If not, then you are on the right page. I will offer you a formula, which is going to help you to make the decision of choosing the right profession for you. The decision of whom to be is the most important decision in your life. After all, we spend at least a third of our life at work. Whether for five days a week for eight hours a day, you will suffer from psychological discomfort directly depends on the choice of what we should do, yet not having sufficient life experience.

Some of us clearly know what we are going to do from early childhood. For example: the famous British naturalist Gerald Durrell collected spiders since he was five years old. Later on he became a zookeeper and television presenter, best known for founding what is now called the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo (now renamed Durrell Wildlife) on the Channel Island of Jersey (UK) in 1958, and for writing a number of books based on his animal-collecting expeditions, zoo-keeping, and conservation efforts.

He became a world famous person.

Step # 1. Avoid doing.

Some young people are guided by the most freakish motives. Someone gets affected by the romanticism of a profession based not on real knowledge about the future job but based on what they saw in a movie. Someone follows their parents’ steps since they consider this as a family faith. Some people are going to a particular college just to be with a friend or because the college is in a nice area. All of those are just really unwise decisions. The chosen profession really affects a person’s destiny, so it needs to be selected very responsibly.

Step # 2. Proper spirit

First of all, convince yourself that you must make this choice by yourself. Don’t follow your parents’ and friends’ advice, no matter how certain they are. This is your life, not theirs.

Step # 3. Define you interests

First of all, define your interests. What would you like to do? What classes from school do you like? What would you like to do during your free time? How comfortably do you communicate with other people, especially strangers? A lot of depends on what you like or not like to do. To define that, you can use some diagnostic questionnaires that are used by psychologists as a standard tool. You can find them on the Internet.

Step 4. Research

First, it is necessary to reasonably estimate yourself. Ask yourself: What do I want for myself, what can I expect from the chosen profession? Where do I see myself in five years? Learn as much as you can about your future profession. Use any possible recourse. Attend different companies and businesses; see by yourself what people in different professions do there.

Do you want to be sailor? Take the cruise, see by yourself what workers do there every day, including the negative parts of a profession (like being seasick)
Do you want to become a programmer? Try not to only play computer games, but also to learn some simple language and write a small program. It is even better to take some class in community college or join computer club at school.

But the best way to learn about a profession is to get a summer job or volunteer on any small position in a company where the professionals in an interesting area of work are working. For example: if you dream of becoming a journalist, try to find a job in some newspaper even as a delivery person. It will give you a chance to learn about your future profession from inside, see all pluses and minuses of the profession.

I read that in some countries you can discuses these matters with a practical psychologist, who with certain tests can help you to determine your interests and suggest some professions. To find out whether the candidate approaches a certain profession, whether he can hold a certain position is determined by a set of tests. If your test results even at 50% correspond with a selected specialty, this is considered as a satisfactory result, on 60% good, on 70% excellent. The result of 80% or more happens very seldom. If it happens then consider that chosen profession is perfect for you.

Step #5. Estimate a situation on a labor market

It is also useful to estimate a situation on the labor market. The easiest way, check the ads section in a Sunday newspaper or go on the Internet and find sites that offer jobs. Check what kinds of professions they require. Also find and read some articles that give you future forecasts. Put together all the information that you get and decide which college or classes you need to take to reach the best prospects in the chosen field. However, consider that the market needs can vary. In 3-5 years when you end training, the picture can change. So choose your profession carefully and wisely.

Step # 6. Ask experts for help

If you are still not sure yet, try talking to an expert. In this case it can be either the school psychologist or the professional psychologist. Unfortunately, a telephone survey showed that not that many districts offer such a service. From the 25 schools that survey has been done, only two agreed to provide such a service. I believe this is only the beginning.
But there are a lot of books and reports on the market today that can provide you with such tests. You can find them on the Internet too. However be careful with them, in fact it is almost the same as taking medicines without a doctor’s prescription. You still need the expert to analyze and describe the results.

Step # 7 Final decisions

Once you got all the information, make a list of 5-10 of your favorite professions. Then for each profession make a list of pros and cons. Use the elimination method.
When on the list will be left three professions, do detailed additional research and make your final choice. This is not easy but is remembered as universal people’s time is gone. Somebody said: “We are creative people and we wish to do everything at the same time and as a result we often achieve nothing.” Never allow circumstances to affect your destiny.

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Kaizen is an endless goal to make everything perfect. Kaizen helps turn a good idea into concrete forms, methods, and technologies and all this for people’s benefit. Even though the kaizen concept was developed in Japan, it has fast become a world-wide effective concept of business management. This concept proved it’s efficiency not just in the merchandize businesses but also in the service business and public organizations.

Here is a list of basic elements of the kaizen concept:

1.    Kaizen and management.
2.    Process over result
3.    Kaizen’s cycles
4.    First of all is quality
5.    Reports using verified information
6.    Consumer’s process

First of all, top management must explain in detail to employees the concept of the changes and the new way of business handling in a company. Then they establish a detailed schedule and start implementing the kaizen concept step by step from top to bottom.

1.    Kaizen and management

There are two main things in the kaizen concept that top management must be responsible for, they are precision of implementation and constant maintenance. Constant maintenance is action to provide and control the available technological, organizational and operational standards and support those standards by providing training to the employees and control their utilization. Management is responsible for making sure that everybody follows standard operating procedure (SOP).

Implementation is every event that leads to improving existing standards. So management’s main responsibilities are support and to improve standards.

Kaizen is small improvements as a result of constant efforts. Kaizen also assumes fast improvement based on investments in new technologies and equipment. If the money is the key factor to you, then implementation process will slow down and because of that it will be more expensive.

The Kaizen strategy is based on human efforts, morals, communication, training, command work, involving and self-discipline – a sensible and not expensive approach to perfection.

2.    Process over result

Kaizen puts to the main corner of people the mentality of thinking focused on process. Because to improve results you need improve the business process first. The problems with the final results indicate that there are problems with the process. Management must find those problems and correct them. Kaizen concentrates on human efforts while in many companies management concentrates on the final result.

The approach focused on process should be used also during the implementation of kaizen’s various cycles. Here are some of those cycles: PDCI – (plan- do – check – influence); SDCI - (standardize-do-check- influence); ECQ - (everybody’s control of quality); EOT - (exactly on time); ECE - (everybody’s care of equipment);
Some companies didn’t get positive result because they ignored some of the cycles in the process. The most critical element in the kaizen process is top management involvement.
Their constant and active involvement is important for success.

3.    Kaizen’s cycles

The first thing that is necessary to do in the kaizen process is implementing the PDCI cycle (plan- do – check – influence). The PDCI is a mechanism that makes the kaizen process continuously go until the company’s standards are accomplished. This is the most important moment in the process.

Plan - Planning assumes that goals to become better are established. Kaizen is a style of living that shows why the goals are very important.
Do – the implementation of the plans.
Check – see the result of the plan’s implementation and made it business better.
Influence - concern for structure and standardization in new procedures that prevents the problems and difficulties that the business had before. Also standards establish rules to achieve better results.  The PDCI cycle repeats on a higher level right after the process is improved and there is some positive result.

The SDCI (standardize-do-check- influence) cycle turns into an object of further perfection. SDCI implementation means that the company is never satisfied with the existing condition.
Workers most of the time prefer to leave thing as is and often don’t want to make things better. Management must make them more forward and stimulate them.

Any new working process is unstable in the beginning. So before you start to implement the PDCI cycle the process must be stabilized with the SDCI cycle.

Every time in the business process when something goes wrong, you have to ask yourself: “Did that happen because we didn’t have a standard for that?”, “Did it happen because we did not follow the standard?” or, “Did this happen because the standard is not sufficient?”.  Only after the standard is established and it meets all necessary criteria you can move forward with the PDCI cycle implementation.

The SDCI cycle standardizes and stabilizes the current business processes and then the PDCI cycle makes it better. Both those cycles must be constantly under management’s control.

4.    First of all is quality

One of the tasks from the top of the list (quality, expenses, shipping) is quality. Quality must be always the highest priority.  It doesn’t matter if the prices of the offered materials are very attractive, the business cannot succeed on the market if their product or service is not competitive enough. The logo “Quality – first of all” must be supported first of all by management. Sometimes when the product or service must be delivery on time or expenses are getting too high, management compromises with quality. With the quality they can sacrifice the viability of entire business.

5.    Report using verified information

Kaizen is a process to solve problems. To understand and solve them, first of all problems need to be defined, put together, and analyzed.  They need to be correctly understood. Trying to solve problems without understanding them, is like living just based on guesses and feelings. This is not an objective and scientific method.  Data collection about the current situation will help you to understand what is necessary to concentrate on. Business must pay a lot of attention to collecting, checking, and analyzing data.

6.    Consumer’s process

Any business has a chain of processes, and each of them has its own suppliers and consumers. So the material or piece of information that has been received in process “A” gets processed and sent to process “B”, processed there, and sent to process “C”. Every next one is always considered as the consumer’s previous one. There are two types of theories “every next process is the consumer of the previous one” internal (inside the company) and external (on the market).   The majority of workers in the organization deal only with internal consumers. In the kaizen process there is the obligation: never transfer defective parts or inaccurate information to the next process. In the condition when every employee follows that rule, the external consumer receives a high quality product or service. The ideal situation in a company is when everybody follows this rule.

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Here is the joke. A man is like a thread ball. If you hold him weakly, he unravels. If you tie him, then he runs away. The same thing happens with workers in businesses.

Different companies use time management techniques to control their workers’ work time differently. There are the SOOW (scientific organization of work), specifications, etc. What schedule should be chosen for employees: rigid or flexible? The worker’s efficiency depends more on how they take care of business than from whether they come on an hour earlier or later.
Let’s first understand how time management really can help to your organization.

The bad thing that often happens is when the company uses time management to tie people up.
They toughen the people to the work schedule, raise standards, etc. Usually they assign the project completion time spontaneously and make workers struggle.

Very often it is impossible to complete the project on time. People start to complain. The project’s due day is postponed. Sometimes people work overtime and complete the project on time, and then they get assigned to the next project with an even more tied schedule.

Some companies use some time control tools to record all workers’ activities through the day. For example: they force employees to keep track of everything that they did within the working day. First of all: it drives everybody crazy and second: it takes away time for constant recording of what has been accomplished. You can use time control but only for a short time. That information can be used later to set a correct estimate for future projects.

So, how to use time management methods wisely?

First of all, it is better to start with a system analysis of the entire organization, to find out where time flows away and find those reserves which can be used. For example: use a secretary to take all calls and eliminate unnecessary ones, also the secretary can filter all mail that the office receives. Just this can save a lot of time for people in the office in general.

Secondly, find where the weakest part is in the organization. Usually, it is in the department where unexpected situations constantly happen and it delays all work in the company.

Thirdly, analyze and find the 20% of business that brings in 80% of profit, then make that direction mandatory and try to adjust your business around it.

Fourthly, develop a business manual to simplify everything that is possible; create templates for every form and blanks that you use in business, instructions that contain the answers to your common business questions. Train your employees.

There are some more interesting and practical methods. I am sure you heard the Japanese system that is called Kaizen. That system consists of five simple steps:

1. Inventory: get rid of all unnecessary documents.
2. Keep everything in order: Define a place for each thing in your office.
3. Keep the workplace clean.
4. Standardize business procedures to keep everything clean and in order.
5. Always look to improve order in your office. Support it.

Some people can say that it is impossible to do this in real life. This is not true. There are already many companies, especially in the USA that have successfully implemented this method.
But these kinds of methods you can only implement from top to bottom and they can really reduce the time loss in business.

If a person stops wasting time on unnecessary things in the office, just because of that he automatically does work more quickly. Especially when all standard operations are automated. When everybody can find everything easily and quickly, everybody knows who and for what is in charge. The atmosphere in the office becomes very friendly and productivity goes up.

The Kaizen system has some limitations. What is good for an assemble line maybe not be practical for some professions like designers, advertisers, singers, actors, etc. In those professions it is important to find a balance between absolute order and the creative disorder.

If the personnel do not see the benefits of any innovations in the office, then they will critically perceive all innovations, even if they can really improve business. Every worker must understand the benefits of the new system for the business and himself.
If a person realizes that he doesn’t need to be afraid, if because he by accident he once forgets about some issue, he won’t be punished, he will work much better and love all new innovations in the office.

But if productivity rises and workers get more new responsibilities it is important to find a way to reward them for that. So make sure you have some reward system on hand.

What kind of schedule is better - rigid or flexible, where and why? If there is a creative type job then you need to make a special decision. If the worker can work independently and can use modern systems of communications then he may have a flexible schedule. You estimate his job by the end result.

If the job needs teamwork and the business demands close interaction between various employees and departments - a rigid schedule will be in place. In this case, when everyone is in the office, it speeds up the work.

Between those opposite methods there are a lot of varied methods too. It could be that some workers are working in a flexible schedule and the rest of the firm by the rigid one.
I believe that it all depends on the business nature. What is good working for one company will be a killer for another. It is like: if you need an accountant to be in the office all the time, you won’t hire an accountant that prefers working a couple days from home.

Time management can improve and raise the work efficiency in the office but can also make the workplace more comfortable, nice, and pleasant. True efficiency is when people work with pleasure, feel their importance, and receive fair compensation. I am talking not just material but moral, as well.

If you want to know how to get your career, business, relationships, finances, and personal life moving in the right organized direction, then the Amazing Secrets to Organizing Time & Space report can be the ideal solution for you!

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