25 Ways to Sabotage Your Job Search

Source: Careerbuilder.com

You know the friend who constantly dates the wrong kind of person? The one who's endlessly frustrated that he or she is going to die alone because all the good ones are taken?

After enough venting sessions, you realize something your friend doesn't: He or she is the common thread tying together all of these -- let's just say it together -- losers. Someone needs to speak up and say, "You're doing this to yourself."

You'll find this same pattern can be true in a job hunt. Granted, we're in tough times and plenty of reasons out of your control can keep you from getting hired. But that's just one more reason to do everything within your power to be the best job seeker you can.

With that in mind, look over these 25 ways you might be unknowingly sabotaging your job search:

1. Assuming you'll never need to look for another job
You love your current job and that's great. If you're happy there and see a promising future, I hope you never have to leave. Nevertheless, you should always be prepared for the day you have to move on. Even if the boss loves you, things can change. Buyouts, economic disasters or changes in leadership can affect your employment. Continue to update your résumé while you're employed so that you have an accurate record of your accomplishments.

2. Burning bridges
We love the scenes in movies where the disgruntled employee finally tells off the boss and storms out of the office, only to live a happy, fulfilling life. In real life, these idols are probably unemployed because they don't have good references, and no employer wants to hire someone with a tarnished reputation.

3. Keeping mum on your job search
Most people aren't keen on being unemployed, and if you were laid off it's understandable that you don't want to spend all your time talking about it. But you need to network; it's one of the most effective ways to find a job. A friend of a friend of a friend often gets you the interview that lands you the job -- but that won't happen if no one knows you're looking for new career opportunities.

4. Looking for "The One"
Although you want to conduct a focused job search, you need to keep an open mind. With any luck, you'll land the perfect gig but sometimes you have to take a job that possesses most of the qualities you want -- not all of them. If the pay is right, the requirements are in line with your experience and the opportunities for promotion are good, then you might have to overlook the fact that you have to wake up 30 minutes earlier than you'd like.

5. Not searching at all
This mistake probably seems obvious, but as anyone who's been on a lengthy job hunt can tell you, discouragement is easy to come by. A few weeks or months without a job and enough news segments on layoffs are enough to convince you that no one is hiring. Without question the market's competitive, but if you're not actively looking for work, don't expect it to fall in your lap.

6. No cover letter
Including a cover letter is an easy way to play it safe during a job hunt. Although not every employer wants one, surveys continually find employers who automatically remove job seekers from consideration if they don't include a cover letter. Why would you give any employer a reason not to hire you?

7. A generic cover letter
The only thing worse than no cover letter is one that could be sent to any anonymous employer. Starting with "To Whom It May Concern" and filling the page with phrases like "hard working" will signal the reader that you're blindly sending out applications to every job opening you see. Hiring managers are looking for someone who fits their needs, and their needs are different than another employer's. Don't treat them the same.

8. Typos
If you received a wedding invitation full of misspelled words and poor punctuation, you'd probably wonder why these two people didn't take the time to proofread the page. After all, it's an important event and a lot of people will be reading it. Employers will wonder the same thing about a résumé or cover letter filled with errors.

9. All "me" and not enough "you"
Your cover letter and résumé are definitely about you, but they're not for you. Employers are only interested in you in the context of what you can do for them. Whenever you reveal information about yourself, use it as proof that you offer something to the company that no one else can.

10. Giving bad contact information
When hiring managers like what they see on your résumé and cover letter, they're going to look for your contact information. If they see that your e-mail address is BeerFreak80@email.com or your current work number is the best way to contact you, they're going to think twice before reaching out. The only thing worse is forgetting to include your contact information at all.

11. Running late
Every boss wants an employee who is dependable and a good representative of the company. Someone who's tardy to an interview is neither.

12. Dressing for the wrong job
Appearances matter in an interview, and you should dress for what's appropriate in your field. Find out what the dress code is before you show up so you fit in with the company culture. Wearing a suit when you're told jeans are the norm can make you seem stuffy; wearing shorts and sandals when everyone else is wearing suits makes you look oblivious. You're better off erring on the side of too professional than too casual.

13. Griping about past employers
Keep in mind that you're not guaranteed to be with any company forever. When you talk trash about your last company, your interviewer's thinking, "What are you going to say about me once you leave?"

14. Not asking questions
One quintessential interview question is, "Do you have any questions for me?" Sitting there silently suggests you're not invested in the job. When you go to a restaurant, you probably have a few questions for the waiter. Shouldn't you be just as curious about a new job?

15. Not doing your research
Research for a new job involves two important subjects: the position and the company. Find out as much about the position as you can so you can decide if you even want it and you can position yourself as the best fit for the job.

Knowing all you can about the company will help you decide if you like its direction and share its ideals. Plus, when it comes to the all important "Do you have any questions for us?" portion of the interview (see above), you have plenty of material to cover.

16. Thinking the interview starts and ends in a meeting room
The formal interview occurs when you shake hands with the interviewer and ends when you leave the room. The full process begins when you're called or e-mailed to come in for an interview and it continues every time you converse with someone at the company. Were you rude to the recruiter or the receptionist? You never know what gets reported back to the hiring manager.

17. Talking about money too soon
As eager as you are to land the job and cash your first paycheck, let the employer mention salary first. Broaching the subject first implies you're more eager about money than about doing a good job.

18. Acting cocky
You never want to beg for a job, but you should act like you care about it. If your confidence level spills over into arrogance, you'll guarantee no employer will want to work with you.

19. Being so honest you're rude
Not every job will turn into a lifelong career, and you might have no intention of staying at the company more than a year or two when you interview. Still, hiring managers don't want to hear that you're just taking this job to pass time until you find a real job that you care about. You don't need to commit yourself to the company for a decade, but don't make yourself sound like a flight risk, either.

20. Forgetting your manners
Common courtesy can get you far, and in a job hunt you'd like to get as far as possible. After an interview, send a thank-you note (via e-mail or regular mail) to show your gratitude to the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. This will leave him or her with a good impression of you.

21. Stalking the hiring manager
If the interviewer gives you a deadline for hearing back from him or her, go ahead and call to see if a decision has been made. Do not call, e-mail and visit every day until you finally get a response -- which will probably be, "You definitely did not get the job."

22. Not keeping track of your applications
Because a job hunt can be a lengthy process, you should have a running list of where you've applied and whether or not you've heard back. Although you don't think you'll forget where you applied, after a dozen applications your memory can get fuzzy. Sending multiple applications to the same employer says, "I'm either disorganized or I'm just sending out bulk applications."

23. Not learning from mistakes
You're bound to make a mistake here and there during an interview. If a question trips you up, think about what went wrong and prepare for it the next time. Don't forget mistakes from your past, either. Look back at jobs you hated and try to avoid landing one of those jobs again.

24. Assuming you got the job
Don't ever assume you have the job until you actually hear the hiring manager say, "You got the job." Several factors can complicate whether or not you get hired, so don't halt your job search until you receive an offer. Keep searching for work because the deal might fall through at the last minute or you might find an even better job.

25. Forgetting the lessons you learned during a job search
When your hard work pays off and you do land a job, don't forget all the trials and trouble you went through to get it. Just because you have a paycheck doesn't mean you've looked for your last job. Remember how important it is to maintain a network, keep track of your achievements and have good references. If you do find yourself looking for work again, you'll have a much easier time.

Coping with long-term unemployment

Many people are out of work - and staying unemployed for longer periods of time. Don't let it get you down.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- We're just getting the latest figures on unemployment. But it's not just about the number of people out of work, at issue is also how long people are out of work.

It's taking people about 22 weeks on average to find new employment. That's the highest ever on record according to the government. And that figure doesn't even count people who have stopped looking for work.

In 2006 people were out of work for about 4 months ... but the number of weeks has been creeping up steadily upward.

Here's how to cope if you've been unemployed a while:

Call your state's unemployment office. There's some good news here. Unemployment benefits have been extended dramatically. In most states you can get from 72 to 79 weeks of unemployment. Plus, you'll also get an extra $25 per week in your paycheck and the first $2,400 of benefits won't be subject to income tax. To find out what you're eligible for, you'll need to call and ask.

Get work. Even if you are picking up a job at Starbucks, the reality is that if you aren't doing anything the perception of employers can be that you are growing stale or worse, lazy says Bradley Richardson, the author of "Career Comeback." It's not fair, but it's true.

Seek out part-time or contract work to keep those skills sharp. Bottom line: get out and do something even if it isn't in your chosen field. Don't wait to hit the home run -- a full-time job with full benefits. Volunteer work is acceptable too.

Give yourself a break. Understand that the nature of employment has changed in the last five to seven years. A rollercoaster career path is not unusual because we have had wild swings in employment due to the booms and busts of the last few years. Employers understand this, so if your resume looks a little uneven it won't be surprising to HR professionals.

Find some staffing firms that are active in your field. It's critical to understand that these firms specialize -- some are high-end boutique firms that find jobs for CEOs, others staff temp positions, others do part time work. Find the right staffing firms to pitch and get them working for you. Give them lists of the people you want to meet; copies of the magazine articles that illuminate changes in your field, lists of the companies you want to work for.

Develop structure to your daily schedule. You're not having it imposed by your employer, so you'll have to put it together yourself. Schedule time to work the social networking sites and research jobs. Having a schedule you can rely on will help keep you from going insane.

The McIntosh Newsletter - June, 2009

Newsflash: People are succeeding in their jobs and companies continue to promote top performers.

"Advancement only comes with habitually doing more than you are asked." - Gary Ryan Blair

We all know those individuals who are constantly getting promoted at work. What do these people do that is so different than what we do? Are they smarter? Do they work harder? Do they achieve more? Or, are they just better at developing relationships and promoting themselves? In this month's newsletter, I want to share with you an article I recently read with some tips on how to get yourself promoted at work. I have noted a couple personal comments in red text. Enjoy and good luck getting that next promotion!

"Moving Up the Ladder: 10 Strategies for Getting Yourself Promoted" - Dr. Randall S. Hansen, the Webmaster and Publisher of Quintessential Careers and QuintZine

Some career experts say that the day you start a new job you should begin planning for your next job. And you know what? You should! Just make sure that you stay focused enough on the job you were hired for that you succeed and excel in that position before looking for the next one.

Promotions are not a given. It used to be that workers progressed along specific career paths during their careers, but the impact of technology, globalization, and flatter organizational structures, has changed that paradigm. Today, employees have to create and manage their own career paths -- through one or multiple organizations. And remember that a promotion is not always an upward path. Sometimes -- especially in today's business environment -- you may need to make a lateral move to position yourself for a later upward move. How do you develop your promotion plan? Incorporate these 10 strategies into your plan.

1. Develop Mentoring Relationships
One recent study found that in four out of five promotions, those promoted had a mentoring relationship with someone higher in the company who helped spread the good word about them. Some companies have formal mentoring programs, but even if your company does not, there are still ways you can build relationships with people in higher positions in the company. Mentors can also be great sources for information and career guidance.

(Mark's note: great mentors can be found anywhere, your church, your current employer or in local professional networking groups like the CPA Society)

2. Quantify Results
While promotions are not necessarily based on your past performance, you can certainly make a much better case for a promotion by showing detailed information about your past successes. Those who get results get ahead.

Keep a record of everything you do that enhances the company's bottom line, that puts the company or your department in a good light, that is creative and innovative, and that shows your loyalty and commitment to the organization.

(Mark's note: quantify results, your made, saved and achieved accomplishments to later use on your resume)

3. Practice Self-Promotion
We're taught by our families that modesty is a virtue, but just as with job-hunting, if no one knows how great you are, you simply won't get ahead. Be a known quantity. If you have had major accomplishments or created new or award-winning programs, make sure people know about them -- especially the people doing the promoting.

Sell yourself -- and let it be known that you are seeking a promotion. One professional we know sends out a monthly email to his boss and his boss's boss to keep them updated on his progress on various projects -- and to share any accomplishments and accolades that occurred in the previous month.

4. Establish a Bond with Your Boss
It might help to think of your boss as one of those border guards between countries. S/he can either be raising the gate and waving you onward and upward to your next position within the company, or s/he can be keeping the gate down and blocking you from any movement within the company.

Use all opportunities to make your boss a key supporter of your promotion.

Use professional settings to seek counsel and stress your interest in staying with the company. Use performance appraisals not just to go over your accomplishments, but to talk with your boss about potential roadblocks to a promotion -- and how to overcome those roadblocks.

Some experts also suggest building rapport with your boss by learning more about his or her outside interests and hobbies -- and then chatting about them during conferences, parties, or other informal activities.

5. Acquire New Knowledge and Skills
It goes without saying that one of the best ways to succeed in getting a promotion is to expand your knowledge and skills sets in areas that are critical to the organization. As technology and other environmental forces change rapidly, you need an ever-increasing skill set not only to perform your job, but to stay marketable.

Experts also suggest that employees who want to get ahead should not only keep current with industry news and events, but to also pay attention to trends and events outside their specialty.

6. Build Your Network
The more people who know you, know your strengths and abilities, know your value to the organization, and know (at least some of) your ambitions, the more likely your name will be discussed when opportunities arise.

An added benefit of networking is that you will learn much more about the company if you network with people in other areas of the organization.

7. Ask for More Responsibilities
Volunteering to help out other departments or teams -- or simply asking for more responsibilities -- increases your value within the organization. Asking for more work shows your interest and desire to help your department and company to succeed --as well as putting a spotlight on your value to the organization.

8. Act Professionally at All Times
Earn a reputation for being dependable, professional, and cooperative. Act and look the part.

Dress professionally and neatly -- even on business casual days.
Ask questions when you aren't sure how to do something.
Dare to be different -- make yourself stand out from the pack.
Keep a positive outlook on things, even when in tough situations.
Don't whine or complain - or blame others -- when things don't go your way.
Make a name for yourself in your industry through conferences, articles, speeches.
Don't be a clock-watcher.

Finally, be a problem-solver. Don't go to your boss with problems. If a difficult situation arises, be sure to come up with at least one solution before seeking your boss's blessing for dealing with the situation. Problem-solvers get promoted. Complainers who expect the boss to solve all their problems don't.

9. Be a Team Player
Because so much of work is now accomplished through teams -- departmental or cross-functional -- it becomes even more important to share successes with your team and to avoid pointing your finger when there are failures.

And by being a team player, you only build your reputation and increase your value to the organization.

10. Create Your Own Opportunities
After studying the needs and challenges of the organizations, if you see an area that has been neglected -- and you have key skills in that area - write a proposal for a new position.

And even if the company does not go for the new position, you have again shown your initiative, creativity, and value to the firm -- and these things can only help you the next time you request a promotion.

Good questions to ask the interviewer

Source: Resumagic.com

Why is this position available?
Is this a new position? How long has this position existed?
How many people have held this position in the last two years?
Who would be my supervisor? To whom would I report?
Whom will I supervise?
With whom will I be working most closely?
What do you like about working for this company?
What are the current plans for expansion or cutbacks?
What kind of turnover rate does the company have?
How financially sound is this company?
What projects and assignments will I be working on?
What happened to the person that held this position before? Was he promoted or fired?
What is this company's culture? (Ex: Is it rigid and formal or relaxed and flexible?)
What are the current problems facing the company (or my department)?
What do you like the most about working for this company? The least?
What is the philosophy of the company?
What do you consider to be the company's strengths and weaknesses?
What are the company's long and short term goals?
Describe the work environment.
What attracted you (the interviewer) to this organization?
Why do you enjoy working for this company?
Describe the typical responsibilities of the position.
What are the most challenging aspects of the position?
Describe the opportunities for training and professional development.
Will I receive any formal training?
What is the company's promotional policy?
Are there opportunities for advancement within the organization?
When can I expect to hear from you?

13 Best Jobs in Hard Times - When the going gets tough, these careers get going.

By Marty Nemko, Kiplinger

A recent CNN poll finds that nearly 60% of Americans believe we're likely facing a depression. Although most Americans would, of course, suffer in an economic depression, some careers should remain strong, maybe even bolstered by tough times.

1. Accounting. Bad times increase businesses' and individuals' desire to wisely account for every last dollar.

2. Education. Even in the recent tough times, our political leaders are calling for increased education spending and voters continue to pass education bonds.
Community colleges should also thrive. Unable to land a good job, many people will return to school for retraining. Even those with college degrees will turn to community colleges because they typically offer practical career-related training and at an affordable price.

3. Entertainment industry. During the Great Depression, the movie industry boomed as people craved escapism and had time to burn. That would likely be the same today: the film, video game, sports, and creative arts industries should be viable.

4. Utility companies. This is the classic defensive investment. Even in the worst times, utilities stay cranking.

5. Repairers. Home, car, commercial, industrial -- in a bad economy, the rule is don't replace; repair. For example, in a depression, struggling car manufacturers will more often opt to repair than replace a balky welding robot.

6. Energy industry. Despite all the media attention to solar, wind, etc., the nuclear industry may, over the next decade, create the most jobs.

7. Health care. especially registered nurses, physician assistants, internal medicine physicians, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, and physical therapy assistants.
There should also be a boom in jobs related to healthcare reform, a Barack Obama priority. Many government jobs in accounting, actuarial science, information systems and management should result.

8. Senior services. An increasingly aging population will increase the need for housing, home retrofitting, geriatric care management, and, of course, the aforementioned health care.

9. Law enforcement. Crime doesn't take a break in tough times. In fact, it tends to increase.

10. "Sin" industries. Jobs related to the liquor and sex industries have always thrived, in good times and bad. (Sin stocks may also make good investments. See The Virtues of Vice Stocks for more info.)

11. The clergy. People seek spiritual support in tough times.

12. The repossession, foreclosure and debt collection industries. For example, there will be jobs repossessing the big SUVs from owners who knew they couldn't afford them, but took advantage of no-qualification loans.

13. Government work. The new Obama presidency is likely to mean more big-government solutions, creating government jobs across the board but especially in homeland security, health care, accounting/auditing, information technology, and the IRS. The government has police powers to collect taxes in good times and bad, and so will be more impervious to economic declines.

I believe that for non-stars, government is the last bastion of secure, well-benefited employment that generally requires only 40-hour workweeks, and offers ample sick days, holidays, and vacation days.

Despite the stock market freefall and the continuing parade of business failures, I am cautiously optimistic that we will avoid a depression. But it's comforting to know that even in hard times, it should be possible to thrive.

Marty Nemko (bio) is a career coach and author of 'Cool Careers for Dummies.'

Behavioral Interview Questions

Behavioral Interviewing, a style of interviewing that is increasing in popularity due to its effectiveness, can be an intimidating activity. Here is a very exhaustive list of sample behavioral interview questions intended to help job seekers and interviewers alike in their preparation for their upcoming interview.

Good luck!

source: Kansas Department of Administration

Complete List of Behavioral Interview Questions

Adaptability
Describe a major change that occurred in a job that you held. How did you adapt to this change?
Tell us about a situation in which you had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle it?
Tell us about a time that you had to adapt to a difficult situation.
What do you do when priorities change quickly? Give one example of when this happened.

Ambition
Describe a project or idea that was implemented primarily because of your efforts. What was your role? What was the outcome?
Describe a time when you made a suggestion to improve the work in your organization.
Give an example of an important goal that you set in the past. Tell about your success in reaching it.
Give two examples of things you've done in previous jobs t hat demonstrate your willingness to work hard.
How many hours a day do you put into your work? What were your study patterns at school?
Tell us about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
Tell us about a time when a job had to be completed and you were able to focus your attention and efforts to get it done.
Tell us about a time when you were particularly effective on prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.
Tell us about the last time that you undertook a project that demanded a lot of initiative.
Tell us how you keep your job knowledge current with the on going changes in the industry.
There are times when we work without close supervision or support to get the job done. Tell us about a time when you found yourself in such a situation and how things turned out.
What impact did you have in your last job?
What is the most competitive work situation you have experienced? How did you handle it? What was the result?
What is the riskiest decision you have made? What was the situation? What happened?
What kinds of challenges did you face on your last job? Give an example of how you handled them.
What projects have you started on your own recently? What prompted you to get started?
What sorts of things have you done to become better qualified for your career?
What was the best idea that you came up with in your career? How did you apply it?
When you disagree with your manager, what do you do? Give an example.
When you have a lot of work to do, how do you get it all done? Give an example?

Analytical Thinking
Describe the project or situation which best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What was your role?
Developing and using a detailed procedure is often very important in a job. Tell about a time when you needed to develop and use a detailed procedure to successfully complete a project.
Give a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and login in solving a problem.
Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
Give me an example of when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?
How did you go about making the changes (step by step)? Answer in depth or detail such as "What were you thinking at that point?" or "Tell me more about meeting with that person", or "Lead me through your decision process".
Relate a specific instance when you found it necessary to be precise in your in order to complete the job.
Tell us about a job or setting where great precision to detail was required to complete a task. How did you handle that situation?
Tell us about a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation. What kind of thought process did you go through? What was your reasoning behind your decision?
Tell us about your experience in past jobs that required you to be especially alert to details while doing the task involved.

Building Relationships
Give a specific example of a time when you had to address an angry customer. What was the problem and what was the outcome? How would you asses your role in diffusing the situation?
It is very important to build good relationships at work but sometimes it doesn't always work. If you can, tell about a time when you were not able to build a successful relationship with a difficult person.
Tell us about a time when you built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions.
What, in your opinion, are the key ingredients in guiding and maintaining successful business relationships? Give examples of how you made these work for you.

Business Systems Thinking
Describe how your position contributes to your organization's/unit's goals. What are the unit's goals/mission?
Tell us about a politically complex work situation in which you worked.

Caution
Have you ever worked in a situation where the rules and guidelines were not clear? Tell me about it. How did you feel about it? How did you react?
Some people consider themselves to be "big picture people" and others are "detail oriented". Which are you? Give an example of a time when you displayed this.
Tell us me about a situation when it was important for you to pay attention to details. How did you handle it?
Tell us me about a time when you demonstrated too much initiative?

Communication
Describe a situation in which you were able to effectively "read" another person and guide your actions by your understanding of their individual needs or values.
Describe a situation when you were able to strengthen a relationship by communicating effectively. What made your communication effective?
Describe a situation where you felt you had not communicated well. How did you correct the situation?
Describe a time when you were able to effectively communicate a difficult or unpleasant idea to a superior.
Describe the most significant written document, report or presentation which you had to complete.
Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person, even when that individual may not have personally liked you , or vice versa.
Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person, even when that individual may not have personally liked you.
Have you ever had to "sell" an idea to your co-workers or group? How did you do it? Did they "buy" it?
Have you had to "sell" an idea to your co-workers, classmates or group? How did you do it? Did they "buy" it?
How do you keep subordinates informed about information that affects their jobs?
How do you keep your manager informed about what is being done in your work area?
How do you go about explaining a complex technical problem to a person who does not understand technical jargon?What approach do you take in communicating with people?
What kinds of communication situations cause you difficulty? Give an example.
Tell us about a recent successful experience in making a speech or presentation. How did you prepare? What obstacles did you face? How did you handle them?
Tell us about a time when you and your current/previous supervisor disagreed but you still found a way to get your point across.
Tell us about a time when you had to present complex information. How did you ensure that the other person understood?
Tell us about a time when you had to use your verbal communication skills in order to get a point across that was important to you.
Tell us about a time when you were particularly effective in a talk you gave or a seminar you taught.
Tell us about an experience in which you had to speak up in order to be sure that other people knew what you thought or felt.
Tell us me about a situation when you had to speak up (be assertive) in order to get a point across that was important to you.
Tell us me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get an important point across.
What challenges have occurred while you were coordinating work with other units, departments, and/or divisions?
What have you done to improve your verbal communication skills?
How have you persuaded people through a document you prepared?
What are the most challenging documents you have done? What kinds of proposals have your written?
What kinds of writing have you done? How do you prepare written communications?

Conflict Resolution
Describe a time when you took personal accountability for a conflict and initiated contact with the individual(s) involved to explain your actions.

Customer Orientation
How do you handle problems with customers? Give an example.
How do you go about establishing rapport with a customer? What have you done to gain their confidence? Give an example.
What have you done to improve relations with your customers?

Decision Making
Discuss an important decision you have made regarding a task or project at work. What factors influenced your decision?
Everyone has made some poor decisions or has done something that just did not turn out right. Has this happened to you? What happened?
Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
Give an example of a time in which you had to keep from speaking or not finish a task because you did not have enough information to come to a good decision. Give an example of a time when there was a decision to be made and procedures were not in place?
Give an example of a time when you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
Give me an example of a time when you had to keep from speaking or making a decision because you did not have enough information.
How did you go about deciding what strategy to employ when dealing with a difficult customer?
How do you go about developing I information to make a decision? Give an example.
How do you involve your manager and/or others when you make a decision?
How have you gone about making important decisions?
How quickly do you make decisions? Give an example.
In a current job task, what steps do you go through to ensure your decisions are correct/effective?
Tell us about a time when you had to defend a decision you made even though other important people were opposed to your decision.
What kind of decisions do you make rapidly? What kind takes more time? Give examples.
What kinds of problems have you had coordinating technical projects? How did you solve t hem?
What was your most difficult decision in the last 6 months? What made it difficult?
When you have to make a highly technical decision, how do you go about doing it?

Delegation
Do you consider yourself a macro or micro manager? How do you delegate?
How do you make the decision to delegate work?
Tell us how you go about delegating work?
What was the biggest mistake you have had when delegating work? The biggest success?

Detail-Oriented
Describe a situation where you had the option to leave the details to others or you could take care of them yourself.
Do prefer to work with the "big picture" or the "details" of a situation? Give me an example of an experience that illustrates your preference.
Have the jobs you held in the past required little attention, moderate attention, or a great deal of attention to detail? Give me an example of a situation that illustrates this requirement.
Tell us about a difficult experience you had in working with details.
Tell us about a situation where attention to detail was either important or unimportant in accomplishing an assigned task.

Employee Development
Tell us about a training program that you have developed or enhanced.

Evaluating Alternatives
Have you ever had a situation where you had a number of alternatives to choose from? How did you go about choosing one?
How did you assemble the information?
How did you review the information? What process did you follow to reach a conclusion?
What alternatives did you develop?
What are some of the major decisions you have made over the past (6, 12, 18) months?
What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you? Describe one?
Who made the decision?

Flexibility
Have you ever had a subordinate whose performance was consistently marginal? What did you do?
How have you adjusted your style when it was not meeting the objectives and/or people were not responding correctly?
What do you do when you are faced with an obstacle to an important project? Give an example.
When you have difficulty persuading someone to your point of view, what do you do? Give an example.

Follow-up and Control
How did you keep track of delegated assignments?
How do you evaluate the productivity/effectiveness of your subordinates?
How do you get data for performance reviews?
How do you keep track of what your subordinates are doing?
What administrative paperwork do you have? Is it useful? Why/why not?

Initiative
Give me an example of when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
Give me examples of projects/tasks you started on your own.
Give some instances in which you anticipated problems and were able to influence a new direction.
How did you get work assignments at your most recent employer?
What changes did you develop at your most recent employer?
What kinds of things really get your excited?
What sorts of projects did you generate that required you to go beyond your job description?
What sorts of things did you do at school that were beyond expectations?

Interpersonal Skills
Describe a recent unpopular decision you made and what the result was.
Describe a recent unpopular decision you made and what the result was.
Describe a situation in which you were able to effectively "read" another person and guide your actions by your understanding of their needs and values.
Tell us about the most difficult or frustrating individual that you've ever had to work with, and how you managed to work with them.
What have you done in past situations to contribute toward a teamwork environment?
What have you done in the past to contribute toward a teamwork environment?

Innovation
Can you think of a situation where innovation was required at work? What did you do in this situation?
Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and took action without waiting for direction. What was the outcome?
Describe a time when you came up with a creative solution/idea/project/report to a problem in your past work.
Describe something that you have implemented at work. What were the steps used to implement this?
Describe the most creative work-related project which you have carried out.
Give me an example of when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?
Sometimes it is essential that we break out of the routine, standardized way of doing things in order to complete the task. Give an example of when you were able to successfully develop such a new approach.
Tell us about a problem that you solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the outcome? Were you satisfied with it?
Tell us about a suggestion you made to improve the way job processes/operations worked. What was the result?
There are many jobs in which well-established methods are typically followed. Give a specific example of a time when you tried some other method to do the job.
There are many jobs that require creative or innovative thinking. Give an example of when you had such a job and how you handled it.
What have been some of your most creative ideas?
What innovative procedures have you developed? How did you develop them? Who was involved? Where did the ideas come from?
What new or unusual ideas have you developed on your job? How did you develop them? What was the result? Did you implement them?
When was the last time that you thought "outside of the box" and how did you do it?

Integrity
Describe a time when you were asked to keep information confidential.
Give examples of how you have acted with integrity in your job/work relationship.
If you can, tell about a time when your trustworthiness was challenged. How did you react/respond?
On occasion we are confronted by dishonesty in the workplace. Tell about such an occurrence and how you handled it.
Tell us about a specific time when you had to handle a tough problem which challenged fairness or ethnical issues.
Trust requires personal accountability. Can you tell about a time when you chose to trust someone? What was the outcome?

Introducing Change
Have you ever had to introduce a policy change to your work group? How did you do it?
Have you ever met resistance when implementing a new idea or policy to a work group? How did you deal with it? What happened?
When is the last time you had to introduce a new idea or procedure to people on this job? How did you do it?

Leadership
Give an example of a time in which you felt you were able to build motivation in your co-workers or subordinates at work.
Give an example of your ability to build motivation in your co-workers, classmates, and even if on a volunteer committee.
Have you ever had difficulty getting others to accept your ideas? What was your approach? Did it work?
Have you ever been a member of a group where two of the members did not work well together? What did you do to get them to do so?
What is the toughest group that you have had to get cooperation from?
What is the toughest group that you have had to get cooperation from? Describe how you handled it. What was the outcome?

Listening
Give an example of a time when you made a mistake because you did not listen well to what someone had to say.
How often do you have to rely on information you have gathered from others when talking to them? What kinds of problems have you had? What happened?
What do you do to show people that you are listing to them?
When is listening important on your job? When is listening difficult?

Motivating Others
Have you ever had a subordinate whose work was always marginal? How did you deal with that person? What happened?
How do you deal with people whose work exceeds your expectations?
How do you get subordinates to produce at a high level? Give an example.
How do you get subordinates to work at their peak potential? Give an example.
How do you manage cross-functional teams?

Motivation
Describe a situation when you were able to have a positive influence on the actions of others.
Give an example of a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
Give me an example of a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
How would you define "success" for someone in your chosen career?
Tell us me about an important goal that you set in the past. Were you successful? Why?

Negotiating
Describe the most challenging negotiation in which you were involved. What did you do? What were the results for you? What were the results for the other party?
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to bargain with someone? How did you feel about this? What did you do? Give an example.
How did you prepare for it?
How did you present your position?
How did you resolve it?
Tell us about the last time you had to negotiate with someone.
What was the most difficult part?

Organizational
Describe a time when you had to make a difficult choice between your personal and professional life.
Give me an example of a project that best describes your organizational skills.
How do you decide what gets top priority when scheduling your time?
What do you do when your schedule is suddenly interrupted? Give an example.

Performance Management
Give an example of a time when you helped a staff member accept change and make the necessary adjustments to move forward. What were the change/transition skills that you used.
Give an example of how you have been successful at empowering either a person or a group of people into accomplishing a task.
How do you handle a subordinate whose work is not up to expectations?
How do you coach a subordinate to develop a new skill?
How do you handle performance reviews? Tell me about a difficult one.
How often do you discuss a subordinate's performance with him/her? Give an example.
Tell us about a specific development plan that you created and carried out with one or more of your employees. What was the specific situation? What were the components of the development plan? What was the outcome?
Tell us about a time when you had to take disciplinary action with someone you supervised.
Tell us about a time when you had to tell a staff member that you were dissatisfied with his or her work.
Tell us about a time when you had to use your authority to get something done. Where there any negative consequences?
There are times when people need extra help. Give an example of when you were able to provide that support to a person with whom you worked.
What have you done to develop the skills of your staff?
When do you give positive feedback to people? Tell me about the last time you did. Give an example of how you handle the need for constructive criticism with a subordinate or peer.

Personal Effectiveness
Give an example of a situation where others were intense but you were able to maintain your composure.
It is important to maintain a positive attitude at work when you have other things on your mind. Give a specific example of when you were able to do that.
Keeping others informed of your progress/actions helps them fell comfortable. Tell your methods for keeping your supervisor advised of the status on projects.
Tell us about a recent job or experience that you would describe as a real learning experience? What did you learn from the job or experience?
Tell us about a time when you took responsibility for an error and were held personally accountable.
Tell us about a time when your supervisor criticized your work. How did you respond?
Tell us about some demanding situations in which you managed to remain calm and composed.
There are times when we are placed under extreme pressure on the job. Tell about a time when you were under such pressure and how you handled it.
What have you done to further your own professional development in the past 5 years.
When you have been made aware of, or have discovered for yourself, a problem in your work performance, what was your course of action? Can you give an example?

Persuasion
Describe a situation in which you were able to positively influence the actions of others in a desired direction.
Describe a situation where you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
Describe a time when you were able to convince a skeptical or resistant customer to purchase a project or utilize your services.
Have you ever had to persuade a group to accept a proposal or idea? How did you go about doing it? What was the result?
Have you ever had to persuade a peer or manager to accept an idea that you knew they would not like? Describe the resistance you met and how you overcame it.
How do you get a peer or colleague to accept one of your ideas?
In selling an idea, it is sometimes useful to use metaphors, analogies, or stories to make your point. Give a recent example of when you were able to successfully do that.
Tell us about a time when you had to convince someone in authority about your ideas. How did it work out?
Tell us about a time when you used facts and reason to persuade someone to accept your recommendation.
Tell us about a time when you used your leadership ability to gain support for what initially had strong opposition.
Tell us about a time when you were able to successfully influence another person.

Planning and Organization
Describe how you develop a project team's goals and project plan?
How do you schedule your time? Set priorities? How do you handle doing twenty things at once?
What do you do when your time schedule or project plan is upset by unforeseen circumstances? Give an example.
What have you done in order to be effective with your organization and planning?

Presentation
How do you prepare for a presentation to a group of technical experts in your field?
How would you describe your presentation style?
Tell us about the most effective presentation you have made. What was the topic? What made it difficult? How did you handle it?
What kinds of oral presentations have you made? How did you prepare for them? What challenges did you have?

Problem Solving
Describe the most difficult working relationship you've had with an individual. What specific actions did you take to improve the relationship? What was the outcome?
Give me an example of a situation where you had difficulties with a team member. What, if anything, did you do to resolve the difficulties?

Problems Solving
Have you ever been caught unaware by a problem or obstacles that you had not foreseen? What happened?
Tell us about a time when you did something completely different from the plan and/or assignment. Why? What happened?
What are some of the problems you have faced; such as between business development and project leaders, between one department and another, between you and your peers? How did you recognize that they were there?
When was the last time something came up in a meeting that was not covered in the plan? What did you do? What were the results of your judgment?

Problem Resolution
Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual, and how you dealt with it. What was the outcome? How do you feel about it?
Describe a time in which you were faced with problems or stresses which tested your coping skills. What did you do?
Describe a time when you facilitated a creative solution to a problem between two employees.
Give a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
Give an example of a problem which you faced on any job that you have had and tell how you went about solving it.
Give an example of when you "went to the source" to address a conflict. Do you feel trust levels were improved as a result?
Problems occur in almost all work relationships. Describe a time when you had to cope with the resentment or hostility of a subordinate or co-worker.
Some problems require developing a unique approach. Tell about a time when you were able to develop a different problem-solving approach.
Sometimes the only way to resolve a defense or conflict is through negotiation and compromise. Tell about a time when you were able to resolve a difficult situation by finding some common ground.
Sometimes we need to remain calm on the outside when we are really upset on the inside. Give an example of a time that this happened to you.
Tell us about a recent success you had with an especially difficult employee/co-worker.
Tell us about a situation in which you had to separate the person from the issue when working to resolve issues.
Tell us about a time when you identified a potential problem and resolved the situation before it became serious.
There is more than one way to solve a problem. Give an example from your recent work experience that would illustrate this.

Project Management
Tell us about a time when you influenced the outcome of a project by taking a leadership role.
Using a specific example of a project, tell how you kept those involved informed of the progress.

Relate Well
Describe a situation where you had to use conflict management skills.
Describe a situation where you had to use confrontation skills.
Give me an example of a time when a company policy or action hurt people. What, if anything, did you do to mitigate the negative consequences to people?
How do you typically deal with conflict? Can you give me an example?
Tell us about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision.
What would your co-workers (or staff) stay is the most frustrating thing about your communications with them?

Removing Obstacles
Have you ever dealt with a situation where communications were poor? Where there was a lack of cooperation? Lack of trust? How did you handle these situations?
What do you do when a subordinate comes to you with a challenge?
What have you done to help your subordinates to be more productive?
What have you done to make sure that your subordinates can be productive? Give an example.

Resolving Conflict
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to settle an argument between two friends (or people you knew)? What did you do? What was the result?
Have you ever had to settle conflict between two people on the job? What was the situation and what did you do?
Tell us about a time when you had to help two peers settle a dispute. How did you go about identifying the issues? What did you do? What was the result?

Resource Management
Tell us about a time when you organized or planned an event that was very successful.

Sales
Describe how you prepare for a sales call for a new client.
How do you go about making cold calls?
How have your sales skills improved over the past three years.
Tell us about your most difficult sales experience.
Tell us about your sales volume over the past three years. What have you done to influence it?

Scheduling
Describe the most difficult scheduling problem you have faced.
How did you assign priorities to jobs?
How did you go about making job assignments?
When all have been over-loaded, how do your people meet job assignments?

Self Assessment
Can you recall a time when you were less than pleased with your performance?
Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
Give me a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree.
Give me an example of an important goal that you h ad set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.
If there were one area you've always wanted to improve upon, what would that be?
In what ways are you trying to improve yourself?
Tell us about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
What do you consider to be your professional strengths? Give me a specific example using this attribute in the workplace.
What goal have you set for yourself that you have successfully achieved?
What was the most useful criticism you ever received?

Selecting and Developing People
How do you coach an employee in completing a new assignment?
What have you done to develop your subordinates? Give an example.
What have you done to improve the skills of your subordinates?
What was your biggest mistake in hiring someone? What happened? How did you deal with the situation?
What was your biggest success in hiring someone? What did you do?

Setting Goals
Did you have a strategic plan? How was it developed? How did you communicate it to the rest of your staff?
How do you communicate goals to subordinates? Give an example.
How do you involve people in developing your unit's goals? Give an example.
What company plans have you developed? Which ones have you reached? How did you reach them? Which have you missed? Why did you miss them?
What goals did you miss? Why did you miss them?
What goals have you met? What did you do to meet them?
What were your annual goals at your most current employer? How did you develop these goals?
What were your long-range plans at your most recent employer? What was our role in developing them?

Setting Performance Standards
How do you go about setting goals with subordinates? How do you involve them in this process?
How do you let subordinates know what you expect of them?
What performance standards do you have for your unit? How have you communicated them to your subordinates?

Setting Priorities
Have you ever been overloaded with work? How do you keep track of work so that it gets done on time?
How do you manage your time?
How do you schedule your time?
When given an important assignment, how do you approach it?

Sound Judgment
Describe a situation when you had to exercise a significant amount of self-control.
Give me an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
Give me an example of when you were able to meet the personal and professional demands in your life yet still maintained a healthy balance.
Give me an example of when you were responsible for an error or mistake. What was the outcome? What, if anything, would you do differently?
If you were interviewing for this position what would you be looking for in the applicants?
We work with a great deal of confidential information. Describe how you would have handled sensitive information in a past work experience. What strategies would you utilize to maintain confidentiality when pressured by others?
When have you had to produce results without sufficient guidelines? Give an example.

Strategic Planning
Describe what steps/methods you have used to define/identify a vision for your unit/position.
How do you see your job relating to the overall goals of the organization?
In your current or former position, what were your long and short-term goals?
Tell us about a time when you anticipated the future and made changes to current responsibilities/operations to meet future needs.

Stress Management
How did you react when faced with constant time pressure? Give an example.
People react differently when job demands are constantly changing; how do you react?
What kind of events cause you stress on the job?
What was the most stressful situation you have faced? How did you deal with it?

Teamwork
Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or help others to compromise. What was your role? What steps did you take? What was the end result?
Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What would you have done to prevent this?
Describe a team experience you found rewarding.
Describe the types of teams you've been involved with. What were your roles?
Describe your leadership style and give an example of a situation when you successfully led a group.
Give an example of how you have been successful at empowering a group of people in accomplishing a task.
Give an example of how you worked effectively with people to accomplish an important result.
Have you ever been a project leader? Give examples of problems you experienced and how you reacted.
Have you ever been in a position where you had to lead a group of peers? How did you handle it?
Have you ever participated in a task group? What was your role? How did you contribute?
Please give your best example of working cooperatively as a team member to accomplish an important goal. What was the goal or objective? To what extent did you interact with others on this project?
Some people work best as part of a group - others prefer the role of individual contributor. How would you describe yourself? Give an example of a situation where you felt you were most effective.
Tell us about a time that you had to work on a team that did not get along. What happened? What role did you take? What was the result?
Tell us about a work experience where you had to work closely with others. How did it go? How did you overcome any difficulties?
Tell us about the most difficult challenge you faced in trying to work cooperatively with someone who did not share the same ideas? What was your role in achieving the work objective?
Tell us about the most difficult situation you have had when leading a team. What happened and what did you do? Was it successful? Emphasize the "single" most important thing you did?
Tell us about the most effective contribution you have made as part of a task group or special project team.
Think about the times you have been a team leader. What could you have done to be more effective?
What is the difficult part of being a member, not leader, of a team? How did you handle this?
What role have you typically played as a member of a team? How did you interact with other members of the team?
When is the last time you had a disagreement with a peer? How did you resolve the situation?
When working on a team project have you ever had an experience where there was strong disagreement among team members? What did you do?

Time Management Schedule
Describe a situation that required you to do a number of things at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?
How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give an example.
How do you typically plan your day to manage your time effectively?
Of your current assignments, which do you consider to have required the greatest amount of effort with regard to planning/organization? How have you accomplished this assignment? How would you asses your effectiveness?

Toughness
On many occasions, managers have to make tough decisions. What was the most difficult one you have had to make?
Tell us about setbacks you have faced. How did you deal with them?
What has been your major work related disappointment? What happened and what did you do?
What is the most competitive situation you have experienced? How did you handle it? What was the result?
What was your major disappointment?

Variety
How many projects do you work on at once? Please describe.
When was the last time you made a key decision on the spur of the moment? What was the reason and result?
When was the last time you were in a crises? What was the situation? How did you react?
Which of your jobs had the most rapid change? How did you feel about it?

Values Diversity
Give a specific example of how you have helped create an environment where differences are valued, encouraged and supported.
Tell us about a time that you successfully adapted to a culturally different environment.
Tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a wide variety of people by accepting/understanding their perspective.
Tell us about a time when you made an intentional effort to get to know someone from another culture.
What have you done to further your knowledge/understanding about diversity? How have you demonstrated your learning?
What have you done to support diversity in your unit?
What measures have you taken to make someone feel comfortable in an environment that was obviously uncomfortable with his or her presence?

Networking Aphorisms

I received this list from a networking group I belong to in the Indianapolis area. Networking is key in business.


1. You don’t have to know everything as long as you know the people who do.

2. One thing in life is constant: the relationships that you develop.

3. If you want to impress people with how much you care, show them how much you remember.

4. It’s a myth that people do not like to be asked to help. Don’t be afraid to ask.

5. There is no such thing as having a poor memory. You either have a trained or an untrained memory.

6. The people you are closest to are the ones you are most likely to take for granted.

…Dig your well before you are thirsty.