I searched for interview questions and only found one

[Rebellab]

A little background. I have an interview with a very large corporation. It is for an account manager, I will have 15 - 20 accounts to call on and there are only four other account managers in the state. I have meet the person that could be my boss for a casual get to know me interview about two months ago. I then ran into her at a convention in the bar, I was by myself waiting for someone and we talked again over a beer and I met one of the other account managers as he had a beer with us. I was sober btw. Anyway, I will be interviewing next Tuesday, I am one of three. I know that my could be future boss as well as the other account manager I met will be two of the panel of 3-4.

 

Any ideas what questions large corp. ask?

 

Does knowing some of the interview panel help do you think?

[tazinib1]

I don't have any experience with large corporation interviews. But I would have to think that knowing 2 of the panel members, albeit via a run in at a bar with one of them, gives you a leg up IMO. As long as you didn't get wasted, strip off your clothes and jump into the Karaoke bar singing Viva Las Vegas, you should be fine.

[nuke'em ttg]

good-luck Reb will you be gettin a different camper if this pans out is there an opening at yer turn & burn that pays 70.000 tacos/YEAR

[nuke'em ttg]

http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/quest...w-questions.asp

[Chavez]

I don't have any experience with large corporation interviews. But I would have to think that knowing 2 of the panel members, albeit via a run in at a bar with one of them, gives you a leg up IMO. As long as you didn't get wasted, strip off your clothes and jump into the Karaoke bar singing Viva Las Vegas, you should be fine.

 

If I was running a company, this would put someone on the "must hire" list. Even if the position was "good lord, no, he doesn't have any responsibilities but he's an absolute BLAST at conventions."

[buddahj]

good luck

[Bier Meister]

good luck to you.

 

[Big John]

I have no answers but good luck!

[Chief Dick]

My only advice would be to heavily research their business and use it to turn the tables, so to speak. The quicker you can show interest in their business and how you can improve/help their business is key. As with any sales, solving a problem is how you make a sale. They have a problem (they need someone), and you are the solution.

 

The only questions I've ever prepared for are the typical strengths and weaknesses stuff. Also maybe how did you handle a irate customer, how have you resolved conflict, etc.

[gilthorp]

It is a sales position and you are already in sales?

 

I can help, but if what I've said above is true, the best advice I can give you is to truly understand your business. Understand the business from a revenue perspective, a margin perspective, how much you bring in and how that translates to rev/GP, and what/how you've trended in the last few years. Once you have a handle on your business and how it runs in relation to how you get paid, you can get a strong understanding of how they run their business, and it will help you compare.

 

Typical panels should include people who need to understand how much you know a product/industry you are in, what you understand about the territory you currently have, and trends in your industry moving forward for their product specifically.

 

How much research have you done on the company you are interviewing with? Are they a public company? What has their stock done in the last 52 weeks and do you know why it has performed the way it has? How does their webiste showcase their product/services, and what is it you understand about it that you can "assume" and what questions do you have about them?

 

When interviewing, you must remember that it is a two way street. You need to write down, and I mean write down on a sheet of paper, questions that you want to ask them. These are based on research you've done on their company, their product/service, and how they've performed in the last 3 years, and how they expect to perform in the next 3 years. Why is this job open right now? What happened to the last person that had this job? If a job is open because of expansion, how are they planning on expanding...are they basically taking territory away from people that will be your peers? Is how they slice territory "normal" in your line of work...is it a vertical slice, or horizontal slice, etc.

 

I've got way more, and sorry I rambled...

[Big John]

It is a sales position and you are already in sales?

Would be a career switch. Currently a mortician.

[untateve]

My only advice would be to heavily research their business and use it to turn the tables, so to speak. The quicker you can show interest in their business and how you can improve/help their business is key. As with any sales, solving a problem is how you make a sale. They have a problem (they need someone), and you are the solution.

 

The only questions I've ever prepared for are the typical strengths and weaknesses stuff. Also maybe how did you handle a irate customer, how have you resolved conflict, etc.

 

I second heavily researching the company. My brother did this years ago when he was interviewing with EDS and it really helped him a lot. The interviewers could tell he was really interested in the job and the company because of all the research he had done.

[Chief Dick]

Would be a career switch. Currently a mortician.

 

 

Knock 'em dead Reb.

[Rebellab]

Would be a career switch. Currently a mortician.

 

Well I slipped one past the goalie. I was a mortician until two years ago, and I am currently working for an agronomy business. I am doing some sales to customers now, but I would be calling on retail locations like where I work.

 

The company is public and it is the largest ag company in the world. The job is open because someone moved to a different company. I know a good amount about the company and the products, so that fairly well covered, but there will be some study time this week.

 

Thanks for the help so far guys. Keep it coming.

Edited February 28, 2011 by Rebellab

[Tford]

Large companies are famous for what I like to call the bullpoop question. It's not practical, doesn't make sense but the intent is to see how you deal with pressure when you are clearly outside your comfort zone as well as attempting to identify your personality type.

 

For example, I work for an oil and gas company. One of the bullpoop questions I've heard in an interview was "If you had a jar of water, how would you turn it into oil?".

 

Complete bullpoop. Doesn't make sense. Not practical at all. But the design is to throw you off. My job is entirely about dealing with problems so the test is how flustered do you become when you don't have a clear answer and what process do you follow to work through the problem.

 

The main thing to do if faced with a question like this is to stay comfortable. Take your time to think about your answer and avoid long drawn out "Uh" moments. There is no correct answer to this question so as long as you build your answer smoothly and use as much practical (or technical, depending on the question and your profession) knowledge as possible to make your point, you should be ok.

[rocknrobn26]

No advice, just nail the interview! Good Luck, Reb!

[Atlanta Cracker]

It is a sales position and you are already in sales?

 

I can help, but if what I've said above is true, the best advice I can give you is to truly understand your business. Understand the business from a revenue perspective, a margin perspective, how much you bring in and how that translates to rev/GP, and what/how you've trended in the last few years. Once you have a handle on your business and how it runs in relation to how you get paid, you can get a strong understanding of how they run their business, and it will help you compare.

 

Typical panels should include people who need to understand how much you know a product/industry you are in, what you understand about the territory you currently have, and trends in your industry moving forward for their product specifically.

 

How much research have you done on the company you are interviewing with? Are they a public company? What has their stock done in the last 52 weeks and do you know why it has performed the way it has? How does their webiste showcase their product/services, and what is it you understand about it that you can "assume" and what questions do you have about them?

 

When interviewing, you must remember that it is a two way street. You need to write down, and I mean write down on a sheet of paper, questions that you want to ask them. These are based on research you've done on their company, their product/service, and how they've performed in the last 3 years, and how they expect to perform in the next 3 years. Why is this job open right now? What happened to the last person that had this job? If a job is open because of expansion, how are they planning on expanding...are they basically taking territory away from people that will be your peers? Is how they slice territory "normal" in your line of work...is it a vertical slice, or horizontal slice, etc.

 

I've got way more, and sorry I rambled...

 

Good advice regarding having questions to ask. It will probably be harder to work in very many since it is a panel setting v/s one on one. In a one on one interview I would say to try to get them to talk at least as much as you. In this case that will be tough but you should have a few questions that you work in. One that I would get in as soon as possible is - In your experience, what differentiates people who have been very successful in this role from the ones that aren't? This will allow feedback from the bosses, current reps, etc. and then you can frame your responses to their questions to demonstrate that you have the characteristics of the successful people they mentioned.

 

At any rate, the questions you ask should be in getting the type of information that will help you be successful in the job if they hire you v/s grilling them about the company's stock price performance, benefits, etc.

 

Good Luck!

[Rebellab]

It is a sales position and you are already in sales?

 

I can help, but if what I've said above is true, the best advice I can give you is to truly understand your business. Understand the business from a revenue perspective, a margin perspective, how much you bring in and how that translates to rev/GP, and what/how you've trended in the last few years. Once you have a handle on your business and how it runs in relation to how you get paid, you can get a strong understanding of how they run their business, and it will help you compare.

 

Typical panels should include people who need to understand how much you know a product/industry you are in, what you understand about the territory you currently have, and trends in your industry moving forward for their product specifically.

 

How much research have you done on the company you are interviewing with? Are they a public company? What has their stock done in the last 52 weeks and do you know why it has performed the way it has? How does their webiste showcase their product/services, and what is it you understand about it that you can "assume" and what questions do you have about them?

 

When interviewing, you must remember that it is a two way street. You need to write down, and I mean write down on a sheet of paper, questions that you want to ask them. These are based on research you've done on their company, their product/service, and how they've performed in the last 3 years, and how they expect to perform in the next 3 years. Why is this job open right now? What happened to the last person that had this job? If a job is open because of expansion, how are they planning on expanding...are they basically taking territory away from people that will be your peers? Is how they slice territory "normal" in your line of work...is it a vertical slice, or horizontal slice, etc.

 

I've got way more, and sorry I rambled...

 

 

Spent last evening doing the things you suggested and came up with two pretty pertinent questions. Thanks Gil.

[Puddy]

I just happened to read this yesterday...maybe it will help.

 

 

6 Questions to Ask in a Job InterviewSeth Fiegerman

 

Job interviews usually close with the same five words: "Do you have any questions?" It may sound benign, but for a job applicant, it can feel like the moment of truth.

 

By this point, the employer has read your cover letter and resume, corresponded with you by e-mail and phone to learn more about you and has probably just finished lecturing you on the company and the position. It's been a long process of showing your worth, and when they ask this final question, it may feel like it's the last real opportunity to prove yourself to a potential employer before they decide if you are, in fact, the one.

 

But according to several career experts we spoke with, job candidates should never feel pressured to make up questions.

 

"The biggest problem when asking questions during a job interview is that if the question isn't something you genuinely need to know, it can be way worse than not asking anything at all," said Penelope Trunk, a popular business blogger and CEO of the Brazen Careerist, a career management site. "Once you make it to the job interview, you've already passed the skills test, so it's all about personality. And nobody becomes likeable by asking disingenuous questions."

 

Trunk urges job applicants to change the way they think about the interview process. Rather than waiting until prompted to ask questions in the final moments of the interview, it's crucial to take the initiative to get your questions out during the course of the conversation.

 

"Don't wait til the end if you have questions you want answered. It screams, 'I'm not a self-starter,'" she said. "As soon as it's time for you to talk in the interview, start asking questions and engage with the person interviewing you."

 

As Trunk and other experts point out, when the interviewer asks if you have any questions, it's generally a formality, but a formality that may hurt you if you don't take advantage of it.

 

"You absolutely must ask at least two questions. Staying silent shows you haven't done enough homework to know what to ask," said Alexandra Levit, a career expert and author of "New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career."

 

Keep in mind that just because you are encouraged to ask questions doesn't necessarily mean you should ask a thousand of them.

 

"Your job is not to ask questions or to interview the interviewers, so I wouldn't ask too many questions," said John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement consulting firm.

 

We've rounded up the six best questions to ask in your next job interview, as suggested by our panel of experts, which can help you get a better idea of whether the position is right for you and perhaps even impress the interviewer in the process.

 

What do you really enjoy about working here?

 

When you step into an interview, it's important to remember that the person conducting the interview isn't just there to intimidate you; he or she is also your window into the company. And with this question, you can tactfully get a better sense of how the interviewer -- and perhaps employees in general -- feel about the company you may one day call home.

 

"The answer to this question as well as the tone of the answer will provide critical insights as to how happy and supported employees feel at the organization," Levit said.

 

If you want to take this question one step further, Tory Johnson, founder of WomenForHire.com, suggests rewording it to ask what one thing the interviewer would change about the company if he or she could. "This is a way of asking, 'What's wrong with this place?' without being so direct," she said.

 

What are your goals for the company in the next year?

 

Much of the interview itself will likely be devoted to the specifics of your position and your qualifications for it, so it's a good idea to break out of that pattern when possible to get a sense of the big picture.

 

According to Levit, this particular question can give you a better sense of "how your position fits into the company as a whole, and more broadly, about whether the company is a good place to work."

 

What skills do I need to have most to help the team?

 

Trunk emphasizes that the best questions one can ask are the ones that show you care about teamwork, bottom line results and know how to manage yourself in a group. With this particular question, you accomplish all of those points and can get better a sense of what will be expected of you once you start working.

 

If I were hired, what would you like to see me achieve in my first three to six months on the job?

 

As with the previous question, this one will help you get a better sense of how you'll be judged in your new career.

 

"It's important to understand expectations from the get-go," Levit said. "This is especially true if you are being hired for a management position."

 

Why is this position vacant?

 

It may sound like an off-putting question at first blush, but according to Johnson, it's essential.

 

"It's important to know whether the position is vacant because someone was promoted from within, or the job is newly created because of growth or if it's a vacant because of high turnover," she said. "Don't wait until getting hired to discover you're the sixth person in three months to occupy the seat."

 

Indeed, this question could lead to others and prove to be the most profitable exchange you have in the interview.

 

"Many times a position is vacant because the previous person wasn't right for the job. You'll want to explore why through follow-up questions like, 'If you could have changed something about that person, what would it have been?' This line of questioning will absolutely make you more memorable to the interviewer," she said.

 

Do you have any reservations in hiring me?

 

If all your questions have been answered, Trunk recommends ending the interview with this powerful line.

 

"Just have some self-confidence and say, 'No, I don't have any questions, but I've learned a lot here and I know this is a great job for me. Do you have any reservations in hiring me?'" she said. "It forces the hiring manager to tell you what reservations they do have, and gives you an opportunity to combat them."

 

What Not to Ask

 

For all the questions you should ask during an interview, there are many more that you should generally avoid asking.

 

"Don't ask them questions about what you want out of the job -- money, advancement opportunities -- it just comes off as selfish," said Challenger, the consulting firm CEO. Likewise, Trunk recommends holding off on asking about vacation days and salaries.

 

"These are kiss-of-death questions," she says. "Save them for after you actually get the job offer."

[Rebellab]

Today was the big day. For future reference for someone else here goes.

 

I was in a suit they were in logo gear and slacks. I felt a little over dressed, but comfortable for the position. The regional manager was there and two other account reps. One has been with the company for a long time and one only six months. One account rep was laid back and the other was taking notes etc. It was like having a nice visit around a table with all the questions to me. There were a few dialogues with follow up questions and the hour went very quickly. I got a lot of what would you do if questions: Upset customer, you made a mistake, why your business is run this way. I was able to pull from my last employment and current and they seemed pleased with answers. I was able to ask my question and got a very good answer from the rep that had only been there for six months. Made me feel a lot better about the position. I was glad it was only an hour, I was starting to feel a little grilled toward the end. I felt I had one hiccup during, a question was asked, and I really had to think about the scenario and I took my time to start answering and the length of time seemed uncomfortable to me, but it could all be in my head. I really wanted to think the question thru. So now more waiting. I was told they would like to make an offer in the next two weeks. Now whether that offer is to me or someone else remains the mystery.

[gilthorp]

Today was the big day. For future reference for someone else here goes.

 

I was in a suit they were in logo gear and slacks. I felt a little over dressed, but comfortable for the position. The regional manager was there and two other account reps. One has been with the company for a long time and one only six months. One account rep was laid back and the other was taking notes etc. It was like having a nice visit around a table with all the questions to me. There were a few dialogues with follow up questions and the hour went very quickly. I got a lot of what would you do if questions: Upset customer, you made a mistake, why your business is run this way. I was able to pull from my last employment and current and they seemed pleased with answers. I was able to ask my question and got a very good answer from the rep that had only been there for six months. Made me feel a lot better about the position. I was glad it was only an hour, I was starting to feel a little grilled toward the end. I felt I had one hiccup during, a question was asked, and I really had to think about the scenario and I took my time to start answering and the length of time seemed uncomfortable to me, but it could all be in my head. I really wanted to think the question thru. So now more waiting. I was told they would like to make an offer in the next two weeks. Now whether that offer is to me or someone else remains the mystery.

 

It's hard to get a read on that one...don't like the "2 weeks" comment. Standard practice should be to send a note (email will do) to each of the guys thanking them for their time, and expressing again an interest in the position, offering up any more of your time if they have any additional questions about your ability to excel at the job at hand. Good luck!

[Rebellab]

It's hard to get a read on that one...don't like the "2 weeks" comment. Standard practice should be to send a note (email will do) to each of the guys thanking them for their time, and expressing again an interest in the position, offering up any more of your time if they have any additional questions about your ability to excel at the job at hand. Good luck!

 

Did that before posting this.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Rebellab

[gilthorp]

Assmuming you've already provided references? Ensure your ref's will call you when they do get a call so you know they might be doing their background on you.