SBM Interview Preparation Guide

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Regardless of why you left your last job make sure to stay positive. Always smile and focus on the positive reason such you were seeking the opportunity to expand your career opportunities, your interest in working with a new firm that provided greater opportunity, you desired to work in a new location, etc. Don't reference previous job problems or differences with management that caused you to leave. If you stay positive, your answer may help you. If you're negative, you will likely decrease your chances of getting the job for which you're interviewing.

Here being specific is probably not the best approach. You may consider responding, “I hope a very long time.” Or “As long as we're both happy with my performance.”

Remain optimistic and do not be too specific. Good attributes include moral character, honesty, and intelligence since managers usually believe they possess these qualities.

Think of three major characteristics that demonstrate your best qualities related to work and then have quick stories to describe why.

This question typically follows on from the previous one. Here is where your research will come in handy. You may want to say that you want to work for a company that is Global Guideline, (market leader, innovator, provides a vital service, whatever it may be). Put some thought into this beforehand, be specific, and link the company’s values and mission statement to your own goals and career plans.

Bad Answer: They don't know much about the company. If a candidate is serious and enthusiastic, they should have done some basic research.

Good answer: An answer that shows they've really done their homework and know what the company does, any important current events that involve the company, and the work culture.

Review every deadline you need to meet. Prioritize your projects by deadline and factor in how important each project is. Record your deadlines on a digital calendar or spreadsheet.

Bad Answer: A generic or uninspired answer. Also, answers that show that this career/company is just a temporary stop for them.

Good answer: One that shows the candidate has thought about this question, has plans, and that those plans align with the job and a career path that is possible in the company. You want to see that this candidate is a good long term investment.

Report it to the leaders within the company. True leaders understand business ethics are important to the company's longevity

Do not claim to be comfortable with a specific role if you in are in fact not comfortable with it. However, if you have no problem working in certain roles or situations, be sure to discuss this with the interviewer.

Describe the difference with regards to responsibilities, culture, team, career opportunity, and the work itself.

No one likes to answer this question because it requires a very delicate balance. You simply can’t lie and say you don’t have one; you can’t trick the interviewer by offering up a personal weakness In SBM that is really a strength (“Sometimes, I work too much and don’t maintain a work-life balance.”); and you shouldn’t be so honest that you throw yourself under the bus (“I’m not a morning person so I’m working on getting to the office on time.”)

Reach out to your boss and let him know that first you value his leadership and organization but that you are being overwhelmed with the amount of non productive internal meetings.

Discuss the academic program, the extracurricular program(s), the school spirit, the quality of your peers, and the professors.

Discuss your work experiences. The key is to show you're calm under pressure and can handle sensitive situations with a clear train of thought.

The interviewer is asking this question to find out what your true passion is. Ideally it aligns to the type of work you're interviewing for. If not, tie it back in terms of how it relates to the job, for example, "I believe I'll learn the necessary skills in this job to pursue my passion later on in life."

Is it to conquer the world? Is it to become a CEO? Is it to give back to the community? Is it to inspire others? Define your statement by stating a clear vision of how you want to make an impact on the world with your work.

Bad Answer: They don't have a good reason, or provide a generic answer, "I think it represents a great opportunity."

Good answer: One that shows they've done research on the company, and are truly excited about specific things they can do at the job. This not only shows enthusiasm for the work and basic preparation skills, gives you clues about the cultural fit.

Discuss your passions In SBM. Ideally if it's work related that's fantastic! If not, talk about your academic / extracurricular passions and WHY you enjoy them. For example: I love playing sports because of the team work aspect - it's fun winning together! (This example shows you're a team player)

Be completely honest. You don't want to lie to get the job if you're not going to work the hours required.

Example stories could be a class project, an internal meeting presentation, or a customer facing presentation.

The hiring manager requests this of you because she wants to know more about your individual personality. This list can reveal a lot to her about who you are and how you might fit into the workplace. Your answer also gives the manager an indication of your self-perception, which is a good indicator of the type of employee you will be.

Try to avoid specific classifications, whatever it may be. Organizations usually prefer managers who can adapt their skills to different situations.

I’ve been honing my skills In SBM for a few years now and, first and foremost, I’m looking for a position where I can continue to exercise those skills. Ideally the same things that this position has to offer. Be specific.

First, the key is to state the differences in personality to give the interviewer some background. Second, you want to discuss how that was affecting the situation. Third, show how you were able to adapt to the way the person wanted to be communicated with to achieve your goals

This would be the first question asked in any interview. Therefore, it is important that you give a proper reply to the question regarding your education. You should have all the documents and certificates pertaining to your education and/or training, although time may not allow the interviewer to review all of them.

Make sure you share a story that demonstrates your presentation skills in front of many people. If you are really brave, offer to give a snippet of that presentation to the interviewer. This will definitely be different from what most people do.

First find out where the company envisions itself in 3-5 years. If you can't find the vision of the company, that's probably a big question mark on the company itself. Once you do, identify how those company's visions align to your personal values and goals and then articulate how tightly correlated that is to the interviewer. For example - this company wants to be the #1 provider of green technology in the world and I feel strongly about that vision because we've got a chance to collectively impact the world to become a greener society and save our clients at the same time!

This answer depends on whether or not the job has a lot of repetitive tasks with no variation. If it does, then you would need to be okay with the idea of doing the same task over and over again. If you feel you can offer more than repetitive work, then describe how you would be able to do so.

Think of your top 3 mentors and what attributes they exhibit that you want to emulate. Common attributes include passion, desire, will, leadership, ability to influence others, intelligence.