Interview Questions

  
Care Worker Interview

For every job their are specific characteristics which employers will look for when choosing a candidate for a job opening. During an interview you would be wise to take any opportunity to drive home how you possess as many of these as possible. Key characteristics for a care worker will include:

A desire to care for people.
Empathy
Patience
trustworthiness
dedicated
hard working
good listener
among many, many more.

You must bear in mind that this cannot be seen as just another job. In whatever discipline of providing care you must understand that you will be dealing with people’s loved ones. It is important to reflect this in your interview answers. It sounds obvious but too many people get caught up in the formality of the interview process and on occasion, can come across as cold and without any sympathy for those who need the care. This lack of caring will most likely not be the case, but it proves the importance of practicing how you will answer your questions with a friend or family member. Ask them to give you honest feedback as to how you come across to them.

Possible questions you will be given:

Question: What attracted you to this post?

This is guaranteed to come up towards the beginning of your interview. The answer will depend on what type of care you would be providing, but it does give you an excellent early opportunity to get some key characteristics into your answers early on. For example, "I have spent X number of years training to gain qualifications in this area. I have always had the desire to help people in general but this field is particularly close to my heart. I know it will involve a lot of hard work but I know that my dedication and patience make me an ideal candidate to be considered for this job." You cold add in some job specific sentences to show that you understand the responsibilities you will be undertaking. Especially if a mental or physical disability will be involved.

Question: Tell us about a recent situation you were involved with that required you to use your initiative.

Here your experience gets a chance to shine through and you should ensure you keep the example job related.

Overall, during the interview remember to smile. Give human responses to the questions you are asked, try not to fall into the trap of answering robotically because of nerves and the interview environment. Make sure to do plenty of preparation work and you will walk into the interview full of confidence.

  
Bus Driver Interview Questions

To be in with a fair chance of success in an interview to be a bus driver, it is important to make sure you have researched the job (if you haven’t done it before). Expect as a formality to be asked about your driving qualifications, any experience working with the public and relevant experience.

You should also be aware that the interview will not be the final hurdle in getting the job. There will also be some kind of psychometric test alongside key skills exams.

When getting ready for an interview to be a bus driver you should prepare yourself for a bit of a psychological ordeal. It is certainly not as straight forward as many might think. Although the company will have to provide training, especially practical (driving a bus) it will want to keep such costs down as much as possible. You will be asked about procedures in the event of an incident such as a collision, fire onboard or a passenger unwilling to pay or leave the bus.

Obviously this job involves heavy involvement with the public, so try to bear in mind health and safety. If you tailor your the beginning of your answer around keeping your passengers safe, you won’t go far wrong.

With regards to the ins and outs of company protocol and rules and regulations, the strength of your answers will be dependent on the amount of research you have done before this stage. “The more the better” rule applies here as being more up to date with the companies policies and procedures will ensure you have the edge over other potential employees. It will also indicate that the company will be able to spend less time training you which more importantly, to them, means less money training you.

If you have a strong knowledge base and present yourself as enthusiastic throughout the interview, you will be in a strong position to be selected for further training.

You can start getting ready for your Bus Driver interview by checking out the answers for most asked interview questions.

The questions will be about dealing with the customers mostly.

It’s great idea to make a research about the company you are applying as they may ask questions about it.

Most asked interview questions:

Tell me about yourself
Why should we hire you?
Why do you want this job?
What is your greatest strength?
What is your greatest weakness?
What are your salary expectations?
What motivates you?
Give some examples of teamwork
Describe a difficult work situation project and how you overcame it

Expect numeracy, literacy tests or personality tests as well.

  
You will probably recieve one of the following 47 exit interview questions during your job interview so better to be prepared for them.

General Questions
 
1. What’s the primary reason for leaving?
2. What other reasons made you start looking for other opportunities?
3. What in particular triggered the action to leave the organisation?
4. How would you describe your relationships with your colleagues?
5. Were you treated fairly and objectively while working at this organisation?
6. Which company are you moving to?
7. What salary have they offered you?
8. What are the benefits associated with your new job offer?

Manager

9. How would you describe your relationship with your manager?
10. How would you describe his/her management style?
11. Did you receive the guidance and career development you expected?
12. Did you feel there was mutual respect between you and your manager?
13. Did you feel valued in your role in the team / department or organisation?

Job Content

14. What did you really enjoy about your job?
15. What did you find really frustrating about your job or particular tasks?
16. What in particular attracted you to the new job you’ve been offered?
17. What was your view on the appraisal process?
18. What was your view on the promotion or progression opportunities?
19. Did you work particularly long hours?  What is your opinion on the work life balance here?
20. Did you feel your skills and knowledge were fully utilised in your role?

Training and Developments

21. Did you receive adequate training in relation to carrying out your duties?
22. In general what did you think of the training on offer at the company?
23. What do you think about the development opportunities available to you within your job role? 
24. Were there opportunities to improve your existing skills and knowledge?
25. Did you have opportunities to learn new skills?

Pay and Benefits

26. Did you feel you were paid adequately for the job role you performed?
27. What are your views on the benefits package [Pension, Healthcare, Dental Insurance, Life Assurance, Gym Membership, etc.]
28. What remuneration package have the other company offered?
29. Did your pay remain aligned to the cost of living?

Company and Organisation

30. When you joined the company did you receive the induction and orientation you expected?
31. Did you receive the welcome you expected?
32. Did you have access to all the systems you needed to perform your job role on the first day?
33. What have you enjoyed about working at this company?
34. What have you find particularly frustrating about working here?
35. Did the organisation honour and live up to it’s values and core principles?
36. How did you find the internal communication channels?
37. Would you suggest any changes or improvements in the ways the company operators?
38. What’s the general morale [in your opinion] within the organisation?

Reason for Leaving

39. Relocating
40. Following spouse overseas
41. Lack of career progression
42. Poor performance
43. Lack of career path
44. De-motivated in the job
45. Personality clash with team members
46. Difficult relationship with manager
47. Relationship breakdown with manager or supervisor

  
If you have a management interview on the way for you then check out following questions to be prepared.

Here are 9 common management interview questions:

Leadership 

1- Describe a time you have had to drive a team of experts that have not had any previous direction?

2- Talk us through a time when you had to take over a de-motivated team of individuals?  What actions did you take in the first six months and talk us through the results?
   
Strategic Direction

3- Describe an occasion when you created and designed a detailed action plan to meet medium to long term goals of the business?

4- Talk us through a time when you had to translate the organisations vision or strategic objectives into the departments strategy and then individual objectives?

Commercial Awareness

5- Talk us through a time when you identified a commercial opportunity and it resulted in an increase in profitability?

6- Describe an occasion when you had to significantly reduce the operating costs of the department or division or organisation?  Talk us through step by step what you did and how the plan was implemented?

People Management

7- Describe an occasion when you have had to manage a poor performer and how you turned this situation into a positive result?

8- Talk us through a time when you were involved in managing someone out of the business because of poor conduct?

9- Give us an example of a time when you successfully managed a difficult situation involving members of your team or department?

  
If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?

When asking what you would do if you could relive your life, the interviewer is looking for a flaw in your interview. Always remember, the goal for the first few interviews is to get the next interview. For the interviewer, it is to weed out as many applicants as possible. Here’s where a personal answer could work.

Personal Answer

I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s. I wish I’d known more about the disease to help me through that difficult time.

More answers:

We all have regrets, and there could countless points in your life over the last 10 years which you would change. However, an interview is not the place to disclose them. This question has the potential to damage the chances of a job offer so it should be given some careful consideration and preparation.

For example, consider the following answer, "The main thing I would change in the last 10 years is a missed opportunity to take a promotion in my last job. I didn’t feel ready for the extra responsibility at the time and felt that the right thing to do was to reject it. However, I almost instantly regretted the decision as I now believe I would have excelled in the position and if I had the chance, I would go back and accept that proposal."

Although it may seem that this answer shows a determination to progress in your career, it could be seen negatively by the interviewer. It could be seen to indicate that you are not happy at this level and could perhaps even begrudge the fact that you were not offered the promotion again. As this shows the potential to manifest itself as a problem to your potential employer, it is likely that this answer would score some heavy points against your overall interview.

You could take the method of trying to be neutral. Saying nothing is as bad as saying the wrong thing, therefore you should try to structure your answer in a way that keeps you on the fence. Make your response unrelated to your job and include no scenario that involved key personality traits or characteristics.

Another method could be to try and use an example in which you learned an important lesson. This should be relevant to the job and is in my opinion, by far the best option.

For example:

"About 6 years ago I was in a junior position and trying to impress my superiors. I was given a project to complete and I cut some corners in order to beat the deadline by a comfortable margin. This resulted in sub-standard work due to my eagerness. Fortunately it taught me a valuable lesson, however, if I could I would change that decision to save myself the embarrassment every time I am reminded of it."

photo by: polldark

  
What challenges are you looking for in a position? interview question

Challenges is a key word that lots of interviewers and employers will use. Looking for challenges is seen as a sign you a motivated and enthusiastic. Therefore, this question is trying to ensure that you have an interest in the position and if given the job you will be a motivated and enthusiastic employee.

Here are some example answers:

1-

"I would be looking to prove myself as a prominent team member. I want to be able to progress in my career and consolidate my existing skills by continuing to work in a determined and focused manner."

2-

"As my first management position, I will be looking forward to the challenge of getting an increase in production that I know this team has the potential to achieve. Moving forward I will be looking for year on year increases in output."

3-

"I am looking to challenge myself to continue improving in this position. Using my experience I believe I have the ability to make a positive difference and would relish the chance to rise to this challenge."

See also: If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?

The most important part of answering this question is to deliver it in a positive and upbeat manner in order to project the enthusiasm that the interviewer will be looking for.

Of course some project orientated jobs may require you to take on specific challenges. Therefore, you could be more specific in your answer and tell the interviewer which challenge in particular you are most looking forward to being involved with. If this is the case, be sure to include reasons why you are so interested in that particular challenge.

As with all interview questions, be sure to make eye contact with the interviewer, practice answering in order to project a confident image, and don’t forget to smile. The company is unlikely to be looking for miserable employees. They will always have the view that a happy worker is a productive worker.

photo by: mdennes

  
This question is the one that most people worry about if they were fired from their last job. If you weren’t, then just explain that you were not fired, and the interviewer will ask you more about the circumstances in which you left, which I will address under the relevant heading. If you WERE fired, it’s not the end of the world. You can turn most things positive when the need arises! I would advise if you were fired for doing something really very bad such as stealing that you seek professional advice on answering this question. However, I will give some more typical answers.

Example Answers

1-

“I was fired because I didn’t hit the targets that my employer set. However I feel that the reason for that is because the product itself didn’t have a great reputation, it was a very hard sell, and the morale in the office was low generally. Staff turnover was very high as many people failed to hit the targets. Many left due to the conditions. I am confident I will hit targets for you as in all my other posts as salesman I have exceeded my targets, and your products are internationally recognised as fantastic quality and value for money.”

2-

“I was fired from my last position because the firm decided to have a change of management, and the new manager already had a lot of people lined up for my job. I was asked to move to a department that I didn’t feel I was qualified to work in, and so I was fired. I did feel a little that I was pushed out of my job, but I am excited for a new opportunity now.”

3-

“I will be honest, I ran into some personal problems at home and they extended into my work life because I was unable to get into work as my ex-partner took my vehicle and the position was too far to get to by public transport. My employer wasn’t too sympathetic and fired me before I had the chance to resolve the issue. I have a new car now and I’m ready for a new challenge.”

4-

“Due to the current economic climate I was let go due to the company having to downsize and relocate office. I could not relocate at the time as I was caring for an elderly relative, so unfortunately I was fired.”

5-

“I was fired because my employers began to do something that I did not agree with and I refused to do. This was not a case of insubordination, what they were asking me to do was not legal, and would possibly have endangered lives. I will not disclose what that was, but because I maintained my integrity and refused, they fired me.”

photo by: ceciliadom

  
Give some examples of teamwork is one of the greatest questions you can be asked in an interview. There is so much scope in this question to show off a whole host of desirable traits to your potential boss. You don’t need to use professional examples; you can offer experiences you may have had with friends, family or even a sport or hobby! What your prospective employer is looking to find out here is how open you are to discussion of ideas, and how well you can interact with others. A great kind of example to give here would be an example where you had an idea you wanted to run with, but in the end went with someone else’s for the benefit of the team, or where a member of your team had a personal goal they couldn’t attain, so you all worked together to achieve it. Here are a few examples.

Example Answers

#1

“I used to be a football coach for a small local team, having had to stop playing myself due to an injury. We had an important match one weekend and one of the players was unwell and unable to attend. Faced with the decision to forfeit the match we decided that I could play in his place for the benefit of the team. I was mostly ‘carried’ by my team mates but we managed to win the match”

#2

“I used to work in a pub where we had to think of entertainment options for quieter nights. I had thought about hiring a band to come in and play on a Wednesday, and then other members of the bar staff suggested that instead we all showed our own talents off to the customers instead. So we went with that idea and put on a kind of variety show. The customers loved it, we all had such fun, it bonded us all more as a team and it saved the bar money.”

#3

“Once a group of friends and I were walking through a wooded area on a pleasure walk. We became aware of someone calling for help, and following the shouts came across a young boy who had fallen down a ravine. None of us had signal on our phones and the young boy was obviously injured. My friend who was trained in first aid was helped down to the boy by using my jacket to lower him to a suitable distance where he could safely drop down, whilst I and another friend raced through the woods in opposite directions to raise assistance. When I was far enough out of the woods I managed to get signal on my phone and called the fire brigade, and they arrived at the entrance my friend had ran towards so he guided them to the ravine.”

The main point to make is that you are easy to get along with, muck in, and will listen to others ideas.

#4

"In high school, I enjoyed playing soccer and performing with the marching band. Each required a different kind of team play, but the overall goal of learning to be a member of a group was invaluable. I continued to grow as team member while on my sorority’s debate team and through my advanced marketing class where we had numerous team assignments.

In my last postion, I was part of a software implementation team. We all worked together to plan and manage the implementation schedule, to provide customer training, and ensure a smooth transition for our customers. Our team always completed our projects ahead of schedule with very positive reviews from our clients. "

Good luck.

  
You will be asked strength based interview questions for a Border Force interview.

Strength based interview questions don't have a right or wrong answer, so don't worry on that too much. It is however important that you answer all questions honestly, failing to do so will give the interviewer a false impression of you.

Border Force Interview Questions

What do you like to do in your spare time?What energises you?How would your close friends describe you?Do you most like starting tasks or finishing them?Do you prefer the big picture or the small details?Describe a successful day. What made it successful?What are you good at?What are your weaknesses?What did you enjoy studying at school or university?When did you achieve something you’re really proud of?What do you enjoy doing the least?Do you find there are enough hours in the day to complete your to-do list?What tasks are always left on your to-do list?How do you stay motivated?How do you feel about deadlines?Have you ever done something differently the second time around?Do you think this role will play to your strengths?

  
Bank Cashier interview questions and tips:

A cashier is usually the first face seen by the customer during their day to day transactions at their bank.  It is important that the bank cashier always remains professional whilst being friendly, and should know regular customers by name.  The majority of staff working “on show” in a bank usually wear uniforms to present a corporate image.

Many bank cashiers don’t start in that position, but usually will have a clerical role which, with time and experience can lead to being offered a position as cashier.  Quite a lot of banks now have small “sub” branches and it may be the policy of the bank to rotate cashiers from the nearest main branch out to the sub-branch.

A good bank cashier should be able to work as part of a team, and as the banks now sell various financial products and services to their customers, you will be expected to learn about every product sold by the bank.  Some selling ability is therefore beneficial.

There aren’t usually specific qualifications to work in a bank, other than five GCSEs in good grades, including English and Maths.  The bank will probably ask you to study towards recognised banking qualifications if you want to progress your career.

The Interview

If this will be your first job, make sure that your check online to find out as much as possible about the bank.  It is always useful to show that you have given some thought to the company. 

Make sure that you arrive at the company well in advance of the appointment time. Lateness isn’t an option for anyone working at a bank as it must open on time every day.  It is important to dress smartly, as if there isn’t a uniform, you will be expected to look professional every day.

Smile at the interviewer and shake hands firmly (without cracking bones).  Answer all questions clearly and look at the interviewer.  If you don’t understand or hear a question, ask for it to be repeated.  If you still don’t understand, ask the interviewer to rephrase the question.  This won’t cause a problem.  They may have used a term which is unusual to you, but it is much better to say that you don’t understand.

Ensure that you have a couple of questions to ask at the appropriate time which shows your interest in the company.  Be enthusiastic and thank the interviewer at the end and make them aware that you would like the job if it is offered to you.

Related: Cashier CV Example

Interview Questions for a Bank Cashier
How many different till systems have you worked on?How would you handle a difficult customer?What would you do if a product was damaged and you had to change the item?Do you manage to learn about the products and prices that you are selling or do you rely on the till doing the work?How many customers have you served on a busy day?What would you think was a quiet day in terms of customers?Who do you think are our biggest competitors and why?How do you handle stress and pressure?Check out most asked interview questionsTell me about yourselfWhy should we hire you?Why do you want this job?What is your greatest strength?What is your greatest weakness?What are your salary expectations?What motivates you?Give some examples of teamworkWhat can you contribute to this company?Good luck.