How to interview like a top MBA #Book Summary#5

SHAPE THE INTERVIEW WITH RESPONSES TO OPEN-ENDED AND TURNAROUND
QUESTIONS


Addressing Open-Ended Questions Effectively

Use the question to paint a picture of your winning three or four qualities- the ones that will demonstrate
a match between your qualities and those of the ideal candidate.

Use the question to move straight to the strengths that distinguish you--the skills and work experience that
show you are highly qualified for the job.

Use Open-Ended Questions to Paint a Picture of Yourself


I am a very goal-oriented person with a passion for new ideas and desire to achieve excellent outcomes in all that i do. I have demonstrated my commitment to excellence in many ways. For instance , when I attended the
university of Chicago, I earned a B+ average in a very difficult major, and i graduated with honors. I was recruited by a leading computer company in our city, and my experience there reinforced my passion for new ideas. My innovation and contributions resulted in three promotions in four years and an award of "Employee of the year" last year. I now have a very valuable skills set and am ready to move to the next level of my career, working as a manager. That is why I have approached your computer consulting company. I believe this is my ideal company and job position.

Greatest Failure Questions : What to Avoid
1-A Failure that is too recent
2-An example that was financially costly to your employer
3-An example that cost your employer a client or hurt your employer's reputation.
4-A failure that is central to your current work
5-A failure that reflects a weakness in the skills you need to use excellently to succeed in your potential new job.
6-An example where you cannot elaborate on what you learned
7-An example where you cannot cite another example of when you dealt with a similar situation and succeeded.

Greatest Failure : Sample Approach

• Spend only a small amount of your response addressing your failure
• Talk about the lessons you have learned
• Spend the remainder of your time montioning an example of when you succeeded by applying the lessons you learned from the failure you have spoken about.

Greatest Weakness Questions : What to Avoid

• A Weakness that resulted in a bad outcome that proved financially costly to your employer
• A weakness that resulted in a bad outcome that cost your employer a client or hurt your employer's reputation
• A weakness that indicates a problem using the skills you will need to excel in your potential new job
• A weakness that indicates a significant skill needed for the central work in your current job
• An example upon which you cannot elaborate to describe how you are productively addressing and strengthening that weakness.