Prep for Your Administrative Assistant Interview

At many companies, administrative assistants often wear more hats than a hat rack. They're experts in office software and online research; they track and organize their managers’ projects and schedules; and they diplomatically represent their bosses at all levels of the corporate hierarchy.   

Because an admin’s duties are so wide-ranging, expect interview questions for an administrative assistant job to be wide-ranging as well. In particular, anticipate being quizzed about both your technical and interpersonal skills. Here's a guide to help you get ready for your next admin interview.

Hard-Skills Interview Questions

Good administrative assistant interview questions delve into where and how you applied certain hard skills, says Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam, a Menlo Park, California, temporary staffing firm. For example:

• You list Microsoft Excel on your resume. What's the latest version you've used?
• Have you used Macs or PCs?
• Give me examples of the things you've done with Excel. Have you started a spreadsheet from scratch and created formulas or entered data into an existing spreadsheet? How often did you export Excel into PowerPoint graphics?

If you’ll be managing travel, expect questions along these lines: 

• What is your proficiency with travel coordination?
• Have you coordinated domestic travel? International travel?
• What visa issues have you encountered, and how did you solve those problems?
• Were you responsible for processing expense reports? How were they completed?

Soft-Skills Interview Questions
How you answer the technical interview questions will tell the hiring manager whether you’re capable of performing the work. But to uncover how you’ll perform those tasks, expect questions about your soft skills as well.

Lynn Taylor, author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job, says a great interview question is:

• How would your former bosses describe your ability to manage them?

Make sure your answer highlights your value-added abilities, such as a can-do attitude, organizational abilities, time management and creating a positive impression for the manager, Taylor says.

Soft-skills questions may be tailored to the specifics of the job, says job interview coach Pamela Skillings, author of Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams.

For instance, if you’ll be working for multiple people, expect questions about time management:

• How do you handle stress and deadlines?
• Tell me about a time when you had to prioritize a heavy workload. How did you approach it?
• When have you had to communicate with a client or senior manager on behalf of your boss?
• Who was the most challenging customer -- internal or external -- and how did you satisfy that person?

If the job will involve project management, expect questions similar to these:

• Describe a complex organizational project that you managed recently.
• What is the most interesting project you have worked on?
• How have you used calendar management in past positions? How many calendars have you managed?

Also expect questions about your relationship with previous bosses:

• Describe your relationship with your current or most recent manager.
• What would have made you stay at your last job?
• What qualities do you consider most important in an administrative professional?
• How do you prefer to communicate?

Finally, be ready to discuss your preferences with regard to corporate culture:

• Describe the working environment you're looking for.
• In what type of office environment do you thrive?
• What was the corporate culture at your last job?

The company is looking for someone who wants to work in an office setting similar to its own. Someone who prefers working on a team will die of boredom in a small law firm with three attorneys who are out most of the day. Someone who likes to work in a quiet office with the door closed will suffer in an open office with constant interruptions.

Go One Step Beyond

One general administrative/support interview question you should expect is: 

• Do you feel your experience as an administrative assistant has gone beyond the scope of pure administration? How?

Your answer to this interview question gives you the chance to discuss other skills you can bring to the job, such as office management, team building, bookkeeping and phone screening. Have a strong answer ready, and you'll have a good chance of sealing the deal on the job.

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Signs You’re Failing Your Interview: Interviewer Body Language Secrets

You may already know that interviewers pick up on your body language and may even base their hiring decisions on it to some extent. But nonverbal communication goes both ways. Hiring managers also give subtle, unconscious signals that they’re interested in you -- or, in many cases, are losing interest.  

Here are some subtle signs that you may be headed for the reject pile, and how your words and gestures could turn things in your favor: 

Signs: Stops taking notes; looks repeatedly at clock or watch; dramatically picks up the pace of questioning.
Message: “I’m bored by you.”

“It’s fine to stop and say, ‘I have a question for you, if you don’t mind,’” body language expert, corporate trainer and commentator Susan Constantine tells Monster.com. “And when you do this, pause and change inflection to get their attention. You can also use hand gestures when talking to add emphasis and punctuate points of interest.” 

Signs: Folds arms across chest; flares nostrils; shifts shoulder or feet toward the exit. 
Message: “I’m offended.” 

The only way to mitigate an unintentionally offensive gaffe is to address it directly, experts say. Ask whether you’ve said something impolite or offensive, and apologize. 

Signs: A momentary smirk; raised eyebrows.
Message: “I disagree, or I don’t believe you.”

If you think your comments are meeting resistance, it’s OK to address that directly, says Ronald Riggio, PhD, a professor of leadership and organizational psychology at Claremont McKenna College. “You can be straightforward and politely say, ‘I get the sense that you don’t agree with what I’m saying. Is there anything I can clarify for you?’” 

Sign: Reads your resume through the whole interview. 
Message: “I’d rather be anywhere else.” 

This one might not be your fault. Some people are just bad interviewers, or they don’t like questioning job seekers. Still, you might be able to save the interview. Be direct and change the dynamic, Riggio says. “You can say, ‘What can I tell you about my background that will help you realize that I'm a very good fit for this job?"

You can also avoid the nose-in-the-paper problem by putting your resume in the center of the desk instead of handing it directly to the interviewer, Constantine suggests. 

When You’re Winning

Experts agree that several signs indicate the interview is going well. In these cases, the interviewer will:

• Nod or tilt her head forward, indicating agreement, interest or at least that she’s paying attention.
• Mirror your body language, such as by crossing his hands when you cross your legs.
• Offer positive verbal responses, such as repeating similar phrases.

Look at All the Signs
It’s important not to take any one negative or positive sign out of context, according to Mark Bowden, author of Winning Body Language.

“There are no foolproof signs to tell exactly what an interviewer is thinking,” Bowden says. “Use nonverbal cues as a guide or an indication, but don't jump to firm conclusions. For example, if their pace increases and they cut answers short, it could mean that they have lost interest, or it could mean they are simply running short on time.” 

Constantine recommends sharpening your eye for cues by noticing an interviewer’s “baseline behaviors” before you make an assumption about him. “What is the interviewer doing right off the bat? It’s possible that he or she always fidgets or scowls, and that may have nothing to do with you,” she says.

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Response Strategies for Interview Questions

Every interview question thrown your way presents an opportunity for you to make your case for why you're the best person for the position. You want to highlight your positive qualities and avoid giving reasons to disqualify you. That said, think about your overall response strategy for the interview. 

Examples Speak Volumes

For each quality you present, make sure you're prepared to describe a situation where you demonstrated that quality. Basically, you always want to be able to back up any claims you might make. For example, if during the interview you say that you work well under pressure, be ready to describe an example where you did work effectively under pressure and delivered the results required.

Steer the Interview Your Way

One thing to guard against is getting lured into the interviewer's game of alternative or trick questions. Be like a politician. The next time you watch a debate or press conference, notice the kind of questions reporters ask, and then observe how the politician responds. Politicians often answer questions indirectly by presenting information they want to convey. You can do the exact same thing in a job interview.

For example, if the interviewer asks if you prefer to work alone or on a team, he may be trying to get you to say you are one way or the other. But you don't have to play this game. The reality is that most jobs require us to work both independently and in teams. Your response to this question should show that you have been successful in both situations.

Your answers also need to provide the reason to hire you, and you want to avoid providing reasons not to hire you. Before responding to any interview question, take your time, breathe and think about your answer. Thoughtful answers delivered clearly are much better than empty answers given rapidly. And you're not being measured by your response time.

Be Clear and Concise

Be honest and succinct with your responses. Tell the truth in as positive a manner as possible, and don't discuss things or events in a negative fashion. Long answers are less effective than concise responses and tend to make interviewers suspicious. If you are talking more than 90 seconds without interaction with the interviewer, you may be providing more detail than is needed. If you feel you may be talking too long, just stop and ask the interviewer a question like, “Am I giving you the level of detail you're looking for?” This prompts a response and promotes an open exchange of information. Besides, if you're putting the interviewer to sleep with your long-winded answers, asking a question will wake them up.

Open the Conversation

After your response, ask the interviewer a tag-on question, such as, “Does that give you what you were looking for?” This ensures you are understood accurately, conveys that you want to be sure you're providing what the interviewer is looking for and promotes two-way communication.

You deserve the best, so practice your responses to frequently asked interview questions, and prepare to be your best when it matters most.

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Tips to Prepare for Your Insurance Sales Interview

Selling insurance can earn you a substantial income, and if you grow a big customer base, renewal commissions let you build wealth over your career. But how can you optimize your chances of getting into the insurance industry, or of making a move to a more profitable position? Careful preparation for the interview is the key.    

These days, many insurance companies conduct behavioral interviews for insurance sales jobs and independent contractor agents. “We’re trying to get in touch with competencies or behaviors that are part of a track record for success,” says Dan Strubberg, director of agency recruiting for State Farm Insurance. 

“If you’re going to sell insurance, you need to communicate the benefit of it and the need for it,” says Paul Powers, a management psychologist. “To establish rapport, instead of starting with life insurance, for example, you talk about protecting your family in the worst of circumstances.” 

Beyond these basics, what can you do to make the most of your insurance sales interview? Here are nine top tips. 

1. Brush Up on the Industry 

“Go to competitors’ sites and learn what kinds of trends are going on in the industry,” says Michael Neece, an interview expert and chief strategy officer at Pongo Software LLC. “What are the drivers that will be influencing the market over the next 18 months?” 

Says Powers: “Your knowledge indicates your competence and interest.” 

2. Prepare to Sell Yourself in a Minute 

“Create the 60-second sell,” says Robin Ryan, author of 60 Seconds and You’re Hired. “Take your five best selling points and link them together in a couple of sentences.” 

3. Talk About Your Selling Prowess 

“How you can bring in sales -- that will be the main focus of the interview,” says Linda Matias, author of How to Say It: Job Interviews. 

Professionals coming from functional areas other than direct sales should talk about how they can excel at selling. “Candidates should talk about why they’re suited for sales [and] why they would thrive in that environment,” Strubberg says. 

4. Be Ready for the Tough Questions 
Salespeople often have checkered careers, so they need to be able to talk confidently about their work history. “Prepare answers in advance,” Ryan says. “Anyone can improve their interview if they write out answers to questions like, ‘Have you ever been fired?’” 

5. Find Out What You’ll Be Doing All Day 

How much time will you spend in the office? Paying calls on clients and prospects? Filling out paperwork? Working late? Now’s the time to find out. “Ask what is a typical day in the life of an insurance sales executive at this particular company,” Neece says. 

6. Show You Know How to Learn 

Insurance products are complex and changeable. In addition to demonstrating a basic knowledge of your prospective employer’s business, you need to convince the interviewer that as a new hire, you’ll be able to drink from the proverbial fire hose. “The interviewer will be looking for trainability,” Matias says. 

7. Come with Questions that Transcend the Obvious 

Show that you’ve thought about this career opportunity enough to ask questions that go a step further than your rivals’. “The questions you ask have two potential benefits: You can communicate information about yourself, and you can gather the data needed to decide on a job offer,” Powers says. For example, “ask about turnover rate, the types of people who are most successful in the job, training, technology support and actuarial support.” 

8. Zip Your Lip on Money Until Late in the Game 

“You really have no leverage to talk about compensation until someone wants to hire you,” Neece says. In any case, there’s usually not much an insurer will do to sweeten the deal beyond its standard salary-and-commission structure, at least for staff-level sales positions. “The hiring manager has very little leeway, maybe $1,000 or $2,000, up or down.” 

9. But Do Ask the Interviewer to Get Real about Compensation 

Don’t be satisfied with broad claims to the effect that the sky’s the limit. “Ask what their top earner makes and their bottom earner,” Ryan says. “How many of their salespeople earn less than $100,000?”

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Tips for Interviewing for a Temporary Job

If you think, "it's just an interview for a temp job -- no big deal," that's where you're mistaken. Some wonderful opportunities, networking connections and careers have resulted from temporary positions.  

Temporary assignments today run the gamut from receptionist to CEO and beyond. And since a temp agency is usually the first contact with the company, much of the marketing and negotiations have been done for you.

And if you believe all you have to do is show up at the interview, you're wrong again. The mindset you bring to that interview will make a big difference as to whether you get the job.

Most employers like to conduct interviews for temporary positions, even though they are slated only for a few weeks or months of service. They are particularly concerned about people in positions of higher responsibility. The employer is interested in selecting quality people who can be trusted with company information, knowledge and secrets.

Here's how to prepare for the interview:

Do Your Research

Many companies have Web sites where you can access valuable background information to use in your interview. By finding out information about the company, like annual revenue and the organization's mission, you will show an interest in what you will be contracted to do. Showing some enthusiasm about the position will demonstrate a positive attitude toward the assignment that you're seeking. You don't want to project the idea that you are there because you can't find a job anywhere else, or are waiting for just the right job -- even if that is the case.

Get a Job Description

Prepare ahead of time. A worthwhile exercise is to take a piece of paper and fold it down the middle. On one side of the fold write, "What they are looking for," and on the other side, write, "What I have to offer." Look at the job description and compare the company's needs with your experience and qualities. How do you stack up? Where are your shortcomings? Can you show how you learn quickly or bring added value to the company from the start?

Prepare a Short Information Statement

Be ready to answer the dreaded question, "Tell me about yourself and your background." Your statement should include some information on the type of companies and industries you have worked for, your strengths, your transferable skills and some of your personal traits. Practice saying this statement until it is natural.

Be Prepared to Talk About Your Successes and Experiences

The employer will want to find out about your past experience -- successes and failures, your work ethic, your track record and, more than likely, the reason you have chosen to work as a temporary employee rather than a regular employee. Make sure you have an answer to the question, "Why temporary employment?"

Even though you are not being considered for a regular position at this time, there is always the possibility that it just might work out well for both parties -- and the first step to making that happen is by acing the interview.

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