Other Questions
1. How would you describe yourself?
Sample excellent response:
My background to date has been centered around preparing myself to become the very best
financial consultant I can become. Let me tell you specifically how I've prepared myself. I am
an undergraduate student in finance and accounting at _________ University. My past
experience has been in retail and higher education. Both aspects have prepared me well for
this career.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
2. What specific goals, including those related to your occupation, have you
established for your life?
Sample excellent response:
I want to be working for an excellent company like yours in a job in which I am managing
information. I plan to contribute my leadership, interpersonal, and technical skills. My
long-range career goal is to be the best information systems technician I can for the company I
work for.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
3. How has your college experience prepared you for a business career?
Sample excellent response:
I have prepared myself to transition into the work force through real-world experience involving
travel abroad, internship, and entrepreneurial opportunities. While interning with a private
organization in Ecuador, I developed a 15-page marketing plan composed in Spanish that
recommended more effective ways the company could promote its services. I also traveled
abroad on two other occasions in which I researched the indigenous culture of the Mayan
Indians in Todos Santos, Guatemala, and participate din a total language immersion program
in Costa Rica. As you can see from my academic, extracurricular, and experiential background,
I have unconditionally committed myself to success as a marketing professional.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
4. Please describe the ideal job for you following graduation.
Sample excellent response (equates ideal job with job he's interviewing for):
My ideal job is one that incorporates both my education and practical work skills to be the best
I can be. Namely combining my education in finance with my working knowledge of customer
service operations, entrepreneurial abilities, computer skills, and administrative skills. I want to
utilize my analytical expertise to help people meet their financial goals. This is exactly why I am
convinced that I would be a very valuable member of the Merrill Lynch team.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
5. What influenced you to choose this career?
Sample excellent response:
My past experiences have shown me that I enjoy facing and overcoming the challenge of
doing some technical research. Without a doubt, once I have practiced my presentation and
prepared myself for objections, I feel very confident approaching people I don't know and
convincing them that they need my product. Lastly, I like sales because my potential for
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success is limited only by how much of myself I dedicate toward my goal. If any profession is
founded on self-determinism, it surely must be sales.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
6. At what point did you choose this career?
Sample excellent response:
I knew that I wanted to pursue information systems technology about my sophomore year in
college. It was then that I realized that my that my hobby (computers) was taking up most of
my time. My favorite courses were IT courses. I also realized that I was doing
computer-oriented work-study that I enjoyed so much I would have done it for free.
7. What specific goals have you established for your career?
Sample excellent response:
My goals include becoming a Certified Financial Advisor so I can obtain a better working
knowledge of financial research analysis, which would allow me contribute to my client base as
a better financial consultant since I would have that extra insight into the companies they are
seeking to invest in. Also this is the foundation block to advancing my career to portfolio
manager or even branch office manager.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
8. What will it take to attain your goals, and what steps have you taken toward attaining
them?
Sample excellent response:
I've already done some research on other workers at Merrill Lynch to see how they achieved
similar goals. I know that Merrill Lynch encourages the pursuit and will reimburse for tuition of
a graduate degree. I plan on pursuing a MBA to give me an even more extensive knowledge of
business and financial analysis.
9. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
Sample excellent response:
I believe successful salespeople put forth that extra effort that turns potential clients into
first-time customers. Salespeople who attend to the details by doing whatever it takes to win
over a prospective customer distinguish themselves from the countless others who don't go to
any extra effort. Second, I think that if you label success as an attainable goal, you will never
consistently remain successful. You can only succeed if you learn all there is to learn about
your product, your competitors, and personal selling. Since this learning process is continuous,
it's an unattainable goal. With good reason, salespeople should not consider success an
attainable ending point but an objective that will always linger slightly beyond their reach.
10. How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your
successful accomplishments.
Sample excellent response:
Last semester I was hired by by university's Council for Student Activities. The group
negotiates contracts of entertainers, sets up sound equipment, markets the entertainers to
students, and generally decides what kind of programming should be done. When I got hired, I
didn't know the first thing about how fill any of those responsibilities. I decided, however, that I
wasn't going to fail. Four months later, I have become the Webmaster for the group. I also
write our campus newsletter and created Game Night, a student competition of table games.
That event yielded the biggest audience ever for a non-concert event.
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11. Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success
in your chosen career?
Sample excellent response:
I believe I have a combination of qualities to be successful in this career. First, I have a strong
interest, backed by a solid, well-rounded, state-of-the-art education, especially in a career that
is technically oriented. This basic ingredient, backed by love of learning, problem-solving skills,
well-rounded interests, determination to succeed and excel, strong communication skills, and
the ability to work hard, are the most important qualities that will help me succeed in this career.
To succeed, you also need a natural curiosity about how systems work -- the kind of curiosity I
demonstrated when I upgraded my two computers recently. Technology is constantly
changing, so you must a fast learner just to keep up or you will be overwhelmed. All of these
traits combine to create a solid team member in the ever-changing field of information systems.
I am convinced that I possess these characteristics and am ready to be a successful team
member for your firm.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
12. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?
Sample excellent response:
A recent satisfying accomplishment I was sent to one of our branch banks that was notorious
for not growing their loan base. The branch had logged $75,000 in new loans in an 18-month
period prior to my arrival. Having a reputation as a "hired gun" when it came to loan production
I was successful in the solicitation and booking of $700,000 in my first six months at the
branch.
13. If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently?
Sample excellent response:
I wouldn't change anything. All that I have done was a great learning experience that I will
carry forward throughout the rest of my life.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
14. Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other
individuals?
Sample excellent response:
I like the validity of information and also like the energy that comes with working with people.
The best thing about working in a group is combining the great minds from different
perspectives and coming up with something extremely great, compared with when you're
working alone. At the same time, information can generate vitality in the project you're working
on. No matter how many heads you've got together, without information, you can't go very far.
The perfect situation would be a combination of working with information and people, and I'm
confident of my abilities in both areas.
[Submitted by "Stacey"]
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
15. How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a
team?
Sample excellent response:
I have had many opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my skills as a team
player. My tenure as a rower with my college's crew team serves as a good example. I learned
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a great deal about teamwork while rowing because all the rowers in the boat must act as one,
which meant that we incessantly worked to keep each movement in the boat synchronized. On
an individual basis, we still worked toward group goals through weightlifting and land-rowing.
My experience as a marketing research team leader also helped me to learn the role of "team
player." I viewed my position as that of group leader and of group member. I ensured that
everyone in the group had equal opportunity to contribute, maintained excellent
communication among group members, and coordinated their energies toward reaching our
team's goal.
16. What motivates you to put forth you greatest effort?
Sample excellent response:
You would think that because I am interested in sales, only financial compensation would
motivate me to achieve. Although monetary rewards are important to me, I am driven to
succeed internally. More than anything, I want to be respected by my friends and coworkers
for being the best at what I do. Whether I am considered to be the best car detailer in my
hometown or the best columnist for my college newspaper, I want to be recognized as the
best.
17. Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you
give us a reason to hire you?
Sample excellent response:
I sincerely believe that I'm the best person for the job. I realize that there are many other
college students who have the ability to do this job. I also have that ability. But I also bring an
additional quality that makes me the very best person for the job -- my attitude for excellence.
Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In
college and at my previous jobs, I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can
become. I think my leadership awards from my college, and my management positions are the
result of possessing the qualities you're looking for in an employee.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
18. Would you describe yourself as goal-driven?
Sample excellent response:
Yes, and I demonstrated my goal orientation as president of the local Jaycees, a community
service organization. I am very proud of the fact that I set a goal of signing 50 new members by
the end of the year, and I accomplished that.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
19. Describe what you've accomplished toward reaching a recent goal for yourself.
Sample excellent response:
My first few years in banking had me on the fast track to branch management. I realized at
some point along the way that my true passion was in offering financial advice not limited to
checking accounts and loans. It was at that point that I made the necessary arrangements to
go back to school full-time to pursue my goal, which I am just about to achieve.
20. What short-term goals and objectives have you established for yourself?
Sample excellent response:
My short-term objectives are to graduate from the Professional Development Program before
the standard two years and begin developing a clientele. As an intern, I prepared ahead of
time by studying for the Series 7 and Series 64 exams that constitute a majority of a beginning
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financial consultant's time. I'd like to make make the company that hires me wonder what it
ever did without me.
21. Can you describe your long-range goals and objectives?
Sample excellent response:
My primary objectives are to learn as much as possible about your company's product offering,
organizational structure, and professional sales techniques so that I may become the most
productive member of your sales team.
22. What do you expect to be doing in five years?
Sample excellent response:
Although it is hard to predict the future, I sincerely believe that I will become a very good
financial consultant. I believe that my abilities will allow me to excel to the point that I can seek
other opportunities as a portfolio manager (the next step) and possibly even higher. My
ultimate goal continues to be -- and will always be -- to be the best at whatever level I am
working at within Merrill Lynch's corporate structure.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
23. What do you see yourself doing in ten years?
Sample excellent response:
Ten years from now I see myself as a successful consultant for a world-class firm like yours. I
want to have developed a wonderful bond with my employer I will have proven myself a highly
competent systems analyst and will represent my company in helping others find solutions to
their information-systems needs in a professional and timely manner.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
24. How would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict?
Sample excellent response:
I believe I am quite good at handling conflict. Working in retail and in the residence halls
required that I make many unpopular decisions at times, whether it was terminating an
associate or taking judicial action on a resident. Often the person in conflict with me would be
upset and sometimes physically outraged. I would always make sure that I fully explained the
situation, the policies behind my decision, and why those policies exist. Usually by the end of
the conversation, the person could see the other side of the situation.
25. Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor or instructor? How did you resolve
the conflict?
Sample excellent response:
Yes, I had an incident with my Spanish professor. I turned in an essay that she said was too
good to be mine. I was honest with her; I told her that I had a native speaker review the essay,
but he made very few corrections. However, I had broken the Golden Rule of Spanish
Composition -- the essay must not even touch the hands of a native speaker. To prove to her
that I was capable of producing an essay that exceeded her expectations of a non-native
speaker, I offered to re-write another essay in her office. I earned an A-minus.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
26. Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in
resolving it?
Sample excellent response:
While working at K-mart, I was one of three people to work in the electronics department. One
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day upon arriving at work, I was told the district manager was coming the next day to do a
store inspection. The two other people who worked in electronics were both over 55. Neither
could lift heavy objects, and one refused to work at all. As a result, the electronics department
was usually left to me to keep stocked with product and kept in order. I had about five hours of
work time to get the entire department in order. Those five hours passed around, and there
was still a substantial amount of work to be done. I asked the store manager if I could stay and
work after hours while the overnight stockers were there. He said that because of the
employment budget, he could not let me. I was faced with bringing the entire store's rating
down, so I suggested a creative staffing solution, allowing me to work the extra hours while
temporarily reducing the hours of the other two members of the department. Because of this
solution, in a matter of hours, the department was in tip-top shape -- and still under budget.
And the results? The electronics department got a score of 95 out of 100.
27. Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations?
Sample excellent response:
Yes. My past experience as an Administrative Coordinator required me to deal with many
serious situations since I held emergency on-call duties as a supervisor. One example was
when I was called by a Resident Assistant to deal with an attempted suicide on her residence
hall floor. The situation required that I think clearly and quickly in this life-and-death situation. I
had to weigh the many tasks that needed to be completed. I had to assign RAs to call 911,
make sure that EMS could get into the locked building, while at the same time applying first aid,
and ensuring that the rest of the residents on the floor were OK. I also had to make sure the
privacy of the resident in need was respected. I basically prioritized and dealt with each task by
its importance. I delegated responsibility to RAs for things that they were capable of handling
because I could not physically be in many places at once. Once the resident was taken to the
hospital, I was responsible for paperwork and follow up to make sure the staff members,
residents, and the resident-in-need adjusted back to "normal" life. I know this is an extreme
example not found in the financial consulting field; however, it shows just how well I can deal
with extreme pressure.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
28. What quality or attribute do you feel will most contribute to your career success?
Sample excellent response:
My greatest strength is my flexibility. I have learned that work conditions change from day to
day and throughout the day, as well, no matter where I have worked in the past. I also have
realized that certain projects require individual attention and others involve a teamwork
approach. These are just a few examples of the changes that happen in the financial
consulting field, as you are well aware. My flexibility to adapt to the different demands of the
job has allowed me to surpass my supervisor's expectations.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.
29. What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty in school or on the
job?
Sample excellent response (shows how he recognized his weakness and worked to improve):
My greatest weakness had been delegation. I would take it upon myself to do many small
projects throughout my shift as a