Questions to Ask / Expect During a Job Interview.
Sales Positions
-Why do you want to work for this company?
-Do you have specific sales experience in this industry?
-What are your specific goals if you get this job?
-What experience do you have that will be helpful on the job?
-Have you won any sales awards?
-Tell me of a work related accomplishment that you are particularly proud of and describe
what you did.
-This job will require a lot of (describe the activity) - {overtime, travel, inventory work,
computer work, etc}. Will that be a problem for you?
Relevant Experience:
-Do you have (or can you provide) any writing samples?
-This job requires a great deal of client contact. Tell me about your experience in this area?
-Did your last job involve prospecting or did you work mostly from qualified leads?
-This job requires a great deal of prospecting and cold calling. Will that be a problem for you?
-What kind of experience do you have in prospecting?
-What would you like to get out of this new job?
-How would you rate your Time Management skills?
-What are your salary and benefits expectations for this position?
-Why should we hire you for this job?
Behavioral/Attitude questions:
-What aspect of sales do you find most enjoyable?
-What do you like least about being a salesperson?
-What kind of guidance and support do you expect from your sales manager?
-Have you ever been mis-managed?
-How did it affect you?
-What did you do about it?
-This job involves interacting with (describe type of people) - {customers, peers, vendors, home office staff, etc.) What experience do you have working with such people?
-Tell me about the types of interaction you had with other people on your last job?
-Of all the jobs you ve had, which did you like the least? Why?
-In your last job, did you run into any difficult situations ? How did you handle them?
-How do you deal with co-workers you do not like?
-How would you deal with co-workers who give you a hard time?
-How would you handle an obnoxious prospect or customer?
-How would you handle an indecisive client or prospect?
-How would you handle a complaint from a client or customer?
Previous/Current Employment History questions:
-How did you get your last job?
-What were your duties/responsibilities?
-What did you like most about the job?
-What did you dislike about the job?
-What did you learn from this job?
-Why do you want to leave your current job?
-Why did you leave your last two jobs?
-Describe a typical day at your current (or last) job?
-Are there persons at your former job that would provide a professional reference?
-Are there customers at your former job that would provide a professional reference?
Motivation and General Information questions:
-What is your long-term career objective?
-How do you plan to achieve this goal?
-What do you think could happen to hinder your success?
-What specific kind of work do you most enjoy doing?
-What do you consider to be your (job related) strong points?
-What are your (job related) weak points?
Education and Skill questions:
-Did you attend College or Postgraduate School?
-What was your major?
-What subjects did you do particularly well in school?
-Did you work at an outside job while going to school? Describe the job?
-What special skills do you have?
-How proficient are you in using personal computers?
-Do you use a computer to surf the net? Do you use e-mail?
-Are there software applications you are particularly familiar with?
-We use _______________ software for Contact Management are you familiar with it?
-How would you rate your proficiency level in this software application?
-Have you taken any courses recently to improve your education or career?
-Was this company sponsored or did you do it on your own?
-Do you belong to any (job related) organizations or professional groups?
-How will your involvement in these activities affect your job here?
-Do you have any relatives or friends employed by our company?
-Do you have any relatives employed by a competitor of this company? If so, who are they and what is their relationship to you?
-Are there any days or hours when you are not available to work?
-Are you willing to attend company sponsored courses to improve your skills?
Medical and screening questions if applicable:
-Do you think you will be able to handle the physical aspects of this job?
-Do you currently use any illegal drugs?
-If offered a job, will you submit to a medical examination?
-This job requires an annual medical evaluation which includes urinalysis for drug testing. Do you have any objection to this?
QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD NEVER ASK:
-How many children do you have at home?
-Are you pregnant?
-Are you married with children?
-Are you single (or married)?
-How old are you?
-Do you have any disabilities?
-What is your sexual orientation?
-What is your religious affiliation?
-What is your ethnic background?
-Have you ever been arrested?
