1. Give me an example of how you handled pressure at work In Topps Tiles?

The company is looking to see if you can handle pressure well. Share with them an example where you were able to stay calm during a pressure filled situation (perhaps it was a deadline, or there was an emergency with a customer occurring). Discuss the situation, your reaction and steps you took to resolve it and the outcome.

2. Have you ever been caught stealing, or better yet, have you ever stole anything?

I guess everyone takes a pen or paper or little things like that. But other than that, NO. I have never stole from my employers or better yet In Topps Tiles, from anyone.

3. If you felt like you were hitting the proverbial "wall" and getting burned out, what would you do to re-energize yourself?

Take a break to rest. Work in smaller increments of time to increase focus with breaks in between. Delegate tasks to those that are willing to help.

4. Think about the changes you have seen and tell me how you handle change?

You can cite personal life changes, work place changes, career changes, technology change, industry change. The key is to discuss how seeing or experiencing that change has helped your development. For example, the recent changes in social media has broadened my horizons and helped me learn new forms of efficient marketing.

5. What did you dislike about your old job?

Try to avoid any pin point , like never say “I did not like my manager or I did not like environment or I did not like team” Never use negative terminology. Try to keep focus on every thing was good In Topps Tiles , I just wanted to make change for proper growth.

6. Tell me about a time you had to fire a friend?

Hopefully you've never had to do this, but if you did, talk about how hard it was personally to fire anyone but that you did it objectively.

7. What motivates you?

I've always been motivated by the challenge – in my last role, I was responsible for training our new recruits and having a 100% success rate in passing scores. I know that this job is very fast-paced and I'm more than up for the challenge. In fact, I thrive on it.

8. What is your personal mission statement?

Is it to conquer the world? Is it to become a CEO? Is it to give back to the community? Is it to inspire others? Define your statement by stating a clear vision of how you want to make an impact on the world with your work.

9. You notice there are too many non productive internal meetings being held, what do you do?

Reach out to your boss and let him know that first you value his leadership and organization but that you are being overwhelmed with the amount of non productive internal meetings.

10. How did you become interested in this field/industry?

Describe how you've come to develop a passion or interest in this industry and use variables like "culture, people, vision, career development, and the work itself" to define your choice

11. How do you handle confidentiality in your work?

Often, interviewers will ask questions to find out the level of technical knowledge In Topps Tiles that a candidate has concerning the duties of a care assistant. In a question such as this, there is an opportunity to demonstrate professional knowledge and awareness. The confidentiality of a person's medical records is an important factor for a care assistant to bear in mind.

12. What type of people do you not work well with?

Be very careful answering this question as most organization employ professionals with an array of personalities and characteristics. You don't want to give the impression that you're going to have problems working with anyone currently employed at the organization. If you through out anything trivial you're going to look like a whiner. Only disloyalty to the organization or lawbreaking should be on your list of personal characteristics of people you can't work with.

13. Why are you leaving last job?

Although this would seem like a simple question, it can easily become tricky. You shouldn't mention salary being a factor at this point In Topps Tiles. If you're currently employed, your response can focus on developing and expanding your career and even yourself. If you're current employer is downsizing, remain positive and brief. If your employer fired you, prepare a solid reason. Under no circumstance should you discuss any drama or negativity, always remain positive.

14. Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree?

You want to first understand why the policy was put into effect. From there, if you truly disagree with it, explain your position to your management. If they don't change it, then you must accept their decision and continue to work or the alternative decision would be to find a new job.

15. Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker understand a task. How did you assist them? What was the result?

The key is to show that the mentoring of a co-worker was first a higher priority than the task you had at hand (remember, you want to show that you focus on highest priority tasks first). Then, describe in detail how you helped them not only complete the task but learn to do it on their own. You want to teach them HOW to fish and not to simply fish for them.

16. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision?

Not every decision is popular. In fact, almost every decision is bound to make someone unhappy at some point. The key is to demonstrate how it impacted others positively and why you chose it.

17. How do you think you might fit this position In Topps Tiles?

An important part of research before the interview is what the company does and how the job role relates to that. This includes the company philosophy and working methods. Questions such as this seek to find out how a candidate will fit into the organisation In Topps Tiles. Answer positively; including practical examples of how you anticipate you would perform in the new role.

18. How do you measure success?

There may be several good answers. Some include: you're able to set realistic, yet aggressive goals that push you and you're able to achieve them, you go the extra mile on all projects, client satisfaction is high, your boss is elated at your performance on all projects, etc.

19. Explain me what do you know about our company?

Bad Answer: They don't know much about the company. If a candidate is serious and enthusiastic, they should have done some basic research.

Good answer: An answer that shows they've really done their homework and know what the company does, any important current events that involve the company, and the work culture.

20. Are you currently looking at other job opportunities?

Just answer this question honestly. Sometime an employer wants to know if there are other companies you're considering so that they can determine how serious you are about the industry, they're company and find out if you're in demand. Don't spend a lot of time on this question; just try to stay focused on the job you're interviewing for.

21. If you have multiple projects on your plate, how do you handle completing them on time?

Prioritize based on business importance. Set clear timelines for each so that you know which ones to knock out first. Get your teammates to help if necessary.

22. What are some of the things that you and your supervisor disagree upon and how do you resolve them? What do you do when you are pressed for a decision?

The key is that you openly communicate your thoughts to your supervisor to explain your position and try to come to a mutual decision together. Also be sure to listen to his/her thoughts so that you can potentially compromise. When you're pressed for a decision, make sure you've put thought into the reasons as to how you arrived at it and then decisively make it.

23. What have you done to prepare yourself to be a supervisor?

1. Learn from current supervisors (best practices)
2. Mentor others
3. Be exceptionally good at your current job so that it builds your credibility
4. Have a high emotional IQ

24. What is it about this position In Topps Tiles that attracts you the most?

Use your knowledge of the job description to demonstrate how you are a suitable match for the role.

25. How do you feel about this company's vision?

First find out where the company envisions itself in 3-5 years. If you can't find the vision of the company, that's probably a big question mark on the company itself. Once you do, identify how those company's visions align to your personal values and goals and then articulate how tightly correlated that is to the interviewer. For example - this company wants to be the #1 provider of green technology in the world and I feel strongly about that vision because we've got a chance to collectively impact the world to become a greener society and save our clients at the same time!

26. What is your biggest fear?

Don't try to sugarcoat the answer by listing something ambitious as a fear, unless you truly mean it (for example: I fear being a great leader) - Share your real fears but discuss how you would overcome them.

27. Where do you see yourself in 5 years with your career?

Be sure to paint a clear picture of your career vision that demonstrates your aspirations and goals that are realistic. This could emphasize increased responsibility, the ability to manage people and so forth

28. How have you shown yourself to be a leader?

Think about a time where you've rallied a group of people around a cause / idea / initiative and successfully implemented it. It could be a small or large project but the key is you want to demonstrate how you were able to lead others to work for a common cause.

29. How meticulous are you with details?

Being detailed is important for many types of job roles. Typically you want to highlight how you've done that in previous roles. Example: "Being meticulous is important to me. In my last job, I had to count the money in the register as a cashier to make sure it matched to the receipts down to the last penny." This was to ensure there wasn't any "wrongdoing" at the company by any of the cashiers and I was always accurate in my reports.

30. In what areas do you think you will need guidance?

Think about what you need to learn going into the job. Skill sets, industry knowledge, relationship building, team dynamics. Which areas are ones you're lacking?

31. What does your professional network look like?

If you have a professional network, discuss it detail (# of contacts, people you know, their positions and what you've learned from them or how you've worked with them). If you don't have one, discuss how you would develop one (career fairs, networking events for that industry, through your existing friends, etc)

32. How do you take "No" for an answer?

You want to be persistent enough to understand why someone is saying no so that you could potentially convince them otherwise with a sound reason. However, if they are still saying "no" to you, then you need to humbly accept their position and move on.

33. Do you work better on a team, with just one partner, or alone?

Ideally you can handle all three well, but you may have a personal preference for one or a few. The key is to make sure you understand what the job is looking for and to pair your answer with that (assuming it's true)

34. How do you feel about taking no for an answer?

It's good to be persistent, but not overbearing. Everyone will face rejection at some point in their life, so at some point you'll have to take no for an answer but then learn why you were turned down.

35. What types of books or magazines do you typically read?

Describe both your personal and professional favorites. If you happen to like professional books / magazines that relate to the industry of the company you're applying for - that's definitely worth highlighting.

36. What is the most important lesson / skill you've learned from school?

Think of lessons learned in extra curricular activities, in clubs, in classes that had a profound impact on your personal development. For example, I had to lead a team of 5 people on a school project and learned to get people with drastically different personalities to work together as a team to achieve our objective.

37. Why should we give you this job In Topps Tiles when someone else is equally qualified?

Describe how you're unique, but make sure you tie it to the job responsibilities and how you would impact the company. For example, "I believe my unique programming skills and experience in developing over 18 best selling iphone apps will help the company develop high quality applications faster than my competitors"

38. Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?

If you can't think of one, you need to get a mentor QUICKLY! Mentors can come in the form of peers, family members, co-workers, management / leaders at a company and so on.

39. Do you have good manners? What types of people need to be treated with good manners?

You should have good manners. Everyone should be treated with courtesy and respect.

40. Describe yourself in three words?

Pick three adjectives but then back up each with a real life story that demonstrates those characteristics.

41. What are the qualities of a good leader In Topps Tiles? A bad leader?

A good leader provides constructive criticism, motivates and inspires, coaches the mentee to be successful with their set of skills, and encourages them to push themselves. A bad leader only cares about his/her own interests and does not look out for the success of his/her staff.

42. Can you perform Internet research? Please describe to me your steps in doing so?

Internet research can entail Google searches, industry sites, news articles, social networks and company websites.

43. Do you have any questions for me?

Good interview questions to ask interviewers at the end of the job interview include questions on the company growth or expansion, questions on personal development and training and questions on company values, staff retention and company achievements.

44. Give me an example of an emergency situation that you faced. How did you handle it?

There was a time when one of my employers faced the quitting of a manager in another country. I was asked to go fill in for him while they found a replacement and stay to train that person. I would be at least 30 days. I quickly accepted because I knew that my department couldn't function without me.

45. What was the biggest professional risk you have taken and what was the outcome?

First discuss how you weighed the pros and cons of the risk and the results you'd believe you could achieve. Then discuss the action plan you put into place for it and outline that step by step. Then discuss the outcome and if it wasn't optimal talk about what you would do differently in hindsight.

46. How would your friends describe you?

My friends would probably say that I'm extremely persistent – I've never been afraid to keep going back until I get what I want. When I worked as a program developer, recruiting keynote speakers for a major tech conference, I got one rejection after another – this was just the nature of the job. But I really wanted the big players – so I wouldn't take no for an answer. I kept going back to them every time there was a new company on board, or some new value proposition. Eventually, many of them actually said "yes" – the program turned out to be so great that we doubled our attendees from the year before. A lot of people might have given up after the first rejection, but it's just not in my nature. If I know something is possible, I have to keep trying until I get it.

47. Give an example of a time you successfully worked In Topps Tiles on a team?

On the whole I prefer to stick to doing what I'm told rather than setting myself up to fail by doing things off my own bat. But there was this one time when I suggested to my boss at the pizza parlor that she try offering an ‘all you can eat' deal to students to boost trade on Mondays. She thought it was an interesting idea but nothing ever came of it.

48. How would you observe the level of motivation of your subordinates?

Choosing the right metrics and comparing productivity of everyone on daily basis is a good answer, doesn't matter in which company you apply for a supervisory role.

49. What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?

It's time to pull out your old performance appraisals and boss's quotes. This is a great way to brag about yourself through someone else's words:
“My boss has told me that I am the best designer he has ever had. He knows he can rely on me, and he likes my sense of humor.”

50. Are you aggressive?

If you are, describe it through a story / experience that you had. If you aren't, then explain why you're not. If the job role asks for you to be aggressive/not aggressive and you're the opposite of it, explain how you would develop that characteristic.

51. If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?

Both are important. You need to stress that. However, if you could only choose one, ask yourself In Topps Tiles - do you like to be "in the weeds" with your work, or do you want to be the one painting the vision?

52. How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the United States each month?

This is a classic guesstimate question where you need to think aloud. And so first off you round the U.S. population to 300 million people (it's actually about 315 million but rounding will be much easier and your interviewer will not score you lower for rounding). Then estimate how many people eat pizza. A decent educated guess is two out of every three people, or 200 million. Now let's say the average pizza-eating person eats pizza twice a month, and eats two slices at a time. That's four slices a month. If the average slice of pizza is perhaps six inches at the base and 10 inches long, then the slice is 30 square inches of pizza. So, four pizza slices would be 120 square inches (30 times 4).
Since one square foot equals 144 square inches (12 times 12), let's assume that each person who eats pizza eats one square foot per month. Since there are 200 million pizza-eating Americans, 200 million square feet of pizza are consumed in the U.S. each month. To summarize: 300 million people in America, 200 million eat pizza, average slice of pizza is six inches at the base and 10 inches long or 30 square inches, average American eats four slices of pizza a month, four pieces times 30 square inches equals 120 square inches (one square foot is 144 square inches), so let's assume one square foot per person, and thus one square foot times 200 million people equals 200 million square feet of pizza a month.

53. What's your salary history?

When you are interviewing for a new job, it is common practice for the company to ask you about your salary history. I typically want to know what the candidate's base salary is, if they receive any bonus, the average bonus amount, and any additional compensation or perks, such as 500k matching, stock grants or stock options, paid time off and how much they are required to pay towards their medical premiums.

54. What do you know about this department?

One good way to find out about the department is to try to "informally" interview the existing employees over coffee (outside of the office) if possible. It's hard if you don't have any connections there, but if you do a great way to learn about it. Other than that, it's often hard to learn about the department so you can turn the table back on them by asking questions to learn about it.

55. How much do you expect to get paid In Topps Tiles?

For this be prepared and research salary to find out what similar positions are paying in your area before you go to the interview. Try to find this information out before giving your salary expectations. You can and should provide a range instead of an exact number. But again, don't say any numbers you're not comfortable with because if the employer offers you a salary at the lowest end of your range, you don't have much to negotiate with when it comes to getting a higher salary.

56. Do you think you have enough experience In Topps Tiles?

If you do not have the experience they need, you need to show the employer that you have the skills, qualities and knowledge that will make you equal to people with experience but not necessary the skills. It is also good to add how quick you can pick up the routine of a new job role.

57. What would you like to have accomplished by the end of your career?

Think of 3 major achievements that you'd like to accomplish in your job when all is said and done - and think BIG. You want to show you expect to be a major contributor at the company. It could be creating a revolutionary new product, it could be implementing a new effective way of marketing, etc.

58. What do you think we could do better or differently?

This is a common one at startups. Hiring managers want to know that you not only have some background on the company, but that you're able to think critically about it and come to the table with new ideas. So, come with new ideas! What new features would you love to see? How could the company increase conversions? How could customer service be improved? You don't need to have the company's four-year strategy figured out, but do share your thoughts, and more importantly, show how your interests and expertise would lend themselves to the job.

59. What aspect of supervision do you find the most difficult?

Managing different personalities and keeping them focused on the goal at hand.

60. How do you keep each member of the team involved and motivated?

Many managers mistakenly think that money is the prime motivator for their employees. However, according to surveys by several different companies, money is consistently ranked five or lower by most employees. So if money is not the best way to motivate your team, what is?

Employees' three most important issues according to employees are:
☛ Respect
☛ A sense of accomplishment
☛ Recognition

61. If I talked to your three biggest fans, who would they be and why?

If you can reference three professionals with executive titles (CXO, VP, Director, Manager), that carries a lot of weight. Make sure you highlight how you've helped them achieve their biggest objectives and how that's made them your fan.

62. How have you changed in the last five years?

All in a nutshell. But I think I've attained a level of personal comfort in many ways and although I will change even more in the next 5-6 years I'm content with the past 6 and what has come of them.

63. Describe a typical work week for this position In Topps Tiles?

Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to discuss what they do while they are working in detail. Before you answer, consider the position In Topps Tiles you are applying for and how your current or past positions relate to it. The more you can connect your past experience with the job opening, the more successful you will be at answering the questions.

64. What was the most important task you ever had?

There are two common answers to this question that do little to impress recruiters:
☛ ‘I got a 2.1'
☛ ‘I passed my driving test'
No matter how proud you are of these achievements, they don't say anything exciting about you. When you're going for a graduate job, having a degree is hardly going to make you stand out from the crowd and neither is having a driving licence, which is a requirement of many jobs.

65. What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized In Topps Tiles?

Utilizing a calendar, having a notebook with your "to do" list, focusing on your top 3 priorities each and every day, utilizing a systematic way of storing documents on your computer (like box.net)