1. How would your references describe you?
Think of three major characteristics that demonstrate your best qualities related to work and then have quick stories to describe why.
2. What are your weaknesses for Applied Physics position?
Try not to be too critical when answering this question. Instead, pick one of your weaknesses and try to turn it into a positive.
For example, you could be a perfectionist, which means that you sometimes take longer on tasks, but you make sure that they are completed to a high quality. It is important to make a negative into a positive as it doesn't make you appear overly critical and shows you can reflect on your own performance.
3. What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example?
First, find out what the root of the problem is. Second, determine the best steps to remediation with the best possible outcome. Third, take action to put remediation plans in place.
4. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
Candidates without specific examples often do not seem credible. However, the example shared should be fairly inconsequential, unintentional, and a learned lesson should be gleaned from it. Moving ahead without group assistance while assigned to a group project meant to be collaborative is a good example.
5. Why did you leave your last job In Applied Physics?
Regardless of why you left your last job make sure to stay positive. Always smile and focus on the positive reason such you were seeking the opportunity to expand your career opportunities, your interest in working with a new firm that provided greater opportunity, you desired to work in a new location, etc. Don't reference previous job problems or differences with management that caused you to leave. If you stay positive, your answer may help you. If you're negative, you will likely decrease your chances of getting the job for which you're interviewing.
6. Your coworker highlights your mistakes in front of everyone, how do you handle the situation?
Admit to the mistake without being emotional, but then discuss how you are being proactive in getting it fixed. Lastly, pull the co-worker aside later on to tell them that you'd appreciate it if they gave you the feedback 1:1 first before throwing you under the bus.
7. 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 Applied Physics. 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.
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.
9. If you had enough money to retire would you?
Just be honest. If you would retire then say so. But since you can't retire, and the interviewer already knows this, simply answer that since you can't this is type of work you prefer doing. However, if you wouldn't retire if you had the money then explain why. Work is an important element of happiness for most people and many won't retire even when they can.
10. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far and why?
Be proud of your achievement, discuss the results, and explain why you feel most proud of this one. Was it the extra work? Was it the leadership you exhibited? Was it the impact it had?
11. What would you like to avoid completely in your next job In Applied Physics?
Bad business ethics, teammates / managers that are disrespectful / inconsiderate. But of course, this job wouldn't have things like this right?
12. What would you do if you won the lottery?
The interviewer is asking this question to find out what your true passion is. Ideally it aligns to the type of work you're interviewing for. If not, tie it back in terms of how it relates to the job, for example, "I believe I'll learn the necessary skills in this job to pursue my passion later on in life."
13. Top 11 Questions to Verify Experience and Credentials In Applied Physics:
Sometimes people want a job a little too bad - and they may fudge their credentials and experience a bit.
If you've run into this problem, are worried about it, or have credentials and experience that are absolutely essential, you may need to ask a few verification questions.
If you are a candidate, you should review your resume and make sure you know all the key points, and that nothing has been misconstrued.
1. What grades did you get in college?
2. What were your responsibilities when you worked in job x?
3. How many people were on your team at your last job?
4. What will your previous manager/supervisor say when I ask where you needed to improve?
5. What was your beginning and ending salary at job x?
6. What were your beginning and ending titles at job x?
7. Are you eligible for rehire at job x?
8. What tools are necessary for performing job x?
9. Describe to me how you would perform [x typical job task].
10. What was the focus of your thesis?
11. When did you leave company x?
Focus on the issue that impacts the business most first.
15. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
Bad Answer: A generic or uninspired answer. Also, answers that show that this career/company is just a temporary stop for them.
Good answer: One that shows the candidate has thought about this question, has plans, and that those plans align with the job and a career path that is possible in the company. You want to see that this candidate is a good long term investment.
16. How long do you want to work for us if we hire you?
Here being specific is probably not the best approach. You may consider responding, “I hope a very long time.” Or “As long as we're both happy with my performance.”
17. How did you handle meeting a tight deadline In Applied Physics?
Review every deadline you need to meet. Prioritize your projects by deadline and factor in how important each project is. Record your deadlines on a digital calendar or spreadsheet.
18. Do you know anyone working with this organization?
It would be great if you did - then you could potentially use them as a referral if they thought highly of you.
19. If you were given more initiatives than you could handle, what would you do?
First prioritize the important activities that impact the business most. Then discuss the issue of having too many initiatives with the boss so that it can be offloaded. Work harder to get the initiatives done.
20. 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.
21. What is the difference between a big ego and a healthy ego?
"Ego" should be replaced by confidence. It's good to be confident as it shows that you know what you're doing. However, a big ego is when confidence spirals out of control and you become arrogant.
22. What kind of work interests you the least In Applied Physics?
What bores you? What fails to challenge you? What fails to excite you?
23. Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it?
Show that you set great goals and the process and steps you took to achieve it. Details really matter here.
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.
25. What is more important to you money or success?
First ask yourself that question before the interview - what are your priorities? Are money and success actual one in the same goal for you? If not, what's more important based on how do you define success?
26. What are you looking for in a new position In Applied Physics?
I've been honing my skills In Applied Physics for a few years now and, first and foremost, I'm looking for a position where I can continue to exercise those skills. Ideally the same things that this position has to offer. Be specific.
27. How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
Choose an answer that shows that you can meet a stressful situation head-on in a productive, positive manner and let nothing stop you from accomplishing your goals. A great approach is to talk through your go-to stress-reduction tactics (making the world's greatest to-do list, stopping to take 10 deep breaths), and then share an example of a stressful situation you navigated with ease.
Describe the positive aspects of your work style if possible, including: work ethic, attention to detail, interpersonal skills, skill sets (analytical or otherwise), leadership abilities, communication skills.
29. What's been your biggest success to date?
Talk about a story / experience about how you achieved success and be sure to share details on the results and outcome. Have it highlight a strong characteristic such as leadership, work ethic and so forth.
30. Have you ever mentored anyone before? If yes, describe the situation?
Describe a time where you've helped someone else. Mentor ships can be informal so as you've helped someone over a period of time that can certainly count. The key is to highlight how you utilized certain skills/attributes like coaching, teaching, patience, communication skills, and so forth to mentor that person.
31. What type of mentors do you seek out and why?
Think of your top 3 mentors and what attributes they exhibit that you want to emulate. Common attributes include passion, desire, will, leadership, ability to influence others, intelligence.
32. Describe yourself in three words?
Pick three adjectives but then back up each with a real life story that demonstrates those characteristics.
33. What are your salary requirements In Applied Physics?
The #1 rule of answering this question is doing your research on what you should be paid by using site like Global Guideline. You'll likely come up with a range, and we recommend stating the highest number in that range that applies, based on your experience, education, and skills. Then, make sure the hiring manager knows that you're flexible. You're communicating that you know your skills are valuable, but that you want the job and are willing to negotiate.
34. How do you deal with conflict in the workplace In Applied Physics?
When people work together, conflict is often unavoidable because of differences in work goals and personal styles. Follow these guidelines for handling conflict in the workplace.
☛ 1. Talk with the other person.
☛ 2. Focus on behavior and events, not on personalities.
☛ 3. Listen carefully.
☛ 4. Identify points of agreement and disagreement.
☛ 5. Prioritize the areas of conflict.
☛ 6. Develop a plan to work on each conflict.
☛ 7. Follow through on your plan.
☛ 8. Build on your success.
35. What do you know about this company?
Research the company on Google by searching recent news (to remain current on them) and their website. Make sure you understand their products / services, vision, competitive differentiators, and work culture.
36. Who are your role models? Why?
If possible, cite role models you're truly passionate about - passion is contagious and will show you're being genuine. If the role model is in the same or similar industry as the company in an executive level position, even better.
In asking this interview question, your interviewer wants to get a sense of how you will respond to conflict. Anyone can seem nice and pleasant in a job interview, but what will happen if you're hired?. Again, you'll want to use the S-T-A-R method, being sure to focus on how you handled the situation professionally and productively, and ideally closing with a happy ending, like how you came to a resolution or compromise.
38. What do you think of your previous boss?
Do not belittle or talk badly of your last boss - it will come off as being petty. Instead, talk about the positive lessons you were able to learn from your last boss.
39. Who was your favorite manager and why?
Describe the attributes you liked about your favorite manager, typically attributes discussed are: Great at coaching, inspiring, motivating, empowering, trusting, delegating, leading, etc.
40. How would you impact the company?
Consider first the role that you're applying for and then think of 3 ways where you could potentially impact the company's bottom line and top line. Then consider how you impact the company in a creative manner (how do you help productivity, the development of new products, marketing etc - of course this part is specific to the role you're applying for)
41. 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.
42. 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.
43. Describe what a bad work environment would look like to you In Applied Physics?
There could be a multitude of things to discuss here: Business ethics (wrongdoing), inconsiderate teammates, non-supportive management, a product that does not do what you're promising customers and so forth.
44. What qualities do you believe are important to have as a manager?
Great managers tend to empower their employees to be successful through strong coaching. They understand how to manage relationships - this is commonly referred to emotional intelligence. They have to be able to handle both client and staff situations that require them to be calm under pressure to clearly think of solutions to complex problems. Most importantly they must be able to articulate the vision to the team and inspire them to work together to collectively achieve that goal
45. Tell me an occasion when you needed to persuade someone to do something?
Interpersonal relationships are a very important part of being a successful care assistant. This question is seeking a solid example of how you have used powers of persuasion to achieve a positive outcome in a professional task or situation. The answer should include specific details.
46. Do you value recognition or pay more? Why?
Either preference is fine, but just remember you have to be able to explain why. If you say recognition, then back that up by describing how achievement really carries weight with you and how you like to feel valued in the work that you do because it validates that you're helping your teammates / customers and so forth. If you choose money, you can also explain that is important to you as validation and you can highlight how money is important to you because of your goals (financial security, providing for your family, and so forth). The key is to be authentic with your answer. However, if you say you value pay more because you're greedy - know that doesn't align usually to most company's values/vision.
47. What type of extracurricular activities are you a part of?
Discuss the clubs / activities you were in, share a personal story about why you enjoyed it and then describe how it's helped shape you to be who you are today. For example, I enjoyed rock climbing because it taught me the value of practicing hard at a sport to become skilled in it. I bring this same diligence to my work approach today as well.
You can learn on the job, through books and magazines, through social networks, blogs, seminars, mentors and so on. Continuous improvement is important because the one thing in life that is constant is change. And you have to continue to push yourself day in and day out to be the best.
49. Why are you leaving the present company?
According to me we can not grow in the field without taking more responsibilities and risks and also we can't enhance our team leading capabilities, managerial skills without expose to wide range of people.
50. How do you feel about technology at the workplace in general?
It's a great enabler for us to collaborate better as a team, for us to reach customers more efficiently and frequently and I believe it can help any company become more efficient, leaner, and more productive.
51. What are the qualities of a good leader In Applied Physics? 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.
52. 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.
Just be honest about where you'd like to be - you never know - you may end up bonding with the interviewer with the location. However, you want to stress that you want to work out of the location that you're interviewing for.
54. Give me an example of when you competed hard and won?
You can reference many different areas here when discussing a story of where you won in competition: Work experience (ideal), sports, clubs, classes, projects.
55. How do you handle stressful situations?
By remaining calm, weighing out all my options and executing a plan to get the situation resolve .
56. Have you got any questions?
This is your final opportunity to persuade the interviewer that you are the right candidate for the job. Now is not the time to ask questions about holidays, pay or pensions – all these things can be asked later when you get an offer of employment. Now is the time to ask about any reservations that the interviewer may have about your suitability for the role. You will then give yourself one last chance to persuade the interviewer that you are the right candidate for the job.
Example Thank you. I think we have covered everything. Before we finish the interview I would like to take the opportunity to ask if you have any reservations about my suitability for this role?
57. 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.
58. 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.
59. Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to know?
Talk about a trait that you would consider a weakness. No need to talk about your deepest darkest secrets here.
60. What do you expect to be earning in 5 years In Applied Physics?
Discuss how you expect yourself to be excellent at your job. Thus, it would be reasonable to expect pay that is based on the merit of your work.
61. What general trends do you see in our industry?
Examine what's happened in the industry in the last 5 - 10 years and how it's evolved and then look at what both the company and analysts are saying about the future of that industry in which that company competes in. Read trade magazines / online sources in that industry as well to make sure you stay up to date on trends.
62. Where do you see yourself professionally five years from now In Applied Physics?
Demonstrate both loyalty and ambition in the answer to this question. After sharing your personal ambition, it may be a good time to ask the interviewer if your ambitions match those of the company.
63. How do you plan to go by an example for your subordinates?
Sticking to the rules by yourself, working hard and not mind participating on basic tasks is a good answer.
64. How do you act when you encounter competition?
This question is designed to see if you can rise the occasion. You want to discuss how you are the type to battle competition strongly and then you need to cite an example if possible of your past work experience where you were able to do so.
65. 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.”
66. What is your greatest weakness In Applied Physics? What are you doing to improve it?
I believe my biggest weakness In Applied Physics is wanting to help anyone I can help. What I mean is I am willing to take on task that are not my job. I want to learn all I can. However, that has helped me get promoted or even asked to help in times of need in other department. I have been know as the "go to person" when help is needed.
67. What is your biggest achievement?
Quality work to be is about doing work to the require or set standard, which is very important when it comes to warehouse operations.
68. What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized In Applied Physics?
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)
69. Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?
Liked. You want to work harder for people that inspire and motivate you. Fear only lasts for so long.
70. What would you do if our competitor offered you a position In Applied Physics?
I would weigh the offer and consider it, however, this company and this role is my first choice.
71. What kind of salary do you need In Applied Physics?
This is a loaded question and a nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, that's a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.
72. 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.
73. Do you like to start personal relationships with other employees?
Well, the right answer is yes and no. Good personal relations can improve the overall performance of a team. But on the other hand, you should not let your emotions to affect your decisions in work.
74. Give an example of a time you successfully worked In Applied Physics 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.
75. Do you work well under pressure?
Yes.. When it comes down to the wire, the best thing I can to remain focused, have some flexibility, and understand priorities.. Giving them attention in the order they are needed.
76. What aspect of supervision do you find the most difficult?
Managing different personalities and keeping them focused on the goal at hand.
77. How much do you expect to get paid In Applied Physics?
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.
78. 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.
79. 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.
