1. What have you done to improve your knowledge In Auto-Owners Insurance in the last year?
Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job In Auto-Owners Insurance. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.
2. Do you ever take work home with you?
Here are two great sample answers that might help get you started:
☛ I am an extremely organized person, so I tend to be able to get my work done at work. However, if the need arose I would not be against taking work home. I try not to make it a habit, since I do value my free time. I do realize though that the work we do is important, and sometimes you have to do what needs to be done.
☛ I do not shy away from taking work home with me. I know that meeting deadlines and doing outstanding work sometimes means taking a bit of it home. I do not have a problem doing that when the need arises.
☛ Make sure to give an honest answer. Lying about taking work home may turn out badly for you if it is required and you do not do it.
3. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job?
When answering this question, discuss situations where you completed tasks benefitting your previous employers.
4. Explain me about a problem or disagreement you had with previous supervisor?
This question is trap. It is meant to see whether or not you'll speak poorly of an employer. No one wants to hire someone who's going to speak poorly of them down the road. Stay upbeat and positive - and most of all don't say anything negative about a previous employer.
5. 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.
6. How do you believe you would benefit our organization?
This is a great question that provides you the opportunity to put your best foot forward, to tell the interviewer why he or she should consider hiring you for the job. Make sure you're well prepared for this question as you won't likely get a second chance to really shine.
7. What do you consider ethical spending on an expense account?
It depends on the role - but the better way to answer this is to ask the interviewer what their expectations are with regards to what the role can expense and then simply state that you'll stay within those parameters
8. What do you expect from this job In Auto-Owners Insurance?
Talk about the potential career development, your career aspirations, your work relationships and the learning you'll receive.
9. Explain what are your weaknesses In Auto-Owners Insurance?
Red flags: This is the peanut butter to the previous question's jelly. Again, everyone should expect it, so it's a bad sign if someone seems totally unprepared, or gives a stock answer like, "I'm a perfectionist." Also, of course, candidates crazy enough to blurt out some horrible personality trait should go in the red flagged pile.
Good answer: Candidates should talk about a real weakness they've been working on improving. For instance, they're not good at public speaking, but they've been taking a course to help them improve. Or maybe they feel that they're easily distracted when working online, but have installed software that helps them stay on task. Answers like these show a desire for improvement, self awareness and discipline.
10. What are your weaknesses for Auto-Owners Insurance 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.
11. How do you prioritize your work?
Depends on the situation... I like to label certain tasks as either A B or C...A being the one that requires immediate attention, and C which are tasks that aren't urgent but eventually need to get done... I like to focus my work In Auto-Owners Insurance on the things that need to get done, and done quickly... While balancing the other work alongside our first priorities.
12. What motivates you at the work place?
Keep your answer simple, direct and positive. Some good answers may be the ability to achieve, recognition or challenging assignments.
13. Why are you interested in working In Auto-Owners Insurance for [insert company name here]?
Bad Answer: They don't have a good reason, or provide a generic answer, "I think it represents a great opportunity."
Good answer: One that shows they've done research on the company, and are truly excited about specific things they can do at the job. This not only shows enthusiasm for the work and basic preparation skills, gives you clues about the cultural fit.
14. Did you consider yourself a team player?
Of course you're a team player - who isn't. But a simple yes probably isn't the response the interviewer is looking for. Be ready to provide specific example of how you've worked as part of a cohesive team to get things accomplished and how you've focus on team performance rather than individual performance. Make sure not to brag as this will make it appear as that you're more concerned about your own performance and accomplishments than those of the team.
15. How do you think you might fit this position In Auto-Owners Insurance?
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 Auto-Owners Insurance. Answer positively; including practical examples of how you anticipate you would perform in the new role.
16. What do you consider to be your greatest strength?
There isn't any right answer. Just make sure to make your response positive and true. A few good examples include: Your ability to solve complex problems, Your ability to work well on a team, Your ability to shine under pressure, Your ability to focus in chaotic situations, Your ability to prioritize and organize, Your ability to cut through the fluff to identify the real issues, Your ability to influence other positively. If your strength relates to the position in question that will be more beneficial - but again be honest, don't create a strength for yourself just because you think it will sound good.
Focus on the issue that impacts the business most first.
18. Why was there a gap in your employment In Auto-Owners Insurance?
If you were unemployed for a period of time, be direct and to the point about what you've been up to (and hopefully, that's a litany of impressive volunteer and other mind-enriching activities, like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization: “I decided to take a break at the time, but today I'm ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways.”
19. 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 Auto-Owners Insurance , I just wanted to make change for proper growth.
20. 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
21. Tell me about a decision you made recently and how you reached it In Auto-Owners Insurance?
The key is to show that you put a lot of thought (weighing out the pros and cons) but were able to be decisive. Be sure to explain your logic in arriving at the decision.
22. What specific steps do you utilize in solving workplace problems?
Analyze the problem In Auto-Owners Insurance. Discuss possible remedies and resulting outcomes. Decide on the remedy and track results. Re-visit problem if it's not resolved.
23. Who has been an inspiration for you?
Cite your role models (possible examples could be your parents, people successful in the industry, world leaders, etc)
Discuss your work experiences. The key is to show you're calm under pressure and can handle sensitive situations with a clear train of thought.
Discuss your passions In Auto-Owners Insurance. Ideally if it's work related that's fantastic! If not, talk about your academic / extracurricular passions and WHY you enjoy them. For example: I love playing sports because of the team work aspect - it's fun winning together! (This example shows you're a team player)
26. What is your biggest regret to date and why?
Describe honestly the regretful action / situation you were in but then discuss how you proactively fixed / improved it and how that helped you to improve as a person/worker.
27. How well do you multi-task?
Multi-tasking is an important part of most jobs. You want to show that you're good at it but not overwhelmed with it. So discuss just a few things you can multi-task well on - for example: "I'm good at multi tasking between work email and working on projects In Auto-Owners Insurance and the reason it because I'm good at prioritizing my work emails.
28. How will you approach learning this "new" job In Auto-Owners Insurance?
Interview peers and leaders/managers, read industry news, practice the skill sets needed, absorb information on the job as much as possible.
29. Where do you see yourself in five years In Auto-Owners Insurance?
If asked this question, be honest and specific about your future goals, but consider this:
A hiring manager wants to know
☛ a) if you've set realistic expectations for your career,
☛ b) if you have ambition (a.k.a., this interview isn't the first time you're considering the question), and
☛ c) if the position aligns with your goals and growth. Your best bet is to think realistically about where this position could take you and answer along those lines. And if the position isn't necessarily a one-way ticket to your aspirations?
It's OK to say that you're not quite sure what the future holds, but that you see this experience playing an important role in helping you make that decision.
30. What are you most proud of?
You should be proud of all your achievements In Auto-Owners Insurance! We just don't have time to hear them all as interviewers most likely. Focus on 1 really good achievement that showcases characteristics like the following: Integrity, competitiveness, resourcefulness, intelligence, persistence, and so forth.
31. What type of personalities do you work best with and why?
Think of which personalities you work best with (do you like outgoing, collaborative, personable working relationships and so forth?)
32. Describe to me a time where you had to make a hard decision In Auto-Owners Insurance?
Hard decisions are hard for a reason. It could dramatically effect the company. It could affect other workers. So if you have a story about how you made a hard decision and had a good outcome, share that. If you have one where the outcome wasn't great, explain how you would have changed the way you approached the decision to show you learned how to improve.
33. What does success mean to you?
I am punctual, I always have excellent attendance on any job In Auto-Owners Insurance, I have a keen eye for both large and small details, and I am always finding ways to improve a process and shorten the length of time it takes to complete a project.
34. What types of situations do you consider "unfixable"?
Most situations are "fixable" - the ones that are not are typically related to business ethics (someone is cheating the company, someone is stealing, etc)
35. What role do you see technology playing in this role?
Technology is important to almost every job today but it's not meant to be abused. I believe it's important to increase productivity and not for personal use.
36. What makes you a good manager?
Describe how you manage people, time, money and energy in the most effective manner to achieve the best return of that investment.
37. Explain a time when you did not get along with your coworker?
I used to lock heads with a fellows. We disagreed over a lot of things – from the care of civilians to who got what shifts to how to speak with a victim's family. Our personalities just didn't mesh. After three months of arguing, I pulled her aside and asked her to lunch. At lunch, we talked about our differences and why we weren't getting along. It turns out, it was all about communication. We communicated differently and once we knew that, we began to work well together. I really believe that talking a problem through with someone can help solve any issue.
38. Why should we give you this job In Auto-Owners Insurance 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"
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 estimate the weight of the Chrysler building?
This is a process guesstimate where the interviewer wants to know if you know what to ask. First, you would find out the dimensions of the building (height, weight, depth). This will allow you to determine the volume of the building. Does it taper at the top? (Yes.) Then, you need to estimate the composition of the Chrysler building. Is it mostly steel? Concrete? How much would those components weigh per square inch? Remember the extra step: find out whether you're considering the building totally empty or with office furniture, people, etc. If you're including the contents, you might have to add 20 percent or so to the building's weight.
41. What differentiates this company from other competitors?
Be positive and nice about their competitors but also discuss how they are better than them and why they are the best choice for the customer. For example: "Company XYZ has a good product, but I truly believe your company has a 3-5 year vision for your customer that aligns to their business needs."
42. How do you define arrogance? Are you arrogant?
Arrogance is having an attitude of superiority beyond reason. Confidence is believing in yourself without being cocky. You should not be arrogant.
43. What classes did you enjoy most in college and why?
Think back to the classes that either resonated with your passion or truly helped you to develop skills that you believe will help you in your career. Talk about those.
44. If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
Seemingly random personality-test type questions like these come up in interviews generally because hiring managers want to see how you can think on your feet. There's no wrong answer here, but you'll immediately gain bonus points if your answer helps you share your strengths or personality or connect with the hiring manager. Pro tip: Come up with a stalling tactic to buy yourself some thinking time, such as saying, “Now, that is a great question. I think I would have to say… ”
45. What do you like to do outside of work?
Interviewers ask personal questions in an interview to “see if candidates will fit in with the culture [and] give them the opportunity to open up and display their personality, too,”. In other words, if someone asks about your hobbies outside of work, it's totally OK to open up and share what really makes you tick. (Do keep it semi-professional, though: Saying you like to have a few beers at the local hot spot on Saturday night is fine. Telling them that Monday is usually a rough day for you because you're always hungover is not.)
46. 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.
47. 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.
48. What are the qualities of a good leader In Auto-Owners Insurance? 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.
49. What other companies are you interviewing at?
Be open and share if you are indeed interviewing elsewhere, but do it in a humble way. This way you don't seem arrogant and the interviewer knows your skills are valued by other companies. This also tends to make them want you more as they know they are competing for your services.
50. 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.
51. 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.
52. 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.
53. What schedule do you hope to work? Are you willing to work extra hours?
Be honest. If you really want the job and are willing to work any schedule needed, say so. If, however, you have no intention of working late hours or weekends, simply let the interviewer know the hours that you are available to work. The same applies to extra hours. You are more likely to be hired if you are willing to work any time you are needed. However, saying that you are willing and then complaining about the hours once you start working is a recipe for disaster.
54. 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.
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. Why do you want to work In Auto-Owners Insurance for this organisation?
Being unfamiliar with the organisation will spoil your chances with 75% of interviewers, according to one survey, so take this chance to show you have done your preparation and know the company inside and out. You will now have the chance to demonstrate that you've done your research, so reply mentioning all the positive things you have found out about the organisation and its sector etc. This means you'll have an enjoyable work environment and stability of employment etc – everything that brings out the best in you.
Show that you were communicative with that person and that you were able to collaborate effectively in sharing ideas and work tasks. They want to see that you can be a team player.
58. 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.
59. Tell me the difference between good and exceptional?
Good gets the job done on time and is high quality. Exceptional is a game changer - it stands out, it's creative, it's above and beyond expectations. Tell the interviewer a story about how you were exceptional.
60. What do you expect to be earning in 5 years In Auto-Owners Insurance?
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. How do you evaluate your ability to handle conflict?
I pride myself on being a good problem solver. Through my previous job and management positions I have faced numerous conflicts in different situations, and my experiences have helped me to hone my issue resolution skills. I believe that it is important to get to and address the root of the issue, in a respectable manner.
62. Describe a typical work week for this position In Auto-Owners Insurance?
Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to discuss what they do while they are working in detail. Before you answer, consider the position In Auto-Owners Insurance 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.
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. Where do you see yourself professionally five years from now In Auto-Owners Insurance?
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.
65. 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.
66. How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?
First define significant contribution - once you do that - lay out a timeline plan in which you think you can achieve that.
Fully understand my responsibilities, work hard and exceed expectations, learn as much as possible, help others as much as possible, understand what my teammates' goals and needs are, be on time, and gain a mentor.
68. 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.
69. Explain an idea that you have had and have then implemented in practice?
Often an interview guide will outline the so-called ‘STAR' approach for answering such questions; Structure the answer as a situation, task, action, and result: what the context was, what you needed to achieve, what you did, and what the outcome was as a result of your actions.
70. 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.”
71. 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.
72. 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.
73. How would you define success?
Success is defined differently for everybody. Just make sure the parameters are defined by you with regards to work life balance, financial gain, career growth, achievements, creating meaningful work / products and so forth. If you can clearly articulate what it means to you that is a strong answer.
74. 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.
75. How much do you expect to get paid In Auto-Owners Insurance?
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.
