1. What are the main responsibilities of office assistant?
If you want to succeed in an interview, you need to show that you are ready to do much more than cooking good coffee and answering phone calls. You need to convince them that you see your vital role in a team and believe to influence the productivity of the office. Actually, the main duty of an administrative assistant is to carry out every task assigned by the boss, but on the top of that, to come up with his own ideas of what to do.
2. Why you want to be an office assistant?
You should try to convince the hiring manager that you really want to have this job. Motivation is crucial for every administrative assistant, do not forget on it. If you want to get hired, you can't look like someone who takes this job as a last option only.
3. What are the powerful characteristics of a successful office assistant?
Besides time management and cleanliness, an office assistant has excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively coordinate activities between the office manager and his business colleagues, present reports, send and answer emails, etc.
4. How you ensure to keep good qualification for this post?
I understand that if the assistant does her job well and quickly, the office will function better. Therefor I really try my best to improve my performance every day, working a little bit faster and a little bit harder. I also study a lot, time management and effective communication, to keep improving myself. If you choose me for this job, I will be glad to get some advice on the subjects I should study, to be able to start well from the very first day.
5. What salary range are you looking for?
Even if you know the salary range for the job, if you answer first you're already showing all your cards. You want as much as possible, the employer wants you for as little as you're willing to take. Before you apply, take a look at salary.com for a good idea of what someone with your specific experience should be paid. You may want to say, "well, that's something I've thought long and hard about and I think someone with my experience should get between X & Y." Or, you could be sly and say, "right now, I'm more interested in talking more about what the position can offer my career." That could at least buy you a little time to scope out the situation. But if you do have a specific figure in mind and you are confident that you can get it, I'd say go for it. I have on many occasions, and every time I got very close to that figure.
6. So would you rather be feared or liked?
The first time I just drew a blank and said, "I don't know." That went over badly, but it was right at the start of my career when I had little to no experience. Since then I've realized that my genuine answer is "Neither, I'd rather be respected." You don't want to be feared because fear is no way to motivate a team. You may got the job done but at what cost? Similarly, if you're everyone's best friend you'll find it difficult to make tough decisions or hit deadlines. But when you're respected, you don't have to be a complete bastard or a lame duck to get the job done.
7. Would you willing to put the interests of X Company ahead of your own?
Nasty question. If you say yes, you're a corporate whore who doesn't care about family. If you say no, you're disloyal to the company. I'm afraid that you'll probably have to say yes to this one though, because you're trying to be the perfect employee at this point, and perfect employees don't cut out early for baseball game.
8. Tell me what kind of documents do you have experience of writing?
Office assistants typically write any or all of the following: thank-you letters, newsletters, labels, donor and annual reports, emails, messages, fax messages, etc.
9. Tell me what office-related software are you proficient with?
An office assistant is able to use various standard communication software, such as - emailing tools, Messenger, and Skype. Moreover, he/she is able to type and be proficient in Word, Office, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.
10. Is it important to maintain cleanliness in and around the office?
Besides duties like handling calls and other forms of communication, managing documentation, coordinating events, etc., an office assistant maintains an efficient and pleasant working environment by keeping it fresh and free of clutter.
