1. Tell me about a time when you made the wrong decision?
This is something that might be very difficult to answer. Whatever you choose to talk about, important to remember is to say what the outcome was and state what you learned from this experience. Don't say that you were fired!
2. Tell me how do you feel about multitasking at work?
Multitasking is a necessary part of an administration job, so say that you enjoy multitasking and the challenge of ensuring that multiple functions and jobs are completed accurately and on time is part of what motivates you in your work.
3. Tell me do you enjoy meeting new people and interacting with customers?
Meeting people and speaking to customers is often a vital part of being an administrator. Say that you enjoy talking to people and that interaction with other people is often what makes the work most interesting.
4. Tell me what do we really get if we employ you?
This is similar to "what can you bring to this organisation?"
5. Explain how do you cope with busy, stressful periods?
Answer that by staying organised and keeping a strict diary you find that stress does not become a real issue. As soon as you identify a possible delay due to high work volumes you raise this with your manager to see if the work can either be reallocated or given priority.
6. Tell me do you have any skills such as shorthand/touch typing?
Ideally, you will be able to touch type well, so say yes to this. Shorthand is a dying art and fewer people are learning how to do this well. If you have the opportunity to learn it, then do so, because some managers like their administrators to be able to take down shorthand.
7. Tell me how do you deal with authority?
Say that you deal with authority as you deal with customers - with integrity, professionalism and politeness.
8. Explain me how you went about acquiring (a) new skill(s)?
This could be through study, training or experience. It all depends on the type of person you are and the type of skills you have.
9. Tell me what kind of work would I be doing?
Translates to: Is this what I want to be doing? You don't want to accept a job where you don't really know the sort of things you'll be doing, especially if you find that your daily tasks are too easy.
10. Tell us how do you cope under pressure?
Provide some examples of occasions where you were under pressure and you succeeded.
11. Please explain the culture of your company in and around the office?
Translates to: Is this the sort of company I want to work for, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week? If you're a very laid back person, a very strict work place might not be for you (and vice versa).
12. Tell us are you able to use any relevant software packages?
If you have experience, mention the packages you have used. If not, get some training in the most important packages before your interview. Ask your recruitment consultant what are the best packages to learn.
13. Explain me what does your company value?
Do your values align with mine? If you are working for a company that values the same things as you (for example, greener technology, pro bono work) then you may enjoy working for a place like that better.
14. Tell me are you good at solving problems?
Not all administrators need to be excellent problem solvers so if you are not the best, be honest and say so. You could say that you are not good at solving problems but you understand the skills of your colleagues well and will always be able to persuade somebody to assist.
15. Tell me what do you consider to be your best strength?
This question allows you to brag on yourself, but keep in mind that the interviewer wants strengths relative to the position. For example, being a problem solver, a motivator, and being able to perform under pressure, positive attitude and loyal. You will also need examples that back your answers up for illustration of the skill.
16. Explain me why is there a gap in your employment record?
While gaps have been more common during the recession you need to show doing something of value. It could include improving your skills, certifications or connections. Building relationships as a volunteer is a usual answer, but you need to show how you were productive. Play down the vacation, reflection time, etc. If you did consulting work build up the value of what you got out of it. Don't disclose how little you might have been paid.
17. Explain me what are you looking for in the ideal candidate for this position?
Do I fit the bill for the kind of person they are looking for? Maybe you'd know whether you are up to the job better than they.
18. Tell me what have you done to improve your knowledge for as Student Support Officer?
Everyone should learn from his or her mistakes. I always try to consult my mistakes with my kith and kin especially with those senior to me.
I enrolled myself into a course useful for the next version of our current project. I attended seminars on personal development and managerial skills improvement.
19. Tell me what didn't work in your last position?
Be honest here but you don't need to lay it all out either, for example if you and your boss didn't get along. Don't bash your former employer. It could be the culture, it could be there was little room for career progression, you didn't agree with the vision of the company say what it is, then move quickly to focusing on what you want instead.
20. Tell me 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. 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.
21. Tell us what can you bring to this organisation?
☛ Dedication
☛ Initiative
☛ Innovation
☛ Motivation
☛ Enthusiam
☛ etc
22. Tell us why aren't you looking for a job in your area of expertise?
You've done some soul searching, weren't completely fulfilled or your talents weren't being utilized enough in the current industry and realized this was the right path for you. I've had clients say that to employers and they were impressed they had taken the time to really find their direction and that they had such focus. Another reason could be they want to add to their skill set.
23. Explain me what are your communication skills like?
Say that they are very good and that you can communicate well face-to-face, on the telephone and via the Internet on email. Tell us about a time in your professional career when you went out of your way to complete a task for someone else
Hopefully, you have some real experiences - but you may have forgotten them by now. Think back and try to recall a time that you may have helped somebody when they were under pressure or off sick.
24. Why do you believe we should hire you for Student Services and Support Officer?
This question needs to be carefully answered as it is your opportunity to stick out from the rest of the applicants. You should focus on skills that you have, including those not yet mentioned. Simply responding “because I'm really good” or “I really need a job” isn't going to work. You shouldn't assume the skills of other applicants or their strengths, focus on yourself. Tell the interviewer why you are a good fit for the position, what makes you a good employee, and what you can provide the company. Keep it brief while highlighting achievements.
25. Tell us what is it about our company that appeals to you?
Don't be afraid to talk about their reputation “On the Street” and how you are a good fit. If they are viewed as aggressive for example, talk about how that fits with you, or the interest in where this culture can take the business. Avoid sugar coating your comments as the finance industry is too sophisticated to accept simplistic answers that don't represent a deeper understanding.
26. Tell me what are your weaknesses and what should you improve on?
You should never pretend you don't have any nor come up with a list like “I work too much.” Come up with a real weakness, like prioritization, time management perhaps – something that is real but also wouldn't jeopardized your ability to do the job and focus on what you do about it. I'm working on improving my time management for example, I use an online calendar and schedule my tasks inside that calendar and plan my week each Monday estimating time needed for each task and project.
27. Basic Student Affairs Professionals Job Interview Questions:
☛ Have you been involved with the strategic planning of your department in past positions?
☛ In what ways have you worked with the academic side of the house at institutions in the past?
☛ What would you do if a student told you they had thought about killing himself/herself?
☛ Discuss your involvement with campus committees in previous jobs.
☛ What 3 factors are most important for student success?
☛ Have you been involved with retention activities?
☛ Do you have experience with academic advising?
☛ What are some good ways to build a strong campus community?
☛ Have you worked with students who are transitioning (gender)?
☛ Do you subscribe to a particular student development approach?
☛ How do you increase student participation at school events?
☛ How do you maintain a professional boundary with students?
☛ Talk about ways you have collaborated with other departments.
☛ How do you stay current with the issues facing today's college student?
☛ Has there ever been a student with whom you refused to work? Why?
☛ What has been the biggest challenge you've faced in helping a student?
☛ In instances of student discipline, do you share information with the parents of traditional-aged students? If so, at what point?
☛ How would you define the difference between coaching, counseling, and advising?
☛ What technology-based resources have you found most helpful when working with students?
☛ What ideas do you have for reaching out to first-year students?
28. First Student Services and Support Officer Job Interview Questions:
☛ What is our school mascot?
☛ How do you stay engaged and passionate about your work responsibilities?
☛ What three main attributes or skills do you think are most important for this position?
☛ At this point in the process, how are you feeling about our institution?
☛ If you were offered this position, when would you be able to start?
☛ What expectations do you have of those with which you work? How do they know this?
☛ How do you work to influence student decisions in developmentally appropriate ways, without overriding their valuable input?
☛ womanshake1Please describe your ideal workplace situation.
☛ How do you plan on integrating student development theories into your job duties and performance?
☛ Give me an example of how you have shown initiative in a situation and what resulted?
☛ How long do you anticipate staying in this position if offered a job?
☛ Your supervisor comes to you and expresses that they feel you need to provide more output. You're already over-taxed. How do you respond?
☛ Can you tell us about any of the nationwide trends in student affairs, higher education, or event planning?
☛ Do you have any questions that you would like to ask of us?
☛ Have you ever had an injury at an event with a student, guest, or a fellow staff person? What happened and how did you handle the situation?
☛ What kind of things do you do to motivate the people that you work with?
☛ What kind of hobbies and activities to you enjoy in your spare time?
☛ What have you learned about our institution while investigating this employment opportunity?
☛ What suggestions do you have for improving the overall student experience within student activities at our institution?
☛ What additional information or comments would you like to share?
☛ Describe a satisfying or meaningful experience during your time in student affairs?
☛ Describe a supervisory relationship that has been unsuccessful and why.
☛ How do the needs of graduate students differ from undergrads?
☛ Do you believe leadership can be taught?
☛ What does it mean to be a mentor?
29. Fresh Student Services and Support Officer Job Interview Questions:
☛ What is the greatest constructive criticism you have ever received from a supervisor?
☛ From your observations of the college union, what changes do you think could be made to make it a better or more effective place for its customers?
☛ Give an example of how you have been rewarded with more responsibility in a previous job.
☛ Tell me about one thing that is unique or remarkable about you.
☛ Why should we select you over someone else?
☛ You have 30 seconds to sell yourself. Go.
☛ What are your career goals?
☛ Which one accomplishment are you the most proud of? Why?
☛ How would you describe this institution to someone who is visiting for the first time?
☛ Using only two words, describe yourself.
☛ What are the top three things that are most important to you when looking for a job?
☛ When you leave here today, what are the most important things you want us to remember about you?
☛ What were you prepared to tell us that we didn't ask?
☛ If we asked your past two supervisors to evaluate your performance, what would they say?
☛ In what type of environment are you most productive?
☛ What traits or characteristics does a person need to be successful in this position? Rate yourself on those traits.
☛ If I ask someone who knows you why I should NOT hire you, what would they say?
☛ Tell me what you are not.
☛ Tell me about a risk you took and what you learned about yourself?
☛ What's your favorite color M&M?
☛ What cereal best describes you as a person?
☛ What was the last book you read, and what impact did it have on you?
☛ Please describe your sense of humor.
☛ If you could be a superhero and have any power, what power would you have, and why?
☛ If you were given a “free pass” to spend your extra work energies in an area of your choosing, what would you choose and what benefit would it bring to the campus?
30. Professional Student Services and Support Officer Job Interview Questions:
☛ Describe the difference between advising and supervision.
☛ What strategies do you have for maintaining contact with students?
☛ How do you recruit diverse leaders to organizations?
☛ How do you help others solve problems?
☛ Talk about your facilitation style.
☛ Give an example of a training program you have done. What would you change?
☛ Talk about a time it was difficult for you to remain open-minded.
☛ What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
☛ What have you learned from your participation in extra-curricular activities?
☛ Why are you seeking a position with our institution?
☛ In what type of position are you most interested?
☛ What qualifications do you have that make you feel that you will be successful in your field?
☛ Do you prefer any specific geographic location? Why?
☛ Define cooperation.
☛ What are your own special abilities?
☛ Give me an example of a work situation in which you were not proud of your performance?
☛ What do you do after a stressful day?
☛ How do you feel you will benefit from this position?
☛ What are those things in past jobs or responsibilities that you are intrinsically motivated to do?
☛ What are those things in past jobs or responsibilities that you needed an extrinsic reward to get you motivated?
☛ What work-related values are strongest in this type of work?
☛ What kinds of decisions do you make?
☛ How did you get into this field? What jobs and experiences led you to this job?
☛ Why did you choose this organization to work for?
☛ What do you like most about this organization?
31. Student affairs related job interview questions:
☛ Tell us a little bit about yourself?
☛ What attracted you to the ________________ position at our institution?
☛ Why do you feel qualified for this position?
☛ Tell us how this position fits into your career goals?
☛ What student development theories do you apply in your daily profession?
☛ Describe your supervisory style?
☛ What role do you typically take on a team?
☛ What are the most important qualities of a team?
☛ Have you had previous experience in supervising staff or other individuals?
☛ How do you respond to conflict?
☛ How do you deal with ambiguity?
☛ What computer skills do you possess?
☛ What role (if any) should social media have in higher education?
☛ Do you have any special trainings or certifications? How has that helped your career?
☛ Share a recent project that you are most proud of.
☛ Share a recent decision that was difficult to make.
☛ What are the most pressing issues facing college students today?
☛ What do you feel are the special issues facing underrepresented students?
☛ When choosing a job what aspects are most important?
☛ Do you foresee any transition issues if you are offered and accept this position?
☛ What are your expectations of a supervisor?
☛ What did you enjoy most and least about your most recent position?
☛ What are your strengths?
☛ What areas do you need improvement?
☛ What does it mean to act with integrity?
☛ What is professionalism to you?
☛ How do you react when your opinion is in the minority?
☛ How do you deal with stress?
☛ What do you do for fun?
☛ Why should we hire you?
☛ Do you consider yourself a patient person?
☛ Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Are you more outgoing or a private person?
☛ How do you describe your personality? Bubbly? Upbeat? Reserved?
☛ Do you speak any other languages?
☛ Are you able to multitask? Provide me with an example of what you might be juggling on an average day.
☛ What office equipment are you able to use?
☛ With your current employer, what has been your attendance record?
☛ How are you with understanding accents and working with individuals who are foreign nationals?
☛ How do you handle stressful situations?
☛ How many phone lines are you comfortable handling?
☛ Are you capable of handling multiple inquiries simultaneously; staff, front door, customers, phone?
☛ What software are you comfortable using?
☛ Are you comfortable placing cold calls to leads and existing clients?
☛ Do you have experience making national and international travel arrangements?
☛ Are you willing/capable of traveling should we require you to accompany a manager or executive on a business trip?
☛ Would you be able to comply with our company's dress code?
☛ How are you at handling as-needed projects? Do you mind unexpected tasks?
☛ Do you consider yourself a brisk worker, or one who is slower paced yet persistent and consistent?
☛ Outline the types of people or teams that you have supported over the years.
☛ Do you have experience managing an executive calendar and scheduling appointments? What software?
☛ Tell me about your customer service experience.
☛ Provide me with an example of a recent challenge you've faced with a visiting sales rep, vendor, customer. What happened and how did you handle?
☛ Tell me about your experiences working with your current manager. What do you find the most challenging?
☛ Provide me with a quick list of the last few projects you've worked on through the last 2-3 years.
☛ Do you like taking on ad-hoc projects? Or are you someone who prefers a set day-to-day schedule?
☛ If asked, what would your current employers say about you?
☛ Have you had any involvement with introducing new systems or technologies to help improve performance within the company?
☛ Any professional involvement with social media and online networking, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn?
☛ Do you help your current manager with maintaining his online presence?
☛ Lastly, do you like working on the front lines of a company? What do you think that is?
☛ Describe your ideal manager. What type of managers would help you deliver your best performance?
33. General Student Services and Support Officer Interview Questions:
☛ Why do you want to work for us?
☛ What do you know about us specifically?
☛ What are your main motivations?
☛ Do you think technology has a role to play in this position?
☛ How will you keep ahead of the curve?
☛ What are your main strengths and weaknesses?
☛ Why are you perfectly suited to this role?
☛ Do you have any questions for us?
34. School Colleges Universities Student Services and Support Officer Job Interview Questions:
☛ Is there a basic philosophy of the organization? If so, what is it?
☛ What can you tell me about the campus culture?
☛ If your job progresses as you like, what would be the next step in your career?
☛ What are the opportunities for advancement, promotion, or mobility?
☛ What changes do you see occurring in this field during the next few years?
☛ Is this field expanding? Taking any new directions?
☛ How is the economy affecting the field?
☛ What are the major qualifications for success in this profession?
☛ What suggestions do you have for an individual wishing to enter this field?
☛ What training would you recommend for someone who wanted to enter this field?
☛ What characteristics are most important in a good supervisor?
☛ What courses have proved to be the most valuable to you in your work?
☛ What do you think is the biggest challenge facing college students today?
☛ How do you decide what gets top priority when scheduling your time?
☛ Give a specific example of a policy you conformed to with which you did not agree.
☛ Describe an instance where you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.
☛ How do you determine or evaluate success?
☛ What is your vision of diversity on a campus such as this one?
☛ As a higher education professional, have you done any work in the area of diversity in the community?
☛ What is your impression of our institutional mission and values?
☛ How do you plan to stay current in the student activities field?
☛ If you were planning a meeting, how would you arrange the chairs?
☛ What do you think are the key components of building community on campus?
☛ What challenges have you faced when advising students? How did you handle them?
☛ Who has served as your role model throughout your graduate experience?
☛ Tell me about a meeting you have led, and how you organized/conducted it.
35. Basic Student Services and Support Officer Job Interview Questions:
☛ Share an example of a successful theory-to-practice experience.
☛ Share an example of an unsuccessful theory-to-practice experience.
☛ Give us your definition of success.
☛ What is your approach toward student discipline?
☛ What is your approach toward programming?
☛ Can you give us some examples of programs you have planned or presented?
☛ What are some of the challenges facing new professionals?
☛ How do you hold staff accountable?
☛ Have you ever terminated an employee? How did you handle that?
☛ How would you respond to a charge that one of your actions was racist, sexist, or homophobic?
☛ How will you help your supervisees pick and choose their battles?
☛ Describe a crisis situation that you've encountered and how you handled it?
☛ How do you manage someone with a confrontational style?
☛ How do you prioritize your time?
☛ Have you ever advised a student organization?
☛ What do you see as the major challenges/issues facing students today?
☛ How would you deal with the transition of a staff that was supervised by your predecessor?
☛ Do you have plans to continue your education?
☛ What characteristics do you work best with?
☛ What characteristics frustrate you when working with another person?
☛ Have you ever resigned from a job? Why?
☛ How did you select your college/university?
☛ Who are your role models?
☛ What would your supervisor/colleagues/staff say are your strengths?
☛ How would you explain a policy to your staff that you may not agree with, yet must enforce?
☛ Tell us about an experience you've had recently which had an impact on you personally or professionally.
☛ Tell us how your previous employment experiences have shaped your current career trajectory.
☛ What do you do to stay motivated? How do you motivate others?
☛ Is there something that is not on your resume that you would like to share?
☛ Do you have anything that you would like to share that we did not ask about?
☛ What will I remember about you after this interview?
☛ How would you supervise someone that you formerly knew as your peer?
