Trainee Manager

Speak about the time when your foresight helped you in identifying a problem and helped in averting it before any serious implications.

I think it’s important to remember that determination can sometimes cause problems – even if the person means well. For example, I once managed someone who constantly met their targets – but their team work ethic was way off. Although they appeared successful, it turned out they were taking leads from colleagues. So I sat down with them to make them aware of the consequences, and stressed the importance of our team targets, rather than trying to work against each other. Not only did they turn things around, they also regained the respect of the team.

The interviewer is looking for work related examples of how you measure success and when know you have reached accomplishment. Use a work related example and keep your answer short and to the point.

“In my opinion and as it relates to the workplace, success is a measurable variable. If you don’t measure your accomplishments, success is lost. Success can be tied to everything you do each day.

Management interview questions like this are asked to find out what kind of leader you are. Should you ever get placed in a management role, how will you delegate the workload or teach your co-workers.

“I believe the main goal of any management position is to get things done by evenly distributing the workload to the most qualified members of the team. They also make sure that each member of the team has all the resources and training that are necessary to complete the job.

The interviewers want to feel special. Things to talk about could include the training scheme structure, opportunities to take on early responsibility, support for taking professional qualifications or the company’s policy on sustainability and social responsibility. You probably shouldn’t say that the salary is one of your biggest motivations for applying, even if that is in fact the case.

If you’re faced with this question at an interview, always show instead of tell.

In other words, don’t just talk about your management style – tell them how it actually works.

And since the ability to pay yourself a compliment without coming across arrogant is often tough, aim to define what good management is first. Then talk about yourself positively by explaining what you’ve done, rather than simply repeating words like ‘responsible’ and ‘good leadership skills’.

As a manager you will deal with many people. The job description outlines qualities someone should have since as a management trainee they see your potential with or without experience.

My degree in Commerce and a good understanding of the financial services sector and the challenges of financial access are proof that I have keen interest in developing a career in Banking. My education gives me an opportunity to gain more practical insight of the financial Sector through this intensive two- year on-the-job training in various functions in the bank.

Select an achievement that is work-related and fairly recent. Identify the skills you used in the achievement and quantify the benefit it had to the company. For example, 'my greatest achievement has been to design and implement a new sales ledger system, bringing it in ahead of time and improving our debtors' position significantly, saving the company £50,000 a month in interest'.

You should narrate an incident where you had a very good reason to disagree with your manager or team leader. Tell the panelists the reasons for your disagreement and your approach towards the issue. Do let them know if you had made a contribution to finding a solution to the problem.

Yes, I consider myself to be very well organized. Everyday when I arrive at work, I check my email and messages. Then I plan out exactly what I am going to do that day. Even if I already know that I am going to work on the Johnson proposal, I still review my current status and set my goals for the day. At the end of the day, I review my progress and plan for the following day.

This is a question of commitment. Thus, make sure you have thought about it beforehand. If you cannot commit to long hours of works or working for 10 hours at a stretch, do let them know about it.