Assistant Manager

★ Occasionally I have been told that I take longer than other colleagues to complete complicated projects or tasks. But this is only because I want to make sure the work I do is to the highest standards.

★ My MS PowerPoint skills are weak, so I have enrolled on a evening course to improve them.

★ I am sometimes accused of being over friendly.

★ I have been told that I am honest, reliable and ethical.

★ Your sense of urgency, if you know that a task is important, then you will work hard to get it done on time.

★ You are a fast learner.

★ Ability to communicate with people.

★ Flexible enough to handle changing environments.

★ Able to cope with setback and learn from my mistakes.

They want you to tell them (in your own words) a bit more about your background, work experience, attitude and ambitions. Make your answer brief and to the point. Do not talk about your hobbies, personal likes or dislikes. Finish the answer by focusing on your Unique Selling Proposition, do this by mentioning what you are good at etc.

Once again, there are a few ways to answer this but they should all be positive. You may work well under pressure, you may thrive under pressure, and you may actually PREFER working under pressure. If you say you crumble like aged blue cheese, this is not going to help you get your foot in the door.

Be confident answering in the affirmative. The assistant manager's role is exciting and challenging as you work closely with an executive of the company. It is a job that is all about management and applying management skills. The assistant manager often communicates with staff, managers, and customers, and directly oversees customer service. Assistant managers play an important part in ensuring profit and a good name for the organization.

This is a good way to hint that you're in demand, without sounding like you're whoring yourself all over town. So, be honest and mention a few other companies but don't go into detail. The fact that you're seriously looking and keeping your options open is what the interviewer is driving at.

The answer to this one is not money, even if it is. You should be motivated by life's noble pursuits. You want recognition for a job well done. You want to become better at your job. You want to help others or be a leader in your field.

★ Tell jokes or try to be funny.

★ Become flustered and nervous.

★ Do not become shy, highlight relevant skills and abilities.

★ Chew gum.

★ I can't really give you a accurate answer because at this time I don't know the scope of the job, it's responsibilities, hours, etc.

★ The job I perform, the salary I receive and the circumstances at my current company are not really comparable to the opportunity we are discussing today. However when I consider my skill sets, academic qualifications and work experience, I am confident that a salary between £25,000 - £33,000 would be appropriate.

★ My present employer pays me well outside of the norm, however I would not like to limit my job prospects by using that salary as a comparison.

★ As a highly valued member of the company, I am paid on the very high end of current market rates.

★ Travelling.

★ Foreign languages.

★ Football.

★ Winning any competitions i.e. chess, karate.

★ Running marathons.

★ A member of any societies or charities.

★ Sometimes it is difficult for me to get a sense of my own achievement in a big company like my present employer.

★ There are very few opportunities for advancement with my present employer who are a small company.

★ It provides me with constant new challenges to test my abilities.

★ Communicating and meeting with new people.

★ Able to use your initiative.

★ Working as part of a team.

There is no danger in admitting to making a mistake. However to correctly answer this type of query there are certain guidelines that you should follow. Firstly always mention that you identified where you went wrong and have learnt from the experience. Secondly try to give a example of something that happened as far back in your past as possible. This way you can shrug it off as a youthful error and something you would not fall for now that you are more mature and experienced.

This really depends on what my co-worker is doing, the severity of their actions and the specific problems or disruption that they may be causing. Having said that no matter what the situation is, I would always remain in control of any situation and concentrate on my work. I would not take any arguments or heated discussions personally or hold grudges against work colleagues.

That really depends on how well I perform in my job and also what career opportunities come my way. However the bottom line is that I want to have improved my skill sets and be making a ongoing contribution to any organization that i happen to be working for.

Give a solution that is related to work and if possible the job you are applying for. Demonstrate something that shows how you saved a previous employer money, made them more efficient or increased revenue.

★ There was no real room for growing my career.

★ The position you are advertising seems like a excellent match for my knowledge, abilities and qualifications.

★ I am keen to use my skill sets and abilities in a different capacity than I have in the past.

★ I am looking for a job that has more responsibility.

★ The reason for leaving my last job was that I wanted to spend more time with my family. I am now ready to go back into full time employment.

Be positive but do not go over the top. For instance comment on how associates have in the past remarked on your friendly attitude, thoroughness and ability to get things done on time.

This can be a tricky question to answer, especially if you have never held a supervisory/managerial position or had any form of responsibility. In your replies you need to display resourcefulness, an ability to solve problems, your decision making skills and be able to clearly explain the approach you used. No matter how little work experience you have you should always be able to lead and come up with creative solutions. Describe situations where you came up with an idea that increased efficiency in your office or cut costs after you discovered a cheaper supplier etc.