Freshers who have come from their college and are appearing for an interview must remember that without facing the interview you are not going to get any good position anywhere. You have to be prepared typical interview questions as well as unexpected questions to show that you are an exceptional candidate. Therefore to improve your skills is useful for all aspirants. Generally, the interviewer asks questions regarding your qualifications, academic preparation, experience, career goals, and skills that based on your personality.
The purpose and trend of the interview have changed its shape and design. There was a time when the interview board used to grill the candidates. But huge change is there in the attitude now. The interview board behaves in a friendly manner so that you feel comfortable. The whole procedure of the interview is to find and sort out the best from the applicants. That is, a candidate must be given enough opportunity to explain himself properly. In this article, we will discuss some interview questions for executives and give you some sample answers to prepare you to crack the executive-level interview.
Interview Preparation for Executive-Level
There are many ways to prepare for an executive-level interview. If you do more hard work you can achieve more success in this field. The following are some common steps to prepare for an executive-level interview:
Do your analysis
It is imperative that you just take the time to try and do the analysis on the organization you’re interviewing with. Knowing about the organization and its people shows that you are serious about the job and the position you have applied for. It can even facilitate boost your confidence throughout the interview if you are knowledgeable about the interview questions and everything related to the position being discussed by an interviewer.
When researching, verify the organization’s website thoroughly, any up-to-date media on the corporate, the present executives and directors of the corporate if any, and any statistical data and revenue numbers you can find out, make sure you have to prepare all the current information of the company you are interviewing with. The more you are knowledgeable about the organization create a positive impression on your interviewer and there may be chances for getting hired.
Ask for a pre-interview preparation call
If you’re operating with a recruiter, think about the pre-interview preparation call and request your recruiter to do this call. Several recruiters pay time planning to recognize the businesses they’re recruiting executive-level candidates for. This suggests that your recruiter can probably have valuable data on the corporate and potential leader which will be helpful in your interview preparation. By practicing this you will be able to prepare better.
Research and study for executive-level interview queries and have answers prepared
Being ready for several queries that will be asked throughout your executive-level interview will assist you to feel assured when responding to the interviewer’s questions. Potential workers who are interviewing for executive-level positions generally wish to listen to specific samples of how you describe your skills associated with your executive-level capabilities. For instance, the recruiter could ask you to provide an example of a time once you have successfully inspired a team to finish a project cohesively. Coming to the interview ready with specific samples will make sure you will offer concrete proof of your talents.
The common interview questions and sample answers of executive-level preparation are as follows:
What are the executive-positions-based interview questions?
Executive interview questions are those in which the recruiters hire executive positions to find out the candidate’s qualifications and skills that matched with the executive level. They observe candidates’ management skills, leadership quality, communication skills, and situational judgmental skills.
Before the interview
After reaching the place of the interview, (of course fifteen to twenty minutes before time!) one needs to introduce oneself to the receptionist, to have one’s presence recorded. Then one has to just wait patiently for the call until to enter the interview room. While waiting for the interview, it is not better to involve one in useless chatting. Rather one may go through the periodicals, organization’s literature, magazine, etc. kept in the waiting room. One may say a silent prayer to revitalize oneself and become focused, with all the physical and mental faculties in harmony for the challenging task.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions based on interview for executive-level:
Frequently asked questions based on interview for executive-level
- Introduce yourself
As one of the most common interview queries, it’s obvious that this question will be asked in almost all of the interviews. You have to prepare it well. You have to mention your educational qualifications (generally the higher one), achievements, current status (job, course, etc.), and profession you took or are about to take in the future. Let your passion, eagerness, honesty, and positive attitude shown out through your replies. By asking this question, interviewers observe your communication skills, background, future goals, etc. Don’t go off on a tangent when talking about your past accomplishments. Don’t get caught up in describing your past accomplishments.
- Why did you quit your last job? / Why are you leaving your present position? (For those only who are already being employed)
Be honest while answering this question, but keep in mind, always talk positively, even if you are in negative situations. Tell them the reason that you want to work with them, instead of why you had left or want to move your most contemporary job and while answering your accent should sound positive. Keep answering positively such as opportunity, career growth, or other forward-thinking reasons.
For instance, instead of answering, “I don’t come into enough challenges at (organization)”, reply “I am eager to accept and take on more challenges and I believe, I will notice those at (hiring company)”. Though this opportunity may be interesting and I am concerned about pursuing it further. Never be negative. Stick to one answer; don’t change your answers while you are interviewing.
Example: I have learned and experienced so many things at my previous organization, but now I have realized that there were no such new opportunities for me so that I can learn and grow myself. I want to improve and flourish my skills. So, I am opting for a transpose.
- What are your strong points?
This question should be based on your skills and you have to mention two or three of your positive skills that are relevant to the position that you’re interviewing. Some of the good examples are:
Your ability to prioritize, work under pressure, your problem-solving skills, ability to focus on your work, your professional expertise, your leadership skills, quick learning, positive attitude, etc.
- What are your weak points? Or tell me a few unsuccessful projects.
Tell interviewers about your unsuccessful project and how have you improved your skills and overcame it.
For example: sometimes I am not stoic and perform extra work myself when we are working against drop-dead dates.
- Do you have the abilities for this position?
Numerous interview-based queries are asked on key skills for the position, that organizations/companies want to deploy those skills adapted in their respective environment. So that it is better to check that you well prepare samples with the ability for all the key skills needed for the role.
- Do you have any knowledge background about our organization?
Before going for the interview, you have to search for the intended company. Basic search is the only path to put together for this question. As companies are concerned, interviewers will try to find the heads who are having pieces of knowledge not about only the skills but also the entire environment of that particular company. Do the practice, and you will score big on this question. Tell them about services, products, opportunities of the organization, history, and people especially any friends that work there.
- According to your success based on your thoughts, how do you want to define yourself as successful? (Is this person experienced and self-aware?)
Be well prepared to explain success, and then reply (consistent record of responsibility). Be honest also as you will reply from your perspective, not others’ perspectives. Awareness about what you are representing in front of them that is also crucial.
- What kind of opportunities are you looking for in a job?
In the face of the question, the employer is not immersed in what you are searching and opting for. He is engrossed in what he is finding. Address his interests, rather than your interest. Make use of words like contribute, enhance, improve, and societal environment. Adjust and put your answer to their needs relates your preferences to the job openings.
- Would you represent a few more situations in which your work was defamed?
Represent only one and reply how you have corrected or planned to rectify your work. Humans do errors, but learning from that errors and correcting them would be appreciated. But it is not like that you are provided with chances to do the errors.
- How long would you like to stay with us or rather you are available?
Example: As much as I feel that I have come up with and my endowment is recognized. I am looking to create a balanced and optimized commitment. Make them find out that you are the worthy candidate that they are glancing for.
- What types of people up to now have you found critical to work with them?
Use this question as a chance. Make them assured that you are a worthy team player.
Example: Those only people I have had a problem with, are those not being cooperative, not performing their job perfectly, grumbling all the time, and mostly who cut out to respond to any efforts to stimulate themselves.
The interviewer looks forward to a response that is engrossed in characterization and personal abominates. Surprise him/her by providing an answer that reflects company values by alleviating any criticalities.
- What are the most challenging situations you have ever confronted on the job?
Remember, you are talking to an interviewer who is an employer, not your friend. Don’t dredge up a catastrophe environment that is concluded in a personal or corporate failure. Always be ready for this question as you should think of a story that is having a happy ending for you and your company. Do not discuss personal or family difficulties, and don’t talk about problems you have had with supervisions or peers. You might discuss a different situation provided that the issues were resolved inventively with everyone’s satisfaction.
- Tell me about some situations where you have tremendously worked under a lot of pressure or met deadlines?
Do refer to acknowledgments and accomplishments. Everyone had these types of pressures or situations in their entire lives in a career. Behavioral-based questions aim at accessing a candidate’s attitude, character, and also personality traits by asking how the candidate handled and faced such challenging situations. Planning for such questions by making a chart of desirable traits, habits of conduct related to the desired needs of the industry or the prospective employer. Before answering the questions, try to listen carefully and also ask if any clarifying questions you think.
- Portrait on your management approach.
Try to get rid of labels. The way you answer on the state of affairs style is safe because it describes that you are capable of handling and conducting according to the situation, instead of one particular size is felicitous in all the way. By asking this question, the interviewer observes the leadership quality-based approach and the management-related skills that you possed.
- What did you learn from the mistakes on your last job?
Here you should come up with something that expresses strain credibility. Make it a small, well-versed, intentioned with a positive lesson learned.
- How would you like to express in terms of settlement for your paucity of experience?
Firstly, if you are having a proficiency that the interviewer is not concerned about, then put that up. Also, reveal (if true) that you are a diligent human and optimized-quick learner.
- Tell me when you helped to resolve a dispute between others.
Put up a specific incident. Try to condense your problem-solving methodology rather than solving the controversy you settled.
- What position would you like to accept in a team as working as an employee on a project?
Be realistic. If you are comfortable in different roles, try to show portrait them.
- Elaborate about your work ethic.
Elaborate benefits to the organization. Things are like, willpower to be accomplished the job and work effort arduous, but enjoying your efforts are good.
- Do your qualifications match for this job or another job more closely?
It might be this one. Do not provide any hints that you may opt for another job rather than this job.
- Tell me the abilities you had performed at work under pressure.
Tell them that relates to the type of position you are applying for. Try to give an example as it will settle with the validation and the probability of acceptance will be high as you are given a real-life-based ability that you had performed.
- What things did you do to amend your consciousness in the last year?
Try to put in improvement activities that are related to the job. A bunch of activities can be mentioned and represented as positive self-improvement. Try to get good ones user-oriented to bring up.
- What makes you not comfortable with colleagues?
This is tricky question one. Conceive authenticity but fail to cope up with anything that provokes you. Try to give a smart answer by providing neutralism among a team.
- Give me the points that why should we select you?
Answer with some three-four points and elaborate those points by describing the excellent skills that the company needs. Do not try to put a comparison with others, which would create a bad impression.
- What are the comments about you that co-workers say?
Be composed with an enumeration or more from colleagues. A specific statement will work.
Read the questions and answers thoroughly. If you prepare well, you can crack executive-level interviews for sure.
Dressing sense for an executive interview
Executives’ are in the section of higher standards than lower-level or entry-level staff. As such, you must dress up professionally during an interview to demonstrate your commitment to the work. Make sure that you’re well-groomed. It is mandatory to wear a professional suit during an interview.
Give a confident introduction
Your opening introduction upon arrival to an executive-level interview will facilitate setting the tone for the length of the interview. You must attain the interview a minimum of 15 minutes early and be ready with a hard copy of your resume, other important documents, and information as well. When you will initially start your introduction to the interviewer make sure that you have created eye contact, greet, and tell your first and last name. Your body language should be professional and confident.
Body language while answering the executive-level interview questions:
First, listen to the question carefully, and give a direct answer to it. One should give prompt and simple answers to factual questions and should avoid answering them repeatedly in monotonous mono-syllabic affirmatives and negatives. You must be aware that you are observed constantly by the interviewers. There are some points on body language given below that need to be adhered to:
- Make eye contact while interviewing.
- You have to maintain manners while sitting at the table, how you keep your hands, elbows. The interviewers watch everything in you. Make sure that you are adaptable with your interviewers while interviewing.
- Speak with a slight smile. Don’t be so moody while talking with your interviewers.
- Keep calm, controlled, distinct tone with a usual pronunciation.
- Keep controlling your hands and fingers movements.
- Overall body postures must be moderate and flexible.
- Be confident, optimistic, and honest.
The following manners and also gestures should have been avoided:
- Scratching one-self.
- Speaking in a hushed voice.
- Crossing legs or folding arms (shows insecurity and defensive attitude).
- Fiddling or fidgeting (shows nervousness or restlessness).
- Losing patience and arguing unnecessarily.
- Smoking during an interview.
You must appear cheerful and confident.
Ask queries
Many recruiters can finish an executive-level interview by asking one common question if you have any questions on the corporate or job position. This is often conjointly a chance for you to decide if the job position is a perfect fit for your career goals and qualifications. Ensure that you have prepared a few questions and at the end of the interview you can ask those questions to the interviewer. It shows your interest in the particular position and you may decide the position is the right fit or not.
Examples of a few queries that you may ask at the end of your interview are as follows:
- How is success measured during this role?
- What would be the initial three months looked at during this position?
- What are the present primary goals of the organization?
- Why is this position obtainable?
- What skills would you think about the most necessary for this position?
- What are the problems that the organization is presently facing?
End as professional
How you could finish an executive-level interview is as necessary as each alternative process of the interview. Make sure to have the time to tell your interest within the position and to ask the further hiring processes for the position. Also, you must follow up with a thank-you letter to the asker to emphasize your excitement for the chance and to thank the hiring authority for his or her time at the end of the interview.
Conclusion
- Speak the truth. Do not beat about the bush. Give straightforward answers.
- Do not make categorical statements or sweeping generalizations.
- Have a logical, rational, and analytical approach.
- Do not keep long-winded replies.
- Do not enter into an argument.
- Remain calm, composed, cheerful, and refuse to be provoked.
- Overcome nervousness and show confidence and exuberance.
- Be well-mannered inside the interview room.
- Give well-thought, to-the-point answers.
- Fit yourself into the image of a deserving candidate.
- Wait optimistically for the job offer or appointment letter.
This article will help you with executive-level interview preparation. Keep reading and do practice so that you would be secured an executive position. Be prepared!
Wish you success and all the best in your career!
