Job Interview Questions

[Jujubees2]

Alrighty, here's the story. I've got to interview a couple of people for an assistant's job in my office this week and was wondering what type of questions I should ask. It's been eight years since I had to interview anyone and almost 13 years since I've been to a job interview myself.

Please fire away.

[Don Stugots]

"Honey, do you know how to make a cup of coffee?"

[grlNIN]

It depends on what they'll be doing as assistants.

Is it really just a secretary job or is there mroe involved?

[Thebazile78]

Alrighty, here's the story. I've got to interview a couple of people for an assistant's job in my office this week and was wondering what type of questions I should ask. It's been eight years since I had to interview anyone and almost 13 years since I've been to a job interview myself.

Please fire away.


What are the responsibilities of the job? Does it have a daily routine or is every day different? Do you want a skills-based interview or a situational/behaviorial interview? Can any schmo off the street do this job, or do you need a particular type of person with certain skills to fill the previous job-holder's shoes? Those points should help you focus on how to interview your potential candidate(s).

I think one of the most interesting questions I got was during a tag-team interview and it related to my ability to prioritize and work under pressure ... "if your manager came to you in the middle of a project with another project that needed to be done 'yesterday' how would you prioritize your previous project?"

But, the above question was a real-world scenario about how that particular aspect of the business needed both flexibility and sensitivity to deadlines ... and an independent work ethic. (I'm self-driven and don't like a lot of "baby-sitting" when I am in a job, especially if I have been with the department for a number of years. The job I was interviewing for at that point was one where being an independent worker was a huge asset.)

[Jujubees2]

It depends on what they'll be doing as assistants.

Is it really just a secretary job or is there mroe involved?

It's not a secretary. It's an assistant's job (I have one but after begging for ten years the powers that be finally opened another position). He/she will be responsible for a bunch of sports, with an emphasis on women's basketball. They will be preparing publications, updating the web site, writing game recaps, etc.

It's great because once I hire this person, I may actually only have to work 60 hour weeks from Sept. through May!

[Jujubees2]

What are the responsibilities of the job? Does it have a daily routine or is every day different? Do you want a skills-based interview or a situational/behaviorial interview? Can any schmo off the street do this job, or do you need a particular type of person with certain skills to fill the previous job-holder's shoes? Those points should help you focus on how to interview your potential candidate(s).

I think one of the most interesting questions I got was during a tag-team interview and it related to my ability to prioritize and work under pressure ... "if your manager came to you in the middle of a project with another project that needed to be done 'yesterday' how would you prioritize your previous project?"

But, the above question was a real-world scenario about how that particular aspect of the business needed both flexibility and sensitivity to deadlines ... and an independent work ethic. (I'm self-driven and don't like a lot of "baby-sitting" when I am in a job, especially if I have been with the department for a number of years. The job I was interviewing for at that point was one where being an independent worker was a huge asset.)

Thanks, this is great. The assistant's job will also require lots of flexibility and sensitivity to deadlines.

[grlNIN]

I would ask drusilla, as i know you two work in the same type of field (wackedy shmackedy doo) but i would also make 100% sure that the person your hiring isn't going to waste time on the internet when they should be updating whatever sites your're going to have them create/manage.

[Jujubees2]

I would ask drusilla, as i know you two work in the same type of field (wackedy shmackedy doo) but i would also make 100% sure that the person your hiring isn't going to waste time on the internet when they should be updating whatever sites your're going to have them create/manage.

Yeah, but that will be one of those, "Do as I say, not as I do" conversations :innocent:

[Ritalin]

One question that tells you all you need to know about a person:

"Spell vacuum."

[grlNIN]

Well it's one thing when you're doing it in a job where you've been there for awhile, a seniority type of thing.

If you're hiring someone who is relatively young, you really don't know what you'll be getting or what to expect from the way they work (if it's an independent sort of job) until a couple of months have passed.

Anyone who has internet capabilities at work is going to abuse it at some point but the problem is to what extent.

[marky2bucks]

I usually mess with them to see how they react to impossible situations. It's also kind of funny.

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