Answer organizational skills interview questions with Ease

They are one of the most important assets that help an individual be a good employee

Organizational skills are not only essential at the workplace, but are a part of our everyday life. Organizational skills interview questions that are frequently asked need to be addresses beforehand. The whole idea of conducting an interview is to gauge the potential of applicants. Often, there are situations when many applicants apply for the same position. It is the job of the human resource department to choose the most talented and deserving candidates. Employers want to know how employees would organize workflow in the organization. To know this, they candidate’s behavioral based questions which help them gauge their organizational skills at the workplace. Below are some of the commonly asked organizational skills questions.

Tell us something about yourself

This is one question that is a part of every interview process. Some candidates think of this as an ice-breaker question. While some think that it sets the tone for the rest of the interview. This gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself, your interests and past experiences. It is generally advisable to keep your answer as concise and informative as possible. The ideal answer to this question should highlight your strengths with illustrations. Telling the interviewer that you are a “team player” and “self-starter” without backing it up with illustrations makes it sound like a ‘dead-cliché’.

Why are you looking forward to work with this organization?

This should be answered with utmost caution as most human resource managers are capable of looking through candidates to know the real motive behind the employee joining the organization. Most candidates answer this question by saying, “It’s great to work with a reputed company like yours”, or “My friends are your employees and they recommended this company.” These answers may be honest, but it not what the interviewers want to hear. You should rather describe the benefits that you can derive from the company and the skills and expertise you will bring to the organization. Also, avoid portraying your previous company negatively as it hampers your prospects. The interviewer might think that you are yet to move over the bitterness and are someone who blames others for every situation.

How do you prioritize your work?

Interviewers want to gauge how efficient you are in giving priority to an important task as compared to a task that can be carried forward. Interviewers may also give you a hypothetical situation to determine whether you can think clearly and quickly.

What steps do you take while planning a project?

You should be able to tell the interviewer about the plan of action that you follow whenever you are in charge of planning a project. Although you do not need to get into the details, you can simply take the interviewer through an overview of how you plan to do things.

How do you react to situations when you have to make last minute changes?

This is essentially a test of your flexibility as a planner and the interviewer wants to get an insight into the way you accommodate changes. You need to explain how you will make changes to the current project to include suggestions by other individuals.

If the project that you are handling does not bring in desired results, how do you handle that situation?

Interviewers want to know how good you are at handling situations which have started in a wring way or not going as expected. You need to present an analysis of how you will take corrective actions to solve the problems and ensure the project is completed successfully.

Organizational skills apply to every area of our life and are extremely essential at the workplace. They are one of the most important assets that help an individual be a good employee. In an organization, there are various projects that need to be completed, but there is always a priority level that is assigned to these projects so that the most important projects are completed first. It is essential that you develop good organizational skills and present yourself in the right way in an interview.

A must-have for employment seekers: Power Etiquette

The wisdom in this volume applies equally to job-hunting etiquette and how to behave when you are on the job

Power Etiquette by Dana May Casperson falls into the category of ‘books you did not have any idea you needed, but once you read it, you know it is an important addition to your business and career bookshelf’. If you have any doubts, just read the business etiquette quiz that kicks off Casperson’s book. Sample question—‘After an interview, how long should I wait before I call and ask if I am hired?

The wisdom in this volume applies equally to job-hunting etiquette and how to behave when you are on the job. Casperson’s subtitle, ‘What You Don’t know can kill your Career’ may be a bit of an overstatement, but unmannerly behavior can certainly wound your career.

Appropriately, the first chapter deals with making that all-important first impression, covering everything from personal grooming to shaking hands. One especially valuable piece of advice is to keep an emergency kit – with such essentials as a sewing kit, breath mints, and a lint brush – handy for those times when something goes wrong with your attire or grooming.

Casperson’s chapter on clothing addresses not just, business attire but building a simple yet versatile business wardrobe for men and women, complete wardrobe should look like. She also provides some helpful insight on the dilemma of how to dress for ‘casual day’. Disappointingly, however, she offers no specifics for job-interview attire, and her later chapter on interviewing glosses over this topic as well.

Some chapters focus on topics that, while useful, are better and more comprehensively covered in other books. Chapters on business writing and preparing for the job are cases in point. Other chapters, such as those on e-mail ‘netiquette’ and speaking are timely and right on target. The chapter on speaking covers everything from telephone etiquette and voice-mail to video conferencing and cell phone use.

The chapter that probably most qualifies this book as a ‘must-have’ contains Casperson’s low-down on meal manners. Especially helpful are line drawings, such as those that show the functions of all those mysterious pieces of silverware and glassware found in formal dining situations. A guide to tipping is also invaluable. Rounding out this essential volume are chapters on office finesse, business travel, and after-hours activities. She also provides bibliography with guides to proper behavior all over the globe.

An etiquette guide might not be the first book you think about adding to your career library, but once you have gone through Power Etiquette, you will wonder how you survived all these years without people thinking you were a complete slob. And if you are just starting your career, Casperson’s book gives you the opportunity to be genteel and elegant from the get-go.

7 Things Not To Put On Your CV

Put in everything relevant, but do not overdo it

As a job hunter, you probably know in your heart that the more concise and relevant a CV is, the more likely it is to be read with interest. And the more interested a recruiter is in your CV, the more likely they are to shortlist you for an interview.

However, nowadays it seems that some people think CVs have to be all-singing, all-dancing multi-media presentations. It is tempting to follow the crowd and join in. But before you start making your resume as jazzed up as a Hollywood blockbuster, read our list of seven things you really want to.

A video: If you are applying for jobs by sending out CVs, you are probably not a pop star. So why make a video and include it in the CV when it is just going to take up room and potentially make the attachment difficult to download?

A photo:  Unless you are applying for a modeling or acting job, what you look like should be irrelevant when employers consider you as a job candidate.

A joke: Do not put down President Obama as a reference (unless you know him and he has agreed to act as a referee) or list juggling pineapples as a skill (unless you can juggle pineapples and it is relevant to the job). Save the jokes for your friends, not your potential employer.

Your age: If, for example, you put your age on a CV that you then forward to recruitment agencies to give to potential employers, some agencies will edit out this detail. This is so employers cannot discriminate against you on the basis of how old you are.

Any style font that is not Times New Roman: Do you know why Times New Roman is the most used font? It is because it is the clearest one to read. People with bad eyesight can have trouble reading other fonts. As you do not know if the person who is going to be reading your CV has bad eyesight or not, it is best to play it safe.

Any color font that is not black: Do you know why black is the most used color font? It is because it is the clearest one to read. You must know how the rest of this goes.

Anything that is not true: Do not lie or fabricate on your CV, because you will be found out somewhere along the line- if not at the interview, then when you are doing the actual job. If, for instance, you have lied that you know how to use MS Access, what are you going to do when your boss asks you to enter data into it?