When communicating complex ideas, you keep your message simple and straightforward – avoiding technical jargon and overusing statistics. You don’t expect people to have the same background knowledge as you and are careful to introduce your idea in clear, concise terms. You find that giving examples, using pictures and graphs helps clarify difficult concepts and can be useful as people have different learning styles. You always encourage questions and if somebody is having difficulty understanding, you are quick to adapt your style.

Most recently, we had a new hire (Prakash) that was really struggling with getting to work on time, and I knew the boss (Dan) was getting irritated. Over lunch one day I explained to Prakash how important it was to our boss for everyone to be there at least 10 minutes early. It was personal with the Harry, but you could really get on his bad side when you were frequently late. The new employee was grateful for the advice. At his previous employment, the boss was only concerned about the work getting done on time; he/she did not "watch the clock".

At my most recent position, one of my co-workers, John, did an outstanding job of calming an irate customer, solving the customer's problem and completing a sale. When our boss asked me how things were going, I told him everything was going fine and that John had just completed calming an irate customer and closing a sale. It was a win-win-win- for our boss, Johnn and the customer.

I worked closely with Shilpa who, for the most part, always carried her fair share of the work load. During a stressful time, working on a project with a deadline, I realized Shilpa's contributions to the project were almost minimal. I made the decision to wait until after the project to speak with her. I'm glad I did, because I learned she'd been going through a very tough time in her personal life and she appreciated my willingness to go the extra mile so the project was completed on time. As a result, our ability to work well together significantly increased.

When asked the job interview question "How did you handle a challenge?" be sure to include specific examples of how you handled a particular difficult situation. Discuss how you researched the issue and contributed to finding a solution. Examples of good responses include:

• During a difficult financial period, I was able to satisfactorily negotiate repayment schedules with multiple vendors.


• When the software development of our new product stalled, I coordinated the team which managed to get the schedule back on track. We were able to successfully troubleshoot the issues and solve the problems, within a very short period of time.


• A long-term client was about to take their business to a competitor. I met with the customer and was able to change how we handled the account on a day-to-day basis, in order to keep the business.

If you have hired one or more people during your career, your answer might go something like this:

     " Yes, I have hired people.I have also decided whether some internal applicants were right for jobs in my department. The first time I hired someone ,I concentrated on checking off all the right qualificatios.I just went down a checklist.

        Since then,though, I've learned that some candidates who became excellent workers didn't necessarily have every qualification on that checklist.They more than make up for what they lacked in the beginning with enthusiasm and a willingness to work with others".

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you've never hired anyone? Show the interviewer you appreciate that he or she is trying to evaluate both your management potential and people skills,and try something like this:

     "Not realy,but on several occasions I was asked to speak to prospective applicants and offer my opinion. Ofcourse , in those cases, I was trying to determine whether that person would be a team player and if he or she would get along with the other people in the department." 

Be sure to emphasize those activities that may complement your on-the-job duties. For Example, if you're applying for a  position as a book-store manager, mentioning that you read three books per a week is highly appropriate. 

The best way to respond to the interview question "What are your goals for the future?"

Don't discuss your goals for returning to school or having a family, they are not relevant and could knock you out of contention for the job. Rather, you want to connect your answer to the job you are applying for. Examples of good responses include:

=> My long-term goals involve growing with a company where I can continue to learn, take on additional responsibilities, and contribute as much of value as I can.

=> I see myself as a top performing employee in a well-established organization, like this one. I plan on enhancing my skills and continuing my involvement in (related) professional associations.

=> Once I gain additional experience, I would like to move on from a technical position to management.

=> In the XYZ Corporation, what is a typical career path for someone with my skills and experiences?