Question:
admin assistant interview?
robby_anna
2007-05-24 17:18:39 UTC
what can i expect in a job interview for an administrative assistant job? HELP- it's tomorrow! i've had loads of interviews before, but never one for this specific job...
Eleven answers:
Mary Rios
2007-05-25 12:21:41 UTC
Tell me about yourself.



What are your strengths?



What are your weaknesses?



Who was your favorite manager and why?



What kind of personality do you work best with and why?



Why do you want this job?



Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?



Tell me about your proudest achievement.



If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?



If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you write your job description for the next year, what would it say?



Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?



How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?



There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?



How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?



Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?



What's your ideal company?



What attracted you to this company?



What are you most proud of?



What are you looking for in terms of career development?



What do you look for in terms of culture -- structured or entrepreneurial?



What do you like to do?



Give examples of ideas you've had or implemented.



What are your lifelong dreams?



What do you ultimately want to become?



How would you describe your work style?



What kind of car do you drive?



Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.



What's the last book you read?



What magazines do you subscribe to?



What would be your ideal working situation?



Why should we hire you?



What did you like least about your last job?



What do you think of your previous boss?



How do you think I rate as an interviewer?



Do you have any questions for me?



When were you most satisfied in your job?



What can you do for us that other candidates can't?



What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?



What negative thing would your last boss say about you?



If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?



What salary are you seeking?



What's your salary history?



Do you have plans to have children in the near future?



What were the responsibilities of your last position?



What do you know about this industry?



What do you know about our company?



How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?



Are you willing to relocate?



What was the last project you headed up, and what was its outcome?



What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?



Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.



What would you do if you won the lottery?



Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?



Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?



What is your personal mission statement?



Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?



What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?



What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?



What is your greatest fear?



Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?



What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?



What's the most important thing you've learned in school?



What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?



What will you miss about your present/last job?



If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?



List five words that describe your character.



What is your greatest achievement outside of work?



Sell me this pencil.



If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?



Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?



What's the most difficult decision you've made in the last two years?



What do you like to do for fun?



Why are you leaving your present job?



What do you do in your spare time?



How do you feel about taking no for an answer?



What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?



What is your favorite memory from childhood?



Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?



Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to know.



Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.



Why did your choose your major?



What are the qualities of a good leader? A bad leader?



What is your biggest regret, and why?



What are three positive character traits you don't have?



What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?



If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what would you do?



How many times do a clock's hands overlap in a day?



How would you weigh a plane without scales?



What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?



If I were to ask your last supervisor to provide you additional training or exposure, what would she suggest?



If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?



What's the best movie you've seen in the last year?



Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.



What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?



If you could get rid of any one of the US states, which one would you get rid of, and why?



With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes.



if you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?



If selected for this position, can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?



Who are your heroes?



Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing.
fermo
2016-10-01 09:46:47 UTC
Admin Assistant Interview Questions
2016-12-30 00:45:21 UTC
Administrative Assistant Interview Answers
2007-05-24 17:28:22 UTC
No worries - I've had this job about 4 times! They vary a lot depending on the company, but a few questions you might get are:



How do you deal with stress?

Give me an example of a time when you handled a problem effectively.

What are you most proud of?

Give me an example of a time when you worked as a team to accomplish something.

If you have 10 things to do and are feeling overwhelmed, how do you decide what to do first? (good answer here is to make a list and methodically go through each thing, checking them off as you get them done)

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Tell me about your computer experience. (If they just say, "Tell me about your experiences," be prepared. Just because it's a broad question doesn't mean it's unanswerable. Just have something kind of ready in the back of your mind)

What is your biggest weakness? Your greatest strength?

How do you handle it when you've made a mistake (they may even ask for an example)



Hope this helps. Good luck at the interview tomorrow. Just smile, sit up straight and speak articulately. It's okay to say, "I'm not sure how to answer that - could we come back to that one?" But you probably know that if you've had interviews before! Take care.
JayJay
2007-05-24 17:31:49 UTC
If I were interviewing you, I'd want to know about your work history, dependability, experience, why you're interested in this type of position. Things like that. Then I'd ask you more specific questions about your technical qualification by examining your knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook (very important) and PowerPoint.) I'd ask you to take a keystroke exam as well as writing a standard business letter, make an elementary spreadsheet, several Outlook functions and maybe ask you some elementary questions about Access and PowerPoint just to see if you know anything about them. These are just some preliminary steps in interviewing for an Admin Asst. position. If you don't know these basics, you're not ready for the job.
2016-03-13 04:24:23 UTC
The test could be :- 1) preparation of a memo from Admin Manager to all departments emphasizing the importance of attending the office on time by all employees. Of late it has been seen that employees are not arriving for work at the appointed work commencing time. 2) Yet another question can be you have to prepare a memo to an employee for his lapse in carelessly executing his work and some damage to Company property which should be made good by that particular employee.
?
2017-02-18 00:53:03 UTC
1
rajan l
2007-05-24 17:30:55 UTC
Administrative assistant has work in the administration of the office in a day to day basis. You have to check the attendance, leave of employees, stationaries, their stores, upkeep of stores, house keeping and control of house keeping people, tour arrangements, meeting people of other groups and liaise with them, keep punctuality etc are the jobs you may have to work. in addition all jobs assigned by the superiors.
2007-05-25 09:07:44 UTC
I mentioned working well with others and great under pressure when i applied for my admin job
Kate T.
2007-05-24 17:22:14 UTC
do you have a resume ? they will most likely ask you ?'s off of your resume . why did you leave your last job ? did you have any personal problems with an employee things of that nature .
yumsorbet
2007-05-24 17:26:34 UTC
High school graduates who have basic office skills may qualify for entry-level secretarial positions. However, employers increasingly require extensive knowledge of software applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, and database management.



Secretaries and administrative assistants should be proficient in keyboarding and good at spelling, punctuation, grammar, and oral communication. Employers also look for good customer service and interpersonal skills because secretaries and administrative assistants must be tactful in their dealings with people. Discretion, good judgment, organizational or management ability, initiative, and the ability to work independently are especially important for higher level administrative positions.



As office automation continues to evolve, retraining and continuing education will remain integral parts of secretarial jobs. Changes in the office environment have increased the demand for secretaries and administrative assistants who are adaptable and versatile.



Secretaries and administrative assistants may have to attend classes or participate in online education to learn how to operate new office technologies, such as information storage systems, scanners, the Internet, or new updated software packages. They also may assist in selecting and maintaining office equipment.



Secretaries and administrative assistants acquire skills in various ways. Training ranges from high school vocational education programs that teach office skills and keyboarding to 1- and 2-year programs in office administration offered by business schools, vocational-technical institutes, and community colleges. Many temporary placement agencies also provide formal training in computer and office skills. However, many skills tend to be acquired through on-the-job instruction by other employees or by equipment and software vendors. Specialized training programs are available for students planning to become medical or legal secretaries or administrative technology specialists. Bachelor’s degrees and professional certifications are becoming increasingly important as business continues to become more global.



Testing and certification for proficiency in entry-level office skills is available through organizations such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals; National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), Inc.; and Legal Secretaries International, Inc. As secretaries and administrative assistants gain experience, they can earn several different designations. Prominent designations include the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) and the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), which can be earned by meeting certain experience or educational requirements and passing an examination. Similarly, those with 1 year of experience in the legal field, or who have concluded an approved training course and who want to be certified as a legal support professional, can acquire the Accredited Legal Secretary (ALS) designation through a testing process administered by NALS. NALS offers two additional designations: Professional Legal Secretary (PLS), considered an advanced certification for legal support professionals, and a designation for proficiency as a paralegal. Legal Secretaries International confers the Certified Legal Secretary Specialist (CLSS) designation in areas such as intellectual property, criminal law, civil litigation, probate, and business law to those who have 5 years of legal experience and pass an examination. In some instances, certain requirements may be waived.



Secretaries and administrative assistants generally advance by being promoted to other administrative positions with more responsibilities. Qualified administrative assistants who broaden their knowledge of a company’s operations and enhance their skills may be promoted to senior or executive secretary or administrative assistant, clerical supervisor, or office manager. Secretaries with word processing or data entry experience can advance to jobs as word processing or data entry trainers, supervisors, or managers within their own firms or in a secretarial, word processing, or data entry service bureau. Secretarial and administrative support experience also can lead to jobs such as instructor or sales representative with manufacturers of software or computer equipment. With additional training, many legal secretaries become paralegals.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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