confidence to plan how best to build on that foundation. You
need to answer the following questions:
■ What have I got to offer that is likely to put me in a strong position
to get this job?Answer this by studying what you know about
the job from the advertisement or, ideally, a more detailed
specification produced by the prospective employers. This
should give you some idea of what they are looking for.
■ How should I present my qualifications for the job? Answer this
by preparing a brief 40- or 50-word statement which sums up
what you have to offer, what your ambitions are and why
you want this job. This can be your point of reference
throughout the interview, which you can use as the basis for
more detailed descriptions of your achievements and experi-
ence, accompanied by explanations of why these are rele-
vant. Such a statement might read like this:
I am an experienced project manager with a proven track record
of delivering projects on time, to specification and within budget.
My achievements in a company operating in broadly the same
field as yours fit me for the senior management position we are
discussing.
■ What answers might I give to some typical questions? For
example:
- Why do you want this job?
- Tell me about yourself.
- What have been your major achievements in your present
job? - What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What do you think you would bring to this job?
- What interests you most in your work?
- Tell me about a time when you successfully dealt with a
major problem at work. - What are your ambitions for the future?
- What are your interests outside work?
Some of the material for answers to these questions should
be found outlined in your statement. You may have to think
how you would elaborate on it, but don’t try to learn
answers by heart. You have to appear spontaneous and, in
any case, you cannot be sure that these questions will be118 How to be an Even Better Manager