GENERAL INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR SECRETARY JOB

The general interview guide highlights the general guidelines and procedures to succeed through any secretary related job interviews.

On the basis of the unique and distinct job functions nature, interviewers or employers may in most cases choose to tailor interview questions and assessment based on the job requirement being applied for.

Secretary and other related jobs available for fresh university graduates and professionals alike include all related fields where the job of a secretary is needed and it cut across all sectors with high competition.

Therefore, the need to master a job interview guide for graduate-level secretary position to gain a competitive advantage over other job seekers.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR TO A SECRETARY INTERVIEW

Table of Contents

your dressing is the first assessment about you from your employers. you dress the way you want people to address you. dress professional and ensure to look conservative, neat and well-polished at the interview venue.

consider a business suit in a neutral colour like black, navy, grey, brown.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A SECRETARY

The secretary’s role in any formal group is to be the guardian of the process of meetings. They are usually the person who makes the arrangements for the meetings, including AGMs, and keeps formal records of the group’s process and decisions: the minutes of the meeting. This may include keeping records of correspondence.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

In general, the few interview questions you should have at the back of your mind and answers well crafted include:

Tell me about yourself
Why are you leaving your current job?
Why did you apply for this job?
What are the qualities of a good secretary?
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Are you computer literate?

IMPORTANT QUALITIES OF A SECRETARY

Amongst the many qualities, a secretary should possess in order to send the right signals to the employers and also the sustainability of the job

IT literacy
Honesty and Discretion
time management
communication skill

WHAT IS THE AIM OF INTERVIEWS

The primary aim of the interview is to test applicants on personal and professional skills that are required for a particular job. This can be effectively accomplished with interview sessions asking applicants important job-related competency questions.

PHASES FOR SECRETARY RELATED JOB INTERVIEWS

Introduction phase
Interview phase
Conclusion

The introduction phase of an interview:

At this phase the interviewer would likely introduce himself and therefore expect you to do the same stating the reason(s) why you were invited. The interviewer makes the applicant feels comfortable by introducing some small conversation to ease any stress and tension the applicant may have which can however affect his/her overall performance.

Candidates are expected to feel more comfortable and relaxed. This can further be promoted by the interviewers. The interviewer(s) may decide to inform you of the general format of the interview and, the opportunity for a two-way question session.

Interview Phase (GENERAL INTERVIEW GUIDE)

Here the interviewer would require taking note of any physical information and answers produced by the applicant. A set of competency-based questions about the position would be used to access your competence on the job. Probing and clarifying inconsistencies are the two-part of the interview stage.

Probing entails the interviewer asking you planned and follow-up questions to extract more details from candidate response to gain further clarifications.

Question format: please expand upon that or describe how you…..

Clarifying inconsistencies entails the interviewer informing applicants about any inconsistencies in the answers or conflicting information.

Question format: ‘’you mentioned earlier that you were involved in developing a distance education course online. You are mow indicating that you have limited experience with distance education and need to learn more about it, please clarify your experience with distance education’’. It doesn’t necessarily mean it may come in this exact structure.

ALSO READ >>> Latest Customer Service Jobs in Nigeria – 2021

An interviewer may also paraphrase your answers for the benefit of the doubt on your answers, this an integral part of the INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR GRADUATE LEVEL SECRETARY POSITION

Silence or pause: when interviewers become unnecessarily silent, he expects you to explain further and you are expected to keep talking to clarify any of the doubts he may have had. By so doing, he may look at the candidate expectantly and give him or her time.
Dependability: dependability means being reliable, on time, responsible, dependable, consistency, you will be tested based on this quality.

Question format: how do you balance socializing with co-workers with accomplishing the job objectives? Can you give me some example? What were the results?

Integrity: integrity involves handling financial transactions, sensitive personal or health record or working with valuable properties and materials.

Integrity question: some people are willing to break a few rules to get ahead while others refuse. Give me some examples from your experience that show your preferences

Attention to details: attention to details includes the employee’s ability to identify and manage important details associated with doing a good job.

READ ALSO >>> Latest Graduate Trainee Jobs Recruitment in Nigeria – 2021

Attention to details Question format: give me an example of a time when you had to keep track of small details. What was the situation? What did you do? And, What was the result?

Adaptability and flexibility: the position requires someone who is highly adaptable, and under flexible conditions.

ALSO READ >>>WHAT IS A CURRICULUM VITAE AND WHAT ARE THE INFORMATION TO INCLUDE IN CV

Adaptability question: some people like to take time to study issues before they make a decision while others prefer to decide quickly and move on to the next problem. Give me some examples of how you make decisions. What were the situations? What were the results?

Innovation: the position requires someone who is an innovator. They have active imaginations and tend to be happiest when they are being very creative.

Innovation question format: what kind of new and creative ideas have you implemented at work? What was the situation? What did you do? And, What was your result?

Cooperation: this requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative work attitude. Good listeners, as questions for clarifications, jointly develop a plan.

Cooperation question format: tell me about a few times when you help another team member without being asked.

Cooperation Question format: how do you feel when people are overly friendly toward you? Can you give me some examples? How did you react? What was the result?

Concern for others: being sensitive to others need and feeling in order to be understanding and helpful. A successful employee is concerned with co-workers and their well-being.

ALSO READ >>> FACTORS THAT AFFECT CANDIDATES PERFORMANCE DURING JOB INTERVIEWS

Concern for others question format: on average, would you say you were more or less sensitive to others feelings? Can you give me some examples?

Independence: the position requires someone who is independent. They tend to break rules and do things their own way. Often they act or speak without restraint

Independence question format: would you prefer to work in a job with rules and guidelines you could follow or one where you could make most of your own decisions? Please give me some examples?

Stress tolerance: this position requires the employees to accept criticism and deal calmly and effectively with a high-stress situation over which they have little control.

Stress tolerance question format: sometimes things get stressful. Give me some examples of when you experience high-stress situations you could do nothing to change. What were the situations? What did you do? Also, What was the result?

Conclusion phase of the interview:

During this phase, the interviewer shifts emphasis to the applicant needs for information clarification. At this stage, the interviewer and the applicant are evaluating one another during the interview. Here the interviewer describes the position of the company to the candidate and also encourages the candidate to ask any question bordering them. The final stage of the selection of successful candidates would be made known by the interviewer.

And finally a thank you note from the interviewer.

GENERAL INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR SECRETARY JOB