Licensed Practical Nurse

One approach to answering this question is to analyze the key skills and strengths required for the position you are interviewing for and then come up with an honest shortcoming which is not essential.

Interviewers will always want to go beyond what you have shared with them on your resume to uncover a more comprehensive picture of your background. Your resume states the facts but the interviewer wants to know about the person behind the work history to determine whether you're a good match.

Most employers are looking for consistently high levels of productivity for their staff as well as continual growth and development. So they may ask a question like this to determine whether you coast after your achievements and to see if you learn from your successes.

★ By focusing on the most important thing, the care of the patient. I feel I owe it to my patients to stay calm and focused on them.

★ There are often stressful situations that arise. I just make sure that the stresses of the job don't interfere with the care of the patient.

★ I am generally an easy going person and I don't allow on the job stress to interfere with my work.

The recruiter is trying to assess your past achievements and determine whether you will be driven to achieve such results in the future. This question also allows the recruiter to understand how you define success.

Recruiters will also want to determine if you have the confidence to admit your failings and learn from your mistakes. In addition, this type of question is another device for uncovering your weaknesses to determine whether you have the right stuff to get the job done.

Try starting out by sharing some personal interests which don't relate directly to your work. Examples might include a hobby which you are passionate about like quilting, astronomy, chess, choral singing, golf, skiing, tennis or antiquing.

Interviewers ask this question to make sure that a your experience matches the job requirements. This question also helps the interviewer assess whether you have the personal qualities the company looks for in an employee such as organization, the ability to work well with others and an aptitude for meeting challenges head on.

Companies want to know how you work well with other people and you will need to say more than you enjoy working with others, which is the standard response.

When I need to, no problem. I realize the importance of meeting deadlines and getting work done on time.

★ I am very focused on my work and consequently, I am able to work quickly.

★ I keep a steady pace and check my work as I go along to prevent mistakes from snowballing.

★ Because I am very organized, I am able to accomplish a lot in a limited amount of time.

★ I am organized and efficient and I'm able to multi-task very well.

The best way to answer is to share some of your strengths, particularly those that match the qualifications for the job.

In addition to discussing strengths that are central to the job, you should also include some other interesting personal qualities that are not particularly relevant but will provide an authentic feel to your presentation.

This type of question presents some potential pitfalls for candidates if they are not careful. Avoid answers which place emphasis on salary, location and even the company since employers typically want a candidate who is well qualified for and motivated to pursue the job itself.

At some companies, the normal is a 40 hours a week and everyone goes home in time. At others, everyone might work 50 or 60 hours a week.

However, working a lot of hours isn't necessarily a good thing. It could mean you are not productive enough to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time.

It is not uncommon for employers to receive hundreds of applications from eager job seekers. Employers make hiring decisions by comparing these various candidates who are applying for a position and sometimes they will ask you to help them to assess what is distinctive or advantageous about hiring you.

Stress is very important to me. With stress, I do the best possible job. The appropriate way to deal with stress is to make sure I have the correct balance between good stress and bad stress. I need good stress to stay motivated and productive. I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful.

Options for answering this question include saying that you work at a steady pace but usually complete work in advance of the deadline. Discuss your ability to manage projects and get them done on or ahead, of schedule. If you work at a job where you have set criteria (i.e. number of calls made or responded to) that measures accomplishments, discuss how you have achieved or exceeded those goals.

Review the job description and itemize a list of your skills, accomplishments, areas of knowledge, experiences and/or personal qualities which would help you to meet the qualifications for this particular job. Be ready to supply examples from your work, volunteer or academic history which prove that you have added value by applying those assets in the past.

★ I would bring the question to my supervisor. If the doctor was displeased with me in some way, I would want to find out so I could take action to rectify the situation.

★ I would ask the doctor if there was something in my care of the patient that she felt needed discussion.

★ If it were a one time occurrence, I would figure that she was just having a bad day. If it happened repeatedly, I would notify my supervisor.