GM Processing Interview Preparation Guide

Coaching and mentoring team members will be a crucial aspect of serving as a general manager. Highlight a situation where you successfully led and influenced someone to make positive changes in their life.

"Through the 'Big Brothers Big Sisters' organization, I mentored a girl in middle school for several years. Before we formed a relationship, she struggled with her grades and making time to study, but over the course of our time together, I was able to help her make better choices in her life."

This is another incredibly common question and it gives you a great opportunity to stand out from the crowd and really show the hiring manager how you can help the company.

The key thing to remember here is: be specific.

Leverage your company research and the job description to find exactly why the company is hiring someone for this position. What problem/pain points does the new hire have to solve? You need to show that you are the perfect candidate that can solve those problems/pain points.

The best “weaknesses” are disguised as strengths, such as “I dislike not being challenged at work”. Another good approach is to mention a weakness that is irrelevent for the job or one that can be overcome with training. Try to keep these to one weakness, explaining why you think it is a weakness and what you are doing to overcome the problem – a well thought out strategy you have developed to deal with the issue will turn this potentially tricky question into a positive.

One common variation on this question is to ask about any problems or failures you’ve encountered in previous positions. In describing problems, pick ones you’ve solved and describe how you overcame it. Show yourself to be a good team player by crediting co-workers for all their contributions. To distance yourself from failure, pick one that occurred earlier in your career when you were still learning. Don’t blame others – simply explain how you analysed your mistake and learned from it.

Start by explaining what you'd need to do to get ramped up. What information would you need? What parts of the company would you need to familiarize yourself with? What other employees would you want to sit down with? Next, choose a couple of areas where you think you can make meaningful contributions right away. (e.g., “I think a great starter project would be diving into your email marketing campaigns and setting up a tracking system for them.”) Sure, if you get the job, you (or your new employer) might decide there’s a better starting place, but having an answer prepared will show the interviewer where you can add immediate impact—and that you’re excited to get started.

This breaks the ice, shows the ability to think on their feet and if they can enjoy working together. Whatever joke is told, it almost always leads to a story.

Absolutely! Cite specific examples using your current job as a reference point.

I ask both men and women this question and I look for body language and their verbal response. If the question was met with a smile or a slight shrug, it indicates a sense of humor and an easy-going nature. In their verbal response I am looking for an applicant willing to do whatever it takes to help the team find success but always like to hear, "I'd get it for you -- and then show you how to get it yourself the next time.

Employers want to be sure that you actually have an interest in their company and want to work for them over other companies. Highlight not only your passion for their purpose and products but also the research you've done on the company.

"I'm interested in your company because I've learned from the research I've done that you are an interdependent team of people who value leading by example and providing great customer service. Also, I admire your dedication to equal opportunity programs and giving back to the community. I know I would be a very great fit here."

A general manager is responsible for giving consistent, effective feedback to team members, so describe a situation where you provided someone with helpful constructive criticism on their work performance.

"When I worked at the ABCD, one of the swim coaches under me began to stop showing up to practices. Instead of embarrassing him in front of the team or being harsh, I quietly pulled him aside and asked him if there was any way I could help him. He opened up that he had been going through a hard time, and together, we were able to compromise and find the best solution.”

This is somewhat similar to the “what is your greatest strength?” question and can be handled along the same lines. You want to pick an accomplishment that shows you have the qualities that the company puts value in and that are desirable for the position you’re interviewing for.