Senior Relationship Officer Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

This question is an opportunity for you to make your case for yourself as a candidate. You can talk about your qualities (hard worker, skilled communicator), but try to provide evidence of how you've been an asset in previous positions. For instance, you could say, "I'm a skilled communicator and passionate about helping my clients get a positive media reception. In my position at ABC agency, I was able to increase [client name's] mentions in the press 30% from one quarter to the next."

You can respond by talking about the agency's culture, its mission, the clients it works with, the agency's overall approach. Be specific if possible.

I want to sell products and services that have real value to customers. I don’t want to make them feel pressured into buying, but I do want them to walk away feeling like they’ve put their money into something worthwhile. I believe that achieving this result comes from a combination of intimate product knowledge and insight into customers’ wants and needs.

In my experience delegating responsibility and authority is crucial. A team needs to be able to develop and grow as individuals and a whole, not be held back by low expectations or ego.
I believe in building a team. Each member of the team should be clear on their role, know where they fit in and feel as though they can depend on one another. I also believe in real-time feedback. If you do something wrong you should know it immediately. Regardless of right or wrong, the further removed feedback is in time, the less effective it is.

This one is all about job commitment.

Some people make job hopping a career in of itself, and your answer here can be telling. Here, your interviewer is determining if you are:

☛ someone who sets goals
☛ someone who has a vision
☛ someone who is reliable
☛ someone who demonstrates commitment
☛ someone who is loyal

This top 10 question is asked to see how goal oriented you are with your life and if you have a short or long term goal or plan for your career. Don’t say that you don’t know.

This is a good chance to tell the interviewer how you progressed through your career, how you started and where you are at, today, and that you are right on track. Be specific and to the point. Again, this is a short answer question.

You can really turn this answer around any which way that works best for you. The basic idea that you want to get across to the interviewer is that you have a plan for where you are going. Most people don’t, they just wander around from job to job, but not you.

While this question is an invitation to do some chest pounding, remember to illustrate strengths that will benefit the employer and are relative to the position. For example:

☛ being a problem solver
☛ being a motivator
☛ being a natural leader
☛ the ability to perform under pressure
☛ a positive attitude
☛ loyalty

Are typically all solid strengths, but again, consider the position. For example, mentioning you are an excellent “team player” in a job where you largely work alone suddenly becomes irrelevant to the employer and demonstrates a genuine lack of self awareness

First, I would try to find out why they’re leaving. If they thought that they no longer had a use for our products or services, I would try to find a way to point them toward the benefits of sticking with us that maybe they hadn’t thought about before. If their budget was a concern, I would use my authority to find the best deal possible for them.

On the other hand, if someone decided to leave out of anger, I would first of all offer a profuse apology and take every reasonable measure to remedy the situation. Even if they did ultimately decide to leave, I would want them to go with the knowledge that their bad experience was the exception at our company, not the rule.

An easy question to answer well with one caveat – don’t slam your fellow interviewee’s. On the one hand, you have an opportunity to really stand out from the pack. Alternatively, You shouldn’t assume the skills of other applicants. Focus on your own strengths, and if the interviewer hasn’t given you an opportunity to mention that one “slam dunk” quality about yourself, now would be the time.

Is there a wrong way to answer this question? Consider the responses below:

☛ “I really need a job right now”
☛ “I need the money”
☛ “Your office is really close to my house”
☛ “I’ve always been interested in what you guys do”

Tips for answering: Be honest in your response. If you say you do not find any questions difficult to answer, it can seem like you're prevaricating. But be strategic: do not mention a question that you're likely to receive regularly in this role.