Supply Management Interview Preparation Guide
Download PDF

77 Supply Management Questions and Answers:

1 :: Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job?

When answering this question, discuss situations where you completed tasks benefitting your previous employers.

2 :: Tell me a difficult situation you have overcome in the workplace?

Conflict resolution, problem solving, communication and coping under pressure are transferable skills desired by many employers In Supply Management.
Answering this question right can help you demonstrate all of these traits.
☛ Use real-life examples from your previous roles that you are comfortable explaining
☛ Choose an example that demonstrates the role you played in resolving the situation clearly
☛ Remain professional at all times – you need to demonstrate that you can keep a cool head and know how to communicate with people

3 :: Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year In Supply Management?

We all have difficult decisions in our lives. Show how you were able to arrive at it and then how you decisively acted.

4 :: What kind of work interests you the least In Supply Management?

What bores you? What fails to challenge you? What fails to excite you?

5 :: What kind of car do you drive?

The only time this might matter is if the job requires a certain type of car because of the responsibilities. For example, if you need to load a lot of construction materials into your car, you'll probably need a truck.

6 :: Explain me about a problem or disagreement you had with previous supervisor?

This question is trap. It is meant to see whether or not you'll speak poorly of an employer. No one wants to hire someone who's going to speak poorly of them down the road. Stay upbeat and positive - and most of all don't say anything negative about a previous employer.

7 :: Who has been an inspiration for you?

Cite your role models (possible examples could be your parents, people successful in the industry, world leaders, etc)

8 :: Who are your heroes?

Have at least one person you consider a hero or role model. Be ready to explain why they are a hero to you and how they've inspired you to be a better person.

9 :: Would you like doing repetitive work?

Why not, I am not only doing a repetitive work but also earning but also getting a good salary by the company In Supply Management. And second thing is that nothing is interesting in the life till we are not interested.

10 :: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far and why?

Be proud of your achievement, discuss the results, and explain why you feel most proud of this one. Was it the extra work? Was it the leadership you exhibited? Was it the impact it had?

11 :: What can you offer us that someone else can not?

Bad Answer: Going negative - if the candidate starts trash talking other candidates, it's a sure sign of a bad attitude. Also, if they can't provide a solid answer, it may show that they lack thorough knowledge of the skills the job requires, and an understanding of where they fit in.

Good answer: The candidate can name specific skills, abilities or understandings they have that apply directly to the job that other candidates are unlikely to have, or are in short supply.

12 :: Explain yourself in one line?

When you respond, keep in mind the type of position you are interviewing for like Supply Management based job, the company culture, and the work environment. Your answer should help show the interviewer why you’re a match for the job and for the company.
Sample answers are:
☛ I’m a people person. I really enjoy meeting and working with a lot of different people.
☛ I’m a perfectionist. I pay attention to all the details, and like to be sure that everything is just right.
☛ I’m a creative thinker. I like to explore alternative solutions to problems and have an open mind about what will work best.
☛ I’m efficient and highly organized. This enables me to be as productive as possible on the job.
☛ I enjoy solving problems, troubleshooting issues, and coming up with solutions in a timely manner.

13 :: Why did you leave your last job In Supply Management?

Regardless of why you left your last job make sure to stay positive. Always smile and focus on the positive reason such you were seeking the opportunity to expand your career opportunities, your interest in working with a new firm that provided greater opportunity, you desired to work in a new location, etc. Don't reference previous job problems or differences with management that caused you to leave. If you stay positive, your answer may help you. If you're negative, you will likely decrease your chances of getting the job for which you're interviewing.

14 :: What's your management style?

The best managers are strong but flexible, and that's exactly what you want to show off in your answer. (Think something like, “While every situation and every team member requires a bit of a different strategy, I tend to approach my employee relationships as a coach...”) Then, share a couple of your best managerial moments, like when you grew your team from five to 15 or coached an underperforming employee to become the company's top employee.

15 :: What is your biggest weakness In Supply Management?

No one likes to answer this question because it requires a very delicate balance. You simply can’t lie and say you don’t have one; you can’t trick the interviewer by offering up a personal weakness In Supply Management that is really a strength (“Sometimes, I work too much and don’t maintain a work-life balance.”); and you shouldn’t be so honest that you throw yourself under the bus (“I’m not a morning person so I’m working on getting to the office on time.”)

16 :: How did you handle meeting a tight deadline In Supply Management?

Review every deadline you need to meet. Prioritize your projects by deadline and factor in how important each project is. Record your deadlines on a digital calendar or spreadsheet.

17 :: How do you believe you would benefit our organization?

This is a great question that provides you the opportunity to put your best foot forward, to tell the interviewer why he or she should consider hiring you for the job. Make sure you're well prepared for this question as you won't likely get a second chance to really shine.

18 :: What do you expect from this job In Supply Management?

Talk about the potential career development, your career aspirations, your work relationships and the learning you'll receive.

19 :: What motivates you at the work place?

Keep your answer simple, direct and positive. Some good answers may be the ability to achieve, recognition or challenging assignments.

20 :: What are the goals you've set for yourself?

You could discuss your goals with regards to these categories: Career goals, impact you want to leave on society, financial goals, academic goals, charitable goals.

21 :: What are your thoughts about working from home?

This is a new policy some companies are adopting. If the company you are interviewing for allows for it, then you should be thankful for the flexibility and convenience yet state that working from home is a privilege that you would honor. The key point you want to make is that you would still be able to focus and be just as productive working at home.

22 :: How well do you know our company?

Well, a developed company that is gradually building their reputation in the competitive world.

23 :: Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures?

The key here is to show that you were proactive. How did you find out about the potential problems? How did you address it quickly?

24 :: If you have multiple projects on your plate, how do you handle completing them on time?

Prioritize based on business importance. Set clear timelines for each so that you know which ones to knock out first. Get your teammates to help if necessary.

25 :: What has disappointed you about a previous job?

Again, this question could get you in trouble so tread carefully. Some good answers might be that your previous job didn't provide any room for growth, that you were laid off due to a mandatory reduction in staff, that they closed their office in your state and required you to relocate, etc. Make sure not to mention anything negative about the people you worked with, the company in general or the job itself.

26 :: What do you think of your previous boss?

Do not belittle or talk badly of your last boss - it will come off as being petty. Instead, talk about the positive lessons you were able to learn from your last boss.

27 :: What is the most important lesson / skill you've learned from school?

Think of lessons learned in extra curricular activities, in clubs, in classes that had a profound impact on your personal development. For example, I had to lead a team of 5 people on a school project and learned to get people with drastically different personalities to work together as a team to achieve our objective.

28 :: Why do you want to join our company?

This is a question that is aimed at finding out whether you know enough about the company and the basic market. The best way to answer this question is to do some research on the company and highlight its positive points.

29 :: Have you ever been fired and if yes, why?

Answer this as positively as possible and try to avoid disparaging the company you had previously worked for. The key is to accept the fact that yes, you were fired, but you've learned from the mistakes that got you there and you're better now because of it. If you haven't been fired, well, then this question's a piece of cake isn't it?

30 :: What does "collaboration with teammates" mean to you?

Drinking at the water cooler together is not the best example. Think of how you can collaborate with teammates to generate new ideas, to create initiatives to impact the business' success for the better (specifically in the department that you're applying for). For example, if you're applying to marketing, collaboration could mean discussing new ways of social media advertising to reach an audience of over a million people to strengthen the brand awareness of the company.