Trainee Manager Interview Preparation Guide

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This is a question of commitment. Thus, make sure you have thought about it beforehand. If you cannot commit to long hours of works or working for 10 hours at a stretch, do let them know about it.

Yes, I consider myself to be very well organized. Everyday when I arrive at work, I check my email and messages. Then I plan out exactly what I am going to do that day. Even if I already know that I am going to work on the Johnson proposal, I still review my current status and set my goals for the day. At the end of the day, I review my progress and plan for the following day.

You should narrate an incident where you had a very good reason to disagree with your manager or team leader. Tell the panelists the reasons for your disagreement and your approach towards the issue. Do let them know if you had made a contribution to finding a solution to the problem.

Select an achievement that is work-related and fairly recent. Identify the skills you used in the achievement and quantify the benefit it had to the company. For example, 'my greatest achievement has been to design and implement a new sales ledger system, bringing it in ahead of time and improving our debtors' position significantly, saving the company £50,000 a month in interest'.

As a manager you will deal with many people. The job description outlines qualities someone should have since as a management trainee they see your potential with or without experience.

My degree in Commerce and a good understanding of the financial services sector and the challenges of financial access are proof that I have keen interest in developing a career in Banking. My education gives me an opportunity to gain more practical insight of the financial Sector through this intensive two- year on-the-job training in various functions in the bank.

The interviewers want to feel special. Things to talk about could include the training scheme structure, opportunities to take on early responsibility, support for taking professional qualifications or the company’s policy on sustainability and social responsibility. You probably shouldn’t say that the salary is one of your biggest motivations for applying, even if that is in fact the case.

If you’re faced with this question at an interview, always show instead of tell.

In other words, don’t just talk about your management style – tell them how it actually works.

And since the ability to pay yourself a compliment without coming across arrogant is often tough, aim to define what good management is first. Then talk about yourself positively by explaining what you’ve done, rather than simply repeating words like ‘responsible’ and ‘good leadership skills’.

Management interview questions like this are asked to find out what kind of leader you are. Should you ever get placed in a management role, how will you delegate the workload or teach your co-workers.

“I believe the main goal of any management position is to get things done by evenly distributing the workload to the most qualified members of the team. They also make sure that each member of the team has all the resources and training that are necessary to complete the job.

I think it’s important to remember that determination can sometimes cause problems – even if the person means well. For example, I once managed someone who constantly met their targets – but their team work ethic was way off. Although they appeared successful, it turned out they were taking leads from colleagues. So I sat down with them to make them aware of the consequences, and stressed the importance of our team targets, rather than trying to work against each other. Not only did they turn things around, they also regained the respect of the team.

The interviewer is looking for work related examples of how you measure success and when know you have reached accomplishment. Use a work related example and keep your answer short and to the point.

“In my opinion and as it relates to the workplace, success is a measurable variable. If you don’t measure your accomplishments, success is lost. Success can be tied to everything you do each day.

Speak about the time when your foresight helped you in identifying a problem and helped in averting it before any serious implications.

Use this an opportunity to showcase what makes you unique. Everyone who makes the short list will be knowledgeable about the company, but perhaps you’re also really passionate about the organization and the mission. Or maybe your past experiences have given you greater insight into the industry.

As a branch manager trainee, I aim to learn from the branch’s current leaders and better understand the unique needs of its customers. I foresee a lot of sales growth and improvements in the customer experience for the future of the branch. My goals involve formulating plans to achieve both of these objectives. To promote growth, I hope to collaborate with the entire branch team and boost sales. To improve the customer experience, I intend to gather information regarding client expectations and implement strategic standards that provide better service throughout the entire experience.

This is a straightforward question. All you have to do is make sure that your 'likes' correspond to the skills required for the job on offer. Be enthusiastic; describe your job as interesting and diverse but do not overdo it - after all, you are looking to leave.

I only have so many hours in the day to get my work done and I have found that if I don’t create daily, weekly, and monthly goals, it seems like nothing ever gets done. I keep track of all my responsibilities and goals in spreadsheet and review them daily.

I mark down when I am first assigned a task, how long I think it will take, when it needs to be completed and how much time I will need to spend on it each day to complete the job on time. This helps me in so many ways, but mainly it keeps me on track with what is important. It also helps me from getting overbooked and promising more than I can deliver. Now, I can always deliver what I promise and be on-time.

Sell your credentials too in this question. Given that you have an experience of dealing with people, present the impact of the decisions you made.

I am well spoken and have an outgoing character as well as having excellent communication skills and presentation skills. In the past I have made presentations at national or international forums such as the UNESCO Youth Forum. I will do well in this job because I am interested in learning new things and enhancing my skills as a leader.

It is time to talk about your proud and not-so-proud moments. While you should take pride in discussing your glorious achievements, make it a point to show your bad moments in a positive light. Try not to sound too negative or blame your mistakes on someone else.

Prospective managers want to hear that you will not shy away from difficult decisions. Emphasize your problem-solving skills. Talk about how you evaluate various options when faced with a problem. Focus on how your skills and experience can help you handle unexpected problems and still deliver results. Be honest and center your answer around challenges that genuinely excite you.

Be cautious with this answer. Do not be too specific as you may draw attention to weaknesses that will leave you open to further problems. One approach is to choose a characteristic of your present company, such as its size or slow decision-making processes etc. Give your answer with the air of someone who takes problems and frustrations in your stride as part of the job.

My biggest success so far has to belast year’s launch of or new range of snack bars – which was the first ever health snack to sell a million units in the UK in under 12 months. After landing the UK distribution deal, I was given three months to gain traction or they’d pull the plug. This wasn’t easy, but through communicating with hundreds of providers, I managed to build enough bridges to make the product take off. We even managed to make a decent profit- helping turn an underdog product into a household name.

This question is really just the opposite of your definition of success. What does failure mean to you and how do you know you have failed within a given time frame. Keep in mind that failure is just a perspective.

“For starters, failure is an event and not a person and you only fail if you quit and I’m not a quitter. I may not complete a project on time or miss an important deadline, but that does not qualify as having failed in my book. If I complete a task, but miss a deadline, I still consider it a success because I finished, but without the desired result.”

Make sure you do have some questions to ask them. Asking questions relating to the job are perfectly acceptable. However, refrain from asking about the pay unless they initiate the discussion.

I have the advantage of training before taking over the entire branch, so in that time, I plan to learn as much as possible and solidify my management approach. As it currently stands, however, my management style is democratic and relies heavily on feedback from my associates. This provides me with a perspective that is closer to the customers, and it also allows me to involve the whole team in the direction of the branch. I also emphasize communication and an open-door policy so that employees can always come to me with feedback and concerns, but I maintain a position as leader of the team.

You may have been advised to answer with a canned response like "I'm a perfectionist," or "I work too hard." But employers are looking for honest answers. Focus on a weakness that is relatively minor and that you are actively working to overcome.

For instance, you could say, "I’m nervous about public speaking, which I know is a problem for my career. I've joined a local Toastmasters group to help me learn some tried-and-tested techniques. I also volunteer for presentations and speaking assignments to practice."

State how you are looking for a new challenge, more responsibility, experience and a change of environment. Do not be negative in your reasons for leaving. It is rarely appropriate to cite salary as your primary motivator.