For the Receptionist/Administrative Assistant Candidate

Below are some common questions you may be asked during your interview:

1. What do you know about this company and our services?
2. How many people on average did you interact with on a daily basis at your last job?
3. Describe your previous duties as an administrative assistant, secretary, or receptionist.
4. Have you needed to handle sensitive or confidential tasks in the past? Were you comfortable handling these tasks?
5. How do you keep your daily schedule organized?
6. What messaging system and calendar programs do you use?
7. What is your typing speed, and what is your average error level?
8. Tell me about your customer service experience.
9. What type of security protocol did you follow at your last job?
10. Tell me about a time you had to deal with an angry customer or guest, either on the phone or in person. How did you handle the situation?
11. Tell me about a time that you went above and beyond at a previous job.
12. Tell me about a time that you had to multitask at work.
13. Give me an example of a stressful situation that you encountered while you were a receptionist in the past. How did you handle the situation? Is there anything you would have done differently?

When you are applying for an administrative / office position a typical job interview question is "At this company, we like to think of ourselves as a team that works together to achieve our goals. How do you feel working in a team environment?

Here are sample interview answers which you can edit to fit your personal experiences and background:

• I enjoy working in a team environment, and I get along well with people. In my past work experience, I implemented a system to help organize the communication between my coworkers to enhance our productivity as a team.
• I believe that I have a lot to contribute to a team environment, and am comfortable in both leadership and player roles. I'm outgoing, friendly, and have strong communication skills

"What is your greatest strength and how will it help your performance in this position?"
Here are sample interview answers which you can edit to fit your personal experiences and background:

• My organizational skill is one of my greatest strengths. In my previous administrative assistant position, I restructured the office filing system to make it easier to access client charts and information quickly and efficiently. This experience will enhance my performance in this position because I'm able to keep things organized and neat, which means I get more tasks completed in a shorter amount of time.
• My ability to work with many different people. I enjoy learning from everyone I meet, and in this position I believe that will enhance my ability to perform on the team.
• My greatest strength is my ability to focus on my work. I'm not easily distracted, and this means that my performance is very high, even in a busy office like this one

"What is your greatest weakness?"

• I sometimes overdo getting my work done ahead of time. However, I am excellent at meeting deadlines, and with my attention to detail, I know my work is correct.
• Sometimes, I spend more time than necessary on a task, or have volunteered to take on tasks personally that could easily be handled by someone else in the office.
• Although I've never missed a deadline, it is still an effort for me to know when to move on to the next task, and to be confident when assigning others work.
• I used to like to work on one project to it completion before starting on another, but I've learned to multi-task better. I think it allows me to be more creative and effective in each one..

"How do you handle stress and pressure?"

• I find that when I'm under the pressure of a deadline, I can do some of my most creative work.
• I'm not a person who has a difficult time with stress. When I'm under pressure, I focus, and get the job done.
• I find it exhilarating to be in a dynamic environment where the pressure is on.

- The Executive Suite

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