Management QuestionI am a recent college graduate starting my professional career and seeking an entry-level job. I have an interview coming up for an Office Manager/Executive and I know a common question is"What is your management style? or Describe your management style?" This question confuses me; since I don' t yet have a lot of professional experience how should I go about answering it? And what exactly do they mean by this question anyway? you are looking for an entry level position, I don' t think the manager would ask you that question, since you' ve never really held a management position. If by chance he ask you that question, have the manager, to explain to you in detail, what he is looking for in a manager. Are you an organizer, are you able to complete tasks on time, are you dependable and reliable? You will be responsible for managing people, therefore, you must be able to communicate effectively with your team. Produce a plan in terms of how you would go about managing a dept. write down your thoughts and ideas that' s a start. Good luck and I hope this will help If it' s an entry level job, I don' t see why you' d be asked what your management style is (especially if you' re an Executive), as you wouldn' t be managing anyone under that type of position. But, if it does come up, always speak to other sources where you' ve managed, not just in a job situation. Refer to college projects you led, volunteer efforts you' ve managed if you' ve never had the opportunity at an actual workplace. Typically, when they ask this question, the hiring manager is looking to see you have initiative, drive, won' t micro-manage, can delegate and help mentor the person under you. Yet, as I said before, in my experience, you won' t have this type of responsibility in an entry-level/fresh out of college position, so it might be moot. It is always good to have an answer for a question you suspect may be asked during an interview. As this is an entry-level position, you may not even have to be concerned that you will need to manage anyone. However, if asked, be direct and state that you don' t have any practical experience in the workplace in managing others but that you would like to think that you would be effective and encouraging to those in your team. You know how to work in a team (cite your college projects) and are confident that, upon given the opportunity, can make decision which will benefit the company and those working with you. Or something like that. I have a hard time tooting my own horn because I feel like I am bragging. And sometimes it seems like the people interviewing me aren' t interested in the remainder of my answer after I have stated I "have no practical experience", | |
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