Interview tips : District Manager interview advice neede

I have been a rep for a merchandising company for 5 years now. I submitted my resume for a district manager position within this company.

I was told yesterday that I have an interview for the District Managment position tomorrow! I have no time to really prepare on such short notice. I have never interviewed for a managment position especially one this high up. I need a heads up on what type questions might be asked in an interview for managment. Thank God it is a phone interview so I can use notes. No I do not have managment experience, but at least they know that.

Help please...and fast!!!!

Thanks

I would expect questions like "what would you do if..."

and I'd expect the "if" to be things like:

deal with a difficult employee
have a problem with your department not meeting their goals

How would you improve the department? What would be the first thing you'd do as the new boss? What would you do to improve morale? What about people that used to be co-workers and are now subordinates?

Since you don't have any experience, you're going to have to draw on other experiences in your life such as:

"Well, when I was the Boy Scout troop leader, I had a similar issue and I did..."

Think back on experiences in life, school, whatever and draw on those.

Good luck!

Tess

More often than not, on a DM interview they want to know how you handle different situations. Most will use the STAR format. I think it goes something like this

S-situation,

T-Task to be accomplished

A-Action steps taken

R-Results

If you're going to be leading people they want to know how you will handle difficult employees. They also want to know how you will handle difficult clients. They want to know if you have been in any of the aforementioned situations and how you dealt with them. They may say something like..."Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision in which nobody agreed with you?" The interviewer just wants to know if you can handle all of the stressful situations associated with management.

Jay

I am a youth pastor so i lead people there. If I am asked a question about a situation, should I use my experience as a youth pastor in that situation if I do not have that experience in my work?

To be honest with you I've been a youth pastor as well. I would try to leave out anything religion based because you never know how it will be received. It may help you or it may hurt you if the interviewer doesn't care much for religion.

You may just want to rephrase it to say that you are the leader of a youth group. It's still the same thing but just said in a different way.

Let me say this before somebody comes in and jumps on my case. I'm not asking you to deny your Christianity. I would never do that. I am saying that in the context of interviewing for a job the interviewer only needs to know how you lead, not necessarily what particular group it is. Some interviewers can be very biased in terms of the lifestyles that people lead. If the interviewer asks you what type of group it is, then you tell her that is a youth group at your church.

Jay

Career Tips

District Manager interview advice neede