This article will help you in the interview process.

- It's written by one of the graduate Alumni.

Accounting firms love to give you so called behavioral questions, which are designed to learn about you in depth. For you, it is a great chance to sell your unique asset because you have all the materials in your hands. What matter is not what to say but how ho present them. Interviewers are interested in your personal experience, so answer based on real life examples. In order to attack these questions, you should spend substantial amount of time in preparation. What do we mean by "preparation"? As a non-native English speaker, simply organize and write your answers. If you reach to a level that you feel pretty comfortable about what to say, it is the time to practice like a mocking bird. This strange preparation process will pay off in real interviews with confidence. Always remember that each one of the "so-called" handicaps - foreign born, lack of language fluency, age, gender, lack of work experience, etc. Are you ready?

1. Problem solving/decision making?

A. Tell me about your major accomplishment (sometimes they ask you to describe up to 3 examples in an interview) in your work/school: The best approach to this question might be applying the PAR model. What problem (situation) required you attention? What action did you take? What was the result or outcome?

B. Describe a situation where a prompt and accurate decision on your part was critical. What did you consider in reaching your decision?

C. Describe two examples of good decisions you have made in the last six months. (even though they give you a time restriction, you can overrule and introduce something else. It's always a judgment call on your part.) What were the alternatives? Why were they good decisions?

D. Tell me about a decision you made in the past that later proved to be a wrong decision. Why was it wrong? What would you do differently now, if anything, in making that decision?

2. Sales ability/persuasiveness?

A. How has your perception of another person helped you during a negotiation?

B. What are some of the best ideas you have sold to your class, club, etc.? What was your approach?

C. Describe a selling experience you have had. Give me a specific example of a successful or unsuccessful sales. Why was it successful or unsuccessful?

3. Sensitivity/Team effectiveness?

A. When dealing with individual or group, how do you determine when you are pushing too hard?

Tell me about a team where you were the leader. How did you promote the effectiveness of your team? What were the results?

C. Describe some situations where you wished you had acted differently with someone at work/school. What did you do? What happened?

4. Work standards?

A. Is there a particular experience that stands out as one you never want to repeat because you did not meet your normal standards of performance? What and why?

What is the best job you have ever done on as assignment, the standard of your own performance that you used as benchmark? (be specific about the task)

5. Communication?

A. Tell me about a time when the ability to communicate effectively was critical to the success of a task or project. How did you handle it?

Describe a situation you observed or were a part of where you feel communication was handled particularly well by someone else. What did they do? Why do you think it was effective?

6. Initiative?

A. Describe a situation where initiative on the part of you or someone else was critical. Why was it important? How was it handled?

Tell me about a situation where your own initiative made a difference in the outcome.

7. Behavioral flexibility?

A. Describe an example of a time when you had to approach several people for support or cooperation, whom you considered quite different from one another. What did you have to do differently with each person? How did you know what to do differently?

B. Describe a situation in which your first attempt to sell an idea to your group members failed. How did you react to this? What other approaches did you try?

8. Planning and organizing?

A. Describe a task or project you were in charge of, and tell me how you set it up and followed it through.

B. Tell me about a situation (at work or school) that required things to be done at the same time. How did you handle the situation? What was the result?

9. Other Tips

 A. A normal interview usually lasts 30-50 minutes.

 B. Make sure that you have done your homework prior to the interview. Show your confidence with a firm handshake.

 C. Answer directly to the question. It's the most effective and powerful way of communication. Don't beat around the bush. Make your answers brief and to the point.

 D. Pretend to be in the position of the interviewer while preparing your answers. Would my answers be interesting and impressive enough to lead me to the second interview?

E. Be polite but friendly to everyone you meet. Create a good and positive "chi" around you.

F. Never criticize anybody - your boss, coworkers, classmates. No interviewer likes a negative, cynical, or pessimistic person.

10. Other questions frequently asked

 A. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

 B.  What training/qualifications do you have for a job like this?

 C.  How would your coworkers describe you?

 D.  Why did you change your field of work/major?

 E.  What interests you most about this position?