Questions to Expect: Planning

Interviewers, inevitably, seek the ideal candidate. To become this perfect hire, put yourself in the mind of the interviewer. Take a good look at yourself. What does this person look like? How does this person dress, and carry him or herself? Which qualities does this interviewee demonstrate in his or her answers? Increasingly, interviewers will ask behavioral questions -- questions that seek to understand you through the prism of your past behavior and accomplishments. Here's a look at some questions you might receive. These questions are designed to assess your ability to plan.

Ability to formulate effective plans

Efficient planning is paramount in most jobs. To demonstrate that you understand the importance of planning and organization, discuss past experiences, placing special emphasis on how you organized your approach to a specific problem.

The interviewer wants to test your ability to recognize and analyze a problem and to circumvent or solve that problem. Like the thought process questions, these questions are often more concerned with discovering whether or not you realize the value of organizing your plans than in the substance of the answer. Some potential planning questions:

1. What would you say is the difference between an organized and an unorganized office?

2. How do you plan to advance in this industry?

3. What are your long term career goals? What are your long and short- term plans for achieving them?

4. If you were in charge here, what would be your long-term plan for the organization?

5. What has the word "vision" meant to you?