101 Interview Questions

Question 1

Tell me about yourself and why you would make a good Executive Director of Business services for Pasadena City College?

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Question 2

Explain the rationale behind each of your career moves.

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Question 3

What do you know about Pasadena City College?

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Question 4

What are your core values as a leader?

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Question 5

What qualities and attributes make a good leader?

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Question 6

Why do you want to leave your job?

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Question 7

What didn’t you like about your last job?

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Question 8

Tell us 3 Likes and 3 Dislikes you have at your current job.

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Question 9

What do you think was key to your current/previous company’s success?

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Question 10

Why do you want to work for us?

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Question 11

Why have you applied for this job?

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Question 12

What makes you a standout candidate?

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Question 13

What skills and experience do you have suitable for the Executive Director ofcBusiness Services at Pasadena City College? (Skills, Education, Knowledge, Relevant experience, Disposition.)

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Question 14

What are two metrics an Executive Director of Business Services should always monitor?

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Question 15

Can you tell us some of the recurring duties you’re likely to have as an Executive Director of Business Services at Pasadena City College?

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Question 16

Why are measurements and metrics important things for an Executive Director of Business Services to monitor? Can you tell us some of the metrics you might monitor regularly?

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Question 17

It is possible that revenue forecasts might show a decrease in income at some point. How would you work to correct this before it happens?

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Question 18

What size budgets have you worked with, and what do you find challenging about budgeting?

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Question 19

What are the key elements to successful financial planning and budgeting?

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Question 20

What measures do you use to assess an organization’s financial performance?

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Question 21

How do you ensure that regulations and policies are fully complied with by the Business Services department?

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Question 22

Would you consider being able to analyze data and make financial decisions and recommendations based on that analysis a particular strength that you have? How so?

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Question 23

What is the key to a successful budget?

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Question 24

Can you describe a time you had to prepare a financial report with a strict deadline? How did you manage it?

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Question 25

Describe a time where you identified a problem, considered your options, and picked an effective solution.

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Question 26

What long-term plans did you make in your last job? How did you reach your long-term goals?

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Question 27

How do you utilize communication skills?

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Question 28

Why should we hire you?

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Question 29

How would you approach change within our institution as the Executive Director of Business Services?

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Question 30

How do you plan to succeed as our Executive Director of Business Services when others in the past have failed to live up to expectations?

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Question 31

As the Executive Director of Business Services, you will ultimately be responsible and accountable for everything. How do you plan to delegate in your role as the Executive Director of Business Services?

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Question 32

How is your relationship with the CEO, Board and executive team and how do you work cross functionally across the organization?

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Question 33

Cite examples of how you have driven change and improved the finance organization.

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Question 34

When have you worked as part of a team?

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Question 35

Describe a time when you communicated an important message to a group of people?

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Question 36

How would you build a positive relationship with your staff?

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Question 37

What is your management style? Have people you worked with followed you to other jobs? Have people you recruited in your organization moved on to bigger roles?

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Question 38

What do YOU DO to take care of your staff?

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Question 39

What would you do if you didn’t get on with someone in your team?

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Question 40

When have you had disagreement with your Senior Directors?

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Question 41

Can you give me an example of a difficult situation you faced in a previous job and how you dealt with it?

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Question 42

Have you ever held a position that wasn’t right for you?

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Question 43

Are you a risk taker?

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Question 44

How do you see PCC changing over the next two years, and how do you plan to create the change necessary?

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Question 45

How important is PCC’s culture to you and what steps would you take to maintain your desired culture?

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Question 46

Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

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Question 47

What are your long-term goals and how do you plan to achieve them?

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Question 48

What do you do outside of work?

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Question 49

How many messages are there in your inbox now, and how do you manage your emails?

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Question 50

How do you handle pressure?

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Question 51

What are your strengths? What is your biggest weakness?

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Question 52

What is your greatest flaw in your leadership style?

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Question 53

What has been your greatest failure? And what did you learn from it?

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Question 54

What are your three greatest achievements in your career?

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Question 55

Describe your most important contribution to your current/previous company.

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Question 56

What is your “Secret Sauce?” i.e. what are the 3-5 Leadership Principles that you have discovered and executed that have contributed to your success?

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Question 57

Can you please talk to me about “Execution?” What do you do to insure that your Strategic Plans actually become reality?

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Question 58

How would your work colleagues describe you?

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Question 59

Do you consider yourself a “Strategic Executive Director of Business Services” and what examples in your career lead you to that definition?

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Question 60

What 5 personal characteristics describe you the best?

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Question 61

What are your salary expectations?

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Question 62

What would you do in the first 30 days of starting?

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Question 63

Do you have any questions?

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Question 64

What has motivated and inspired you in your career?

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Question 65

Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?

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Question 66

What are the most important decisions you make as a leader of your organization?

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Question 67

As an organization gets larger there can be a tendency for the “institution” to dampen the “inspiration.” How do you keep this from happening?

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Question 68

How do you encourage creative thinking within your organization?

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Question 69

Where do the great ideas come from in your organization?

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Question 70

Which is most important to your organization—mission, core values or vision?

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Question 71

How do you or other leaders in your organization communicate the core values?

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Question 72

How do you encourage others in your organization to communicate the “core values”?

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Question 73

Do you set aside specific times to cast vision to your employees and other leaders?

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Question 74

How do you ensure your organization and its activities are aligned with your core values?

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Question 75

How do you help a new employee understand the culture of your organization?

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Question 76

When faced with two equally-qualified candidates, how do you determine whom to hire?

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Question 77

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

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Question 78

What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?

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Question 79

What is one mistake you witness leaders making more frequently than others?

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Question 80

What is the one behavior or trait that you have seen derail more leaders’ careers?

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Question 81

What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?

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Question 82

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

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Question 83

What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

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Question 84

What is the best piece of advice you would give to a young professional to succeed?

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Question 85

Who is a person that you considered as a role model early in your life? How and why does this person impact your life?

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Question 86

How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in today? What was a pivotal moment?

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Question 87

What are the most important decisions that you face daily as a leader in your organization?

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Question 88

How do you maintain your and your team's daily motivation and inspiration despite obstacles, pushback or setbacks?

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Question 89

How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization? How are ideas shared and implemented within your organization?

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Question 90

What is most important to you and your organization – mission, vision, or core values? Why?

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Question 91

Have you shared core values and visions with other leaders within your organization? Why? Why not?

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Question 92

How do you assist a new employee to understand the culture of your organization?

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Question 93

What advice would you give a new employee going into a leadership position for the first time?

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Question 94

What are the most useful resources that you would recommend to someone looking to gain a better perspective into becoming a better leader?

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Question 95

How do you decide who the best candidate is for your team or organization?

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Question 96

What are the most lacking traits among the leaders today?

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Question 97

What are the most important traits of successful leaders today?

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Question 98

What is the most important characteristic that every leader should possess?

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Question 99

What are the most pressing challenges that leaders are facing today? And why?

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Question 100

Do you have a mentor? If so, what traits are you seeking in a mentor and why?

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Question 101

What are you doing daily to ensure your growth and development continues as a leader? If so, how?

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