Thursday, September 12, 2013

Office Admin Interview Questions & Answers

By Angle Wahome,
Doing an interview well involves three P’s, preparation, practice and performance. Let’s look at some questions that you can prepare for as an Office Administrator, PA or secretary.
1. What computer skills do you have and what programs are you comfortable using?
•    I’m proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and Power Point. I’m very comfortable using these programs and have a lot of experience doing so. I’m interested in learning how to use any other programs as well.
•    I’m very comfortable using computers and am confident in my ability to learn any new programs quickly.
2. What would you say are the characteristics of an Administration job holder?
Here are some of the skills that I believe an administration should be/be able to;
•    People leadership (influence, inspire and motivate others)
Office admin
An Office Administration Personnel
•    Project management (managing projects, including staff, financial, and technical resources)
•    Efficiency in delivering outcomes
•    Initiative/proactive
•    Organisational skills such as planning and multi-tasking
•    Attention to detail
•    Enjoying working on routine tasks
•    Compliance with organisational rules and regulations
•    Result- driven
3. Can you operate a switchboard?
•    Yes, I’m comfortable using multiple phone lines with a high volume of calls, and have done so in the past. I’m able to keep the conversations separated, and deal with the clients in a friendly efficient manner.
•    I haven’t directly handled multiple phone lines, but I understand the importance of being courteous and efficient, and I’m a quick learner.
4. How would you feel supervising two or three other employees?
•    I would be comfortable in a leadership position. I have had the opportunity to supervise several employees in the past, and was able to delegate efficiently, and utilize each individual’s talents as a part of our team.
•    In a leadership position, I feel that it’s important to encourage an environment where teamwork is emphasized, and each individual feels that they are making a real contribution to the best of their abilities.
5. Tell me about a time when you showed initiative when completing a task.
You may share about an event or project and share positive results as a result of your action. For instance there was a time when I had to order staff shirt for the marketing team but found the supplier was no longer producing orders for less than 1,000 pieces. I made a decision to buy nice office shirts, in various designs, that were light in colour, fashionable and had them branded with the company logo. The marketing team appreciated these shirts.
They mentioned that they could all be ‘branded’ but could still wear a suit. On week days I noticed they were comfortable wearing branded shirts to serious presentations and meetings. Other staff members besides marketing team also requested for these shirts. Many mentioned that they were able to make a few sales, even though they were not in the marketing team.
Once you have you answers laid out, the P in Practice can be best put as 3 R’s – rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
After taking care of these details you will be in a better situation to perform you interview well.

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