Office Clerk Interview Flashcards
Tell me about yourself?
KEYWORDS: SKILLS/QUALITIES and PRAISE HAVE RECEIVED
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to interview for the position today. In my experience I have acquired several skills and qualities that are a match for the job description. I am highly organized and a fast learner. I pride myself in being able to work independently as well as part of a team. In my previous roles, my managers have praised me for my work ethic and being a reliable employee, communicating effectively, and having a positive attitude while performing my duties.
Why do you want to be an office clerk?
KEYWORDS: LIKE A CHALLENGE and TALK ABOUT LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY YOU WILL HAVE
I want to be an account clerk because I enjoy the level of responsibility that comes with the role. As a highly organized individual, I enjoy the autonomy that comes with the position and that I am able to prioritize my day to ensure that all my work and tasks are completed in a timely manner and to the organization’s expectations. I want to be an account clerk because the role would give me a great amount of job satisfaction. I particularly enjoy the type of work where I get to perform clerical work and really use my organizational skills and my attention to detail.
What are the most important skills and qualities needed to be an account clerk?
KEYWORDS: KNOWLEDGE OF JOB DESCRIPTION
You would need exceptional organizational, time management, and communication skills. You will need to be able to absorb and retain information as one would be working with large amounts of data, and then sorting through and compiling reports in accounts and records. You would need excellent oral and written communication skills, the ability to work collaboratively, and be able concentrate for long periods of time.
What do you expect to be doing each day as an account clerk?
KEYWORDS: VARIOUS DUTIES YOU COULD HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IN THE ROLE
As an account clerk, I expect to have many duties and responsibilities. These include general administrative tasks, filing, planning, scheduling office appointments, dealing with queries assigned by management, answering phone calls in a timely and professional manner, and communicating information to coworkers and managers. Finally, I will be responsible for performing periodic data entry tasks and using company software to complete assigned tasks.
How would you deal with a difficult coworker?
KEYWORDS: GO THROUGH THE STEPS YOU MUST FOLLOW
and
WORKING TOWARDS POSITIVE OUTCOME
I would always remain calm, not take anything they said personally, and focus at all times on achieving a positive work environment. Firstly, I would allow my coworker to communicate their frustrations. I would listen and acknowledge their concerns. And then I would make a concerted effort to make sure that are aren’t any miscommunications going forward. This way I am able to perform my work fully to company standards.
Why do you want this job and what can you bring to the role?
KEYWORDS: JOB DESCRIPTION/
and
QUALITIES YOU HAVE THAT MATCH JOB DESCRIPTION
I have studied the job description in detail and feel strongly that I have many of the skills and qualities, as well as transferrable skills and experience that match the role. For example, part of the role requires an ability to compile data in order to make financial reports. In my previous role, I have experience in comparing the money taken in during the day with the internal financial records, and preparing deposits to be made. In addition to this, I set very high standards for myself and bring my ability to always remain professional in the workplace.
Describe a situation when you had to plan and organize multiple tasks.
KEYWORDS:
C. In my previous job, I had a situation where I had to manage a shift on a busy weekend without any help. Another supervisor ended up calling out sick, so there was a need for someone to step up and get the work done efficiently.
The tasks involved:
-Organizing which team members would be assigned to specific roles
-Following up on previous guest issues and complaints
-Preparing sales data to complete financial reports and make deposits for the day
A. I decided to organize my tasks by level of importance in order to complete the tasks. When it became apparent that I would not finish my end of day responsibilities by the end of my shift, I emailed my manager that I would stay late in order to finish the administrative tasks and ensure the next shift was set up and prepared to be successful.
R. She was happy with my communication and keeping her updated on how I intended to make sure that everything necessary was completed; and in the end, thanked me for my willingness to adapt and be flexible while being understaffed.
Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer or client.
KEYWORDS: DEMONSTRATE HOW YOU REMAINED CALM/ IN CONTROL
and
ABILITY TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS ON YOUR OWN
C. Recently, we received a complaint from a customer who purchased items from our location that were already expired c.
A. I immediately took control of the situation and explained that I would help them as best as I possibly could. The customer was angry and upset that they had to make the trip back to get assistance. I listened to their concerns and demonstrated empathy about their frustrations. I was able to get the customer to allow me to try and resolve the situation for them.
-I apologized to the customer and then made sure to let the staff know in the appropriate department that expired items were left on display and that we should be taking care to pay attention and rotate the stock.
- I then made sure to compensate the customer for the inconvenience
R. In the end, the customer thanked me for not only refunding her without hassle, but also ensuring to communicate the issue with the appropriate department so that they could be more aware of rotating product appropritately.
What are your strengths?
KEYWORDS: JOB KEY ATTRIBUTES
and
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY UNDER PRESSURE
I believe I have a number of key strengths and qualities that would be highly useful within this role. I am highly organized and plan my tasks and my day effectively in order to achieve success. I also have the ability to work alone and collaborate within a team environment. I am a strong communicator, both orally and written. I have a high work ethic and feel I can be a positive addition to the organization.
What are your weaknesses?
One main weakness of mine is my not having advanced technical skills, for example in Excel. I understand that as an Account Clerk, this would be an important skill that would be needed in order to perform the job successfully.
To rectify this, I have been practicing and studying in my own time to improve upon the basics.
This to me shows my willingness to take initiative in order to develop and improve my skills to perform at a high level.
What would you do if you didn’t get on with someone in the office?
Although I haven’t found myself in this situation, I believe that I would handle it maturely and professionally. I would make sure that I didn’t take it to heart and always strive to be friendly, professional, and helpful with anyone I worked with.
I would first, let this person know that I encourage them to communicate with me. I would also evaluate my self and my own actions to see if I was unintentionally and contributing to any challenges.
I would always be friendly and respectful and professional, as the organization and the City of Newburgh offices must always come first.
Why do you wish to work here/ for this company?
Do you have any questions today?
1) What is the first and most important thing that you would be expecting of me to learn and come up to speed with for this role in the first few months of working here?
2)
