1. What personal goals do you have and how are you going about achieving them?
Answer :Prepare for this - be able to state your personal and career goals - keep them reasonable, achievable and balanced. Explain how you see the steps to reaching your aims. An important part of achieving progress is planning how to do it. Be able to demonstrate that you've thought and planned, but also show that you are flexible and adaptable, because it's impossible to predict the future - the important thing is to learn and develop, and take advantage of opportunities as they come along.

2. Which is more important to you, the job itself or your salary?
Answer :A salary commensurate with my experience and skills is important, but it's only one piece of the package. Many other elements go into making up a compensation package, but more importantly, it's critical to me to enjoy what I'm doing, fit into the corporate culture, and feel I'm making a genuine contribution.

3. Tell me about your life at College or University (or even your time in your previous job).
Answer :The question is an opportunity for you to demonstrate the qualities that the interviewer is seeking in for the job, so orientate your answer towards these expectations (without distorting the truth obviously).

In your answer, emphasise the positive behaviour, experience and achievements (ideally backed up with examples and evidence) which will impress the interviewer because of its relevance to the role requirements.

The interviewer is looking for the same capabilities and behaviour in your college (or university or previous job) life that they want in the job.

Your emphasis should be on your achievements, and how you achieved them, that are relevant to the job requirements.

Interviewers with special interest in behaviour and personality may also use a question like this to assess your self-awareness and maturity, in the way you consider your answer and relate it to your own experience and development.

4. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
Answer :''Making a more significant contribution to whatever organisation I'm working for. To have developed new skills, abilities, maturity - perhaps a little wisdom even. To have become better qualified in whatever way suits the situation and opportunities I have. To be better regarded by my peers, and respected by my superiors as someone who can continue to increase the value and scale of what I do for the organisation.''

''I'd like more responsibility, because that's a result of personal growth and progression, and it's important for my personal satisfaction.''

''I have no set aspirations about money and reward - if I contribute and add value to the organisation then generally increased reward follows - you get out what you put in.''

''Long term I want to make the most of my abilities - if possible to build a serious career, but in this day and age nothing is certain or guaranteed; things can change. I'll do my best and believe that opportunities will arise which will enable me to keep contributing, increasing my worth, and developing my ability in a way that benefits the organisation and me.''

Employers will respond well if they see that you are mature, independent, self-motivated; that you will make a positive and growing contribution, and that you understand that reward (financial, promotion, responsibility, etc) will always be based on the quality and value of your input.

5. How do you measure 'success'?
Answer :I measure my own personal success by how well I've achieved the goals I set myself. I feel I've been successful to date - I attended my college of choice, I graduated with a degree, and I've spent three successful years at XYZ Bros. The key in being successful is to set challenging yet attainable goals, while always remaining focused on what you hope to achieve. My current goal is to succeed at this interview.

6. Would you object to attending training seminars in your own time?
Answer :Not at all. I'm looking for a company with an active training program, and I'm always willing to attain new skills. Other company's I've interviewed with host training within the working day. Is it XYZ Corp company policy to always hold training outside of working hours?

7. This is a much smaller company than you've ever worked at. How do you feel about that?
Answer:It's great. I've learnt a lot working in a large organization and I'm looking forward to applying my knowledge and experience in a smaller arena. I'm under no illusions that the task ahead will be every bit as challenging as my previous role, if not more so, but it's a challenge that I'd relish.

8. What do you know about the position you've applied for?
What duties do you think this job entails?
Answer :The Media Marketing Co-ordinator reports to the Marketing Director. Her role is to co-ordinate all media advertising, particularly print, radio, and television. The Co-ordinator works with Media agencies to profile advertising opportunities, then, working within a strict budget, she organizes cross-media advertising campaigns. An important aspect of the role is to disseminate the customer response to the adverts in order to measure its success and thus improve future campaigns.

At my last job in ABC & Co I worked closely with several different media agencies, including some that specialized in new media platforms such as the Internet. I also gained invaluable experience as a member of the team that established ABC & Co as a national brand by launching ABC DooDaa nationwide. I feel that I can bring this expertise to the Media Marketing Co-ordinator role and help XYZ Corp achieve it's goal of doubling it's customer base every year for the next three years.

9. If offered to you, how long do you plan to stay in this role?
Answer :I approach every new job with a long-term view. I would like to think that I can make a positive contribution to XYZ Corp for the foreseeable future.

10. Why would you like to work for me?
Answer :I've been aware of your reputation for some time. You're regarded as an innovator within the industry and beyond. I appreciate that your team's success is due to a number of factors, not least of which is hard work. I'm an excellent team player, I'm a very good problem solver, and I work hard to get the job done. For these reasons, I'm confident I'd be an asset to your group. I hope that my experience shows I'm suitably qualified to fulfill the position.

I know that your position within this firm speaks for itself. My ideal manager is someone that fosters excellence, innovation, and success, as well as personal and professional growth. It's widely recognized that XYZ Corp's strongest asset is its staff thanks to its strong belief in training and development. For these reasons, this is a highly desirable role.