(Who is Bonnie? Bonnie – CPA with over 6 years experience seeking Accounting Manager position)
Terry: What do you see as your strengths?
Bonnie: My strength is that I’m very focused. I know how to prioritize. I know how to multi- task. I can be a great team member, but I also can work on my own to accomplish tasks.
My real strength is that I’ve done the work correctly. One of the things I’m really proud of is that I’ve been able to increase some of the revenues that we’ve brought in.
So, while we have lost some revenues I’ve been able to try and replace them with other revenues by initiating and implementing new grants and working with the grantor agencies to bring in the new grants. I’ve also been involved in implementing new budgets and the program side, which are the activities that will be acceptable and the staff that will be acceptable in order for the grant expenses and the grant to be approved.
I’ve also been able to build relationships with granting agencies where they have called me if something changes or if I haven’t submitted a report because I didn’t know it was supposed to come in.
One time I needed to submit a budget. One of the agencies found $17,000 that they were giving to the social services area after the budget was almost over and I thought I would have to do a revised budget, the social services manager had told me that.
We waited and waited and never received any knowledge that it was due and all of the sudden I got a call one day saying how come you haven’t submitted this it’s due tomorrow. It’s because they knew me so well that they could call me. I said oh I’ll get it done tonight, right now. I stopped and did it, it doesn’t take too long, and can I come in the morning and drop it off?
I did and we didn’t miss the deadline, so we were able to get the $17,000 in additional revenue we would have lost if they hadn’t called me and told me, but because I had this relationship they did that.
Is that what you’re looking for?
Terry: It sounds like it was very helpful that they had such regard for you that they called you to say hey, we don’t have this you’re going to lose out on this. That’s great.
Here’s how I would rate this answer . . .
Q4. What are your strengths? – BONNIE QUICK RATING – D
Too long and too many of them, no more than three to five tops and sometimes better to pick just one and tell story that demonstrates several of them for you.
This Guide will help you with samples and complete how to answer training for even more questions you face in your job interviews.
