Example why you are interested in this position

You meet the senior person first and yes, you sometimes need to guess who that is. You then present your business card with two hands, with the writing facing your counterpart.

Then, pronounce a few words to introduce yourself bonus points if done in Japanese , and bow down. Repeat for other attendees. The Japanese language reflects this. Ever wondered about the long diatribes waiters at restaurants pronounce when you enter the place? Yes, that is keigo too. You ignore manners to your peril. If a prospect concludes that you are not paying sufficient respect, he may conclude you will not be a reliable business partner.

Pure and simple. Fortunately, there is a simple way for you to prepare: do your research. You may even learn some of the local tongue. After all, doing business is about building trust, which requires breaking the ice. However, there is no need to be perfect. For one, usually Japanese do not expect perfection from you. You are a foreigner, after all.

Besides, keigo is difficult even for the Japanese to master! For example, a few years ago, I visited a prospect of ours. A competitor also a foreign company visited them before and claimed that only their tool could be used for a certain level of certification because they had a feature we lacked.

That was incorrect. We were used successfully at that level of certification by other clients. And that competitor probably knew it, as I saw this "fact" repeated by many clients in Asia. However, when you tried to set the record straight, many clients viewed my answers with suspicion. Usually, I keep my cool at all times, especially in Japan. But on that occasion, I allowed myself, quite consciously, to express irritation. Irritation because it was not accurate.

Irritation because, in my view, this was a lack of respect for the client. I told him they probably knew better. And I offered to put him in contact with clients of mine that would confirm what I said. That is definitely not what you can expect from your typical Japanese businessman.

And truth be told, expressing irritation is usually a risky strategy. But in my judgment, the circumstances warranted it. As a foreigner, I enjoyed a bit more leeway. So, by all means, learn and respect the local culture. The more you know, the better you will be. But realize that your status as a non-native doesn't only carry disadvantages. It can sometimes play in your favor.

Has your relationship with your boss suddenly changed and you're not sure why? It's smart of you to notice, and even smarter of you to do something about it. So many of us settle for an unhealthy relationship with our manager, hoping that it will eventually blow over.

The truth is, relationships are a lot like icebergs—what you see above the water is usually rooted in something much bigger happening beneath the surface. What you may experience as a pattern of sharp feedback or increased micromanaging might be rooted in something bigger. Even if it's not, sweeping these concerns under the rug will likely put you on edge and make you more likely to make mistakes or assume the worst. In a dream world, your manager may see what you're doing and want to meet you halfway, but you can't bank on that.

If trust has been broken, it will take a while to rebuild. If your competence is in question, you may need several successes before you chip away at their false perception of you. No matter what the root cause of the breech is, you must be willing to stay the course and be consistent until the relationship turns around. To improve your relationship with your manager, you must convince them that you can and will help them be successful.

This convincing isn't about apologies or persuasive words; it's about consistently communicating through your language, work products, loyalty, and warmth that you care about your company, your boss, and your team —and that you have the skills to get your job done well.

Human beings aren't stupid. We are biologically programmed to know when someone is faking admiration for us. Our gut tells us not to trust them, and our suspicion goes into high gear. Your manager is no different. You won't be able to build a relationship with your manager if, deep down, you don't respect them.

Unfortunately, respecting them isn't something we can pretend our way into. To like or respect someone, you have to find things about them you want to emulate.

The good news is, even if your manager is Mr. Hyde on steroids, chances are there are things about them worth admiring. Take a minute to decide what those things are and keep them top of mind. One way to do this is to create a sincere one-sentence response to the question, "What do you admire most about your manager?

You'll find that telling others what you like about them makes you believe it more. As a bonus, if your manager hears that you've been spreading praise about them, it can't hurt your relationship! If you say you'll be at work at am, do it. If you promise a deliverable by a deadline, keep that deadline.

Don't lie or exaggerate, even if it will save you a headache. If you make a mistake or miss a deadline, acknowledge it before they do. Lastly, keep what they tell you in confidence private. If you've been inconsistent in the past where your word is concerned, admit it.

Share what you're working on to make it better. By being transparent about your intentions, and then keeping those intentions, you prove you're worth trusting. Seasoned bosses respect people who tell them the truth—even when the truth is "no. Sometimes these boundaries need to be stretched in particularly busy seasons, but that doesn't mean they aren't worth setting.

By setting boundaries before they're needed, you ensure that you won't become bitter or resentful about work patterns you've inadvertently agreed to working late, weekends, checking your email on vacation, etc.

Similarly, by negotiating project context and deadlines on the front end, you prove that you take delivering on deadlines seriously. It's much better to under-promise and delight your boss by over-delivering than to verbally assent to something you know won't happen. Chances are there are a handful of projects your boss cares about the most. Ensure that these projects are front and center on your to-do list.

When you hit a major milestone with these projects, keep your boss in the loop. When you burn the midnight oil, ensure they know that you're prioritizing this task because it's important AND because it's important to them. Share some of the praise for the project's successes by heralding them as a champion of the project. Arm them with stats, sound bites, and other information to share with their boss and peers about what you've accomplished together. When your boss pulls you aside with some corrective feedback, show them you prize their feedback by:.

Aim to discuss the opportunities you see with the new job rather than voicing concerns about your current position or company. Positively framing the conversation will communicate confidence and professionalism. Some other ways employers may ask this question include:.

All varieties of this question require a similar response. In this article, we discuss the best ways to answer this question with examples. Many interviewees address the first three questions, but it is easy to overlook the fourth. Remember that employers value candidates who aim to meaningfully contribute to company goals while also advancing their own careers.

While you should certainly craft an answer to this question that addresses your unique skills and qualities as it relates to the position, there are several general steps you can take as you prepare before the interview:. Thinking about this question before the interview will enable you to quickly answer the hiring manager, demonstrating professionalism and preparedness.

To develop a response, you must first understand the responsibilities of the position. Thoroughly reviewing the job description before the interview is a good idea.

Are you going to interact with customers? Will you be responsible for accounting-related tasks? This knowledge is essential to properly communicate your motivations for pursuing the role and to understand which of your qualifications are most relevant. Share Tweet Share Pin. The result? You should never go into an interview without knowing what their company does, how they make money, etc. Keep it focused on their needs and your career growth try to balance both. Never badmouth your previous or current company.

Keep Reading. And this is the impact I would like to have. What is more, I feel that with my engineering experience, and the programming languages I know, I am an excellent fit for the position.

Really I see it as a win-win situation for everyone, and hope you will come to the same conclusion by the end of this interview. Being honest, I just need a job to survive. You borrow money once, twice, some things do not work out, you have some unexpected expenses , and soon enough debt collectors and executors come to knock on your door. This is my situation at the moment.

I would like to work in your PR department, because I find it an excellent fit for my personality and expectations. And I also admire the work of your PR director. However, you are not advertising any jobs in PR now, and so I simply want to get my foot into the door , start working for your amazing company, prove my communication and diplomatic skills , and eventually get promoted or relocated to the PR department.

Having said that, I do not consider the sales position I am interviewing for right now just as a means to an end. I know that I can learn a lot here, and generate some interesting sales volume each month, contributing to your success. You can definitely benefit from having me onboard.

But when everything is said and done, it is your PR department I have my sights on. I am interested in this position for a couple of reasons. First of all, I see a meaningful purpose in social work.

And I do not want to work only to make money. I actually want to come home each day, knowing that I did my best to help someone to cope with a difficult life situation.