30 University Administrator Interview Questions

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Give an example of a time when you have delivered excellent customer service, and why is this important in this role?

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The candidate should describe the role they were completing, for which Company and what the situation was with the customer.
The candidate should confirm what they did to provide the service to the customer and how they resolved any queries.
The candidate should confirm how the situation ended with the customer being happy with the service received.

Here is an answer example: "While working at X Company in X role, the customer had called the Office as they had not received the paperwork we had posted out relating to the examination dates. I reassured the customer that we would be able to resolve their query and needed to take some details in order to do this. I went through my list of questions relating to full name, address, course they were taking, tutor name, start date with the University. I took the contact number from the customer and confirmed I would research the matter and call them back within the hour with an update. I went away and completed the research required. I called the customer and confirmed that the original registration form had a different address from the one provided over the phone and hence why the paperwork had not arrived. The candidate confirmed that they had moved address and realised they had not updated us. I confirmed with the customer the importance of this going forward and sort clarification that they had everything they needed now, which they confirmed they did. I then went on to update the records and post out the relevant paperwork."

Example #1

"While working at X Company in X role, the customer had called the Office as they had not received the paperwork we had posted out relating to the examination dates. I reassured the customer that we would be able to resolve their query and needed to take some details in order to do this. I went through my list of questions relating to full name, address, course they were taking, tutor name, start date with the University. I took the contact number from the customer and confirmed I would research the matter and call them back within the hour with an update. I went away and completed the research required. I called the customer and confirmed that the original registration form had a different address from the one provided over the phone and hence why the paperwork had not arrived. The candidate confirmed that they had moved address and realised they had not updated us. I confirmed with the customer the importance of this going forward and sort clarification that they had everything they needed now, which they confirmed they did. I then went on to update the records and post out the relevant paperwork."

Give an example of a time when you have been faced with a challenging situation. How did you overcome this, and what did you learn from it?

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Simply not having a strong answer to this question means you did not prepare for this interview. You should always be ready to answer a challenge you have faced and how you overcame that challenge. I would recommend writing down a few challenges you have faced, anything that comes to mind, on paper. These challenges can be simple. Think about a time when equipment failed or a marketing strategy was not proving useful and you rerouted funds.

Here is an answer example: "When I worked at x Company in x role, we had a major event happening where over 200 guests were joining us for an evening event. On the particular day there was a really bad storm and about 1 hour before the event was due to start, we had an electricity outage. As a team, we were tasked with working through as much as we could on whether the power would be back on and if not, putting in place a contingency. As a team, we were split into two with 2 members dedicated to working with the service providers and getting an update from them about what had happened and when the power was likely to be back on. I was part of the team tasked with putting together a contingency plan which involved contacting all 200 guests due to arrive as much as we could and also sourcing a potential alternative venue close by. As I did not live centrally and thereby not being as familiar with the other local possible venues, I volunteered to start contacting the guests. I brought up the attendee's spreadsheet and found as many mobile numbers as I could to send out a group text to get to as many people as possible as quickly as possible to confirm about the power outage and to wait for an update on that it was taking place but possibly at an alternative venue or we may need to rearrange. I then worked through those with no mobiles just landlines and found if we had emails, again to get out the message as quickly as possible. Ultimately, we had to postpone the event until a later date but most people appreciated the heads up. I hope in that situation, I demonstrated that keeping calm and working out a practical approach will allow me to get through challenging situations. This is something that I strive myself and utilize when I need to."

Example #1

"When I worked at x Company in x role, we had a major event happening where over 200 guests were joining us for an evening event. On the particular day there was a really bad storm and about 1 hour before the event was due to start, we had an electricity outage. As a team, we were tasked with working through as much as we could on whether the power would be back on and if not, putting in place a contingency. As a team, we were split into two with 2 members dedicated to working with the service providers and getting an update from them about what had happened and when the power was likely to be back on. I was part of the team tasked with putting together a contingency plan which involved contacting all 200 guests due to arrive as much as we could and also sourcing a potential alternative venue close by. As I did not live centrally and thereby not being as familiar with the other local possible venues, I volunteered to start contacting the guests. I brought up the attendee's spreadsheet and found as many mobile numbers as I could to send out a group text to get to as many people as possible as quickly as possible to confirm about the power outage and to wait for an update on that it was taking place but possibly at an alternative venue or we may need to rearrange. I then worked through those with no mobiles just landlines and found if we had emails, again to get out the message as quickly as possible. Ultimately, we had to postpone the event until a later date but most people appreciated the heads up. I hope in that situation, I demonstrated that keeping calm and working out a practical approach will allow me to get through challenging situations. This is something that I strive myself and utilize when I need to."

What behaviours and skills do you feel are essential when working in a team?

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The candidate should be able to confirm the behaviours and skills they believe are needed to work in a team with an explanation as to why.

Here is an answer example: "I believe that it is essential to be a good communicator when working in a team to allow messages to get through efficiently, progress with work and feelings on matters happening at that time. It is also important to listen to each other when working in a team to ensure that everyone gets their fair share in contributing to activities. Being flexible is an important behaviour when working in a team, as you as an individual may need help one day, so demonstrating this upfront means people will be willing to adapt things if you need it yourself but also if urgent and challenging elements arise, together as a team it is achievable if everyone shows that flexibility. Connected to this is co-operating, as not everything will always match 100% of the time to what we want to do as an individual, however if we all co-operate for the wider team, achievements will be made. Being open with each other will allow trust to be built and also treating each other with respect. I think another important element is to show an interest in what others in the team are doing."

Example #1

"I believe that it is essential to be a good communicator when working in a team to allow messages to get through efficiently, progress with work and feelings on matters happening at that time. It is also important to listen to each other when working in a team to ensure that everyone gets their fair share in contributing to activities. Being flexible is an important behaviour when working in a team, as you as an individual may need help one day, so demonstrating this upfront means people will be willing to adapt things if you need it yourself but also if urgent and challenging elements arise, together as a team it is achievable if everyone shows that flexibility. Connected to this is co-operating, as not everything will always match 100% of the time to what we want to do as an individual, however if we all co-operate for the wider team, achievements will be made. Being open with each other will allow trust to be built and also treating each other with respect. I think another important element is to show an interest in what others in the team are doing."

Can you give an example of a time when you have had to deal with a difficult or disappointing outcome? How did you handle this, and move forward?

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The candidate should describe a situation in which they expected a particular path was going to happen, but ended up taking a different path.
The candidate should describe how they coped with this.
The candidate should confirm how they learned from this to make sure it does not happen again or grew as a result.

Here is an answer example: "When I was working at X Company, I was involved in supporting a Manager with an investigation into a issue identified with an employee being continually late. I gathered all the data from logging in reports and even analysed CCTV to cross reference these. I put a lot of effort into collating this information. I was then told that because the employee was related to a Senior Manager that everything had been dropped. This was disappointing as we all knew that any other employee would have been held to task to the standards. However, that was the decision made and I had to respect that. From then, I spoke with my Manager about the work I had done and whether there was any issues with it. I received confirmation from my Manager that there was no issue with my work and he was in fact very impressed with the attention to detail and robustness. From that point forwards, I was utilised in further investigations to gather the factual information and analyse such, which was great because I love tis type of work."

Example #1

"When I was working at X Company, I was involved in supporting a Manager with an investigation into a issue identified with an employee being continually late. I gathered all the data from logging in reports and even analysed CCTV to cross reference these. I put a lot of effort into collating this information. I was then told that because the employee was related to a Senior Manager that everything had been dropped. This was disappointing as we all knew that any other employee would have been held to task to the standards. However, that was the decision made and I had to respect that. From then, I spoke with my Manager about the work I had done and whether there was any issues with it. I received confirmation from my Manager that there was no issue with my work and he was in fact very impressed with the attention to detail and robustness. From that point forwards, I was utilised in further investigations to gather the factual information and analyse such, which was great because I love tis type of work."

Why are you the best candidate for the role of University Administrator, and what can you bring to the team?

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Before your interview, you should create a list of your strengths. Write down your accomplishments in your past roles that relate to this position. Knowing your accomplishments and strengths in this role, will not only help you answer this question but will help you answer several more throughout your interview.

The reason we recommend writing down your answers is that it should help trigger accomplishments in which you may have forgotten.

Here is an answer example: "I am the best candidate for the University Administrator role as I am a team player, approachable, organized, have a great eye for detail, am adaptable meaning I can multi-task while keeping things on track to achieve key deadlines and most of all love all things administration. With all this in mind, I will be there to pick up on anything that comes in last minute without getting flustered and ensure that I always play my part in ensuring as a Department we always meet our targets and work activities."

Example #1

"I am the best candidate for the University Administrator role as I am a team player, approachable, organized, have a great eye for detail, am adaptable meaning I can multi-task while keeping things on track to achieve key deadlines and most of all love all things administration. With all this in mind, I will be there to pick up on anything that comes in last minute without getting flustered and ensure that I always play my part in ensuring as a Department we always meet our targets and work activities."

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We are interested to know what motivated you to apply for this role? Why do you want to work for our University?

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The candidate should confirm that they wish to undertake the role as they feel their skills and experiences closely match the job description and also want to work for an establishment like the University due to being part of an Organisation that is progressing and developing.

Here is an answer example: "I applied for the University Administrator role as my skills and experiences to date have been within a busy office environment to date, where delivering excellent customer service was a must. I also want to work for an Organisation in which I can progress and develop and build on my current abilities. I feel that the University will have established ways of working and management support facilities which I believe I will excel in."

Example #1

"I applied for the University Administrator role as my skills and experiences to date have been within a busy office environment to date, where delivering excellent customer service was a must. I also want to work for an Organisation in which I can progress and develop and build on my current abilities. I feel that the University will have established ways of working and management support facilities which I believe I will excel in."

Describe an experience you have had dealing with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?

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The candidate should be able to describe a difficult person they have had to deal with, whether in a professional capacity or a personal setting - we will all have had them.
The candidate should confirm how they deal with such situation - the ideal approach will be to listen and remain calm.
The candidate should be able to go onto describe what the result was.

Here is an answer example: "In my time with dealing with the public there has been several times when there have been difficult people I have had to deal with. One that springs to mind is when a students registration form had disappeared which resulted in them missing an extra curricula activity. I listened to what had happened in their view. I then confirmed what the process is our end so that I could understand where things may have gone wrong. From this I was able to propose a way forward. In this instance, the deadline was missed and there was no room left on the activity so they had missed it this time round but now knew going forward what to do if the opportunity arose again. While a difficult situation, it was important for me to remain calm and solution focussed."

Example #1

"In my time with dealing with the public there has been several times when there have been difficult people I have had to deal with. One that springs to mind is when a students registration form had disappeared which resulted in them missing an extra curricula activity. I listened to what had happened in their view. I then confirmed what the process is our end so that I could understand where things may have gone wrong. From this I was able to propose a way forward. In this instance, the deadline was missed and there was no room left on the activity so they had missed it this time round but now knew going forward what to do if the opportunity arose again. While a difficult situation, it was important for me to remain calm and solution focussed."

What different computer systems do you have experience with, in relation to the storing and collating of information?

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The candidate will should be able to give specific examples relating to computer systems both in house and generic systems

Here is an answer example: "I have used x system before in my previous role. As part of my role, I was required to update and amend records as and when changes happened. I ran monthly reports from this for management review relating to X topics, and started to develop skills in which to present this in graphical form. I am also used to working with all Microsoft platforms such as excel, word and power point. From these, I produce daily stats on x and also help produce management reports."

Example #1

"I have used x system before in my previous role. As part of my role, I was required to update and amend records as and when changes happened. I ran monthly reports from this for management review relating to X topics, and started to develop skills in which to present this in graphical form. I am also used to working with all Microsoft platforms such as excel, word and power point. From these, I produce daily stats on x and also help produce management reports."

Tell us about your previous work/professional experience. How do you feel this will be transferable into the position you have applied for?

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The candidate should be able to give an overview of the previous work they have understand and any other professional experiences they have had.
The candidate should be able to confirm how these are transferable to this role by assessing the job description requirements.

Here is an answer example: "I have worked in an office environment since leaving school 5 years ago. During that time, I have also had the opportunity to work in a commercial environment and education setting. These where important as it gave an insight into the differences of the environments. I feel that this is transferrable to the University environment as the customer service being number one priority is across the board, the efficiency of that customer service is another number one priority and also supporting the University in achieving its objectives by pulling together as a team."

Example #1

"I have worked in an office environment since leaving school 5 years ago. During that time, I have also had the opportunity to work in a commercial environment and education setting. These where important as it gave an insight into the differences of the environments. I feel that this is transferrable to the University environment as the customer service being number one priority is across the board, the efficiency of that customer service is another number one priority and also supporting the University in achieving its objectives by pulling together as a team."

What role do you feel an administrator plays in an office dynamic?

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The candidate should be able to confirm the part the administrator will play within the office set up.

Here is an answer example: "I believe the administrator is part of the essential backbone of the team and office setup. The administrator is the go to point of contact for everyone, whether that be fellow office colleagues, tutors, students or customers. The administrator role is there to pull together all of the foundations of the services that are offered and provided by the administration office".

Example #1

"I believe the administrator is part of the essential backbone of the team and office setup. The administrator is the go to point of contact for everyone, whether that be fellow office colleagues, tutors, students or customers. The administrator role is there to pull together all of the foundations of the services that are offered and provided by the administration office"

How do you ensure you have clearly and accurately understood an inquiry or request that has been allocated to you?

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The candidate would confirm that they clarify their understanding by repeating back what they believe the inquiry or request is.
The candidate will see also that by doing this it generally triggers any immediate questions they may have.
The candidate will see that it gives them the opportunity to set expectations of when the inquiry or request will be completed and also how they will complete it.

Here is an answer example: "I would repeat back to my Manager or customer the inquiry or request that has been presented. For example, can I just confirm my understanding of your request please. You need me to collate together all the lesson attendee information for this last year. I would also then ask any immediate questions that spring to mind immediately. For example, can I confirm when you need me to complete this by? How would you like this to be presented, presumably in excel? How do you want me to present this, by email or am I to save it in the Administration folder? Have we produced this in past years so that I can ensure consistency of collation and presentation? I would also then based on all of that data gathered initially set the expectation of whether I believe I can achieve the deadline. For example, based upon what we know, I don't think your initial deadline of lunch time is going to be achievable as I know I need to go into several spreadsheets to get this. Can I just check that I am on the right track?"

Example #1

"I would repeat back to my Manager or customer the inquiry or request that has been presented. For example, can I just confirm my understanding of your request please. You need me to collate together all the lesson attendee information for this last year. I would also then ask any immediate questions that spring to mind immediately. For example, can I confirm when you need me to complete this by? How would you like this to be presented, presumably in excel? How do you want me to present this, by email or am I to save it in the Administration folder? Have we produced this in past years so that I can ensure consistency of collation and presentation? I would also then based on all of that data gathered initially set the expectation of whether I believe I can achieve the deadline. For example, based upon what we know, I don't think your initial deadline of lunch time is going to be achievable as I know I need to go into several spreadsheets to get this. Can I just check that I am on the right track?"

Give an example of a time when you have had to reprioritize your workload to handle competing priorities. How did you handle this, and what was the outcome?

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The candidate should be able o describe a time when they had to reassess their workload as a higher priority arose that they had to address.
The candidate should be able to describe how they went about handling the situation.
The candidate should be able to describe what the outcome was of the situation.

Here is an answer example: "In my role at x, there was myself and another individual in the office, who was a designated first aider. On this one particular day, she was called to her first aider duties as there had been quite a serious accident, which ultimately resulted in her being out of the office for 2 hours. During this time, I made my priority answering the calls and looking after front desk. I also let our Manager know and discussed with him the priorities for that day. I used my faithful to do list which shows me each day what needs to be achieved, in order of priority along with the amount of time I believe each will take. While there was a lot to achieve that day, I spoke with several of the customers to confirm the situation and negotiated a longer completion time where I could. So generally overall, I was able to man the phones and desk, complete 2 priority tasks that had to be completed that day and reassign the remaining 9 to the day after."

Example #1

"In my role at x, there was myself and another individual in the office, who was a designated first aider. On this one particular day, she was called to her first aider duties as there had been quite a serious accident, which ultimately resulted in her being out of the office for 2 hours. During this time, I made my priority answering the calls and looking after front desk. I also let our Manager know and discussed with him the priorities for that day. I used my faithful to do list which shows me each day what needs to be achieved, in order of priority along with the amount of time I believe each will take. While there was a lot to achieve that day, I spoke with several of the customers to confirm the situation and negotiated a longer completion time where I could. So generally overall, I was able to man the phones and desk, complete 2 priority tasks that had to be completed that day and reassign the remaining 9 to the day after."

How would you define teamwork?

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The candidate should provide their explanation of what they understand teamwork to be.

Here is an answer example: "Teamwork is a critical part of any business, as without teams working together to achieve a common goal, the culture can fall apart and objectives not be achieved. Teamwork happens when a group of people work together to achieve a common goal, pulling on each individuals skills."

Example #1

"Teamwork is a critical part of any business, as without teams working together to achieve a common goal, the culture can fall apart and objectives not be achieved. Teamwork happens when a group of people work together to achieve a common goal, pulling on each individuals skills."

Why is data protection important, and what measures could be taken within this role to ensure information is stored correctly?

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The candidate should have a basic level of knowledge that data protection is important to protect individuals personal details, University commercial information and any other stakeholders.
The candidate should be able to confirm that information held electronically will be password protected and such data will not be shared, drawers and office locked and clear desk policy, only authorised people on site.

Here is an answer example: "Data protection is important as everyone's identity and personal information should be kept confidential and not disclosed to anyone other than those that have been given permission to have it. In addition, data protection is important to protect any commercial sensitive information of the University's as this could put the University in a compromising position should this be affected. There maybe other stakeholders or visitors even who again, have the right not to have any of their data processed in a such a way that is inappropriate. In this role, I would ensure that all computer work is done in a manner that appropriate passwords are used on individual documents and also on the PC itself and these are not shared unless with authorised individuals. I would observe and follow the University Information Security Policy. I would ensure that my drawers are always locked when I am away from my desk and when leaving the office ensure the appropriate doors are locked. I will ensure that a clear desk approach is taken at all times and only have out on my desk what I need to work on at the given time. Anyone visiting will be processed through the visitors procedure and ID badges worn at all times. I will professionally challenge anyone who is not wearing the appropriate ID badge and be aware of the security protocols I must follow if I feel any of the above is compromised."

Example #1

"Data protection is important as everyone's identity and personal information should be kept confidential and not disclosed to anyone other than those that have been given permission to have it. In addition, data protection is important to protect any commercial sensitive information of the University's as this could put the University in a compromising position should this be affected. There maybe other stakeholders or visitors even who again, have the right not to have any of their data processed in a such a way that is inappropriate. In this role, I would ensure that all computer work is done in a manner that appropriate passwords are used on individual documents and also on the PC itself and these are not shared unless with authorised individuals. I would observe and follow the University Information Security Policy. I would ensure that my drawers are always locked when I am away from my desk and when leaving the office ensure the appropriate doors are locked. I will ensure that a clear desk approach is taken at all times and only have out on my desk what I need to work on at the given time. Anyone visiting will be processed through the visitors procedure and ID badges worn at all times. I will professionally challenge anyone who is not wearing the appropriate ID badge and be aware of the security protocols I must follow if I feel any of the above is compromised."

Tell me about a time when you have had to adapt quickly to new policies and procedures.

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The candidate should be able to provide an example of when new policies and procedures where introduced and how they adapted to this.

Here is an answer example: "When I worked at X Company in X position, an issue was highlighted with the holiday booking system and the quality team had to work fast to identify the issue and confirm back to the Business what was wrong and any changes or improvements that would result. We were all briefed from an administration team point of view of the changes and within a week, in the office, we had to change everyone's record and also update all of the associated paperwork. It was hard going to get through everything in the week, however we did. I made sure I understand what was wrong, what was proposed and how this would impact going forward and once I had this clear in my mind, I was away and on board with what needed to happen. While difficult to juggle with everything else that needed to be got through, I always try to remain calm and focus on the positives in such as situation".

Example #1

"When I worked at X Company in X position, an issue was highlighted with the holiday booking system and the quality team had to work fast to identify the issue and confirm back to the Business what was wrong and any changes or improvements that would result. We were all briefed from an administration team point of view of the changes and within a week, in the office, we had to change everyone's record and also update all of the associated paperwork. It was hard going to get through everything in the week, however we did. I made sure I understand what was wrong, what was proposed and how this would impact going forward and once I had this clear in my mind, I was away and on board with what needed to happen. While difficult to juggle with everything else that needed to be got through, I always try to remain calm and focus on the positives in such as situation"

Give an example of a time when you have had to implement a new process or procedure to solve a business issue. What was the outcome of this?

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The candidate should describe a time when they or a team member or even customer identified that a process or procedure was not working correct or a gap in a particular service level.
The candidate should describe how they went about actually introducing this with the steps they took.
The candidate should describe to us what the outcome was, including those which may not have been as successful as they would have liked.

Here is an answer example: "When I worked at X in X role, it became clear that the absence reporting process was not working for students who called the University Office. This was due to the Office being swamped around 8:30 with so many queries as us missing reporting a call back to a tutor. I suggested to my Manager a system that existed at my mum's place of work in which an absence line is used which is a central number in which a recorded message is made by each student who can not make in that day or will be late. At 9:30, the office was then able to download all of the messages into excel which quickly showed who was absence. This detail was then fed into the central records and also the local tutor and Line Manager where informed accordingly. This process was communicated out to all students and staff as part of their induction, so was well known and followed. This was something that my Manager took away to review, and was not implemented fully due to the technology needed but we did implement one individual manning the phone and taking all calls/messages until the morning rush had finished and then following through with confirming the message detail to the relevant tutor etc and one individual manning the front desk and following through with any actions from that time. Once the morning rush was over around 9:30 we then came back together, actioned as much as we could and then set off on the rest of the days duties."

Example #1

"When I worked at X in X role, it became clear that the absence reporting process was not working for students who called the University Office. This was due to the Office being swamped around 8:30 with so many queries as us missing reporting a call back to a tutor. I suggested to my Manager a system that existed at my mum's place of work in which an absence line is used which is a central number in which a recorded message is made by each student who can not make in that day or will be late. At 9:30, the office was then able to download all of the messages into excel which quickly showed who was absence. This detail was then fed into the central records and also the local tutor and Line Manager where informed accordingly. This process was communicated out to all students and staff as part of their induction, so was well known and followed. This was something that my Manager took away to review, and was not implemented fully due to the technology needed but we did implement one individual manning the phone and taking all calls/messages until the morning rush had finished and then following through with confirming the message detail to the relevant tutor etc and one individual manning the front desk and following through with any actions from that time. Once the morning rush was over around 9:30 we then came back together, actioned as much as we could and then set off on the rest of the days duties."

What does Equality of Opportunity mean to you?

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The candidate should be able to confirm what equality of opportunity means to them personally and also within the role they would complete if successful.

Here is an answer example: "Equality of Opportunity means that I and every other employee, student and customer of the University are treated equally and not treated any differently because of the differences we all have for example, if man or woman, if young or old. In my position as Administrator and the customer service providing role that this is, it is imperative that I treat all of my customers equally and with the same respect across the board".

Example #1

"Equality of Opportunity means that I and every other employee, student and customer of the University are treated equally and not treated any differently because of the differences we all have for example, if man or woman, if young or old. In my position as Administrator and the customer service providing role that this is, it is imperative that I treat all of my customers equally and with the same respect across the board"

Due to the nature of the role, you may sometimes be required to complete some lengthy data input tasks. How will you ensure you remain focused and motivated on the task at hand?

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The candidate should provide a picture of the tactics they use to undertake such a specific task.
The candidate should relate this back to a work environment they have worked in before.

Here is an answer example: "This is something that I am used to doing as part of the role of X I did at X. I will look at the data input and I am able, will break it up into chucks so that I know mentally in that time slot of say 20 to 30 minutes, I need to achieve X. I always make sure that my workstation is clear from clutter other than what I need to focus on at that time. I ensure that my chair is in the correct position and the lighting is good. I also ensure that my team colleagues are aware of the task I will be completing and therefore ideally I should not be disturbed unless urgent. If I am able to, I will also close my emails so as not to get distracted with them flashing up. I find that having the paperwork in front of me with a ruler for the line of data I am inputting is ideal OR I find that having the paperwork in my paper stand with the ruler working down the page as I am inputting. I make sure that every 20 to 30 minutes I stand, do some stretches and take a drink of water, this just helps my eyes to refocus and me not to stiffen up."

Example #1

"This is something that I am used to doing as part of the role of X I did at X. I will look at the data input and I am able, will break it up into chucks so that I know mentally in that time slot of say 20 to 30 minutes, I need to achieve X. I always make sure that my workstation is clear from clutter other than what I need to focus on at that time. I ensure that my chair is in the correct position and the lighting is good. I also ensure that my team colleagues are aware of the task I will be completing and therefore ideally I should not be disturbed unless urgent. If I am able to, I will also close my emails so as not to get distracted with them flashing up. I find that having the paperwork in front of me with a ruler for the line of data I am inputting is ideal OR I find that having the paperwork in my paper stand with the ruler working down the page as I am inputting. I make sure that every 20 to 30 minutes I stand, do some stretches and take a drink of water, this just helps my eyes to refocus and me not to stiffen up."

What is your availability like to work within this role? Do you have any specific requirements we need to take into consideration?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should tell the University when they are able to work in line with the job requirements e.g. part time or full time. In addition, what their current notice period is within their current role or other commitments.
The candidate may take the opportunity to tell the University if they have any other requirements such as adjustments for a health condition, child care commitments, dependant responsibilities - however some candidates may believe that disclosing such information may discount them so feel nervous with this question.

Here is an answer example: "I am looking for a full time position and have a months notice to work from my current role. I don't have any additional specific requirements for consideration" or "... I am the main carer for my mum who is registered disabled but during the day, she has carers that go into our home and on the odd occasion I may need to support her to attend specialist appointments".

Example #1

"I am looking for a full time position and have a months notice to work from my current role. I don't have any additional specific requirements for consideration"

How would your former employer describe you?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should be able to present how they believe their former employer would describe them, usually answered with positive qualities, however if a balanced indication is given some elements of development areas should be presented.

Here is an answer example: "I believe that my former employer would say that I am a hard worker, dedicated and willing to go the extra mile. I think they would say that I am a team player and happy to get involved in whatever needs to be achieved. We have also discussed that I find it difficult to say no which means I can have too much on sometimes but I am a good communicator and keep my Manager up to date with everything that is going on"

Example #1

"I believe that my former employer would say that I am a hard worker, dedicated and willing to go the extra mile. I think they would say that I am a team player and happy to get involved in whatever needs to be achieved. We have also discussed that I find it difficult to say no which means I can have too much on sometimes but I am a good communicator and keep my Manager up to date with everything that is going on"

Tell me how you organise, plan, and prioritise your work. Do you use specific tools or techniques to assist you in the workplace?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should be able to confirm how they organise, plan and prioritise their work - its important all 3 are covered as the organising and planning are usually the only 2 covered.
The candidate should be able to confirm any specific tools and techniques they use to do this.

Here is an answer example: "I am a big fan of to do lists and Outlook. I review each morning. midday and each night to understand what must be done that day, anything that may be in danger on not being achieved that day if it should be and anything at the end of the day that has not been achieved and what tomorrow may look like. I like to use colours in the diary as this visually jumps out at me so I keep these consistent. In any task that I am given, I will always when it must be achieved by and also make an assessment of the effort I think it may require. If I feel that the assessment means the effort far outweighs the deadline as being achievable, I will raise this immediately so that expectations can be set."

Example #1

"I am a big fan of to do lists and Outlook. I review each morning. midday and each night to understand what must be done that day, anything that may be in danger on not being achieved that day if it should be and anything at the end of the day that has not been achieved and what tomorrow may look like. I like to use colours in the diary as this visually jumps out at me so I keep these consistent. In any task that I am given, I will always when it must be achieved by and also make an assessment of the effort I think it may require. If I feel that the assessment means the effort far outweighs the deadline as being achievable, I will raise this immediately so that expectations can be set."

Give an example of a time when you have had to work within a pressurised environment. How did you react?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should describe to us the actual environment and what led to it being pressurised.
The candidate should tell us what they actually did during that time to cope and what the actual result was.

Here is an answer example: "When I worked at x in the role of x, we only had 2 staff in a department that should have had 4 - my other 2 colleagues where off at the time, 1 on maternity leave and one on holiday. The actual time of year was also report distribution for the students and so we were working to tight deadlines that had to be achieved. I made sure each day, I updated my to do list with activities that had to be achieved and that my other colleague knew what I was working on and I knew what she was working on. If at any time, additional tasks came in that may jeopardise this, I immediately went to my Manager so we could discuss a plan to work round this. It was a difficult period but I could cope because as a team we broke down overall what we had to achieve and by when and kept that under assessment each day".

Example #1

"When I worked at x in the role of x, we only had 2 staff in a department that should have had 4 - my other 2 colleagues where off at the time, 1 on maternity leave and one on holiday. The actual time of year was also report distribution for the students and so we were working to tight deadlines that had to be achieved. I made sure each day, I updated my to do list with activities that had to be achieved and that my other colleague knew what I was working on and I knew what she was working on. If at any time, additional tasks came in that may jeopardise this, I immediately went to my Manager so we could discuss a plan to work round this. It was a difficult period but I could cope because as a team we broke down overall what we had to achieve and by when and kept that under assessment each day"

Tell me about your education to date. How has this prepared you for a career as a University Administrator?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should be able to confirm their education relevant to this role. This could be from the education setting itself, job training courses and also on the job training experiences.

Here is an answer example: "My education to date is fairly standard stuff with good solid GCSE results, above C in English and Maths. I also went to college and completed a couple of A Level's, one being Business Administration. I would like to go onto study and complete a degree in time, especially as I see there is career progression with this role. I have also completed several administration related training courses over the last couple of years around data protection, Microsoft office and working in a team. I have also been very lucky, in that when I started at X Company, they had an internal development opportunity on administration so that was really useful also to see the full picture. "

Example #1

"My education to date is fairly standard stuff with good solid GCSE results, above C in English and Maths. I also went to college and completed a couple of A Level's, one being Business Administration. I would like to go onto study and complete a degree in time, especially as I see there is career progression with this role. I have also completed several administration related training courses over the last couple of years around data protection, Microsoft office and working in a team. I have also been very lucky, in that when I started at X Company, they had an internal development opportunity on administration so that was really useful also to see the full picture. "

What do you think are the most important skills required when working in a customer facing position?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should be able to provide the most important skills required for a customer facing role, which should not be too far different to those they have already read in the person specification. Ideally they should be able to expand on each provided again linking it back to the role in hand.

Here is an answer example: "I believe that the mot important skills required in a customer facing role are being a good listener as customers need to be quickly understood so as to ensure that their requirements are met and minimising mistakes and potentially complaints; being a good communicator as the University is a mass of people from all walks of life and the Administrator will liaise with many varied people; being able to treat everyone equally no matter whom they are and respect everyone the same; being efficient so as to get through all the tasks on a daily basis and not allow anything to be missed or fall behind; keeping calm as the office can be very busy I imagine with lots going on all the time; and also be flexible as urgent matters may come up, 2 minutes before going on lunch, or plans may change at the last minute. I think those will be the main important skills and qualities."

Example #1

"I believe that the mot important skills required in a customer facing role are being a good listener as customers need to be quickly understood so as to ensure that their requirements are met and minimising mistakes and potentially complaints; being a good communicator as the University is a mass of people from all walks of life and the Administrator will liaise with many varied people; being able to treat everyone equally no matter whom they are and respect everyone the same; being efficient so as to get through all the tasks on a daily basis and not allow anything to be missed or fall behind; keeping calm as the office can be very busy I imagine with lots going on all the time; and also be flexible as urgent matters may come up, 2 minutes before going on lunch, or plans may change at the last minute. I think those will be the main important skills and qualities."

If you are successful at interview, how do you intend on making an impact within the role of University Administrator?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should provide confirmation on what that they will be able to pick up on immediately and things they feel they will need more support with from the information they have read in the job description and from what they know about the University.

Here is an answer example: "From reading the job description, I believe that following my initial induction and training, I will b able to quickly be on the front desk and answer the telephone and while I am sure I wont be able to answer all questions, I will certainly be able to take messages and get back to people in timely manner and pick up new knowledge on the way. I also believe I will positively impact the role as I am an excellent team player so will be willing to get stuck in and get on with things once shown the ropes."

Example #1

"From reading the job description, I believe that following my initial induction and training, I will b able to quickly be on the front desk and answer the telephone and while I am sure I wont be able to answer all questions, I will certainly be able to take messages and get back to people in timely manner and pick up new knowledge on the way. I also believe I will positively impact the role as I am an excellent team player so will be willing to get stuck in and get on with things once shown the ropes."

What are your future career aspirations and where do you see yourself in five years?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should confirm what it is they are striving to achieve which unless they are looking for a total career change will paint a picture of natural development. An idea of how they may achieve this would also be good, even if wrong in the University world as they obviously don't have all the inside knowledge, but this at least gives us an idea that this has been thought through.

Here is an answer example: "I understand from the job role information that there is a specialist position of X or Administration Manager. I would like to progress through the varied job roles which I believe exist to build up that foundation and depth of knowledge in order to best place me to achieve this. During this time, I see myself being mentored by the current post holder as I would communicate these aspirations through meetings with yourself (assuming current Manager interviewing) in order to help facilitate this."

Example #1

"I understand from the job role information that there is a specialist position of X or Administration Manager. I would like to progress through the varied job roles which I believe exist to build up that foundation and depth of knowledge in order to best place me to achieve this. During this time, I see myself being mentored by the current post holder as I would communicate these aspirations through meetings with yourself (assuming current Manager interviewing) in order to help facilitate this."

What do you know about our University?

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TOP ANSWERS

A de-brief with the agency (if applicable), researching the University website, a general internet search, any twitter feed, job site search for ratings provided by candidates/current/past employees.

The candidate would need to know the basics of the University such as locations, year of establishment, rough headcount figures, University objectives, recent activities.

A well prepared pitch on this would link back to why this is all important information to the candidate.

Here is an answer example: "Having reviewed the University website, I found out that the University was established in YEAR or X years ago, there are currently X campuses in the City Centre and there around X students who attend. I know that the University is aiming to OBJECTIVES. I saw from the University blog that the plans for the Easter period are well underway with X planned. I also understand from employee ratings on Reed that the University is a good place to work due to its culture and high employee and student engagement approach. These are all things that I look for in an employer, so I feel there is a good match with what an environment I would like to work in.

Example #1

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What do you think is your biggest weakness from both a personal and professional capacity?

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TOP ANSWERS

The candidate should be able to provide an insight into their weaknesses that they have identified and may have been told by previous Managers, maybe in appraisals and even colleagues through other feedback forums. The candidate may be able to go on and confirm how they manage and cope with such.

Here is an answer example: "I believe that my biggest weaknesses are that I am too helpful which means I can be taken advantageous of if not careful and also I am a bit of a perfectionist. I think both of these apply to my personal and professional life. I always make sure that this is something I work with my Manager on at work to ensure it does not become a major issue and am very lucky with my circle of friends that they know me well."

Example #1

"I believe that my biggest weaknesses are that I am too helpful which means I can be taken advantageous of if not careful and also I am a bit of a perfectionist. I think both of these apply to my personal and professional life. I always make sure that this is something I work with my Manager on at work to ensure it does not become a major issue and am very lucky with my circle of friends that they know me well."

What motivates you to succeed?

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TOP ANSWERS

While this can be a challenging question for some, ideally the candidate should be able to identify what it is that gets them up out of bed in the morning, what it is that makes them go home at night feeling that they have done a good job and added value to the Business and what it is that keeps them going, even when a job is really difficult or maybe its their least favourite task.

Here is an answer example: "I like to come into work knowing that I am able to contribute as part of the team to the services that we will provide to our students, tutors and other customers. I need to know that I have done a task to the best of my ability. I am motivated to be able to push myself to the next level and keen to take on any development that is identified by myself or my Manager."

Example #1

"I like to come into work knowing that I am able to contribute as part of the team to the services that we will provide to our students, tutors and other customers. I need to know that I have done a task to the best of my ability. I am motivated to be able to push myself to the next level and keen to take on any development that is identified by myself or my Manager."

How do you evaluate success in a professional capacity?

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TOP ANSWERS

A combination of factors may come into play when answering this question. Number one priority is the completion of the job. Second, how efficient is the job getting completed. Third, are the customers happy through this process. Fourth, is the team motivated by these working conditions.

Depending on your specialty in your past positions, you will want to tailor your answer to meet those conditions.

Here is an answer example: "I evaluate success through the feedback and acknowledgment of my work and also that of the team. I also evaluate success through how happy I am and also how I feel about the Company I work for. It is important to me to be adding value and know that my efforts are appreciated."

Example #1

"I evaluate success through the feedback and acknowledgment of my work and also that of the team. I also evaluate success through how happy I am and also how I feel about the Company I work for. It is important to me to be adding value and know that my efforts are appreciated."

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University Administrator

30 Interview Questions & Answers