Sample Interview Questions for Office Assistants (with Answers)

When preparing for an office assistant job interview, it is important to find out the kind of questions you might be asked so that you can practice them and create good responses to them before the interview day.

A good preparation will improve your chances of passing the interview and being hired for the office assistant position.

This post provides valuable sample office assistant interview questions that you can use in preparing for the interview; it also provides suggested answers you can also apply in building your responses to the questions.

Please, read on:   

What do Interviewers Look for in an Office Assistant?

One of the most important qualities of an office assistant that interviewers look for is their ability to adjust to change quickly.

Resilience, optimism, and being proactive are traits that interviewers are always looking for in an office assistant.

Additionally, office assistants often have to multitask and those who can work well under pressure are also valuable assets to any organization.

10 Most Common Office Assistants Interview Questions with Answers

Here are some of the most common questions you can expect to be asked in an office assistant interview (with suggested answers):

1. What are some qualities that are important in an office assistant?

It is important for an office assistant to have a positive attitude. They should be able to work well with others, do not mind repetitive tasks, are patient, and can multitask.

2. How do you handle multitasking as an office assistant?

I try to make a to-do list and check things off when they are finished. I also focus on one task at a time, which helps me get everything done in a timely manner.

3. What kind of tasks would you like to do in this job?

I would like to do all the repetitive tasks such as taking phone calls. I am patient on the phone and know how to handle difficult customer service situations so I am confident that I have what it takes!

4. How did you hear about this position?

I heard about the position when I spent a day shadowing an office assistant. He showed me all of the duties and responsibilities that office assistants have and made it seem like a great opportunity for someone with my skills!

5. Have you ever been fired from a job before?

No.

6. Why do you think we should hire you for this position?

I am a hard worker with great attention to detail – I believe everything has its place and belongs there (and in it’s time). Trusting me with this position would help me grow and also allow for my dependability which will be one of my main goal on the job.

7. What is your greatest strength and weakness in the workplace, and how have they helped or hampered your past work experience with previous employers?

My greatest strength is my flexibility – I am able to adapt to change quickly. This has helped me in the past when a project suddenly needed to be done faster and it gave me a way out of a sticky situation!

My weakness, unfortunately, is that sometimes I get paralyzed by too many choices. When there are multiple deadlines approaching at once or if someone gives me an impossible task, I will often procrastinate for hours before taking any type of action.

In the end, this tends to hold up progress since other members on my team need help with their tasks while I am sitting around doing nothing.

8. Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond in order to get something done. (I.e. staying late or working on weekends)

I was still working on a project for my first boss and I knew that the deadline was very close.

I had to work late, stressing myself out to get it done as quickly as possible because I knew that if I didn’t complete it on time, he would be upset.

9. What are some qualities that describe you well ?

I am a hard worker and are effective working with others.

10. What would be your ideal, perfect day at work?

My ideal, perfect day at work would be one with no interruptions. I want to be able to complete all my tasks in a timely manner so that I can leave the office by 6pm.

More Sample Interview Questions for Office Assistant Position

Here are additional samples of office assistant interview questions that you can expect to be asked at the interview:

Sample Behavioral Interview Questions for Office Assistant Position

1. How do you stay organized?
2. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond to finish something.
3. Give an example of when you had to adjust your behavior or strategy temporarily in the workplace because things weren’t turning out how you wanted them to.
4. Have you ever been reprimanded for not following company policy? (give specific).
5. What is the toughest situation where people skills were required at work? How did that situation turn out?

Sample Case Interview Questions for Office Assistant Position

1. If I were going to call a co-worker who knows you, what would they say about you?
2. How do you handle conflicts with a co-worker or customer?
3. Give me an instance when your work required something out of the ordinary.
4. Would it be safe to say that the most important trait in anyone being hired is trustworthiness?
5. For what types of people is this position not suited for?

Sample Competency Based Interview Questions for Office Assistant

1. What are your strengths?
2. Walk me through a time you managed a difficult customer service situation well?
3. How would you rate yourself on your computer skills?
4. How would you handle an angry customer who demands immediate satisfaction of their order?
5. Tell me about a time when you had to be accountable for your mistakes.

Sample Problem-solving Interview Questions for Office Assistant

1. How many hours per week will you work?
2. What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your current job? Why did it take so long and what was the final result of overcoming it?
3. What’s a creative solution you used to solve a problem at work?
4. What skills do you have that would benefit the company culture, goals, or objectives?
5. How can we move forward after this setback with no impact on sales or production goals for next quarter/year/5 years?

Sample Situational Interview Questions for Office Assistant

1. Can you share how long you have been in this` field?
2. What do you consider to be some of your professional accomplishments?
3. Have any of the companies that you’ve worked for in the last five years praised or recognized you with any awards or honors? If so, list them.
4. Can you describe a time when someone didn’t listen to what you had to say after giving their own input first? What did they do, and how did it make you feel at the time?
5. Give me an example of something difficult that happened on one of your past jobs, but which also taught you important lessons.

Sample Communication Skills Interview Questions for Office Assistant Position

1. How would you define excellent customer service?
2. Do you have any experience providing service to customers with special needs?
3. What is the difference between task coordination and communication?
4. What is your biggest weakness in communication skills and what would you change it if possible?
5. If there was a toxic situation at work, how would you deal with it?

Sample Interpersonal Skills Interview Questions for Office Assistant Position

1. How would you rate your ability to work as part of a team?
2. What is the most difficult project that you have faced and how did you handle it?
3. Can you tell me about a time where something went wrong at work and what happened?
4. What was the last job interview question that you were asked and how did it make you feel?
5. Do you consider yourself flexible enough to do this position even if we need to change or modify some things occasionally?

Sample Company Culture Interview Questions for Office Assistant Position

1. What is the company culture?
2. Who are the leaders at this company?
3. Why do you choose to work here?
4. How long would you expect to be with this organization if accepted into its team?
5. Would you resign if asked by your supervisor or requested to move on from the firm because of business needs, etc.?

Office Assistant Interview Success Tips

Being an office assistant is a great way to get your foot in the door of a company, and can be a stepping stone to other positions.

Here are some important tips that will help you ace the interview:

• Dress professionally. Make sure you’re dressed appropriately for the position.
• Prepare your resume ahead of time and make sure it’s up to date with your most recent experience.
• Be confident in the role you are interviewing for.
• Do research on the company culture so that you can find more information about their values and then bring some questions about what they value to the interview.

Conclusion

Many people interviewing for the office assistant position may feel nervous and unprepared, however, by practicing with the sample questions provided in this post before the interview day you can ensure that you give an excellent performance.