PROUDLY PRESENTS

James Steven Salibo
Resident of The USA and 3-DNET® VIP member
Email contact : James-Steven@exec.org

      

VIDEO INTRODUCTION®

 

 

INTERVIEW WITH 3-DNET®

Listen to sample sound "bites" from the interview:  

Question 1 : Tell me about yourself

As you look over my resume materials, you will see that I have been a Professional Sales Representative for some of the top companies in my Industry. More than just a Representative of my Company, I have been a Solution Provider and Customer Advocate. I am the person the Client calls first, when he has a Technical Question, even if that Question does not directly involve my Company or Product. I am Aggressive, Pro-Active and a tireless worker for both my Company and my Client. I have advised the White House and other Governmental Agencies, small Mom and Pop Businesses and everything in between. My Clients know that I will be Honest, Thorough and Knowledgeable.

Question:  "Tell me about yourself....?"  

Question 2 : What can you offer to your next employer ?

I take great pride in presenting my Company and my Products in the most Professional Manner possible. In essence, I become an Evangelist for my Company. I do not take the easy road, but strive to see the Big Picture from both the Company’s and Client’s standpoint. I bring a “Can-Do” attitude to the table and strive to make Myself and my Company a valuable resource to the customer, thus insuring a long term relationship.

Question:  "What can you offer....?"  

Question 3 : What are your strengths ?

I am very Thorough and Detail Oriented, with a strong desire to succeed above and beyond what is expected. I am Pro-Active and Aggressive, preferring to make the hard decisions upfront, before problems arise. I also take into account the Long Term effects of a course of action, looking at a Client over the course of many sales, and not just one or two interactions. I have a very good Technical Awareness that includes looking at the effects that Technology can and will have on the Business Culture of my Client. Above all, I am Customer Focused, preferring to be seen as a partner, rather than someone looking to make a sale.

Question:  "What are your strengths?"  

Question 4 : What are your accomplishments ?

In every position that I have been in, I have improved the Sales Figures and Organized the Territories that I have been assigned to . I have always performed in the top 5% of my peers. In my last Territory, I added over One Million Dollars in Sales to a territory that had been considered Stagnant for years. In another, I more than doubled the Sales. At every stop, I have received numerous accolades from Clients who had previously felt “Out of the Loop” with the previous Territory Management. One client even went so far as to send me a Photo of his new Ferrari—which he said was a direct result of actions he had taken on my recommendations.

Question:  "What are your accomplishments?"  

Question 5 : What are your limitations ?

I personally do not put limitations on myself. I feel that given the proper resources and support, I can accomplish almost anything. In the real world environment, I try to take into account the situational limitations and then Maximize the results.

Question:  "What are your limitations ?"  

Question 6 : How much are you worth ?

Like the Limitations Question, I do not try and quantify my Worth with any upper or lower limit. I strive to make myself invaluable to both my Company and my Client. I want to become an asset to both that will transcend a number.

Question:  "How much are you worth ?"  

Question 7 : What are your ambitions for the future ?

Obviously, everyone wants to achieve some measure of success, both personally and financially. I would also like to accomplish some goals that I have set for myself in my personal life, both creatively and spiritually. Being successful in you career is not a prerequisite for success in your personal life, but the success of your career gives you the confidence and resources to focus on the rest of your life.

Question:  "What are your ambitions for the future ?"  

Question 8 : How long would it take you start contributing to the firm? 

On a certain level, I think that my contributions would begin from the moment I arrive. Usually an injection of new energy and fresh way of looking at things can stir the pot from the beginning. Often I have met with Clients for the first time and have left an hour later with suggestions and action items for that Client. If you want to start contributing right away, you will. Just because you may not know how to operate a piece of equipment, or understand the Pricing Schedule, does not mean that you can not contribute. I bring a Portfolio of many skills to a Company and feel that I can start demonstrating my worth immediately.

Question:  "How long would it take ... ?"  

Question 9: What is your management style?

I would view myself as a “Player-Coach”. As a coach, you make sure that you have a well thought out game plan, taking into account every scenario and then give the proper personnel the best chance to succeed. As a Player, I would utilize my talents in the above scenario and then lead by example, carrying out the strategy and making adjustments as needed.

Question:  "What is your management style .... ?"  

Question 10: Why do you think you have a good potential to be a manager?

In the course of my Career, I have had probably two dozen different Managers. Some were excellent and some were not so good. Having seen the way they managed and having to deal with the repercussions of their decisions, I have formed a pretty strong opinion of what works and what does not. Many times I have seen Managers make decisions that made themselves look good, as the expense of a larger Win. As a Coach, you realize that only TEAMS get wins.

Question:  "Why do you think you..... ?"  

Question 11: What would you look for in hiring people?

The most prevalent thing that I look for is passion and desire. You can teach a person all sorts of skills, but you can not provide that inner fire. You also look for someone with a well formed sense of themself; someone with a well defined character and good work ethic.

Question:  "What would you look for hiring .... ?"  

Question 12: As a manager, have you ever had to fire someone?

The times that I have managed locations or groups of people, I have had to let people go for disciplinary or performance reasons. As I matured I realized what a difficult thing this is to do. You have to look at all the different aspects of this decision and ask yourself if you have really provided this person all the means and opportunities to succeed or, are you taking an easy way out. The costs in money and productivity to replace a person are enormous and you are literally taking money away from someone. You need to really see if the situation is salvageable before taking this action.

Question:  "As a manager, have you ever..... ?"  

Question 13: What do you see as the most difficult task of being a manager?

Motivation, Communication and Conflict Resolution are the most difficult things to do, as you must provide all these while keeping your team headed toward the Goal. It is very easy to get distracted by your own internal process.

Question:  "What do you see as...... ?"  

Question 14: Describe what you feel is the best work environment?

An environment that fosters Communication, Cooperation and Creativity, while giving each individual enough freedom to focus on the talents that will make them successful. There is a fine line between chaos and setting some guidelines that are necessary for a team to function.

Question:  "Describe what you feel..... ?"  

Question 15: Looking back how do you describe your past employer?

Working for Kodak Professional was my dream job, as I had come up in the Photographic/Imaging Industry. Unfortunately, I was hired during one of the first rounds of World Wide Lay-Offs and the Corporate Culture was changing. Instead of being an Industry Leader and listening to its customers, Rochester went into “Harvest” Mode and just tried to wring out the last bit of cash it could from its customers. One of my Old Customers described the relationship like a battered wife, “You want to leave, but you are more scared of the consequences.” It is a little hard to be customer focused, if that is the impression you are giving your customers.

Question:  "Looking back how do you ..... ?"  

Question 16: What have you done to increase productivity, performance, efficiency, etc..?

I am always looking at my customers real costs and getting them to analyze what they do and how much it really costs. I introduced the concept of Production Line Costs verses Loading Dock Cost. Most customers know what it costs in time and materials to produce an item, but very few understand how much it costs to get that item out the Back Door. I provided “fill in the blanks” Electronic ROI templates for my customers and would often conduct “Engineering Studies” to take a look at the actual production cycle. We would diagram the workflow and chart the time and number of people it took to complete a certain routine. Then we would interview each person in the cycle to ask for their input on how to improve their job, or cut it out entirely. Those same type of exercises are also used internally to continually take a look at the internal process of my part of the Organization.

Question:  "What have you done to .... ?"  

Question 17: Whether you are a "computer wizard", how do you respond to the financial side of your responsibilities?

No matter what your position in a company, there is always a financial component that has to be addressed. I was not always cognizant of this very important aspect of business, believing that success would always provide the necessary financial goals. As I grew and matured, I came to realize that no technical or sales goals could be accomplished without being fiscally responsive and responsible.

Question:  "Whether you are a "computer wizard".... ?"  

Question 18: How many people have you supervised in your recent job?

At Kodak, I was directly and indirectly responsible for two field people and indirectly responsible for about 6 people in the Home Office. This was not technically a “Management” Position, however

Question:  "How many people have you .... ?"  

Question 19: What do you like more, working with figures or words?

While I am an Excel Monster and feel quite at home with using numbers to prove a point or determine a course of action, I am most comfortable with Words, both written and spoken. I feel that my one on one communication is my strong suit.

Question:  "What do you like more ..... ?"  

Question 20: How do you think that your subordinates receive you?

I like to believe that they respect my abilities, my passion and my expertise. I am sure that not everyone “Loves” me, but I think that they feel that I am open to their ideas and critiques. Trying to have everyone like you can sometimes get in the way of accomplishing the task at hand. However, if people respect you, other feelings are not as important.

Question:  "How do you think .... ?"  

Question 21: What do you think of your previous boss?

Returning again to Kodak, I worked for 7 Supervisors in 5 years. I felt that most had a difficult job in a rapidly changing Corporate Culture and Industry. A few just took the easy route and Managed to keep their jobs. Some tried to find a balance between what was good for the Client, the Sales Force and The Company. Others just said I am going to do it my way and to heck with the repercussions. Each had a good justification for their actions and I respected the ones that honestly believed that their decisions were in the best interest of all the parties involved.

Question:  "What do you think .... ?"  

Question 22: Describe a situation in which your work was criticized?

Anytime that you make “Command Decisions”, Commitments or Dictate a course of action, there are those in the organization that will question these Decisions. It is imperative that you have the facts to back up your decisions and a logical thought process that can explain your point of view. Even with all that, there may be pieces of information that you do not have or conflicting agendas that leave you open to criticism. It is important that you have an open mind and the ability to explore the other options presented by this criticism. You also have to have the Character to say that you were wrong and make changes.

Question:  "Describe a situation .... ?"  

Question 23: If I spoke with your boss what he would say about your greatest strength and weaknesses?

I think that he would say that if there was a problem that needed to be solved or brought under control immediately, he would think of me first. The more it seemed insurmountable, the more obsessive I would be. He would also say that he could give me the task and forget about it, until I resolved the issue. He would also say that this obsession sometimes leads to doing more than is necessary and “Mission Creep” as I expand the task from it original description to one that encompasses other things I find along the way.

Question:  "If I spoke with your boss.... ?"  

Question 24: How can you handle life under pressure and with tough deadlines?

One of the things that I just can not handle is boredom. Pressure and Deadlines cause me to refine my thinking and direct my actions very efficiently. If there is not something that is needs to be done immediately, I can become a little distracted and somewhat of a procrastinator.

Question:  "How can you handle .... ?"  

Question 25: What do you think you do better: staff work or line work?

Line Work by far. I want to be leading the Charge as opposed to being behind the lines.

Question:  "What do you think.... ?"  

Question 26: In your current position, what problem have you identified that was previously overlooked?

I have identified and corrected some security issues in the way that revenues were handled. I also corrected some faulty workflow issues and codified the way that orders were to flow internally.

Question:  "In your current position .... ?"  

Question 27: If you had a choice of job and a company what would you choose?

Since I am so passionate about my job performance and a lot of my self image is connected to What I Do as opposed to Who I Work For, I would definitely say the Job. If you are happy with What you do, it matters much less who you do it for.

Question:  "If you had a choice of job.... ?"  

Question 28:Do you have any objection to take a psychological test?

At various times in my Career, I have taken batteries of tests. The most recent results can be found in the secure area of this personal Web Site. Putting too much emphasis on these tests can be problematic, as they all exhibit some sort of bias and often times you are limited to choosing the least objectionable answer, as opposed to one that truly represents your choice. They are a tool, not a silver bullet.

Question:  "Do you have any objection.... ?"

Question 29: Do you consider yourself as a creative person?

Yes I do on several levels. At one time, I tried to make my living in “The Arts”. Unfortunately, I was not mature enough as a Business Person, to do this successfully. As I grew older, I swung over to the business side a little too much at the expense of my Creative Side. I would like to find a better balance that would expose my creativity more.

On the business side, I once had a Sales Manager that said I was the only person that refused to be stymied by a problem. I would just keep exploring new and different ways to reach my goal. He said while he admired that, it sometimes gave him headaches as he tired to follow my “Out of the Box” solutions.

Question:  "Do you consider yourself.... ?"

Question 30: How do you describe your personality?

I would describe myself as confident, obsessive at times, but with an emotional side that enables me to relate to others, as well as reign in my obsessive nature. I like to think of myself as well balanced, fun loving and adventurous.

Question:  "How do you describe.... ?"  

Question 31: What is your outside reading you do?

I am a voracious reader of current periodicals. Current Events, Technology, Culture and most anything Sports and Photographic can be found stacked in my Den. I enjoy Mystery Novels, Old School Science Fiction, what passes for Political Discourse these days and Cookbooks.

Question:  "What is your outside.... ?"  

Question 32: What are some of your outside activities?

Any hobby that involves Technology and/or Gadgets. I cook (great kitchen gadgets), Scuba Dive (underwater cameras and computers), Target Shoot (Lasers and Scopes) and still do some Photography ( my first love; I have more cameras than digits and own six scanners and four printers, not to mention endless ancillary supporting Gadgets).

Question:  "What are some of.... ?"  

Question 33: Are you continuing your education?

Most recently, I completed some online courses pertaining to E-Business and Web Marketing that dovetailed with what Kodak was directing its customers to explore. I also consider my trips to the Book Store to be part of my continuing education and look for subjects that will increase my broad and specific knowledge.

Question:  "Are you continuing your.... ?"

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