Leadership and Management Apprenticeship

Give an overview of the company and what they specialise in. Mention some facts that you learned about them whether this be awards they have won, when they were established etc. By doing this it will show the employer that you were willing to go out of your way to understand the business.

This is where your research on the company is important as you can implement this in your answer. Mention a success story of theirs and what you like about their processes and the way they work compared to their competitors. It is also important to have ideas of things you feel you could bring and incorporate into the business.

Reflecting on an example of prioritising tasks during a heavy workload is a positive way to show competency in a role. This will help demonstrate your organisational skills and problem solving. Explain how and why you made the decision and why it was the right one.

Talk about any relevant software packages you have used, for example Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Any technical office systems that you have had previous use or an overview of would also be advantageous.

To answer this question you must first have an understanding of the difference between management and leadership. Managers handle tasks and responsibilities whilst ensuring others complete their tasks. A leader is there to motivate and guide the team toward achieving goals and reaching targets. Think about an experience where you showed leadership capabilities, this does not have to be limited to workplace experience if you have interests outside of work that show strong leadership skills.

Mention how you would try to notice underperformance as soon as possible, then would try to correct it before it develops into a wider problem, being specific when discussing the issue and giving as much feedback as possible.

You could then discuss how you would look at how staff training can be improved and understanding what motivates your team, using this as a tool to improve future performance as this shows you are not only fixing the current issue but preventing it from happening again.

Strengths – Mention two or three strengths (for example, communicating effectively, time management and organisational skills) and give an example of one of them.

Weaknesses – This is where you can show you are honest, can self-evaluate and are keen to improve. Choose a positive aspect of your personality and mention how this can be slightly detrimental.

Although this is slightly personal this gives the employer an insight into yourself as a person as well as the roles you may wish to progress to. For example, motivation to build a successful career in the sector or your passion to work with children and young people, mentioning what makes you want to work with them.

Be honest about your reasons for leaving your last role but mentioning wanting a career with more opportunities for progression or how the role you are interviewing for is a much better fit for you and why is often in line with what the employer is looking for as an answer.

Use this time to ask questions about the business, daily operations or their expectations of you as an employee in this role. Do not ask questions about the company that could have been answered previously with an online search. Aim to ask open ended questions that won’t result in the employer just giving a yes or no answer.

Think about the business as a whole and positions you could progress to within, taking into account your wider ambitions. Most employers want to hire someone with drive and determination so don’t be afraid to set your goals high.

Before the interview be aware of how much the role offers on the job description and research salary expectations in this sector based on those in positions that have similar experience to yourself.