1.

Tell Me About Yourself

Good day everyone! I’am Jessafe B. Galan, 23 years old, and I am certified public accountant. I
graduated Magna Cum Laude at University of Bohol in Oct 2016 and subsequently passed the CPA
Licensure exam in May 2017.

I started off my professional career at Bohol Light Company, Inc, in July 2017, as an Accounting
Supervisor where I performed full cycle accounting duties. The skills and experiences I have gained
includes: (1)Preparation and review of financial statements by applying accounting and auditing
standards and concepts, related schedules and analyses required by various authorities, where
applicable (2)Facilitates month end and year end closing (3) Supports annual audit by providing
information and answers to external auditors (4) Maintains financial security by adhering to internal
controls (5) Maintains cash flow by monitoring bank balances and cash requirements (6) Actively
participated in annual BIR audit as part of BIR-LTD division. (6) Faciltates EFPS filing of withholding
tax returns, vat and income tax returns (7) Accomplishes different BIR required attachment reports
such as SAWT,QAP, SLS, SLP, SLRand etc.(8) Reviews payroll computation and mandatory statutory
contributions (9) Understands customer inquiry and complaints to properly resolve their concerns
(10)Assisted in budgeting and forecasting on a monthly basis, monitoring expenditures, identifying
variances and implementing corrective actions. I've been there for more than two years. I was able to
perform well in my previous position, and become promoted as a General Accountant. It has been a
great experience but Im looking for new opportunities in the government. Overall, due to my strong
background and achievements, I do believe I’ll be able to transfer the knowledge and skills I gained
and I am confident enough that I’ll be able to succeed in this role you’re hiring for.
2. What are your strengths?
I have many positive qualities and attributes to bring to this role, but I believe my main key strengths
are:
I have a hardworking nature
I have very good organizational and time management skills
I am always looking for the positives in every situation
I have leadership qualities. I got my confidence from my experience supervising two departments of
persons with different mind sets
I can handle myself in difficult situations and can motivate others
My sense of urgency, if I know that a task is important then I will work my hardest to get it done on
time.
I have an enthusiastic demeanour; very enthusiastic to learn new things and I am a quick learner
I am dependable, initiative and problem solver
One thing that I feel makes me stand out from the majority of employees is that I am always looking
for ways to improve the way I perform at work
3. What are your weaknesses or areas you would like to improve?
I cant say no to anyone,Sometimes I have trouble delegating duties to others. This has sometimes
backfired because I’d end up with more work than I could handle.  I’ve since taken courses in time
management and learned more effective delegation techniques and I’m happy to say that my last
several team projects were a great success.
I sometimes get slightly irritated when people don’t carry out their work to a high standard. Because I
set my self at high, I expect others to have them too and this is not always the case. Although it can
irritate me at times, I have learned to just focus on my own job and do it to a consistent high standard.
Having said that, I have recently been trying to turn this weakness into something positive by helping
other people within the working environment to improve. So, if I notice a member struggling, I will
always offer to help them improve, which can only serve to have a positive impact on the organization
and its goals overall
4. Why should we hire you?
First and foremost, I am hardworking, loyal and enthusiastic person who understands how important
work is to my overall happiness. I take my work very seriously and I am always looking to improve my
skills and qualifications so I can work to the highest standards possible in my role. I believe my
previous track record and strong appraisals demonstrate that. I also have good organizational skills and
always plan my weeks work in advance to make sure I perform well.
Having studied the person specification for this job in detail, I strongly believe I can perform the role to
a high standard and would very much appreciate the opportunity to work for your company. If I am
successful today, I can assure you that I will bring a great deal of experience, loyalty and positive
qualities to your team.I have strong performance reviews and my former manager will
happily provide a good reference
5. What are your plans?
That actually depend on how well I perform in my job and what career opportunities
come my way. The bottom line is that I want to have improved my skill sets and to
continue making on an ongoing contribution to any company that I may be working
for.
6. Why Do You Want This Job?
Having studied the person specification and job description for this role, I feel I have the skills,
qualities and attributes to carry out the job to a very high standard. I also feel the role will give me a
new, fresh challenge; something which I have been looking for sometime now. I understand there will
be opportunities to both train, develop, and take on further qualifications within the company- this is
something that is very much appealing to me as I always like to grow and improve as an employee.
7. What are your career goals and where do you see yourself five years from now?
If I am successful today, the first thing I plan to do is get competent in the role as soon as possible. I
have no idea how long this will take; however, based on my high levels of enthusiasm, I aim to get
trained up very quickly. I want to become good at my job, be accepted by my superiors and co-
employees and also enjoy my work as much as possible. If the opportunity presents itself for me to
progress within the organization, that would be amazing. All in all, I plan to stay with the company
long term if given the chance of being chosen for this position.Hopefully, this will allow me to take on
greater responsibilities with the company if the opportunity arises.
8. Why are you leaving your current job?
I feel that the time is right for me to transition the outstanding skills and experience I obtained during
two years in the private industry. I received great training in accounting and finance and have been
given job assignments that have enhanced my technical skills, leadership ability and taught me how to
meet deadlines and multi-task in a very fast-paced and often stressful environment. Hopefully, I can
bring these same skills to your organization
9. What are you looking for in a new position?
10. What type of work environment do you prefer?
11. How do you feel about working nights and weekends?
I can vividly remember the old adage “ Successful leaders see the opportunity in every difficulty rather
than difficulty in every opportunity. If there is an opportunity that I don’t want to lose, I will give my
cent percent to give my best. Because work is vital for everyone. If the company needs my presence or
if it is really necessary to complete the task I am accountable for, considering a limited time. I have no
problem in doing work at night and weekends.
12. What are your expectations?
13. What makes you angry?
Whenever someone disturbs me a lot and underestimate my capability. I get angry but I try to control
my anger with a smile and handle the situation well.
14. Are you willing to relocate or travel?
As far as location is concerned, I don’t see any problem in relocating to a new place. Instead it will
provide me exposure to a new environment, culture and languages and let me interact with different
people. This will also give me new experience and prove to be beneficial for my personality
development as well. I can work at any place as I can adapt to any new environment.
15. Can you work under pressure?
I believe that if we love what we do, we never feel the pressure. In life, we always strive to face
challenges and we must always be ready to overcome it. So pressure doesn't matter. It is so important
to keep being optimistic. Working under pressure is the opportunity to know about once ability and
gaining confidence.
16. What are your salary expectations?
I’m sure that your company offers a fair, competitive salary for someone with my
education / training, skills and experience. I am also willing to negotiate for the right
position. Of course,It would be nice for the pay rate to equal the work I do which
would play part in my job satisfaction too.
17. How would you be an asset to this organization?
The growth of every organization depend on the employees hard work and dedication
18. What's your dream job?
An ideal job is one which gives self satisfaction
19. How Would You Explain Our Organization’s Mission?
I’m personally drawn to this mission because
20. What is your greatest professional achievement?

“Absolutely. In my last job, we often had short deadlines. I was great at managing these

situations because I focused on consistent communication with the team, and used my

organization skills to stay on top of everything we had going on.” Then, provide a specific

example.

21. Have you ever had a conflict with a superior or colleague? How did you handle it?
I think that everyone at some point has had a conflict at work whether it’s with a supervisor or co-
worker. I’ve found that when I’m in a difficult situation, it helps to communicate with the other
person, understand their perspective and try to work out a collaborative solution whenever possible.
22. Difference between hard work and smart work?
Hard work may give results but it takes much time. Smart work will give optimum results with less
work, effort and time. In simple words hard work means work then think. Smart work means think and
then work
23. Difference between confidence and overconfidence
The difference between them is the word only. Saying I can do this work is confidence and I only can
do this work
24. Give example of creativity?
Creativity is to create innovative idea and to modify old things to new one. I cant remember any
particular example right now but my creativity lies in every work what I do daily. Always try to
implement something new that makes hard work into smart work.
25. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
It has been always my dream to be part of this organization. So if I would be selected. It would be a
great pleasure and I assure that I give my level best. And if you recognize my work and potential, I will
be there with you always as long as you want me to stay in this company.
26. Are not you overqualified for this position?
I consider myself just a well-qualified not overqualified for this position because learning never ends. I
certainly have extra knowledge that can be utilized somewhere at some point in time.
27. Would you lie for the company?
If it would affect negatively to one person or another, I wont lie for the company. Lying is only a tool
to help us escape the current situation, but one day later we have to face it with some more
consequences. So its better to face it today and find the solution. On the other hand, if the company will
get benefit from my lie then I may tell a lie but not to a great extent that my name and reputation will
be at risk. After all, honesty is the best policy.
28. Tell me about a situation when you went above and beyond what was required for work
In 2018, we went through some significant changes after our pioneering finance and manager resigned.
The VP-for finance of SPC Power Corp, our parent company, with the recommendation of BLCI’s
general manager asked me to carry out additional duties while they find her replacement. I accepted to
take on the work because I knew how important it was for the company to still function and deliver a
quality service. I worked the extra hours and duties to complete what is needed and required. After a
month, our parent company managed to find her replacement and when she arrived at the office. I
helped her to integrate into the team and show her what role she is involved. If required I would always
help out as I understand my job is dependent on the company performing well.
29. What makes a good team member?
Effective teamwork is vital in any organization and I feel what makes a good team member is:
 Having a dedicated leade;
 An ability to focus on the end goal;
 Great communication amongst the tema members and its leader;
 A comprehensive initial brief so that every member of the team knows what they are doing
to achieve the task;
 Being supportive of the other team members;
 Learningfrom any mistakes that were made during the task so that things can improve for
next time.
A team is only as strong as its weakest link and it is important that everyone within the team works
together and helps each other.
30. Can you give an example of when you have worked well under pressure?
I am often required to carry out time sensitive tasks under pressure, but one particular incident springs
to mind. Recently, an important person who have stayed for the company for almost 18 yrs, resigned
when we were half way through trying to complete a difficult and stressful BIR Audit. This was
particularly stressful because that person had the only knowledge and expertise of all the overall
operations of the company. No one was hired to take her place and wasn’t able to designate her
workloads before the effectivity of her resignation. That person is our pioneering Former Finance &
Admin Manager. I decided to volunteer to take on her responsibilities and so I set about learning her
role in the fastest time possible. Although it was stressful, I remained calm, worked longer hours, and
didn’t stop working until I managed to replicate her responsibilities and role. I am pleased to say we all
managed to adjust and continue working together to maintain a smooth operation for our company until
her replacer came to the office and I was able to turnover all that I have learned. I believe I am a highly
effective worker when put under pressure and will do all I can to help out the organization and the team
I am working for.

31. Tell me about a situation when you made a mistake at work

I have only made one silly mistake at work, and this was down to me simply being complacent. I had
the responsibility of preparing and posting the rates per customer type and I felt I could do the job with
my eyes closed because of the number of times I had previously worked on. This complacency led to
me not concentrating sufficiently one day, and I have posted a wrong figure to one customer type. I
was able to check on the first 6 customer type and stopped because I knew it will soon be reviewed by
our manager before the bills be generated from the billing department. The knock-out effect was that
my manager have not noticed the wrong figure and was able to declare the start of generation of bills.
As soon as I realized I had made a mistake, I informed my manager before contacting the billing
department to explain the issue, apologize and then take the necessary steps to resolve the situation as
soon as possible. I apologized unreservedly to my manager and took the appropriate steps to make sure
it will never happened again.
32. Tell me about a difficult challenge you faced at work. How did you solve it?
When I started working at our office and have been designated as a supervisor. I was greatly
challenged to led the people older than me. I felt they dislike me and the impact was concerning me,
simply because I did not feel we could operate successfully unless we worked in harmony. There was a
breakdown in communications. So, I decided to try and resolve the issue.
I held an informal meeting to raise my concerns and I encouraged everyone to talk openly about how
they felt. After lengthy discussions, and with me facilitating the talks, we all agreed to hold quarterly
meetings so we could discuss any problems openly and honestly with a view to moving forward
positively. The end results was promising. Our department now works extremely well together and the
open-communication has not just improved the atmosphere in the office, but the output of the dept has
increased significantly. I’ve had some previous conflicts but they were’nt major conflicts. There have
been a few disagreements, but I have learned that it helps to understand the view of other person in
order to come up with a resolution. I listen to other persons perspective then figure out how to come up
with a solution. There have been several situations at work which have directly affected the
performance of me and my co workers. By improving the workplace and finding a solution for the
situation it helps both of me and my coworkers. Because of this, I do not simply take a suggestion as
just that but consider how it can be applied to correct the situation. I pay close attention to details and
when there’s a way to improve a situation to save time and nuissances. I speak to the boss about a
correction. I have found that working with others helps increase performance and it provides better
work flow. This helps get the work done on time while keeping everything in motion
Example of a goal reached and how did you achieve it?

One particular time comes to my mind when I achieved something I am proud of. The company I was
working for had set. Most people in the team seemed unoptimistic about being able to achieve the
targets, but I set out to surpass them in the fastest time possible. To achieve my goal, I created a plan of
action. Honestly, I meet with my team and find out what people areas of expertise were. Next I would
provide clear timeline for the team and discuss our goals. I would make sure we work together hand in
hand.

Example when you disagreed with your manager

To be honest, I have this new manager and it is rare that I disagree with her. However,
during a recent meeting my manager put forward a new proposal and a change to our
working practices. After careful consideration, I did not agree with the proposal and
so I approached my manager in private to explain my views constructively and why I
felt they might not work. She didn’t agree with my thoughts but I thanked her anyway
for listening and I then got on positively with the new way of working.

It actually transpired that my manager was right and I was the one in the wrong. Her
new way of working was positive and things are much improved now we have had
time to adapt. Although I was wrong, I feel it is important to say if you disagree with
something as the organization can only benefit from diverse opinions and experiences.
Eventhough I didn’t agree at the time with my manager, I would always respect her
decisions and work hard to achieve the company mission and goals.

Example of when you have met a tight deadline

It was only last week I met a very tight deadline for my employer. It was late on
Tuesday afternoon and an important personnel of ERC called and requested some
reports that needed to be fulfilled before close at 5pm. I volunteered to complete the
required submissions and told my manager I would stay behind late if needed to
complete my other tasks in order to prioritize their request. I gathered data quickly
and have prepared them as fast as possible. I double-checked my work as I progressed
with the task as I knew it was important not to make any mistakes. Thankfully,
through accurate and fast working, I managed to get the job done before the 5pm
deadline. I actually enjoy working to tight deadlines and enjoy the feeling of
satisfaction I get when the job is completed on time and to a high standard.

Example when you didn’t meet a goal

When I first started working with BLCI, I set myself a difficult task that was based
around learning a new skill. I promised my manager that I would be able to apply the
new skill at work within a month. However, it soon became apparent that I wasn’t
going to be able to do the work needed within the timeframe. I had underestimated the
time needed to complete the training and I felt bad. I apologized for the
misinformation and assured her it wouldnt happen again. I learned a lot from this
experience and now I always meticulously plan any goal to make sure I meet the
deadline for achievement. Whilst I rarely make mistake, if I do, I would always look
to learn from them and improve for next time to the benefit of my employer.
I created a schedule in advance to best manage my time and broke each task into
smaller manageable steps. I have finished all the work and my manager was happy for
the work quality.

Failure? Greatest setback? Show initiative? Job descr? Expl study law? Govt benefits?
New work challenges, opportunities
Improved work / life balance-critical, govt is a model employer in many ways
Offers job security and stability-In times of economic boom, private sectors may look
enticing however in trying times like today, the stability and security of the govt is
comforting
Provides ample training opportunities to advance your skills
It can be difficult for me to gauge when the people I’m working with are overwhelmed or

dissatisfied with their workloads. To ensure that I’m not asking too much or too little from my

subordinates, we have weekly check-ins. I like to ask if they feel like they’re on top of their

workload, how I could better support them, whether there’s anything they’d like to take on or

get rid off, and if they’re engaged by what they’re doing. Even if the answer is “all good,” these

meetings really lay the groundwork for a good and trusting relationship.

“I need to get much better at knowing the difference between working hard and working

productively. It’s easy for me to fall into the trap of thinking that long hours in the office mean

I’m getting a lot done. But unsurprisingly, I actually do my best work when I’m not super tired

or stressed.”

I’m making a huge effort to work smarter, not longer. I’ve begun responding to emails in batches

so I don’t waste hours every day sorting through my inbox. I write down five goals every

morning so that I’m focused on the priorities. I try to take my meetings outside so that I get some

fresh air and exercise while we talk. These productivity changes have helped me compress the

amount of work I accomplish into fewer hours—which also means I can produce higher-quality

work.

“I’ve heard that more people are scared of public speaking than death. Well, I wouldn’t say my

fear is that extreme, but I definitely find it challenging to present my ideas in front of a crowd. As

you can imagine, this has proven to be a career obstacle.”