How Do You Prioritize Your Work
Your interviewers want to know that you can manage your time, exercise judgement, communicate, and shift gears when needed. Start by talking about whatever system youve found works for you to plan your day or week, whether its a to-do list app you swear by or a color-coded spreadsheet. This is one where youll definitely want to lean on a real-life example. So go on to describe how youve reacted to a last-minute request or another unexpected shift in priorities in the past, incorporating how you evaluated and decided what to do and how you communicated with your manager and/or teammates about it.
Whats A Time You Disagreed With A Decision That Was Made At Work
The ideal anecdote here is one where you handled a disagreement professionally and learned something from the experience. Zhang recommends paying particular attention to how you start and end your response. To open, make a short statement to frame the rest of your answer, one that nods at the ultimate takeaway or the reason youre telling this story. For example: I learned early on in my professional career that its fine to disagree if you can back up your hunches with data. And to close strong, you can either give a one-sentence summary of your answer or talk briefly about how what you learned or gained from this experience would help you in the role youre interviewing for.
Learning The Star Answer Method
When asked a behavioral interview question, it’s important to remember that the interviewer is looking for a specific story-based example that highlights your behavior in challenging situations.
Using the STAR answer method, you can quickly form a story-based response that the interviewer can follow. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Situation: Set the stage with the background information the interviewer needs to make sense of your story.
Task: Continuing to set the stage, give the interviewer an idea of your role and responsibilities in this story.
Action: Next, offer a detailed description of the steps you took to resolve the situation you described.
Result: Last, talk about the specific outcomes that resulted from your actions.
Don’t Miss: What Questions Do They Ask In A Cna Interview
What Would The Person Who Likes You Least In The World Say About You
Imagine that your job interview has been going along swimmingly. You feel a kinship of sorts with your hiring managerand then they ask you this question. You might feel surprised since theyre asking you to pick a trait about yourself that is negative.
But theres a trick to this question. Youll still need to pick a quirky characteristic . Then, instead of just mentioning that youre impatient, turn it into something positive. Show how being impatient works in your favor as a remote workermaybe it means that youre a stickler for deadlines or that you will always follow up with a coworker who might lack quick communication skills.
For example, Theyd probably point out that Im impatient. However, I feel that it makes me a better worker as I rarely miss deadlines, I respond to emails quickly, and I regularly get answers to questions I have.
Examples Of How To Answer Tell Me About Yourself In Interviews
- /
In this article, Im going to walk you through steps and examples of how to answer the Tell me about yourself interview question to impress employers and get more job offers.
Well also cover the costly mistakes you NEED to avoid if you want to pass this question.
Heres exactly what youre going to get:
- The most-recommended method of how to answer tell me about yourself
- 4 examples of good answers to tell me about yourself
- A shorter, newer method for experienced candidates
- How to practice your answer to make sure youre 100% ready for the interview
Lets get started
Recommended Reading: How To Deal With Conflict Interview Question
Q: Why Do You Think You Are Qualified For This Job It’s Not Like You Have Any Previous Experience
A: I have a great deal of life experience. Coaching Little League on the weekends shows my ability to relate to people at all different age levels. I have also become very involved in the PTA, which often requires calming down irate people. Finally, I helped my school launch an internship program, spearheaded by both the parents and the alumni. This took management skills, people-assessment skills, and genuine persistence.
So all in all, I think that I have the ideal qualities to become an HR manager at your firm.
How To Respond To An Interview Request
After youve received your request and made sure you understand whats expected of you, its time to draft your response. The most important thing is to make sure you include any information thats asked of you. Each interview request email can be different, so pay close attention to what the companys asking from you.
When writing your response, you should keep a few things in mind. Number one is making sure you send over any information requested from you . Still, you also want to make sure you sound pleasant and professional.
Here are a few tips for responding to an email interview request:
If you receive an interview request and you dont want to go through with the interview, youll need to let the recruiter know. Even if you dont want to interview with the company, you need to politely since you dont want to leave a bad impression.
For these cases, many of the same tips apply. You need to make sure you keep a professional tone, thank the recruiter for the opportunity, and give a short explanation as to why you wont take the interview.
You dont have to go in-depth about why youre turning them down, but you should include a reason. Sometimes you sign a job offer with another company before an interview, or youre just no longer interested in the position. Whatever the reason, you need to let the company know the situation politely.
Recommended Reading: What Is An Exit Interview
Question: What Are Your Salary Expectations
This question is the start of the salary negotiation, in case they decide to make you an offer .
Reality is that salary is on part of the employers compensation package which may include other items of very high value, like bonuses, tuition reimbursement, healthcare, paid vacation, and other benefits.
Be prepared by researching what most employers in your location pay for this type of job if you can, find out what this employer pays for the job. Conduct your research on sites like PayScale, Salary.com, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Google.
When you do answer, provide a salary range rather than a specific number, and indicate that it is variable depending on the benefits they offer. Be sure you are comfortable with a salary at the bottom of this range.
What Makes You Unique
They genuinely want to know the answer, Dea promises. Give them a reason to pick you over other similar candidates. The key is to keep your answer relevant to the role youre applying to. So the fact that you can run a six-minute mile or crush a trivia challenge might not help you get the job . Use this opportunity to tell them something that would give you an edge over your competition for this position. To figure out what that is, you can ask some former colleagues, think back to patterns youve seen in feedback you get, or try to distill why people tend to turn to you. Focus on one or two things and dont forget to back up whatever you say with evidence.
Recommended Reading: How To Make A Portfolio For Interview
Why Behavioral Interview Questions Are So Difficult
If you struggle with answering behavioral interview questions, you are certainly not alone! Whether new to their career or with decades of work experience, most interviewees find this style of question to be intimidating at first. This may be because:
You have to talk about yourself in detail. Behavioral-based interview questions require you to deliver an answer using a specific story example from real-life experience. Most of us are not natural storytellers. Many of us don’t particularly love talking about ourselves – especially to a complete stranger!
You cant give a fluffy response. When asked a question like, ‘Are you willing to work overtime?’ it can be easy to quickly agree and say yes. However, when asked, ‘Tell me about a time when you stayed late to help your team reach an important deadline,’ and you’ve never been the type to stay late when needed, it’s near impossible to make up a story on the fly. Behavioral-based interview answers are tough to fake .
You have to dedicate time to prepare. Every company will ask its own variation of behavioral questions, typically based on the key responsibilities, accountabilities, and mission of the role and organization. A job interview that includes behavioral-based interview questions requires ample preparation since it’s much more than just a rapid-fire question-and-answer period.
Share Specific Facts And Data To Make Your Answers More Impressive
Which one sounds better:
A: Im one of the top salespeople in my company right now.
B: Im one of the top 5 salespeople in our group of over 50, and Im on pace to hit 200% of annual sales goals for my position.
Facts, data, and statistics make your answers far more impressive.
Do your research before the interview so you KNOW your past results and can talk about it.
Ask former colleagues and bosses if you need to. This will also boost your resume bullets if you put it on there as well!
Recommended Reading: What To Bring To An Interview
What Are Three Positive Things Your Last Boss Would Say About You
It’s time to pull out your old performance appraisals and boss’s quotes to answer the question, “What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?”. This is a great way to brag about yourself through someone else’s words: “My boss has told me that I am the best designer he has ever had. He knows he can rely on me, and he likes my sense of humor.”
Are You Comfortable Traveling For Work
How to Answer: Here, you should be honest. If the job requires you to be on a plane once a week and thats just not going to work for you, its better to figure that out sooner rather than later. Theres no point in pretending youre cool with spending half your nights in a hotel room if thats just not going to fly with your family situation .
Example: Yes, I am comfortable with and enjoy traveling for work. Im already used to traveling a lot for work with my current role.
You May Like: How To Prepare For Flight Attendant Interview
Q: Why Should I Hire You
A: As we’ve been discussing, your company’s website could probably benefit from a complete overhaul. For a first website, it’s not bad It covers all of the pertinent information that you want your customers to know about your business. But I agree with your own assessment and feel that your website could be more inspired. You need some technical help with links, and I know how to come up with the keywords and phrases that will bring a lot more web traffic to your site.
I’ve created twenty websites for all different companies, and one of them is in a similar line of business. I’d love to show you that website so that you can get an idea of what’s possible for your company. Can we hop onto your laptop right now?
Question: When Can You Start
Be careful about this question for several reasons:
It doesnt mean that you have landed the job. They may be just checking to add that to their notes. You must keep your guard up until you are in your car and driving away from the interview.
If you are currently employed, you should be honest about the start date and show professionalism. You should tell them you would have to discuss a transition with your current company to see if they require a two-week notice . If you currently have a critical role, your potential new employer would expect a transition period.
If you can start right away , you certainly can say youre able to start tomorrow. Sense of urgency and excitement about starting work at the new company is always a good thing.
Recommended Reading: What Is A Pre Recorded Video Interview
Question: How Do People Describe You
Heres another opportunity to differentiate yourself. Everyone claims to be: a hard worker, good communicator, and team player.
But how many are a: problem-solver, game-changer, leader in the industry?
Be creative, and have stories to back it up. The interviewer will want to know why someone thinks you are one of these things.
Focus on them: You want to present attributes that make you sound like the go-to guy or gal wherever you work. Even the standard answers can be taken a step further to be more valuable:
- Yes, they want hard workers, but most likely thats commonplace at their office. Maybe you work hard, but also help others work fewer hours .
- Good communicators are everywhere. But this does not mean just speaking well. It includes active listening. Do you hear things that others dont? Do you understand things quickly? Can you figure out what people are trying to tell you through other clues ?
- Being a good team player is expected, too. But what does this really mean? Getting along with everyone? Thats not hard to do if youre a nice person. Pulling your weight in the office? Again, expected. What have you done, beyond your job description, that saved the team from a disaster or helped them make an impossible deadline? Have you won an award for this?
Do You Consider Yourself Successful
This question might make you uncomfortable. But you can think of it as an opportunity to allow the interviewer to get to know you better and to position yourself as an excellent choice for this job. First off, make sure you say yes! Then pick one specific professional achievement youre proud of that can be tied back to the role youre interviewing forone that demonstrates a quality, skill, or experience that would help you excel in this position. Youll want to explain why you consider it a success, talk about the process in addition to the outcome, and highlight your own accomplishment without forgetting your team. Zooming in on one story will help if you feel awkward tooting your own horn!
Don’t Miss: What Kind Of Questions Do You Ask In An Interview
Tell Me About A Time You Made A Mistake
Youre probably not too eager to dig into past blunders when youre trying to impress an interviewer and land a job. But talking about a mistake and winning someone over arent mutually exclusive, Moy says. In fact, if you do it right, it can help you. The key is to be honest without placing blame on other people, then explain what you learned from your mistake and what actions you took to ensure it didnt happen again. At the end of the day, employers are looking for folks who are self-aware, can take feedback, and care about doing better.
How To Respond To An Interview Offer
- Career Karma matches you with top tech bootcamps
- Get exclusive scholarships and prep courses
After you receive an invitation to interview for a position, you should send a response as soon as possible. Ideally, you should submit your response within a day. However, keep in mind that it is best to avoid communication with the company on Mondays and Fridays, which is when employers are typically most distracted.
Sending a timely response to an employer will allow you to show your organizational skills. In addition, sending a timely response will ensure that an employer does not decide to interview another candidate for the job. So be sure respond in a timely manner to prevent that.
There are two types of interview requests you could receive: a phone invitation or an email invitation.
Also Check: What Are Star Interview Questions
What Are Interview Assessment Questions
Interview assessment questions are tools used by companies to assess an employee’s ability to fit into a role. These questions go beyond testing whether you can perform a job. They also may test if your personality makes you a good fit for the company’s culture and the mindset and functions related to the position. Your goal when answering assessment questions goes beyond proving your talent. When faced with two equally qualified candidates, interviewers are likely to choose the candidate who was most confident.
While experience and talent in one’s field are certainly of value, the final deciding factor is usually the opinion of the interviewer. Veterans can generally excel in skill-based testing, but most interviews are multi-part. They may have sections focused on assessing your work ethic, relevant skills, personality, and your overall vision for the role. Confidently answering questions regarding your personality and work ethic can put you ahead of candidates who did slightly better in the skill portion of the test but weaker elsewhere.
Related:Understanding the Steps of the Interview Process
Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years
There are three big reasons interviewers ask where do you see yourself in 5 years?:
So, pick a work-related goal of where youd like to be five years from now, and make sure its slightly challenging or ambitious-sounding.
You dont want to say, I see myself in the same position five years from now.
And make sure to share a goal that is related to the type of job youre interviewing for. You want to sound like the experience youll gain in this job fits your long-term goals.
Otherwise, theyre going to be scared to hire you. Why would they offer you the job if it doesnt fit the goals you described to them? Youd be unsatisfied, bored, and would probably quit within the first year. No company wants this.
- Show youve thought about this topic and question
- Sound ambitious and motivated
- Be realistic. Dont say you want to be CEO in five years if youre entry-level
- Make sure your answer is related to this job. They wont hire you for a job that has nothing to do with your 5-year goal
Dont:
- Be sarcastic or give a joke answer like, I plan on having your job
- Say youre not sure, or say youd be happy staying in the same role for five years
Example interview answer:
They may also ask, What are your career goals so prepare to answer that, too. You can read career goal examples here.
You May Like: Where Can I Watch The Meghan And Harry Oprah Interview
