When it comes to interviews, most of us can get very nervous and scared about what to say or how to act. But with some preparation, you can arrive to an interview confident of who you are and what you want to present. Here are some tips to answering interview questions.
Q: What is your greatest strength?
A: Before entering an interview, brainstorm your greatest strengths in your home, school, and work life. Think of ones that may be unusual or unique to you. For example, "I am a go-getter and will do anything to see a project through, even when it gets tough." Then look at the job position and see which of your strengths would apply most to the job. Ex. For an administrative position, "My time management skills are excellent and I'm organized, efficient, and take pride in excelling at my work."
Q: Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it.
A: Keep your answers positive ("Even though it was difficult when Jane Doe quit without notice, we were able to rearrange the department workload to cover the position until a replacement was hired.") and be specific. Itemize what you did and how you did it. When brainstorming answers to this question, think of situations that truly challenged you but allowed you to grow through them. Be careful to not put others down in the process.
The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions is to refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved a difficult situation. (Job Searching Expert, Alison Doyle)
When answering the question it is important to make sure you remain on topic but have a little fun answering the questions. No one wants to hire a robot, so feel free to be you. But don't forget to always conduct yourself in a professional manner. Remember your resume is simply a summary of all your skills and accomplishments, but the interview is your opportunity to share your story.
How have your interviews gone in the past? Feel free to share your experiences or tips in the comments below!
Q: What is your greatest strength?
A: Before entering an interview, brainstorm your greatest strengths in your home, school, and work life. Think of ones that may be unusual or unique to you. For example, "I am a go-getter and will do anything to see a project through, even when it gets tough." Then look at the job position and see which of your strengths would apply most to the job. Ex. For an administrative position, "My time management skills are excellent and I'm organized, efficient, and take pride in excelling at my work."
Q: Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it.
A: Keep your answers positive ("Even though it was difficult when Jane Doe quit without notice, we were able to rearrange the department workload to cover the position until a replacement was hired.") and be specific. Itemize what you did and how you did it. When brainstorming answers to this question, think of situations that truly challenged you but allowed you to grow through them. Be careful to not put others down in the process.
The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions is to refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved a difficult situation. (Job Searching Expert, Alison Doyle)
When answering the question it is important to make sure you remain on topic but have a little fun answering the questions. No one wants to hire a robot, so feel free to be you. But don't forget to always conduct yourself in a professional manner. Remember your resume is simply a summary of all your skills and accomplishments, but the interview is your opportunity to share your story.
How have your interviews gone in the past? Feel free to share your experiences or tips in the comments below!