How to answer during an interview

Job search related information

Employers ask open-ended questions so they can see how candidates will present their skills, abilities, and ambitions.

One of the hardest questions to answer is the open question “tell me about yourself” Even seasoned interviewees can mess this one up, new job seekers are even less prepared to a well grounded reply.

Seems to be a very straight forward question, and one that you will have to answer quickly, accurately and in details.

Most of the time we think we know who and what we are, until the question is presented to us, then it’s panic city, hoping for something to happen that will allow you to escape the question.

First when writing your resume, think how you can indirectly answer the question, be prepared according to the job description and position you are applying for. Create a scenario in your mind or better have a friend ask you the question and deliver your answer. Although practicing is a good thing, during the interview the question might come up in a different form. Someone could ask “so how would you handle this situation?”  Or “in this job you need to think on your feet, how do you cope with making fast decisions?” These are examples of how open questions can come at you.

First let’s look at what not to say.

• Number one, know that some questions are irrelevant for the employer to ask; these are anything regarding sex, religion, creed, age, personal beliefs, personal status and family questions like how many children do you have and what age are they.
• Confession is not needed in a job interview. Let’s say you just finished a course needed for the job, no need to quantify your knowledge just present the fact. “I have a certificate for such and such and so many years or months experience. Remember that the length of the course counts as experience, don’t short change yourself.
• Avoid the 30 second commercial, you may have read books or taken courses on “how to” These often sound too canned and may be too limiting in showing you the candidate’s abilities.
• Don’t try to be all things to all people, state your strengths and abilities concisely, trying to impress or saying what you think the interviewer wants to hear is not good policy. In the long run, even if you get the job, time will show that you over stated your abilities.

How can you prepare to answer an open-ended question such as “Tell Me about Yourself?” Write down verbs that show you in action and nouns that show your qualities that you exhibit. Next, write down three adjectives that describe you. Here’s a sample to choose from: energetic, organized, timely, adaptable, far-thinking, problem-solving, artistic, creative. Then, think of a time when you solved a problem. Employers like to hire people who show initiative.

Here are some examples of answers

“Last summer I worked as an intern for XYZ firm. I was known for being thorough and accurate in my work. We were in a big rush to make a deadline and I noticed that one page was missing from the master I was copying. I let my boss know. We found it, and were able to get the pages in order and the report printed in time for his meeting. I’m sure that my attention to detail and to high quality work will be an advantage for your company.”

“I’ve spent ten years in Customer Service. People want solutions, and they want them quickly. I’m known as a guy who gets things done. One of our dealers sold both new and used cars. He had a customer interested in a luxury used sports car that needed a particular part. He’d had no luck getting the part through his usual channels and asked me for help. I made a few calls and the part was on its way to him from across the country in two hours. The sale went through. I’m really energized by solving problems for people.”

“With 20 years experience in Human Resources, I’m ready to contribute my knowledge to managing the Employee. This requires knowledge of legal liability and requirements for businesses. Both employees and managers are uncomfortable with employee relation issues. Education of all parties given with a large dose of tact is necessary to keep problems to a minimum. In my last position we were able to forestall a potential lawsuit. One thing I particularly pride myself on was being able to solve issues of employee/position mismatch. Helping them understand their roles, responsibilities, differences in strengths and weaknesses solved many problems. At times it was necessary to reassign the employee to a different position so they could continue to be of value to the company. I’d like to bring my knowledge to serve this company.”

“As you are well aware, the field the company is in has seen a lot of changes in the 30 years that I have been in the field. New technologies are constantly being introduced. It is a constant challenge to maximize the competitive advantage while minimizing costs. In general, people who are attracted to this industry are self-educating problem solvers. But the rate of change and pressure on the staff can be so high that people get burned out. One of the innovations that I used at my last company was giving spot awards to individuals who volunteered to show new techniques to colleagues. Many people in our filed concentrate on their own projects and don’t pass information along and the spot awards have encouraged a more communicative environment. I’m now looking for a new challenge in a larger sized company and believe I would be a good fit for your needs.”

In recapitulation, first know your abilities, gifts and talents. Second you can use your past experience dealing with problems in any walk of life, family, school, sports, events to promote yourself to the interviewer. And third be honest and straight forward always remember that  anything that you embellish will eventually be discovered.

Come back often to the site for more articles and resources, we are here to help you find the job you are most fitted for.

Bernard Tritz

COO- Evo-go