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Accomplish January 8, 2019
How to answer the impossible.
In job interviews, you’re not always sure what you’ll be asked. At the same time, you can usually count on a few questions to appear in every interview. Unfortunately, the most common questions are also the most difficult to answer. If you’re struggling with negotiating work hours or building your introduction, look no further. ENTITY explains how to answer interview questions that employers always ask.
As it turns out, there are multiple ways to get around this seemingly impossible question.
Years ago, I took a workshop with Skillify, a job preparation service geared towards high school students. To prepare me for this prompt, they advised me to state a skill that is somewhat related to the position but isn’t essential.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 36% of people (five years or older) in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Anaheim spoke Spanish from 2009-2013. If someone wanted to apply for an internship in that area, they could state that they wanted to work on their Spanish to better communicate with customers. This is certainly a weakness, but unless the job directly requires multiple languages, this won’t necessarily hinder the employee from doing their job.
In the video above, career coach Linda Raynier offers another angle of attack. She advises highlighting “the weaknesses that occur only in a certain context or situation. It’s not something that happens all the time.”
She explains that a candidate shouldn’t answer “impatience” as a weakness. Instead, they should describe a situation where they could be seen as “impatient.” Her example included a candidate who liked to finish their work early and constantly ask others for updates. This offers context and allows employers to understand that this is a weakness that appears only in certain scenarios.
But don’t leave it at that! Interviewees have to also emphasize how they’re fixing their weaknesses. The candidate who wants to learn Spanish should describe how they’re watching videos to improve their skills. That “impatient” candidate should explain how they communicated with coworkers to resolve their differences in pacing.
Whatever you do, though, never answer “I’m a perfectionist.” If your interviewer doesn’t reject you on the spot, then they’re internally rolling their eyes.
This is an extremely tough question to answer. You don’t want to lose the job, but you don’t want to promise a schedule you can’t handle. So how do you explain your boundaries without compromising your chances?
First, make sure you determine your limits before walking into the interview. Don’t assume you can “wing it” once the question is asked. I have made this mistake before, and I ended up saying “yes” to expectations I couldn’t deliver.
You should also know that some questions have flexibility while others are “yes” or “no” answers. Asking about part-time availability does not leave much room for flexibility; you either can work part-time or you can’t. Traveling, on the other hand, can elicit a more nuanced response. Although many candidates aren’t okay with constant traveling, they’re fine with the occasional business trip.
Make sure to honestly explain exactly where your boundaries lie. When responding to the question “Are you willing to work overtime?”, TimesofCareer.com offers this sample response:
“Depends. Sometimes planning will avoid some undue overtime and when managing my team I will try to plan out work and schedule resources ahead of time so that we can avoid frequent overtime. Having said that, I understand the client needs may sometimes require me to put in extra hours and I don’t mind it, as long as this is not a regular occurrence.”
So yes, this isn’t technically a question, but it’s probably the most common and difficult prompt to respond to. Here, your interviewer is expecting you to take the wheel and steer the conversation. Where do you even begin?
It’s hard to condense your entire professional life into a 30-second pitch, but I usually begin with my current work life. What’s my most recent work experience? Am I a student? Am I a parent? How do I identify myself professionally?
Along with professional labels, I also try to tie in my goals. Why am I here? What am I looking to gain from this experience? What are my long-term motivations?
After getting through the current stuff, I normally bring in stories about my previous experience. This is where I brag about my abilities and accomplishments. It should all relate to the job I’m applying for.
Lastly, I bring it back to the interviewer. How did I hear about the job? Why did I apply?
After following this outline, read your answers out loud and start editing. You want to sound natural and unrehearsed. You shouldn’t be memorizing your introduction word for word, but you should know what idea comes next.
If you’re still struggling, here’s an example:
“I’m a second-year undergraduate student from Kent State University. I’m majoring in English, but I’m exploring politics right now so I can decide whether I want to double-major in political science. Even though I’m not currently taking classes on the topic, I’m still very politically active. I’m actually the president of a political activism club at school, and I’ve interned for non-profits centered around child poverty and homelessness.
My greatest strength is probably my persuasive abilities. I can usually convince people to donate or listen, so I think I’d be a great asset to your campaign. I actually raised over $5,000 at my last internship.
When I decided I wanted to explore politics, I found this job listing for a Community Outreach Specialist on LinkedIn. After I found out that your representative’s main focus is reducing poverty, I immediately applied. I’m extremely excited to potentially work for someone who reflects my own beliefs.”
And if there’s an awkward silence after you finish your pitch, you could always follow my lead and uncomfortably state, “I think that sums me up pretty well!”
Overall, the secret to answering interview questions is staying confident. Don’t rush. If you need it, ask for some time to think. Prioritize keeping calm over quick responses.
And treat the interview like a conversation! Interviewers are also trying to get through the meeting. Make it easy on them by staying prepared, relaxed and enthusiastic.
So prepare your answers, and good luck. We’re sending positive vibes your way.
