Knowing Yourself: Interview Ready
10:34 PM
One thing I've learnt in recent years, and it applies to blogging as well, is that you are a brand and you need to learn how to sell yourself. If you want to get a job, if you want to gain a following on your blog, or even if you want to be accepted into any closed program, you're going to have to learn to advertise yourself. This is easier said than done, especially if your brain tends to shut down in moments of pressure (as mine does). So I'm here to help you. I've gathered (from personal experience and conversations with others) some of the most frequent questions asked on interviews, and I have some tips on how to answer them.
1. What are your best and worse qualities?
This is definitely one of the most frequent questions, and, in my opinion, one of the hardest to answer. We all know our bad habits, but how can we admit to them without seeming like a bad fit for the job? How do we find a way to make our bad qualities good?
I think there's a couple of steps. The first (which might seem obvious) is think in advance. This has happened to me before, going into an interview without having thought about anything, and it was horrible. I gave all the wrong answers, and stressed about it for the rest of the week. So the first thing is figuring out one of your bad qualities (that isn't too horrible obviously). The second important thing is to balance it out. Use your good quality to cancel out the bad one. For example, if you get stressed out easily, for your good quality you should say something like "this, however, makes me very careful and organized. I always finish work before its due date, because the closer I get to the deadline the more stressed out I get." This way your flaw is an advantage. Last, but not least, is say the truth. Don't lie to try and be a better fit, it will just come back to bite you in the butt.
2. What are some interesting facts about you?
This is one of my least favorite questions, because I personally don't think there's anything particularly interesting about me. I still haven't really figured out the best way to give an answer, but I still have a few tips. An interesting fact can be anything from a hobby, to a family tradition, or anything in between. The most important thing is that it has to be relevant to the interview. You need to talk about an experience that you have gained something from. You can say something really stupid like "I don't like chocolate" as long as you explain how that has taught you something valuable (like maybe, to stick with the chocolate example, you learned how to deal with hate from everybody that likes chocolate).
3. How do you deal with a difficult situation?
No matter the interview, expect this questions. In my opinion, this is probably one of the most personals. Everybody has their methods. Some people take it slow, make lists and think it out until they get to the most rational decisions. Other kind of go by instincts. Some ask for advice and different perspectives. Whatever your method, it's fine, but learn to sell it. List all the advantages to your method, but also build a counter argument. And again, be honest.
4. What pushes your buttons?
Be careful when you answer this question, because the interviewers are usually looking for people that are easy to get along with. Answer honestly, but also try to keep it general. Don't say something that everybody does (like clicking their pen), but something that most people can agree with. For example some okay answers could be "close minded people, who don't listen to others opinions" or "people who can't work in groups" or "people that think they're better than everyone".
5. What's important to you?
This is also really common. For this my main tip is just be honest. The interviewer is going to be able to tell really easily if you're saying things just to make a good impression, or if you actually believe them.
Okay guys, I hope you enjoyed and maybe even found it helpful!
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