An example of a good pitch would be something like “I’m a 30 year veteran in writing and editing. My last job was as a senior editor at Shark Publishing Co. While I was there, I wrote over 30 different published manuscripts and manuals. One of the best things about me is that I’m a hard worker and always meet deadlines. As an example, last year we had a deadline that we didn’t get the details for until two days beforehand. I worked 12 hours straight to make sure that the content got in on time. "
These questions aren’t aimed to make you feel bad or for you to reveal your current weaknesses, but are meant to expose how you learn from mistakes and how well you rebound from failure.
If asked about why you left your last job, you can talk about limitations on your growth or advancement in the company. If you’ve miscommunicated on a team and it led to a failure, don’t talk about the failure as much as you talk about how it taught you that communication is critical.
To explain a weakness, you can say something like “When we worked on the project at Boeing I was new at working in conjunction with a team. I didn’t communicate my part of the project as well as I should have, so it affected our results. The experience helped me get used to effectively communicating with others, even if I wasn’t great at it to begin with. "
If the interviewer asks “What did you dislike most about your last boss?” they want to understand your expectations of management and understand which management styles you have trouble working with. You can answer “Tell me about your worst boss” by saying something like “I had a boss who communicated differently than me. I learned that you have to be able to adapt to different personalities if you want a project to get done on time. "
You can say something like “I have a decade of experience, and I work well with other people. Also, you won’t meet a person more passionate about this than I am. "
Jobs, where you may be expected to have an intimate knowledge of your industry, include biotech, pharma, business, coding, IT, medical, design, and much more.
For example, an HR manager wants to know that you can communicate well with others and can adhere to the company culture. A director of a department will want you to communicate well and accomplish results in a safe and effective way. An external recruiter will want to know that you have the experience for the job and are a good candidate to send to the employer.
Hiring managers want to see if you will become flustered or frustrated by the question.
For example, Whole Foods Market hiring managers ask “Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?” You could say something like, “A horse-sized duck would be terrifying and horrifying. I’d definitely go with the 100 duck-sized horses. “[11] X Research source
As you do your research, write down any questions that you have so that you can ask the interviewer during the interview. An excellent question to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview is something like “What does it take for an individual to succeed in this role?” Search online for the most commonly asked questions in your industry and for your role.
Confidence can be exhibited by your voice, body language, and facial expressions.
If you are nervous because you are late or unprepared, you’ll have a harder time answering tough questions.
A great way to keep on track is to talk about recent professional triumphs or victories.
Never answer a question with a “No” or “I don’t know. " Aim to expand your answers to give the interviewer some context.
