QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR WORK HISTORY
Question 9
What is your greatest professional achievement?
The best way to answer this question is with the S-T-A-R method, Situation, Task, Action, Results
Set up a situation and task you were required to complete and provide the interview with background context, then describe what you did and what you achieved
Question 10
Tell me about a challenge or conflict you were faced with at work and how you dealt with it
Stay calm when talking about a conflict you had to deal with and rather than focussing on the conflict itself, focus more on the resolution and how you dealt with it and perhaps what you’d do differently the next time a conflict could arise
Question 11
Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills
Perhaps use examples of when you headed a project, when you had to use your own initiative or helped to motivate a team
Question 12
Discuss a time you disagreed with a decision that was made at work?
The best example to use is one where you disagreed with a decision made and handled it professionally and learned something from that experience
Interviewers will look closely at how you start your statement and how you end it
When opening, make a short statement one that reflects more on the takeaway or the reason you’re using this as an example
To end your statement, talk briefly about what you’ve learned or gained from the experience
Question 13
Tell me about a time you made a mistake
The key when answering this question is to be honest without putting blame on another person
Explain what you’ve learned from your mistake and what actions you took to prevent yourself from making that mistake again
Employers are looking for people that are self-aware, can take feedback, and that care about improving themselves
Question 14
Tell me about a time you failed
This question is very similar to the one about when you made a mistake, and you should approach your answer in a similar way
Make sure you pick a real, actual failure you can speak honestly about
Start by making it clear to the interviewer what you define as failure then situate your story in relation to that definition and explain what happened
To finish, you should share with the interviewer what you’ve learned through the whole experience – it’s important to show what you took from the experience
Question 15
Why are you leaving your current job?
Keep things positive – you have absolutely nothing to gain by being negative about your current employer
Frame things in a way that highlights your eagerness to grow and take on new career opportunities and that the role you are being interviewed for is a better fit for you
Question 16
Why were you fired?
If you were laid off, you can simply say that the company restructured and your position was made redundant and you accepted a retrenchment package
If you were laid off for performance reasons, then your best option is just to be honest with the interviewer – it doesn’t automatically become a deal breaker
Frame it as a learning experience – share how you’ve grown since from it and how you approach your job now as a result thereof
Question 17
Why was there a gap in your employment?
Perhaps you were taking care of you children or grandparents, dealing with health issues or taking time to travel for a bit – perhaps it just took you a bit longer to find another job
You should always justify any gaps between positions on your resume and always be honest about why you took those gaps between positions
Question 18
Can you explain why you changed career paths?
Take a deep breath and explain to the interviewer why you’ve made these decisions to change your career path
Most importantly, give examples of how your past experience is transferrable to the new position – it’s often more impressive when a candidate can show how seemingly irrelevant experience is very relevant to the role
This article was taken from Themuse.com and the full article can be viewed here:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/interview-questions-and-answers#c0b1463a-7528-48c4-b219-88db822986b5