The purpose of job interviews is to reveal as much as possible about your personality, skills and achievements as quickly as possible. Hiring managers will have a number of specifically designed interview questions up their sleeve to get answers on personality or personal preferences. Answering these questions in the right way can be harder than it sounds. Here are 3 of our favorite personality interview questions and how to answer them.
“Describe Yourself In One Word.”
This question makes it feel like the pressure of the world is hanging on a one-word answer. The chances are that the hiring decision will not be made on one single word, but it’s HOW you approach the answer to this interview question that is important. The answer depends on the job and not entirely related to you. What personality trait would be perfect for this role? The one that resembles you the closest is your answer. Be aware not to just throw out any word that you think will impress. A common follow-up question, “show me an example of how you embody personality trait at work?”Always make sure you have an example to back up your answer.
“Would You Rather Work On A Team Or Alone?”
Do you hate working in a team and prefer to be a lone ranger. Don’t say it. When faced with a question like this, try to avoid the generic safe answer saying you can adapt to both. It will make you look too much like a people pleaser and show no real personality. You can easily do better. Again take a moment to consider the job in question; does it require more solitary or teamwork? Say something that favours the relevant working situation for example if the job demands a lot of solo projects and working alone, say something like “I enjoy the responsibility of working alone, but I find that occasionally brainstorming with a team and working together is refreshing.”
“Describe Your Work Style.”
In answering any interview question it is a good tip consider what a what a successful person in that role would do or what skills they might have. Focus on how you can make those qualities relevant to you and what you can bring to the table. A question like “describe your works style” is a perfect opportunity to show off your unique set of skills and traits is perfect for that job. Do you have excellent communication, logistical and organisational skills? How can you prove this with an example from your previous work.
Happy job hunting!