Answering Questions Effectively

1. Get Ready and Execute

You will need to have several key items for most job interviews. Earlier lessons have already explored some of these items, such as resumes and cover letters. You will want to have these materials prepared before interviewing for a position, as you want to be as ready and relaxed as possible before your interview begins.

1a. What You Need

If you have an interview, it means you have likely already sent in your resume and cover letter. Even so, it is wise to have printed copies of these materials with you during your interview. The employer may request another copy, or they may not have their copy handy and need a new one. You want to be prepared for any scenario.

Documents are not the only thing you will need for an interview. You need to have the right attitude, and to be prepared for some common questions. Your goal is to walk into the interview with confidence, ready to leave a lasting impression that will lead to either the next round of interviews or, better yet, an offer for employment. Your attitude of confidence will be enhanced the more you prepare for your interview. Your answers should tell the interviewers interesting and unique details about yourself and your experience, and they should also highlight what you know about the company and industry.

try it

You should prepare extensively prior to your interview by practicing answers to some common interview questions. Try answering these questions aloud in front of a mirror:

• Can you tell us a little about yourself?
• How did you hear about the opportunity, and what do you know about the role?
• Why should we hire you?
• How do you handle conflicts while on the job?

1b. Elevator Pitch

A personal elevator pitch is a prepared, 30-second speech you give when you introduce yourself in a work-related capacity. It gets its name because it is short... about the length of time you would have to speak to someone during an elevator ride.

EXAMPLE

“I have spent the last 10 years as an eighth-grade teacher. I love my students and my work, but feel I have done all I can in the classroom. I want to make a greater impact by mentoring and coaching other teachers so that they can be their best for their students. I see a move into professional development delivery as the best way to do this."

Here are some rules for drafting and delivering your elevator pitch:

1. Be concise. Remember, you want to be able to deliver your speech in 30 seconds.
2. Be confident. You want to come across as capable and ready to take on any new challenge.
3. Be general. Thirty seconds does not allow for much in the form of details. You want your pitch to be widely applicable, as it is often used when no particular job is the focus.
4. Be distinctive. Even when you are brief, you want to be use keywords that make you stand out from others.
5. Share your goals. You want to close with what you hope to achieve in the future.

try it

An excellent elevator pitch comes down to being prepared. The more you practice your elevator pitch, the more comfortable you will become with it!

Spend 20 minutes in front of a mirror practicing your personal elevator pitch, and update it every year or so. Doing so will lead to better conversations and more meaningful connections.

term to know

Elevator Pitch

A prepared, 30-second speech you give when you introduce yourself in a work-related capacity.

1c. Skills in Action

Once you have prepared and practiced, you are ready for the actual interview. You are confident talking about yourself and what makes you a great candidate. You are also aware of how things like body language can impact how others see you.

try it

Employers and HR professionals often ask similar questions, because they can tell them a lot about a potential employee. Here is a list of common interview questions. You can find additional lists online that are specific to your industry or job. By preparing to answer these before an actual interview, you will come across as more confident and prepared when you do it for real.

• Why are you leaving your current role?
• What drew you to our company?
• What is your greatest strength?
• What is your biggest weakness?
• Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
• What are your strengths, and what areas need improvement?
• Why are you interested in working here?
• Where do you see yourself in ten years, professionally speaking?
• Can you explain any gaps you have in your employment history?
• What three skills are you hoping to improve?
• Are you willing to work remotely/relocate/travel for this job?
• Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with another person on the job.
• How did you hear about us?
• Tell us about your educational/training background.
• Why are you the best candidate for this job?
• What is your availability on weekends and holidays?
• How would you deal with an upset customer?
• What salary are you hoping to receive?
• What motivates you on the job?
• What are your career goals?
• What questions haven’t we asked you?
• What questions do you have for us?

big idea

You may have had many interviews in your life, or maybe you are just starting your career journey and have little experience with the process. Either way, it is important to consider all of the key elements each time you speak with someone who is considering hiring you. You only get one shot at an initial interview, and you want it to showcase the best version of yourself.

2. Communicating Your Skillset

You have a set of skills that you have developed from your life experiences, your work history, and the decisions that you have made. When you interview for a new role, it is your job to help the hiring manager understand how your skills and experience are a perfect fit for the job. You can do this by understanding your transferable and relevant skills. Master communicating these skills, and employers will gain meaningful details about your career.

2a. Transferable Skills

Honing your transferable skills is not just valuable when applying to a new job. These skills hold their value because they’re always in high demand from employers. Knowing what your transferable skills are is the first step.

reflect

Review the list of transferable skills below, and consider the skills that match up with your abilities.

1. Initiative. Employers want you to be able to complete a task without having to spend time micromanaging your work. When you take initiative, you take charge of your job, and don’t need a lot of direction to make the right choices. Your initiative says a lot about your confidence to do the job well, and demonstrates that you’re ready to progress in your career.
2. Leadership. You don’t have to be the owner or a CEO to show that you’re a great leader. Do people at work come to you for advice? Do you lead projects successfully? If your co-workers value your opinion and are willing to follow your direction, you have the qualities of a leader.
3. Teamwork. Being able to work well with others is one of the most valuable transferable skills. When you collaborate well, you raise the level of success of the entire team. Team players are indispensable to an employer.
4. Communication. Your ability to communicate plays a role in every job task. No company can be successful if its employees aren’t able to communicate. The ideas that make the company work need to be communicated effectively. Keep in mind that communication flows both ways—it’s not just about talking, but listening too.

term to know

Transferable Skills

Skills that hold their value from one job to the next.

2b. Relevant Skills

Relevant skills are the skills that relate to the job posting. More important than almost anything else is demonstrating that you have the skills in the job description. We’ve already discussed how you should tailor your resume and cover letter to match terms used in the job posting. You should also do your best to bring up these skills during your interview. The key here is finding a succinct way to connect phrases and ideas from the posting to the conversations you have with your prospective employer.

On your resume, you should use the exact language from the posting itself whenever possible, especially if you are listing how you match up with skills in your experience section. The idea is to list specific skills in your inventory section and then repeat them – with or without the exact language – and add examples in your work history section. You can do the same thing in your interview by keeping a list handy of the skills from the job posting and doing your best to highlight experiences you have that demonstrate those skills.

EXAMPLE

Here are a few examples of terms from a job posting and the skills they denote.

• “Reporting observations of the patient” → Oral communication skills
• “Completing forms, reports, logs, and records” → Written communication skills
• “Prepare rooms” → Organizational skills
• “Answering patients’ requests” → People skills

term to know

Relevant Skills

Skills that are directly relevant to the job, and which are listed in a job description.