3 Tricky Job Interview Questions & How To Answer Them
By Mwangi Loreen
Kenyan employers have come up with effective strategies on how to get a lot of information from candidates by asking few questions. One way of achieving this is by asking simple questions that leave the candidate revealing way too much information that they may have initially intended to hide.
How To Answer Tricky Questions In a Job Interview
For candidates preparing for an interview, be ready to be asked a tricky question. Trick questions require you to think out of the box before you jump into an answer.
Most managers ask these questions to determine your reaction when faced with an unexpected situation. Your answer can also help them evaluate your confidence level. Once you are done with this article, you will be able to handle the following tricky questions.
1. How Would You Describe Yourself in One Word?
This question helps the recruiter or hiring manager have an understanding of your personality, overall confidence and if your work style is tailored for the position.
This question is tricky when asked earlier in an interview, as the candidate might not be aware of the personality the manager is looking for.
It is important that the candidate understands before he/she starts rattling off adjectives trying to impress the recruiter. This question provides you an opportunity to highlight your best attributes that fit the job.
If you’re applying for an interior designer position, then how you describe yourself should be in line of “ artistic, creative…”
2. How is This Position Similar to Others you are Applying For?
When managers ask this question, they want to determine how active you are in looking for a job. If you reply by saying you’ve applied for that particular position only, they will know you are lying as no candidate ever applies for just a single job.
However, if you speak favorably about the other companies you’ve applied to, the manager might be worried that you are willing to take up another job opportunity if it comes by. Also, be careful not to be negative about other employers.
The best response to this question is to say you have applied to several companies but are yet to decide on which is best for your career progression. Not only is this positive, but it also protects the other companies.
3. If Given A Chance, Which Company Would You Want to Work For?
By asking this question, employers want to establish your level of seriousness and loyalty. It helps them determine if you are interested in working for their company or you are just looking for the job as a stepping stone as you wait for a better opportunity to present itself.
Best Way to Tackle the Salary Question in an Interview
How to Answer a salary expectation question in an interview
Kennedy Okoth
You have gone through the gruesome part of the interview and have performed well in as far as you are concerned then the final question is dropped. “What is your salary expectation for this position?”
This question always tends to throw most interviewees off balance, especially in entry level jobs where as a graduate you are trying to secure your first paying job after a stream if internships.
You might have outdone yourself in as far as the previous questions were concerned, but how you answer this question is vital to as to whether the employer considers you for the position.
How to Answer the Salary Question in an Interview
This question does not only pose problems to both entry level applicants only, but also applicants that have previously been employed.
Basically, you are trying to put to worth your knowledge and experience in line with the position you are applying for. That is basically why there are job groups that are accompanied with their salary range in most organizations be it in the government or the private sector.
For entry level jobs, which is what most recent graduates should go for, it is advised you research on the position you are applying not only in terms of skills required but also in terms of grading.
When doing this, pay attention to the size of the organization you are applying for, is it small, medium or a large company. Taylor your salary expectation in line with this.
The best way to answer a salary expectation question in an interview
However, most government jobs rarely ask this question since the salaries are well documented in line with the position (Grade).
As a recent graduate, your first job is not the last but rather a start towards your career ladder therefore there is need to treat this question with caution without coming out as desperate or over-ambitious.
It is further advisable to give a close range when responding to this question rather than giving a fixed value. This is a safe option since the range might fall within the required salary. However, when giving this range try to give it as close as possible say 35,000 to 40,000.
4 Worst Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid
You can get away with a few mistakes on your CV or cover letter that the recruiter wouldn’t notice but making a blunder in a job interview will cost you the job and forever haunt you.
Mary Wandera, an Admin Assistant, landed a job this week with but she remembers a silly mistake that made her lose an opportunity in December.
“For the life of me I didn’t know what the company was all about. Not what they did or even who some of their clients were. It was my first interview and I didn’t think any of those things mattered.”
Speaking to Carol Mutuma, a HR practitioner with AA Lodges, she highlights 4 of the biggest mistakes job seekers should steer away from in 2015.
4 Mistakes to Avoid in a Job Interview
1. Not Carrying Relevant Documents.
Ms Mutuma shares that come what may, you should always have with you some vital documents.
“The most important is a fully updated CV, followed by copies of your certificates, any testimonials relevant to the job at hand and a recommendation letter.”
She adds that getting caught without these crucial items can throw off your confidence and make interviewers question your preparedness.
2. Being Desperate
The HR practitioner explains that there are certain phrases and language that are definitely off limits if you don’t want to look desperate
“I’ve seen people who say I will do anything to land a job. This in essence shows the employer that you no longer have credible skills or value yourself enough.”
She advises that, “You have to understand what your value is. At the end of the day the wants to hear, not sheer desperation but a clear sense of what your value is.”
3. Quoting Too High or Too Low is an Interview Mistake you Must Avoid
Speaking of value, how much are your skills worth? 15K, 50K, 1M?
Ms Mutuma feels that most job seekers attend interviews without the right figures at their finger tips.
“That’s why you find that most people end up being underpaid. For a job that’s worth say maybe Ksh50,000, they get paid half of that either because they do not value their skills much or they do not know the market rate for their job position.”
But then again there are those who go overboard with the quotation. “Some interviewees also quote a very high figure thinking that if they do so it shows that they value themselves and perhaps may impress the interviewer.”
4. Failing To Ask questions.
Ms Mutuma remarks that whichever industry you may fall under “What questions do you have for us,” is a must for most interviews.
“For most entry level job seekers, it’s the usual aaaaahs….and the head scratching that comes with it. Most job seekers think they are playing it safe for not having questions for the HR. On the contrary, that is not the case.”
For guidelines, she concludes that your questions to the interviewer should focus on the company, culture, success factors or chances to contribute.
7 Mistakes Standing Between You & Your Dream Job
7 Mistakes Costing You Your Dream Job
Source: The Muse.Com
Job hunting is never an easy task. It is very discouraging when you have sent out dozens of CVs, all without success.
At this point, it is time to evaluate yourself and find out what is keeping you away from the job you want.
Here are 7 reasons why you may not be getting the job.
1.You’re Not Being Proactive
Are you sitting around waiting for the perfect job to fall into your lap? Successful job seekers know they need to be proactively pursuing jobs and leads and actively strategizing their job search.
In other words, if you believe you have the power and ability to achieve your career goals, you are far more likely to succeed.
If you believe the world is conspiring against you and you’re powerless to do anything about it, you’re more likely to stay right where you are now—jobless.
2. Your Lack of Passion Shows
If you find yourself applying for positions that don’t excite you, don’t be surprised if potential employers sense this lack of passion.
Employers know that skills can always be taught, but that passion is either there or it’s not.
If you’re truly excited about a job, be sure to convey this in your cover letter and interview
3. You Don’t Sell Yourself
If there’s ever a time to sell yourself, it’s when you’re job hunting. If you don’t clearly convey your skills, knowledge, and education, it’s no one’s fault but your own if you don’t get the job.
4. Your CV Doesn’t Showcase Your Value to the Company
Your CV is what’s going to get your foot in the door. If it isn’t accurately showcasing your suitability for the job, you’ll never get the chance to impress in an interview.
5. You Haven’t Researched the Job or Company
Employers want to know you took the time to learn a bit about the company. Not knowing the name of the CEO or where head office is could convey that you’re disinterested or even lazy.
Take some time before the interview to research well on the prospective company.
6.Being Overqualified or Under qualified could be standing between you and your dream job
Are you consistently applying for your dream job even though your experience and education don’t really make you a dream candidate?
Or maybe you’re desperate for a job (any job!) and are willing to take something (anything!), even jobs well below your pay grade?
Ask yourself honestly whether you’re aiming too high or too low and adjust your expectations accordingly.
7. You’re Sending the Wrong Impression
Your interview is your one chance to impress a potential employer. Are send the wrong impression by Arriving too early or too late, dressing inappropriately or asking about the salary too soon in the interview?
If you’ve been job hunting for a while, it may be time to take a step back and ask yourself what you could be doing wrong.
BEST Sample Cover Letter For County Job Applications
By Jane Okoth,
“I have come across a number of open positions in counties, but i have no idea on how to process an application. Could you please guide me on the best way to approach it?” asks Jackson Makau in an email.
Thanks to the introduction of devolution, one will rarely miss a county job for different positions.
So how do you draft a sample cover letter for a county job? The following is a perfect example of a county job in communication.
Martha Nereah,
P O box 4522-00100
Nairobi
27th April, 2015
The Secretary,
Shimoni County Public Service Board
PO box 6522-00100
Tewa
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Following the job advertisement at the county website, I am pleased to apply for the position of a Communication Officer in Shimoni county. Apart from my bachelor of arts in communication, I am also a motivated and enthusiastic communication professional with 2 years of working experience in communication, marketing and public relations.
Currently working as a Communication Consultant at Twiga Manufacturers, I am responsible for creating and supervising the writing of press releases, speeches, newsletters as well as handling all communication inquiries. I am also an experienced social media strategist who can create content for the company’s website using various social media platforms so as to expand its reach.
With a passion to work with the local communities, I have been an advocate of their rights by covering their plights in various media platforms. I would therefore welcome the opportunity to work for Shimoni county as a communication officer and help the community address its need in the best way possible.
My CV is attached for your perusal and I look forward to being able to discuss the position with you further.
Thank you in advance.
Martha Nereah
8 Simple Ways To Improve Your Relationship With Your Boss
Source: Us News
Having the boss’s support is important to your job as well as your career so it’s worth it to improve how you both relate.
Are you trying so hard to improve your relationship with your boss? If you’re looking for ways to create a stronger relationship, these simple strategies will help
1. Go the extra mile.
Remember that your job description outlines the basic tasks and duties required to maintain employment. But doing the bare minimum is no way to impress your boss. Make it a habit to go over and beyond from time to time.
Exceeding expectations is always a pleasant surprise, whether you’re delivering a project ahead of schedule or volunteering to take on new responsibilities.
2. Anticipate needs.
Don’t wait to be told what to do. Engage your brain and be proactive. Look for predictable patterns in the workplace and take action early.
Knowing you’re on top of things helps make life easier and less stressful for your boss.
3. Make improvements.
The status quo doesn’t always represent the best, most effective way of doing business. Put on your critical thinking cap and see if there are small improvements you can make that will have a big impact on your team or the organization as a whole.
4. Stay positive.
A positive, optimistic person can be like a ray of sunshine in a high-pressure environment. You don’t have to go overboard here; even just a simple smile can help ease the tension. Soon, people will associate you with feeling good—and that’s helpful for any relationship.
5. Bring solutions.
Problems are unavoidable in most work environments and, yes, your boss is there to help you sort them out. But don’t put all the work on his shoulders. When you encounter a challenge, take ownership of the situation and brainstorm solutions on your own before engaging your boss.
If and when you do require his assistance, outline the options you’ve considered and be specific about what help you need from him.
6. Get a little personal.
The workplace doesn’t have to be 100 percent professional 100 percent of the time. A little appropriate personal interaction reminds everyone that we’re not just robots; we all have lives outside of work too.
You and your boss probably have more in common than you even realize. Perhaps you share a favorite pastime or sports team.
Connecting on this kind of personal level strengthens the relationship and creates a deeper sense of authenticity.
7. Protect his time.
Your boss is probably a pretty busy person. Don’t waste his time and help prevent others from doing so as well. If you have a question, search for the answers on your own first. If you have the authority to make a decision, use your best judgment and make it.
8. Don’t make him mediate.
No boss likes to play mediator between his employees. If you’re having an issue with a co-worker, do your best to handle it on your own.
Don’t get your boss involved if you can help it. Little co-worker disputes can make all parties appear childish and petty, and babysitting is not a good use of your boss’s time.
When you take the time to develop a strong relationship with your boss, your boss will see you as a prized asset to his team, and you’ll enjoy all the rewards that go along with it.
5 Easy Ways To Be Marketable in the Kenyan Job Market
Source: Monster.Com
Whether you are already job hunting or employed, there are steps you can take to make yourself more attractive to potential employers.
Here are 5 tips on increasing your marketability in the job market.
5 Tips To Make you Marketable In The Kenyan Job Market
1. Use Your Name as Your Brand, Especially in Email
Don’t confuse potential employers by using your maiden name on your CV and your married name in your email.
Also remember that the nickname your friends find funny may not look professional to an employer.
2. Meet an Employer’s Need
You may want to stretch yourself by trying a job you’ve never done before, but that is not what Kenyan employers are looking for.
Any time you apply for a job, make sure you can tell a story about your career that shows why you would be the best person for the job. It’s really about what the employer is looking for.
3. Maintain a Smart Online Profile
All that unnecessary information that you put on Facebook or any social media page needs to be removed because it is doing your career more harm than good.
At the same time, find industry blogs and forums and start contributing comments.
4. Going to school will make you Marketable in the Kenyan job market
This will be very helpful to your career, especially if it teaches you a skill or a new technology that’s being used in your field.
Be always willing to learn, this way you may equip yourself with the current skills needed in your career.
5. Be Flexible
Flexibility is a timelessly important skill because things are always changing at work as well as in careers. Being flexible will make you a more attractive candidate because it signals to employers that you’re able to handle change.
Were these tips helpful? We wish you the best in your career.
4 Reasons Why Most Kenyans Have Dead-End Boring Jobs
By Elizabeth Benu,
“My job is too boring. Should I quit or do I hold on till I find something better? I fear that I may go crazy if I wait too long. What could be the problem and are there any solutions,” writes Kelvin Chesang’ in an email.
Often people will say that their job is boring. Here are the reasons and how to reduce the boredom:
Reasons why Kenyans Have Dead End Boring Jobs
1. Forced career choices
Career choice can be forced on you indirectly or directly. Two cases in point: Martin Ngige always wanted to be a nurse, but he heard someone say that Nurses are treated badly and he became an engineer. Janet Mueni wanted to become an interior designer, but her parents wanted her to become an accountant.
No matter how much the two try to use their skills in their jobs, it will always be boring because that is not where their passion lies.
“Find some time to do what you love and even if you are in the wrong career, you will always have something to look forward to,” advices Wilfrida Macharia, a HR Assistant at Profiles International Limited.
2. Appealing Salary
People will always choose a boring job over an interesting one because of the pay. In the tough economic times, a well paying job that is boring makes more sense than an interesting and low paying job.
“This can also be related to lack of motivation or incentives. If a boss is not paying an employee well, no matter how much they love their job, it will not add up because of the financial responsibilities they have,” Ms. Macharia adds.
She says that choosing a job you love is important.
3. Career Plateau
A career plateau happens when any progression in your career is reduced by maybe reaching the highest level in your company or not feeling challenged anymore. At this point, boredom easily sets in.
“If you are at this point, consider moving to a different department in the company, such as marketing to sales, which are closely related. Look for other ways apart from getting promoted as the only way to feel job satisfaction,” she adds.
Reaching a plateau does not mean it is the end of your career. Take time off and reflect on your career focusing on the positive parts of your life and how they can be added into your work to keep you from boredom.
4. Poor Work Life Balance is why most Kenyans have dead end boring jobs
Do you spend more time in the office more than you would like to and sometimes wish you had more hours to see your friends, family and have some ‘me’ time?
If you answered yes, this is evidence of poor or no work – life balance. Apart from numerous health complications that may arise, work-life imbalance leads to boredom at work. Exhaustion leads to less productivity and every hour spent at work feels like an eternity.
“The solution is to avoid working long hours by prioritizing your tasks when you get to work. This enables you to finish important duties first and leaving early,” advices Ms. Macharia.
Everyone wants to find a perfect job that sparks interest from day one till they retire. If you are in a boring job, the solution is in the tips above.
5 Tips To Get A Better Paying Job In Kenya
By Jane Okoth
So your job is the source of your misery, right? You can continue to whine about the low salary and the working conditions for the rest of your career or you can do something about it.
Here are 5 great tips that will get you a step closer to that Job you always dream about.
5 Tips To Achieving A Better Paying Job In Kenya
- Develop Your Technical Skills
Speaking to Melody Mwendwa, a Professional CV Writer at Corporate Staffing Services, one of the most important things to master is your technical skills.
“Try as much as possible and gain the skills that will help you in the future job search so as to be qualified for a better position.
Take up any relevant training offered so as to equip you with the knowledge. For instance, if your field is accounting, consider taking up additional (CPA) K courses that will be very beneficial.
- Be Conversant With The Current Market
What are the most sought-after skills right now that Kenyan employers are looking for? You need to be asking yourself this question if you are looking for a better paying job.
The job market is dynamic as it keeps changing. If you want to keep your eyes set on a better job, be updated with the current skills and knowledge in the Kenyan Job market.
- Take up more responsibilities in your Current Job
The main aim is to sharpen the leadership skills in you. Employers are looking for candidates who have leadership abilities.
Taking on broader responsibilities will make you more attractive as a candidate.
You also need to have excellent spoken and written communication skills, the ability to work well as part of a team, and a reputation as someone who keeps their cool under pressure are all critical.
Showcase your potential to motivate teams by demonstrating your skills to the current employer.
- Specialize, specialize, specialize
As a job seeker, you need to understand that being an expert in a field will make you stand out.
Employers will prefer candidates with specialized skills as opposed to those with only general skills.
Some jobs can even require one to have specific knowledge and skills just to be considered. For instance, IT companies often require that individuals who are knowledgeable in a specific software language.
- Give learning a chance
Never stop learning. In your current job, put yourself in a position that will enable you to expand your skill set. Look for new assignments that will bring you strength and challenges.
Remember that positioning oneself to land a high-paying job takes time and effort, but it’s worth it in the long run.
6 Questions & Answers To ALWAYS Expect In Any Job Interview
Interview Tips for most frequent interview questions
By Elizabeth Benu,
Interviews can be quite a handful, especially if you have not prepared well. To help in your interview preparation, here is a list of questions to always expect and their answers.
Questions to always expect in an interview and their answers
1. What Is Your Greatest Strength?
As explained by several HR Professionals, strengths can be personal or technical. Personal in the sense that they differ from person to person and can include friendliness and flexibility. On the other hand, technical strengths are those gained from working and can include writing skills and operations of a switchboard.
Ideal Answer:
“My job as a receptionist requires me to see clients from morning to evening ensuring equal attention to all no matter the time of the day or my mood. Through this responsibility, patience is my greatest strength as it ensure the clients leave feeling happy.”
2. What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
Many candidates confirm that they have a problem answering this question. In such a question it is advisable to identify your weakness and show the human resource manager how you are overcoming your weaknesses.
Sample Answer:
“My greatest weakness is my inability to prioritize tasks at work. I have always had a problem finishing all my work before I leave for home. To minimize this I have come up with a policy to write down my tasks for the day in order of importance and finish them one by one as opposed to all of them at once. I have also learnt to postpone email response till later in the day.”
3. Why do you want to leave or have left your current job?
Reasons such as growth, development and seeking a new challenge are some of the lies many candidates tell human resource managers.
“Come up with a better answer and tie it to the job description. Be it a responsibility or utilizing of a skill,” advices Perminus Wainaina, Lead Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services
Sample Answer
“Currently I have interacted with customers via emails and phone calls. However a face to face interaction with customers is what this new opportunity offers. This is ideal for me since I can now get feedback and offer better service.”
Questions to always expect in any job interview
4. Tell me about yourself is a question to always expect in interviews
“It sets the tone of the interview. Perform well, and you have the interviewer impressed. Get it wrong and it’s downhill all the way and very fast,” says Mr. Wainaina
The right answer includes the following: an introduction of yourself and a few personal details, your educational background, your work experience and why you are interested in the position.
Sample answer
“My name is John Mueni and I am 25 years old. I hold a bachelor of Commerce (Accounting option) and currently pursuing a CPA Section 3. My previous experience as an Accounts Assistant at ABC Company has equipped me with bank reconciliation skills and experience with Quickbooks which will come in handy for this vacancy. I am interested in this position because it requires someone with knowledge in Business tax and bookkeeping which was also part of my responsibilities”
5. Why are you the best person for this position? Why should we hire you?
This is a question meant to sell yourself. Think about your most impressive skills that relate to the job you are interviewing for and use that to communicate what sets you apart from other candidates.
Sample Answer:
“My vast experience in sales and marketing set me apart from other candidates. As a sales Manager I was tasked with improving sales and achieving set targets for the month. During one of the lowest months in the company I come up with a sales strategy on the best ways to sell our products and it resulted in a 20% increase in sales during a low month.”
6. What will you be doing in 5 years time?
“I want to be a manager by then.” This is a vague answer that does not impress a human resource manager. Let your goals be specific, measurable, attainable and realistic while showing your commitment to the job.
Sample:
“I plan on taking up more responsibilities outside my Communications Assistant job and move towards becoming a successful Brand Manager in this company. I also plan to undertake a professional Marketing course from the Marketing Society of Kenya to increase my skills set.”
Don’t let the thought of attending interviews scare you. With these samples you are good to go.
3 Reasons Your Degree Will Not Get You a Job in Kenya
A harsh reality: More than 50,000 good graduates are released into the job market every year, but unfortunately there are never 50, 000 good jobs waiting for them.
Many candidates think that having a degree is all it takes to land a well paying job with housing, airtime, transport and other allowances. This is wrong!
According to HR Managers, having just a degree will not land you a job because of the following reasons:
1. Lack of Internship experience
Most candidates look down upon internships because they are unpaid and/or the stipend is too small. Internships being the most important thing in your career success, provide valuable hands-on experience that makes an employer interested in you.
Kenyan employers consider internship experience as experience. If you are waiting to become a manager with only a degree and 0 years experience, then it is going to be a long wait.
2. Having a sense of entitlement
Recent graduates believe that having a degree entitles them to be chosen first in any job they apply for. They also feel that their degree means that they should earn Kshs. 50, 000 on their first job and nothing less.
Newton Ogwora, a HR Assistant at Rose Avenue Consultants says that, “If you have a degree with little to no work experience, then you should not feel entitled. Get the experience first, then you can now confidently ask for the job you deserve.”
Mr. Ogwora advises that job seekers should not be too aggressive, more so if they don’t have the required skill. “Get the experience, then you’ll be able to have the bargaining power in regards to pay and perks.”
3. Poor soft skills
Soft skills are inclusive of personality traits, interpersonal skills and social skills. Having a degree only gives you the hard skills necessary to be in the job market, but soft skills are what determine whether you get the job or not.
Examples of soft skills include communication skills, analytical skills, flexibility, patience, leadership skills, problem solving skills and team player skills. HR managers are on the look out for these skills.
Your degree will get you shortlisted for an interview, but your soft skills help you land the job and advance in your career.
What sets you apart as a candidate is not the number of papers you have to your name, but the skills, passion and experience you have in a particular field.
Worst 3 Behaviours That Make You Hate Your Job
By Elizabeth Benu,
“My job is the worst” “It is awful and miserable”. Are these some of the words you use to describe your job? If you do use them, it is a sign that you are unhappy at work or your job is miserable.
“A miserable job makes a person cynical and frustrated and demoralized when they go home at night. It drains them of their energy, their enthusiasm and self-esteem. Miserable jobs can be found in every industry and at every level,” says Patrick Lencioni in his boom ‘The Three Signs of a Miserable Job’.
If you are in a job that makes you unhappy to appoint where you hate it, you are the cause. These are some of your behaviors in the office that make you miserable at work:
Worst behaviours that make you hate your job
1. Being over-competitive
How many times have you been happy for your colleague who has been praised at work for doing a commendable job?
“There are kinds of people who are never happy that their colleague is earning more or getting a promotion,” says Beth Wanjira, a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services.
She adds that, “when someone is unhappy at work, one gets a lot more competitive because when your work is making you miserable it is most likely you want to get something else out of it. Such is bad mouthing a coworker who got promoted to feel good about yourself.”
2. Trying to be someone else makes you hate your job
In an office environment, there will always be someone who earns more than the one and someone who tries to be like everyone else.
This is the kind of person who spends more than they earn just to fit in the same social circle as other colleagues. An example is a female colleague who imports her handbags and since you want to be on the same level as her you start importing yours. At the end of it all you are broke within the first week of the month and in heavy debt at the end of the month.
“Be content with what you have. Someone once said ‘If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and better persons than you are’,” says Ms. Wanjira.
3. Having the Wrong Job
Being in the wrong job can be caused by being offered a job when you are desperate or have been job searching for so long without success. Even when you know you will hate it, you just take it because you need the money.
Why this makes you miserable is because you are doing something you don’t love and never will.
“If you took a job you do not like do not expect it to change. If it never changes suck it up and deal with it until you find something you like,” Ms. Wanjira says.
Here is the shortcut: If you are unhappy in your job, frequently repeat everything you love about your job to improve your attitude at work.
Best Interview Answer On What’s The Worst Mistake You’ve Made At Work
Source CVCentre:
How to answer this tough interview question on ‘What’s the worst mistake you’ve made at work and how did you deal with it?’
This question can also be phrased:
Can you tell me about a time when you made a major error at work?
The meaning behind the question:
What the interviewer is trying to extract from you here is not an admission of guilt but a demonstration of how you reacted to your error and what steps you took to resolve it. You can learn a lot about someone from the way they handle their mistakes.
How to answer:
As with the previous question, you might think this rather a tough one. The interviewer has specifically asked you about the very worst mistake you’ve ever made at work. The key is to realise that everyone makes mistakes; the important thing is to learn from them and make sure you never make the same mistake twice.
Also, just because they’ve asked you what the worst mistake you’ve made was, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to tell them! Try to talk about a mistake that was clearly severe but one that is unlikely to put them off hiring you completely. How? By choosing carefully and placing the emphasis on what you did to resolve the situation – and what you learned from the experience.
If you can subtly apportion some of the blame to circumstances out of your control – or if you can choose an example which didn’t directly involve your work – then it’s going to strengthen your answer. It also helps if you can pick an example which goes back some way in time. However, you definitely want to avoid coming across as someone who can’t admit their own mistakes.
Best Answer On Worst Mistake Interview Question
I think the worst mistake I ever made at work was in my first ever job – five years ago now. One of the managers seemed to take an instant dislike to me from the start – and one day she was particularly unpleasant to me in front of several colleagues.
Later on, I was talking to one of those colleagues who was, I thought, attempting to console me. Angry and hurt, I foolishly vented my feelings and told her what I thought of the manager in question. I was naturally shocked to find out that she went on to tell everyone what I had said and this certainly didn’t help my relationship with the manager who was causing me problems.
Rather than let the situation carry on, I chose to have a quiet word with this lady (manager) so as to find out what her problem was with me and to see if we could put it behind us. It turned out it was nothing personal; she just resented the fact that a friend of hers had also been interviewed for my position and had been turned down.
Once we had got matters out into the air, her behaviour changed and we actually got on quite well after that. However, I certainly learned a lot from the experience. I learned that careful communication is vital in managing interpersonal relationships and that if I have a problem with someone it’s always best to talk it over with them rather than with someone else.
Have a hard interview question? Let us know in the comments section.
