Be careful when asking for clarification. Don’t say the question didn’t make sense or that it’s too vague. Instead offer specific things that may help guide your answer: “I’d love to do that, did you want to know more about my professional experience or my personal interests?”[1] X Research source
For example, if you’re applying for a job in the finance sector, it’s a good idea to talk about your personal investments.
This is crucial if you don’t have a lot of work experience. Volunteer experience can help you put emphasis on qualities you want prospective employers to know about. Whether you worked in a soup kitchen or organized an entire fundraising event, most volunteer experiences can be a great opportunity to outline your strengths. [3] X Research source
Don’t make the mistake of saying you didn’t learn anything from a previous job. You should be able to draw a lesson from any work experience. A great way to spin workplace conflicts positively is to focus on the concrete actions you took to resolve it. Did you go to your boss, respecting the chain of command? Or maybe you proposed the perfect compromise?[4] X Research source
For example, if an interviewer asks if you’d have a problem with working weekends, you can answer something along the lines of: “I can’t miss Sunday night football!”. Then mention that you’re kidding, and outline examples where you sacrificed weekends for work. [5] X Research source
Keep your answer to 60 seconds tops. Otherwise you risk rambling and making the resulting answer unclear. [6] X Research source
Knowledge-Based Skills. These are skills that you learn as you mature and include languages, computer skills, mathematical reasoning, and technical know-how. Transferable Skills. These are skills that you take from job to job. They include people management skills, communication, and problem solving. Personal Traits. Your unique, innate qualities including your sociability, confidence, excitability, and punctuality. [7] X Research source
If you’re having difficulty coming up with these things, ask yourself what inspires you, what you’re passionate about, and what defines you. [8] X Research source
Research the company’s values. Each company has a culture, and you can pick up on this in their job posting as well as their website. Companies that value efficiency above all will prioritize performance while a non-profit may pay more attention to passion and drive. Look at the job specifications. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing position, you probably should be outgoing, excellent at communication, relationship-driven, and fast-paced. Make sure you have at least one of these characteristics in mind for the interview.
The best elevator pitches focus on just a few key aspects. Think of one characteristic that defines who you are, one that characterizes what you do, and one that illustrates your goals. An elevator pitch will be useful outside of job interviews as well, so spend some time working on it. [10] X Research source
Once you’ve answered, ask for honest feedback. Try and get your friend to give you their overall impression of the answer, as well as telling you any specifics that should be added or left out. You can also practice answering follow-up questions by having your friend ask you questions about your answer.
Here’s an example of a polished sales pitch: “I’m a consultant working in telecommunications. For the past three years, I’ve been helping clients organize their workforce and restructure their pricing packages in order to boost profit. I love consulting, but my real passion is music, and I want to use my talents within that industry. That’s why I’m applying to your organization. "
If you do happen to mumble an answer or say something you didn’t mean to, laugh it off. Chuckle and say something like “Boy did I get tongue-tied for a minute there. " Then move on, showing that you are confident in yourself and that one little slip up isn’t the end of the world to you.
Smile. Smiling will help you feel calmer. Smiling will also help you put the interviewer at ease and perhaps even make them happier. It’ll make you come across as a warmer, happier person, helping to set a more relaxed atmosphere.
