When you prepared your super resume according to the tips in Jeff Allen's Best: The Resume, you took an experience inventory. Review those notes now to prepare this section of your script.
Q. How did you get into the type of work you are doing now?
(The first part of your answer should include specific information about the career path that led you to your present job. Scratch out your script in the lines provided. Then close with the paragraph following:)
Considering my educational background, my interest in, and the satisfaction I derive from completing a job properly, I decided to become a.
I don't think I'd be able to really excel if I weren't truly interested in the job, or if I were merely motivated by its financial rewards. However, since I find the work both challenging and fulfilling, the better I do the more I enjoy it.
Q. Why are you leaving your present position?
A. I need to be challenged to develop my potential further. I'm interested in additional responsibility and new opportunity, which unfortunately are limited at(name of current employer) because of (company size/limited product line/restructuring or downsizing).
The reputation and market focus of (name of prospective employer) offer many opportunities for someone with my training and experience. It's the optimum kind of environment I've been seeking.
Q. How would you compare the quality of your work to that of others in the same job?
A. The quality of my work has been consistently as good as or better than my coworkers'. I've always met or exceeded expectations.
Some people pay too much attention to the work that others around them are doing. If they're doing more, they lower their speed to the average. I'm just not that kind of person. I set my pace according to what is required by the job, and I always try to beat the clock and my own record.
People spend more time on the job than anywhere else. I owe it to myself and my employer to make every minute count. If I just kept doing the average work, at an average pace, life would be awfully boring. So I don't wait for challenges to be dropped in my lap. I go out and find them!
Q. What factors contribute the most to your success on your present job?
A. First, experience. The training and situations in my previous jobs helped me go further and faster on this job. My jobs have increased in responsibility, with each level building on the last. Second, continuing education. In addition to formal schooling, I've always taken the time to be informed and current on what I needed to know to be effective. I attend seminars and workshops, take courses, and I always have professional or management materials available to read when I'm waiting somewhere.
Which leads me to the third reason for my success: good planning and productive use of time. When I run into roadblocks on the job, I figure out a way to eliminate them or at least turn them into speed bumps.
Wasting time while you're waiting for something to happen drains energy. If Plan A is temporarily on hold, I immediately swing into Plans B, C, D, and so on. It's amazing how much nonproductive time can be turned into job improvement if you're just aware of how to do it.
Q. What specific strengths do you think you can bring to this position?
A. My education in, my experience in , and my knowledge in the area of all will contribute to my performing this position with little or no "downtime." I have the proven ability to transfer my skills from one job to another. Because of this, I can learn my way around an organization quickly. I can concentrate on motivating and managing the staff quickly while developing relationships with other supervisors.
Q. Can you explain the long gaps in your employment history?
(This is a tough one. If there are long gaps, your answer should offer a brief, believable explanation, and then you should convince the interviewer why this won't affect your ability to succeed at the target job.)
A. When I was younger, the decisions I made seemed right at the time. Although these choices don't appear on my resume, I learned a lot along the way.
In one case, I believed I needed more education and training to achieve my goals, so I left work and re enrolled in college. That decision was justified, because when I returned to the work force it was at a higher level of responsibility and pay. Not only did I learn critical skills, I learned the self discipline formal study requires.
Another time I had the opportunity to serve on board a three masted schooner on an expedition in the South Seas. While being a deck hand didn't add to my computer programming knowledge, I learned the value of hard work, team effort, and overcoming hardship. Everyone should learn those values. It really helps to supercharge a career.
I've had life experiences I can bring to bear on the job. My track record for the past years has been consistent and progressive, and my work has increased in responsibility. I have set my career goals and developed a plan for achieving them. That, combined with my family responsibilities, make me a very stable employee and a good risk. (Now, your answer:)
Q. In what areas have you received compliments from your supervisors?
A. I have always had high marks in job effectiveness, initiative, and enthusiasm. Because I look at each assignment as a potentially exciting challenge, my managers say I create excitement in my department. That spirit is contagious. It results in greater team effort, less absenteeism, and higher output.
