For interviewing purposes, concentrate on the parts of former jobs that you improved. Then work backwards... If "necessity is the mother of invention," then "invention is the daughter of necessity." Focus on what you did, then why. Next, tie these improvements into the target job. You'll be surprised how easy this is, since initiative and creativity are highly transferable. Once you learn how to scratch, it doesn't matter where you itch.
Scratch out your script using the following questions as a guide.
Q. What do you do when you have trouble solving a problem?
A. One thing I don't do is ignore it and hope it will go away. I'm not afraid to ask questions or look for the answers myself. There is a solution to every problem. Sometimes, it just takes creative investigation. I'm a problem solver by nature. Nothing puzzles me for long if it does, I just keep working until I find the solution.
Q. What have you done in your present job to make it more effective or more challenging?
A. I've made my job more effective by finding ways to stream line the paperwork and administration so that I can focus more effort and energy on producing results. Working smarter and harder really accomplishes a lot.
More challenging? I'm always looking for new opportunities, and I've been particularly successful in finding different applications for the existing product and its users. I_ (Mention briefly an example of using initiative and creativity to help the company, such as "found a new market for the XYZ product among or "saw a problem with the computer system and recommended," or something similar.)
Q. What is the most boring job you've ever had? How did you do at it?
A. I haven't found any of my work in my adult career "boring." I've always been too busy to be bored!
Perhaps, as a teenager, you could say I wasn't very excited about some of the part time work available. But I always found something positive about every job. When I was behind the counter at a fast food store selling 1,000 hamburgers a day, the routine was eased by the hundreds of people I met. There has been something interesting, something that held my attention, about every job I've held, or I don't think I would have taken the job in the first place.
Q. What is the most interesting job you've ever had? How did you do at it?
A. My most interesting job to date has been, because of. I received particularly favorable performance reviews in that job, but I've had excellent ratings in all my work. When I make a commitment to a job, I give it all I've got.
Q. Is there a lot of pressure in your present job? How do you cope with it?
A. There is pressure in every job. In my present job, the pressure is usually associated with production deadlines or special projects. Experience has taught me how to cope with pressure. All jobs have more demands at some times than others. The key is to manage your time and prioritize the work so you're ready for anything. When I work out the details and set the schedule in advance, I see that any big job can be broken down into many smaller jobs. When taken one at a time, any task can be mastered.
I respond to pressure, I don't react to it. After analyzing the components of a project, I take a few steps back so I can see the "big picture." This approach has seen me through many a tough situation with results that exceeded what anyone imagined except perhaps me.
Q. What do you think it takes for a person to be successful in _ (specialty of position being discussed, such as engineering, parts assembly, and customer service)?
A. I think you need good skills in (conceptualizing a design/working with your hands/dealing with people). In addition, being successful in this work requires a drive to do your best, and to continually improve on your past performance. One reason I think I've succeeded is that my past accomplishments have given me self confidence. I view each day and each task as a new challenge, and an opportunity for improvement on whatever I did yesterday. Knowing that yesterday was successful helps me approach today and tomorrow with a "can do" attitude. After all, I did do!
Q. How do you go about making important decisions?
A. I evaluate my options, laying them all out in front of me. I find it helps to write down briefly what my alternatives are, so I can examine them objectively. Then I rely on past experience, company policies, and in part intuition to guide me to a decision. I look at each situation individually, and weigh possible outcomes before making a choice.
If it is a big decision that has no precedent, I get input from those who will be affected by it the staff as well as those who will be called upon to explain my decision my superiors.
Q. Has anyone in the business world been an inspiration to you?
A. Yes, several people. I've been fortunate to work with bright, talented, energetic individuals. Several of my managers have served as informal mentors who helped me develop my own management skills and style.
In every field, the trainees learn from the pros. I've never been so sure of my abilities that I wasn't willing to listen and learn from those who had more experience and had accomplished more. I think I've learned an even greater amount from these individuals than from the textbooks I've read and courses I've taken.
