interview question

[nfg]

I am tyring to prep for an interview. Maybe some of you can help me with the typical interview questions. I am having trouble thinking about what my 3 good/bad qualities, mostly the bad qualities. I'm not sure what they are looking for. Any other advice would be great!
Thanks

 

[Bill Mostellar]

I am tyring to prep for an interview. Maybe some of you can help me with the typical interview questions. I am having trouble thinking about what my 3 good/bad qualities, mostly the bad qualities. I'm not sure what they are looking for. Any other advice would be great!
Thanks

It's more of an interview question than a quantitative quesiton - if you know what I mean. They're not looking for a specific bad quality as much as your ability to identify areas you think need work.

Look for something benign such as perfectionism and talk about your desire to do everything to the nth degree. Leave it at that and talk about the lessons you've learned to deal with it - prioritization, task accomplishment, etc. (btw - this is just an example, not a suggestion). End with an experience that demonstrates the lessons you've learned.

I wish you success!

PS - Me? I give too much advice, but I've learned to only answer questions. ;>

 

[flyndesk]

I think that the HR people will see right through those answers,
"gee, I am such a perfectionist" and "I tend to work too hard." Sounds totally canned. Try something honest. It is ok to say you made a mistake, didn't get along with someone, etc. Just be sure to tell them what you learned from it and did to correct it.

I used to be a procrastinator in college- and ended up getting a "C" on a paper because of that. I took a Franklin time management course. Now, years later, I plan out my time and schedule better because my procrastination had some bad consequences in the past, and now I work harder and I am more organized.

Once I had a terrible trip with another pilot. We didn't get along at all. But as the captain, I knew it was my job to set the tone, and try to make the cockpit more comfortable. We had some down time one day, and I offered to buy my f/o lunch. That kind of broke the ice. We ended up talking about all sorts of stuff, and then the ice melted. We were both die hard Cubs fans (yeah, I know, they suck, but hey, it's my TEAM!!) We had a great month. We became friends, and I was a guest at his wedding the following year.

Those are my examples, and I have used them in interviews. I admited I have procrastinated (who hasn't) and that I didn't get along with a co-worker (who hasn't.) But I resolved these situations. Both ended on a positive note! And both are true stories!! And don't use mine, HR people ALWAYS seem to know... and maybe I will be the one interviewing YOU.

Read Cheryl Cage's "Checklist for Success" book. Good luck.