by Monika Sziron, Ph.D.
Leeloo Thefirst/Pexels
A couple months ago we asked HigherEdJobs followers to let us know about the best and the worst interview questions they have been asked in an interview.
In this week’s HigherEdJobs Podcast episode, Kelly and Andy go through two of the best questions job seekers have been asked and how to capitalize on them if you are asked the same, or a similar question, during an interview.
In response to the common question, ‘why do you want this job?’ Kelly advises, “…being yourself and telling the story of why you want this job. And not reading back what the job description is, but giving true examples of your authentic self, giving examples of how you’ve excelled through the years, how you can connect your personal mission to the institution’s mission. So, it’s a great place to really showcase your talents, your abilities, you know, telling that true story.”
Another question a job seeker submitted as one of the best interview questions they have been asked in an interview is, ‘what is a word that people have used to describe you that you don’t necessarily agree with?’ Andy says questions like these are asking you “to look at yourself in a critical way…” To capitalize on this type of question be sure to know your own weaknesses and strengths and give an authentic answer that shows how you are trying to improve as a professional.
What is the best question you have ever been asked in an interview? Here are some others submitted by the HigherEdJobs community.
- How can this position assist or enhance the work that you are doing in your role?
- What is a word that people have used to describe you that you don’t necessarily agree with?
- Why do you want this job? “If I couldn’t answer confidently then I knew I was in the wrong place.”
- If you were part of a salad, what would you be and why? “I said I was the dressing because I tie everything together, but that seems like an obvious answer in hindsight.”
Stay tuned for episode 29 where Kelly and Andy will dive into the worst interview questions.
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Listen to the entire episode here!
Disclaimer: HigherEdJobs encourages free discourse and expression of issues while striving for accurate presentation to our audience. A guest opinion serves as an avenue to address and explore important topics, for authors to impart their expertise to our higher education audience and to challenge readers to consider points of view that could be outside of their comfort zone. The viewpoints, beliefs, or opinions expressed in the above piece are those of the author(s) and don’t imply endorsement by HigherEdJobs.
