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Following my other thread, this is another question I expect to receive.
This one is even broader and more vague.
To recap, the interview is for a management analyst position working directly for the head of our office (about 600 people).
The job is sort of a right hand person type of thing. Researching statistics and data, writing reports, preparing information to be presented elsewhere, reviewing and analysing data and work processes, recommending changes, solutions, improvements. Working with various people at different levels of the organization to provide info, resolve problems, etc.
Now, I know the idea in answering this question is to tie it into some of the main skills the position requires. However, it leaves the topic up to almost anything.
I generally hate to use personal stuff, hobbies, outside (non work) interestes, because it leaves too much room to ramble on about inconsequential detials. Yet, I feel many of those details are often needed to properly convey understanding so the meat of the response makes sense.
I also hate to use more recent accomplishments, since they are my strongest examples of my abilities. Such a vague question just does not seem to beg my best bullett to respond with, since a more detailed and probing questing may call for that situation.
So I was thinking maybe it is best if I rely on something from the past. I have some experience from another job, in a different industry, with a lot of relavant skill. It is also not directly related to the job I have now, and as such won't be rehashing the same experience I will speak about in other questions. Once concern I have is the experience was a long time ago (9 years) and as such it is not the most relavant experience anymore due to age. Still, it highlights skills, does not deprive me of better experince with I will have, or can use elsewhere in the interview, and will allow me to provide a focused example that will require some explanation, but not go into details of a hobby or something the interviewer will have little interest in hearing.
Does this sound like a reasonable approach to a response? Am I going to put too much emphasis on stale experience? Or am I way off here?
You could say : " Well I am a recovering Serial Killer who was let out of prison after 26 years " ( jk )
I am being facetious but I think they want the dish on the good and the bad about how well you dealt with your last job and how you overcame an obstacle.
I think its just your moment to really tell them about yourself .
I also hate to use more recent accomplishments, since they are my strongest examples of my abilities.
Frankly I hate vague BS questions like this, as there's no way to know what they're looking for - but I think your approach sounds fine, as long as you highlight some skills and/or experience which you can tie back to why you're a great candidate that is.
Following my other thread, this is another question I expect to receive.
This one is even broader and more vague.
To recap, the interview is for a management analyst position working directly for the head of our office (about 600 people).
The job is sort of a right hand person type of thing. Researching statistics and data, writing reports, preparing information to be presented elsewhere, reviewing and analysing data and work processes, recommending changes, solutions, improvements. Working with various people at different levels of the organization to provide info, resolve problems, etc.
Now, I know the idea in answering this question is to tie it into some of the main skills the position requires. However, it leaves the topic up to almost anything.
I generally hate to use personal stuff, hobbies, outside (non work) interestes, because it leaves too much room to ramble on about inconsequential detials. Yet, I feel many of those details are often needed to properly convey understanding so the meat of the response makes sense.
I also hate to use more recent accomplishments, since they are my strongest examples of my abilities. Such a vague question just does not seem to beg my best bullett to respond with, since a more detailed and probing questing may call for that situation.
So I was thinking maybe it is best if I rely on something from the past. I have some experience from another job, in a different industry, with a lot of relavant skill. It is also not directly related to the job I have now, and as such won't be rehashing the same experience I will speak about in other questions. Once concern I have is the experience was a long time ago (9 years) and as such it is not the most relavant experience anymore due to age. Still, it highlights skills, does not deprive me of better experince with I will have, or can use elsewhere in the interview, and will allow me to provide a focused example that will require some explanation, but not go into details of a hobby or something the interviewer will have little interest in hearing.
Does this sound like a reasonable approach to a response? Am I going to put too much emphasis on stale experience? Or am I way off here?
Thanks for any input!
The answer is
I'm lazy and don't want to work but I have to work so HERE I AM.
I think it is more of a 'how quickly can she think' question. I would say something stupid like No one knows I watch Jeopardy every night or no one knows I have 6 different kinds of cooking oils in the kitchen cabinet and then go into how much I love cooking. I think they want to see your personality and see you are not all about robotic work and have no common sense/social skills.
Plenty of questions and your resume showcase your talent. The other stuff id to ask about the stuff outside of your resume.
"Well, if I tell you, then you'll know. And then it won't be something you don't know about me, which would disqualify the question. So my answer is: many things."
Things like these I normally would make a quick joke like, "Well I don't think you know much about me so this should be easy." Then I should have had the time to think of something the interviewer would like to hear.
Not quite, because if your telling them why they should hire you includes stuff you've already said, you didn't really answer the question, and failure to grasp and/or correctly answer a question could knock you right out.
i think this is a really good question that usually throws off most candidates as they're probably not expecting it. this is the perfect opportunity for you to share something unique about yourself as it pertains to the management analyst position you're applying for.
for instance, if there was something you specifically did along the lines of a trend analysis or data management for senior execs that became a company-wide benchmark, definitely say that. if you have one, you can also mention about a personal (could be humorous) experience as it relates to the job responsibilities/tasks of the position. if you're able to do that in a tasteful manner, you'd definitely stick out in the interviewer's mind.
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