Practice really does make perfect when it comes to interviews and dealing with tricky questions; otherwise you can find yourself rushing to try and find an answer, and it may not even be a good one!
Preparing effectively can help you feel more confident with your responses and ensure you stay in the moment during an interview so you don’t go off-topic. So take a look below at a few more questions that are likely to pop up and here’s how you can answer them effectively.
How effective are you at prioritising tasks and managing your time?
This is a question where you should not be struggling to think of an example – a large part of university life is understanding how to balance your time and prioritise effectively for example.
Ultimately, what the interviewer would like to know is whether or not you will be able to cope with diverse tasks with different deadlines without getting yourself stressed out and forgetting important aspects.
Whilst thinking of an example, it is important to talk more about the processes that you used – did you make a list, use a spreadsheet, how were you going to work out which task was more important, did you tick a task off after it’s completed, for example?
It may sound like trivial information but your ability to be organised can play a huge factor when it comes to your performance in the role, particularly whilst you are still learning in it.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
Your aim for this question should be to show that you are committed to both the company and your chosen career, that you understand professional development and are eager to work hard to achieve everything.
It is important to strike a balance between arrogance and enthusiasm – it can be extremely impressive if you come across as motivated and genially interested in the opportunity you have applied for.
This is also the ideal opportunity to show that you are aware of what you need to be effective in the role and the industry as a whole. During your research, you might find that a professional qualification is required to progress, so you can show that you understand the work involved and how you can acquire the necessary skills.
Do not be afraid to show some ambition; if you have a desire to lead a team and enter management then let them know, as you might find that if you land the job they will make an effort to help you get there.
If you’re a graduate looking to kick-start your career, have a chat with Discovery Graduates and see how they can help get you started
