Never say “Never” to this one. Because that in reality would be a hoax and you would easily be tagged as a person who is not receptive to feedback.
The aim of the interviewer is to understand the attitude of the person applying for the job,and assess his/her ability to handle constructive criticism. So here's how you must respond:
1. Be specific about the instance that you quote. Avoid using examples that are related more to a habit than a behavioral competency.For e.g. feedback on “coming late for meetings” might not fetch you brownie points since it cannot be categorized as a tough feedback and is something which can be easily mended/reversed. Likewise, talking about receiving a feedback about being on too many "personal" calls might not be a good idea either. Prepare instances related to a situation at work or a competency gap that you were able to resolve/bridge. You'll see an example in the next point.
2. While you go ahead and acknowledge having received constructive criticism, it is important to detail out how you handled it and what measures you took to amend it.
A good example could be an instance where you reacted impulsively to a client mail resulting in an irate client. You may speak of a circumstance where you were under pressure of working on multiple projects. So when the mail came in, you didn’t pay much attention to the tone which in which you responded, resulting in a backlash. Upon receiving a feedback, you analysed the situation and understood what led to the escalation. Accept that this instance has made you more cautious and hence,you take a pause each time you receive a tricky email and if required, do not hesitate to take a second opinion from a senior.
Have any further questions on this topic? Write to us at contact@innoquest.in or drop us a question in the comments section and your email ID and get a free E-Book on "The simply complicated 5 questions that can make or break your interview" !
All the best!
Understand that an interviewer is only interested in knowing the reason for the gap in employment, and what you’ve been doing since then.
So plan your actions and responses in advance for you to be in the “safe” zone:
1. In most cases, personal reasons (e.g maternity, parenthood, marriage) are considered acceptable. However, there could be certain exceptions, and it's safe to act in accordance with the reasons. E.g :
a. Illness – Offer to share proof (e.g Medical certificate etc.) to validate the reasons. Moreso if the reason of the gap has to do with your own illness, imperative to show that you are fit to resume work.
b. Travel/ Personal break – Maybe you were hit by the travel bug or perhaps, just needed a break - make a mental list of how the break has enriched you as a professional. Eg. Travelling makes you more culturally aware, enhances interpersonal skills, adds new perspectives etc.
2. And if you have actually quit your job for professional reasons, then your response needs to be worded appropriately:
a. Quit due to professional dissatisfaction – Bad boss, bad work culture or perhaps office politics – don’t rant. Instead, give a diplomatic, objective perspective and show that the exit was a well thought of decision and not an impulsive one.
b. Been handed a pink slip? - Whether the pink slip was an outcome of Organization downsizing, takeover or perhaps your performance - engage yourself immediately alongside your ongoing job search. Take up a consulting/ freelancing assignment, up-skill yourself by adding a certification or doing a course to add value to your credentials, do some volunteer work. These would show a prospective employer that you aren’t a quitter and have the ability to make the most out of a negative situation also. Through the interview, talk about how you have leveraged the time that you had in hand since the break.
Have any further questions on this topic? Write to us at contact@innoquest.in or drop us a question in the comments section and your email ID and get a free E-Book on "The simply complicated 5 questions that can make or break your interview" !
All the best!
Thanks for dropping by our page. Connect with us on LinkedIn & Facebook (links provided towards the end). What more! Write to us on contact@innoquest.in to join our mailing list and additionally get an E-book on "The simply complicated 5 questions that can make or break your interview" absolutely free! The E-book gives you tips and tricks to crack through those seemingly simple questions that cause 80% rejections!
"Roti, Kapda aur Makaan" (Food, clothing and Shelter) - well, just in case you think we're talking about the old Bollywood movie by the same name, we aren't. We are talking about the 3 basic necessities that feature at the top of the "want" list of almost every household.
And the road to achieving these necessities often leads us back to the "Career choices" we make. Landing that perfect job, hence, reflects as a top priority for most of us. And it continues to be a priority for as long as we are working.
Have you ever struggled with any of the below scenarios?
• Drafting/refining your own resume (and it still seems like a daunting task each time you set out to do it).
• Post an interview, wondered “perhaps I could have answered this question better"
• Professional networking doesn’t seem like your cup of tea.
• Get stuck with the "Should or shouldn't I" when it comes to communicating your personal brand image - e.g writing a note to a prospective employer, applying for a job or simply updating your Linkedin profile.
• Wondered how to project the best version of you professionally.
If your answer is "yes" to any of the above, we're here to make it easier! Going by our experience of more than a decade in this industry, we do have candidates, applicants and friends reaching out to us for help/ Career advice. Thus originated the thought of launching a series of posts aimed to help our readers access all the information required to reach your target career goals. Articles, interviews, news and more - whatever it takes to get closer to where you wish to be.
Our team, comprising of experts from the industry is excited to be able to help - and look forward to share our knowledge with all who wish to benefit from it.
How do you access it? Simple - just stay connected with us on our Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter pages for regular updates.In case you do have a query related to your job search ordeal, do feel free to drop us a line and we would be happy to see how we can help you.
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/innoquest/
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/company/innoquest-consulting
Twitter : https://twitter.com/innoquestbytes
Blog : http://innoquest-careers.blogspot.in/
Email : contact@innoquest.in
There's a lot brewing out here and there definitely would be action to watch out for. Do stay connected.
Thanks for dropping by our page. Connect with us on LinkedIn & Facebook (links provided above). What more! Write to us on contact@innoquest.in to join our mailing list and additionally get an E-book on "The simply complicated 5 questions that can make or break your interview" absolutely free! The E-book gives you tips and tricks to crack through those seemingly simple questions that cause 80% rejections!
