Page 131 - How To Answer Interview Questions (II)

Job Interview Question 67

What changes have you made in working with others to be more
effective at work?

This question looks at your willingness to recognize areas where you need to improve and execute
those necessary changes in a successful way. Don’t choose things you were weak on that are central
to your success in this job. There’s no reason to insert doubts about your ability to do the job into this
conversation. Choose small things that you improved on because you wanted to (not because your
boss told you to) that had a positive, lasting impact for you.

Here are a few examples:

I improved my communication skills by becoming a better listener, and I have developed
excellent working relationships with my colleagues.
I learned about a technical area I had no experience in so that I could communicate better with
our support department. They seem to appreciate it.
When I first started out, I used to get upset by others’ disagreements and argumentsin the office. I
learned to step back and distance myself in order to keep calm and not let it affect my work or
my positive outlook. It’s kept me on good terms with everyone in the office, too!
At one time, I was constantly interrupted and pulled every which way by a variety of people
coming to me with various requests. So I learned to set priorities, and instead of immediately
moving to address whatever problem they came to me with, I looked at how that fit into my
priority list for the day and planned accordingly. As a result, I am much less stressed and much
more productive.
It wasn’t necessarily a problem for me, but I am always looking for ways to improve and so I
realized that I could become a better time manager. I looked at my day, figured out where I
tended to be most productive at which tasks, and set up a routine. This helped me plan more
effectively for meetings with colleagues, and give more accurate dates for completion of
projects. It’s worked well. I’m very organized, productive, and easy for others to work with.