Page 154 - How To Answer Interview Questions (II)

Job Interview Question 81

What qualities in your co-workers bother you most?
What do you appreciate most?

On the surface, this sounds like it’s a personality question or a cultural fit question. In reality, it’s a
measure of your attitude and your ability to get along with others. For this reason, you want to
answer both of these questions very positively.

However, I do not think that you have to do the obviously fake, “I can’t think of anything that
bothers me about my co-workers.” I believe that answer is the same kind of bad answer as “My
greatest weakness is that I just work too darn hard.” It just sounds false.

Everyone can think of things that others do that bother them. The trick is balance. Never tell a story
about how one person irritated you—make it about a general quality. Tell them something that
bothers you, but limit it to one thing and make that one thing something that would bother anyone.

For instance, I would say, “I don’t particularly appreciate negative attitudes because they’re not
helpful to anyone—the person who’s complaining or the person listening to it. I believe that instead of
complaining about a problem, you should focus on how to fix it.”

Then move right into the positive: “I’ve been very lucky to have worked with some great people in
my career who have demonstrated qualities I appreciate a lot, like working hard, being
knowledgeable, and having a positive attitude.”

Keep both answers general and add a few more attributes on the things you appreciate than the
things you don’t.
The words you say and the things you focus on say more about you than about whatever you’re

talking about—so make sure that you present yourself in a positive, professional way.