Page 34 - How To Answer Interview Questions (II)

Job Interview Question 11

Discuss your educational background

This seems straightforward, and in one sense, it is—your educational background is a fact. However,
there’s always a difference between giving a straightforward interview answer and giving a job-
winning interview answer.

If your degree is completely and obviously related to the job you’re interviewing for, you can
say, “My undergraduate is in Chemistry and I have an MBA. What else would you like to know?”

Asking a question like this keeps the conversation going, which is what you want in an interview.
Maybe they want to know why you chose this field. If I were answering this question, I’d say:

“I chose Chemistry because I like it, and because not many people go into Chemistryso I knew it
would make me stand out. Plus, I knew that as a female, a Chemistry degree would make me stand out
even more, because it is unusual. I went on to get the MBA because I knew that the Chemistry degree
plus the MBA would make me even more valuable and better at my job. I’m always looking for
educational experiences that help me with that goal. Some people would get the MBA because they
think it would naturally get them paid more, just because they hold it. I never thought of it that way.
My opinion was, if I get an MBA, I will be better at my job—and the value I bring is what will get
me paid more for the work that I do.”

If your degree is not 100% related to the job you’re applying for, then connect those dots for
them:

“My degree is in Psychology, which gives me a unique perspective to bring to this job that most
people in this field don’t have, so I can bring fresh, out-of-the-box thinking along with an
understanding of what makes people tick, and I have excellent communication skills.”

If you got a minor (or even just a few classes) in something more directly related and helpful to
the job you’re applying for, mention those:

“My degree is in Philosophy, but I took 3 classes in X that I did very well in and led me to pursue
this as a career. The skills I developed in those classes, backed by the solid critical-thinking skills I