Page 77 - You're Hired! Interview Answers

taSk-BaSed QueStionS examPLe inteRview anSweRS For task-based questions, try to give your answers using ‘tasky’ language. For
example, use terms:

n prioritise
n checklist
n plans
n targets
n measures/metrics
n schedule

interviewer: i see, so what were the main obstacles you had to
overcome?

7 Poor answer:

“Well a lot of stuff got in the way really. The team wanted to try and do all

three exhibitions in-house and a lot of time was wasted convincing them that
we had to outsource, but I managed this in the end. Once it was clear that
I couldn’t win the argument to pull the other exhibitions, I concentrated on
convincing them that Excom was the important one and that we had to work
flat out on it. Another problem was the design agencies. We hadn’t used either
agency before and I was really worried that they wouldn’t be up to our quality
standards, especially given the timescale, so I had to spend a lot of time with
them getting them up to speed; I was on their backs a lot but it paid off in the

end.”

This answer manages to be both vague and very negative in its tone: sounding
negative is a risk when you are asked to describe ‘obstacles’ or problems that
occurred. What is needed is a much more structured and positively oriented
answer, as we show next.

3 Better answer:

“There were three main challenges in this situation. First was putting all the

evidence in front of the team to make it clear that we had to outsource; once
I showed them the work schedule and the key dates they agreed that we had
to go to an agency. Second was the challenge of getting the agencies up to

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