Tell me about a time when you misjudged a person.

Answer Guide:

This question is to find out about well you adjust to the different personalities in your workplace.

Some time back, I had a co-worker that I felt was always extremely moody.  Being an upbeat and happy person, I had a difficult time with her moodiness but I did my best to adjust to it although I didn’t understand it. What I didn’t realize at the time was that she was going through a very painful divorce and she was dealing with it with little or no help from family and friends.  After I left the company a year later, I heard that she left the company a short time after me. One day, I made the decision to find her and call her just to say hello.  It was the best thing I ever did because we during that visit we became friends and we now meet and have lunch often.  I believe the whole experience has made me a much more thoughtful and accepting co-worker.

What is your preferred way to communicate?

Answer Guide:

This question is to find out about your personal communication style (be careful how you answer – saying that you “love to text” may give the wrong message).   

I have several ways of communicating at home.  I use email as one form of communication and also talk with friends and family via phone.  At work, I use only the approved forms of communication.  In the past, my employers have all established guidelines for communication in the office and I have followed those diligently.

If you could start your work life over what would you do differently?

Answer Guide:

This question is to find out if you have any detour that may be blocking your professional career.   

I am a forward looking thinker so this is a difficult question.  Looking back over my career, I don’t think I would really change much.  I have learned from each and every job experience and am always willing to learn more.  Perhaps, the only thing I might have done differently would have been to return to school earlier.  I try not to dwell on the things I could have done and to focus on what I plan to do in the future.

How do you balance your personal life and work?

Answer Guide:

This question is to find out if you have made personal arrangements to avoid calling in (such as daycare).   

I have worked on my organizational skills and feel that I can balance my personal life and my work life   I purchased a day planner which has really helped.  I also find the Outlook calendar very helpful.  I have a backup plan for anything that might come up so that I can full focus on my position and give it 100%.

Gap in Employment

What did you do during the six month gap in your employment?

Answer Guide:

Because I knew I was ready to re-enter the workforce at the earliest available date, I worked on a personal plan to get back to work. I re-vamped my resume, read self help books and internet sites, visited and applied to some employment agencies, and also built up a professional network through LinkedIn, Facebook, and twitter.   I connected with past co-workers who could attest to my work performance and asked them if I could use them as contacts.  I found that the websites offer job opportunities also through job postings.  Although the job search took longer than I anticipated, I learned a great deal about myself during my unemployment and realized that I am a person who really enjoys the challenge of working and will probably work well past my anticipated retirement age (smile).