What's on this Page?
An interview guide for self-assessment questions
These questions are in the category of self-assessment. Many employers want to know that you are aware of yourself, your own actions and emotions. Are you the kind of person who will notice when other employees are unhappy with their job performance? Are you the kind of person who knows their own weaknesses and tries to compensate for them? Are you the kind of person who can self-correct? Now to the interview guide.
What adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Your working style?
My comments: Use complimentary adjectives, but not overly "god-like" You want to make yourself sound like a great candidate, but not too good to be true. Also, think ahead of time what adjectives you would REALLY use to describe yourself.
My Example #1: Friendly, social, and outgoing. Also, motivated, and focused.
My Example #2: Organized, task-oriented, goal-oriented, skilled.
What do you like to do best? What do you like to do least?
My comments: This question is not about your hobbies, although that isn't necessarily out of bounds as an answer. It might be worth clarifying if the interviewer prefers a personal answer or a work related answer.
My Example #1: Managing an office is all about the people to me. I am capable of doing paperwork and billing or whatever else is required, but the real highlight of managing an office for me is helping people solve all their problems big and small.
My Example #2: I know it sounds funny, but I just really love cleaning teeth! I love how someone can come into the office with calcification and staining on their teeth and through my skill and care they leave with sparkling clean teeth. Cleaning teeth is an instant-rewards kind of job and I find it very satisfying.
What kinds of things do you feel most confident doing?
My comments: This question is pretty straightforward. Think of something you will need to do for the job and what you might feel comfortable with.
My Example #1: I feel very confident with billing and budgeting. I'm good with numbers and I'm very organized. Creating a balanced budget is very satisfying for me.
My Example #2: I feel the most confident coloring and highlighting hair. I have an eye for colors and I can usually see what kinds of colors would really flatter a client even as they walk into the salon. Of course, I always do whatever the client wants, but I often offer suggestions and people have always been very pleased with my work in the past.
What frustrates you?
My comments: Be honest, but moderate.
My Example #1: I really don't like office politics. I've always been a plain-speaking kind of person, in other words, I say what I mean. I don't have the political savvy for all the games that are played by the department heads or the administration. I have come a long way since I started in this business, but I usually prefer to leave the politics to those who better understand the game.
My Example #2: What really frustrates me is when I get stuck doing a menial, but necessary task, such as stuffing envelopes, for example, instead of working on higher level tasks. It's not that I think I'm "above" such work, it's just that there's usually so many things to do and I always feel like I'm wasting my time doing something so easy when I could be doing something more difficult that requires my expertise.
Thanks for checking out this Interview Guide for Self-Assessment page. The next page will be an interview guide for three categories of questions: Motivation, Leadership, and Presentation. Click here to go to the Motivation, Leadership, and Presentation page.
Click here to go back to the Home Page
Top of Page (The interview guide self-assessment page)
Click here to go to the main interview questions page