The questions we HATE being asked and how to tackle them Pt. 2

I checked on the thread that was linked to my request for questions, and I found a couple more! So I might have another 2 to 3 posts to address your questions, while keeping it as concise as possible. Thanks again to the The Official Ken Coleman Community members for your support and engagement! Let's get into some more questions.

How do you prioritize several important tasks when you don't have a lot of time?

The solution: Right now I can almost see the gears rotate in the minds of my faithful blog readers. They are thinking: "This sounds like a BEHAVIORAL question, and there is already a formula for answering this perfectly!"

I'm so proud of you all :)

For a breakdown on how to answer this and other behavioral questions using the STAR method, check out this post and my info-graphic for an explanation and examples.

The hiring manager wants to understand how you time manage, a soft skill that every job requires to some degree. Is time management and the respect of deadlines a strength of yours? Jot down what your process is with an actual example of a time where you had to multi-task. Then practice your answer.

Don't consider this a strength of yours to brag about? It doesn't matter. Think about a time when you had to multi-task, and were able to achieve your goal, even if it was not fun. Just be sure to talk about what you did, not how you felt doing it. School, an old job or even taming your children at home are sure to provide great stories.

Finally, I recommend that you finish your answer by stating how you would implement your method in your new role.

Example (Richard is interviewing for an Administrative Assistant role)

" I have learned to optimize my outlook calendar in order to track both my schedule and last minute projects. One time, I was asked to suddenly arrange an emergency meeting between our management and corporate, and I had only two days to complete it on my own. I needed to arrange logistics like refreshments and transportation for out of town attendees, while preparing a power point for the presentation. I wrote down all the tasks I needed to do related to the logistics and the power point. I decided that I needed to dedicate more time to the presentation. I color coded meeting related tasks and scheduled times to complete all my duties in my calendar. I even turned on alerts to keep me on track. Thanks to my outlook calendar, I was able to complete all my duties on time and the meeting was executed smoothly. Prioritizing the responsibilities that come with this role will be easy to do with my calendar. I would be prepared even for last minute projects."

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This is definitely another question that I would have voted for as being tough myself! The difficulty of this question often leads us to give a generic answers that we don't even believe in like "My weakness is I am too much of a perfectionist."

The Solution for Strengths: The good news is that you already have the answer, and it is in your resume! Review your resume for your skills and accomplishments. I suggest you pick two skills that you are very confident in and think of at least one example where you demonstrated each skill to solve a problem that mattered. That example may already be a bullet point in your resume, or something else that you forgot about before.

The solution for Weaknesses: Everyone has weaknesses, and the candidate that says they can't think of any has not only created a red flag in their interviewer's head, but has demonstrated that they have not prepared, or that they lack self-awareness. Definitely a weak impression to leave with a hiring manager. Weaknesses are simply what you consider areas for improvement. These areas should be:

a. Situational (not a "personality flaw")

b. Not a detriment to you being competent to this job.

c. Finish your answer by describing what you have done or would do to address it if hired.

A weakness that is based on a situation is easier to change. Examples include a responsibility or listed skill on the job description that you might not have not worked as much with, like a certain software or program, or it might be in your approach towards solving a problem, like juggling multiple deadlines. Areas for improvement should never cause your interviewer to doubt your ability to do the job. For example, a customer service representative candidate who doesn't consider himself a people person is not going to get the job.

Spend most of your time explaining what you have done or would do to work on that weakness in order to reinforce your interviewer's growing confidence in you. And never phrase your area for improvement as a "personality flaw." So I might want to say that I need to work on being able to optimize on a certain platform to keep track of multiple deadlines, not that I am a disorganized or chaotic person.

Example (Nicole is interviewing for a children's therapist role and was asked what her weakness was)

"I know that the role requires work with clients from ages 5-18 years and I have worked with fewer adolescents between the ages of 15 to 18 years than younger clients. But I have committed to reading more research on implementing motivational interviewing therapy with older adolescents, and I have already learned how to tailor therapeutic exercises to match this age group. With continued reading and an opportunity to shadow more seasoned staff, I can expand my repertoire."

Check out some of my other posts for some additional help with this question. For a guide on how to write about your relevant work experience that tells a story of your unique strengths that will engage employers, check out one of my work experience post here. It's one article from a resume 101 series that I really enjoyed putting together!

Question: What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses in the professional world? And what can you do to work on them? Comment on my social media and let's have a discussion!