I have always thought that a job interview is just as simple as walking into an office but there is more to that. Not too long ago, I went for a mock interview in a bank. I had a difficult time getting a mock interview set up in general; I have called Black Gold Farms, which the hiring manager was apparently out of town. The several others companies I contacted are too busy during the holiday season. I got dressed up just as I would go for a real interview, and went randomly in to a bank, and not to a business which would I chosen for the mock interview for the chosen field of study. I knew I had to be dressed for the mock interview, and in some businesses one is not required to dress up to much, but at the bank, the employees are always dressed up. I knew the loan officer who performed a mock interview with me, and asked me all the questions a hiring person would ask.
I found it difficult to talk about my weaknesses and even though everyone has strengths and weaknesses, I found it more comfortable to talk about the strengths as opposed to weaknesses. I did not know whether to be very honest or not, and may be too much honesty would jeopardize my chances even though it was a mock interview. I told him that I am a judgmental person and I saw him smiling, and sensed something was not okay as I was emphasizing so much on my weakness. Given a chance to redo this response, I would keep it short and use another term. I would make it look like a good quality for example I would say “I am a perfectionist but this trait is very beneficial in various spheres of work such as preparation of financial reports.”
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When he asked me to justify any exceptional attribute that would make me the best candidate, I quickly retorted that I can work very hard to achieve any goal. I should have been more specific as my response was too general and common. The interviewer may well have thought that I was not an exceptional candidate. Instead I should have used this opportunity to cite my merits. This would include exemplary performance in school, various projects and a successful initiative. All these evidence would attest to my exceptional abilities. This genuine account would set me above the rest. The interviewer would appreciate my pragmatic approach as opposed to mere promises.
He also wanted to know how I could handle a major problem that was likely to bring down the company. I elaborated on my skills as a well organized person, and explained that I would systematically solve any problem. I should have been more humble, and instead cited the importance of team work. Through team work, extensive research is conducted, and the ultimate solution is usually accurate. In addition, there is need for peer review in decision making especially in solving a major problem.
The interview was an important learning experience. In future, I know how to conduct myself in an interview setting. One should research on the company in order to understand the attributes required off all employees. There is need to give responses that are relevant to the sought job description. It does not help to be general as well as giving responses that are overly impressive.