Clearly articulating your past achievements and experiences in your previous job can help your interviewer gauge what you can bring to your potential role.
Hence, it is normal for an interviewer to ask: “What did you learn from your previous job?”
It is essential to understand that you are not being questioned about what you did at your last job.
Rather, you are being asked what skills or experience you gained, what you learned about yourself and what you learned about the industry you were involved in previously.
Having attained relevant skills will make you more desirable during the interview process, and it will provide you with a better advantage over other candidates.
1. Don’t make up stories
If the lesson you describe and your experiences in your previous company do not sync, it’s considered a made-up story.
If you’ve been at the job for only several months or a year, those elevated explanations might lead your interviewer to think that you are faking it.
Instead describe the skills you picked up, such as how to maintain company assets or how you managed a team of co-workers.
2. Avoid looking or sounding hesitant
Hanging on to the interviewer’s question without any response for the first few seconds will result in an awkward silence that will be hard to recover from.
If you’re stumped, try not to lose your composure. You might just end up showing how nervous and agitated you are.
Instead, stay calm and think about how best to construct an answer.
3. Talk about the company culture
Describing your previous workplace culture goes to show that you have a keen interest in how things are running in the company and how the employees are reacting to it.
For example, you can answer like this: “Working in a setting to achieve monthly objectives taught me how to plan and strategise ahead. I realised that there isn’t always a shortcut to getting things done. This lesson showed me how to adapt in this workplace setting because I will be prepared and steadfast in ensuring everything is planned properly.”
4. Talk about your experience with your co-workers
Most interviewees describe that they enjoyed working with their co-workers but it doesn’t expand or dive down into the details.
Instead of giving a general answer, make a viable point about your relationships and skills to interact with your previous colleagues.
Make specific mention about the lessons you learned and how it helped you thrive in the position you are interviewing for now.
Take for example, “I am a patient listener and good communicator. This has been the recipe for my success as a sales manager. For instance, my willingness to listen to my teammates has helped me to inspire everyone and improve our sales record.”
5. Talk about your typical work week
When preparing for this answer, think about the position you want to apply for and how your previous position can relate to it.
Focus on the major tasks and talk about how you go through those daily tasks every week.
Emphasise more on tasks that are essential in the new position, and feel free to go in detail about the duties that display your organisational skills.
Provide real-life examples, such as how you deal with negotiating with prospects and explain one particular technique to convince them to buy into your product or service.
This article first appeared in jobstore.com
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