When were you most satisfied with your job? More candidates should consider this question before applying for a job. It is the cornerstone of a good interview and a satisfying career.
The best answers to this question focus on a small change the candidate can make to the question before providing an answer. Change “When are you…” to “What does it look like…” when you were most satisfied at your job. What it ‘looks like’ addresses behaviors. And interviewers can see behaviors.
A good answer is a clear, direct, and behavioral statement that sounds like this… “In my most satisfying job, I was using (these skills) to work on (these issues) with (these colleagues) serving (these clients) in (this environment). It is clear and allows the interviewer to see you working.
Tips:
- Deconstruct what makes you satisfied at work:
- Skills you use and love
- Issues or topics you address
- People you work with as colleagues
- People you serve as customers or clients
- Environments that give you energy
- Develop stories that tell an interviewer “what it looks like” when you are satisfied at work in each of these areas.
- Pull these five elements together to tell an interviewer what your most satisfying work experience includes with clear, focused, and accessible answers.