Interview Question of the Week: Tell me about your work week

photo credit: gadl

This week’s question is one that I have a tendency to use near the top of an interview.  It’s a good way to transition into more detailed, focused questions about your work experience.  More importantly, it’s a good way to learn a lot about a candidate’s work habits and their attitudes towards work.  Most candidates do not prep to answer this question, and the question itself is so open-ended that many candidates find themselves struggling to say what they think the interviewer wants to hear.  So what might an interviewer want to see from a candidate?

• Preferred work hours — How does the candidate talk about time?  Are they nine to five?  Do they complete work from home or outside of normal working hours?  Are they accustomed to being on call?
• Energy level/stamina/work pace — Does the candidate describe their workplace as fast-paced?  Intense?  Do they talk about juggling activities and responsibilities?  Are deadlines or client needs mentioned?
• Prioritization/Areas of focus — Do they talk about how they decide where to focus that week?  How the time breaks down among activities?

All of these speak to “cultural fit” — how closely the candidate’s natural work style and preferred work environment match with that of the organization.  Cultural fit is key to seeing a truly productive work relationship.

Because cultural fit is so important to your success on the job, it’s best that you answer this question completely honestly.  But you still need to prep:

1. Research the company in question and try to determine their work environment.  Is it structured or unstructured?  Formal or casual?  Are flexible schedules encouraged?  How does the organization approach meetings?  What are the organization’s strategic goals?
2. Identify areas where your work style and philosophy seem to match theirs, and figure out how to work them into your response.

So, let’s imagine you’re applying for a business development position at two different companies.  You’d tackle the question a little differently:

Case 1:  A highly casual, collaborative, fast-paced tech company in growth mode

“It’s hard to describe a typical week because things are so dynamic, but I typically put in around 50 hours a week.  We keep actual meetings short and focused, so a limited amount of my time is spent there, but it’s not uncommon for us to spend an afternoon talking strategy, or for my team to bring in lunch and spend a full day working with the developers to make sure the product delivers what the customer expects.”

Case 2: A more structured, results-oriented professional service firm

“Each week is a little different depending on the business objective.  The role is very dynamic, so I’ve worked to develop systems to ensure I’m getting adequate face time with prospects while still allowing me to react to changes in tactics.  I have a weekly update with my supervisor, and I meet with my assistant daily to make sure all client needs are being handled.”

Both answers can apply to the same job.  The difference is identifying what you think are going to be hot buttons for the potential employer and adjusting your tone and focus for the role in question.

One more thing…  A few things that will likely land you on the bottom of the candidate pile:

• Expressing an unwillingness to do what it takes to deliver results,
• Saying that you often have little to do (find something!),
• Not demonstrating a thoughtful approach as to how your week is structured, or
• Bemoaning meetings.

Your answer should be proactive, focused on how you take control of your time to ensure your success.  You’ll give them more than they asked for, but just what they’re looking for.

For additional help with interview questions, see previous posts 1, 2 & 3.  Then, subscribe via RSS or email (use the signup form to the right) to be sure you see new interview advice as it is published.

Related posts:

1. Interview Question of the Week: Tell Me About Yourself
2. Interview Question of the Week New Grad Edition: How did you choose your major?
3. Interview Question of the Week: What would your last supervisor say about you?
4. Interview Question of the Week: Why are you looking for work?
5. Interview Question of the Week: What has been your greatest success?

Tagged as: Career, interview prep, job change, job hunt, job search, preparation, time management