How To Answer Interview Questions About Your Experience

Preparing for an interview can be a stressful and daunting process, irrespective of where you are in your career.

From examining the job description to conducting research on the company to the mental preparations, it’s understandable that you’d have some stress on providing the right answers to interview questions about your experience when you’re asked.  

Typically, interviewers would ask questions about your experience to have a better understanding of how your work experience and background relate to the position you want to fill and to ensure that you are the best candidate most suited for the job. 

Interview questions about your work experience may come in variations like;

Describe your related experience.

Tell me about your work experience.

Do you think your experience matches the needs of the role?

How does your prior experience prepare you for this job?

Do you think you are qualified for this position?

Although they come in many variations, they all relate to the same thing; your experience. Preparing yourself ahead will help you get ready for these types of interview questions.

Your aim during the interview should be to demonstrate that you can take on the responsibilities required for the job and show that you have the potential to grow as a professional.

Let’s take a closer look at how to answer interview questions about your experience. 

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Best Ways To Answer Interview Questions About Your  Experience

The best response is to describe your responsibilities and achievements from your previous jobs and connect them to the job you are interviewing for.

Explain to your interviewers the work you’ve done, the skills you learned, and any key career move you’ve made to improve yourself. 

Did you get a promotion in your last job? Did you accomplish something remarkable for your previous employer? It would be ideal to mention it now. 

How about the challenges you faced? How did you overcome them? Were you a problem solver? This is the best time to market yourself and demonstrate to show that you’re the right man for the job! 

But while you answer, make sure to think about how your information links with the position you are looking to fill. 

Amongst many others, companies want assets, problem solvers, creative minds, and individuals with productive skills to help them advance. If your story fits into these descriptions, you are very likely to be considered. But make you are honest while speaking to the panel or interviewer as the case may be.

Before you attend an interview, make sure you always make research about the company. Take time to study their job description and role so that you know the skills they care about the most.

Are you a team player? What are your skills in leadership? If you’ve had any experiences with leading, no matter how small, tell them to your listeners. Tell them how it went and what you learned from it. 

Your answers should be tailored to fit the job description and needs.

Also read: What Is a Mock Interview and How Will It Help Me Get A Job?

Keys For Giving The Best Answers

Match Your Experience To Your Job Description

Make sure you highlight and emphasize your qualifications and experience that would help you achieve success on the job.

Quantify Your Response

Like I said earlier, your interviewer would be looking to hire a candidate who has problem-solving skills and can harness them for the company’s benefit, whether it’s acquiring more customers or boosting sales. Make sure you quantify your response when answering your interviewer.

Make Use Of Statistics

Making use of statistics can be very persuasive. During your previous job, how much did you increase sales or save your company money? Using numbers and percentages to show your achievements or successes can be very compelling.

Show Proficiency In The Skills Needed For The Job Description

One thing that can make you stand out from the rest of the applicants is being able to describe your former work effectively.

It is very important and providing specific and quantifiable proof of your accomplishments and knowledge will show your interviewers that you have transferable experience which will be of benefit to them.

Have Alternative Answers Ready As A Backup

What if your interviewer uses a different tactic and asks you about another aspect of your experience? It’s always good and smart to come well prepared with several responses in case your interviewer come with a different tack.

Do Not Memorize Your Responses

When answering questions from your interviewer, you want to sound relaxed, natural, and confident. While you practice, avoid trying to learn your responses by rote, rather focus on key points to emphasize to get your point across to your interviewer. 

Be Honest

While you sell yourself, do not embellish your job. It’s very important, to be honest, and accurate about the things you say; you do not know who the hiring manager would be speaking to when they check your references. 

Also read: How To Answer A Job Interview Question “What are You Passionate About”

What To Avoid When Answering Interview Questions About Your Experience

While answering interview questions about work experience, there are some things to avoid during the interview. 

Giving Unclear Answers For Valid Questions

When you are asked a question in an interview, give specific and clear answers that relate directly to the question you were asked.

For instance, if you had written in your resume that you have experience in solving problems and the question arises, you need to back up that claim with clear examples from the past. 

Failing To Answer In A Concise Manner

You need to effectively respond to interview questions whenever you are questioned. Your answers should be concise and straight to the point.

Also when preparing for answers to sample questions, think about possible follow-up questions that could come up and prepare yourself peradventure they are asked.

Speaking Poorly Of Your Previous Employers

This should be avoided at all costs. In all your sayings, do not speak poorly of your former employers instead share what you learned from your experiences and try to focus on the skills you developed while you were with them.

An interviewer may ask you a question like “how do you handle working with people you disagree with”. If such a question arises try to answer the question on a positive note.

It shows that you are equipped with conflict resolution skills and you can work well with others and it would be a bonus for you.

Conclusion

Even though your work experience is on your resume or CV, interviewers would still ask you verbally about your experience.

Your ability to summarize your work history and relate to the position you are vying for shows that you’ve reflected on your potential employer’s expectations. 

Following the tips we’ve provided would help you effectively answer interview questions about your experience.