Interviews are tricky at the best of times, as a potential employer is trying to discover what your skills, traits and weaknesses are, and if you’re a good fit for the position and company.
They’ll do this by asking some leading and inquisitive questions, some of which are really difficult to answer – and none are much more difficult than “How would your current boss describe you?”
It’s hard enough trying to come up with three words to describe yourself, but trying to put words into someone else’s mouth – especially your boss – is even harder.
The most important thing to remember when answering this question is to be honest – you don’t want to to be caught out when the interviewer does actually contact your boss themselves for a reference and they describe you in completely the opposite way.
Think about how you and your boss get on and how your relationship is in the work environment, and this will form the majority of your answer, but remember that you still want to impress the interviewer.
If your boss wasn’t your biggest fan and you didn’t always see eye-to-eye, still be honest, but turn the negatives into a positive. For example, if you took slightly longer completing tasks, or asked an awful lot of questions, say that your boss would describe you as someone who’s very meticulous, always inquisitive and curious.
You can expand on this by saying you have good attention to detail and like things to be perfect so take your time with tasks, and you ask a lot of questions because you’re always eager to learn and develop professionally.
Explaining your answers in this way will give you the chance to paint a great picture of yourself to the interviewer, as well as cover your back if the interviewer does speak to your boss directly.
On the flip side, if your boss thought really highly of you and was really happy with the way you work – that’s great, and it makes answering this question a whole lot easier!
Tell the interviewer exactly what it was about you that your boss loved – whether it was your punctuality, dedication, or your creative ideas – and explain how these will benefit the company.
However, even though your boss may have thought you were a fantastic employee, be careful not to be too boastful, as this will come across as arrogant and conceited – two very negative traits.
When thinking about how your boss would describe you, also consider what sort of skills and traits the interviewer is looking for in their perfect candidate, and try to include these in your answer.
For example, if the job requires some people management experience, perhaps mention that your boss would say you were good at leading a team and inspiring people to get their work done.
Or, if the position you’re interviewing for includes the need for you to be creative and innovative, then you could say that your boss liked how you came up with new and unique ideas for the business on a regular basis.
Overall, be honest, but make sure you put a positive spin on any answer you give, and always try and link your answer to what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate for this position.
So there we go, some tips on how to answer “How would your current boss describe you?” Do you agree with these tips or have any of your own?
Let me know in the comments below!
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: How To Answer “How Would Your Current Boss Describe You?”
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