| Best regards | | | | |
| | | | What were the stimulating tasks of this job? |
| Carole Martin | | | | Was it theleadership aspect? Or, was it the |
| | | | challenge of coordinatingthe details, and |
| Pre-Job Interview Thinking - Knowing What You | | | | people? Was it completing the project ontime |
| Want | | | | or below budget? Were there customers |
| | | | involved |
| Question ? "When have you been most | | | | |
| motivated?" | | | | (internal or external) ? if so, is that what |
| | | | you found mostchallenging? What didn't you |
| This question is more than an interview | | | | like, and hope that you willdo less of in |
| question; it is aquestion that you should be | | | | your next job? |
| asking yourself before theinterview. When | | | | |
| have you been most satisfied in your work? | | | | After you have written this list for your |
| | | | current job, trydoing the same thinking about |
| When did you feel like you were making a | | | | previous jobs. If yourecently graduated from |
| difference ormaking a contribution? | | | | college, use the classes that weremost |
| Basically, it's about knowing whatyou want. | | | | stimulating and interesting for you, or the |
| | | | projectsyou worked on with teams. |
| A simple exercise that will help you answer | | | | |
| this questionwill also help you look inside | | | | By making lists of motivating experiences |
| yourself to think about whatyou want "more | | | | from your lasttwo or three jobs, you will |
| of," and what you want "less of" in yournext | | | | hopefully begin to see patternsof projects |
| job. People usually perform at a higher level | | | | and tasks that stand out. Analyze what you |
| if theyare satisfied with the work that they | | | | didbefore. Do you want more of this type of |
| do ? and as a resultare more motivated to | | | | responsibility inyour next job? The answers |
| give 100% - plus. | | | | to these questions will give youthe answer to |
| | | | the motivation question as well |
| Exercise to Find the Answer | | | | aspossibilities for fulfillment in future |
| | | | jobs that havesimilar responsibilities. |
| An exercise that will help you with the | | | | |
| answer to thisquestion as well as assist you | | | | Take this list of motivating experiences and |
| in looking inward todetermine when you were | | | | script ananswer to the question, "What |
| working at your fullest potentialis a simple | | | | motivates you?" Scriptinganswers prepares you |
| one. Begin by making a list of the tasks | | | | and also makes you sound moreconfident. |
| atyour last job ? the tasks that you were | | | | |
| particularly proudof, or were energized by. | | | | The Perfect Answer |
| In other words, "when your jobturned you on." | | | | |
| Think about the last time you were soinvolved | | | | There is no such thing as the "perfect" |
| in a project or task that you woke up | | | | answer to thisquestion. Your answer will be |
| thinkingabout how you could improve the | | | | individual and based on yourown experience |
| situation. Write thoseexperiences down and | | | | and analysis. It will reveal to |
| try to determine what the factors werethat | | | | theinterviewer and to yourself what you |
| were satisfying for you. | | | | thrive on in yourwork. Even if you are not |
| | | | asked this question, yourpre-interview |
| Let's say you were a "Project Leader." The | | | | thinking, analysis, and scripting, will |
| tasks list wouldread something like ? "Led a | | | | helpyou be more focused and in control of |
| team - Coordinated andmonitored project | | | | want you want in yournext job. Knowing what |
| progress - Assured the flow andcompletion of | | | | you want will make you feel moreconfident |
| work on schedule ? Monitored expenditures | | | | about finding the right job. |
| andbudget." | | | | |