In What Way Has College Prepared You for This Job?

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter discusses how to answer this question easily and effectively.

8 Months After Graduation & STILL No Job?

This is another 1 of those tough interview questions and this one is asked of graduates more than it is of experience people.  Sometimes, it is asked junior people because the employer’s trying to figure out a way to differentiate one person from another, they have run out of questions . . .  stuff along those lines.  It is often asked of recent graduates.

“In what ways has your college experience prepared you for your career?”  

Answering this question requires you to think past the surface but you have to give them the surface answer.  The surface answer is, “Well, the obvious thing to me is that it gave me an understanding of the fundamentals that will be helpful in my career.  It gave me a knowledge of the subject, a knowledge of the history of this… something along those lines where you appear as though you’re being contemplative by pausing, thinking, reflecting in a certain way. 

So, let me just repeat that part of the answer.  “It it kind of gave me an undersanding of the fundamentals.  I don’t want to say that he gave me a complete knowledge because it obviously hasn’t; I have a lot more learn.  However, it gave me an understanding of the fundamentals that I would need for this career.  In addition, in the course of being in school, I carry pretty heavy workload.  So, I learned the importance of prioritizing. I worked in teams with people.  So, I learned how to work with others.  I also had opportunities to practice leadership skills.  I learned how to motivate people to do what they said they wanted to do but just weren’t doing.  At the same time, my university (and maybe this isn’t the case for you; if it is don’t say it) they required that we carried 2 extra courses along the way, in my major.  As a result, I’m used to carrying a pretty heavy load.  In working my way through all the stuff .so  . . “

So, again, the fundamentals on prioritizing, being a team player, leadership, and finally and carrying a heavy workload and prioritizing my way through it.  So, that’s the right answer to that question.  I encourage you to the frame it in your way with your language, but that’s the fundamentals I would work with.

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