There are hundreds of questions interviewers can ask potential employees, but there's one interview question you could be answering in a way that is costing you the job—and you don't even know it!
So, what's this one question? It's different for every person—and every position. But one thing about this question is the same. It starts out like this: "Do you have experience doing... (insert whatever responsibility, duty, etc. the employer is looking to find in someone)?"
Employers want to know you have the experience and the ability to perform the essential functions of the job. And you can usually tell where their biggest “hurts" are by the questions they ask during the interview. If they need someone with special expertise or experience in a given area, they're going to make sure they ask you about that experience.
So, how do you answer this all-important interview question in the best way possible?
"Tell Me About A Time When..."
The first way you can respond to the "experience question" is to use an example from your past experience about a time when you did XYZ—and, of course, the successful turnout that resulted.
"Tell me about a time when..." is a behavioral interview question. These types of questions require more than a "yes" or "no" answer. That's why you need to go into detail and tell a "story" in your explanation. At Work It DAILY, we coach everyone to use the "Experience + Learn = Grow" model when answering behavioral interview questions since it's the most effective way to come up with answers that give the employer exactly what they want to hear.
Having the experience and using the "Experience + Learn = Grow" model to talk about it is the best-case scenario when answering the "experience question." (Makes sense, right?)
But what do you do if you don't have the experience they're asking about? Then how do you answer?
Tell Them You're Confident
Just because you've never done something doesn't mean you can't do it. And it surely doesn't mean you can't excel at it.
If you're asked a question about prior experience regarding something you've never done, the best way to answer isn't to say “No, I've never done that," or “No, I don't have experience in that area." The best way to handle the question is to say something along these lines:
"While I have not had any direct experience in XYZ, I am a fast learner, and I am confident that I could (do, manage, direct, handle, etc.) XYZ successfully and exceed your expectations."
An effective way to enhance your previous confident response would be to share with the hiring manager about a time when you did do something very similar—or something that could in some way relate to the experience they are asking you about—using the "Experience + Learn = Grow" model to structure your answer.
However, no matter how you approach the question, be sure to emphasize that you're confident you can do whatever it is they're asking you about, and provide examples as to why you feel that way. It makes a potential employer feel better to know that you're confident in your abilities and talents—and it's also a far better alternative than just telling them, “No, I don't know how to do that," and possibly excluding yourself from consideration.
As we mentioned earlier, just because you haven't done something previously doesn't mean you can't do it, or never will be able to. And who knows? With time, you may even do it very well!
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