Some of the trickiest interview questions you may come across in the recruitment process are questions like, “what do you least like about your job?” or “why do you want to leave your current job”.
You know that it’s important to be open and honest with your interviewer, but you also don’t want to air out all of your dirty laundry either.
Striking the perfect balance takes tact. But with careful thought and planning, you can breeze through these questions from a place of confidence and strength. To help, here are a few do’s and don’ts to consider when preparing for negative questions ahead of your next job interview.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Answering Negative Interview Questions
Don’t: Blast Previous Employers
Although tempting, negative questions are not a sign that you should vent out all of your frustrations about your current or past employers. It is not productive to offload things like how much you hate your manager or how you don’t feel valued by your team. Not only that, but your interviewer will be carefully watching your response to see if you “take the bait” to vent when given the opportunity.
Do: Stay Professional and Positive
Although a question may feel negative, that doesn’t mean your response has to be negative, too. For example, instead of saying that your current job role is “boring,” you can say that it’s not challenging anymore or that you wish you had more opportunities for growth. This shows your interviewer that you are not only capable of evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, but that you are also capable of seeing the positive side of a situation.
Don’t: Gossip or Talk About Your Coworkers
This should go without saying but never gossip or share workplace rumors in an interview. Your interviewer wants to see that you will fit in well socially with your potential team, and speaking negatively about colleagues in an interview setting can reflect poorly on your character.
Do: Talk About Your Specific Tasks and Responsibilities
Instead of talking negatively about the people at your current workplace, try to keep the conversation centered around your specific tasks and responsibilities. This helps to keep your answer as objective as possible, while also showing your interviewer that you can have a constructive conversation about your strengths.
Don’t: Overshare or Ramble
When caught off guard by a negative question, it’s easy to fall into the trap of oversharing or rambling on for too long. In many cases, this can cause us to share things that we didn’t really want to share. Or, it can make us veer off-topic altogether which is frustrating for an interviewer. So if you are surprised to hear a negative interview question, it’s okay to take a moment to breathe and gather your thoughts before answering.
Do: Keep Your Answers Brief
A negative interview question is uncomfortable enough as it is, and there is no need to drag out your answer. Instead, try to keep it as brief as possible while also making sure to give it a positive spin. It may help to write down some examples ahead of time to mentally prepare yourself.
Don’t: Talk About Your Limitations
There may be things about your current job that you’re just not good at. However, now is not the time to bring up all of the mistakes you’ve made or how stressed out you are. So instead of focusing on your limitations and why you want to leave, try to focus on the responsibilities that you do enjoy and how the role you’re applying for will be a better fit for what you’re actually good at.
Final Thoughts
You may not be able to control which questions you are asked in an interview, but you can control how you respond.
So when you are faced with a negative question at your next interview, try to remember the following key takeaways:
- Never gossip or vent
- Keep your answer brief and straightforward
- Always stay positive!
You’ve got this!
