As far as a job interview goes, having proper diction, dressing well, polishing up your resume, and describing your skillsets eloquently are strong places to start. Regardless of the type of job, there are hard and fast do’s and don’ts to heed when heading in for an interview.
This quiz allows you to test your knowledge on a sampling of industry-specific slogans and personality pairings from a handful of career fields. See what you know off the top of your head for fun, and then brush up on the latest for YOUR career and how you can prepare for an interview, even if only hypothetically.
If a company is looking to hire an engineer, the interviewer is probably looking for someone who is:
- Meticulous and Thorough
- A Problem Solver and Creative
- A Numbers Cruncher and Math Minded
- Flexible and Open Minded
Someone being considered for a sales position should probably be:
- A Good Listener
- A Risk-Taker
- A Self-Starter
- Detail Oriented
Someone who is looking to pursue accounting should most importantly be:
- Numbers driven
- Have perfectionist tendencies
- Data driven
- Efficient
If a company is looking to hire someone entrepreneurial, they are most likely looking for someone:
- Strategic
- Mathematical
- Abstract
- Visionary
If you are interviewing for a position as a counselor, it’s ideal to spotlight your:
- Analytical Skills
- Communication Skills
- Confidence
- Empathy and Compassion
A company looking to hire a manager is likely looking for someone who:
- Is a go-getter
- Leads by example
- Thinks outside the box
- Is a people person
If a company is looking to hire a human resources representative, they are probably looking for someone who is:
- Good with people
- Kind and considerate
- Skilled at conflict resolution
- Organized
If someone is interviewing to be an esthetician, they should most importantly be:
- Artistic
- Savvy
- Energetic
- Visionary
If a company is looking to hire an engineer, the interviewer is probably looking for someone who is:
- Meticulous and Thorough
- A Problem Solver and Creative
- A Numbers Cruncher and Math Minded
- Flexible and Open Minded
Someone being considered for a sales position should probably be:
- A Good Listener
- A Risk-Taker
- A Self-Starter
- Detail Oriented
Someone who is looking to pursue accounting should most importantly be:
- Numbers driven
- Have perfectionist tendencies
- Data driven
- Efficient
If a company is looking to hire someone entrepreneurial, they are most likely looking for someone:
- Strategic
- Mathematical
- Abstract
- Visionary
If you are interviewing for a position as a counselor, it’s ideal to spotlight your:
- Analytical Skills
- Communication Skills
- Confidence
- Empathy and Compassion
A company looking to hire a manager is likely looking for someone who:
- Is a go-getter
- Leads by example
- Thinks outside the box
- Is a people person
If a company is looking to hire a human resources representative, they are probably looking for someone who is:
- Good with people
- Kind and considerate
- Skilled at conflict resolution
- Organized
If someone is interviewing to be an esthetician, they should most importantly be:
- Artistic
- Savvy
- Energetic
- Visionary
Industry-Specific Interview Techniques
What’s harder to nail, however, are the industry-specific buzzwords and catchphrases that interviewers and hiring managers may be on the hunt to hear. Not only that, but many hiring managers are looking for the interviewee to spotlight certain personality traits and quirks that are often associated with traditionally successful candidates. Cracking the code on what these industry-specific terms and traits are can be a challenge, but once you know what hiring managers are looking for, you undoubtedly have a significantly higher chance of satisfying job requirements, allowing you to be more selective with your job search.
Each career field is adorned with its niche groups and individuals. There’s a reason that surgeons are often more classically both detail-oriented and precise, being that they’re responsible for the intricacies of people’s organs. It also stands to reason that teachers are often good-natured and humorous – or should be, since they’re almost always dealing with children and adolescents for eight hours each day! You’d expect a florist to be gifted with an eye for design and color pairings as they structure bouquets for a variety of occasions. Therefore, you can see how it would be off-putting if a hospital hiring manager was suddenly trusting of a haphazard surgeon, a principal eager to hire a curmudgeon or a flower shop owner impressed by an employee uninterested in nature.
Knowing the ins and outs of all kinds of industries helps you to rise above the crowd in an interview setting, of course, but more importantly, it gives you as the applicant either affirmation that you are in the right field or a prompting to pursue something else that headlines your true strengths.