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Work assignments during interview process: here’s how to handle this request.

When you prepare for a job interview, you likely will  read up on the company , your interviewers and any other subject that will help. But you should also be prepared for your prospective employer to ask you to complete work assignments during interview process.

You may ask, what would I do if an employer asked me to produce free work as part of hiring process? Make sure you can answer that question because it could come up during your job interview. Employers are increasingly asking job candidates to complete work that demonstrates their skills and problem solving.

Some employers believe the assignments help weed out candidates who are not truly interested in the job. They believe if candidates accept the assignment, they will work hard to prove their worthiness as an employee. They also may believe if candidates question the assignment, they may not be as interested in the position.

How work assignments during interview process help employers

Employers that use this tactic say it helps them see how candidates would approach the role that they are interviewing for, so it is helpful. The  average corporate job opening  receives more than 200 applicants, resulting in four to six candidate interviews. The interview assignment also helps candidates who may not interview well to shine by showing off their skills in the exercise.

An employer also may use the assignment to learn more about the candidate’s work process. Will they complete the assignment before deadline? Will they produce work that goes beyond the minimum needed to complete the assignment?

In some cases, it could be a brief, timed exercise that the employer gives to each candidate. These assignments are not likely to produce work the employer can use. It is more of a boilerplate problem for candidates to solve or a simple writing exercise to complete.

Read More: How To Ace Your Next Corporate Development Interview: Questions and Answers

How work assignments during interview process help job applicants

The interview assignment can help job applicants during the interview process. It is a great way to prove that you are the best candidate for the job. If you do a really good job on the assignment, the employer may be willing to offer more money for salary.

The assignment also gives you insight into the prospective employer’s expectations. It can be difficult at times with some jobs to understand exactly what the daily responsibilities and duties are. Such assignments can help shed light on that for you, and may help you decide whether to take the job.

If you complete the assignment and enjoyed the work, this could be a great sign. If you find the work tedious and not what you expected, it can help identify problems in the job.

What type of interview assignments can you expect?

Most companies are likely not looking for free work from candidates. But they must be sensitive to concerns that candidates will have that their time is not valued. The truth is, some companies receive free work from these arrangements and benefit from it.

There are examples of employers asking candidates to complete more involved exercises, then using the candidates’ work product. For example, a copywriter interviewing for a marketing job may draft content that the marketing team can later use without compensating the candidate. An applicant for a project manager job might develop a workflow plan and budget for a pending project that can be used.

Some employers are sending candidates home with work assignments during interview process that are quite involved. You should be aware that these requests are out there and develop a plan to respond to it.

It is reasonable for employers to ask candidates to demonstrate their skills, perhaps with an assignment that might take an hour. It is not reasonable to ask candidates to tackle assignments that take longer, maybe even days, without compensation. Here are some tips for handling requests to complete work assignments during interview process.

What is a reasonable and unreasonable assignment request?

First, it must be emphasized that employers asking candidates to complete simple, quick assignments is not unusual or unreasonable. In these cases, the person conducting the job interview can explain that this assignment is given to each candidate. It is a repeated task that is not used by the company to complete work without compensation.

It is important for candidates to know what the assignment is used for and how it fits into the interview process. This can be a useful tool to narrow down a finalist list for a position and to pressure test candidate claims about skills.

However, the problem occurs when a candidate receives an overly long and involved assignment request. If the candidate is given multiple days to complete the assignment, that is an indication that it may be too complicated. If a complicated assignment is given with unrealistic deadlines, that also is a red flag to consider.

But how can a candidate competing with others for a good job handle such involved assignments? The biggest fear is if you refuse, the employer will simply move on to candidates who will do the job. Here are several tips to consider when thinking about how to respond to interview assignment.

Suggest a simpler exercise

If you are presented with an assignment that appears complicated and involved, you could consider proposing an alternative. You can tell the employer that you have other work commitments that make it difficult now to complete the assignment. But tell them you are willing to complete an alternative that is less involved.

You can explain that your current job keeps you very busy and you have many commitments now. But offer to complete an exercise that takes about an hour or so to complete. This allows you to protect your valuable time, while also offering them insight into your process.

Offer samples of work similar to assignment

It is not unusual for you to explain that you have limited time outside of work. If you are asked to complete work assignments during interview process, tell the employer you do not typically do spec work. You can offer to share work you have done that is similar to the assignment.

If you have a portfolio of your work, tell them this will offer them the insight they seek into how you complete work assignments. You can even offer to arrange an interview with past supervisors who can discuss the quality of your work.

Find out more about the assignment

If the request you receive in the job interview to complete an assignment appears excessive, ask why it is requested. You can ask what they intend to do with the work you produce from the assignment. Ask them how many candidates will complete the task and are they all the same tasks.

If the assignment is particularly lengthy, you can ask if candidates have declined in the past to complete it. You can also ask if they have considered paying applicants as freelancers to complete the assignment. Also, ask how long to hear back after interview assignment if you elect to complete it.

Ask the Prospective Employer for Payment

Remember, the job interview is a vehicle for you to determine if the employer is right for you. It is a chance to speak candidly and professionally with your prospective employer. You can explain that you are willing to complete the assignment if they will compensate you for it.

As the rap singer Kanye West said, “Know your worth. People always act like they’re doing more for you than you’re doing for them.” You are showing the prospective employer that you know your worth by asking for compensation.

This idea only works when the assignment is particularly extensive and potentially can be used by the employer. Discuss options with the employer about payment, including whether a paid trial assignment will work. You could also offer to forgo payment if the employer decides to hire you.

How the company responds to your request will tell you a lot about it. If a company expects free work before they hire you, it likely will  expect free work  as part of your job.

How to decline an interview assignment and stay in the running

The best way to decline an interview assignment is to be honest. If you believe the assignment is too complicated and will take too long, tell them. If you are worried that the assignment poses a conflict in your other job, tell them.

Your job interviewer may offer some flexibility if you are honest with them. They may also determine that the assignment is not necessary if you are the top candidate contending. It is possible that the interviewer will also agree to an alternative assignment.

Employers asking candidates to complete assignments must recognize that applicants have limited time. It is not reasonable to expect them to complete a task that will eat up hours of their time. And if candidates produce excellent work, offer to pay them.

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Jenny Palmer

Founder of Eggcellentwork.com. With over 20 years of experience in HR and various roles in corporate world, Jenny shares tips and advice to help professionals advance in their careers. Her blog is a go-to resource for anyone looking to improve their skills, land their dream job, or make a career change.

Further Reading...

10 Must-Have Tools to Organize Your Job Search

How to Deal with Interview Questions and Answers Salary Expectations (With Examples)

Top 5 Weird Interview Questions You May Want To Be Ready For

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Sending an interview assignment: example email

This is an email template you can use when you want to send an assignment to your candidates as part of your hiring process. For some positions, especially technical roles, adding a written assignment or test will help you evaluate your candidates’ skills through a real work project and screen people who approach problems the best way.

Email subject line: Assignment for the [ Job_title ] position

Hi [ Candidate_Name ] / Dear [ Candidate_Name ],

Please find attached an assignment as part of our interview process. I’m also attaching some instructions to help you complete the assignment.

Keep in mind that there are no ‘right answers.’ This assignment is designed is to gauge your skills and give us an idea of how you approach tasks relevant to the [ Job_Title ] role. It would be great if you could send this over to us [ within X time frame or by Y date ].

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Best of luck with the assignment,

[ Your name ] [ Signature ]

[When you receive the assignment]

Thank you for completing the assignment. Our team will review it and get back to you with feedback as soon as possible.

I hope you enjoy your day,

• Read about smart interview techniques to hire the right people.
• Read about common mistakes to avoid when interviewing top candidates .

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5 Examples of Take-Home Tasks for Different Roles

Assigning take-home tasks when hiring is much like marmite, coriander, or Hawaiian pizza. Your candidates will either love it or hate it.

The ‘love it’ camp likely welcomes the opportunity to showcase their skills and appreciate the time to think it through versus answering questions on the spot in an interview.

However, the ‘hate it’ group sees it as doing work for free, might already have portfolios of work that give a much fairer picture of their experience level, and resent the infringement on their personal time (regardless of how this might be their dream job).

What we can learn from this dichotomy is that while a take-home assignment is not right for every role, it’s still worth it for some. To figure out if it’s a fit for the role you’re hiring for, let’s look at five good examples of take-home tasks that your candidates will (hopefully) love.

TL;DR — Key Takeaways

A take-home assignment is an important part of the interview process that focuses on candidates crafting and completing real-world tasks .

Incorporating a take-home assignment will give your organization better insight and skill observation over candidates. However, job seekers may see take-home tests as time-consuming, exploitative, or manipulative.

The perfect take-home assignment should be structured around providing the candidate with clarity about the role, respecting their time, and ensuring consistent testing criteria.

Toggl Hire introduced homework tasks in our skills assessment library! It’s never been easier to raise the quality of your hires with reliable proof of competence.

What are take-home tasks?

A take-home assignment is given to candidates during the interview process to complete in their own time and shows the hiring manager how the job seeker is able to complete a task.

These assignments generally consist of coding tests for developers , presentations for upper-level management, and campaigns for marketers. They’re given to candidates after the first interview round. The success will determine if the candidate makes it to the second round.

Pros and cons of a take-home assignment

Obviously, there are pros and cons to using a take-home assignment, right? Of course! So let’s go over the big ones.

• Skill observation : It allows the hiring company to understand the candidate’s skills in action and their thought process.

• Insight : The take-home interview assignment will allow the candidate to have a better understanding of the position, break any key assumptions, and what the company expects of them.

• Supplemental information : If done early in the interview process, an interview assignment allows the candidate’s skills to do the talking as opposed to the hiring manager only relying on the resume.

• Less pressure : Because a Q&A interview can be a pressure cooker, the take-home assignment makes the interviewing candidate feel more at ease.

• Time-consuming : A hiring team may claim the assignment will only take several hours to prepare and complete, but any interview assignment over more than an hour is cutting into the candidate’s personal time and current job.

• Ethical concerns and lost earnings : Asking a candidate to complete an unpaid work assignment can be seen as unethical and equivalent to unpaid labor. Some companies may even go so far as to steal the ideas of the candidate, use them, and not give credit or compensate the candidate.

• Limited personal evaluation : While the interview take-home assignment can assess a candidate’s skill set, it may not capture important aspects such as personality and behavior.

How to structure a take-home task

Creating a take-home assignment that strikes the perfect balance of helpful but not exploitative can be tricky. Regardless of what kind of take-home task or homework assignment you’re creating for hiring, it’s crucial for hiring managers to approach their creation with careful thought and attention.

Your hiring team will need to consider all of the following:

What are the common mistakes?

It’s normal to make mistakes, and learning from them can help you hire better, faster, and more fair.

So, let’s explore common blunders to steer clear of when designing and implementing a take-home assignment during the interview process, ensuring fairness and an effective evaluation process that respects candidates’ time and effort.

• Appropriate Task Alignment : Avoid assigning tasks that aren’t directly relevant to the role.

• Reasonable Task Length : Create a take-home assignment that can be completed within a reasonable timeframe.

• Providing Sufficient Context : Avoid requesting candidates to answer or solve company-specific problems without providing adequate information.

• Ethical Treatment of Work Requests : Refrain from asking candidates to produce work for free that the company may later exploit, such as writing a blog post for publication.

• Timely Introduction of Tasks : Including a take-home assignment as an early screening requirement can discourage candidates. Do this after their first interview.

• Constructive Feedback : Don’t miss the opportunity to provide candidates with constructive feedback on their completed tasks.

• Balancing Mandatory and Optional Tasks : Avoid making the take-home assignment mandatory for all applicants, as circumstances may prevent some candidates from completing it.

• Conduct post-assignment interviews : Once you have received a few tasks back from candidates, we highly recommend that you schedule a take-home assignment interview to better understand any pain points the job seeker may have had.

5 thorough examples of great take-home assignments

Now that you better understand the how , the when , and the why of take-home assignments, we’ll show you five examples. The example take-home assignments will cover tasks for:

• Developer – fixing a broken site
• Product manager – redesigning a feature
• Marketing lead – creating a marketing campaign
• Designer – redesigning the onboarding flow
• Customer success executive – running a mock QBR

Example #1: Take-home task for a developer role

This challenge is geared towards a mid-level developer who can identify and fix errors and optimize the code of an eCommerce website. The goal here is to see how well the candidates understand debugging techniques, approach problem-solving, and how they will communicate with the rest of their team.

Task: Fixing a Broken E-commerce Site

Introduction

Your mission is to debug the broken e-commerce site, fix errors, and ensure it runs smoothly. Customers are unable to place orders due to the significant increase in errors.

Requirements

• Identify and fix all of the errors on the site.
• Ensure that customers can place orders without any problems.
• Optimize the site to improve its performance.
• Document your approach and explain your reasoning behind your changes.

Instructions

• Clone the repository from the following Github URL: https://github.com/debugging-challenge/e-commerce-site.git .
• Install all the dependencies by running npm install .
• Start the development server by running npm start .
• Debug and fix all errors.
• Document your approach and explain your reasoning in a README file.

Your submission will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Identification and fixing of all errors
• Site optimization
• Completeness of documentation and reasoning
• Code cleanliness and adherence to best practices
• Clarity and organization of documentation
• Submit your code as a ZIP file.
• Include the README file that explains your approach and reasoning.
• Send the ZIP file to the hiring manager by email.

Example #2: Challenge for a product manager

Our next example focuses on testing product manager candidates on how they approach problem-solving, communicate with customers, and conduct user research while implementing open-ended questions.

In a sense, how well they’ll actually do their jobs in a product management role. This assignment is bound to produce better product management interviews for your organization.

Task: Redesigning Filma’s Collaboration Features

You are the Product Manager for collaboration features at Filma, a leading collaborative design platform. Recent feedback from customers has shown that they are not happy with how collaboration features work on the site. Your mission in this product management task is to redesign the collaboration features to better meet customer needs and preferences.

• Review the problem statement and develop a list of open-ended questions to better understand the issue.
• Conduct user research to validate assumptions and identify pain points and user needs.
• Develop a new design for collaboration features.
• Prioritize features and functionality based on customer needs and business goals.
• Outline the implementation plan.
• Document your approach and explain your reasoning.
• Review the problem statement and develop a list of open-ended questions to better understand the issue and customer needs.
• Conduct (mock) user research to validate assumptions and identify pain points and user needs. Schedule a call with a team member to role-play a customer interview. Include data points such as user feedback, user behaviour, and competitor analysis in your research.
• Develop a new design for collaboration features. Identify the key features and functionality of the new design, and prioritize them based on customer needs and business goals.
• Outline the implementation plan. Include a timeline, resources required, and technical feasibility.
• Document your approach and explain your reasoning in a presentation or document.
• Quality of open-ended questions and user research.
• Soundness of the new design and prioritization of features and functionality.
• Clarity and feasibility of the product management implementation plan.
• Completeness of documentation and reasoning.
• Clarity and organization of presentation or document.
• Submit your open-ended questions, presentation, or document as a PDF or PowerPoint file.
• Send the file to the hiring manager by email.

Example #3: Testing marketing managers

Let’s now explore an exciting marketing challenge that aims to find a candidate who can skillfully design an innovative user acquisition growth loop. This task involves leveraging valuable market research insights to craft a robust strategy that showcases a deep understanding of growth concepts.

Task: Designing a User Acquisition Growth Loop

You are the Marketing Lead at a Product-Led Growth (PLG) company that provides a collaboration tool for remote teams. Your team has conducted market research to identify target customer segments. Your mission is to design a new user acquisition growth loop based on the insights gained.

• Review the market research insights provided by your team.
• Design a new user acquisition growth loop, with a structured approach, based on the insights gained.
• Identify metrics to measure the effectiveness of the growth loop.
• Review the market research insights provided by your team. Use the insights to identify areas where a new user acquisition growth loop can be designed.
• Design a new user acquisition growth loop based on the insights gained. The growth loop should identify key stages, such as awareness, interest, and activation, and prioritize them based on customer needs and business goals.
• Identify metrics to measure the effectiveness of the growth loop. The metrics should be tied to the key stages of the growth loop and should be used to track progress and optimize the loop over time.
• Soundness of the new user acquisition growth loop and prioritization of key stages
• Creativity and effectiveness of the growth loop design
• Identification and feasibility of metrics to measure the effectiveness of the growth loop
• Clarity and organization of presentation or document
• Submit your presentation or document as a PDF or PowerPoint file.

Example #4: Take-home test for designers

This challenge is centered around an intriguing product design assessment designed to narrow down a candidate who excels in analyzing user recording sessions and crafting an improved onboarding flow design.

Task: Redesigning the Onboarding Flow Introduction

You are a Product Designer at a web-based Product-Led Growth (PLG) company that provides a collaboration tool for remote teams. Your team has recorded user sessions for the past 3 months to help identify areas of improvement for the onboarding flow. Your mission is to redesign the onboarding flow to improve user engagement and activation based on the insights gathered.

• Analyze the user recording sessions to identify user needs and preferences.
• Develop a new design for the onboarding flow.
• Prioritize design features based on user needs and business goals.
• Ensure that the design aligns with the company’s minimalist, intuitive design philosophy.
• Analyze the user recording sessions to identify user needs and preferences. Use the insights gathered to identify areas for improvement in the onboarding flow.
• Develop a new design for the onboarding flow. Identify the key stages of the flow, and prioritize them based on user needs and business goals. Ensure that the design aligns with the company’s minimalist, intuitive design philosophy.
• Prioritize design features based on user needs and business goals. Identify the most important design features that will enhance user engagement and activation.
• Quality of analysis of user recording sessions and identification of user needs and preferences
• The soundness of the new onboarding flow design and prioritization of key stages
• Alignment with the company’s minimalist, intuitive design philosophy
• Creativity and effectiveness of the prioritized design features

Example #5: Testing customer succes

Our final challenge example focuses on a customer success assignment. The perfect candidate will showcase their expertise in defining success metrics for a simulated account, devising impactful tactics to drive feature adoption and enhance metrics, and effectively presenting their approach and results in a mock Quarterly Business Review (QBR) presentation.

Task: Driving Feature Adoption and Improving Metrics

You are a Customer Success Manager at a PLG company that provides a project management tool for remote teams. Your mission is to work with a mock account to define success metrics, develop tactics to drive feature adoption and improve metrics for Q2, culminating in a mock QBR presentation.

• Define success metrics for the mock account.
• Develop tactics to drive feature adoption and improve metrics.
• Document your approach and results in a mock QBR presentation.
• Define success metrics for the mock account. Assume that the mock account is a remote team of 20 people that uses your project management tool for all their projects. Assume that they have been using the tool for 6 months, and that they have expressed interest in increasing feature adoption and improving metrics related to on-time delivery, collaboration, and budget management. Use your own assumptions to define success metrics that measure the impact of the product on their business.
• Develop tactics to drive feature adoption and improve metrics. Use the success metrics to identify the actions needed to increase feature adoption and improve metrics, and assign responsibilities to your team. Use customer success best practices, such as regular check-ins and training sessions, to ensure that the tactics are on track and that the mock account is engaged and satisfied.
• Document your approach and results in a mock QBR presentation. Create a deck that’s less than 10 slides, with consistent title and object placement, fonts, font colors, and different ways of visualizing insights. Use the mock QBR presentation to realign on the mock account’s goals, review their performance, present the tactics and their impact on the success metrics, and recommend the next steps to improve product performance next quarter.
• Quality of success metrics defined for the mock account.
• Soundness of the tactics to drive feature adoption and improve metrics.
• Collaborative execution of the tactics with your team.
• Clarity, organization, and persuasiveness of the mock QBR presentation.
• Submit your mock QBR presentation as a PDF or PowerPoint file.

Try a Homework Assignment by Toggl Hire

Ready to add homework assignments to your hiring process? Our homework assessments provide invaluable insights for hiring managers evaluating candidates ‘ ability to solve job-specific assignments.

Designed to test the hands-on skills necessary for day-to-day work, these assessments offer a glimpse into a candidate’s potential future job performance . With over 500 pre-built tasks available in Toggl Hire’s library, you can quickly implement comprehensive tests that align with your hiring needs.

Toggl Hire’s homework assessments are highly flexible, allowing for either integration with other assessments or standalone use. Create your free account now to explore a few examples!

Juste loves investigating through writing. A copywriter by trade, she spent the last ten years in startups, telling stories and building marketing teams. She works at Toggl Hire and writes about how businesses can recruit really great people.

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Work Assignments During the Interview Process: What to do?

A recent trend in the hiring process these days that are catching up is giving an assignment to the candidates before finalizing them for the job. With so many job seekers in a market with lesser and lesser opportunities, it is becoming difficult for the recruiters to find the right candidate for the job.

The whole process of hiring and firing is a loss for the company . Hence an assignment is given to finalise the right candidate. This process has its own pros and cons which can be a time consuming effort to the person.

Listed are the 15 things that every job seeker should know about the work assignments when employer asks you to submit some assignments during interview process.

Work Assignments During the Interview Process – What Every Job Seeker Should Know:

1. explains about you:.

Work assignment is a way for the employer to know about you. As it becomes a professional interactive session, hence they get to know your working side. Whether you have doubts and queries or are you asking the right question.

Also how much knowledge do you have about that specific area. It makes an easy task for the employer to take a decision whether to hire you or not.

2. Practical test of the resume:

It a common practice among people to mention fake skill sets and during interview they are able to convince the employer. When hired, the person is not able to perform as said in the resume, hence the assignment becomes important to test the truth listed in the resume. The genuineness of the resume becomes essential in this process.

3. Prevent from being biased:

Sometimes during an interview the chances of biasing towards a favourite candidate tends to pick up. For example, the manager could be from the same college of the person, or able to develop certain liking towards the candidate during the interview process.

Favoritism tends to happen a lot in interview processes which reduces the chances of missing out on the right candidate, hence a loss to the organization.

4. To decide the final candidate:

Sometimes a situation arises where choosing between final two or three candidates becomes a tough choice. With similar qualifications, skill sets the final call becomes difficult to take.

The assignment test works as a tie breaker and makes the decision making quite easy. The candidate who fits the final bill of the company gets the opportunity.

5. Capability to understand the brief:

Whether the person has completely understood the brief to deliver is a way to figure it out from the assignment. It is a crucial process in the work before delivering the results, most of the employees tend to miss out on the exact brief given, hence the output is not in the right direction. The assignment is the best way to judge the analytical capability of the person.

6. Enthusiasm:

Another important part is the organization comes to know about your enthusiasm level towards the work. Organizations appreciate candidates who enjoy the work and are enthusiastic about it, rather than who might not be really interested in the work.

Sometimes candidates might not be able to deliver the results, but due to their sheer enthusiasm and passion towards the goal leads them to be preferred for hiring.

7. Gives the idea about the company:

The work assignments are also beneficial to the candidate along with the organisation. It helps the candidate to know the kind of work he or she might be getting into the future and analyze the situation before getting into the job.

It is convenient to know if you would really like to work with this firm or you would like to look somewhere else.

8. Capability of strategic planning:

It gives an understanding and information of your strategic planning capacity. How you would be delivering the results in a stipulated time period, a challenge essential for any organization. The work assignment explains a lot about your work flow structure along with the capability to present it in the right flow.

9. Knowing your talent:

Every organization prefers candidates with the right set of talent. These assignments also explain a lot about your strength and weaknesses which even you might not be aware of.

It helps the organization know your true skill and might hire you in a different profile altogether other than you would have applied for. Hence keeping the options open is never a bad idea.

10. Asking questions:

Employers like their employees to ask the right questions and to find the best possible answer for it. Therefore, it is important after the assignment is given to you, do go through the brief and ponder over it for some time. Then ask for the required additional info or clear your doubts then and there.

This gives an approach of your thinking capacity to the employer and let them know that you have already taken charge of the situation.

11. Discuss for non disclosure documents:

Many incidents have happened that employers give these assignments before hiring and once the candidate is done they might not even hire you. Later on you might come across that they would be using your idea already.

To prevent from putting your effort without any results it is advisable to discuss non disclosure documents.

12. Decide the time and effort required:

Before committing and doing the assignment understand the time limitations and efforts required to be given in the assignment. It is of no use if you put in too much effort into it and later if you are not selected for the position.

It will be a wasted effort for you, therefore, keep your efforts limited and work smartly. Also ensure not to spend too much time on it.

13. Keep the practical approach:

Understand the exact requirement of the brief. Do not go overboard. Sometimes employers give a task which might not be achieved in the deadline given or the assignment might be not your specialization.

So it is good to be practical and discuss your limitations before rather than getting stuck with it without any results.

14. Do not emotionally attach with the work:

Everyone loves their work in which they have put their heart and soul. It is a human tendency to fall in love with the work you do, in your eyes it might be the best work of your life or you would think that it will impress the employer in an instant.

Know it is just a process to get a job and whatever the result maybe its good to finish the work and keep aside.

15. Avoid getting into details:

Another essential point to note is that to keep your ideas simple and do not delve in the extreme details. In case you are not hired then the chances of getting your ideas will be reduced. It is good to mention the overview of what you intend to achieve and avoid using exact values and figures of it.

Conclusion:

Work assignments are effective trends in hiring process , which might take over a major role what interviews were and are. It does provide a clarity at both ends, whether you are an apt candidate to the organization or that job role is what you are looking ahead to pursue.

It is better than getting into the job role you might not like and stress yourself out later on. The benefits of it vary from every individual and organizations. Yet one cannot ignore this trend so be prepared if in case the next organization you apply ask to submit an assignment.

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03-08-2018 WORK LIFE

Got An Interview Assignment? Don’t Make These Six Common Mistakes

Sometimes a take-home project is part of the hiring process. Don’t blow it by making these preventable blunders.

[Photo: Rawpixel ]

BY  Stav Ziv and The Muse 6 minute read

Congratulations! You’ve reached the part of the hiring process where you’ll be judged on what you can actually do, rather than how well you talk about what you can do. It’s an interview assignment–some sort of task directly related to the role you covet (most of the time this is normal and legitimate , though it can be misused).

Granted, the assignment can’t always mirror exactly the kind of work you’d do if you got the job. But in most cases, it comes closer than sitting in a room in clothes you don’t usually wear with a stranger who might become your boss, explaining why you would be the best choice.

Think of this as your best chance to show off your skills. And along those same lines, you should think about all the mistakes other people make that you can easily avoid.

1. You Didn’t Follow Directions

In fifth grade, my teacher handed out a pop quiz. It contained a list of questions and instructions at the top that told us to read through the whole thing first. A note at the bottom of the page directed us not to answer anything, and instead to put our pencils down and wait to see how many of our classmates passed the test. I was the only one who did.

At the time, my success did little but cement my status as a full-fledged nerd (and, yes, earn me some brownie points with my teacher). But it was an important lesson for a bunch of 10-year-olds that job seekers would do well to remember.

Do what the assignment asks you to do, at the very least. Your potential bosses don’t want to hire someone who will do only half the job or a different job entirely. This is how you can show them they can count on you to get it done.

2. You Didn’t Ask Clarifying Questions Or Check Your Assumptions

It’s hard to follow directions if you don’t quite understand them. If you’ve made an honest effort to parse what’s being asked of you and it still doesn’t make sense–or you’re missing information that would allow you to drastically improve the quality of your assignment–reach out and ask!

For some roles, such as sales or client services, the hiring team is actually looking for you to ask questions as part of the process to demonstrate curiosity and communication skills.

The same goes for assumptions you make about the assignment or the company or product you’re discussing. To revert to some fifth-grade humor, remember that when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.

No one expects you to know the ins and outs of a company you haven’t yet joined, but try to identify whether you’ve made any fundamental assumptions. Would it make your assignment that much better if you know whether those are right or wrong? Ask!

Related: Exactly What To Do While You Hear Back About A Job

3. You Didn’t Show You Know The Company (At Least The Basics)

Chances are if you’ve gotten to this stage, you’ve made it through at least one previous round in the hiring process. And since you passed, you probably did some research about the company. Don’t forget that now!

Whether your assignment’s a writing test, a video-editing sample, a programming task, or a sample teaching lesson, make sure you understand and reflect what you can of the company’s values, style, and tone. You might get a style guide or an example to model your work after, and it never hurts to ask for one. You can also always do some research to glean what you can on your own.

I recently wrote a sample article about the best career advice I’ve ever received as part of my take-home project for this very job at The Muse. The recruiter didn’t send a template or specify a format, but I referred back to the website and built my story based on an intro-list-conclusion format I saw come up frequently (the same one I’m using for this article).

And it probably didn’t hurt (right, new boss?) that the tidbit I chose to write about–don’t be a jerk–was in line with The Muse’s no-assholes value , which appears on every job posting.

Related: How To Prepare For An Interview When The Job Is A Stretch

4. You Didn’t Do More Than The Bare Minimum

These assignments aren’t just about giving an answer, or even necessarily a right answer. They’re a chance for you to show how you think, how you approach problems, and how you could contribute to the company.

If the task, for example, is to say what you would change, think beyond minor tweaks to ideas that explore new possibilities you believe are in line with the company’s mission and goals and explain why. Or add a brief note that delves into what you would do next after implementing whatever suggestions you gave or to explain your thought process.

You could be completely wrong (because you’re not yet immersed in the industry or aware of all the context or past decisions), but it’s a chance to showcase your creativity and ability to take initiative.

5. You Didn’t Reread, Proofread, And Review The Details

You finished the assignment! Great, but you’re definitely not done.

If any part of it is written (like my edit test, title cards for your video sample, your lesson plan or handouts, your PowerPoint presentation, your code, or even the email you’re sending with your submission), spell-check it, fact-check it, and read it again with an eagle eye. Now set it aside for a couple hours, or overnight if the timeframe allows, and read it again (and use these proofreading tricks while you’re at it).

Related: A Big Reason Tech Candidates Don’t Get Job Offers? Weak Tech Skills

6. You’re Not Excited About the Role, The Company, Or Both–And It Shows

By this part of the hiring process, you should have a good sense of what the company does and the role you’re applying for. Try to take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate your enthusiasm. In practice, you can do that by avoiding all the mistakes above; your efforts to turn in a stellar finished product show that you care.

When you send it back, include a message that reiterates your interest. Tell them how much you enjoyed the assignment, how it got you even more pumped about the role, and how much you’re looking forward to the next steps.

If you’ve reached this stage and realize you wouldn’t want the job under any circumstances or hate the company, it might be time to take yourself out of the running, politely. Save yourself, and the hiring team, some time.

Every part of the hiring process comes with its own challenges. While the assignment can often be done in your pajamas while sitting on the couch (unless it’s not a take-home assignment, don’t show up for a sample presentation in your robe!), it has pitfalls that are just as easy to avoid as these common interview mistakes .

One final tip (that should really go without saying): Make sure you submit your work on time!

This article originally appeared on The Daily Muse and is reprinted with permission. 

More From The Muse:

• Is It Normal To Get A Job Interview Assignment?
• What Every Job Seeker Should Know About Work Assignments During The Interview Process
• Here’s What The Hiring Manager’s Looking For In That (Dreaded) Take Home Assignment

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stav Ziv  is a journalist based in New York City whose work has also appeared in The Forward, Dance Magazine, The Atlantic, and Newsday. She was previously a staff writer at Newsweek and the deputy editor overseeing careers and work coverage at The Muse   More

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Is It Normal to Get a Job Interview Assignment?

Applying for jobs takes a lot of time—to network, research companies,browse job postings, pull together your materials, prepare for interviews, and follow up. And then there’s also the mental aspect of psyching yourself up before each stage and then waiting to hear back .

Which is why you’re not all that excited when the hiring manager asks if you could complete a take-home assignment as well. It feels like a lot to invest even more time and effort into a job that you haven’t even landed yet.

But before you see it as just one more hoop to jump through, you should know that it’s not just for the company’s benefit. It helps you, too.

How Interview Assignments Help You

As an applicant, two of your biggest concerns are showing you can do the job, and beating out the competition. A take-home assignment gives you the opportunity to do both.

The hiring manager’s picked a task to weed out anyone who exaggerated on their application . So, think of this as an opportunity for you strut your stuff.

Anyone can say they’re detail-oriented, or that they think outside the box, or that they know how to code, but an interview assignment gives you the chance to demonstrate it. It really is worth taking your time to show that you’re (literally) up to the task. Turning in a perfect edit test or some ideas for how you’d take an initiative in a fresh direction can be just the thing to distinguish you from other candidates.

Additionally, these tests are reflective of the kinds of projects you could expect in your new role. So, if it’s incredibly hard, you have to get a mentor’s help, and it takes you all weekend to complete something you feel good about, it could be an indication that this role isn't going to be the best fit on your end—which is a valuable lesson for you to learn before you sign on.

Unfortunately, not every assignment is above board. I should know: I got tasked with a major project to have my work stolen .

This misuse of the interview assignment is not normal, but it does happen. So, don’t ignore a gut feeling you’re being asked to work for free. One thing you can do if you think you’re being taken advantage of is to ask someone in the field whether this seems like a reasonable task. (You can also follow these strategies to protect your ideas.)

More often than not though, this assignment is there to confirm you really could do the job. So, take it as the opportunity it is, and hit it out the park.

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Given a 'homework' tasks on a job interview?

Recently I went to some interviews and on many I've had the 'some small projects' to do for homework. Usually in the small companies I see this as a practice.

It is not such a problem, but I've collected several projects and when I ask for a feedback it appears that the task grows with some extra requirements that are really time-consuming. Moreover I see the employers are not willing to help or to evaluate it with care. Should this be a red flag for the interview or the company?

Edit: Thank you for all your responses. You covered almost all the aspects of my question. As a conclusion I think the only task for homework that worth doing it is:

when the company is decent enough and you want to work there eagerly

the task is not supposed to take more than one day to complete

In the other cases I would apply somewhere else.

• interviewing

• 2 As an interviewer I've always wanted to see the candidate actually write code. No assignment will be as complex as the actual work, so I want to watch you work. I'm inclined to see the take-home as an attempt to apply this to a bulk lot of applicants in the hope that none will cheat. It's a bad sign. Unfortunately this practice seems to be getting more common, so ruling out companies just for running with the herd really cuts out a lot of possible paychecks. The flip side is they're likely just expect you to turn up and fit in, rather than thinking too hard. –  Móż Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 2:09
• I know this is really old, but another reason for adding extra requirements is to see how well your initial design was to see if it was well thought out and extendable. If it wasn't then you suffer. It it was, great. Then they have the 2 versions of your work and see what work you had to do to acquire the extra requirements. Possibly in their work place, requirements are always changing or the work place is high paced and they want to know if you will be able to adapt. –  TheOneWhoPrograms Commented Mar 25, 2014 at 11:54

7 Answers 7

As an interviewer, I face a number of challenges. If I just ask you about coding, I can rule out people who really don't know what they're talking about, but I might accidentally hire someone who "talks a good game" but writes horrible code - hard to read, insecure, bug-ridden, inefficient - or who is very slow, or who is rude to co-workers, or much more. So I ask you questions that aren't just about code, in the hopes I can learn enough about you to avoid a bad hire, but that isn't always enough either.

Some companies set coding problems in the interview, either on a whiteboard or at a computer. These are really expensive for the company because they add 30 or 60 minutes to the interview in many cases. A good programmer might do a bad job at these (so we recommend practicing for them) and a bad interviewer might misinterpret what happens during them.

As a result some companies think they will save money and time by giving you a sort of "take home test". They don't typically ask you to write something they want to sell, it's a way to see what you can do. Often it's a problem that was solved already so they can compare your solution to someone else's. There's still the risk that someone might help you do it, or you might spend far longer on it than you say, but they see it as a cheaper way to screen people. If you want the job, you'll invest the time in being screened, and if it's not worth it to do that, just decline the opportunity. This happens in other industries: cooks are sometimes asked to work unpaid in the kitchen for a day so their speed and technique can be evaluated, artists are asked to bring a portfolio which often includes works they created without being paid to do so, performers must audition - give an unpaid performance - and often spend time learning music, lines, or steps in order to do so, and so on.

I have heard people suggest that somehow they are not so much interviewing as doing free project work. That companies are asking for a day or two of work, then when it's submitted asking for another day or two of work, all while dangling a job offer in front of them. If this is happening to you, one of two situations exist:

• you need a day or two for something that the ideal candidate would need only an hour to do, and they are screening hard to make sure they get that candidate
• you are misunderstanding what they ask of you and doing much more than they wanted, so that either you or they have huge communication shortfalls
• they are exploiting job applicants to get their web site built or some other small task done cheaply

The good news is, it doesn't matter which of these are true - you just don't want to continue applying for this job. You don't want to work for the place whose web site was glued together from samples provided by applicants of varying quality, or who doesn't mind exploiting vulnerable or desperate people, you don't want to work with a company that cannot explain its needs to you, and you won't get to work at the place where you need to be much faster or better than you are now. So thank them and decline to go further into the process.

• Definitely agree that sitting with candidates and watching them code is time-consuming, but it's incredibly effective. And only rarely does a candidate I'm doubtful about turn out to be a competent coder, so over time I've got more vigorous about cutting that session short. I can't see how letting them go away and work on it would help that process, what I want to see is how they approach the problem. –  Móż Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 2:12
• No argument from me. I don't do take home screeners pre interview and I do whiteboard tests in interviews. Just explaining the possible thought processes of those who give take homes. –  Kate Gregory Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 2:13
• Yes. I'd love to hear from someone who does give take home tests. –  Móż Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 3:12
• The do homework can be useful for far away candidates. Not all candidate can afford it. In this case, it's a good compromise I think –  dyesdyes Commented Jan 31, 2014 at 17:33

I've never liked project-based interviews. I've done several and I have several public ones on my GitHub. Very rarely do they ever consider my previous work. Nowadays, it seems everyone wants to give their own test. However, not all employers respond to them. In the field of Android development, these apps take many hours. I've done some apps that took me five hours to do and was rejected without any feedback. Especially troubling are the companies that give them out without even having a phone conversation with them first. Who knows if that company is interested in them? You could work for hours for nothing.

So, no I don't do project-based interviews for people who I haven't talked to yet and ones that are seemingly long.

• 1 Most annoying are the companies that insist on giving you their own tests, and then in the face-to-face interview, can't make any commentary on your submission (often admitting they didn't read it). –  Edwin Buck Commented Nov 29, 2018 at 23:16

A homework exam is good news.

If you are given a homework assignment that you actually do correctly, you are almost certain to get the job. Very few employers will interview you, decide you are good enough to do the take-home, see that you did very well on it, and not hire you.

Almost every homework assignment I have been given has lead to a job offer. Moreover, you should enjoy doing them... if you don't, why are you applying for this particular job?

I don't find this exploitative. Most of the time, employers will give you a sample test that has no relevance to their business. And even if they were open to having unwitting applicants do their own work as part of an interview, would you really trust someone you've only just met, whose competence is still in question, with your business?

• Have you ever been asked to do additional work on one of these take home tasks? Seems like a red flag if they do. –  user8365 Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 13:58
• Personally, in every case I've done a homework assignment, they just call me up and offer me the job a few days later. Rarely is the content of the work even discussed. –  Code Whisperer Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 18:18
• 7 @itcouldevenbeaboat, really? I've done a couple of these and never heard a word back. I was annoyed that I'd wasted my time. I guess it depends on the company. –  Jeremy Stein Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 0:17
• @itcouldevenbeaboat, the alternate explanation is that I did a bad job. I guess you have to take my word for it that they were good answers. I was a 4.0 student in college and I work for a famously-selective company now as a developer. I felt like I gave solid submissions, but who knows! –  Jeremy Stein Commented Jan 30, 2014 at 19:00
• 3 I respectfully decline it without being paid per hour. At most I would be willing to come up with the main points of algorithm and describe it in a short paragraph of for a few minutes on the phone. If they want at least 4 hours to be spent on assessing my candidacy, I prefer it to be their 4 hours perusing one of my always-non-trivial GitHub projects. That's why I've put these projects there. If a company would not hire Alan Turing because he would not take the initial coding test, then I know I should not waste my time there. Yes, it's often an initial assignment, before even a phone call. –  rapt Commented Mar 17, 2018 at 17:56

I've had to deal with this. One measure I've had to use is to make sure that whatever the 'homework' is, it has to be something generic. If it's specific enough for the company to actually benefit from (as in -- take your work and make a buck from it without hiring you), that's a red flag.

There'd be nothing wrong with sharing your proximate approach to dealing with a challenge they present to do. But when it comes down to nuts-and-bolts details, remember that the whole reason that you showed up in the first place is so that you can get paid for your expertise.

The tact some companies take would be like you taking your car into the local mechanic and having them do an exam before you agree to pay for them to fix the car. It's stupid.

• Well, I don't mind to show my skills but in 2 hours should be enough. –  Bor Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 19:43
• For me it's not a question of demonstrating my skills. I can do that on paper, or by verbal question-and-answer. I just have a problem with solving a company's issue in the interview -- why should they pay someone who's dumb enough to give all the answers for free? –  Xavier J Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 19:46
• @codenoire if you really think they don't know the answers, and want yours for their revenue potential, don't work for them. But the chances of that are tiny. I would not run my business using code or other project output from people who wanted to work for me, and I doubt others would either. They want to know how good you are, that's all. –  Kate Gregory Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 15:49
• @Kate I'm a consultant and accordingly I am interviewing sometimes 2-3 times a year as a matter of course. This has actually happened to me a couple of times, but I got wise real quick. The first time (long ago), I'd driven about 80 miles to meet with a potential client and I didn't occur to me until I got home that the 'exam' i did was actually the crux of the technology the company was trying to implement. What's the saying... fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on ME... right? :) –  Xavier J Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 16:36
• Your last comment is a bit of an empty argument, it is more analogous to the local mechanic shop having a mechanic come into the shop and work for a day to assess his knowledge and technique. Of course, such a mechanic would be paid for his day of work. Perhaps these companies should pay a day's wages for these take home assignments? –  daaxix Commented Feb 19, 2015 at 3:37

Some homework assignments could be seen as a red flag, others not. It all depends on the type of assignment and how it is framed.

I give a homework assignment to all developer candidates who pass through the phone screen (the phone screen is with me, after carefully scrutinizing your resume and anything else I can find about you , and it's 30-40 minutes of 3 - 5 general questions about methodology, preferences, and general development practices), and that homework assignment was written by the entire development team to represent what they want to test in a candidate. Because the homework assignment will take a person a few hours to perform, and takes each member of our team an hour or so to assess, we only give the assignment to candidates who we think have the opportunity to do well on it. We don't want to waste anyone's time, ours included.

If the homework problem you are given is one that you think will take you 10 hours to complete, you can ask the company how long they think it will take to complete. If they say "10 hours" then pat yourself on the back for estimating correctly, but then wonder why they're giving you a 10 hour test -- is it work they want done and are using homework problems to get work for free? Are they just really rigorous, and this homework assignment is much like the 8 hour/all-day interviews higher level candidates in management, architecture, etc perform (I've done these a lot, for many different senior roles)?

In other words, some companies will use the homework assignment poorly, some not. It's a judgement call on whether it raises a red flag for you , but remember that it is quite common to put in some amount of time to prepare for and then execute on an interview process. In companies where I have been a hiring manager, a developer candidate could expect probably 5 hours of total interview time in three stages over a couple weeks, and a homework problem that might take another 2 to 3 hours. That's 8 hours of effort for a $100K/year job, which seems pretty reasonable to me (which is why I continue to do it).

For me and my teams, how you perform on the homework problem leads directly to what the team will talk about in their couple hours of interview -- why did you select the gems or libraries you did, what was your testing approach, what did you or did you not document in your work and why, and so on. You could always ask the company who gives the assignment to you how they plan to use it, so you can better understand the context. If they don't give you a good answer, like "we'll use this as an evaluation of basic skills in xyz, and use it as the foundation of discussion in your second round of interviews," then that could be a red flag.

• I've been given tasks different tasks - some are just 2-3 hours, other are at least a whole day and some are supposed to be easy but when you add the time to understand X technology it is still the second type task. –  Bor Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 16:56
• 1 @Bor On the latter, if it's testing technology that the company expects a developer to use, and you don't know it (and you apply anyway), that's really not the company giving a candidate a lengthy task, it's the candidate having to beef up their own knowledge in order to match the job requirements. –  jcmeloni Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 17:06

This is a sign of trouble ahead.

The companies which are doing this are testing you to see how willing you are to use your personal time for their projects. A person who states that they are uncertain about or unwilling to do so will almost certainly be removed from their potential list of candidates.

It's also rather legally tricky for the company, as if they assign you a task and you accidentally develop something which they later attempt to sell, since you are neither a contractor nor an employee, they could owe you compensation for your efforts

Also this could cause practical problems for them if you far exceed their expectations (and they may this apparent), this may change the compensation rates you are seeking to levels beyond what they are willing to pay for the position.

It would advisable to make certain exactly what they are seeking when they ask you to take a project before you accept this and what assistance (if any) that they will provide to perform this task. If they balk at this or they make it clear that you are expected to work for an extended period without compensation, then it's probably best to politely decline to do this.

Frankly, unless the companies are "industry leaders" or what they are doing is cutting edge, it might be advisable to continue to look for a company which respects your work/life balance.

• 1 It would depend upon how long it would take. If it is clear that you are being used, then it would be advisable to politely decline. If they expect you to spend more than a reasonable amount of time on their "test" (reasonable being less than 1 hour) then it also might not be advisable. –  Mistah Mix Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 14:20
• 3 sounds like a bunch of unfounded paranoia about a little coding exercise whose typical intent is to check whether the candidate actually knows how to code, knows basic concepts (like concurrency or data structures), and has a habit of writing well structured and commented code. –  amphibient Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 17:39
• 3 My time is valuable. I have no idea how (or even if) you value yours. Unless there's a strong possibility that I'm going to get the job, then in my assessment it's a waste of time that might be spent elsewhere. –  Mistah Mix Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 17:46
• 5 if your time is so "valuable" that you don't want to use a few of its hours to complete a coding assignment as often the last step before getting a job, i would not hire you. Is your time also too valuable to shower, shave and dress up before an interview? Sheesh, it'd be nice if jobs just came on a silver platter... –  amphibient Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 20:49
• 2 I've always felt more suspicious about interviews where you don't do a technical test. How on earth can they tell the level of technical competence by just talking? Soft skills yeah, but a technical test requires a sufficiently complex and small task to accurately prove skill or learning capacity. Otherwise it will look bad on both - perhaps the candidate overestimated his skill, or the employer underestimated the difficulty of the job. –  Juha Untinen Commented Aug 26, 2014 at 8:10

Few times I have received quite serious "mini projects" to do that took me almost all day to complete. These projects produced small applications that are directly useful as utilities or library functions. The produced code worked well, and I used to be deeply surprised when the companies refused the next round without much explaining.

Could it be an easy way to get a free day of attention from the professional? You need a task to be done, you post a job proposal for a job you never think to offer, you put the high salary proposal and send a "small home assignment" for every applicant. Then all you need to do is to pick between even multiple versions of the code that does that you need, maybe some really ugly but others may actually be really good, various people are looking for a job. That a great idea to grow your business productivity!

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Small projects can help ensure you’re hiring for skills — not just connection.

Companies over-rely on interviews when hiring, which has been shown to be a poor predictor of future performance and introduces opportunities for bias. As an alternative, try giving candidates who make it past an initial screening test a small test of the primary skill the job requires. For instance, ask a coder to solve a small coding project. This “minimally viable demonstration of competence,” and a follow-up discussion that debriefs the exercise, can be a powerful tool for moving beyond the resume to find qualified candidates that hiring bots might have passed over.

As a hiring manager, you want to bring on the “best” person for a job (whatever that means for the given role), but how do you know who’s right?

• GT Geoff Tuff is a principal and leads Deloitte’s sustainability work in U.S. energy and industrials. He is co-author of the bestselling books Detonate (2018) and Provoke (2021 ).
• SG Steve Goldbach a principal and leads Deloitte’s Sustainability practice in the US. He is a co-author of the books Detonate (2018) and Provoke (2021).
• JJ Jeff Johnson is a managing director at Deloitte Consulting LLP who coaches leaders through sales and relationship-building with a focus on human connection, insight, and the art of communication.

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10 Good Weaknesses for a Job Interview That Aren’t “I Work Too Hard”(+ Sample Answers)

• Julia Mlcuchova , 
• Updated March 28, 2024 11 min read

How to answer the classic interview question "What is your greatest weakness" ? And do you really need to prepare your weaknesses for job interview?

Believe us, you do! Because knowing your weaknesses is equally as important as knowing your strengths . 

When it comes to job interviews, we’re constantly encouraged to present our finest selves to seem like the absolute best candidate for the job. So talking about your flaws may seem counterintuitive.

Yet, this question seems to be one of the recruiters’ most favourite . 

That's why it's a good idea to get ready for this eventuality and prepare yourself to frame the answer in your favour . 

If you want to learn more, keep reading our article and discover: 

• Why are recruiters asking this question;
• How to know what is your greatest weakness;
• What NOT to say when answering;
• A list of good weaknesses for a job interview;
• Examples of how to answer “What is your greatest weakness?”

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

What the recruiters really want to know

Top 10 good weaknesses for a job interview.

• How to answer “What is your greatest weakness?” in 4 steps

What is your greatest weakness sample answers

How not to answer “what is your greatest weakness”, key takeaways: top 10 best weaknesses for job interview.

Honestly, this feels like a trap, inviting you to reveal your shortcomings and ruin your chances at getting hired. 

But, regarding job interviews , nothing is ever haphazard! So, you probably won't be too surprised when we tell you that there's more to this question than meets the eye. 

When recruiters ask about your weaknesses, here's what they actually want to know : 

• Whether you're self-aware and capable of introspection. Can you look at yourself and recognize your deficiencies? And can you be self-critical? Because both of these are key qualities of anyone's dream employee. 
• Whether you're reliable. Not in the sense of being able to do anything and everything. But in the sense of knowing your limits and being honest about communicating them. Because employers need to know that you won’t bite off more than you can chew. 
• Whether you have a “growth mindset". Next is their interest in your ability to face challenges. Do you perceive them as opportunities to grow and develop professionally? Or avoid them completely? 
• Whether you're a good fit for the company culture. Lastly, they want to gauge how well you work with others. For example: Would you be able to own up to your mistakes, learn from them and move on? Or are you more likely to play the blame game? 

As you can see, your response can offer a glimpse into your resilience, workplace attitude and adaptability . Qualities that are invaluable in any professional setting.

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A “good weakness” is one that isn't core to the job in question , is believable, and is possible to work on .

Of course, there's no one-size-fits-all set of weaknesses because everyone's experiences and challenges are unique. However, there are a couple of common vulnerabilities that you may find relatable AND are suitable.

In case you're struggling to identify yours, this list may help you find it: 

• Lack of professional experience with non-essential skills.  
• Taking criticism too personally. 
• Imperfect presentation skills. 
• Struggling to ask for help. 
• Discomfort with giving criticism. 
• Difficulties delegating tasks to others.  
• Impatience with slow processes. 
• Difficulties with prioritizing tasks. 
• Inability to let go of projects.
• Being too blunt. 

And now, let's look at each of these in more detail. Plus, we'll also briefly discuss how you can try to fix them. 

#1 Lack of professional experience with non-essential skills

In other words, not having a deep understanding of a skill that may be beneficial, but not indispensable. For example, while a project manager isn't required to have proficiency in graphic design, knowledge of Illustrator may be useful for creating simple visual materials for presentations.

This weakness is relatively safe, yet it still communicates your “growth mindset.” Plus, it's an easy fix – just mention a particular course that targets the skill in question .

#2 Taking criticism too personally

This one is pretty real and believable. The ability to receive feedback and objective criticism is necessary for any professional, yet it's not something that comes naturally to many.

For instance, you could say that in the past, it was difficult for you to distinguish between criticism of you as an employee, and criticism of you as a person . But through a conscious shift in mindset, you came to recognize it for what it really is – an opportunity to improve.  

#3 Imperfect presentation skills

Another fairly common weakness is the fear of public speaking . Whether it be presentation for teams, your management, or clients, some degree of public speaking is necessary for pretty much any corporate position.

To improve upon this weakness, you can enroll into a course (such as this Harvard University course via EdX) where you can hone these skills and earn a certificate.   

#4 Struggling to ask for help

You simply can't be a lone wolf in a corporate setting. So you can talk about your inability to ask your colleagues or supervisors for help because you don't want to add to their workload and seem like a burden.

But after several negative experiences you've realized that seeking assistance is the responsible thing to do, because it facilitates the completion of projects . So, you've decided to work on your communication skills , and now you’ve become more productive.

#5 Discomfort with giving criticism

If you happen to occupy a leadership position, it doesn't matter to what capacity, there are times when you have to put your foot down if something isn't working . And not everybody is comfortable with that.

There might’ve been situations where you avoided giving your junior colleagues criticism out of fear of being too harsh. But mention that you're working on this problem by going through a leadership and communication programme . 

#6 Difficulties delegating tasks to others

Another weakness you could mention is reluctance to pass tasks to others . Whether it stems from your desire for perfection, not wanting to increase your colleague's work load , or your need to have things under control, this weakness of yours has caused a decrease in overall team efficiency.

But soon enough you've come to recognize your own faults. You've started by delegating small, low-risk tasks at first. Gradually, you've established open communication for any question or feedback, and learned to trust your colleagues more. As a result, the productivity, efficiency and job satisfaction of your entire team increased. 

#7 Impatience with slow processes

For instance, your lack of patience manifested whenever you felt that your own work pace was hindered by your colleague’s slower tempo. And sometimes, it caused tensions within the team.

So, you did a bit of research and discovered that there are stress-reduction techniques you could learn that target your impatience management. Additionally, you developed a habit of using the extra time between projects by tackling smaller tasks which keep you occupied and productive.

#8 Difficulties with prioritizing tasks

Maybe you're that type of person that says “yes” to everything and then ends up struggling to juggle all the tasks you took on. Because of this, you've reached out to a professional who advised you to work on your time management skills .

Maybe you've gone through a training in the ABCDE method , and now you're able to categorize your tasks based on their urgency. You felt the results of your effort immediately – you became less stressed, which improved your productivity, as well as your relationship to work itself. So now you feel more confident and in control. 

#9 Inability to let go of projects

Imagine this: you've managed to complete your project ahead of time and instead of marking it as complete and moving on to a new task, you just keep coming back to it. Even if the project is executed to perfection.

And this was a problem, because it prevented you from working more efficiently and not wasting any time. But, after you've completed a project management programme , you've learned how to curb this behaviour. Now, you practice setting yourself clear criteria for project evaluation which help you not to dwell on one task for too long. 

#10 Being too blunt

Lastly, you can say that, in the past, you're too direct in your communication with your colleagues. You've realized that your communication skills could use some training when several of your co-workers accused you of being too harsh.

So, to fix this weakness, you completed a course that taught you how to deliver your comments in a more sensitive way. For example, to insert criticism (constructive, of course) in between two positives to make the impact of your words less biting. As a result, the awkward workplace tension disappeared and your co-workers became more receptive to your feedback. 

How to answer “ What is your greatest weakness ?” in 4 steps

Essentially, you should approach the weaknesses for job interview question as an opportunity to demonstrate that you're not only aware of your faults but that you're also actively trying to overcome them . 

So, the perfect answer to "What is your greatest weakness" should follow these 4 steps:

First, select a real weakness that you’ve actively worked/are working to improve. For instance, do you tend to take criticism too personally? Can you be impatient with slow processes? Do you struggle to ask for help?

Next, describe how and when you noticed this weakness. Maybe you received feedback from your supervisor? Or a project you worked on didn't go as planned? In any case, outline what exactly was the problem.

Then, you have to show that once you became aware of this weakness, you rose to the challenge and decided to work on yourself. Being aware is not enough. You must also show willingness to grow. For example: enrolling in a course, mentorship programme, workshop, or developing new habits and practices.

Finally, share the results of your efforts. Ideally, you'll be able to show how your newly sharpened tools contributed to your team or project. And don't be afraid to acknowledge that you're still working on them, if that's the case.

Although this structure is fairly simple, it works wonders! Feel free to use it when preparing your answers. And remember, the narrative is entirely in your hands! 

And finally, we should take a quick look at these 4 example answers.

Notice that all of them follow the structure we've outlined above (weakness, context, improvements, results). 

And if any of these correspond with your own weaknesses, you can just copy and tweak them so that they reflect your own experience. 

Weaknesses for job interview: Presentation skills

“My biggest weakness is my presentation skills. It was only last year that I realized my public speaking skills needed improvement. I was really struggling to overcome my nervousness during team presentations. I realized very quickly that I have to do something to get better at it. So I enrolled in a public speaking course and practiced at every opportunity I got: presentations, reports, even family gatherings! After two months I noticed that I became more confident and comfortable during presentations. I’m by no means perfect, but I received positive feedback from our clients recently. ”

Weaknesses for job interview: Delegating tasks

“The thing I really struggled with in the past was my ability to delegate tasks to my co-workers. I’ve always felt this need to ensure that every single task is completed to a certain standard. And I used to have problems trusting my team even though they always did a stellar job. Eventually, this caused unnecessary tension among us. I realized that it was me who was at fault. So, I decided to work on myself. I improved my communication skills and made sure that my team knows that they can turn to me with any questions. After some time, our relationships and mutual trust improved. And we were able to complete complex projects well ahead of deadlines . If I recall correctly, our overall productivity improved by some 20% . ”

Weaknesses for job interview: Asking for help

“ I remember that when I started out as an accountant, I suffered from a serious imposter syndrome. I was self-conscious of my lack of experience, so I felt that I needed to prove myself. Plus, I really didn’t want to seem like a burden, so whenever I was struggling with new systems or processes, I simply wouldn’t ask anyone for help . Of course, now I know how unfounded and unprofessional this behaviour was. The key thing I’ve changed was my own mindset . I started to look at these challenging moments as opportunities to foster stronger teamwork. I feel that by reaching out to others, I learned a lot about the importance of collaboration. And it also made me more patient with newcomers ! Now, I always make sure they know that they can reach out to me with anything and not feel bad about it.”

Weaknesses for job interview: Being too blunt

“When I look back on my previous work experience, I can definitely say that I used to be pretty blunt when it came to giving feedback to my colleagues. See, I’ve always valued honesty and transparency above everything. And I thought that that’s what makes effective workplace communication. But I was so wrong! My co-workers often felt that I’m being too insensitive, and that caused tension between us. To address this, I enrolled in a leadership programme that taught me how to better phrase my concerns. I’ve found the ‘praise-criticism-praise’ technique especially useful! Soon, all that awkward energy was gone. And my co-workers actually became more receptive to my feedback and we worked much better together as a team .” 

Now that we've gone over the best answers, let's also talk about how NOT to present your weaknesses.

Again, it's pretty simple, just avoid doing these things: 

• Saying that you have no weaknesses. Who’re you trying to fool my friend? Certainly not the recruiters! Indeed, if there's one way to communicate your lack of awareness, it's this! 
• Trying to pass your strengths for weaknesses. Not even Michael Scott can pull off a Michael Scott. So, skip saying you're too much of a perfectionist, or that you work too hard! 
• Using a skill/quality that's essential for the job as your weakness. For example, if you're applying for the job position of an accountant, don't say you're bad at maths or that you pay no attention to details. 
• Oversharing personal information. Just to be clear, recruiters don't care much about the details of your weaknesses. Maybe your nervousness about public speaking is rooted in a bad experience from childhood. Even if so, keep this detail to yourself. Instead, go into lengths about how to address and correct your weakness.  

To sum it all up, the weaknesses for job interview question isn't a strategy to reveal your faults, but an opportunity to show that you're self-aware , introspective , and determined to continue improving on your weak areas. 

When preparing your answer, try sticking to this simple, yet effective structure:

• Introduce your weakness.
• Provide a real-life professional context.
• Demonstrate your effort and determination to improve.
• Mention the results of your improvement (if possible). 

In case you don't know what your weaknesses are, you can draw inspiration from our list of the most appropriate weaknesses for a job interview : 

•  Being too blunt. 

If you're preparing for a job interview, be sure to also check out how to answer these common questions:

• Why are you interested in this position?  
• Why should we hire you?
• Why did you leave your previous job?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• Why are you looking for a new job?

Julia has recently joined Kickresume as a career writer. From helping people with their English to get admitted to the uni of their dreams to advising them on how to succeed in the job market. It would seem that her career is on a steadfast trajectory. Julia holds a degree in Anglophone studies from Metropolitan University in Prague, where she also resides. Apart from creative writing and languages, she takes a keen interest in literature and theatre.

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Job Hunt Homework: What to Do When an Employer Asks You For a Work Sample

• September 14, 2018
• Roger Conner
• Job Interview

Many of us assumed that once we were done with school, we were done with homework. Gone are the days of stressing over assignments that dictate whether we fail or pass at life. We said goodbye forever. Or so we thought.

More and more employers are implementing creative, enlightening ways to assess the skill sets of their pool of candidates. How are they doing this? Work samples.

Why Are Employers Asking for More Work Samples?

According to the Harvard Business Review , employers use work samples to measure the extent of a candidate’s skills & competency required for the role. “It’s become typical for employers, as part of the applicant vetting process, to ask candidates to work on or complete a project, or in some other way demonstrate what they can do and how they do it. It can even be a way to be more fair to applicants who don’t interview well, or whose resumes are less credentialed.”

So, What are Work Samples?

Work samples are tangible examples of your work employers can request to gauge your level of skill as it pertains to the role you’re applying for.

Work samples can be categorized as either past work you’ve previously completed or specific new assignments that potential employers ask you to complete during the selection process.

In this blog, we’re going to focus on the latter by digging into 4 essential questions you should ask to determine how to approach a new work sample request.

Table of Contents

1. Do I Want to Do the Work Sample?

If you find yourself asking this question and you’re leaning towards no, more likely than not, you’re not really interested in the job. If this is the case, contact the employer, thank them for their time and let them know you’re no longer interested in the role. This frees up your time and energy to focus on roles that you truly care about.

2. Can I Actually Do the Work Sample?

After you decide that you want to take a crack at the work sample, assess if you have the experience and/or skill required to actually complete the project.

Gain a clear understanding of the scope of work and what is being asked of you. Evaluate whether you’ve had sufficient experience with this type of work before to complete the request. Identify the parts that will come to you fairly easy and which parts will be more of a challenge. If the project seems to be beyond your capabilities (because of lack of experience), then you may not be the right fit for the role. Don’t be afraid to own up to it – it shows self-awareness. Communicate your situation with the employer and see if they would still like you to do the portions with which you do feel comfortable.

When you affirm that you’re professionally capable of doing the works sample, evaluate if you have enough time to complete it.

Clarify the deadline for submitting the work sample. Generally, employers will try to work with your schedule but keep in mind the hiring team has their own deadline to hire and onboard. Before committing to the work sample, consider the amount of time you have available, the anticipated time you imagine it will take to complete the project (plus some padding to be safe) and the employer’s deadline. You should agree upon a timeline that will actually work for you and your commitments. If the turnaround time is too soon, tell them you won’t be able to meet the deadline and ask for more time.

It’s helpful to know employers are not looking for perfection if they place a limited amount of time on your project. They simply want to gain a sense of what you can do. Regardless of the amount of time provided, the materials you turn in should be complete with no typos and on-time.

3. How Do I Approach Completing a Work Sample?

Don’t Disqualify Yourself

If you feel yourself talking yourself out of completing the work sample because you have a million other things to do aside from completing an extra assignment, don’t. A good percentage of candidates drop out of the race after answering questions 1 and 2. As a result, you have fewer competitors and more room to shine (if you put in the work). Remember, it’s mind over matter. First dedicate your mind to the project, then dedicate your time.

Establish a Point of Reference

Dig up the most relevant and successful projects you’ve done and use them as a reference point during your assignment. If you don’t have access to your old projects or it’s your first time completing a project of that nature, research examples to get a better feel for what you’re supposed to do. Utilizing these resources can decrease the amount of time and energy you’d spend guessing and allows you more time to adequately structure the concepts you’d like to highlight in your project.

Pace Yourself

Break your assignment down into bite-size pieces and focus on completing certain parts at a time within the allotted time frame. Breaking up your project in pieces helps increase your focus, makes the project more manageable, and keeps you from becoming overwhelmed.

4. How Can I Make My Work Sample Stand Out?

Give Them What They Want

Another easy way to disqualify yourself from the race is to only submit something the Employer didn’t request. Meet their expectations. Make sure you understand their instructions, what they’re looking for and the format they want the project in. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification before and while you complete your assignment. Periodically review your project throughout the process to make sure you’re still on track to deliver what the employer requested.

Keep it Clean

Never underestimate the power of an orderly and well-thought-out presentation. It displays a high level of professionalism. Make sure all of the items in your document are structured and even. If you’re going to use color, don’t use more than 3 and make sure they complement each other so everything is pleasant to the eye. Double check for grammatical errors. Depending on what you’re turning in, it’s best to save your assignment in a pdf file so your work isn’t subject to unwanted changes or edits.

Make it Personal

Find creative ways to incorporate your knowledge about the company in your project. If you’re submitting your project after the initial interview, think about the conversations you’ve had and the feedback you’ve received thus far. Accentuate that information in your submission to spotlight your listening skills. Neatly include their logo on the cover page and in the header of your assignment so the team can visually imagine your work as theirs. Research how your project can practically impact the company and the department in a positive manner and include it in your email when you submit your project. These small gestures can show an employer that you’ve gone above and beyond to demonstrate you have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the organization and the requirements of this role.

Here are a couple of other great articles that offers more insight on work samples and how employers implement them in their hiring practices.

U.S. News Today: Should You Do Free Work at a Job Interview?

Career Contessa: How to Send a Work Portfolio That Will Land You the Job

We hope you can use this information to excel in your next job interview! And speaking of jobs.

If you’re looking to transition into a non-teaching role at a value and mission-driven organization in the education sector, consider becoming a WorkMonger JobSeeker . We help you simplify and streamline the job searching process in the education space. Our team works with some of the most dynamic education organizations in the country who are looking for great talent like yourself! We evaluate our opportunities, match them with your personality, preferences, and profile, and introduce you to the hiring managers when both you and the employer are interested – all for free. Does this sound like something you’d like to be apart of? If so, complete your WorkMonger profile today! We hope you found this blog to be helpful! Let us know what you think by Tweeting us at @theworkmonger or by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page ! Until next time, stand out & do good!

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Why Take-Home Assignments are the Biggest Mistake for Hiring Managers

There’s no “right” way to hire.

Some companies are comfortable having a 30-minute conversation and pulling the trigger, while others might want a couple of steps and additional interviewers involved in the process to ensure they’re getting multiple opinions on who to hire. 

And while some employers make it a point to stay on top of the latest industry trends like the ones found in our 2023 Salary Guide , others fall short and — time and time again — make the same mistakes.

Why the take-home assignment interview is a big mistake

Different interview processes work for different companies. But there is one interview mistake I’ve seen across various industries — for both contract and full-time hires — that creates a major bottleneck in the interview process, and that is the take-home assignment .

Take-home assignments can be called something different depending on what the role is.

• For a marketing position, it might be a case study .
• For a software development position, it might be a coding test .
• For a client-facing role, it might be a presentation .

Regardless of the name, the outcome is often the same: candidates you were excited about drop out of the interview process, and you find yourself back at square one again and again. 

From my experience in staffing, I strongly advise my clients against incorporating a take-home assignment into their interview process. 

Why You Shouldn’t Assign a Take-Home Assignment

No one likes to do take-home assignments for free..

When asking candidates to do an assignment during the interview process, it’s often the work that they will be doing once they get hired, so it’s essentially asking them to work for free.

For candidates, time is money, and it’s time that can be spent working for their clients who are paying them. 

This interview mistake doesn’t respect people’s personal time.

Imagine you’re working 9-5 and looking for a new job. You also have two kids who need to be picked up from school, fed, bathed, and put to bed every night.

You are so overloaded in your job that you sometimes have to work after hours. When would you have the time to also fit in doing an assignment that can take anywhere from 2-10 hours?

Candidates often cannot prioritize doing additional work because it will take time away from something else they need to get done. The longer it will take a candidate to find the time to complete the take-home assignment, the more likely their interest in the job opportunity will wane. 

Other companies aren’t making this interview mistake.

As much as you want to vet candidates for the right skill level, it’s important to be competitive with how other companies are hiring, so you don’t lose out on top talent.

Creatives often get hired based on their portfolios—without an interview. Developers get hired off of a single Zoom interview.

Higher-level roles get hired after multiple rounds of interviews, which function as conversations with various stakeholders at a company, without being asked to do homework for an interview other than preparing.

If you ask a candidate to do an assignment before engaging them in the next step of an interview process, they might say they are happy to do it, but the truth is they will usually wait to start it until completing any other interviews they have lined up in hopes of getting a decision from another employer sooner.

This interview mistake fails to filter out people who aren’t serious about the role.

Many companies think these assignments will show how much a candidate wants to work at their company.

I strongly caution against this logic. The post-COVID job market is more competitive than ever, as companies with once-traditional mindsets around employees working onsite have adapted to now offer fully remote roles.

This means that candidates now have access to nationwide job opportunities and are getting job offers faster than ever before.

If seeing how serious someone is about a role at your specific company is important to you, gauging how much they researched the company before the interview is a great way to find that out.

Hiring Managers Should Avoid the Take-Home Assignment

Making the common interview mistake of requiring a take-home assignment most often results in the assignment not getting completed and the candidate pursuing a different employment opportunity that doesn’t require an additional assignment. 

It’s understandable that a hiring manager would want to test a person’s skill before offering them a job. The good news is that there are ways to do this that don’t involve asking a candidate to do extra work.

Ways to Avoid Making this Interview Mistake

Ask to see sample work from potential candidates..

Copywriters and designers have portfolios, developers have GitHubs, and high-level individuals can often pull sample proposals and plans they’ve put together in the past to exhibit their work.

If you have questions about how much they did themselves, what went into the decisions they made, or other related questions, the interview is the perfect place to dive in and find out. 

Ask your job candidate to do a test in real-time on the interview.

Some hiring managers prefer not to do this because candidates might feel “put on the spot” and not perform their best.

However, I can’t think of a single employer I have worked with who didn’t care equally about the candidate getting to the right answer, as they did about how they got to the right answer and what that showed about their thought process.

Doing a test or exercise together, and being able to speak with the candidate during it, is a great way to understand their logic.

Ask your job candidate scenario-based questions.

If you have a concern about how a candidate would handle a situation—whether it’s technical, about communication, or how they work with a team—ask specific, pointed questions to find out your answers. 

Requesting references is a great way to avoid this interview mistake.

It is completely acceptable to extend an offer pending reference checks so you’re able to get background information from someone who worked with this person before and can vouch for the candidate’s expertise.

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The Final Word On Take-Home Assignments for Hiring Managers

Hiring is a gamble. It’s normal to have a degree of trepidation about extending an offer to someone without a guarantee that they’ll be able to perform at the level you expect. But the best way to see if someone can do the job is to trust your gut and give them the chance to prove you right. 

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With an expansive, connected network of the top IT, Tech, Creative, and Digital Marketing professionals and a proprietary process,  Mondo  can match you with the hard-to-find, specialized talent you need.

• Contact Mondo today for all your hiring needs
• Download our 2023 Salary Guide  for detailed salary breakdowns for roles & jobs across the technology, creative & digital marketing industries

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Digital Marketing Manager for Mondo National Staffing Agency | AI Drafted & Human Crafted

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More From Forbes

5 common interview questions about teamwork.

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The way you answer questions about teamwork can set you apart in the interview process.

As you’re looking for a job, you’ll need to be prepared for plenty of different questions, but you can be sure that interviewers will ask you about teamwork. And your answer could make or break your chances of success in getting the job.

Teamwork is a hot topic today because work has become more complex, and it’s a rare project or organizational culture that doesn’t require working with others—at least some of the time.

Given its importance, if you’re able to provide effective answers to questions about teamwork, you’ll certainly set yourself apart and be more likely to land the role.

Why Interviewers Ask About Teamwork

People often ask, “Why is this an important question that is often included in interviews?” It’s because we work in teams almost without exception. Even for the most solitary jobs, there are usually aspects of collaboration at some point in the process.

Perhaps you’re a solitary writer or a graphic designer, but once a quarter you put your heads together with others to determine an editorial calendar or graphic needs—or you obtain input on what you’ve developed so you can improve it. Collaboration, cooperation and participation are pervasive.

Organizations also know that working successfully with others is critical to everything from idea generation to project outcomes. And effective teamwork is related to positive relationships which in turn drive things like job satisfaction , retention and even happiness and fulfillment .

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All of these are reasons for their questions about how you work with others.

What Interviewers Want To Hear About Teamwork

When interviewers ask about teamwork, they will be looking for certain characteristics, so you’ll want to communicate some key points in your answers.

• Demonstrate that you understand the importance of teamwork.
• Show that you’re self-aware about how you typically interact in a team situation.
• Communicate that you are a constructive in working through issues that arise on a team.
• Show that you make a positive contribution to a team and an organization.
• Demonstrate that you’re comfortable with the amount of teamwork the new role is likely to require.
• Show that you understand when you need to seek others’ input, expertise, guidance and collaboration—and when you don’t.

Interview Questions About Teamwork

Beyond this overall guidance, people ask, “What is a list of questions that assess teamwork skills?” and, “What are the key points or words or themes that should be included in the response?” Here’s what you must know.

1. Questions About Whether You Prefer Teamwork

You are sure to receive a question about your preferences for working with others. Interviewers will ask, “Do you prefer working alone or with others?” Or they’ll ask, “Tell me whether you like working on your own or with a team?” They may ask the question in a variety of ways, but it’s highly likely that you’ll face this question in some form.

Interviewers ask this question because they want to be sure you’re a match to the job, based on whether it is more independent or collaborative. And they also want to know if you’re a fit to the culture, which can be generally more solitary or more interactive.

You’ll want to be sure and provide an answer that demonstrates that you know yourself and that you’re open and willing to work on a team—at the same time you’re authentic with your answer.

If you’re applying for a job in which you’ll work mostly alone or if you prefer to work mostly alone, then interviewers will be looking for you to say that you’re comfortable working on your own, that you’re self-directed and that you enjoy having autonomy. However, almost no job is totally independent of teamwork, so interviewers will also want to hear that you appreciate working with others and that you value other’s input and guidance when their expertise can make your work better.

If you’re applying for a role that requires a lot of work with others, or if you’re applying for a leadership role, interviewers will want to hear that you’re not only comfortable working with others, but that you enjoy it and that you’re energized by it. They’ll want to know that you can do work on your own, but they’ll want to know that you’re at home in an environment that demands a lot of collaborative work.

You're sure to get questions about teamwork when you're interviewing.

2. Questions About Your Role On A Team

It’s also a sure bet that you’ll be asked about your role on a team. Interviewers will ask, “What role do you typically play on a team?” Or they’ll ask, “When you’re on a team, what is the role that you like to take?” Again, they may ask the question using different verbiage, but the theme will be consistent.

Interviewers ask this question because they want to find out if you’re self-aware, and they want to understand how you’ll interact within the team and the organization. They want to know whether you’ll be a positive, constructive addition—or not.

Prepare to answer the question by first reflecting on how you normally interact with others—and be genuine about your response. Do you play a leadership role? Or are you a cheerleader, recognizing and encouraging others? Do you play a critical thinking or devil’s advocate role? Do you demonstrate strength in organizing, coordinating logistics or project managing on a team? Or do you bring tons of creative ideas to a team?

Whatever role you play, describe it by giving examples of your behaviors and by sharing a specific situation in which you demonstrated the role. Perhaps you worked with a team that was struggling to get things done and you suggested a new way of tracking the work so the team could achieve its results. Or perhaps you worked on a team that was trying to solve a solve a problem with a customer and you took an innovative role, offering lots of new suggestions that moved the team forward. Be sure to share not just your behaviors, but how they resulted in a positive outcome for the team.

Exercise caution here as well. Most people answer this question by saying they express leadership. If you want to stand out, be sure you can share examples and truly show how you’ve influenced, motivated, engaged and directed the team successfully—or choose another role where you can make a stronger case.

3. Questions About Challenges With Teamwork

In an interview situation, you’re also likely to face questions about times when you’ve struggled on a team—and your reflections on these circumstances.

For example, interviewers may ask,

• Tell me about a time when you struggled on a team and how you handled it.
• Tell me about a time when you were on a team that failed .
• What is your approach if a team is overloaded or stressed ?
• How do you handle it when you have a difficult person on your team?
• What do you do if the team isn’t listening to your ideas (or implementing your ideas)?

Interviewers know that great teams will always face challenges—and they want to know that you understand the process of teamwork and that you’ll be able to work through issues and get things done in a team environment, even when things are tough.

When you answer the question, first describe the situation in just enough detail to paint the picture, but don’t go on and on about things that are negative. Second, talk about how you reflected on the situation and decided how you would handle it. Third, describe the actions you took—whether you helped the team by providing feedback or suggested a new process. Or explain how you worked through issues with someone—by providing them with feedback or by asking them to have a discussion to resolve disagreements. Fourth, talk about the outcome—in terms of how the team benefitted and moved forward based on your actions.

You’ll want to show that you understand that teams face challenges, and that you recognize your opportunity to be supportive and take action.

4. Questions About Successes With Teamwork

Interviewers will also ask about positive team experiences. This question might be the most fun to answer and it’s likely to come up, so be sure to have a success story ready to share.

They’ll pose the question in a variety of ways.

• Tell me about a time when you succeeded on a team.
• What do you think makes a good team?
• What do you think are the ingredients for a team to be successful?
• How do you contribute to a positive team experience?

Answer the question by briefly sharing details about a team experience, the work you were doing and the positive outcomes that you achieved. But then, also be sure to share your reflections on what the team did to ensure success—and the role you played.

You can share how the team had clear roles or set ground rules from the beginning. You could discuss how you all valued each other’s input and took the necessary time to delve deeply into the problem you needed to solve.

Be sure to talk about how much you valued the other members of the team and even the ways that the team celebrated success.

5. Questions About Leadership On A Team

Even if you’re not interviewing for a leadership role, you’ll probably be asked about leadership on a team . Interviewers may ask, “Tell me about a time when you stepped forward to lead a team.” Or “How do you show leadership on a team?” Or “What was a situation where you demonstrated leadership while collaborating?”

Interviewers know that beyond the formal leadership role, great teams also share leadership when there is a need for an expert to step forward, or when different kinds of leadership are necessary.

You’ll want to be ready to talk about how you’ve taken initiative when the team needed you—by describing the situation and then talking about how you leaned in.

Perhaps the team needed to meet with a customer, and you took the lead on asking questions and listening to the customer’s needs. Maybe the team got stuck in brainstorming and you spoke up and moved the team into decision making. Or perhaps you saw that not everyone was pulling their weight and suggested a new approach to managing tasks and giving visibility to follow through.

You may not have had experiences where you were the official leader of the team, but be ready to show where you saw opportunity, took initiative, stepped up and made a difference in the progress of the team.

Get The Job

Teamwork is everywhere, in every organization and involving almost every job today—at least to some degree. As a result, you’re sure to put yourself in a terrific position to get the job when you’re able to communicate your understanding of the importance of teamwork and your positive role in getting things done with others.

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Watch CBS News

A look at Kamala Harris' work on foreign policy as vice president

By Haley Ott

July 22, 2024 / 1:08 PM EDT / CBS News

After President Biden announced he would not be running for reelection , he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his pick to become the Democratic nominee. Here's a look at some of Harris' work on foreign policy over the last three and a half years:

The U.S. border and immigration from South and Central America 

Harris was assigned early during the Biden administration with addressing the " root causes " of irregular migration to the United States across its border with Mexico. She described those causes as corruption and lack of economic opportunity in some Central and South American nations.

She has traveled to Latin America twice as vice president: To Mexico and Guatemala in 2021, and to Honduras in 2022.

During a speech In Guatemala, she told people in the region considering making an unauthorized trip across the border: "Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our borders."

In Mexico, she announced the U.S. would be investing millions of dollars in a bid to enhance worker protections and push for labor reforms there. She also announced commitments to foster investment in Mexico through things including loans for affordable housing.

Harris also announced a joint partnership with Mexico to foster economic opportunities in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador through agriculture and youth empowerment. In March, the White House announced she had secured private sector commitments to invest $5 billion towards the promotion of economic opportunities and the reduction of violence in the region.

China, Taiwan and the South China Sea

Harris has largely carried the White House's message on the challenges presented by China, speaking on several occasions about curbing Chinese influence.

"We know that Beijing continues to coerce, to intimidate and to make claims to the vast majority of the South China Sea," Harris said in a speech during a seven day trip to Singapore and Vietnam in 2021.

"Beijing's actions continue to undermine the rules-based order and threaten the sovereignty of nations," she said. The United States stands with our allies and partners in the face of these threats."

In 2022, Harris said that the U.S. would "continue to support Taiwan's self defense , consistent with our long-standing policy."

Harris' visit to Singapore — a close U.S. ally that's home to a key U.S. Navy base in Southeast Asia — followed visits by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Asia in the previous weeks. The Biden administration was eager to reassure Asian allies nervous about China's assertive policies in the region, especially in the wake of the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"The reason I am here is because the U.S. is a global leader, and we take that role seriously," said Harris. She stressed what she called the United States' "enduring engagement" in Asia, hitting on previous administration talking points about ensuring an "open and free" Indo-Pacific region, and "freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea.

NATO, Europe and Russia's war on Ukraine

Harris has voiced clear support for Ukraine as it continues fighting to repel Russia's ongoing invasion, and she has reiterated the U.S. commitment to the transatlantic NATO alliance with America's European partners.

Earlier this year, she vowed the U.S. would support Ukraine's fight for "as long as it takes."

At the Munich Security Conference in 2022, Harris said the U.S. had "an unwavering commitment to NATO and to the Alliance."

The meeting came as Russia massed hundreds of thousands of troops along Ukraine's border, just days before it launched its full-scale invasion.

"America's commitment to Article 5 is ironclad," Harris said in 2022, referring to the mutual defense clause in the NATO charter that calls for an attack on any member to be treated as an attack on all. "This commitment is sacrosanct to me, to President Biden and to our entire nation."

The Israel-Hamas war and the wider Middle East

Harris has said that she supports Israel's right to defend itself, but also that "as Israel defends itself, it matters how."

In a briefing in December 2023, Harris said that "as Israel pursues its military objectives in Gaza, we believe Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians."

She said that she and the president remained committed to the goal of a two-state solution.

"When this conflict ends, Hamas cannot control Gaza, and Israel must be secure. Palestinians need a hopeful political horizon, economic opportunity and freedom. And the region, more broadly, must be integrated and prosperous. And we must — we must work toward that vision," Harris said.

Josh Paul, a former director at the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, told CBS News on Monday that Harris could look to distinguish herself at least slightly from Mr. Biden's policy toward Israel. Paul resigned in October over the Biden administration's decision to continue providing Israel with weapons as it launched military operations in Gaza.

He said Harris had been "the first and often the loudest voice within the Biden administration talking about the need for a cease-fire, talking about Palestinian humanitarian issues and, frankly, humanizing the Palestinians," adding that he believed there was "room for some degree of optimism that as president, she will take a different path."

"I certainly wouldn't expect a Harris administration to walk away, in any way, from the U.S.', you know, ironclad support for Israel," he said. 

He added that, in his opinion, Mr. Biden has found it "very hard to change his mind on things that were, you know, fixed within his perceptions," and he said Harris could prove "to be a more pragmatic" leader if she gets the nation's top job. 

Emmet Lyons contributed to this report.

Haley Ott is the CBS News Digital international reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau.

More from CBS News

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As a female Secret Service agent, I was told I didn't belong. Rude comments only pushed me to work harder.

• Mary Beth Wilkas Janke was a federal agent in the Secret Service in the early 1990s.
• She entered without a law enforcement background but was just as qualified as her male colleagues.
• Although it requires sacrifices, Wilkas Janke says women shouldn't be afraid to enter the field.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mary Beth Wilkas Janke , a 59-year-old former Secret Service Agent. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

After taking a criminal justice elective in high school, I decided I wanted to be an FBI agent . I studied criminal justice and Spanish in college and moved to Spain after graduation. At 24, I moved back to the US to become a federal law agent.

I applied to the DEA and the United States Secret Service (USSS). The Secret Service offered me a job after many interviews, an exam, a review of my documents, and a polygraph. I didn't have a military or law enforcement background, but I met the qualifications for the role.

I worked for the Secret Service from May 1991 to June 1992. This wasn't a  traditional career path  for women in the 1990s. At that time, only 180 of the 2,000 agents were women. Many people judged me, but nobody could dissuade me from pursuing my dream.

It's an intense, demanding job that requires you to carry a weapon, make sacrifices, and know you're in a man's world, but women are equipped to do this job just as well as men.

The training process is the same for men and women, except for the physical fitness evaluation

I spent nine and a half weeks being trained as a criminal investigator and another nine and a half weeks learning the responsibilities of the Secret Service through classroom lectures, practical exercises, physical fitness, firearms, time on the mat, and simulation training.

The hiring and training processes are the same for men and women, except for the physical fitness evaluation requirements. To pass the quarterly fitness test, we have to run 1.5 miles in a certain timeframe. Men between 20 and 29 must complete the run in 10 minutes and 16 seconds, while women can complete it in 12 minutes and 50 seconds.

I don't see anything wrong with having different physical standards for men and women. We're physiologically different, and this job is not about physical strength. Physical standards are different across many agencies and organizations, like the military , any given police force , and even Olympic qualifications .

Nothing else is different between men and women on the job. We all must pass the same tests and be proficient in firearms training, defensive tactics, motorcade driving, arrest methods, emergency medicine, and investigative skills.

My job duties ranged from interviewing suspects to protecting George H.W. Bush's grandchildren

At that time, I was the only agent in the Washington Field Office who spoke Spanish, so I was often placed on assignments involving counterfeit currency from Latin American countries. I would interview Spanish-speaking suspects or participate in raids.

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I was also assigned to protect two of George H.W. Bush's grandchildren on a rotating basis. I don't believe, and I never felt, that certain assignments were given to agents based on their gender.

My mother and I had heated discussions about some of the missions I was on because they were so dangerous. Sometimes, I'd ask my mom if we would be having the conversation if I were a man because I didn't think we would. I understood and respected her concern; however, this is my life, and I will always live it on my terms.

When I left the Service, I became an international personal protection agent, doctor of clinical psychology, college professor, and author.

Regardless of your gender, it's a demanding job that's not for everyone

This job requires personal sacrifices, like canceling plans you had to meet friends on Friday night because you got called to an Air Force Base for a vice presidential movement.

I noticed that some of the women I worked with left the agency for "traditional" reasons. One of my best friends from training left after five years to start a family, and another friend left because she wanted a more predictable career.

You must be willing to take a bullet for your protectee at any time. That's the heartbeat of the job, and it can be both exciting and dangerous. I wanted the challenge, and I loved having a career that was anything but boring.

Certain women are equipped to do this job, just as certain men are, but I think it takes more of a special woman than a special man to go into law enforcement because of the scrutiny and commitment.

It's a male-dominated career, but you shouldn't let that stop you from entering it

When I applied, I knew I'd be surrounded by mostly male colleagues, but it didn't intimidate me.

When my male colleagues would make negative or derogatory comments about me, I never showed that what they said bothered me. Instead, it pushed me to work harder.

In training, a fellow agent asked me what I was doing there and said that I didn't belong. I knew he was wrong. I went through the strenuous application process, just like he did, to get the job, and I belonged there.

One guy told me before women were hired, it was the "good old days" when they could enjoy booze, broads, and Buicks. He said that bringing women in messed that up for them. I told him hiring women was the best decision the Service ever made — he laughed and appreciated my standing up to him. We eventually became friends.

Women agents are valuable to the Secret Service

Women often excel in communication and negotiation skills, which are crucial to a USSS Agent's duties. In many situations, women can more easily blend into environments where a male may be more conspicuous.

Having women in the Service also shows that women can perform in demanding jobs that have traditionally been male-dominated.

The head of the Department of Homeland Security is pushing to have more women in law enforcement, up to 30% by 2030 , and I think that's great, but I often wonder why it's not at 30% already.

The Secret Service's efforts to increase DEI and female hires is nothing unusual as long as the candidates are qualified. These individuals still have to go through a rigorous hiring and training process and meet the same qualifications as everyone else.

More women who are interested in this line of work should try it

I think many women don't even realize this career path exists. When I was doing a protection advance in 1992 at a hotel, the general manager said to me, "I didn't know there were women Secret Service Agents!"

There are dozens of federal law enforcement agencies, and my advice to anyone is even if you can't get into the one that you want at first, start at one agency and transfer down the road.

Don't let what anybody thinks about whether women belong on the job stop you from applying to a position in law enforcement . You belong there, and if you start to doubt that, find a mentor with the career path you want and lean on them to guide you.

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Why Republicans Keep Calling Kamala Harris the ‘Border Czar’

The misleading phrase is meant to underscore one of the thorniest issues in her portfolio: immigration.

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By Jazmine Ulloa and Nicholas Nehamas

Reporting from Milwaukee and Washington

• July 17, 2024

As Democrats tangle over the re-election prospects of President Biden, Republicans at their national convention this week have trained some of their most intense criticism on Vice President Kamala Harris.

They have tied her to an administration that they say has led to increases in crime and inflation. They have cast her an enabler of an aging and ineffective president. They have blamed her for record levels of migrant crossings at the border.

But perhaps no phrase has been deployed more than this one: “border czar.”

“Kamala Harris isn’t able to do any job. She was appointed border czar,” said Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida on Wednesday to a couple of snickers in the audience. “Appointing Kamala Harris to oversee the border is like appointing Bernie Madoff to oversee your retirement plan.”

But Ms. Harris was not, in fact, appointed border czar, nor was she tasked with addressing the broader problems plaguing the border itself, where minors have at times slept on the floors of overcrowded facilities for days beyond the legal limit . Rather she was deputized by President Biden with the diplomatic mission of solving the “root causes” of migration from countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, tackling the issues that spur people to flee in the first place, like drug violence and lack of economic opportunity.

It was the same politically unsavory task that former President Barack Obama delegated to Mr. Biden when he served as Mr. Obama’s vice president. And it’s a task that has only become harder — and more politically polarized — since then, becoming perhaps the thorniest issue facing the Biden-Harris administration.

Brian Fallon, campaign spokesman for Ms. Harris, said former President Donald J. Trump and his party have “resorted to lying about the vice president’s record,” after Mr. Trump tanked a bipartisan border deal earlier this year.

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