Interview Questions: Responsibility

Your interviewer is going to be looking for a sense of accountability, a willingness to shoulder the burdens of the job. They will also be especially alert to any signs that you might not stay in the position long enough to make it worth hiring and training you.

A corollary to this sense of responsibility is whether or not you can be a self-starter. Employers are looking for self-sufficient workers - people who can produce for them from the word go. In the past, companies were interested in a worker for life. They welcomed people into the fold, trained them, nurtured them, and made lifelong projects out of them. In today's climate of short-term and shifting positions, employees at every level are expected to produce, to think creatively, and to make decisions about the organization's direction. Here's how your interviewer will try to determine if you have the right attitude.

1. Describe some ways in which you've been a leader.

    

2. What criteria do you use to make important personal decisions? Professional decisions?

    

3. Under what circumstances have people depended on you?

    

4. Describe the biggest setback you've dealt with. What was your response?

    

5. What, so far in your life, has given you the greatest satisfaction?

    

6. Do you require or prefer to have a lot of supervision or do you work well on your own?