Hello guys,
I am preparing for an IT job interview and would like your views on the following question on how to deliver a proper 1-2 minutes answer.
"What are your views on a high level of attention to detail? Please tell us when your attention to detail has aided you in effectively completing a task."
As no previous work experience (only Volunteering work and study assignments), I am finding it hard to draw some good content. Kindly provide sample answers.
Thanks.
Giving an interview for IT job doesn't mean I need to draw an answer related to IT field rather than basic work like cooking/fixing car/ etc.?
Willing to prepare answer using STAR technique but confused on how to give a start.
It does not have to be related to IT, it can be whatever you want. Obviously IT related scenario would be better, but it's not a requirement. In your situation, I would recommend something from your studies, which is hopefully related to the role you are applying for.
How can you answer any question then? You've never worked in IT.
Talk about a time you did a group assignment and noticed that there were typos or something. Or a line of code was missing and you fixed it.
Make something up about being asked to look at someone’s computer who was unable to troubleshoot a problem.
Maybe a software install or a backup restore gone wrong.
Then describe how you saved the day after identifying a small step was overlooked. You can miss it the first time and identify it when analysing the process.
Or the problem could be something that is described to you and you are unable to replicate the issue until you take a detailed look at the issue.
Don’t go into too much detail, save that if you need to elaborate on interview
Say that you read the T&Cs on every ozbargain deal post, sure winner lol
For real though, if you are relatively young out of uni just reference group assignments or other examples. In the end the other side really just wants to see how you approach and answer the question in general.
Fake it til you make it
I had an exceptional eye for detail in my uni assignments hence the good mark I achieved, I take exceptional pride in my work, and often went above and beyond the requirements of the assignments despite not being required to do so, for my own satisfaction.
This is a general example - you need to be specific. If someone said this in an interview I'd be unimpressed. "often" - when? You went outside the scope of the assignments? Sounds annoying.
Ever built a computer?
Or
You could say recently your "friend" recently had a kid and you went with them to IKEA and bought furniture and assembled it for them
Is this a question they’ve given you as a heads up that will feature in the IV or just one you’re using to help prepare??
“Views on attention to detail” ooft
I am just preparing general questions that are usually asked. And this question is something which I think can be asked because of the job profile. Better to prepare in advance.
I am just preparing general questions that are usually asked.
Jees that needs to be mentioned in the OP that it's a hypothetical.
Likelihood is that you'll just get the usual:
Be prepared, but not over-prepared. It's not an exam. If you can't answer off the cuff, and stumble over questions that you weren't prepared for, it'll show.
And dress appropriately.
Have you done anything 'Agile'?
If so, I'd be saying something along the lines of - whilst being able to deliver the functionality for feature X as required by the sprint, to do so would have resulted in a sub-optimal design that would have came back to bite us in future efforts were we ever to need feature Y (which would have required a rewrite etc). Rather than blindly follow the task as described in sprint, I presented findings to management and potential pitfalls of doing things the quick/cheap way…. this ultimately saved us in the long term - as feature Y did end up getting requested; blah blah blah
You could adapt above to anything…
On paper, solution X whilst appearing to offer significant saving and meeting requirements for today, would seriously impact ability to do Y in future.
Hey thanks man, this will work, just want to ask that do I need to add the last line saying "thanks to my attention to details, I was able to complete my project more effectively" or there is no need for this line as your paragraph is self-explanatory?
Seriously, lie.
Just make up a situation from your volunteering roles. No one cares if it's true.
The interviewer just wants to suss out your thought process in such a situation.
Go through the job listing for this position and try and pick out a typo or grammatical error.
Point it out to them, and then tell them that because of that, your attention to detail helped you get this job.
The golden answer to attention to detail in my line of work is continuity.
I can write my notes and/or complete some procedures without following protocol to a tee. The outcome will be unaffected.
However, I don't cut any corners and not a single redundancy is skipped because I may not be the sole person working on a case. If I disappeared tomorrow, my work is textbook. Any qualified person straight out of school can understand my notes and resume from where I left off.
In all my years of practice, I have not yet had a legitimate call to explain my notes. Only people who cannot translate Googleable shorthands, ie numpties.
Feel free to send me your first pay cheque.
If you're struggling due to lack of work experience, then use one from your personal life. Could be attention to detail in cooking, fixing your car, helping someone with an intricate task…
Rack your brain! You've done this before, I'm sure of it!