If You Could Change Anything About Your Job, What Would It Be?

You probably know that one of the main goals of an interview is for the interviewer to get to know you. When they ask if there is anything about your job you would want to change, they are trying to get a picture of the values you find important, what you excel at, and if you can self-assess.

They want to know if you can set goals for yourself and then meet those goals. The way you answer this question will also tell them if you let yourself get bored, or if you have ways to counteract that.

Here are some pointers to keep in mind when formulating a response:

Points to Emphasize

When you answer this question, make sure to point out traits that make you a strong candidate for the job. Focusing more on the why than the what will give the interviewer a more complete picture of your values, and show you have goals and a desire to achieve success.

Briefly discuss what you would change about your job.
Go into detail about why.
Try to make the way fit in with the position you are now applying for.
Keep your answer informative, yet concise.

Mistakes You Should Avoid

Make sure to avoid these traps when you answer this tricky question.

Do not badmouth anyone or the previous company you worked for. That means that you should not say that you would change who you work with or work for.
Do not answer in a negative way.
Try not to talk about situations, experiences or traits that go against the values of the company you are interviewing with.
Be careful not to answer in a way that makes you see unfit for this position.

Making sure that you keep your answer positive will also help show the hiring manager your best traits.

Sample Answer

Here is an example of what a good answer to this question might look like:

If I could change anything about my job, I would change the mode of communication. The company had an instant message application on all of the computers, and many times that is what managers would use to communicate to their employees. As you may know, IM leaves a lot of room for interpretation. This caused a lot of miscommunication. I think that communication is a very important part of this career, and I do not think that the easiest thing is always the best. I would like to see this change so that projects could be completed on time and with more efficiency.

Give an answer that shows you want to grow.