I work for a medical device company and applied to be a QC (Quality Control Inspector). I am so nervous-I’m shaking. I know I would be an excellent QC, but I know they are going to ask me a lot of questions where they are looking for just the right answer as to how I would handle certain situations and as to my personality type. I’ve heard one question they ask is, “Tell me about an embarrassing situation you had and how you handled it.” I’m sure there are more like that… I’m afraid to be myself because the QC’s I’ve come into contact with are very serious, refrain from being friendly and show little emotion. I’m not really like that, so I’ll need to pretend.
Does anyone know questions they may ask and what type of answers they might be looking for?
Actually, the question you mentioned does not have a right answer and is usually asked to see you how will handle surprises.
Most of the time the interviewers are not trying to trick you or make you look bad. They want to find someone who will be good for their organization. Smile a lot, be friendly and answer honestly. If you are worried about your answers, be sure to keep it simple. Some interviewers will stay silent knowing that many people are uncomfortable with silence. Once you have given a reasonable answer, stop. Wait for their next question. Don’t feel you need to leap to a quick answer. Take a moment and consider your answer.
Just practice. Have some idea what anecdotes from your life illustrate how you have useful skills (e.g. managing people, de-escalating confrontation, good cooperation/communication skills, prioritizing). Practice saying these stories and maybe even tape record yourself so you can figure out if you’re speaking too quickly.
You might also want to recruit friends to give you a mock interview.
Khadaji is right, they don’t want to make you look bad; they just want to find out more about you to see if you’re a good match for the position they’re hiring for.
UGGGH! Please don’t pretend to be someone you aren’t.
I’ve worked in QC for 10 years out of 10… I have worked in QC even when I was officially working for other departments (for some reason, I always end up being the person other people ask to check their work)… and I can guarantee that you do not need to be made of cardboard to be a good QC person.
You need to be serious, responsible, accurate; you need to know when is a good time for a joke and when not. Getting your ass sewn shut is not a prerequisite.
