How To Answer The Question How Would You Describe Your Personality

How to answer the question, “How would you
describe your personality?”

Job interview questions about your personality are an opportunity to set
yourself apart from the crowd.
Daniel Bortz, Monster contributor
Having a winning personality is probably the most important factor when it comes
to making a great first impression on anyone. Especially a hiring manager. Your
character and behavior are strong indicators of how well you’ll get along with the rest
of the company, so it should come as no surprise when they ask you to describe
your personality early on during a job interview.
“Hiring managers want to see what your attitude and outlook is on work and life,”
says Jay Fusaro, author of From the Other Side of the Desk: A Practical Guide to
Shortening Your Job Search.
Sounds easy enough—after all, if there’s one subject you’re an expert in, it’s you—
but it’s very common to get tripped up when you have to put into words what you’re
like as a human being. (And no, “I’m great! What more can I say?” won’t fly.)
According to consulting firm Deloitte, there are four types of workplace personalities:
pioneer, driver, integrator, and guardian—and each style has its own positive and
negative attributes. You can take Monster’s short workplace personality quiz to see
what yours is, and then mine the information for talking points to use during job
interviews. And read on for more tips to help you craft your answer.
Study the job posting

In addition to outlining what hard skills are required for the position, job
descriptions typically list what attributes or personality traits employers are looking
for candidates to possess. Thus, Fusaro says your best approach is to select
three core soft skills and share short stories that illustrate how these characteristics
have served you well at past jobs.
For example, to show you take initiative you might say, “I’m a manager, but I’m also
a people person at heart. At my last job I took over a department that had high
turnover. I was able to improve retention by offering flexible work schedules,
providing a comfortable work environment, and praising employees for their
achievements.”
Leverage feedback from a third party

Saying that you’re a leader is one thing—validating it by citing feedback from a
former boss or co-worker is compelling, says Fusaro. Hence, “it’s best to use
someone else’s opinion of you to compliment yourself,” he says.
One way to interpret this interview question is to respond as if you’re being asked,
“How would your colleagues describe your personality?” For example: “My boss
consistently tells me I’m a team player. When we fell behind on a big project last
year, I offered to stay late and helped us meet our deadline.”
Choose the right buzzwords

A recent survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found that
employers actually care more about soft skills than they do technical abilities like
reading comprehension and mathematics. It also revealed the 15 soft skills
employers commonly look for in entry-level job seekers. In turn, weaving a few of
these skills into your answer can make you a more attractive candidate:
 Integrity
 Dependability
 Adaptability
 Professionalism
 Teamwork
 Respect
Be honest
When answering any job interview question, you need to be authentic and honest
with the hiring manager, says Laura Labovich, founder of Bethesda, Maryland-based
Career Strategy Group. “Tell the interviewer about the qualities you feel represent
you best and of which you are most proud,” she says. “If they don’t believe you’d be
a fit, it’s probably for the best.”
“Of course, to the extent that you can identify any personality traits that might be
‘ideal’ for the job and identify the ones that you feel you embody, the more
successful you’ll be,” Labovich adds.
Sample answers
Although your answer will depend on the position you’re applying for and, of course,
your individual personality, here are some examples of good responses.
Good answers
 For a financial analyst job: “A central fixture of my personality is my analytical

mind. In my last job, I applied that to a number of tasks...”
 For a customer service job: "I’m a problem-solver by nature. My immediate goal
when I speak to a customer is to get their issue resolved as quickly and efficiently as
possible.”
 For an administrative assistant job: “I’ve always been an extremely organized
person. That served me well in my last job, where my attention to detail helped save the
company money on a major account…”
 For a data analyst job: "I'm a whiz at interpreting data and transforming it into
useful information."
Meanwhile, here’s what you shouldn’t say:
Bad answers
 “I’m a hard worker.” Duh! Tell the hiring manager something that’s unique about
you—not something she’s heard over and over again.
 “I'm a social butterfly. I make friends very easily and am very good at influencing
others in social situations.” This answer is more “me-focused,” says Labovich. Keep the
focus on how your personality would benefit the employer.
 “I’m a perfectionist.” Perfectionism can lead to time management issues, which is a
major concern for employers.
 “I pride myself on being a reliable employee. I always show up to work on time.”
Rather than saying you can meet the basic job requirements (e.g., get to work on time
every day), highlight a personality trait that would make you significantly more valuable in
the eyes of a hiring manager than other candidates.
Make your job search as awesome as your
personality
You’re a great worker. You’re responsible and driven. You never use the office
microwave to reheat fish. People like you! Unfortunately, the job search will demand
skills that go beyond simply being awesome. Could you use some help standing out
from the crowd? Join Monster today. As a member, you can get career advice and
job search tips sent directly to your inbox. From updating your resume to negotiating
your salary to asking for a raise, Monster’s expert insight can help take you far.
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How to answer the question, “How would you

describe your personality?”

Study the job posting

Leverage feedback from a third party

Choose the right buzzwords

 For a financial analyst job: “A central fixture of my personality is my analytical

Meanwhile, here’s what you shouldn’t say:

 100 companies hiring this week, April 2020

 All Career Paths

Salary & Benefits

Most Recent Jobs

Chestnut Health Systems

For Job Seekers

Looking for Monster Cable?

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