What Have You Learned From Previous Jobs? Interview Question

What You Learn from Job this comes as a natural question if you are already a working professional and looking to switch your job. Knowing what you accomplished at previous jobs will help an interviewer understand what you have to contribute to this company. Therefore, it is pretty common to be asked ‘What did you learn from your last job?’

It is important to note that you are not being asked what you did at your last job. Instead, you are being asked about what skills you developed, what you learned about yourself, and what you learned about the industry from prior jobs. Having already learned key skills will make you highly desirable in a job interview, and it can give you a much-needed boost to stand out from the crowd.

Keep it relatable:

When answering this question, it’s a good idea to keep it relatable to the job that you’re applying for. Think about the skills that the job requires and tailor your answer towards that. It’s important that you consider what the employer wants to hear, but make sure what you’re saying is the truth.

Give your answers meaningful twists:

Another to consider when answering this question, is to vary the examples that you give to the interviewer. While it’s great to give an answer that showcases how much you’ve developed technology, it’s also useful to show how you’ve grown as a person, as personality fit is one of the most important things an employer will look at when it comes to hiring for a new position.

Manipulate the minuses into pluses:

If the places you’ve had jobs at in the past have been very difficult places to work, then use this question as a chance to turn those negative experiences into positive ones.

If you previously worked somewhere where you didn’t receive any guidance or assistance, then perhaps use this as a chance to explain that you were expected to work independently and this encouraged you to use your own initiative and trust your own ideas and judgment.

Don’t complain:

While this question could very easily turn into a negative discussion about your old employers, this should be actively avoided as no recruiter wants to hear you slagging off your previous bosses. It’s unprofessional and makes you seem like a moaner.

Have your answers ready:

If the company places a high emphasis on teamwork, then use this answer as a chance to say that in your previous jobs, you’ve learned how to work as part of a team and collaborate with people whose ideas may be different from your own.

Mistakes to avoid:

1. Avoid talking about things you learned that won’t really help you with this new job
2. Don’t focus on purely personal skills or purely professional skills
3. Don’t say that there is nothing you learned

There is something to be gained from every job experience and if you cannot think of anything off the top of your head, spend some time before the interview thinking about it so that you will be prepared.