How to Answer: Have you ever taken a role in a company that hasn't fit into your long-term career plans?
7. Have you ever taken a role in a company that hasn't fit into your long-term career plans?
How to Answer
Most people have taken on a position that was not a fit for them in the end. It's the best top openly discuss any jobs that you have held that were not a fit. This answer will assist the interviewer in being able to place you within their organization correctly. Be sure to end your response on a positive note, discussing how you bounced back from the misstep.
Answer Example
"Yes, you will see that from March to May 2007 I held a role as Executive Business Development Manager at Company XYZ. This particular role was not what I was expecting and had little to do with management and more to do with cold calling onto C-suite level clients. This job wasn't nurturing my plan to grow the management side of my career, so I resigned after just two months. Luckily I landed a wonderful job immediately after and grew with that company for the following six years."
Admin
"Sure, when I was younger and just starting out on my own, paying the bills was very important. You can't sit around and go bankrupt waiting for your dream job. That said, I have never taken a job where I did not tell the hiring manager up front that it was temporary."
Manager
"I have not taken a position simply to have a job. I am cautious who I work for and am happy that my discretion has worked well for me and my career path into management. I would certainly not wish for a new hire to use my job opening as a stepping stone. For that reason, I would never do the same."
Marketing
"I have not taken on a role, knowing it would not be the right step for me. The marketing industry is a small one, and you have to be very careful who you work for because it can make or break your career. I have been passively seeking a new role for the past six months and will only take on a position I know will be mutually beneficial."
Retail
"I took a role with a company a couple of years ago that ended up being a pretty terrible decision. The organization was in receivership at the time, and they did not disclose this to me in the interview. So, essentially, I left a pretty good gig to jump on a sinking ship. I learned my lesson that research is imperative. Since then, I have worked only for highly successful organizations."
Sales
"When I was new to the workforce, I was easily sold into the dream of making six figures through online sales marketing. Boy, was I wrong! As I grew older and more experienced, I realize how naive I was at that time. Other than that, I have not had a significant career misstep since. I suppose it's a right of passage for any 17-year-old dreaming of making it rich!"
Teacher
"My career path has been very straight and narrow. I knew from childhood that I wanted to be a teacher and I entered university immediately after high school. I even worked as a tutor to help pay my way through university!"