Interview Question: Do You Need Additional Training?
This question is one of the tricky questions. It is a question that appears like is targeting your weak point. What extra training do you need? It might appear as if the interviewer is seeking to render you incompetent for the job. But is that truly what the interviewer wants to achieve. The candidate being interviewed will view this question as one that is trying to shove him into the wall. Does it mean that any candidate that gives a positive answer does not have the necessary skills to carry out the tasks in the prospective role without training?. If the candidate says no, does this mean that the candidate is perfect and will not need any form of training to brush up his skills?. The candidate is left standing on a crossroad, with no idea of which road to turn to. If you are a prospective candidate in this dilemma, you are just in the right place, cause the guide written below will help you ascertain what an interviewer truly wants to achieve, when he asks you a question like “ do you need additional training for this role”
Why does an interviewer ask this question: Do You Need Additional Training?
Let it be known that different hiring managers ask the same question with a different purpose in mind, and the answer he is expecting will depend on the reason he asked the question in the first place. Your key to nailing the answer, in any case, will lie in your ability to tell the story right. Why does an interviewer ask questions? Sometimes you go for an interview and you are presented with 2 to 3 different interviewers prepared to drill answers from you. There is no limit to what an interviewer can ask, except it’s not legally accepted. All these questions are asked to determine if the candidate sitting right in front of them is a good fit for the role he has applied to and the company in general. Considering the amount of time and resources companies invest in recruitment processes, it is not surprising that they scrutinize candidates very well. The truth is once you onboard a role in most companies you will undergo some sort of training. It might not be to brush up your skill, but every company has its mode of operation. The way you handled administrative duties in company A might differ from the way company B handles administrative duties. Additional training for a new role is almost as sure as the sun setting in the west. When a hiring manager asks you a question regarding extra training, he could be assessing your skill level. Your answer will indirectly give the interviewer an idea of what you can bring to the table. The hiring manager wants to know the areas you are competent in. The interviewer might ask this question to determine if you are aware of the areas you need to improve on and also what your plans are to address them. The recruiter wants to know if you are honest and confident enough to accept your flaws. You will be surprised at the values that hiring managers look out for.
Carry out a little bit of research
To answer the above-stated question, you need to research the job role you are applying to. The job description will give you an idea of what to browse about. A good job description will list out the essential and optional requirements for the role. Essential means that you must have the skills, knowledge, or experience outlined. Optional means the skill listed is not compulsory but more of an advantage. From the job description, you can note the skills or training you need when you onboard the role. Secondly, you can browse online about the skills, certification, or training needed for the role you are applying to. From the list, you can slash off the skills you already have and write down the skills you do not have. This will help you structure your answer during the interview. Another way is to think of the skills you lacked in your former role. What is that skill, certification, or training that you lack which inhibited you from functioning optimally in your formal role? When you have noted down all the skills you lack, you can use them to answer this interview question. You can even use what you wrote down to answer a question like “What are your weakness”
Solution
Do not just list the areas you lack in, give the interviewer an in-depth description of the plan you have to address the issue at hand. It could be that you are already carrying out external training to brush up on the skill. If it is a certification that you lack, tell the hiring manager the steps you have initiated to get this certificate. If you have not initiated any plan, you can tell the employer that you are open to any aid the company can give. To your surprise, the company might be sponsoring employee training, certifications, online and physical classes. Also when answering this question do not start from the problem, highlight some of your strengths before identifying your shortcoming. Describe the aspects you are familiar with before talking about the specific area you lack in. Your ability to give light to a negative event will be your key to nailing the answer.
Do not give an arrogant response
Steer clear from giving answers that will present you as smug. You do not want the hiring manager to perceive you as an arrogant individual. Even if your experience and skills can fill a river, do not present yourself as an “ I know it all” individual. Remember claiming that you do not need any training at all a written assurance that you will meet up with any set goal with no future excuse. It means you have all the tools, knowledge, skills, and experience to function optimally in the role. If at the end of the tunnel you do not meet your goal, you have yourself to blame for being overconfident and making unrealistic promises.
Be honest
Lies will get you nowhere. You will need 99 other lies to cover up one lie. Instead of lying, master the art of twisting the truth. You can twist the truth to give you the result you want. Also, you need to be smart. Indeed, you can not read a person’s mind, but if you have been attentive throughout your interview you will have an idea of what an interviewer is driving at when he asks you a question. This will help you to structure your answers. Do not lie in an interview, there will be follow-up questions. These follow-up questions are always in line with the answers you initially gave in the first question. Hiring managers have mastered the act of identifying lies. It is as if they can smell it from a distance. They have carried out this process repeatedly and what do they say about practice” it leads to perfection”. Do not lose a golden opportunity because of a lack of courage to be truthful. Even though you are encouraged to tell the truth, omitting the truth is not a lie. What does this mean? As said above there are some essential requirements listed on the job description, these requirements are vital to accomplishing the task associated with the role. The company needs a candidate that has this particular skill already and might be patient to train a candidate in that particular skill.
Practice before going for an interview
Always practice before your big day. Do not walk into an interview room unprepared. If you do not know the basic rules of an interview, even the simplest question will throw you off balance. Before going for any interview browse about the company you are applying to. Also, browse about the role you are applying to. Practice as many interview questions as possible. Try to attend as many interviews as possible. Even if you have an invite from a company that is not your A grade level if you have the time go for it. Who do they say is the best teacher? Experience right? This will not only make you familiar with interview questions but will give you confidence. As said above when you carry out an act repeatedly you become a master of the art.
Sample answer
Digital mapper
I have a lot of experience in mapping physical outlets for different FMCG companies, so I know I can maintain the friendly and professional attitude needed to convince shop owners to give their permission to map their stores. The only thing that concerns me is carrying out this role digitally. All the companies I have mapped for used physical booklets to keep records. The last company used digital means, but it was only Google form, not a mapping app. I think I will need to learn how to use the application before going out to the field to map outlets.