How do you answer, do you have previous experience?

  How do you answer, do you have previous experience?

How to answer "What work experience do you have?"

Use simple, active sentences. It's best to use clear statements with strong verbs to effectively outline your skills and abilities. ...

Enter only the necessary information. ...

Quantify your experience. ...

Show the connection. ...

End with a goal statement.

Why do employers ask about work experience?

Each job has a range of responsibilities that you will be responsible for, so knowing your previous experience can help your interviewer assess how prepared you are for the role. While they may see your experience on your resume or application, your ability to summarize your work history and relate it to the position can show that you have considered your potential employer's expectations.

Planning your response

This interview call gives you the opportunity to summarize the education and training that make you the most qualified candidate for the role. You can use this time to more clearly present the items on your resume in terms of how they prepare you for the responsibilities of the position and how they contribute to the company's goals. Before the interview, consider writing down quick talking points to organize your thoughts and use the following steps to prepare your answer.

1. Study the job description

Familiarize yourself with the expectations of the position to best present your ability to handle its responsibilities. Briefly describe what the role entails, including day-to-day tasks, essential skills and ideal goals. You should also identify tools listed in the job description, such as specific technology or equipment. A reminder of your desired and preferred qualifications can help you determine which of your skills and experiences to talk about.

2. Review your application materials

It's wise to recall the professional experience you provided during the application process so you know what expectations you've set for the interviewer. Review the most important experiences in your resume, cover letter, and formal application and focus on the responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments of each. Use the terminology you picked up from the job posting to express your experience in terms the interviewer is likely to recognize. This step can help you optimize your brief and focus your answer.

3. Make clear connections

You can also directly relate your experience to the responsibilities of the position. Using information from your application materials, identify tasks in your previous experience similar to those listed in the job description. Be prepared to discuss your knowledge of common processes, potential obstacles, and useful tools to help you succeed in the role. This method allows you to confidently demonstrate your adaptability in the workplace.

4. Practice your answer

Preparing for an interview often involves creating answers in advance to help you focus your thoughts. Consider writing a numbered list of all the talking points you want to include in your response. Use the job description and keywords, items from your reworded resume, and past experience that relate to the tasks required of the new position.

Making a list will help you outline your thoughts, which you can then shape into a natural response. With practice, you can ensure that your response contains only relevant information and remains brief and conversational.

How to answer "What work experience do you have?"

Before the interview, go through a list of talking points to improve your ability to recall them when answering. Use the following tips to provide a comprehensive but concise answer to the question.

1. Use simple, active commands

It is best to use clear statements with strong verbs to effectively outline your skills and abilities. Shorter, simpler sentences can help you sound polished and conversational, and active statements demonstrate confidence and proactivity.

2. Provide only necessary details

After this answer, you will probably answer many other questions. Discuss only the details necessary to adequately describe what you can do, what you have accomplished, and how you plan to succeed in this new role. This will help ensure that you have new information to share during the interview without repeating yourself.

3. Quantify your experience

Whenever possible, use data to add proven value to your accomplishments. For example, you can discuss annual performance reviews or an increasing percentage of quality work output. This strategy can serve as proof of your professional achievements.

4. Show the connection

This is when you can take material directly from a list of tasks that are similar to those required in the new role. In your response, you can clearly state that you are familiar with specific responsibilities and even discuss ways you have perfected these processes in your previous experience. Consider discussing your skills in terms of the situations you expect in this new role.

5. End with a goal statement

A goal statement is what you set out to achieve in this position. You can effectively complete your answer by stating what contributions you want to make to the company.

Example answers

Use the following short sample responses to help you craft your own effective response.

Official Assistant

Example: “I spent five years as an executive assistant at Wiler, Inc. in administrative support positions. As the current Executive Assistant to the CFO, I often work with other administrative assistants to manage calendars, coordinate international travel, and compile research reports for financial specialists in our six offices around the world. At the beginning of last year, I optimized our email filtering system to improve communication in the office and reduce missed messages by 28%. I understand that your company depends a lot on e-mail communication, so I want to use my organizational skills to achieve faster communication processes in this office.''