This interview question is one that many people get confused by in their job interviews. The answer is quite simple, but most people don’t know how to expand upon the obvious “yes” without much more than the fact that they pay attention to details and make sure that every aspect of the job is done.
Employers are looking for you to explain your skills, examples, and what qualifies you as a detail-oriented person in the workplace. Fortunately, this is easy as long as you know what they are looking for.
A detail oriented person is someone who pays attention to the details and can make a conscious effort to understand causes instead of just the effects, and that does this in a second nature type of way. It shouldn’t be something that the person has to work at.
It should be inherent and just happen. Of course, if you aren’t very detail-oriented, you may have to train yourself to adopt this second nature before you can succeed in a position.
Traits of a Detail Oriented Person May Include:
-Keenness to exploring the topic or issue at hand, as well as reasons behind it and issues surrounding it.
-Proactive attitude that focuses on creating ideas and plans for correcting issues or handling daily tasks.
-Patience and determination to explore the problem and all of its elements until the reasoning has been found so that it can be resolved accurately.
This is usually something that is ingrained in people and will make them a better person for a job than someone who does not have this innate nature to them. However, it is also a skill that can be developed with a conscious effort and taking advantage of situations where the skill will be needed to complete the task at hand.
Detail-oriented people have a variety of different job opportunities. For example, research positions are great for people who pay attention to the details. Additionally, development and problem resolution positions can be ideal for these types of candidates.
Examples of detail oriented
Any financial job, such as accounting, needs someone who is detail-oriented and able to get the job done well. Also, any career or position that requires quantitative analysis and research will require this skill. Indirectly, being a detail-oriented person can help in many different career fields and positions, so it is important not to rule anything out until you see where your skills will fit best.
Attention to detail is another way of saying detail-oriented. If an employer asks you if you have attention to detail, your answer generally needs to be “yes”. You should also be able to expand on that answer by offering examples of your skills and how they can relate to the needs of the job that you are interviewing for.
You certainly shouldn’t claim to be able to do things that you are incapable of, but if the job requires attention to detail, you need to have it or be able to pick it up quickly.
