Interview Questions – ‘What do you most dislike about your job?’

For Service-leavers who haven’t got recent interview experience, the prospect can seem daunting. Here, we dissect another of the more common but no less difficult interview questions so that you can show your best side to interviewers and land your next post-Services role.

‘What do you most dislike about your job?’

Stop pretending
This is another character question, designed to show how well you’ll fit in. It’s unrealistic and most likely untrue to say that any job doesn’t involve a downside, so don’t pretend otherwise. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that you can take the rough with the smooth.

Sidestepping
Selecting something that you don’t like but that you don’t do very often and manage to handle, may be seen as avoiding the point of the question. This could be frustrating for the interviewer.

No argument
Be upfront and select a part of the role that neither you nor anyone else would enjoy. This provides no space for argument or surprise. 

You can show how you handle the part of the job you don’t like and demonstrate how those experiences and skills make you fit for the vacancy you’re going for. Admit that no job is entirely peaches and cream but that it’s a necessary trade-off for a role that otherwise suits you.

Research
Try to avoid giving an example that is likely to form a (large) part of the role you’re going for. In order to do this, you need to have done a bit of homework in advance. 

Don’t overcook it
In most jobs, there’ll be something that you’d like to change. It doesn’t matter that it won’t form part of the role on offer – it’s still something you don’t like. It’s down to you to show that you can handle a bit of adversity – which as a former Serviceperson, shouldn’t be too much of a problem. 

But it’s a complete career change…
It doesn’t matter. Life is often punctuated by problems. Show you can deal with them.

What would you least look forward to about working here?
This is an obvious follow-up question that aims to confirm that you know what you’re letting yourself in for, or if you’re going to enjoy your work. 

The interviewer wants to be convinced that you are in it for the right reasons and that you have what it takes to succeed, as well as finding out if it’s consistent with your values and career goals.|

Naturally, you’ll be nervous about taking on a new role – although you have skills and experiences that you can tell the interviewer about that will help you be successful. This is another opportunity to showcase your strengths as a candidate.