In almost every interview you will be asked “Are you a team player?” It’s obviously the right answer to say “yes,” to this question in naarly all cases. Interviewers want to make sure that you will be able to help support a team atmosphere and that you work well with others. However, try to think about yourself objectively before the interview, so that you can answer this question thoroughly and honestly.
When you answer this question, try to think of a recent example about a time you contributed in a team environment. Explain how you added value and demonstrated a capacity to get along well with others. Use these questions to self-reflect in order to describe the ways in which you distribute a team player mentality.
Are you friendly?
Do you enjoy collaborating with others and bouncing ideas off your co-workers?
Are you able to effectively communicate with people who have different personalities or even difficult personalities?
Do you know how to mediate conflicts and motivate people?
Are you tactful in your communication approach?
While you want to answer the question honestly, you should also take care to show yourself in a good light. For example, if you truly prefer to be a leader rather than an individual contributor, then you can answer the question in such a way to highlight that. You can express the ways that you are able to motivate the entire team to be successful. If you prefer to work alone entirely, then you can answer this question by saying, “In my last job, I was the sole project manager assigned to a small project which I really thrived on. I was able to focus on all aspects of the project, which I found interesting. Ultimately, this helped the entire team succeed because the project was successful.”
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