“When I need to learn something new, I generally tattoo it on my arm. Check this out. You see that? That is when I needed to learn the names of my ex-girlfriend’s grandparents and cousins. And over here, we have when I had to get that math test done in college. Right here we have when I needed to remember the cheat codes to Final Fantasy 10. And over here on my rear, I wrote down what I needed to remember about being professional during the interview. See? Right here it says ‘don’t show the interviewer your rear…’ oh, whoops.”
One interesting question that comes up at job interviews is how you learn. This is not generally a trick question. Most hiring managers and recruiters use this question simply as a way to find out if you have put thought into your own learning process. This is more of a question of curiosity, so there is no true wrong answer, as long as you mention something that will sound to the interviewer like it works.
Bad Answer
“I like to turn new knowledge into a rap song. I design lyrics that meet up with the beet, then I bust out some sick rhymes related to the new information. I find that rapping songs is really the best way for me to keep them memorized. What me to spit what I wrote about my organic chemistry class?”
Good Answer
“My own personal learning process is twofold. First, I write down notes on the new information on a piece of paper, usually listing them off as they are read. Then I recopy these notes slowly, changing the words around so that it forces me to rethink the content of the writing.”
As mentioned previously, there is no right and wrong answer. There is only an answer that sounds good, and one that sounds bad. Think about some of the processes you have done to learn in the past, and mention those to the interviewer in a way that is presentable.
Take Away Interview Tips
- Give your actual process for learning.
- Make sure that process is presentable.