Use these tips to showcase your critical thinking skills in your next job interview. Want more talent tips? Read our blog! https://www.jumpstartinc.org/category/talent/

1. 3 Ways To Prove You’re A Critical
Thinker During Your Next Job
Interview
Talent Tips
By Angie Kilgore, Senior Recruiter

2. According to the
Wall Street
Journal,
employers are
increasingly
frustrated by a
lack of “critical
thinking” skills
amongst young
hires.

3. The Trouble With Defining Critical Thinking
Like any buzzword, the actual definition of “critical thinking,” often gets lost
in the shuffle. Worse, it can often mean different things to different people.
Often, job candidates find that companies aren’t truly able to articulate what
they are looking for. They simply “know it when they see it.”

4. Here are
three tips to
help you
prove your
critical
thinking skills
during your
next interview

5. Focus on
comprehension,
not memorization
Tip #1

6. Research the company before the interview and
come prepared some blurbs about what they do
and how you might fit in.
HOWEVER, be able to adapt on the fly and
abandon your prepared remarks, or ask
questions when necessary.
This shows the interviewer that you are capable
of more than memorizing a mission statement on
the company website.
Comprehension, NOT Memorization

7. Be a problem
solver
Tip #2

8. When interviews ask you about how you’ve dealt with a
problem in the past, it’s so they can understand how you
solve problems, not about the actual problem itself.
Practice talking about specific challenges you’ve faced at
work and how you have used careful planning and strategy
to overcome them.
You don’t have to be overdramatic or throw old coworkers
under the bus, you just need to show that you have
experience identifying problems and working to fix them.
Be A Problem Solver

9. Don’t be afraid to
share ideas!
Tip #3

10. Most likely, you won’t walk into a job interview
with a 30-day plan for doubling revenue.
Still, if you find your brain buzzing with exciting
ideas during your interview, it’s not a bad idea to
share a few of them (in a tactful way of course).
This shows your enthusiasm for the position and
the company!
Don’t Be Afraid To Share Ideas!

11. And Finally, Just Remember…
Employers are looking for the spark – the signal that tells them you are the
type of employee who digests new information quickly and uses it to inform
your thinking. While, you probably won’t have the idea of the century during
your job interview, you can show your interviewer that you’re a problem
solver and are capable of generating new ideas.

12. Liked This? Read More On Our Blog!
https://www.jumpstartinc.org/category/talent/

13. Angie Kilgore helps
entrepreneurial-minded
companies and organizations
identify, attract and retain the
right talent to help them grow.
Angie joined JumpStart in March
2014, and she’s lending the
extra hand in the hiring hunt for
top talent. She holds a Bachelor
of Science in Business
Administration from Youngstown
State University.
About The Author