How to answer the interview question: ‘How do you define success?’

It’s college graduation season, which means a flock of new candidates is about to enter the workforce. While some have already lined up an internship or job, many others will soon begin the process of interviewing for their first opportunity as a young professional.

Whether you’re a fresh-faced college graduate or a grizzled veteran with years of work experience, it’s good to know what to expect when heading into the interview process for a new position. In her latest story, senior contributor Caroline Castrillon tackles an increasingly common question that any candidate should be ready to answer: How do you define success?

Why do hiring managers seem to love this question? The open-ended nature of it means that you can’t respond with a simple and short answer. Instead, it requires you to be detailed and honest, and that can help the interviewer gain insight into who you are and what you can bring to the team.

Here are some tips that Castrillon outlines for how to answer the question:

1. Take some time to self-reflect: Think about what you’ve accomplished—whether in your career or education. Are there any themes you can use to connect your proudest moments? Whether you’ve helped promote growth and creativity on a team or have overcome major obstacles, find a way to link your achievements together in a way that bolsters your answer.
2. Consider how the company defines success: Always research the company you're applying to before the interview. This will give you an idea of the business’ goals and mission statement, which you can use as a foundation for your own answer.
3. Be specific: While you probably have meaningful data points to share, lean into a storytelling approach by using names and details to establish an emotional connection around the numbers, and practice in advance so your delivery is natural.

In her full story, Castrillon outlines a few sample answers to this important interview question from the perspective of a candidate applying to a large company, a nonprofit and more. Make sure to give it a read:

Read the full story: Interview question: ‘How do you define success?’

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Tech Tips: Your next job interview may be with ‘Alex,’ the AI interviewer

One of the many ways that artificial intelligence is changing the way we work is through the interview process. AI has already been used by some companies to set up and schedule interviews, but senior contributor Jack Kelly writes about a somewhat surprising new AI use in his recent story for Forbes.

Startup Apriora’s key product is a two-way AI interviewer called “Alex” that can conduct live video interviews with job candidates. “By interviewing more candidates with Apriora’s AI, employers can widen their talent aperture and identify qualified candidates from non-traditional backgrounds that may have otherwise been screened out of the process,” said Aaron Wang, cofounder of Apriora, in an interview with Kelly.

Alex conducts a personalized interview by asking relevant questions and then following up on the candidates’ answers in real-time. Each position can be customized for the interview process, taking into account the career sector, specific role and company.

Make sure to read the full story to learn more about Alex, and even see a video of Alex in action.

Read the full story: Your next job interview may be with ‘Alex,’ the AI interviewer

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• Smart Ways To Avoid Tense Conflicts In The Job Interview Process
• How People Leaders Can Help Build A Trusting Relationship With AI
• Gen Z Work Trends That Aren’t Going Anywhere
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• Radical Optimism: When You Get Pessimistic At Work, Do These 10 Things

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Thank you for reading! We'll be back Thursday with another edition of Forbes Edge. 

This edition of Forbes Edge was curated by associate editor Chris Dobstaff.