12. What would your current/former colleagues say about you?
Questions like this have an awful lot of high-school flair around them. Such flair and drama is something you should avoid whenever possible, especially when it comes to navigating the waters the corporate world. You probably saw that many HR departments take a look into the personalities of employees nowadays, but it’s not something they or a recruiter should be interested in.
Let’s say you’re a brilliant software technician and programmer, but you simply don’t like hanging out with people or talking to them. It definitely shouldn’t a determining factor of your performance. You’ve probably seen The Accountant. Ben Affleck is a brilliant numbers guy in the movie, but isn’t actually liked by his associates and coworkers.
That being said, your recruiter doesn’t have to run a popularity contest to see how liked you were. He can simply ask you to describe an ideal working environment. Through that description, you will be able to open up and the recruiter will realize how good with people you are, and if teamwork is the thing for you. We’ve mentioned it a gazillion times before, and we’ll stress it again – you consultant is your partner, not an interrogator. Conversations are a two-way street.
Look at it from a more social standpoint – a fresh start can motivate people to change in ways like nothing else can. You may have had troubles with your old coworkers, but you can establish new relationships and cooperate with people you meet. A fresh start is something that will rejuvenate even the most tired human being!