14 How Do you Cope With Stress?
This question may seem like a personal question, however, it is actually an important one that can give employers insight into your work habits and personality. Typically, a recruiter wants to know how well you can handle responsibilities during stressful situations. Your answer allows the interlocutor to understand how quickly you can think on the go and assess your ability to be a diplomat.
Employers ask this question to evaluate your ability to handle pressure and stressful situations in the workplace. Many jobs require individuals to be able to work under tight deadlines and handle high-pressure situations. Hence employers need to know that their potential employees can handle these situations.
Possible answer for “How do you cope with stress?”:
I am very sensitive to the nuances of group dynamics. If there is an unhealthy amount of stress on the team, I can also pick up some of that stress. So I try to actively listen to the concerns of the people around me, often checking to see if they are stressed. If that’s the case, I’m thinking about how I can help them with their workload so that the team’s collective stress doesn’t increase. When the team is happy, I am happy.
Tips for answering the question “How do you cope with stress?”:
- Answering this one of the most common interview questions, outline how you see yourself growing in the job and detail some of how you hope to have made positive contributions.
- Almost all interview panels will be pleased to hear you explain that you work well under pressure and that it encourages you to do your best work.
- It would help if you gave an example of how you usually act in a stressful situation and talked about how you cope with stress. Then, think about what you do when stressed and what actions you take to get out of the situation.
- Describe in detail the soft skills that help you relieve tension and act with a cool head in any case. For example, it can be the flexibility of thinking, the ability to quickly look for a solution, result orientation, and communication skills.
What mistakes should not be made when answering the question “How do you cope with stress?”:
- Hiding stressful situations. If you answer that you are never nervous and always calmly complete any task, they will most likely not believe you or think you are frivolous about your duties.
- Mentioning the problem you created. Try not to tell a time when you put yourself in an unnecessarily stressful situation. You don’t want to seem like someone who causes stress in the workplace.
