When should you use your own initiative?
Simply put, using your initiative means being the person to seize an idea and get it off the ground – often, before it’s been asked for. This makes it as much a way of thinking as a skill, which is good news because it means it’s not difficult to pick up – as long as you have the determination.
How do you use your own initiative?
Here are some tips to show the initiative that will help you thrive in the workplace and improve your career prospects:
- Do more than what is expected of you.
- Make your career plan.
- Work on your confidence.
- Develop a team mentality.
- Actively request feedback and follow it.
- Always keep a positive attitude.
Can you tell us about a time when you had to use your own initiative?
Focus on a time when you had to take initiative in your work or projects. The best answer would also involve others, but it can also be simply taking personal initiative on your own. The ideal answer is one where you took initiative independently, without prompting from others.
How can you show initiative at work?
Here are nine ways to take initiative at work:
- Be proactive.
- Find opportunities for improvement.
- Voice your ideas.
- Be decisive.
- Improve systems, procedures and policies.
- Address and prevent problems.
- Be prepared for meetings.
- Anticipate questions and prepare answers.
Do you use your initiative all the time?
You may use your initiative skills all the time, or you may have shown it at some times and not others. You’ll find that initiative comes more easily to areas of life you’re passionate about.
Which is an example of initiative in work?
Give an example of a situation when you showed initiative in work – Sample interview answers The expectations on employees are as high as ever. It’s not enough listening to orders anymore, and doing what is expected from you, day after day, meeting your targets and goals, following the job description.
What is an example of a time you acted on your initiative?
If you are struggling to think of a time when you acted on your initiative, our sample answers below should get you thinking about when you may have done something similar. Remember that you need to provide sufficient details in your answer for the interviewers to understand the scale of your achievement.
Can you ask a question about showing initiative?
* Special Tip: Question about showing initiative won’t be the only difficult scenario-based question you will face while interviewing for a great job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, dealing with ambiguity, and other tricky scenarios that happen in the workplace.