“Are you a good team player?” I’m sure you’ve been asked that question in an interview before, and it’s highly likely you’ve posed it to someone else too. It has truly become one of those commonplace questions where the response “yes I am” is often delivered, as if on autopilot.
Rating oneself as an effective collaborator shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is because if you meet an interviewer or manager like me, you’re going to be challenged for proof as to why you believe you are. I’m going to dig for evidence.
So where does this evidence come from?
Funnily enough, it often comes from experiencing a dysfunctional team scenario. Whether it’s working in an environment rife with negative internal politics, perpetual personal show-boating or personality clashes, whatever the scenario, if you can articulate or demonstrate your ability to set aside personal differences to achieve a collective goal, you’ve got my attention.
