Dilbert creator Scott Adams asked his readers to describe themselves in one word. Can you?

Can You Describe Yourself in One Word for a Job Interviewer
Photo by Jeanne Menjoulet

We usually find it pretty easy to call other people names, but could you do it for yourself in a job interview?

It's a good intellectual exercise that's harder than you'd think.

Has a job interviewer ever asked you to describe yourself in one word?


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One real-world example

From one of the comments on Scott's article:

“I was asked this very question in an interview.

I stammered, so he (the interviewer) revised it, “One *good* word”. I was still dumbfounded, so he revised it yet again, “One *good* word, one *bad* word.”

Smart. Ass.

Easy 🙂

I got the job.”

How you should describe yourself

If you've done your company research at any point before the interview, you should have an idea of what kinds of values they appreciate. Simply choose one that accurately describes you and run with it.

If you haven't noticed any particular company values standing out, choose a favorite word from these 165 powerful personality adjectives, all of which are positive.

Recruiter Jeff Altman answers in more detail:

Your turn

Imagine if you were asked to do this test in conciseness in your next job interview. Without answering ‘unique' or ‘interesting' (too easy), how would you respond?

Go.

Tell us in the comments!

Funny bonus

river_niles one word hired tweet

Funny bonus 2

Actually, Scott's reader exercise was a 2-parter.

He also asked that people describe him in one word too and some people linked the two together. ‘Me' is the commenter, and ‘you' is Scott Adams. Here are the ones I liked most:

Positive Words Poetry Magnets

me:whoa
you:whohahahahaha

Me: Hamburger
You: Tofu-burger

Me: Enginerd
You: Philosotainer

me: drunk
you: which one

You : Entertainer
Me: Audience

Me: Unemployed
You: Over-employed?

You: Confuser
Me: Confused

Me: Tarzan
You: Jane

What other bloggers are saying

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This free download contains:
  • 165 positive personality adjectives to describe yourself
  • 444 of the most popular job interviewer questions to prepare yourself with
  • 175 questions that you can ask in job interviews to make a good impression and learn about your future employer
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Jacob Share

Job Search Expert, Professional Blogger, Creative Thinker, Community Builder with a sense of humor. I like to help people.

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Larry

    Conquistador

    Larry

  2. Kate

    My word is KIND. It helps, really.

  3. Brenda Idstein

    capable

  4. Ryan

    Use a word that’s going to help you get that promotion if you’re interviewing for a job with your current employer. Words such as “tenacious,” “dedicated” or “loyal” describe traits that will benefit you in the long run, especially if you’re interviewing for a job within the same company.

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