Frequently Asked Questions

In this post, I'm collecting frequently asked questions from job interviews and sharing my own answers.

What is something in your professional or personal life that you're proud of?

I'm proud I got my B.A. I did go to university immediately after school, but it wasn't for me and it wasn't getting me anywhere. So I decided to make my part-time job my first career. When I realized I wanted something else, it took a lot of courage, strength, and late night studying to finish the degree while working at the same time. Truth be told, I wasn't always sure I'd be able to do it, but I always stuck with it anyway. That quality of not giving up just because it's hard is something I learned and I'm proud of that learning.

Tell me about something you failed at.

I have three big dreams in my life. One of them is probably unachievable, I'm saving one for retirement, but the third is a dream I could have worked harder for. It feels like a failure to not have the courage to go after that. At the same time, it's not particularly time-sensitive. I've been working part-time for a few months now and I'm using my time to push that forward. By the way, it's not a dream that would interfere with my employment or anything :D

What is your current biggest challenge?

For now, it's finding the right job. I've done the whole "working for a company because I have to support myself" thing, but I honestly hope I can finally find a company that I support. As time goes by, it might transfer into "finding a job" rather than "the right job".

If you could create the job environment you wanted, what would that look like?

I would love to work in an English-speaking environment with mainly remote-work but the opportunity to get to know my co-workers in real life. Basically, the more flexible a job is, the better. Ideally, I would want a part-time job where I could work 4 days a week, but then again not going back and forth from an office every day saves up almost an entire work day. So the 4-day-week isn't as important as the flexibility.

Why did you leave Starbucks after such a long time?

I know that a lot of the places I'll be applying at are going to dislike my almost decade at Starbucks. I'm saddened by this, because while I don't support that company anymore and that was actually the main reason I left, as an employer they were fair and paid decent wages and let people grow - even if, like with me, sometimes that meant that they would grow away from the company. When I was younger, for the longest time I wasn't in a position to have my own opinions or make my own decisions- so I learned some things later on in life. And while I think Starbucks should rethink some of its practices, which, as I said, was mainly why I left - I'm grateful for what I did learn there.

What's your management style?

I believe in leading by a person-and-task-approach, caring about what we're doing but also who we're doing it with. I think that people will never surprise you if you don't let them, and so when someone wants to do something you wouldn'T normally consider them for, it can be a good idea to let them try. I see the biggest responsibility in managing as making sure the members of the team have everything they need to work, especially an open ear from superiors, all the information they need.

What's your biggest passion?

Lying on a beach and listening to the waves. I don't need sun or even hot weather or anything. I just love the sound and the smell.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Excelling at a remote job, based in Europe, having a small amount of leadership responsibility and going to the beach :D

What do you need from your superior in order to be successful in your work?

Trust and conversations. I spend more time working than I do with my friends and family, and while I don't necessarily agree that good work places should be like families, I do think that the leadership style should be familiar and coaching based. I dislike being given non-sensical instructions without explanations or reasons.

Are you willing to relocate?

I'm open to the idea of relocating within Europe, if the right offer were to come along. I have talked to my partner about it and he has said that if I were to earn enough to support us both, he would come along. So keep that in mind :D

What can you do today that you couldn't do a year ago?

I have learned to hula hoop! My record is at 30 minutes, and I'm still trying to improve.