Timing answers

Hi there,

It depends on how fast you speak and the question. In general:

• Walk me through your CV, Why consulting, Why us, Why hire you: 1-2 min
• Tell me about a time when…: Your story: 2-5 min. Sometimes the interviewer may ask follow-up questions

These are general guidelines and the way you deliver the story is more important than the exact time you spend. Having said that, a monologue of 10 minutes for “Tell me about yourself” won’t be particularly good ;)

Best,

Francesco

Hey there,

There are no clear rules here. See the following as indications:

• For rapid-fire questions (what is one of your weaknesses?), between 30 seconds and 1 minute
• For behavioral questions (tell me about a time you led a team), prepare 2-minute answers and then be prepared to deal with some follow-up questions

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

You should aim for around 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes, depending the on the question.

More importantly, you need to gauge this qualitatively. Is the interviewer looking bored? Is your story no longer staying on track? Are you saying things that actually matter and impact the interviewer's opinion of you as a candidate, or are you just babbling on?

You should. I would aim for a 2-3 min summary for the typical FIT questions (tell me about a time when..../ what would you do if....). Then you'll need to be prepared to build on follow-up questions and provide more detail. 

In addition to what coaches have said, I recommend you record yourself and listen to the answer and polish/improve as required.