There is pretty much a 99% chance that in any interview, your prospective employer is going to ask you how you handle obstacles. Basically, they want to see how you would handle yourself in a sticky situation.

A large percentage of people seem to blank on this one, if they aren’t prepared. But really, you can pull obstacles from just about anywhere. Here’s a few examples:

• If you have had trouble learning a new skill but kept at it until you improved
• If you had a setback in your personal life but still managed to succeed in your work life
• If there were unexpected changes when you were planning an event

If you’ve had any experiences like the above ones, tell your interviewer about it. Explain what the obstacle was, how you dealt with it, and the outcome.

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Teamwork

One of the first things employers will likely want to know is if you can work as part of a team. Almost any job you can think of will require you to work with people, whether it is in a managerial role, or more junior. The problem becomes that even if you’ve never had a job before, you will be expected to give examples of teamwork.

Don’t despair! There are plenty of non-work examples of being part of a team. Here are just a few to spark your imagination:

• Being part of a sports team
• Doing a dance class
• Organising family events

See? Don’t panic when they ask you the question if you don’t have prior work experience; just think outside the box a bit. All they want to see you do is demonstrate that you can communicate, make decisions and work with other people to achieve your goals.