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So what is INITIATIVE?
Initiative is all about taking charge. Initiative can also mean a personal quality that shows a willingness to get things done and take responsibility.
Initiative is the ability to be resourceful and work without always being told what to do. It requires resilience and determination. People who show initiative demonstrate they can think for themselves and take action when necessary. It means using your head, and having the drive to achieve.
“If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it.” -- Jonathan Winters
What are some simple ways to take more INITIATIVE?
Is INITIATIVE important to employers?
People who show initiative demonstrate they can think for themselves and take action when necessary. Employers like to know that an employee can think a situation through and take action without always being asked. Using initiative can mean you spot ways to do things more efficiently, that you are supporting teams better or taking opportunities to improve your skills!
How would you answer this interview question?
Tell me about a time when you took initiative.
Write your answer, practice saying it out loud in front of the mirror, and then take a video of yourself answering the question as though you were in a real interview. An alternative would be to say your answer to someone pretending to be an employer interviewing you.
Watch this video and compare your answer/video to the examples shown here.
Which response more closely resembled how you answered the question?
How would you improve your answer to be more impressive?
Can INITIATIVE skills grow stronger?
There are simple ways to grow initiative. For example, you could:
- Look for ways to simplify tasks and make things run more efficiently.
- Reach out to colleagues and team members who need help.
- Think about problems that might pop up as well as the opportunities that might present themselves while doing an activity.
- Keep yourself organized to make sure you are on top of your commitments.
What would you do?
Jenny is in an internship and has been asked to write a newsletter for new customers while the marketing team is out at an event.
Jenny has written the newsletter, but no one from the team is around to proof read it and check for errors. She’s printed it, read it aloud, taken a break, read it again and is confident that there are no errors.
The marketing manager has asked to see it before it goes out but has been delayed at the event.
- Does Jenny show her initiative by sending her newsletter out anyway?
- Is pushing send the best use of Jenny’s initiative?
Follow this link to learn more. Answers are at the bottom of the page.
Think about it
- Are you a self-starter?
- Are you capable of coming up with new ideas and thinking creatively in order to solve problems?
- Can you work independently?
- Can you spot an opportunity or something that needs improving, make a plan and carry it out?
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