Here are the key points to keep in mind while answering the question “Tell me about a time when you persuaded someone to change an opinion?” as an IT developer:
- Start with a clear and concise description of the situation, explaining the background and the parties involved.
- Describe the specific opinion or viewpoint that needed to be changed, and the reasons why it was important to do so.
- Explain the steps you took to persuade the person to change their opinion, including any evidence, data or arguments you used.
- Highlight the challenges or objections you faced along the way, and how you overcame them.
- Finally, share the positive outcome of the situation, including any specific benefits or impact that resulted from the person changing their opinion.
Sample answer
As an IT developer, I remember a time when I had to persuade my team leader to adopt a new software development approach. The team had been using the same methodology for years, and it was becoming outdated. I had recently attended a training session on a new methodology that promised to increase productivity and efficiency, and I was convinced it would benefit our team.
I started by presenting the benefits of the new methodology to my team leader, backed up by data and research. However, he was hesitant to adopt it due to the time and effort required to train the team on a new approach. To persuade him, I proposed a trial period where we would use the new methodology for a small project and measure the results.
During the trial period, we saw a significant improvement in productivity and quality of work. This convinced my team leader to adopt the new methodology for all our projects, and we trained the rest of the team accordingly.
In the end, the results spoke for themselves, and my team leader was grateful for my persuasive efforts. This experience taught me the importance of presenting evidence, being persistent yet respectful, and ultimately letting the results do the talking.