A job interview consists of several segments. An interviewer will ask you to briefly talk about yourself, state why you studied your particular subject in school, mention your strengths and weaknesses, state why you are applying at a particular company, and a slew of other questions.
All of these questions are designed to evaluate you; they are used to determine if you are indeed the right fit for the position and, more importantly, the company. Perhaps the most important set of questions that interviewers will ask candidates are behavioral questions.
Often overlooked by many, behavioral questions assess how your past experiences in certain situations will come in handy for the company you are applying to. These questions measure your teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills, as well as conflict resolution and failure reflection capabilities.
If you are able to convince your interviewer that you have performed well in the past with real-life examples, then they will trust that you will so again in the future. It can be argued that behavioral questions are the most difficult and most important part of any job interview. They are deceptively more difficult than technical questions, which catches many people off guard.
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Fortunately, we have assembled a long list of 102 behavioral interview questions with sample answers to help you ace this segment. Most of them are applicable in almost any industry, so you will have all bases covered when you read the entire list.
USE THE STAR SYSTEM TO ANSWER BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Using the STAR system, you can structurally break down your answer and tell the interviewers a convincing story of your success.
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Results. The Situation provides background information of the scenario you were in. The Task describes the requirements and specifications of a particular project you were working on and the goal you were trying to reach. The Action explains your contributions and what skills you applied to reach the goal. The Result outlines what the outcome of your actions were and how successful the entire endeavor was.
The STAR system is a proven working method of successfully answering behavioral questions in a job interview. With all of these sample questions and answers in your hand, you will have the utmost confidence to pass this difficult phase with flying colors.
BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR PREPARING YOUR NEXT JOB INTERVIEW
Teamwork
#1. Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours.
“I once worked as a librarian and most of my colleagues, as you can imagine, were very bookish and kept to themselves. I worked with a new recruit who was very social and talkative and although I was very quiet, he was always interacting with me and asking questions. He was new to the job, so it was nice to actually teach somebody else about our tasks. It made me realize that I can open up and communicate quite well.”
#2. Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?
“I worked on a task where we had to create advertising banners for a car dealer. We all pitched our ideas and one of my former coworkers made some snide remarks about my idea. We butted heads for a bit, but quickly realized that it was not leading us and the team anywhere. I told him that it was unproductive to argue over petty things and move on to find the perfect idea for the advertisement.”
This video covers an interesting perspective on how you can get along with difficult people.
#3. Describe a time when you struggled to build a relationship with someone important. How did you eventually overcome that?
“On a previous project, my team collaborated with another team in the firm to create designs for a new product. While most of us got along with our different approaches to design, I had a difference of opinion with the leader of the other team. We were just different designers and liked different types of designs in general. It was challenging to work with someone who views things so differently. However, he was the team leader and had more years of experiences than I did, so he come over to me and convinced me that his particular design would be better for consumers. I understood where he was coming from and got on board his vision.”
#4. We all make mistakes we wish we could take back. Tell me about a time you wish you had handled a situation differently with a colleague.
“About a year ago, I worked with someone whose personality was very different from my own. I had more of a type A personality, whereas he had a type B personality. I was more competitive and aggressive than he was, and at times was impatient with his more relaxed style of working. I quickly realized that he was delivering excellent results on time. I noticed that you need both types of personalities in a team, to gain different perspectives on how to work. Now I am more open-minded to working with people who do not think like I do.”
#5. Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone who was not very responsive. What did you do?
“As a Management Trainee, I had to learn various parts of the supply chain at the factory I was working at from different people in charge of different departments. Some were more compliant than others. Being the new kid on the block, I was not given much time when I initially met some of the managers. Afterward, I compiled a questionnaire that was brief and direct, so that I did not waste the manager’s time the next I met them. I did my homework before asking questions, so that at least I had the bases and they only needed to give me specific details, saving them time.”
#6. Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
“As the new teaching assistant at the institute, I wanted to incorporate some new ideas in the curriculum to increase student participation and learning. My professor was initially reluctant to these ideas, since the previous system was successful for years. However, I convinced him with evidence and facts that having more laboratory work and presentations every week will help the students. I outlined the structure of the course and persuaded him to let me do this. Fortunately, it was a success.”
#7. Tell me about a time when you worked with a colleague who was not doing their share of the work. How did you handle it?
“During my Bachelor thesis, one of the 4 members of our team was slacking off and not doing their share of the work. Our professor delegated the tasks to each of us and we diligently worked on them, making periodical progress reports. However, one of the members was not. We talked to him about the issue and got to the crux of the problem. We motivated him to work on the task and helped him accomplish the goal, because we were a team and we shared the load whenever we could. At the end of it all, our thesis was a success.”
#8. Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or help others to compromise. What was your role? What steps did you take? What was the result?
“When I was working on my Master thesis, I was tasked to determine the qualities of a novel material. I told my supervisor that using older techniques would not be a wise idea, but my supervisor wanted to use those methods as a means of comparison. I tried to use those older methods to determine some characteristics, but they were unreliable. My supervisor was adamant that this way had to work. I worked with the data I had to acquire results. Eventually, my supervisor understood the drawbacks and we compromised on which data to retain and omit.”
#9. Tell me about a time when you had to work on a team that did not get along. What happened? What role did you take? What was the result?
“I was promoted and tasked to assemble a team of diverse individuals to work on a project. My boss wanted me to get people from different backgrounds to work together, to test my leadership and teambuilding skills. There was some friction between some of the members, and I had to find ways to get them to cooperate. I understood their misgivings and showed them that when people with nothing in common work together, they are able to achieve great results. It was the motivation they needed to work effectively.”
#10. What was the biggest mistake you have made when delegating work as part of a team project?
“As a project manager, I once delegated my task to a team of 8 members. Since I was new to the company, I only knew them by their job titles, but I did not know their strengths and weaknesses. After a few days, I realized the productivity was low and we were behind on our progress. I convened with the entire team and got to know them better, professionally and personally. This helped me reassign them to tasks they are more comfortable with and I got the most out of my team on the project.”
Learn how to delegate work packages.
#11. Tell me about a time when you had to settle a dispute between team members. How did you go about identifying the issues? What was the result?
“I was working on a trade deal and we had to write some legal documents. A couple of team members writing the trade document got into an argument on what to include and how to write it. It escalated to personal attacks, which is completely uncalled for in a professional environment. We talked to the two conflicting members and worked out what was actually going wrong. We took both of their ideas into consideration and wrote a document that was better than we imagined. They settled their differences and understood that it was all petty in hindsight.”
#12. What have you found to be the difficult part of being a member, not leader, of a team? How did you handle this?
“In some situations, being a member means that you have to relinquish your power and leave the decision making to your superiors. I love communicating with my colleagues but I find it difficult to have my hard work judged by someone who has not seen my efforts. However, I quickly realized that it is not a criticism of my work, but rather it is a review to give me constructive feedback, to improve my work to make me better. All of the progress I have made thus far is because of my team leader reviewing my work.”
Client Interaction
#13. Describe a time when it was especially important to make a good impression on a client. How did you go about doing so?
“As a merchandiser in the garments industry, I had to secure a new client to conduct business with us. After inviting the client to our offices, I presented all of our products and designs, and ensured them that my company will deliver the highest quality goods in a short amount of time. I was very courteous to them, to show them that we take our business relationship seriously and want a long-term one. I sealed the deal and we began producing goods the next week.”
#14. Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a client’s expectation. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?
“I had shown my clients the work that I did on a particular design for a website. Unfortunately, they did not like it very much and wanted me to change many things. I took all of their critiques into consideration and understood their vision for the website appearance. I went back to the drawing board and redesigned the website. This time around, my client was very pleased as I met all of their requirements.”
#15. Tell me about a time when you made sure a customer was pleased with your service.
“When working with a customer, you must always put their needs first. Whatever they want, you must deliver. One of my clients wanted a table designed in a particular way with a particular type of wood. I listened intently to all of their requirements and made sure to adhere to them in the construction process. I kept the client up-to-date every day to let them know where we stood on the process. After a few days, we delivered a table that met their criteria and they ordered many more from us afterward.”
#16. Describe a time when you had to interact with a difficult client. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?
“Some customers are more difficult to please than others. There was this one case where I had to create colorful tapestry for a customer to hang in their home. They let me use my creativity in the design process, so I came up with several patterns for their tapestry. Sadly, they did not really like any of them. So I directly asked them what they wanted, and they were kind enough to give some sample designs. I told them that I can get it done and within a few days, I had some tapestry ready for them, which they really liked. What I learned is that it is best to ask a client what they want from the get-go, so that it saves time and they are happy from the beginning.”
#17. When you are working with a large number of customers, it is tricky to deliver excellent service to them all. How do you go about prioritizing your customers’ needs?
“When I have multiple contracts from multiple clients, I prioritize them based on their delivery dates. I work most on the job that needs to be completed earlier, while still dedicating some time to the other ones. I once worked on three different writing jobs, and put more time into the one that needed to be delivered first, while still working on the other articles, albeit with less time. I informed my clients that I had a lot on my plate and they understood that I kept them informed about it. I delivered everything on time and they were pleased with my work.”
#18. When have you had to deal with an irate customer? What did you do? How did the situation end up?
“I once had a customer who was livid with the designs we made for an evening dress. We presented many ideas, but all of them were rejected. They criticized everything we did, and it was a big blow to us. We asked them exactly what colors and prints they wanted and after getting more information, we went back to designing dresses with those in mind. When the customer saw our new designs, they appreciated the fact that we listened to their requirements and desires. They were pleased with the final outcome.”
#19. Tell me about a time you have “inherited” a customer. What steps did you take to establish rapport with them? What did you do to gain their trust?
“At my previous company, I inherited a client from one of my colleagues because he fell ill and could not work for some time. It was a big challenge, but I brought myself up to speed on that client and that particular job. I interacted with the client from the day I got their job, asking specific questions to understand what they expected from us. I provided daily reports to show them my progress on their task. This built a lot of trust.”
#20. How have you handled a situation in the past where your client has changed the brief or “changed the goalposts”?
“Recently, I delivered sample goods to a client for testing purposes and before testing them, the client said they had a change of heart and wanted something else now. Working several weeks on something, only for it to be changed on a whim is not a good feeling. I told them that contractually, we were tasked to do a particular job that was agreed up by both parties – my company and their company. They understood this, but still wanted something different. Being a customer-oriented company, I placed the client’s need first, so we went back to work and designed a new product that would please them. They were quite pleased with our compliance.”
#21. Give an example of a time you went well out of your way to ensure a customer received the best possible service from you and organization. What was their reaction?
“As a website developer, I need to take every single requirement of the client into consideration, to deliver a great user experience. I once showed a client daily progress of my website design. This showed my dedication to the task and gave them a peace of mind that progress was always being made. They provided immediate feedback, and I quickly improved my website in those areas while making progress in others. Frequently asking for feedback made me aware of what they expected, so that I can deliver exactly what they wanted. Moreover, I added some perks to their site, which they surprisingly enjoyed. They decided to retain them.”
#22. When have you ever gone out on a limb to defend a customer? What happened?
“When I was working as a customer support engineer, I once had a client come to our head office and complain about our products and services. I listened very carefully to all of his complaints and understood that he was very disappointed. I agreed with him, to show compassion. When working in customer support, you must always side with the customer, because you are there to support them and only them. We informed our engineering team of the problems and we were able to provide service to this client to remedy their problem.”
Adaptability
#23. Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. What was going on, and how did you get through it?
“While I was working on my Master thesis, I was also working as a teaching assistant at the same institute. I had to work on two different projects simultaneously, working on my own research and teaching students in the laboratory. It was hectic at times and it took a lot of time in my week. Nevertheless, I structured my workweek in a manner that allowed me to utilize my time with efficiency. This made me very productive while not experiencing burnout. My supervisor and professor were very cooperative and gave me more time to work on my thesis.”
This is how you can deal with stress.
#24. Describe a time when your team or company was undergoing some change. How did that affect you, and how did you adapt?
“At my previous job, the upper management decided to restructure the company, merging some divisions and making some obsolete. My advertising department was merged with a marketing division. My team created commercials while the marketing team was responsible for studying demographics. Initially, we did not get along so well because we were too different, but quickly realized we could learn a lot from each other. Hence, we were able to improve the advertisement by learning about who was being targeted. A great team is a diverse team that learns from each other.”
#25. Tell me about the first job you’ve ever had. What did you do to learn the ropes?
“As I was a Master’s student, I interned at a semiconductor company as a design engineer. Although I learned the basics of hardware design from teachers, it was not enough to design complex electronic circuits. I asked my experienced colleagues about some tips and tricks in designing circuits, and they were kind enough to help me. I also took time every evening after work to learn on my own, to implement those things the next day. This kept me ahead of the curve and I made a good impression on my employer.”
#26. Give me an example of a time when you had to think on your feet in order to delicately extricate yourself from a difficult or awkward situation.
“One time, I was at a party on a Friday night and, as you can imagine, some people were intoxicated. There was someone at the party acting very rowdy and creating unnecessary commotion. At one point, it felt very unsafe for everyone, so my friends and I informed the authorities at the club and they swiftly came over and dealt with that individual. When in times of danger, it is best to let somebody else take care of it, especially when they know how to deal with it.”
#27. Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with this situation?
“When I was working on a project at school, my teacher and I agreed upon a particular goal to reach. I conducted several experiments to attempt to attain certain results, but it was to no avail. I just couldn’t acquire the results I wanted. After much contemplation, I told my teacher that it was impossible to get those results that we thought were possible. In science, a negative outcome is viewed poorly. However, I convinced my teacher to change the scope and goal of the project. This time around, I got results which were more realistic and I could work with it to derive a conclusion. It was not a failure, but a learning experience.”
#28. Tell me about a situation in which you have had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle it?
“At my last school, the principal decided to change the entire teaching structure. Normally, I teach a handful of subjects that I was qualified and experienced to teach. However, due to a shortage of personnel, all teachers had to take various more classes. I normally taught sciences but after the reshuffle, I taught math as well. The upside was that I was able to revise my math knowledge, which is also important for science. I adapted quite well to this change.”
#29. Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a colleague’s working style in order to complete a project or achieve your objectives.
“While working as a process engineer, I worked very closely with a colleague who was very knowledgeable and productive in the office. Whereas I was more proactive and assertive, he was more reserved and did his own thing in his own way. I did not want to tell him to be more assertive because he was very good at what he was doing, doing it his own way. I toned down my type A personality traits and made him aware that although we were quite different, we could get along and get the job done. We successfully completed all projects and developed a good friendship.”
#30. How was your transition from high school to university? Did you face any particular problems? How did you handle them?
“In high school, I knew everyone very well. I knew my friends since elementary school, so I always had a tight-knit group of pals that were like my second family. I was looking forward to university, because I could meet new people from various backgrounds. While it was daunting at first, I quickly introduced myself to others and got to know many great people who I can proudly call my friends. When the studying pressure was building up, I could rely on them to cheer me up and give me some encouragement.”
Time Management Skills
#31. Tell me about a time you had to be very strategic in order to meet all your top priorities.
“When I interned at Ford, I had two tasks – learn about the automobile manufacturing process at the factory and order car parts from suppliers at the head office. In addition, I had to write a report of everything I learned at the factory. To utilize my time efficiently, I jotted down notes in between breaks at the factory, since all of the information was fresh on my mind. As a result, I was already preparing the report as I was working in the factory. When I was at the head office, there were some breaks in between emailing and calling suppliers. That is when I continued writing my report. I made sure to use all the time available to me to work and complete tasks punctually.”
Learn more about being more productive and time management.
#32. Describe a long-term project that you managed. How did you keep everything moving along in a timely manner?
“As a teaching assistant, I taught student how to fabricate a sensor. The semester lasted 4 months, so I segmented the entire fabrication process into several steps that had to be completed over the entire semester. Each week, we dealt with one particular step, starting with silicon processing, moving on to pyrex processing, and finally ending with wafer bonding. Each week, students presented the results of their experiments in the form of a presentation. This was used to assess how much they actually learned.”
#33. Sometimes it’s just not possible to get everything on your to-do list done. Tell me about a time your responsibilities got a little overwhelming. What did you do?
“When I was working as a Sales Executive, I had various tasks to accomplish in a period of 6 months. I had a project plan that outlined what had to be achieved. After the first couple of months, when I faced a few hurdles, I realized that reaching every single milestone might not be feasible in such a short amount of time. I had to reassess which were the most important aspects to consider and focused entirely on those things. I still arrived at excellent results at the very end of the time frame.”
#34. Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself. How did you go about ensuring that you would meet your objective?
“After graduating with an electrical engineering degree, I always wanted to learn coding, especially webpage and mobile app development. So I enrolled in online courses and slowly learned some programming languages, like JavaScript and Python. I practiced almost every day and made good progress. Every week I completed one chapter of each language and was inching one step closer to developing an app. Now, after 8 months of training, I have developed an app already and am working on my own website.”
#35. Give me an example of a time you managed numerous responsibilities. How did you handle that?
“As a teacher at middle school, I taught English, coordinated the spelling bee, and managed the biannual sports event. I am an English teacher by trade, with a degree in English. I wanted to hold spelling bee tournaments at the school to get students interested in learning new English words. So I took on that responsibility and taught students the format. I myself am a very sporty person and I wanted to take charge of the sports events at school. I managed the entire event and coordinated with other staff members.”
#36. Describe a situation that required you to do a number of things at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?
“As a full-stack web developer, I have to work on both the front-end and back-end of a website. That means that I have to use a variety of languages – HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and SQL. I have to merge all of these to create a great user interactive experience. Moreover, I need to keep checking for bugs on the back-end so that users can access a large database with ease, all while navigating through a well-designed site with great interaction. It is not easy to do both of these things, in a time when people are specializing in one portion. However, I get to learn everything and I deliver excellent results, overseeing the entire project.”
#37. How do you prioritize projects and tasks when scheduling your time?
“When I have multiple projects to deal with simultaneously, I evaluate them based on time and effort. I complete the ones that take the least amount of time first, so that those clients receive their work as soon as possible. If a job takes more time and effort based on my estimation, I inform those clients and give them a complete breakdown so that we agree to deliver it on a later date. As a result, I am never lost and always know what to do on which day.”
This is how you prioritize.
#38. Tell me about a project that you planned. How did your organize and schedule the tasks?
“As the chief architect for the new headquarters of a major tech firm, I wanted to take my time to understand the company and incorporate their culture and mindset into the building. I outlined the entire project duration and segmented it into several parts – research the company, design the building, construct the building. I worked with several other engineers and delegated tasks to save a lot of time so that I could focus on what I was good at – overseeing the entire construction process. We completed the project on time and the tech firm was pleased.”
#39. When has a project or event you organized not gone according to plan? What happened? How did you feel?
“I am an event organizer for concerts and there was one incident where a concert did not go according to plan. The inauguration ceremony of the concert was supposed to have a fantastic orchestra with fireworks and a video playing on a large screen. Throughout the performance, the music was playing and the fireworks were exploding, but the video never played. Due to technical difficulties, the audience never got to see the amazing footage we shot. I felt very bad at the time, because all that hard work went down the drain. However, I learned from this experience and prepared extra hard for future concerts.”
Communication Skills
#40. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully persuade someone to see things your way at work.
“When I received my first promotion at my previous company, I had the opportunity to work alongside line managers at the factory. When I was working under them before, I noticed there were some processes that could be streamlined and optimized further. Now that I was a line manager like everybody else, I presented my case to the rest of them and showed factual evidence on how to improve the production process. They were initially reluctant but soon came around and saw things my way.”
#41. Describe a time when you were the resident technical expert. What did you do to make sure everyone was able to understand you?
“I was in charge of the Engineer Management Trainee Program at my previous company. Since the recruits were fresh graduates, they relied on me to learn technical things of the semiconductor industry. I provided reading materials to all the trainees so that they can learn things in their spare time. Whenever they had questions, I was open and ready to answer them. I wanted them to feel welcome to clarify their doubts and since I have the knowledge, I wanted to impart it to them.”
#42. Tell me about a time when you had to rely on written communication to get your ideas across to your team.
“I once had to send emails to my entire team describing what had to be done in the coming weeks since the deadline was pushed one week ahead of schedule. Emails can be a tricky medium of communication to get your message across. I made sure to be polite and respectful while still being assertive in informing my team members why they needed to put in more time and effort. I did not want to come across as a mean boss that demands things from their employees. I expressed how I would also work extra hours with them to get the job done on time.”
#43. Give me an example of a time when you had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated client. How did you handle this delicate situation?
“I once had to explain the significance of a particular electronic circuit in automobiles to a partner in Daimler. They have complete knowledge of automobiles, but rely on us to deliver electronic components for their cars. I had to convince a representative of Daimler why they required these parts from us. I kept thing very simple after I realized a lot of the technical information was going over his head. I connected the components to the benefits that both the company and the drivers of cars will gain. They quickly realized that they required this circuitry in their cars and ordered a large volume of it.”
#44. Tell me about a successful presentation you gave and why you think it was a hit.
“In my early 20s, I had the privilege of presenting my academic work at an IEEE conference. At such a young age, it was an excellent opportunity to display my presentation skills to many esteemed guests. Since I knew my topic inside and out, I wanted to guide the audience through the presentation with a story of how I learned about it. This made my presentation of the results more personal and looking at the faces of the audience members, I knew it was a success. They appreciated my efforts greatly.”
Want to learn how to present like a boss? Watch this video.
#45. When have you had to present to a group of people with little or no preparation? What obstacles did you face? How did you handle them?
“When I was a Graduate Trainee, I was once asked by my supervisor to present new results to clients my firm was working with. I was responsible for working on a task in a particular sector but since I knew the language the clients were comfortable in, my company wanted me to represent them in a meeting. I had an hour to prepare, to look at the findings we had at the time. After the quick research, I talked to the clients and made them well aware that I was the new kid on the block. However, I presented all of the results I knew with confidence and the clients were quite pleased. My company was quite impressed how I gave an impromptu presentation and since then, I was relied upon for presentations.”
#46. Have you ever had to “sell” an idea to your co-workers? How did you do it?
“Before I created my first app with my colleagues, we brainstormed many ideas to see what would be the best thing on the market. With social media platforms abound, my partners wanted to create another competitor in that sector. Rather than going down that route and competing with other big names, I wanted to be a trendsetter and make a fintech app, one that handles people’s finances. I convinced the team why it would be beneficial to society and how we need to manage money properly. They understood why this was necessary and we then started to create our first fintech app.”
#47. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).
“I am a very charismatic and outgoing kind of person. Being very social, I love talking with people to get to know them. However, I understand that there are many people who are not as talkative and more of an introvert. One of my classmates did not necessarily like my personality because he thought it was overbearing. I tried to befriend him and wanted to get to know him, but he was quite reserved. I decided that it would be best to not be so forward but rather talk to him in a calm manner. He really appreciated that and he actually opened up more, expressing himself more.”
#48. What obstacles or difficulties have you ever faced in communicating your ideas to a manager?
“As an intern, I had to conduct market research on cosmetics, determining which products sell the most in different parts of the nation. I gathered a lot of statistics and created charts and graphs of the data. I discovered that some products were selling well in particular areas, although the company did not market them heavily in those areas. I talked to my manager about how we can improve the marketing of products in these areas to increase our revenues. My manager was quite hesitant to listen to me, perhaps because I was just an intern. However, after I presented all of the evidence, it became quite evident to him that this is what needed to be done.”
#49. Tell me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get an important point across.
“Working as a customer support representative at Amazon, sometimes we have to inform customers personally that a product cannot be delivered for various reasons. To ensure excellent customer satisfaction, we always send an email to buyers who will not be able to receive their purchased goods. I explained very clearly why Amazon failed to deliver this particular product and sincerely apologized for any inconvenience the customer experienced. As a gesture of good faith, I offered this customer a coupon of the same value to purchase another product in its place.”
#50. When have you chosen to communicate a particular message in person as opposed to via email even though the email channel would have been a lot faster?
“When my previous company decided to restructure the organization of the firm and merge some of the divisions while getting rid of a few, I decided I needed to inform all of my team members personally. It would only be fair since I worked with them for years. It was difficult, but I explained the entire situation from the very beginning and outlined what would happen to the personnel in this division. Maybe an email would have been easier, but personally interacting with people you have worked with for years shows that you care about the working relationship.”
Motivation
#51. Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment.
“When I sealed a sweet deal with an investor on Wall Street. As a stockbroker, I pick up phone calls every minute and secure the buying and selling of stock from big shot investors. I once had a famous investor call me to potentially buy stock. I explained the stock, which company it belonged to and how the company was fairing. The investor was hesitant as the company was fairly new, but I ensured him that tech startups are booming now and that they will grow exponentially. After several minutes convincing, I got confirmation to buy a large amount of stock. It was the biggest deal I made in my career and it set me up for success later on.”
#52. Describe a time when you saw some problem and took the initiative to correct it rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
“As a student, I participated in a microsystem technology course and conducted a laboratory experiment at the very end of the semester. The next semester, I was hired as a teaching assistant to teach the exact same subject. I had many ideas to improve the teaching style of the lab course. I suggested that instead of doing the practical work at the end of the semester, it would be more beneficial to work every week in the lab and implement the theoretical knowledge. Also, I recommended that students should deliver presentations of their results. This increases student participation and learning.”
If there is one thing you should convice the hiring manager about it’s this. Be proactive!
#53. Tell me about a time when you worked under close supervision or extremely loose supervision. How did you handle that?
“As an intern at an automobile company, I worked under a supervisor who was extremely busy and could not provide me much guidance as I was learning the ropes. It was challenging to learn things when my mentor was not able to tutor me properly. I understood his predicament so I did not bother him much. Instead, I conversed with my colleagues who knew the trade very well and learned a lot from them. Since some of them were once interns as well, they gave me very good guidance and supervision to help me excel in this position.”
#54. Give me an example of a time you were able to be creative with your work. What was exciting or difficult about it?
“As a graphic designer, I have to always be creative to find the next big idea that will be visually appealing to both the client and the consumers. I once had to design a background image for a website and I had complete freedom to do whatever I want. I wanted to explore many different options and use full creativity to get the right design for this website. Sometimes it is difficult to know where to go when a client does not provide some instructions, but it is very rewarding when your own efforts are appreciated by the client.”
#55. Tell me about a time you were dissatisfied in your work. What could have been done to make it better?
“As a writer, there are some days when I perform very well and ideas come flowing out of my mind. Other times, ideas just don’t appear and I have to forcefully write something down. I had to write an article on a video game, but I did not play that game or was interested in that particular genre. I had to read other sources and act as if I played that game passionately. Although my boss liked my writing, I was not satisfied with it because it felt pretentious. I then decided to only write articles on games that I played, because it feels more authentic.”
Handling Stress
#56. What has been the most stressful situation you have ever found yourself in at work? How did you handle it?
“As a PhD student, I had to make a discovery and find new results for a novel material to be used in semiconductor chips – graphene. Many people have not yet fully understood this relatively new material. I wanted to find something out but for months on end, I could not make any headway. I always kept on hitting a brick wall, which was very stressful. I was falling behind on my schedule. I decided to cleanse my mind and refresh everything. I took a different approach this time around and I made a new discovery, making progress towards my goal.”
#57. What have you done in the past to prevent a situation from becoming too stressful for you or your colleagues to handle?
“As a supply chain manager, I have to oversee the entire supply chain – from gathering raw materials to creating the final product. As a merchandiser, I need to know every single aspect because I need to find ways to reduce cost while still delivering an excellent product. Oftentimes, things don’t go the way you want them to; a machine malfunctions or are there far too many defective products. It can be very stressful when the deadline approaches and you feel like you need more time. I always find ways to meditate and find a place of calm when I think everything is going under. I reassess the situation and find ways to solve these problems within the time given.”
Analytical Skills
#58. Describe the project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What was your role?
“My job as a market researcher puts my analytical skills to the test. On one of my tasks, I had to conduct market research for our company and determine where certain products sold very well and did not sell so well. In addition, I had to found out if the advertising and marketing campaigns in those areas justified the sales generated. After careful analysis, I realized that some products were doing well without much ads while some products had many ads but did not sell enough. I suggested that we change the advertising on the products that were heavily marketed but not selling well, so that more units can be sold to offset the expenditure.”
#59. Tell me about a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation. What kind of thought process did you go through?
“While working on my thesis, I conducted several experiments to determine if a material was crystalline or amorphous. After several sets of experimental parameters, I obtained many graphs. I had to analyze and scrutinize each graph along with their respective data set to find out if it was one or the other. Since the material was not well known, I had to make some assumptions in my inference. After looking at graphs at other materials, I could finally arrive at a conclusion if my material was crystalline or amorphous. My supervisor liked my train of thought.”
#60. Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem. What did you do? What was the outcome?
“As an HR Manager, I once had the difficult task of restructuring the company. My team had to determine which divisions to merge and which to retain, while also deciding which divisions to axe from the company. The company wanted to shift from motorcycle manufacturing to automobile, specifically car, production. We had many engineers who were experts in motorcycles but sadly, they did not serve much of a purpose for cars. On the other hand, we had marketing executives that could come in handy for our new products. It was difficult letting people go, but at the end of the day, the organization benefitted greatly from the restructuring.”
Difficult problems can be overcome by structuring your thoughts and perceptions, then analytically find a solution.
#61. What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision? Why?
“Whenever I face any problem, I look at it from many angles. When I was in charge of a team to design a new football shoe, I had to evaluate every single model that we were selling at the time and what they were missing. I got in touch with some athletes to get their feedback on the shoes they were and what they wish could be improved. I took that feedback into consideration and with the design team, we came up with some designs for our new shoes. Whenever faced with a problem, I always ask others for their opinion and see if those are feasible in comparison to my own. If I lack experience, I make it up by getting other’s knowledge on the matter.”
Detail Orientation
#62. What process do you use to check that you have the right details from a customer?
“As a web developer, I need to extract as much information I can from my client in order to meet their criteria the first time around and finish the job on time. I ask my clients several questions to determine what they want from their website – the color palette, style, use of media, etc. I need to know from the get-go if they want a minimalistic style of a webpage or one that is very complex with many features. Once I have acquired all the information necessary, I then proceed to designing the site.”
#63. Give me an example of a time you discovered an error that has been overlooked by a colleague. What did you do? What was the outcome?
“When I was working with a team of process development engineers, we had to process silicon wafers using various techniques. I noticed that one of my colleagues faced an issue with one of the machines and without properly rectifying the issue, continued the processes on the wafers. This was a major concern as the final product could have some defects. I told him that we needed to shut down the entire process flow and perform maintenance checks on the defective machine. After fixing the machine, we can then resume the production process to prevent defects in wafers.”
#64. Tell me about a time that you were confused by a customer’s request. What steps did you take to clarify things?
“One of our past clients did not make certain requirements and specifications very clear in an email. We received an order to fabricate transistors of a certain type. While there was a lot of details in the email, there was no information on the width-to-length ratio of these transistors. This was just an important to know as everything else in the email. I emailed the client to specify their requirements and asked about the width-to-length ratio. In addition to confirming everything that was stated in their first email, they also stated the missing information to finalize the order. After that, we were able to confirm the order.”
Creativity
#65. When was the last time you thought “outside the box” and how did you do it? Why?
“When I was in the design team of a company manufacturing glasses and cups, we were tasked to think of ergonomic designs to revolutionize how we hold these drinking containers. I thought that instead of having smooth surfaces, glasses and cups should have undulate layers on the outside to fit our fingers. With our fingers nestled inside, the grip will be better, making it more comfortable to hold. We eventually designed these cups that had 4 grooves one the outside to make easier to hold.”
#66. Tell me about a problem that you have solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the outcome?
“I once had to use an instrumentation device in the lab that had a particular set of connector ports that were very unusual and did not match with anything we had in the facility. Our wires could not be directly attached to this device. I had to find a way to manipulate the wires I had to make them fit and connect. I extracted the inner part of the coaxial cables and wrapped them around the connector ports to establish a fixed connection. As a result, electricity from my sample was flowing in the measuring device and I could see readings. It took me a while, but I found this workaround to this problem.”
#67. Give me an example of when someone brought you a new idea that was odd or unusual. What did you do?
“When working in a team, you always hear fascinating and odd ideas from coworkers. One of my colleagues once came up to me and pitched a weird idea for an umbrella, one where the outside part will collapse inward. It took me aback because I have always seen and used umbrellas where the inside part collapses inward. When I thought deeper about it, his idea actually made sense because the outside part is wet and the water lingering stays inside, keeping everything outside dry. Within a few months, we launched this ingenious product and it was successful.”
#68. When have you brought an innovative idea into your team? How was it received?
“As a product development engineer, we had to think of a fitness device that people could wear while exercising to monitor their progress. Wearable tech at the time was still in its infancy, so we did not have much to inspire us. I noticed I was wearing a watch and I instantly thought that we could wear a fitness bracelet or ba