Displaying Interview Questions 113-120

113. Describe a project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities.

Sample excellent response:
During my Marketing Research course, we were assigned a group project to do marketing research for a local business. After we collected all of the data, we had to analyze the data in a meaningful way for the business and report the results. It turned out that I had the strongest analytical abilities in the group, so I led the rest of the group in analyzing the data. Because of my analytical skills, we found that the business had been targeting the wrong market all along and were able to show the owner the market segment that the business should be targeting.
[contributed by M. Kearney]

Also, remember the S-A-R (situation-action-result) technique and see a sample S-A-R story.

114. Give an example of when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?

Sample excellent response:
When I decided to study abroad in the spring of 2007, I had to weigh the pros and cons of the decision. People who study abroad typically get worse grades abroad than at home because of the educational and cultural differences, so I had to consider the risk to my GPA. I also had to consider how expensive it would be to live abroad without being allowed to have a job, so there was a financial risk as well. On top of this, when studying abroad at this particular university, because of the difference in education, I was allowed to take only 3 courses, which was significant to me because I already was on a strict schedule from switching majors so late in my college career. So I also had to consider the risk of cramming my schedule with difficult classes in my senior year. But I knew that this was going to be a life-changing experience that I may never get to participate in again. So I took the risk and studied abroad. Now, I have that experience, and it has made me a better candidate for places in my career. It shows that I can overcome great challenges and have been immersed into foreign culture, which is important in my career in the art industry.
[contributed by M. Kearney]

Also, remember the S-A-R (situation-action-result) technique and see a sample S-A-R story.

115. Tell about a time when you built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions.

Sample excellent response:
While managing a high-end mall jewelry store in which the clientele are usually quite well-mannered and soft-spoken, I returned from a lunch break to find one of our newer sales associates struggling with an irate and somewhat irrational customer. Voices were escalating, with the customer spewing negative comments that could be heard from within the mall. While maintaining good relationships with our customers is a hallmark of our company, this particular situation was not ordinary by any means. I could tell the sales associate was in over his head with this encounter, so I quickly walked into the conversation -- argument -- and proceeded to ask the customer several key questions so that I could both calm her down while also discovering more about her situation so that I could then defuse the confrontation and restore order in the store. In the process of talking with her, I found we had a common love of dogs and were able to talk about our dogs -- sharing some funny stories -- before getting back to her specific problem with the store. In the end, it turns out the company that handles our credit card had been double-billing her account, and I was able to make a phone call and solve her problem.

Also, remember the S-A-R (situation-action-result) technique and see a sample S-A-R story.

116. Some people consider themselves to be "big picture people" and others are detail oriented. Which are you? Give an example hat illustrates your preference.

Sample excellent response:
I believe that to be successful, you have to be both a big-picture person and detail oriented. You can't get caught up in just the details or you will lose sight of the long-term goals. And you can't get caught up in just looking at the big picture, or you will fail because of the lack of detail. As the group leader of a project for my marketing class, I definitely had to be both a big-picture person and detail oriented. I had to make sure that everyone was doing their part and working toward the goal of the project while, at the same time, checking every piece of the paper to make sure even the minuscule parts of the paper were correct and in place. Through using both skills, we earned an A on the project.
[contributed by M. Kearney]

Also, remember the S-A-R (situation-action-result) technique and see a sample S-A-R story.

117. Describe a situation where you felt you had not communicated well. How did you correct the situation?

Sample excellent response:
Recently I had a situation where I was giving a presentation to a company and one of the upper managers had to step out during my presentation. He returned after I was done and was taking down my setup, and he asked if he could ask a question, I jokingly replied "no more questions" and then offered, "yes, of course, I would be happy to answer a question for you." Despite the fact that he had laughed at my initial joke, it was clear to me that it had not been received well. I then made certain that I went up to him and apologized and made it clear that I meant no disrespect and that sometimes I just become comfortable with people very quickly. He told me that I needed to be aware of my audience. This is something I have always known, but I believe the sting of this specific event has really brought it to light for me.
[contributed by Cynthia Buenger]

Also, remember the S-A-R (situation-action-result) technique and see a sample S-A-R story.

118. Describe a time when you took personal accountability for a conflict and initiated contact with the individual(s) involved to explain your actions.

Sample excellent response:
As a member of the executive board of my fraternity, I was involved in decisions with where to do our community-service projects at times. At one point, the community-service chairman asked me where I thought he should make the next event. I told him we should do an event at the Boys and Girls Club. Some fraternity members complained to the community-service chairman for the decision because they wanted an easier event. I took responsibility for the choice and spoke to the individuals about my reasoning. I told them that I felt the event would make more of a difference in the community than cleaning up a road as we usually do since it would allow us to be mentors to troubled youth as well as provide them with a cleaner building to use. It was better than simply doing manual labor and ended up being a successful event that everyone plans on doing again in the future.
[contributed by M. Kearney]

Also, remember the S-A-R (situation-action-result) technique and see a sample S-A-R story.

119. Give me an example of when you were able to meet the personal and professional (or academic) demands in your life yet still maintained a healthy balance.

Sample excellent response:
My sophomore summer I studied abroad in Europe for six weeks with a program through my university. We were in Innsbruck, Austria, and I loved everything about the town and its surroundings, as well as every place I traveled to on the weekends. There was always something to see or do that was more fun and exciting than class, but I also knew that I couldn't make bad grades that would lower my GPA. To get the most time out of my weekend travels and weekdays in Innsbruck, I always did homework on the train on the weekends and for a few hours every day after class. I ended my summer abroad with many new friends, good grades, and great stories to tell of the cities I saw and adventures I went on.
[contributed by Carly Watson]

Also, remember the S-A-R (situation-action-result) technique and see a sample S-A-R story.

120. Everyone has made some poor decisions or has done something that just did not turn out right. Give an example of when this has happened to you.

Sample excellent response:
In my freshman psychology class, we had to do a group project and presentation, and we got to pick our group members. I was a freshman, and inexperienced with group projects, so I picked two of my friends, even though I knew that they were not hard workers and didn't care about their grades. At the time, I didn't care that they weren't good students, I just wanted to be comfortable with the people I was working with. I ended up doing most of the project very last minute and by myself because I couldn't get them to work on it with me. The project and presentation were both really bad, and all three of our final grades were almost 10 points lower because of it. Needless to say, I never picked a friend as a group member, again, unless I knew they were diligent in school. I learned to be more strategic about team members and also how to motivate people who are not as enthusiastic as I am.
[contributed by Carly Watson]

Also, remember the S-A-R (situation-action-result) technique and see a sample S-A-R story.

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