Strength Based Interview Questions

What modules did you like in your degree?

- Sim Man *role play* - Being able to *apply theory* from the other parts of the unit (lectures) to a practical setting - Working in a *group to solve the problem* - *Practicing communication skills*

@What would be your ideal working environment?

- Take a close look at the job description, and make a list of two or three of the qualities the employer seems to be looking for in an applicant. The company may stress organizational skills or someone who gets along well with others. Make sure that your answer to this question emphasizes how you demonstrate those key qualities regularly at your current job. - Remember, though, your core values should align with the company's mission (e.g., "I want to work for a company that cares about giving back to the community, and that's why I'm so interested in this opportunity."). - Before answering, take into account how their company is structured in terms of work days, formality, small start-up vs. large corporation, etc. - Focus on wanting an environment that allows for the use and growth of your established skills and qualities. - Highlight your desire to work in a team-oriented workplace. - Talk about your work-style and try to word your answer so that it blends in well with the company's vision. - So, what is the purpose of asking about your ideal working environment? The interviewer will essentially be focused on two things: *Your understanding and knowledge of the company culture*: Employers don't want to employ people who aren't passionate about working for a specific company. The interviewer wants to check if you've done your research into the company and the role rather than having just walked in unprepared. So, you really shouldn't take this as a question about your ideal work environment. Rather, this question is actually, "Do you know what our working environment is and what do you like about it?" *Your values and their alignment with the company culture*" - Of course, the interviewer doesn't just want you to talk about the organization and what you know about it. The question does look into your values as well - those things you appreciate in a work community. You don't want to lie here but simply focus on those elements you appreciate in your working environment. - The deeper point here is about aligning your values with the organization's work environment. You want to ensure you show how well you would fit in the workplace because you share common values with the company. *Showcase your ability to adapt and be flexible* You don't want your answer to sound too rigid. You can't make it about a single type of environment and that's it. This is crucial especially when you don't know that much about the company and it's working environment. You want to showcase your ability to be flexible and your willingness to adapt. You can talk about how you like to learn new things and ways of doing things - the employer is looking for these qualities in a candidate. *Talk about values as well as the environment* You should also focus on big values such as sustainability or family-focused workplaces. You don't just want to talk about a physical space or the business structures. The truth is that a company's values will showcase in the work environment as well. A company that's looking to improve the local community will probably have a strong team-building environment. It's a good idea to match your answer with the company's broader vision. *Emphasize growth and development* Employers will appreciate employees that want to develop their skills. Therefore, you want to talk about how you enjoy a work environment that nurtures talent and helps it to grow. Employers know that people who are interested in professional development are very hard-working and passionate about their jobs. To convince them that you're the ideal candidate you should focus on your aspirations for the future and professional growth. The interviewer is looking for someone with a long-term interest in the role. You don't want to make it seem like you're using the role as a stepping-stone. So, talk about how much you value in improving in your role and the importance of loyalty, for example. *Talk About Your Teamwork Skills* Collaboration is an essential skill in almost every business, so it's important to talk about teamwork skills and how they relate to your ideal working environment. Your ideal working environment shouldn't be a place where you don't have to work with anyone, but a place where you can work with different people to produce the best results possible. - "I'm a big people person and I love big companies with a diverse staff. I think the more people with different backgrounds you have, the better your ideas and implementation will be - you get more opinions and viewpoints. I like flexible working environments as well. I think it supports my creativity and innovation a lot more than very rigid spaces. Of course, rules do matter but I like environments where you have a framework and the people can just excel within it as they want." - "My ideal work environment is one that focuses on teamwork. I like companies like yours that put an effort in gelling the group together and making sure everyone is supported. I like that sort of structure and formality of knowing what you're supposed to do and when you are aware of the situation. I work best when I have a group of positive people working around me and where I can focus on putting my talent to work." - My ideal work environment is one that is centered around working as a team and that allows everyone's talents to flourish. When I was researching your company, your desire to cultivate each of your employees' skills was very impressive to me. I find that I work best in an environment that is empowering and positive, no matter what the work is that I'm doing. - "I don't have a specific ideal work environment as I am very flexible. I can easily adjust to different environments without any issues. I understand that the environment here is fast-paced and I really enjoys that type of environment as it's an ideal environment to be creative in and take initiative." - "I enjoy workplaces where teamwork is important. I believe that it's only in team driven work environments that people can be productive and perform to the best of their abilities. I really enjoyed reading your mission statement and finding out more about the value you place on collaboration. I think I'd fit right in with the team and be able to perform my best" - "I am a very flexible individual and I can perform and adjust to any type of work environment. But, I must admit that I thrive in work environments that are enterprising and encourage creativity and "

Would you be willing to miss a deadline if meeting the deadline meant compromising on the quality of the finished project?

- *As a whole, I would prefer missing the deadline, and submit quality work.* - However, I would make sure to *communicate my issues* about the deadline with all parties involved, as communication is important. - In most cases, *depends on client *on which they think is more important, give them options (draft now or finished quality at a later extended deadline) - What prefer to do - Example: *ill at uni, asked for extension, got a 1st*

@Describe your ideal job

My ideal job is one where my knowledge and skills are put to good use. A job where I will learn and grow as a person and an employee, where I am given challenges that test my potential and where I can make a valued contribution to the company My ideal job would involve working toward certification in my field. I've already completed the first test for industry certification and passed it the first time, which is a big first step forward. Most professionals, even with experience, don't pass the first test on the first try. I have two more tests to pass, one of which I already have scheduled to complete before graduation. So my ideal job is to become a subject matter expert in my field. Going beyond just being certified to becoming the go-to person for others at my company."

Is change a good thing?

*IT rapidly changing industry so always going to be change, no point just sticking to what know if inefficient or outdated in comparison so important to keep up to date and adapt to any new changes as arise, especially in order to commit our clients and fulfill changing client expectations - RELATE TO SOCIAL MEDIA INCORPORATION OF STUDENT TRAINER PROMOTION* - Important to be able to keep up with changing technologies - often if they're changing it's to improve for example, talk about benefits of AI - The change is usually in response to an improvement that is needed so I think it is a good thing, as there is always room for improvement and more you could be doing - Just important to evaluate the best areas needed to tackle and also e.g. if the new tech implementation is worth it

@What does success look like to you?

*Success has lots of diff forms e.g. academically, high score or doing work people impressed by, or on personal level e.g. nightline, making difference in life of other person on the phone, being able to make them open up to me and being able to have a positive impact on them* - For me, success is about doing my job well. I want to be recognized as someone who always does her best and tries her hardest to make my goals.

Do you prefer to start tasks or to finish them?

- *Both enjoyable*, like starting tasks as can plan everything out and get idea of what want to do - but *prefer finishing* them because *everything comes together* and enjoy *looking back* and seeing work i've completed. - Reward of the *lesson after*. I enjoy seeing through to the end, *finished product you can be proud of*

What motivates you?

- *Making the most of opportunities*, I know *many people don't have the same opportunities *you do so you *don't want to waste them*. - Especially at university, I would have *lots of deadlines* and would need to work *long hours*. - However, I know that there are many people who would *love to be in the position I am in* so it helped me feel *grateful* and not resent the amount of work I had to do. *CAN REFER TO ADMIRING PARENTS*

What do you find draining or tiresome?

- Other people who are *stubborn and aren't open minded to new ideas or opportunities.* For example, at university I encountered some people who were *really judgemental* about other people's looks and choices and used that as a way to measure their own intrinsic worth. - I found this *draining to listen to these people* so I would *counter* these people in order to make them see what they are saying isn't ok - or at least show you don't support them. - This *worked in some scenarios* because it made them tried to justify their own comments and then showed how irrational they were being. - If they continued to be ignorant I would *distance myself from them*.

How do you balance your time and time with your friends?

- Talk about my time management skills in general from *student trainer Time Management* workshop + *balancing commitments at uni* in general - Always can schedule in time if possible, but also have *'non-negotiable time'* to catch up on work - Assess the *priority and urgency* of tasks - Then i'm able to enjoy my time with my friends better as i'm not underlyingly stressed about the work i should be doing - Whether it's work or spending time with friends, I think it's *important to have your complete focus for that task* to ensure the time is spent well and that they're of good quality (work or interaction)

What would you change about your degree or modules in your degree?

- The way some of the coursework is *assessed*, - I tended to have fairer markers so wasn't massively affected by this, but I know the different markers/lecturers have *different expectations* and there were a lot of complaints about the variation in marking by different people - I think it's important to have a *less vague marking system and more feedback* as sometimes none were given to justify the mark - Would ensure *better consistency*, but mainly so you *know where to improve for next time* which in part should be the whole point about getting marks back to improve at uni to give you more direction on how you can get better from that point -*Keen to learn how to improve further, regardless of whether the results were good or bad, not only where i went wrong so know where to improve but what was good so know what to include in the future*

Tell me about an activity or task that comes easily to you.

-*Reflection* - something we had to do at uni, also very aware of myself, easy to learn from tasks - e.g. dealing with *angry patients* - what learn, what would do differently next time --> used this to *better improve communication* with patients the next time we did the role play + aswell as in *real life* with angry patient

Given a choice, would you prefer to be giving a presentation or double-checking data?

It *depends on what the team needs* me to do, happy to do If *both equally important*, would prefer to do presentations- delivery of the important info, more creative freedom, engage and impact and persuade the audience with the data

What were your favourite subjects at school?

- I really liked *science*, especially Biology, because it allowed me to have a deep understanding of the world around us. - I also enjoyed *French* because it was rewarding being able to learn how to use another language and be able to talk to and understand people from *other countries and cultures*. I have been able to use this when I've travelled to France and been able to *help my family*, in order to give them a more relaxed and enjoyable experience.

If a colleague was struggling to make a complex decision, what would you do to help?

- *If for company*, want them to make the choice that has the *most benefit for its members* - If *personal decision*, would try help them to come to their own decision - If area I was *knowledgable about*, think of my own experiences e.g. do this a lot in pharmacy - E.g. *PHARMACY MOTIVATIONAL CONSULTATIONS* - e.g. use my knowledge of the situation to explain the risks of their current scenario, word in a way that tries to be friendly and understanding to begin with but also stern with needed to really ensure they're putting themselves first and looking out for them - Would mention option *I personally recommend but still leave decision in their hand* - But if area I wasn't as experienced with, would help them *refer to someone else more suitable* or choose the option that the most member benefit

How do you stay focused on a task you don't enjoy/find boring?

- I try to *remind myself of the importance of the task* - maybe it seems boring or more administration like, but it still serves a purpose and can add up to bigger consequences if I didn't focus on it - e.g. *checking prescriptions for errors* even just in the name of the patients etc (don't want mix ups or legal errors), - or *organising the patient's prescriptions by surname* - I know this will really help myself and my job later when it comes to finding the right patient

Describe a situation in which you feel most like 'yourself'.

- *Personal level*: When with people who I connect with, accepted, feel able to be myself. Diversity v important to me and one of the reasons I want to work here as it's important to the company too. - *Intellectual level*: when i'm problem solving - using different sources of information and data in order to figure out what the story is at the end and what the conclusions/recommendations are e.g. in the course when solving a complex patient's case, when figuring out what the molecule should be in my chemistry units or when figuring out what the trends were in the literature when doing my master's literature review.

What unique qualities could you bring to the company?

- *Relationship building*: used this skill in a variety of scenarios academically and professionally. Whilst working in a hospital I've been able to engage with patients to ensure they feel relaxed and comfortable in order to build their trust. - I'm a very *creative person*. I used this skill a lot during my time working as a student trainer when I had to create numerous workshops for students on a range of subjects such as time management and - *Organisation skills + time management skills* - Presenting/being able to explain things to people - *Resilience* - Creative

How would you describe your perfect day at work?

- *Successful* at something u been working hard and ages on and getting *good feedback* on it - *Learning something new* and *mastering* it

Do you find you have enough hours in the day to complete all the things you want to do?

- *Would always wish* more time in day that always love to put *extra time into projects* but understand that you *have to plan* in order to put as much time as you can - if task that deserves more time outside of working hours *happy to put more time into it* e.g. EXAMPLE laptop crashed situation, set myself challenging deadline where do lots of hours could still complete high quality of work and still get it done - Important to set *realistic* expectations - All about *time management and making the most of the time* - *Generally do* (student trainer time management workshop)

Do you like to work on many different projects?

- *happy to work on multiple projects* - Talk about all extracurricular activities and volunteering etc was doing at uni while *balancing my academia* - Think working on multiple different projects can be a *needed break* from the other projects, to help refresh your mind when you come back into them and have a new perspective - but I also do just *enjoy variety* in general

What would you most like to improve about yourself?

- Always very interested in improving my *communication skills* as I think they're so important and something that you really should invest time on - this is something i've invested a lot of time on in uni *(EXAMPLES)* - I've definitely come a long way but i think there's *always room for improvement in anything* and the opportunity to practice this in my career aswell is something i'd like to continue doing

What do you like more - understanding a concept or applying practical work?

- Discuss how this is *something that do in degree a lot* - translated theory into work experience or role plays - How the *theory is interesting* and allows you to *complete the practical better* - The satisfaction in being able to understand the theory when applied to a practical setting is rewarding and gives *most comprehensive understanding*

What does doing the right thing mean to you?

- Doing the right thing, to me, means *standing up for what you believe in even if it is uncomfortable*. - It means *caring for people*, especially those who can't care for themselves. - It means being *fair and being inclusive* of all cultures and treating people with respect and not judging them for how they look like but for their character and in a professional setting, the quality of their work instead.

If a customer was unhappy with the service they'd received, how would you persuade them to keep on using your business?

- Give *LATE PHARM MED* order example - *Empathise*, make them feel listened to - *Apologise and take responsibility*, admitting quality was not as it should have been for whatever reason though - Sometimes stats can help to show that this truly was a one off case and rarely happens - *Compensation* - *Personalise the experience* - can I get your number and I will call you asap when your medicine has arrived - Assure them *it won't happen again* and maybe say *measures you will have in place* e.g. staff meeting to ensure this

What do you find is always left until last/un-done on your to-do-list?

- I always try generate my to-do lists by *thinking about the tasks I need to do in terms of urgency and importance*, and then *break those down* into sub tasks based on a daily/weekly basis. - For example, at the *top of my list* for that day, I have to submit this project before 9 pm. I do it first. - Things I find are usually last are more minor *weekly things* i've been meaning to do such as book a hair cut. - This *system has worked well for me all throughout uni*, so I find I'm usually on top of the things I really need to be doing this way

What would you say is your biggest weakness?

- I can have *anxiety about certain things* - although I *don't think this necessarily affects my performance*, the feeling of it isn't pleasant. - I try to turn it on its head though and *use it as motivation* to face the task rather than it making me avoid the task and I actually think it's a good driver for change for me - It makes me want to *purposely push myself out of my comfort zone* and put myself into uncomfortable positions in order to feel more comfortable and confident in it so that it doesn't hold me back - e.g. *PUBLIC SPEAKING anxiety* - trying to work on it e.g.: During my time at university *I knew I had this weakness as hadn't much experience in it* -So I signed myself up to be a *student trainer* - one aspect of this role was creating and developing workshops regarding employability skills. This involved public speaking which I was initially really anxious about, *however after the first time this feeling reduced.*

What does Monica on a bad day look like

- I consider myself to have a *high control on how my emotions come across*, even if i'm having a bad day, i'm conscious about how negativity can affect the team so try not to let it show - After dealing with *rude or aggressive customers*, it was important for me to remain calm and composed even if i'm stressed on the inside - For example ...woman abusing codeine, shouting abuse - Made sure to *move on from it quickly and get back to work and continue to be professional and do what needs to be done without complaining*

How to tackle a task you've never done before

- I would *research it myself first*, in order to get as much information as possible. - If I still didn't understand it after I would *ask somebody* who did know about it if they could give me any tips and guidance. - At university, during my masters project, I was assigned work that required the use of *SPSS*. - This was something I hadn't encountered as I'd *never done any programming beforehand* and I knew that mastering the software would be *vital for my project*. - I first *researched* as much as I could to get a foundational understanding, and then I asked the *University statistics help* for more complex queries.

How would you describe yourself?

- I'd describe myself as someone who is a *curious learner* and someone who has a *passion for self improvement*, i'm always looking for opportunities to challenge myself because I know that's the best way to improve yourself. I have always been interested in reading self improvement books and watching content on this topic and try to put myself forth for uncomfortable situations in order to push myself. - The degree itself was very content heavy and challenging and so has made me a very keen learner and learning is something I don't want to stop doing ever - I would also describe myself as *ambitious*, i'm not afraid to go into this completely different sector and challenge myself and I think my keen learning ability will help me succeed in this - I feel the tech industry is the best place to do this right now as it's always rapidly changing so there's always new things to learn - I think that's why the fact that there's such a long intensive training period aswell is something that really appeals to me because I like to learn the theory and apply it to the practical - I think that's the most comprehensive way of learning and will assure me that i'm doing my job correctly and to a high standard which is very important to me - I'm a creative thinker. I like to explore alternative solutions to problems and have an open mind about what will work best - I also really enjoy *working in a team* and collaborating with a diverse range of people especially ones with different experiences to me, as you can gain lots of different insights that way - Empathetic - makes good working in a team as understand people, easy to relate to people and build relationships and understand how other people feeling - Compassionate - really enjoy volunteering and giving back to the community e.g. - Stand up for the right thing e.g. (refer to 'what do I find draining example)

When would your friends & family say you are at your happiest?

- I'm at my happiest when I've achieved *something I'm proud* of and I've been *working hard towards.* - I've *proved to myself* that I can really push myself to succeed and produce something that *exceeds not only the expectations of others but my own personal standards as well*. - The main example of this is when I ran the *Bath Half marathon* in 2018, this was something I worked really hard for and was also able to raise £150 for Alzheimers society which made it *even more rewarding*. - (Backup is Art.)

If you could change your degree what would you do instead?

- If I didn't do this degree, I wouldn't as *clearly know what things I would want out of a career* - On top of this it's taught me a lot of *useful transferrable skills* that could be applied to any job such as communication skills, problem solving and analytical skills, relationship building skills, organisational skills and a high attention to detail - Also found a lot of the degree *interesting* - So *wouldn't say had regrets* - I always knew that it's best just to do well in your degree and work really hard in it, as I think you could learn a lot of useful skills from any course and they would all require you to be a keen learner and to work hard. I knew most employers were open to all disciplines, so I *think what matters most is being able to study something that you can find interesting and do really well in it and it speaks for itself.* - So with that in mind, *other things I found interesting at school were*...

How do you feel when you are faced with a sudden obstacle to your plans? What do you do to resolve it?

- In life, *things will happen that you can't prepare for* - I try to *accept this and face it pragmatically* because that is the most productive and useful thing that is actually going to help me - I try to focus on *what can be done*, what my *options* are, *who I can ask* for help and what I should do as the *next step* to get out of the situation - For example, DEADLINE - essay but *laptop broke* STAR example

Do you find deadlines motivating or intimidating?

- Motivating - See it as a *challenge to be solved like any other* - how can *I break down* this task - Lets me use my *time management skills* i've developed from student trainer and throughout my university degree - Gives me a *target to work to* and more direction - even when not set official deadlines, this is why I tend to *set personal deadlines* for myself anyway - I like being able to tick things off my to-do list and I like how deadlines enable me to *see my progress in a more real, measurable way and that empowers me* and gives me energy and reassurance - e.g. *WHEN LAPTOP BROKE* - if deadline not there, would've been slower completing it and less motivated, didn't give me the time to feel sorry for myself, energy to focus on it and continue working into the night

Who do you admire the most?

- My parents - *refugees* from Cambodian civil war and Vietnam War, initially mum living in chippy and living in off license, now *mum owns several nail salons and wholesalers* - Dad got a *1st in his maths degree at uni* and went onto do IT consulting for a long time before helping my mum out with her business - Taught me you *don't have to be defined by your circumstances*, you can define who you want to be - just have to know and believe in yourself and put in the dedication and passion to achieve it

Where do you you see yourself in 5 years time?

- Not exactly sure, but I would hope to be still working for a *company that cares about its employees* and gives them *opportunity to grow* such as learning opportunities - A company that I can *feel proud to work for*, which to me means one that *cares a lot about giving back to society* - A company that has *values that are aligned with my own*, such as with doing the right thing and putting the customer first - Aswell as would still hope to continue working in a team-oriented place with a *diverse range of people* - Would hope that I've developed into someone who is an *expert in my field*, who people seek and trust in help with providing knowledge or doing a good job

Are you a big picture or detail person?

- Think it's *important to be both, depends on task itself*, some require important to see big pic in order to make sense of all problem - e.g. sometimes important *not to focus on each individual* as data on large scale to track trends that are happening - other times, it's *details* which are important to see what's happening - can be the detail that is most important thing e.g. one value that doesn't match general trend and noticing that difference between stopping it leading to a big consequence out of control, e.g. *HOSPITAL BLOOD CHARTS* - with *clients in business consulting* probably best to focus on details - important to make sure client knows listening to them and *not missed something important to them*

When do you feel most inspired?

- When I figure out *solution to something been working on long time*, shows that if I put enough work into it can achieve it. - Being able to *look back and see what i've been able to achieve* that I didn't think I could before and realising that if I can do that, I believe I can do other great things if I believe in myself and apply myself - e.g. Passing *driving test* after seeing my *running progress*, being able to run 5k for the first time *CAN REFER TO ADMIRING PARENTS* - When I see team mates for example doing things confidently that I still need to work on - inspires me and use it as motivation for example public speaking, an example to me of how it can be done and that it is possible - Asked one of my peers to practice with me which he kindly did

@How do you deal with pressure at work?

A good way to approach this question is to explain the *measures you put in place to prevent an issue* from spiralling into a stressful situation. For example, *balancing projects effectively and keeping to a tight time schedule.* Give an example of when you were faced with a difficult situation and how you kept a cool head. --> *LAPTOP BROKE*