Tyler's Interview Practice

What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision.

1. Define the problem to be solved and decision to be made. For a project in an introductory management class, the assignment was to report on the corporate structure and financial situation of a couple of companies. The decision to be made was what companies to profile and how to present the information. 2. Gather the necessary information. Some group members wanted to report on automakers, while others wanted to do electronics firms. We gathered information on both types of company. 3. List all possible choices. We made lists of companies in both categories. 4. Consider possible outcomes for each choice. We decided that a report about car companies could have a positive outcome, but one about electronics firms might be more futuristic with high-tech products such as HDTV, video game consoles, and DVD players. 5. Check out how you feel about each of the choices. Given that this was a group project, we had to consider the feelings of all group members. 6. Relate the choices to your values and priorities. Again, all group members weighed in on their values and priorities. 7. From the possible alternatives, choose one. We decided that we'd do electronics companies because we could bring in products from each company and show what lies ahead. 8. Commit yourself to your chosen decision and disregard the others. Concentrate your energies in one direction. Once we made our decision, we focused all our work on electronics firms. 9. Take steps to turn your decision into positive action. All group members got interested in how the companies were doing. 10. Evaluate your progress from time to time. Change your decision if necessary. We were pleased with our progress and didn't feel a need to change our decision. We got an A on the project.

What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?

A recent satisfying accomplishment occurred when I was sent to one of our branch banks that was notorious for not growing its loan base. The branch had logged $75,000 in new loans in an 18-month period prior to my arrival. Having a reputation as a "hired gun" when it came to loan production, I succeeded in soliciting and booking $700,000 in my first six months at the branch.

Which is more important to you, the job itself or your salary?

A salary commensurate with my experience and skills is important, but it's only one piece of the package. Many other elements go into making up a compensation package, but more importantly, it's critical to me to enjoy what I'm doing, fit into the corporate culture, and feel I'm making a genuine contribution.

Describe the characteristics of a successful manager.

A successful manager should have the vision and capabilities to formulate strategies to reach his or her objectives and communicate these ideas to his or her team members. In addition to serving as a positive role model for co-workers, successful managers must also be capable of inspiring others to recognize, develop, and apply their talents to their utmost potential to reach a common goal. These are the traits I hope to demonstrate when I'm a manager.

Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in resolving it?

About 2 years ago, midway in the year we were trending downward compare to the prior year. A reason for the decline was due to the w/ Instant Saving Coupon booklet that Sam's Club offered monthly for each member. The high cost of the Instant Savings Booklet left many of our top suppliers to be more hesitant on spend money on demo's in order to stay in tune with each budgets set for the year. The drop in events a slight panic with the BDM's due to the struggle of selling events. Having completed some reporting to include basket sales, and What sells with my item, I saw a great opportunity to increase our event count by identifying items that sell most frequently with an item adverstised in ISB. With a partnership or co-Op event, the total cost is shared between both suppliers making the demo cost cheaper. In Retail Link, Using the market Basket Analysis tool, I created a template identifying the items promoted in the savings booklet and listed out the top 10 items most frequently purchased for each item. I created this template specifically as a tool for the BDM's to use for the sole purpose of creating partnership events with multiple suppliers. The tool was simple and successful, and eventually helped increase our partnership events by 50%. I received recognition for going above and beyond, was recognized in one of our company's monthly morning meetings and was voted employee of the month by my superiors

How have you differed from your professors in evaluating your performance? How did you handle the situation?

After I wrote a paper for an English class, my professor told me that I was not doing the paper in the proper format or with the proper content. I went to him and asked if he would help me learn the correct way so that I could succeed with the paper. He did help me, and I ended up doing well in the course.

Do you think that your grades are a indication of your academic achievement?

I have focused much of my energy on work and obtaining real-world experience. I commend my classmates who have earned high GPAs, but I also feel it's important to be well-rounded. Sometimes my heavy load has not allowed me to keep up with some of my studies, but I have learned an enormous amount that I can apply in my future industry. As you will discover if you talk to my supervisors, my ability to work effectively much more reflects my future potential than does my GPA.

What suggestions do you have for our organization?

After examining several sources, including your company's annual report and Web site, as well as some of your competitors' sources, I see that you have a strong product line with good demographic segments, in a growing industry. I did notice that your competitors seem to direct more of their efforts to the baby boom market, and while that is certainly a large market for your products, I think you have a great opportunity to expand your target market and increase your market share by marketing your product line to the Baby Boomers' kids — Generation Y. These teens and preteens are extremely brand-conscious and have a high discretionary income — and you are in a great position to attract them to your product and build a very large core of brand loyal consumers on top of your existing customer base

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done.

Although I had already punched out, I stayed behind to help a colleague solve a problem. A customer was very angry as he had waited very long for his coffee. My colleague was new, she was quite slow. I came out and explained things to the customer. Although he was very angry at first, I just listened to him and told him that we try to bring our best out to each customer who walks in to our store. After a one-hour discussion, he left with a happy face and was satisfied.

Can you describe your long-range goals and objectives?

Although it is hard to predict the future, I sincerely believe that I will become a very good financial consultant. I believe that my abilities will allow me to excel to the point that I can seek other opportunities as a portfolio manager (the next step) and possibly even higher. My ultimate goal continues to be — and will always be — to be the best at whatever level I am working at within Charles Schwab's corporate structure.

Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping skills.

Arriving at the language school I was attending in Costa Rica in the middle of the night with very minimal Spanish-language skills, I found my way to a very small town with no street addresses or names and found my temporary residence. I was scared, but I handled the situation very well, very calmly. In very stressful situations, I am always the one in the group to stay calm and focused. My friends, family, and professors have always said that I am an oasis of calm in a storm.

Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person?

As a Resident Advisor, I had another RA who often sought me as a person to confide her complaints to and shared quite a bit of information about activities she'd engaged in that violated the rules. Although I did not mind being a resource for this person, I knew that I could not compromise my integrity or her residents' safety. Although she became very outraged and angry with me, I talked to her about the situation and and told her that I would have to tell my supervisor. She eventually understood my responsibility and why I had to come forward with information. She knew that what she had done was against the rules, but never realized before I talked to her that she had jeopardized her residents' safety.

Give me an example of an important goal that you set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.

As a senior in high school, my goal was to attend college and play college golf. But I was nowhere near the player I needed to be to play or even get on the team. So over that summer I worked on my golf game to the point where I won almost every tournament I entered. I spent every hour I had during the day to make myself a better all-around player. I eventually walked on my freshmen year and was exempted from qualifying because I played so well in my first outing.

Describe a time when you had to use your written communication skills to get an important point across.

As an Administrative Coordinator, I had a staff of 27 students. Having such a large student staff all working different shifts and having varying class schedules meant that meetings could not be held with everyone at one time. I needed to communicate with everyone about important policies and information often, so I came up with the idea of designing a Web page for my staff with written announcements. Each Desk Assistant was required to check the Web page daily at the beginning of his/her shift. I also sent email communications by a distribution list that allowed each Desk Assistant to keep informed about anything. The one situation that stands out in my mind is a last-minute summer camp that decided to come in a day early with only one day's notice. I had no staff scheduled to check in the campers or to organize the keys. I posted an update to the Web page and sent an email. Within four hours, I had the following day completely staffed and desk assistants there to organize room keys for the campers that night.

In a supervisory or group leader role, have you ever had to discipline or counsel an employee or group member? What was the nature of the discipline? What steps did you take? How did that make you feel? How did you prepare yourself?

As president of a community-service organization, I was faced with a board member not carrying out his duties as management-development vice president. I consulted with him as to what we could do together to fix the problem. We agreed that he really couldn't devote the time that it took to carry out certain projects, and he ended up resigning his position, but he also stated he would help his replacement in whatever capacity he could. I felt as though we had come to the conclusion together, rather than him thinking I was criticizing his performance, which was not the case. I had a plan of action and carried it out successfully.

How will the academic program and coursework you've taken benefit your career?

As you will note on my resume, I've taken not only the required core classes for the finance field, I've also gone above and beyond by double majoring in accounting. I doubled majored since I knew that the financial-consulting field requires much knowledge of portfolio analysis and understanding of the tax laws. I believe that my success in both areas of study have specifically prepared me for this career. But it's not just taking the classes in these two areas that allows me to offer Merrill Lynch clients more. I minored in Spanish to understand the growing hispanic clientele in the Central Florida area, which as you are well aware is a growing source of revenue for the industry. If you like, I can elaborate on other aspects of my education further.

Which college classes or subjects did you like best? Why?

My favorite classes have been the ones pertaining to my major, such as marketing, statistics, and leadership management. These classes have taught me skills that I've been able to use in my job today, ranging from communication skills to analytics

Tell of a time when you worked with a colleague who was not completing his or her share of the work. Who, if anyone, did you tell or talk to about it? Did the manager take any steps to correct your colleague? Did you agree or disagree with the manager's actions?

During a group project in college, my team had one member who would do no work whatsoever. The project was to compare and contrast four companies in a single industry, so his work was vital. We first discussed the situation and asked for the bare-bones minimum of what we needed from him. We got just below that. As a result we as a group went to the professor and told her our situation — not expecting or requesting action — just informing her the situation we were dealing with. Then we as a group split up the non-contributor's work, and completed our work collectively on his share. In phase two in which we analyzed the information and reported how each of our companies fared compared to the others, we did not get a paper from the group member. As a result, we told the teacher that we had our work done, and were willing to do the extra paper but that we would rather spend time polishing our own work, and not picking up slack. She agreed and said to focus on the three companies we had compiled the most info on while not entirely neglecting the fourth. The papers came out very well, but were understandably weak when comparing the fourth company. The professor understood, and we received the grades we deserved. I was pleased with our teamwork and the way we handled the situation.

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).

During my time in the theater, I had one director with whom I absolutely did not work well. However, because of my track record, she would assign me as stage director and/or assistant director. I was usually involved in the day-to-day operations of the play and the details of how the play would be performed. I handled the operation for the play by directing scenes the best way I could and then showing them to her for approval. If she did not like the way a scene worked, I gave her my opinion as to why it should be my way. If we still could not compromise, I would follow her directions to the best of my ability. Understanding that people don't usually have malicious intentions is key, and understanding that you will never be able to convince some people that your way is right is the best way to avoid conflict and still get the job done.

What will it take to attain your goals, and what steps have you taken toward attaining them?

Full effort and willingness to set aside time for studying and completing the course material. Believing in myself that I can accomplish this degree by working extra hard and never giving up no matter how difficult the challenges might be.

Why did you decide to seek a position in this company?

I am convinced that there would be no better place to work than the Wonderful company. Looking at the company's item portfolio. You provide your employees with the tools they need to stay competitive and sharpen their skills while working in an open, team-based environment. I am also aware that you provide a mentor for all new employees, and I would embrace any opportunity to work with a mentor and eventually become one myself.

What level of compensation would it take to make you happy?

I am not depending on money to make me happy. What makes me happy is having a satisfying job that provides challenge and new situations daily.

Tell me about the salary range you're seeking.

I am sure that I am the candidate you are looking for. If you feel the same, then I'm sure your offer will be fair and commensurate with the value I can bring the company.

How would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict?

I believe I am quite good at handling conflict. Working in Wal-Mart Customer Relations out of high school, I would often times get a caller who had some sort of conflict with their experience at the store. Though I was not the one responsible, the customer would still be upset with me and sometimes extremely outraged. I would always make sure that I understood their situation, ensured that I would address their complaint to management, and insist that management will contact them back as soon as a resolution is made. Usually by the end of the conversation, I develop a sense of trust with the customer that their issue will be addressed simply by showing empathy and understanding of their current situation.

Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career?

I believe I have a combination of qualities to be successful in this career. First, I have a strong interest, backed by a solid, well-rounded, state-of-the-art education, especially in a career that is technically oriented. Backed by my love of learning, problem-solving skills, well-rounded interests, determination to succeed and excel, strong communication skills, and the ability to work hard, are the most important qualities that will help me succeed in this career. To succeed, especially in business where strategy, trends, even shopping habits are constantly changing, you must be fast learner just to keep up, or you will be overwhelmed. I am convinced that I possess these characteristics and am ready to be a successful team member for your firm.

What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?

I believe successful employees or company's are successful because they put forth that extra effort that turns potential customers into first-time purchasers. In my mind, the most successful people will do whatever it takes to win over a prospective customer and distinguish themselves from the countless others who don't go that extra mile. Second, I think that if you label success as an attainable goal, you will never consistently remain successful. You can only succeed if you learn all there is to learn about your product, your competitors, and personal selling. Since this learning process is continuous, it's an unattainable goal. With good reason, you should never consider success as an attainable ending point but an objective that will always linger slightly beyond their reach.

Do you have a geographic preference?

I do not have a geographic preference; however, I'm open to the thought of relocation.

To what extent would you be willing to travel for the job?

I enjoy travel, whether it's for work or pleasure.

How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successful accomplishments.

I evaluate success in different ways. At work, it is meeting the goals set by my supervisors and my fellow workers. In addition success is about doing my job well. I want to be recognized as someone who always does their best and tries their hardest to make or exceed a goal. My most successful accomplishment is graduating from John Brown University and obtaining my bachelors degree in Organizational Management. Working full time while also going to school full time there were times in which I didn't think I had it in me to do both. I could have easily just quit or put aside school to complete at a later time; however, I was motivated, passionate, and dedicated in achieving this goal I had set for myself.

Describe some times when you were not very satisfied or pleased with your performance. What did you do about it?

I failed my first business calculus test, which made me very unhappy. I wasn't going to let this incident set the trend for the rest of the semester. I went to my counselor and arranged to meet with a tutor once a week. My tutor helped me out incredibly. My grades soon improved, and I went on to redeem myself from my one slip-up on the first test.

Have you found any ways to make school or a job easier or more rewarding or to make yourself more effective?

I find that taking a proactive mindset to recognizing and solving problems before they happen make any job more rewarding. It not only saves time and effort but gives me a sense of accomplishment and ownership in my job. I demonstrated my pro-activeness when I worked with Food Lion. As a bookkeeper, I was responsible for the offices. The safe was kept outside of the office in front of the cash registers, where anyone could get inside of it if I or another office associate had it open to drop a deposit or get money in and out. I realized that the situation was a security hazard. Although we could not move the safe to the inside of the office where it was more secure, I ordered a time-lock compartment and had it installed, and the safe could be opened only at a specific time when the store closed each day. Only money could be dropped through a slot in the compartment door. We kept large sums of money in that compartment. We kept operating cash on hand since we needed some excess money to perform daily functions. One month after I left that store to attend college, I learned that it was robbed. Because of my efforts and foresight, the robbers got only a small amount of cash. My previous supervisor thanked me for my efforts, which gave me a great feeling, and I carried this proactive mindset to my other jobs thereafter.

Describe some projects or ideas (not necessarily your own) that were implemented, or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts.

I had been recently given the duty of being the head swim-team coach for the YMCA I was employed with. A swim meet was just around the corner, but only five swimmers had enrolled for the program, none of whom had ever been a part of an organized team. Funding would be cut for the team if more interest could not be generated. So I decided that I would take action and actively recruit people to join. Not only did I have to run the practices and correct any technical mistakes the swimmers were making, but I had to contact other local swim teams to invite then to join the meet. I had to meet with the parents and the children separately and organize a way to help pay for t-shirts, swimsuits, goggles, and swim caps. By the third week of the program, I had gained 15 more swimmers and every single one had beat his or her own time in practice. When the meet came, I organized the events, ordered ribbons, and recruited volunteers. At the end of the meet, my team had come in first place among four other teams. The parents were delighted, and the profits from the swim team had skyrocketed to the approval of the board of directors.

Recall a time when you were assigned what you considered to be a complex project. Specifically, what steps did you take to prepare for and finish the project? Were you happy with the outcome? What one step would you have done differently if given the chance?

I had to give a marketing presentation while attending community college. The project was about Anheuser-Busch. We were assigned to report on key management personnel (CEO, Chairman of the Board, President, key VPs), divisions and subsidiaries, major products/brands/services, key financials for the most recent year (sales revenue, expenses, total income, net income, sales growth or loss for the last year), market share, key competitors, mission statement, product positioning, and number of employees. Among the steps I took were visiting the company's Miami branch to interview employees and gather visual aids for the project. I spent a lot of time organizing and writing the presentation. Then I spent time reviewing my speech over a period of several days. As a result, I was calm while giving the presentation and received an "A" for the project. The one additional step I perhaps wish I'd taken would have been to talk to some consumers and store owners about the product.

Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision, but didn't have all the information you needed.

I had to make a decision recently between two configurations on one of our routers. Time was quickly moving away from me, and I had to have all the equipment back up in a matter of minutes. I chose the configuration that I had the most data on because I knew at least that I could better troubleshoot it if there was a problem. My decision was the right one.

Describe the type of professor that has created the most beneficial learning experience for you.

My favorite professors were the ones who gave me hands-on learning experiences that I can apply to my career. Any person can make you memorize the quadratic equation, but someone who can show you how to use it, and why, were the professors I liked. I liked teachers who realized that sometimes there is more then one answer and everyone thinks differently.

What has been your experience in giving presentations? What has been your most successful experience in speech making?

I have grown to be a confident presenter. My most successful presentation took place at my university when I was responsible for presenting a leadership-development program for a class of Resident Assistants. The point of my program was to teach each RA his/her leadership style, so he/she knew how to interact on his/her floor as a student leader. The most significant aspect of this program is that it taught them about their leadership styles without their knowing it. Each student filled out a general questionnaire that asked about preferences. Each person according to his/her responses was assigned to a group with a general name. I then gave each group a book to read. Each group had to read it aloud. After each group read each book, I then explained how each group tackled the task. They all had handled the task differently. Each student successfully understood how they approached tasks and from that how they would approach their job as a RA. Not only did I engage the audience in what was being presented, I have since seen the program adapted in other presentations by RAs in that class. Not only did they enjoy it, they learned something about themselves that would help them help their residents.

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation?

I have participated in several groups throughout my academic career. Recently, I had to work with a group in my statistics class, and I had some personality clashes with one of the group members. However, I realized the importance of completing the assignment in a prompt and efficient manner. I made it a point to put my differences aside and complete my part, along with offering assistance to the other group members. As a result, we finished our assignment without any conflict.

How has your college experience prepared you for a business career?

I have prepared myself to transition into the the work force through real-world experience by working and going to school full time. My experience in college helped with working on teams with many different type of people. It also showed me that through hard work and dedication success reward will follow after I obtaining my Bachelors degree at John Brown University.

At what point did you choose this career?

I knew that I wanted to pursue a business degree around my sophomore year in college. Working full time at Wal-Mart and understanding many different business concepts, I found myself very fascinated to learn more about the overall operations of a business, in particular, various tactics, insights, sales, marketing and supply chain. The old saying, "when you know, you know" proved true in my situation as I still love doing what I do today.

Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?

I like the validity of information and also like the energy that comes with working with people. The best thing about working in a group is combining the great minds from different perspectives and coming up with something extremely great, compared with when you're working alone. At the same time, information can generate vitality in the project you're working on. No matter how many heads you've got together, without information, you can't go very far. The perfect situation would be a combination of working with information and people, and I'm confident of my abilities in both areas.

What kind of supervisor do you work best for? Provide examples

I like to work for a supervisor who allows me the autonomy to perform my job to the best of my abilities. I also like constructive criticism and feedback so I can improve myself and the organization. One example was my boss at a university. He hired me as an administrative coordinator because of my administrative and organizational skills. He knew that I had many new ideas and allowed me the opportunity to implement many new programs. Of course, I kept him constantly informed and sought advice when needed. I improved communications in the department by implementing a departmental Web page. I also streamlined the check-in process by preparing the amount of work that could be done the day before. I improved staff morale by implementing a desk-assistant-of-the-month, which led to lower turnover. These are just a few examples. I was given the Recognizing Outstanding Student Employees Award for my efforts and unique ideas. I gained not only my boss's confidence and support but his respect as well.

Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you give us a reason to hire you?

I sincerely believe that I'm the best person for the job. I realize that there are many other candidates who have the ability to do this job. Not only can I do this job but my attitude for excellence sets me apart from other candidates. Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In college and at my previous jobs, I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can become. My skill set and prior work history, I know I possess the qualities you're looking for in an employee.

How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give examples.

I took a time-management course in which I learned to prioritize all tasks on A, B, or C lists. I always try to tackle the A list first. In every working situation, co-workers have always complimented me on how well I manage my time. I enjoy the social atmosphere of the office, but I make it a point not to waste much time on chitchat with colleagues. I've also learned that the average office worker spends about an hour a day handling e-mail. I make it a point not to deal with my e-mail more than once or twice a day, and I filter my messages into folders so I can prioritize the way I deal with them.

Give examples of your experiences at school or in a job that were satisfying. Give examples of your experiences that were dissatisfying.

I turned a dissatisfying experience into a satisfying one when I was on the cross-country team in college and had never run the whole race in under 30 minutes. With only a month left in the season, I decided that I would run the race in 25 minutes. I ran every day to build up my stamina, and in that last race I achieved my goal time of 25 minutes, which was a very satisfying experience.

What specific goals, including those related to your occupation, have you established for your life?

I want to be working for an excellent company like yours in a job where I can apply my previous job experience to help in the continued success of the company. Furthermore, I plan to contribute my leadership, interpersonal, and technical skills in solving some of the challenges today.

Why did you decide to seek a position in this field?

I want to work in the marketing and PR industry because ever since I took my first marketing course in college, I have felt very passionate toward the industry and cannot imagine myself doing anything else.

Compare and contrast the times when you did work which was above the standard with times your work was below the standard.

I was involved in two group projects in a psychology class. In the first, we had to decide on a research experiment to conduct and garner results from it. The group I was in was not very motivated, and the members wanted to do a simplistic comparison on color preferences of men and women. I felt that project was below the standard I was capable of. For the second project, I proposed a study in which we compared how people of different age ranges valued money. I knew the project would go over well with the teacher and would not be difficult to conduct. I proposed the idea in a way that sounded fun. Instead of collecting data in someplace boring, I suggested we could go to the mall. The group agreed and worked relatively well on the project. Discussion is the key to mediation, and the key to my achieving a second project that I felt was above the standard.

Tell of the most difficult customer service experience that you have ever had to handle — perhaps an angry or irate customer. Be specific and tell what you did and what was the outcome.

I was making business phone calls behind the membership office at the YMCA when an angry man came up to the counter demanding a refund. He began yelling at the membership workers and complaining about the swimming program, saying that it was a rip-off. The other workers were flustered, and even though membership services were not my department, I calmly asked the man what was wrong. He that his son had been in swimming lessons for four weeks and was still afraid of the water. Instead of instantly giving him the refund, I offered to personally give his son private swim lessons for a week, explaining to him that sometimes children react differently to each instructor's teaching techniques. He finally agreed to accept without the refund. After a week of private lessons, his son was no longer afraid of the water and he could swim nearly a lap of the pool. At the end of the lessons, not only did he sign his child up for another paid session of private lessons, but he bought a family membership and apologized to me for his behavior the week before.

Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?

I was on a project team in a business class in my freshman year in college, The group brainstormed ideas for the video we were assigned to produce, and everyone but me was leaning toward an idea that would be easy. I suggested instead an idea that would be more difficult but would be something different that no other group would be doing. I used my communications skills to persuade the rest of the group to use my idea. During the project, we really learned what teamwork was all about, became a close team, and ended up putting a lot of hard work into the project. All the team members ended up feeling very proud of the video, and they thanked me for the idea — for which we earned an A.

Give me an example of a time you had to persuade other people to take action. Were you successful?

I was the leader of my macroeconomics group in college. As leader, I had to delegate parts of the assignment to other group members. Not only did I do a written part for each paper, but I gathered all of the props we needed for our oral presentation, and I typed all of the five papers assigned. I was also taking four other classes at the time. By the fourth paper, I decided to persuade some of the other group members to edit and finalize it. I learned a lot about delegation and leadership when I discovered that they were happy to help out.

How would you describe yourself?

I would describe myself as intelligent, reliable and devoted. I love working on solutions for never-ending problems. While working with Unilever, there was a great deal of miscommunication at times in fulfilling WM's supply demand and ensuring product would be available from our plants. When I started at Unilever I identified initiatives to streamline the communication between the plant and myself. I really enjoyed that one!

If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently?

I wouldn't change anything. All that I have done was a great learning experience that I will carry forward throughout the rest of my life.

Would it be a problem for you to relocate?

I'm open to opportunities within the company; if those opportunities involve relocation, I would certainly consider it.

By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments.

I've shown my ability to adapt by successfully working in several very different jobs. For example, I lived with a native family in Costa Rica. I worked as a nanny for a famous writer in Cape Cod. I was responsible for dealing with Drug Court participants. And I catered to elite country-club clientele. I did it all well and had no trouble adapting.

Describe what you've accomplished toward reaching a recent goal for yourself.

My first few years in banking had me on the fast track to branch management. I realized at some point along the way that my true passion was in offering financial advice not limited to checking accounts and loans. It was at that point that I made the necessary arrangements to go back to school full-time to pursue my goal, which I am just about to achieve.

Describe a situation in which you had to use reference materials to write a research paper. What was the topic? What journals did you read?

In my academic career I have had to write several research papers. The most recent one I wrote was on whether zero-tolerance policies about drugs and weapons in high schools are reasonable. To answer this question, I went to several high schools and interviewed their principals or top-level employees. I also interviewed students and parents. I visited the Health Department to gather data. Finally, I conducted the remainder of my research on the Internet. As a result, I gained perspective from every group this topic would affect.

Describe a situation that required a number of things to be done at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?

In my current job, I have to handle multiple responsibilities in developing new projects, maintaining existing ones, and maintaining good client relations. I allocate a certain amount of time for each area daily. That way clients can see very clearly that projects are progressing, and I have more satisfaction in accomplishing multiple tasks under pressure.

What motivates you to put forth you greatest effort?

It's easy to say that financial compensation would motivate someone to put forth their greatest effort. Rewards are important; however, I am driven to succeed internally. More than anything, I want to be respected by my friends and coworkers for being the best at what I do.

Sometimes it's easy to get in "over your head." Describe a situation where you had to request help or assistance on a project or assignment.

It's impossible to know everything in the IT field because of rapidly changing technology, so recently when we were having troubles with our circuit emulation over our ATM network, I had to call in some engineers from North Carolina to come help me out. The nice thing about asking for help is that when you get the assistance, you can learn from what you are told and apply it to future situations.

Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our company is located?

Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend several days in your community, and I fell in love with it. I love the fact that you have a thriving riverfront. I'm impressed with the many cultural opportunities here — opera, theater, art, and independent films. I've also already become a fan of the Saints and the other sports teams based here. I have conducted significant Internet research on this city, so I am quite comfortable with your location.

Give an example of how you applied knowledge from previous coursework to a project in another class.

Last semester I was taking a microeconomics and a statistics course. One of the microeconomics projects dealt with showing the relationship between the probability that customers would stop buying a product if the price was raised a certain amount. Through what I learned in statistics I could find the median where the price was the highest and still kept most of the customers happy.

What plans do you have for continued study? An advanced degree?

My 5 year goal is to get my MBA in Business, Continuing education can include on-the-job training, courses sponsored by the employer, and courses taken in new technologies as they emerge. I plan to be not only a career employee but a career student so that I can be the best analyst I can be. I will ensure, however, that any education I pursue not only doesn't interfere with my job or the company's policies, but will enhance my value as an employee.

Before you can make a productive contribution to the company, what degree of training do you feel you will require?

My background has been focused on preparing me for the financial-consulting industry, so I can be productive right away. I am well aware of the shared beliefs of the organization and its corporate values. I already have a very good working knowledge of the retail business. I am confident of my ability to get up to speed quickly in any assignment with which I'm not familiar.

What were your reasons for selecting your college or university?

My college has always had a reputation as a highly accredited school known for satisfying employers with the preparation of its graduates. The school offers an excellent background in business, and equips graduates with numerous qualities, such as leadership and strong critical-thinking skills, and emphasized group projects. Many of the required classes taught me invaluable teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills that have used today.

How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team?

My experience as a team lead when I was at Wal-Mart customer relations helped me to learn the role of "team player." I viewed my position as that of group leader. I ensured that everyone in the group had equal opportunity to contribute idea's, maintained excellent communication with team, and ensured each member was on board in reaching goals.

Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or guide others to a compromise.

My first semester in college, I was a political-science major. My introductory government class professor had a differing political view then I. We disagreed on everything, and many classes were filled with criticizing each others' view. However, on one test I answered a question with the view I believe in, and she marked it wrong. So I asked her how an opinion can be wrong, and she said because her opinion is the way she taught it in class. I pointed out that my answer showed I understood the concepts of the question. She agreed, and I also agreed not be so combative in answers on tests. Compromise is the key to problem resolution.

What quality or attribute do you feel will most contribute to your career success?

My greatest strength is my flexibility. I have learned that work conditions change from day to day and throughout the day, as well, no matter where I have worked in the past. I also have realized that certain projects require individual attention and others involve a teamwork approach. These are just a few examples of the changes that happen in the financial-consulting field, as you are well aware. My flexibility to adapt to the demands of the job has allowed me to surpass my supervisor's expectations.

What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty in school or on the job?

My greatest weakness used to be delegation. To improve my workers' efficiency, I would take it upon myself to do many small projects throughout my shift as a manager that could have been done by others. Once I realized that I was doing more work than the other assistant managers, and they were achieving better results, I reevaluated what I was doing. I quickly realized that if I assigned each person just one small project at the beginning of the shift, clearly state expectations for the project, and then follow up, everything would get done, and I could manage much more efficiently and actually accomplish much more.

Please describe the ideal job for you following graduation.

My ideal job is one that incorporates both my education and practical work skills to be the best I can be. Combining my education in business with my working knowledge of customer-service, Sales, Logistics, Supply Chain, and computer skills. I want to utilize my analytical expertise to help contribute success for example meeting company or department goals. This is exactly why I am convinced that I would be a very valuable member to the team.

What specific goals have you established for your career?

My main goals is to continue with my education to obtain an MBA in Business. Not only for self satisfaction, an MBA would provide me with even more extensive knowledge of business and financial analysis.

If you could change or improve anything about your college, what would it be?

My major department had a wonderful internship program, and I completed three valuable internships with my department's guidance. Some other departments in the business school don't have internship programs that are as strong as my department's. I'd like to see all the departments have strong internship programs so all my school's business grads would have the same opportunities that I had.

What is the most significant contribution you made to the company during a past job or internship?

My organization was undergoing an accreditation process. I developed two detailed accreditation self-evaluation reports that documented how the organization met accreditation standards. These self-evaluations served as basis for accreditation site visits and enabled all eligible programs to be accredited in record time.

What influenced you to choose this career?

My past experiences have shown me that I enjoy facing and overcoming the challenge evolved in analytics. Without a doubt, after understanding an issue, determining the best course of action after pulling data and analyzing the data thoroughly, I feel very confident approaching people I don't know and convincing them that they need my product through valuable insights. Lastly, I enjoy analytics because my potential for success is limited only by how much of myself I dedicate toward my goal. If any profession is founded on self-determinism, its Analytics.

What was the most complex assignment you have had? What was your role?

My senior research was my most complex assignment. It took two semesters to complete and was made up of many components. I had to make many critical decisions along the way that would affect the outcome of my research. I made these decisions independently with minimal influence from my professor. I was very successful and happy with my final product.

What short-term goals and objectives have you established for yourself?

My short-term objectives are to graduate from the Professional Development Program before the standard two years and begin developing a clientele. As an intern, I prepared ahead of time by studying for the Series 7 and Series 64 exams that constitute a majority of a beginning financial consultant's time. I'd like to make make the company that hires me wonder what it ever did without me.

Give me an example of a time you had to make an important decision. How did you make the decision? How does it affect you today?

My sophomore year was about to begin and I had to decide on a major. I could not waste any more credits figuring out what I was interested in. I took some personality and career assessments to get a better handle on my interests, skills, and values. I talked to faculty in several departments to decide which faculty members I was most comfortable with. I studied the course offerings to see which courses appealed to me the most. I decided on communications studies and feel it is the best decision I ever could have made.

Recall a time from your work experience when your manager or supervisor was unavailable and a problem arose. What was the nature of the problem? How did you handle that situation? How did that make you feel?

My supervisor was absent once when I was in charge of a soccer game. An actual assault took place at the game. A player hit the referee. With no supervisor to turn to, I immediately called the police, who quickly restored order to the situation. I felt I made an effective decision.

Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.

This happens often in the IT industry, but one recent example was when we had a core backbone switch die. It died at the worst possible time — during exams — as they always seem to do, and I needed to get it back up and running quickly. I analyzed the logs and system status, and using my previous experience, I made some quick decisions that rectified the problem and got the equipment back up only minutes later.

Describe a situation in which you found that your results were not up to your professor's or supervisor's expectations. What happened? What action did you take?

Recently, I was asked to put together a proposal for a migration of network systems. Misunderstanding my boss, I thought it was just an informal paper. When I presented it to him days later, he was upset with the quality since it had to be presented to our VP. I explained my misunderstanding, apologized, reworked the paper, and had it back to him with enough time for him to review it before he presented it successfully at the meeting.

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?

Ten years from now I see myself as a successful consultant for a world-class firm like yours. I want to have developed a wonderful bond with my employer. I will have proven myself a highly competent systems analyst and will represent my company in helping others find solutions to their information-systems needs in a professional and timely manner.

Tell of some situations in which you have had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control. What was the impact of the change on you?

The bank in which I worked instituted a policy that centralized the lending process. An application was to be taken from the client and sent off to be approved/declined, processed, prepared, and returned to the branch to be signed by the client. While the process was streamlined, it also took away valuable face-to-face knowledge about the client and the loan. If the employee did not have any prior lending experience, he or she couldn't answer simple loan questions from the client. While I appreciated the newly created time on my schedule, I felt that the clients were being slighted. I did adjust quickly to the new procedure and did my best to help those around me by sharing my knowledge.

What is the biggest mistake you've made?

The biggest mistake in my life that I have made is taking for granted the sacrifices my parents endured for me. I look back and realize that everything they did for me was so that I could succeed in life. I am thankful now and do everything to my best ability to make them proud because I am so thankful that they have been there for me so that I can give back to society and to my job the opportunities that they never had.

Describe the most significant or creative presentation that you have had to complete.

The most significant presentation I have ever had to deliver was at a national research symposium. I was presenting research I had completed on digital analysis of mammograms and had to present to a panel of more than 100 judges who were at the top of their field. I focused on the research, which could sell itself, and just let the information flow. It went over very well, and I received many more invitations to present the research, including on national television.

How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems?

The transition was somewhat challenging for me because I traveled a great distance to attend college. To help myself adapt, I got involved with as many organizations as I could. I also made it a point to get to know my professors. I used my interpersonal and communication skills to the best of my ability to make a lot of friends, and college became one of the best experiences of my life despite a beginning that seemed a bit overwhelming.

Describe a situation where you found yourself dealing with someone who didn't like you. How did you handle it?

When I first began working at the YMCA, I was the youngest member of the staff. An older woman really "knew the ropes" of the place. When I first got there she barely acknowledged my presence, and through word of mouth I discovered that she thought that I was too young to successfully fulfill my duties because I was so inexperienced. She assumed I was immature. I did my job and took every opportunity to make a good impression. I was a very diligent worker and behaved in a highly professional manner at all times, learning quickly the best way to do things. After about two weeks of the silent treatment from her, she came up to me and told me how impressed she was with me. She told me that I had done an excellent job and was the fastest learner that she had ever seen. She apologized to me for ignoring me and took me under her wing and shared what she knew with me.

Tell of a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you — maybe a time when other people missed the key idea being expressed.

When I presented my senior research in college, I was questioned by the members of my major department as a "panel." My grade was determined largely on my ability to answer the questions effectively and smoothly, which depended very much on my ability to listen carefully to what was being asked. I had seen other students slip up when they misunderstood what the panel was asking because they didn't listen well enough. I succeeded in listening carefully and did well on my presentation.

Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.

When I was a resident assistant at my college, a student I did not know asked me if he could use my phoneF141:L149 to call another room. Although I did not know the student, I allowed him into my room. He used the phone and in the course of this conversation, he stated that he had just come from a fraternity party and was high from taking some drugs. Well after his conversation, I had to enforce the student conduct code by writing him up. He became very hostile toward me and would not give me any identification or information. I stood in the doorway to prevent him from leaving. I noted the serial numbers on his keys, so when the situation got to the point where I felt unsafe, I allowed him to leave. I still preformed my job without jeopardizing my or his physical welfare.

Give me a specific example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others.

When I was coaching my swim team at their first swim meet, the swimmers on my team were intimidated by the other team because they were bigger and obviously more experienced. The other team members looked like pros in their matching swimsuits, unlike my swimmers' mismatched suits. I encouraged them and told them that they had practiced for so long and so hard that they deserved just as much respect as those other teams. I told them that it didn't matter whether we had matching swimsuits or not and that I would stand behind them 100 percent no matter what. They were so excited and pumped after my speech. They cheered each other on, and not only did every child break his or her own record, but my team won first place in the meet among four other teams that had been together for a much longer time.

Give me a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree.

When I worked at Home Depot as an assistant manager, I was always looking for way to boost my employees' morale. Unloading trucks is a very routine and physical job and can become very boring and exhausting, so to improve the unloaders' attitude toward their duties and make the best of the situation, I put a radio in the receiving dock. It worked; however, the district manager did not approve of the radio in the workplace even though it did not interfere with any set policy or company objectives. The radio was also out of any areas where customers would hear the music. I did not agree with my DM's decision to remove the radio; however, I understood his point of view once he explained it to me and promptly complied with his request. The employees were not happy that their radio was gone, so I found an alternative method of reward and morale boosting by implementing a program in which we provided lunch for the unloaders from any restaurant of their choice if they unloaded the trucks faster than normal. This program succeeded by increasing their unloading time from 2 1/2 hours to only 1 1/2, a savings in payroll of 8 percent of sales for that shift.

We can sometimes identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a major problem. Give an example(s) of how you have done this.

When I worked in a large retail store, the standard procedure was to leave a product on the shelf until it ran out, then place more items out. This practice obviously wasted a lot of man-hours. Of interest particularly to me were the air conditioners. Not only did I have to put the heavy things on the shelves, but they were selling at a very high rate. So if somehow AC units ran out on a day in which I could not restock them, they would not be available to customers. As a result I started making a list of products (including the AC units) that the overnight stock people could put on the shelves. As a result, the people on duty always had a job to do, so labor hours were not wasted, and the shelves were always stocked full of product.

Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way?

While at Sam's Club as a Logistics Analyst we were going through our RFP with our Large Truck Delivery carriers. Two companies came in very close with their bids, and most of my department wanted to go with the carrier that we used in the past. After I looked over the proposals and reviewed this carriers performance results centered around delivery time, damage rate, and shipping cost, it was clear that this was the wrong decision. So, I talked individually with each the Senior manager and director, showing them the differences between both carriers. I succeeded in changing their mind, ultimately we ended up extending an offer to both delivery companies aligning each carrier in the area they perform best which allowed us to reduce shipping cost and delivery reduce delivery time.

Tell me about a time you had to handle multiple responsibilities. How did you organize the work you needed to do?

While attending college, I also worked at a law firm. I was successful because I practiced good time-management skills, and I made a to-do list every day. As I completed each task, I checked it off the list. It is funny how something so simple can keep you so organized. As a result of my to-do lists, I was able to visualize my daily progress.

Tell me about a difficult situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude. What did you do?

While directing a play, I was faced with numerous problems. The sets were not coming together; the performers were fighting and not working hard; the technical aspects of the play were far from complete, and in general, it was a mess. I was the "stage manager," which means that I tell people when to go on stage and tell the crew when to bring pieces of the set on stage. So I organized everything and told people to do specific jobs and asked them in a firm yet positive manner. People began to have fun, and the production went on extremely well (all performances sold out). The play was regarded as one of the smoothest shows to have been produced by the group.

Would you describe yourself as goal-driven?

Yes, I believe goals are what helps us monitor our progress for a specific action. Goals help in building strategy and friendly competition.

Are you the type of student for whom conducting independent research has been a positive experience?

Yes, I love it. I thoroughly enjoyed my senior research in college while many others in my class were miserable. I was never tired of learning more about my topic and found it exhilarating to be researching something that had not been studied before.

Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor or instructor? How did you resolve the conflict?

Yes, every week on Thursday our company reviews are current scheduled events to what we forecast for the current month. As the Analyst for Sam's Club, I created the forecast and pulled the current scheduled event count to show how we are trending for the next two months. After creating the report, I would meet with each category BDM and Director to include events with a 50% chance of being scheduled into the final count for the month. 1 director, it was near impossible to get feedback, as he was constantly at WM, in meetings, or traveling. I understood how busy his schedule can get considering he was responsible for 80% of the business; however, being the primary analyst responsible for creating the report, I would ultimately be the one responsible for not updating the opportunity results. He eventually sent me the data I needed, the only problem was he would send this 10 minutes before the meeting, leaving me little time to double check the report for accuracy. After 3 weeks in row of getting the results last minute, I finally decided to schedule a meeting with my direct manager and the director to express my frustration and explain how this reflects poorly on me if I am forced to make adjustments last minute or if there are errors I wasn't able to validate. As it turned out, the director had no idea that the entire budget was created completely from scratch and he praised me for not only putting everything together but being able to make adjustments to the report at the very last minute. To resolve this issue going forward, I located a time/day he was consistently available and scheduled a re-ocurring meeting on Wednesday for us to review and discuss any opportunities to add. As a result, I eliminated un-wanted stress, giving me enough time to review the report for accuracy and leadership was also pleased as they began getting the report a day earlier than expected.

Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations?

Yes, high pressure situations have become somewhat of norm in my current Business Analyst role. Most recently, Sam's Club demo team contacted me in urgent need of obtaining sales results for all YTD holiday events that have executed in 2016. Fortunately, I always keep a history of files with data for any type of analytics I have completed, so I already had the demo day sales numbers that Sam's Club needed. In addition, they also needed YOY sales numbers for the same items and clubs demoed in the current year, this I did not have, but could obtain by pulling sales, by day of event, item demoed and clubs item was demoed from RL for each holiday. Initially, SC gave me a timeline of 1 hour. considering the amount of data involved in providing these results, the hour deadline was impossible, after explaining everything that involved in pulling these results, I was given an additional 3 hours but SC needed this data ASAP. Knowing 3 hours would still not be enough time for 1 person to complete. I setup a quick group huddle with the other Business Analyst on my team. I explained the urgency and the time I was given to complete this request and each team member was more than willing to help. I assigned he BA a holiday to pull sales and consolidated each BA results into a master holiday recap to send to SC. With each BA on board we were able to complete the request in 2 hours. Overall, SC was very pleased. The insights showing great lifts YOY encouraged buyer to purchase more demo's. Today we are currently 35% over where we foretasted we would be YTD.

Tell me what you know about our company.

You're large and respected worldwide. You're both a clinical and teaching hospital. Over the last 60 to 70 years you've produced award-winning research. In reviewing your Web site, I've familiarized myself with many of your corporate goals and objectives.

Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.

had a client come into the bank where I worked and request a $5,000 personal loan to "pay off some bills." In the customary review process, I determined that what was really needed was a $25,000 debt-consolidation loan. Rather than giving the customer a "quick-fix" to the problem, I logically solved the problem in a way that was in the best interest of both the bank and the client.