YARDI Interview

What is a PIVOT chart?

A graphical representation of the data in a pivot table

Describe one time you had a difficult time with a coworker.

A time when I had a difficult situation with a coworker was soon after I had been promoted to an Assistant store Manager from a Sales Associate. I had to establish a new dynamic with some of my coworkers as now I had to train them in certain areas or instruct them on what needed to be done at the store that day. There was a bit of a struggle with one of my fellow employees as when I asked them to complete certain tasks, they would not get done and were simply on their phone in front of customers not helping them. I talked with the Store Manager after a little while to let them know this was going on and then with the employee. We worked out which tasks they preferred to do and felt like they best excelled in, so I then made sure to hand off those tasks to them when possible. This helped our relationship and the store as well.

What three things are on a balance sheet?

Assets, liabilities, equity

Cash vs. Accrual Accounting

Cash: when it happens... accrual: when its booked Cash and accrual are the 2 major forms of accounting. In the cash method, sales and expenses are recognized when the money changes hands. With accrual accounting, it is the date of the transaction that is used.

A customer complains about your service. How will you react?

Constructive criticism is incredibly important in my opinion. If we don't receive feedback on our work, we don't know how effective and of high quality it is. It's necessary to absorb the feedback and decide how to proceed in addressing the problem and incorporate any changes necessary to not receive the same response again.

What is the difference between credit and debit?

Debit is money that goes out of the account whereas credit is money going out of the account.

Tell me about yourself.

Definitely! I am a recent graduate of Southern New Hampshire University and earned my Bachelor's degree in Data Analytics. Since that time I have earned three certifications, in Excel, Python, and SQL, each with a focus on analyzing data using that respective tool. I have close to three years of experience working in a customer service facing position, beginning as a Sales Associate for about a year and a half and then being promoted to Assistant Store Manager due to my hard work, excellent customer service, and strong problem solving skills. Overall, I am an ambitious individual who strives to never stop learning and would be excited to use my acquired skill set in the Associate Technical Account Manager position at Yardi.

Give me an example that best describes your organizational skills.

Definitely, so I'm a big believer in using To-Do lists for myself. I find that writing something down and being able to add something to a list quickly helps me stay on top of all my tasks. This also aids in my ability to prioritize my tasks so that I'm able to determine what needs my immediate attention and has a time restriction on it versus what is simply just important and needs to get done. An specific example of my organizational skills would be that since I attended online college for about 2 ½ years, I needed to set up my own time schedule to ensure that there was time to go over the material, learn it, research any further information that I would need, and complete all of the necessary discussions and assignments. I learned to creative effective planning methods for myself.

Tell us about a time you had to meet a tight deadline.

During my time working in retail, we encountered a situation where the newest prices for the products in the store had not been updated properly in the system and thus we had no notice of certain prices that were raised. This causes great amounts of confusion for us employees, and frustrated customers. During this time, we were losing money on many transactions as the sale prices of products on the floor still had to be honored and we had to quickly look up each item and adjust the pricing on the floor as quickly as possible.

How do you approach problems? What's your process?

First and foremost, it's important to understand the problem and what time of additional resources are needed to clarify it. Secondly, I think it's necessary to find why this problem is occurring and begin developing a plan of action. From setting up a timeline to espablising what it means to be successful in solving the problem. Next, we can begin to execute the plan of action and reach our end results. Lastly, it's important to evaluate the results and see if there are any additional areas that can be improved upon.

What does it mean to you to take care of a fellow employee?

For me, showing up in the workplace with a continued positive attitude, actively listening to fellow employees, and ensuring that I am putting in extra effort with my work is what it means to take care of my fellow employee. Additionally, showing care in my work, that it exceeds expectations, and is on time and accurate is another way.

What does it mean to you to take care of a client?

For me, taking care of a client means a few things. Firstly, it's about creating a positive relationship in which they feel heard and are treated with respect and kindness. Second, I want the customer to never feel confused, and ensure that they understand what they are purchasing along with how the product will satisfy their needs. Lastly, it means taking care of any issues or questions with quick decision making skills and problem-solving anything that may arise.

Tell me about an important issue you encountered recently.

For my last course project that I had to submit before graduating and earning my Data Analytics degree, I had to create a data visualization using the tool Tableau. I had never used Tableau before, though I was familiar with what it is used for, nor had we ever learned to use it previously in the course. This came as a surprise and I had to quickly research to learn some of the basics to be able to finish my project within the thight deadline.

Tell me about a time you completed a project you were not so passionate about.

For one of my courses in college, I had to write about a historical invention written from the four general education lenses. This was not a topic or term long project that I was looking forward to or interested at all as it is not my favorite domain to explore. We were instructed to write a multi page paper on each of the four lenses and created a PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes and verbal presentation added for the end of the term. I began to research topics and ended up falling in love with my work. This course taught me to research, think outside of the box, and that even if something doesn't originally sound interesting, learning about a new topic is a wonderful thing to be able to do.

Why would you be the best fit for this position?

I believe that I would be a perfect for this position because I'm an incredibly motivated individual with strong customer service skills that I gained while working in a customer service facing role for 2 1/2 years. Through that experience and working towards my Bachelor's degree in Data Analytics, I have become a strong researcher, use excellent problem solving skills, and find a passion for working with people. I am an enthusiastic selfstarter that thrives in a collaborative environment, and my want to never stop learning/growing, I believe, would be a great asset for Yardi in the Associate Technical Account Manager position.

How do you prioritize tasks?

I first begin with creating a list of the required tasks and then determining which ones need to urgently be completed and require immediate attention, and which tasks are important. I like to focus the beginning of my day on prioritizing the most timely tasks first, continuing on with more medium priority tasks, and if I have time in the day then finish off the lowest priority ones. The entire list will often times have changes, so being adaptable and flexible is a necessary skill.

Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a supervisor.

I not yet experienced a time where I have disagreed with a supervisor or been unable to come to a conclusion over a small detail. If this were to happen in the future, I would find it important to discuss both sides of the situation and hear both individual's concerns to be able to move forward in a clam, cool, and collected way. It's important to come out of any situation in a respectful way where any changes that can be made to avoid these situations next time can be implemented.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

I think that I would be an octopus! Octopi are very creative and my strong problem-solving skills are one of my greatest strenghts. They are able to find creative solutions to problems while also acting quickly. Additionally, octopi are able to camouflage and adapt well, which I feel I also embody. I am able to bounce around between different projects well and thrive working in a collaborative setting as well as am a strong multitasker.

How would you sell a product that is being pushed by developers but is not well-received by customers?

I will provide the feedback from the customers to the managers and ensure that while the purchase of the software is not being slowed down, the constructive criticism from the customer is noted. The reputation and quality of the company's product is a priority.

What's more important, teamwork or a positive attitude?

I would argue that both are incredibly important as good teamwork cannot exist without a positive attitude.

What is your greatest weakness?

I would say that I'm a harsh critic of my own work. I always strive to do better than before and struggle with getting in my own head. Ensuring that I'm prepared for tasks and having much better organizational skills have allowed me to start to overcome this weakness of mine.

What are your greatest strengths?

I would say that my three greatest strengths are my problem solving skills, that I'm a quick learner and pick up information fast, and lastly that I have strong organizational skills. These were all reasons that I was able to quickly earn my Data Analytics degree after transferring from a community college to SNHU. Also, they were what helped me go from a sales associate to a trusted Assistant Store Manager after only a year of working at the company.

What would you do if you don't know the answer to a question that a customer is asking you?

If I don't immediately know the answer to a question that a customer is asking, I will let them know that I'm not certain, but will seek it out for them. I will first research the answer on my own and reach out to my fellow employees to see if they can help. If I have an answer then, I will thank them for their patience and let them know. If I still do not know, I will provide them with a timeframe and give them my information and let them know that I am seeking other methods to find the answers for them.

If we hire you for this role, what goals would you set for yourself?

If I were to get this role, I would like to continue making the customers of Yardi feel as supported as possible. Creating lasting relationships with the clients is incredibly important and I would like to ensure that the customers I speak to and help feel that exact way. I would also like to constantly be learning new concepts and finding the best ways that the customers can be supported as the industry continues to evolve. This includes features that clients may want.

What steps would you take if a customer is unsatisfied with a product?

If a customer is unhappy with the product, I would first actively listen to what they are saying and repeat back their main list of concerns to ensure we are on the same page. From there, I will apologize for their struggle in the situation and present a potential solution to their problem. If that original solution fixes the situation, I will immediately take action and give them my contact information. I will then follow up with the individual a few days later and take the feedback/problem from them and add preventative measures for it not to happen again.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I would love to still be working at Yardi if I am fortunate enough to be able to begin my career here! I would like to be taking on additional responsibilities and making a meaningful impact and a positive contribution to the organization. Additionally, I would really like to further my education and earn a master's degree in some form of analytics, although I am not certain which facet I would be most interested in yet. Overall, my goals within the next five years are to continue developing my skills and never stop learning.

What were you like in high school?

In high school I was an excited and outgoing individual who had an assortment of different interests. From taking part in the choir for all four years, doing school plays, and going to Spanish camp, I had a wonderful time. I was told that I am a trustworthy and kind individual.

Tell me about a time you went beyond the call of duty. What happened?

In many aspects of my life I try to go above and beyond. In my schoolwork I made sure to always submit assignments that I was proud of. During my time working at FF, I not only completed the tasks that I was given, but ensured to finish things that I saw needed to be done. I would say that I especially when above and beyond in my customer service. Some of my favorite memories from the job was being able to help people who had struggled to find the right products for themselves and they would then let me know in the end how much my attention and care really meant to them.

Why do you want the position of an Associate Technical Account Manage?

It would be an amazing opportunity to work as an Associate Technical Account Manager because the position encompasses both a technological side along with having a customer facing role as well. I thrive on working with people and am tech savvy so I feel that this position would bring out my best skills and help me be a great asset for Yardi. Additionally, Yardi is an incredibly innovative and caring organization, specifically what stood out to me was that employees themselves are able to help select local nonprofits that the company then supports.

What is VLOOKUP?

Looks for a value from a given cell in the leftmost column of a table and then returns a value in the same row from the column you specify

What is debit?

Money going into an account

What is credit?

Money going out of an account

How do you evaluate the success or failure of a project.

One of the best ways that I would evaluate the success or failure of a project would be to use the specifications and milestones that the team has set in addition to the resulting product and how well received it is by the client. It's important to evaluate based on what the team agreed on delivering at the beginning of the project, if the project has met the expected goals, the level of client satisfaction from the project, and how happy the team is with their end product as well.

How would you describe a technical issue to a customer who lacks technical knowledge?

One of the first things that I would do is to use the appropriate level of technical words so that I can best appeal to the customer and gain their understanding. In addition, demonstrations, step-by-step instructions, simple examples, and more can be useful in these situations. If the company offers any written guidelines or video tutorials, that could also be beneficial to provide the customer with.

How would you train a difficult client to use a new product?

One of the first things that I would do when training a difficult client to use a new product would be to let them talk and be patient. Oftentimes people may become more irritated if they feel their needs are not being heard. I will next assess all of their needs and seek out a solution. Overall, the main goal is to keep a positive relationship and ensure that their worries and needs have been met.

What is the most helpful piece of feedback you've ever received about yourself?

One of the pieces of helpful feedback that I have received over the years is that there are times when I can leave out context as I assume the other individual knows what I'm talking about. This has been something that I am actively working on becoming better with.

Give an example of a situation where you learned a new skill for your own self interests.

One of the things I have been doing to ensure I'm ready to be working in a professional career setting and an asset to the company that I join is to be earning certifications. I have thus far completed three through a company called Dataquest for Excel, SQL, and Python, each with an emphasis in Data Analytics. These certifications have been really fun for me to complete and I'm proud of doing so as they have deepened my knowledge with these tools greatly. On a personal level, I have been enjoying learning new sports skills such as learning to play pickleball, disc golf, and ultimate frisbee.

Explain a time when you took the initiative on a project.

One of the things I took an initiative on while in school was in the discussion board part of my courses. Since each class was online and we did not have a meeting time with our professors, we had the ability to write in our class discussion boards. Often times these questions would either go unanswered for days, or at all. I really strived to stay on top of those types of questions and help out any or my fellow classmates when I could by providing ways that I had been able to figure out a problem, or by supplying them with helpful links.

Tell me about a time when you had a difficult customer.

One specific incident sticks out to me from my time working in retail with customers. The store that I worked at had a policy that no merchandise could be returned 90 days after purchase, even with receipt. A family came in one time asking for a return on a purchase made nearly a year ago. I let them know of our policy but went to ask the store manager what to do in this situation as the customer wasn't happy about the situation. The store manager told them they will receive store credit for the lowest sale price that the item retailed for before we stopped caring for it. The family decided to then leave. A few weeks later they returned and I was the only manager in the store. I remembered their situation immediately and let them know that I could process the return for them. They picked up another item from a different brand and insisted on having the two items exchanged though they were nowhere near the same price. I repeated the situation to them, letting them know that we were already helping them by offering store credit for their return. I listened to them thoroughly, apologized, and let them know the best I could in addition was to give them a coupon to take a small percentage off the new merchandise. This pleased the individual and they left happily. A few months later I recognized them once again and provided excellent customer service for them and they left happily.

How do you handle disagreements among teammates or stakeholders?

Respect

Tell me about a time you had a technical issue and had to troubleshoot.

The key to troubleshooting something is to understand the problem and knowing how to move backwards to solve a problem. I have had to do this at home with appliances, the wifi router, and my computer.

What are JOINS in SQL?

There are four common types of joins. Inner join, LEFT join, RIGHT join, and FULL join. An inner join joins two tables on a related column and returns records that have matching values in both tables. A left join returns all records in the left table and only matching records in the right table. A right join returns all records in the right table and only matching records in the left table. A full join returns all records in both tables, regardless of them having a matching record.

How do you build client relationships?

There are many ways to build strong client relationships. Firstly, effective and timely communication is essential. Secondly, understanding the goals of your client and then exceeding their expectations will help create a strong relationship. Lastly, being professional and actively listening to them is important as well.

Tell me about a time when you used creativity to overcome a dilemma.

We once had a situation where a customer was sold merchandise with two left feet instead of the correct pair. They lived far away and another location of the store was closer to them but there were unwilling to accept the return because they wouldn't be able to sell it and would have to label the item as a defect, causing their store to look bad. The customer called me and explained the situation to me. I then talked with the other store and offered up the solution that I find the box with the two right feet and mail it to them through our FedEx service. This way they could accept the return and no one would be left in a negative situation.

Tell me about a time when you failed.

When I first began my classes at a community college, I dealt with a lot of failure. I lost focus of the dreams and goals that I had set for myself and fell into a pattern of failing and needing to retake classes. I realized quickly that that was not a place that I wanted to be in and began to make some serious changes. I found my motivation once more, began taking courses that I had a genuine interest in, and ended up fining my passion in math, programming, data, and more. I learned a great deal from that time in my life and am grateful to have learned an even greater work ethic from it. It reignited my passion for learning.

Describe a time when you had to do something you weren't trained to do. How did you handle it?

When beginning to work at Famous Footwear as a Sales Associate, I had never had a previous job. Learning to speak to customers, finding stock in store, learning to operate on the cash register, and learning how to check the online inventory through the computer systems was a lot to learn quickly. There was minimal training in the position and many of my teammates were disinterested in helping me as they were unmotivated in the position. I wanted to change this situation once I had gained experience and decided that I never wanted any other new hire to feel as lost as I had. I made that my mission and ended up being one of the main new-hire trainers at the store from then on.

Why do you want to work at Yardi?

Yardi is an incredibly innovative company and I would love to work for an organization that not only takes pride in its high quality software, treats their employees well, but also gives back to their local communities. I find it inspirational that Yardi is focused on taking care of their local communities, and that employees get to come together and pick local non-profits that the organization then supports. Additionally, from reading through employee's thoughts about Yardi, there was such an overwhelming amount of praise for the company, and that great workplace culture clearly translated and is why Yardi is in the 2023 list for Glasdoor's Best Places to Work. I believe that I would be a perfect for this position because I'm an incredibly motivated individual with strong customer service skills that I gained while working in a customer service facing role for 2 1/2 years. Through that experience and working towards my Bachelor's degree in Data Analytics, I have become a strong researcher, use excellent problem solving skills, and find a passion for working with people. I am an enthusiastic selfstarter that thrives in a collaborative environment, and my want to never stop learning/growing, I believe, would be a great asset for Yardi in the Associate Technical Account Manager position. It would be amazing to be able to start off my career at an organization whose values I really respect while also being proud of the product that they have created.

What is a PIVOT table?

a pivot table is a program tool that allows you to reorganize and summarize selected columns and rows of data in a spreadsheet or database table to obtain a desired report.