Interview Questions
Tell about a situation where you handled a difficult customer and explain how you resolved.
At my last job, I had to deal with members who get upset about company policy. In this case they were upset that were not allowed into the workout facility without an ID. When I deal with a difficult customer I make sure to take the time to listen to everything they have to say. I apologize to them and make sure that they know that they're concerns are being heard. Find alternatives to solve the issue. In this case I was able to let the member into the facility after they got a replacement ID from campus security.
Describe a recent task or event that required a sense of urgency. How did you remain calm and focused?
During my senior year in college I found a bug in video game we were building days before it was due. We need to quickly debug the issue before the deadline. In order to stay calm and focused, I took things step by step and kept the ultimate goal in mind. This help us keep a calm and focused mind to help things run much more smoothly.
Have you ever had to divide task when working on a group project? How did you do it?
I always divide task by strength because I feel that it will result in a higher quality end product
Describe a time when you were entrusted with company property or confidential information.
I am currently working with a startup company and I am entrusted with a lot of confidential information and I make sure that I treat the information as if it was personal information of mine.
Have you ever experienced changing priorities or interruptions to your schedule or job duties? How did you respond?
I currently work from home and also have a 5 month old daughter so there is always lots of activity around the house. I manage these interruptions by giving myself a work schedule and staying focus in my office. I also make sure to let people at home know that although I am at home I am working.
Tell me about a time when you wish you had handled a situation differently with a customer.
I have had a customer who rudely interrupted me while I was helping another customer. Instead of asking my current customer to hold I immediately helped the rude customer to please them asap. I should have had the rude customer wait while I finished helping others before him.
Have you ever had to work in a fast-paced, hectic environment? Tell me about it.
I have worked in several food industry jobs which are fast-paced, and hectic but as long as you keep a positive attitude and take things one step at a time then things seems to be less hectic and runs much more smoothly.
Think of a job or project that required a high level of accuracy. What did you do to ensure accuracy?
I have worked on projects such a coding for website and application where they require high level of accuracy in the syntax used in the code. In order to ensure accuracy in this situation I double check or even triple check the work before finalizing it.
Have you ever worked with an unproductive teammate? What did you do?
I have worked with unproductive teammates in school, on the job and in life; I always try to look at situation from their point of view. There may be outside factors that are keeping them from being productive. It is always better to talk to your teammates before making assumptions so I do before going to a teacher or boss.
Describe a situation where you worked without supervision
I often work without supervision at the gym I previous worked at. In situations like this it is important to follow protocol and routine when closing down or dealing with members to ensure things run smoothly.
Describe a time when you took responsibility for a mistake you made
I once made the mistake of scheduling a client to come in for a study on the wrong day. After finding out about my mistake, I took steps to correct it by looking up the client's information, calling them to apologize and gave them the correct date and time.
Tell me about a time you were recognized or rewarded for being a valuable team member.
I was recognized for creating a nice website for my team's senior project. I did this by considering all team member's input and ideas and although it was a team effort I was recognized for how well it turned out.
Give me an example of when you worked on a team to accomplish a goal.
In college my major as an Interactive Media Designer we usually work on team where each member has a certain skillset that they bring to the table such as programming, marketing, art etc. With all these skills the team is able to work together towards a common cause to create a project much greater then what we could have created alone.
Give me an example of how you have demonstrated safe work practices.
In order to demonstrate safe work practice I follow company protocol when faced with unsafe situations. I have done this in the past by being extra careful while working with machinery, and asking for assistance when lifting heavy items.
Have you ever had an important point to make to a co-worker or boss? How did communicate it?
In the past, I have had to talk to my boss about how understaffed during the morning rush hour. I did this coming by the office after my shift so we can talk alone and not on front of other staff. I expressed my concerns to him with examples of how it is affecting us and how we could benefit and be more efficient if solved the issue.
Describe a recent professional goal or quota and the steps you took to meet that goal or quota.
My professional goal is to become part of the IT team at Costco. I hope by doing well with this interview and hopefully get my foot in the door at Costco so I could work my way up in the company. I am currently working on my programming and coding skills in order to be better be qualified to be on the IT team.
Do you have experience working a varying schedule that changed on short notice? How did you respond?
Oh yeah! Where I work right now I am constantly on call. Whether is a meeting I need to attend to or a project that needs to get done right away, I make myself available and prioritize myself around work.
What did you do to prepare for this interview?
Preparing for this interview I made sure to practice common interview questions, asked my family and friends to ask me interview questions, along with I study the Costco company and its policies.
Describe a time when you exceeded the expectations of your position.
There is always more that you can do it is just finding the time to do so. At my work when I have extra time I like to organize company files.
Describe a situation where you did more than one task at work.
When I was working at the gym, I signed people up for memberships all the time. Not only was I entering their information in the system, but I was also conversing giving them information and answering questions they may have about the facility.
Give me an example of a misunderstanding you had with a co-worker and how you resolved it.
When I worked at the market research call center, I was approached by a coworker who was upset that someone had eaten his lunch from work. He was new and he left his lunch on the table that was usually used for potluck and free snacks. I explained to him the situation and that someone took it on accident and I also offered to buy him a new lunch so he wouldn't be hungry. This helped resolved conflict before it escalated.
Give me an example of when you asked a co-worker for help.
When became ill from food poisoning I had to ask a co-worker to cover for me. Because I consider my co-workers a team I have helped and covered for them when they needed it so I received their help with no problem.
When faced with a difficult work decision, who do you go to for guidance? Can you give an example?
When dealing a difficult work decision, I would try to solve it with the best of my capabilities but if its beyond my expertise I would contact a manager about the issue. For example when I worked at the fieldwork call center I recruited a participant for a focus group that was highly qualified but was over quota for their demographic. I had to make the decision of disqualifying her or inviting her and removing someone who was less qualified. After talking to my supervisor we decided to invite her because she would give us higher quality data for our focus group.
Tell me about a time you volunteered for a learning opportunity.
When there are opportunities to try something new I like to volunteer because I am eager to learn something new for example at my previous job I volunteered to work in the outdoor wellness shop to help out because some staff were out. During that time I learned about the policy for checking out outdoor equipment along with getting familiar with equipment that I have never used before.
Tell me about a time you were successful due to your ability to communicate.
When working on team communication is important. When everyone is on the same page, the team is able to make fewer mistakes and be more efficient. I play team sports and when our team communicates well we usually come out with a win.
Tell me about a time you completed a major project.
While in school work on my senior project, I teamed up with 4 other students to create a video game that addressed negative body image hoping to help user with their issues. This project took about 9 months to complete and turned out great and on top of our class.
Have you ever served multiple customers at the same time? How did you prioritize the attention?
Yes I have. In this situation I must make sure that every customer feels that they are as important by greeting everyone and acknowledging them. I also make sure that they are okay to hold or have been completely helped before helping the next customer.