Tell me about a difficult or complex idea you had to explain to someone. (How did you communicate it? What was your approach? How did you check for understanding?)

Tell me about yourself

First of all, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today. I am a graduate of ASU. I love both math and science so I have a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences. I've also always had an interest in the financial industry, so I jumped at the opportunity to for in the State Farm Federal Credit Union. I started in the contact center and was quickly promoted to the lending team. I am one of the few specialist that is cross-trained in both loan servicing and underwriting, so I'm skilled to prep, underwrite, and fund loan applications. I enjoy working with consumer credit and the decision-making process of reviewing loan applications. I'm known for being a detail-oriented, well-organized team player.I believe my record will indicate that I have strong people skills and an analytical approach to decision making. With this experience under my belt, I'm looking for an opportunity to take the next step in my career. I'm passionate about lending and love a challenge, so I feel like I would do well as a Credit Analyst.

Tell me about a difficult or complex idea you had to explain to someone. How did you communicate it? What was your approach? How did you check for understanding?

S - Declining app due to high DTI, but good credit score T - Called mbr. Explained that their DTI is too high. A - Ask for additional proof of income to help DTI. Asked if they could add spouse. Refinancing? R - I had to decline loan application, but was able to make sure that member had a clear understanding as to why their loan application was declined.

Describe a time when you had to adjust your schedule or workload to ensure that you could meet a customer´s needs. How did you meet these responsibilities?

S- Busy holidays a lot of apps in queue/ a lot of people gone in underwriting / a week behind T - Work underwriting queue, all of the other queues looked alright A- Focused on underwriting queue / worked extra hours / came in on weekend R- Everyone came together as a team. We went from a week behind to 3 days behind.

Give a specific example of a situation in which you were faced with a difficult deadline to meet. How did you respond? What was the outcome?

S- Busy holidays a lot of apps in queue/ a lot of people gone in underwriting / a week behind T - Work underwriting queue, all of the other queues looked alright A- Focused on underwriting queue / worked extra hours / came in on weekend R- Everyone came together as a team. We went from a week behind to 3 days behind.

We all have to work very hard at times. Describe a situation when you really had to put forth extra effort. What did you do? How did you ensure that your final product would be completed in a timely and accurate manner?

S- Busy holidays a lot of apps in queue/ a lot of people gone in underwriting / a week behind T - Work underwriting queue, all of the other queues looked alright A- Focused on underwriting queue / worked extra hours / came in on weekend R- Everyone came together as a team. We went from a week behind to 3 days behind.

Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when you felt the individual did not value your perspective.

S- Declined someone because of too many late pays and high credit limits T- Customer didn't agree because they always pay their loan with SFFCU on time and can set up payments on payroll deduction. A- Advised that even though we appreciate that they pay us on time, we like to see that they don't have any late payments for at least 6 months and pay down their credit cards. Advised that they are always welcome to file an appeal if they don't agree with the decision. R- They didn't want to file an appeal, but eventually agreed to reapply in 6 months.

In dealing with others sometimes we have to convey difficult messages. Tell me about a time when you had to do this, what was the message and how did they take it?

S- Declining loan app with multiple collections and high dti. This was a difficult situation because she needed the money for rent. T- Called member to discuss loan being declined. She didn't take it well because she's worried about not being able to pay for rent. Apologized and allowed her to vent. As an employee, I knew that she has access to Life Works, so I provided her with their phone number. A- I felt bad for her situation, but I know that giving her a loan isn't going to help her. Adding on more debt and an additional payment may even create more stress. Also, if she can't make her payment, then I don't want the Credit Union to take a loss. R- I was able to comfort the member by listening to her and even though I wasn't able to provide her with a loan, I was able let her know that we still care and advise her how she may qualify for a loan in the future.

In your last or current job, what problems did you identify that had previously been overlooked? Were changes made? Who supported the changes as a result of your ideas?

S- Define MPP - MPP process takes too long to change coverage. Takes about 30 minutes. T- Look for ways to shorten process A- Skip a few steps, use docusign for new signature R- Process is shortened to about 15 minutes so we can use that time to focus on customers Back up: Templates

Tell me about something new or different that you did in your department that improved customer service, productivity, quality, teamwork, or performance.

S- Define MPP - MPP process takes too long to change coverage. Takes about 30 minutes. T- Look for ways to shorten process A- Skip a few steps, use docusign for new signature R- Process is shortened to about 15 minutes so we can use that time to focus on customers Back up: Templates

Sometimes customers have a limited or incorrect understanding of their needs. Tell me about a time when you had this kind of experience with a customer. What steps did you take to educate them? What was the outcome?

S- Elderly lady applied for personal loan but listed vehicle info T- Called mbr to confirm whether she wanted vehicle loan - went over rates A- Cross-sold app to vehicle loan. Went over everything else to make sure it was correct R- she was very appreciative

Sometimes people hear but don't listen. Tell me about a time when you misunderstood someone. Why do you think you misunderstood? How did you resolve the misunderstanding?

S- Funding loan & misheard mbr when verifying details on she would like loan funded. T- Thought mbr wanted check mailed to her so I set it up for overnight delivery. I sent her a confirmation email and rec'd email back stating that she wanted to pick up check in branch. A- Apologized to her. Luckily mail hadn't been picked up yet, so I was able to run the check down to our member care station. R- Mbr was happy that she could pick up the check and thanked me for running it down.

Describe a situation when the quality of work you completed wasn´t the highest quality it could have been. What were the circumstances and what did you learn?

S- I've gotten quick at reviewing loan applications, so a lot of times I'll work on them when I'm assigned to phones. However, one time I got distracted by a phone call and accidentally submitted the loan application to underwriting without verifying proof of income. T- I've learned to slow down and check my work if needed A- I now make notes as a go through the loan so that I know exactly what I've reviewed and where I left off. R- I haven't gotten any loans back from the underwriter since that one time. It also saves me time if I get distracted by a phone call because I used to double or triple review loan applications if I forgot where I left off.

Describe a situation when you firmly believed your point of view was correct, but you agreed to a different alternative to accommodate others within your department or unit. Why did you agree to this? What was the outcome?

S- In college, a lot of times we had to work with a group, especially for lab projects. For one of the labs, I had to write a lab report with four other people. I suggested that we all get together and write the lab report together so that it sounds more coherent (like the professor suggested). They disagreed because it was too hard to match our schedules up and they would rather split up the work T- I agreed to split up the work and then revise it at the end. It was hard to find a similar schedule. A- We also set up our paper through google docs so that we could see everyone else's work in real-time R- It worked out well because everyone agreed to complete their section early so that we had enough time to revise our work and make sure it flowed coherently. I also felt more comfortable being able to see everyone working on their section

Describe a time you listened to someone even though you initially disagreed with the person, only to change your mind in the end.

S- In college, a lot of times we had to work with a group, especially for lab projects. For one of the labs, I had to write a lab report with four other people. I suggested that we all get together and write the lab report together so that it sounds more coherent (like the professor suggested). They disagreed because it was too hard to match our schedules up and they would rather split up the work T- I agreed with them to split up the work and then revise it at the end. We all had different schedules and it was hard to find a good time where everyone was free. A- We also set up our paper through google docs so that we could see everyone else's work in real-time R- It worked out well because everyone agreed to complete their section early so that we had enough time to revise our work and make sure it flowed coherently. I also felt more comfortable being able to see everyone working on their section

There are times when a member of a team may be part of the minority opinion. Tell me about a time this happened to you and what you did in that situation.

S- In college, a lot of times we had to work with a group, especially for lab projects. For one of the labs, I had to write a lab report with four other people. I suggested that we all get together and write the lab report together so that it sounds more coherent (like the professor suggested). They disagreed because it was too hard to match our schedules up and they would rather split up the work T- I agreed with them to split up the work and then revise it at the end. We all had different schedules and it was hard to find a good time where everyone was free. A- We also set up our paper through google docs so that we could see everyone else's work in real-time R- It worked out well because everyone agreed to complete their section early so that we had enough time to revise our work and make sure it flowed coherently. I also felt more comfortable being able to see everyone working on their section

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a customer who was demanding. How did you handle the customer? What was the outcome? How did the person react? Did you or would you change your way of doing things based on this experience?

S- Member called and demanded supervisor asap. All supervisors were in a meeting so offered call back and asked if there was any way that I could help. T- He said that he was at dealership and needed loan decisioned asap. Looked in notes - he was already told that his loan would be rushed, but no one reviewed it yet A- Apologized. Underwrote loan over phone and emailed preapproval letter R- Mbr happy with outcome and said that supervisor wasn't needed.

Give a specific example of excellent customer service you provided. Why do you think this was an example of excellent customer service?

S- Member called and demanded supervisor asap. All supervisors were in a meeting so offered call back and asked if there was any way that I could help. T- He said that he was at dealership and needed loan decisioned asap. Looked in notes - he was already told that his loan would be rushed, but no one reviewed it yet A- Apologized. Underwrote loan over phone and emailed preapproval letter R- Mbr happy with outcome and said that supervisor wasn't needed. Back up: Elderly lady

Tell me about a time when you went out of your way to assist a customer. Describe the circumstances. What was the outcome?

S- Member called and demanded supervisor asap. All supervisors were in a meeting so offered call back and asked if there was any way that I could help. T- He said that he was at dealership and needed loan decisioned asap. Looked in notes - he was already told that his loan would be rushed, but no one reviewed it yet A- Apologized. Underwrote loan over phone and emailed preapproval letter R- Mbr happy with outcome and said that supervisor wasn't needed. Back up: Elderly lady

Give me an example of a time when you had to take a complex message, or complex series of information, and re-write it in a simple manner. How did you go about this? What is your approach?

S- Sometimes it's confusing when trying to figure what the member is requesting a loan for and what we should ask for while emailing. T- Helped create template asking purpose of vehicle loan. A- Break up purpose in categories - New vehicle purchase, refinance, or financing a vehicle that they already own. For a new vehicle purchase we need a sales agreement. For a refinance we need a used vehicle worksheet completed with the payoff information. Financing a vehicle already owned, we need used vehicle worksheet and copy of clear title. R- Members are less confused about what is needed. This saves time and frustration between the customers and representatives.

Describe an important, work-related decision you made recently. Describe the process you went through to make the decision. How did you ultimately make the decision?

S- Underwrite loan application for a member with high DTI and high credit score (700's) T- Underwrite loan application A- Look at credit report - no collections/bankruptcies/judgments. Any late payments, credit limits, etc.? -Check DTI/TUD and make sure all debts are listed correctly. If DTI is high, ask member for additional income. -Look at length of employment -Can choose counter-offer a lower amount or approve with exception R- I was able to approve the loan application

Give an example of a specific problem you had to solve or a decision you had to make. Please describe how you made that decision. What were the steps you went through to solve the problem?

S- Underwrite loan application for a member with high DTI and high credit score (700's) T- Underwrite loan application A- Look at credit report - no collections/bankruptcies/judgments. Any late payments, credit limits, etc.? -Check DTI/TUD and make sure all debts are listed correctly. If DTI is high, ask member for additional income. -Look at length of employment -Can choose counter-offer a lower amount or approve with exception R- I was able to approve the loan application

Provide an example of a decision you had to make. Describe the situation and the different alternatives that you generated to solve the problem. How did you choose among these alternatives?

S- Underwrite loan application for a member with high DTI and high credit score (700's) T- Underwrite loan application A- Look at credit report - no collections/bankruptcies/judgments. Any late payments, credit limits, etc.? -Check DTI/TUD and make sure all debts are listed correctly. If DTI is high, ask member for additional income. -Look at length of employment -Can choose counter-offer a lower amount or approve with exception R- I was able to approve the loan application

Walk me through a recent project or assignment you completed and tell me the process you used to ensure it was complete and accurate.

S- Underwriting loan applications - it's important to do efficiently and accurately T- Double check to make sure everything is correct A- Always call member to discuss via phone and answers questions R- no errors and no loans having to be redone

We all need to make sure that our work products are of high quality. Describe a situation when you made an extra effort to produce high quality output. How did you go about this? How did you know your work was high quality?

S- Underwriting loan applications - it's important to do efficiently and accurately T- Double check to make sure everything is correct A- Always call member to discuss via phone and answers questions R- no errors and no loans having to be redone

Often our work environments require that numerous tasks be completed simultaneously, which can put demands on us. Give an example of when you were in this type of situation and how you resolved it.

S- We have different queues that need to be worked. We're assigned to a different task every day. T- Work the app that we're assigned to, but keep an eye out for the other queues. A- For example, if I'm assigned the review the new applications that are coming in, but the funding queue is high, I work on funding. It has priority since dealerships are expecting a check. Also, being cross-trained in underwriting is beneficial when we are short-staffed underwriters. R- We can make sure that loans can be processed in a timelier manner, which makes customers happy.

Give a specific example of a time when you failed to handle a problem or situation effectively. Why do you think your solution was ineffective? What, if anything, did you do after you recognized the problem was not handled appropriately?

S- When I first started working in the lending department, I had a member call regarding his declined loan app. T - He wanted to know exactly how we calculated DTI. Even though I was able to confirm that we use their debts divided by their income, I was still at navigating the system and wasn't sure exactly which debts were included. A- Member became frustrated and requested to speak to supervisor. R- Even though I wasn't able to assist member with his questions, I used this as a learning opportunity. I went over the information with a colleague so that I knew exactly how it was calculated if the situation were to arise again.