3. Give me an example of a time when you had to explain something fairly complex. How did you
handle this delicate situation?
4. Tell me about a successful presentation you gave and why you think it was a hit.
5. When have you had to present to a group of people with little or no preparation? What obstacles
did you face? How did you handle them?
6. 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).
7. What obstacles or difficulties have you ever faced in communicating your ideas to a supervisor?
8. When have you chosen to communicate a particular message in person as opposed to via email
even though the email channel would have been a lot faster?
Motivation and Values
1. Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment.
2. Describe a time when you saw some problem and took the initiative to correct it rather than
waiting for someone else to do it.
3. Tell me about a time when you worked under close supervision or extremely loose supervision.
How did you handle that?
4. Give me an example of a time you were able to be creative with your work. What was exciting or
difficult about it?
5. Tell me about a time you were dissatisfied in your work. What could have been done to make it
better?
Attention to Detail
1. What process do you use to check that you have the right details from a colleague/student?
2. Give me an example of a time you discovered an error that been overlooked by a colleague. What
did you do? What was the outcome?
3. Tell me about a time that you were confused by a supervisor's request. What steps did you take
to clarify things?
Creativity
1. When was the last time you thought “outside the box” and how did you do it? Why?
2. Tell me about a problem that you’ve solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the outcome?
Were you happy or satisfied with it?
3. Give me an example of when someone brought you a new idea that was odd or unusual. What
did you do?
4. When have you brought an innovative idea into your team? How was it received?
Goal Setting
1. Give me an example of an important career goal which you set yourself and tell me how you
reached it. What obstacles did you encounter? How did you overcome the obstacles?
2. Tell me about a professional goal that you set that you did not reach. How did it make you feel?
3. How have you gone about setting short-term goals and long-term goals for yourself or your team?
What steps did you take along the way to keep yourself accountable?