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Interview Question Database

Skill Specific

Skill specific questions are asked to determine if you have the knowledge and skills to sufficiently perform the required job. When answering skill specific questions, demonstrate that you are capable and the best fit for the job.

Adaptability and Creativity

QUESTION INTENT

These questions are intended to reveal your ability to:

  • Respond to new challenges and changing expectations
  • Adapt to different people, situations and work environments
  • Generate new and creative ideas or solutions to problems

The interviewer wants to find out whether you possess flexibility and the ability to think "outside of the box" when coping with the demands of work.

TIPS FOR RESPONDING TO ADAPTABILITY AND CREATIVITY Q'S
  • Provide examples from different situations (work, school or volunteer) that clearly demonstrate how you have successfully adapted your work strategies and style
  • Provide examples of how you have approached a challenge from a unique perspective or sought out innovative solutions

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

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The interviewer wants to determine if you are able to generate new and creative ideas or solutions to problems.

Answer Tips

Answer Tips

Provide examples of how you have approached a challenge from a unique perspective or sought out innovative solutions.

Can you provide an example of a time that you used creativity to solve a problem?

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The interviewer is directly asking for a specific example for you to share your creativity.

Answer Tips

Answer Tips

Consider a strong example of your creativity in either work, volunteer or academic situations. Share full details of the situation, the challenges, your thought processes and considerations in solving the situation. Include information on the outcome.

When you suffer a setback, how does it affect you and your work?

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There are many aspects to this Q. The interviewer wants to learn more on how you understand, react and adapt to challenging circumstances and possibly how it affected you and/or your work/timelines/team members.

Answer Tips

Answer Tips

Everyone handles the disappointment and stress of setbacks differently. Share with the interviewer how you would cope with a setback, what you might communicate to them and/or your team members and provide an example.

When have you had to adapt to change in the workplace?

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Being able to adapt to change in the workplace is an essential skill to possess because change is inevitable. The interviewer would like to know about a time you were required to adapt to change in the workplace.

Answer Tips

Answer Tips

Share a time where you needed to adapt and what caused you to make the change - feedback, failure, timelines, etc.

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

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Answer Tips

A vendor comes in to thank you for assistance in
clearing up a past due invoice. The vendor offers you 2 tickets to a
ball game, what will you do?

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Answer Tips

Are you willing to travel?

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In almost every case, you are asked this question for informational purposes only.

Answer Tips

Answer Tips

You should be honest in your answer to this question. There are very few jobs where this question would have a bearing on the interview. However, if you were to say that you were willing to travel in an interview, but then refused once you joined the firm, you would likely create an environment of mistrust with your new employers.

Change is a constant in this organization. How do you respond to change in your environment?

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The employer is telling you what their environment is like and is interested to know if you have had experience with change and how you respond to it.

Answer Tips

Answer Tips

Provide the employer with a clear picture of your experience in environments with constant change and your response to change. Refer to the opportunities and challenges that can occur with change.

Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.

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Answer Tips

Answer Tips

Use the STAR technique - Situation, Action, Task, Result. Pick a time and tell a story of how you demonstrated problem solving skills and were able to maintain composure. 
 

Has your work experience prepared you for this position?

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How closely have your past supervisor managed you?

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How do you deal with rejection?

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How do you deal with risk on the job?

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Answer Tips

Answer Tips

To answer more thoroughly, ask the interviewer to define what a "risk" in the context of their company and this position. 

How do you handle criticism?

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How will you handle the least exciting tasks that are a part of this job?

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How would you change your current working conditions?

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In what kinds of situations do you find it most difficult to deal with people?

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Answer Tips

In what kinds of work environment are you most comfortable?

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Provide us with an example of your ability to work independently.

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Answer Tips

Answer Tips

Use the STAR technique - Situation, Action, Task, Result. Pick a time and tell a story of how you demonstrated initiative and independence on a project

Tell us a situation in which you were required to analyze and solve a complex problem.

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Answer Tips

Answer Tips

Use the STAR technique - Situation, Action, Task, Result. Pick a time and tell a story of how you worked through a complex problem.