Final prep Flashcards
*Lean Start Up
Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem. ( Finding information stats)
Describe a time when you simplified a process or solved a problem innovatively. ( Instead of buying clothes online you can see how it fits before hand)
Describe a time you made a decision without having all the data?
Situation:
At Oregon State University, I participated in a lean start up pitch competition. This is a competition where you needed to describe a business idea to investors to secure funding. It is a similar concept to the show Shark Tank. During my teams brainstorming phase I proposed the idea of a mobile application where users could create a avatar of themselves and choose clothing items from websites to visualize how clothes looked on them before making a purchase. My team was initially skeptical about the project idea seeing it as a complicated process to solve a small problem.
Task:
So I wanted to to convince the team that the idea was not only feasible but also valuable for users and that it could help with big problems related to e commerce industry. To do this I thought the best route would be to show statistics and visualizations.
Action:
So I researched about trends and technology related to fashion industry from multiple sources like google, youtube, blogs and statistical sites. I found out that clothing was the most returned online item and roughly 25 percent of all online clothes bought online were returned. I also found technologies like Clo3d, which is a software tool used by fashion designers to create garments and visualize the fit /sizing on a dynamic avatar which was similar to the concept I proposed, but I saw it as a great visualization to help them get a understanding of my view. Once I gathered all the information I created a slideshow of possible use cases, showed clips of clo3d and highlighted the impact it could have for consumers and environment.
Result:
After seeing the research, visuals, and potential impact, the team became fully aligned with the concept. We presented the idea in the competition and placed second overall. One key thing this experience taught me the importance of data-driven persuasion, the effectiveness of communication through visualization.
- Google Charts
Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision.
Give an example of when you had to make a quick decision under time constraints. How did you approach it?
Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
Found a solution to a simple problem.
Situation:
During my internship, I was tasked with enhancing the UI by integrating Google Charts to display climate data in interactive charts. During development, my colleague noticed that the charts intermittently failed to render the data leaving the charts blank.
Task:
So I needed to identify and resolve the issue causing the intermittent failure of the charts to ensure the charts displayed the correct climate data consistently and reliably.
Action:
To approach the issue I first asked my teammate when he started noticing the issue, This was when I learned that it has as he was resizing the chart. He stated that he double checked for overlapping components already so that was not the issue. I then tried to recreate the issue in my own environment which I was able to. This led me to believe it was something data related, so I started by examining the data flow and the interaction between different components. Thats when I found out that the chart was trying to use data that was not available yet
Result:
Using this insight, I implemented a solution where the chart rendering process was delayed. Ensuring that the charts displayed the correct data every time without fail. The charts became reliable, and the project was able to move forward on schedule.
- Originally I injected the data into the scope and handled the data validation within the function
- By adding the draw chart call inside the then() block of the $http.get() promise. I ensured that the charts would draw after the data was loaded
- School and Work
Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.
Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job
done.
Describe a situation where you faced a major challenge in delivering on a goal. How did you overcome it?
Give an example of a project where you set a goal and exceeded expectations.
Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize
your tasks.
Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job
done.
Describe a situation where you faced a major challenge in delivering on a goal. How did you overcome it?
Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures.( Focus on scheduling and early communication)
Situation:
One of the most challenging experiences I faced was balancing a full-time job, my last year of school, and a part-time internship. I was relatively new in my job, still on probation, which meant I needed to perform well. This left me with limited options for allocating time to my other responsibilities.
Task:
My goal was to excel in all areas. I needed complete my coursework on time to graduate while ensuring my performance at both my job and internship was met or exceeded expectations. I had to manage competing deadlines and high workload effectively.
Action:
To do this I focused on
Prioritization:
Maximizing Efficiency:
Setting boundaries and sacrifices.
Prioritization:
I created a detailed weekly schedule to prioritize tasks based on deadlines and importance, ensuring that I balanced my academic, work, and internship commitments. My process was to allocated specific time slots for each responsibility, to remain on track in all areas. I also communicated to my team, coworkers and professors in advance if I needed extra time well in advance.
Maximizing Efficiency:
During work breaks, I would use the time to tackle smaller academic tasks like reviewing readings, outlining assignments, or participating in online discussions. While driving home to or from work or eating I was listening to lectures, team meeting recording or something on youtube to help me learn something related. This helped me stay productive during downtimes even during my downtimes.
Setting Boundaries and Making Sacrifices:
I dedicated evenings and weekends to complete tasks or assignments. I sacrificed personal time like going to the gym, participating in holiday activities, trip with friends and date nights. Essentially I gave up my social life, In order to complete my obligations..
Result:
In the end, my efforts paid off. I finished the year just shy of honor roll with 3.4. My manager recognized my performance and dedication offered me a lead position and my team successfully implemented all requirements from our stakeholders.
- Mcgee Bidding
Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
Describe a project where you went beyond the initial requirements to deliver a better result.
Give an example of when you thought creatively to solve a problem.
Situation:
At my current job, we were using a manual bidding system for shift assignments. The process involved agents bidding for shifts based on seniority, with supervisors manually creating and distributing shift lists. Agents would take photos of the lists, write down their bids on paper, and submit them manually. This process was not only slow and prone to errors but also inefficient, especially when any changes to the listed bids.The company was considering purchasing a third-party service would submit bid schedules.
Task:
I saw an opportunity to take the initiative and create a custom, in-house solution where we could gather internal request tailoring it custom for the users. So I spoke with our area manager.I proposed the idea of me building a the platform to automate the bidding process. To my surprise he gave me the the approval. Now I needed to start designing the product. I gathered the requirements from the area manage.
Action:
To ensure it met the needs of my coworker, I gathered feedback from them to identify additional features that could enhance the system. Based on their feedback, I expanded the project requirements to include PTO requests and shift trades. I decided to utilize a Flutter framework ensure that it would be accessible for experience on all devices.
Result:
Although the product is not complete. The product should replace the old manual system, saving managers roughly 6 hours a day in work, save the company approximately $10 per employee.
*
Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-
worker.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
Describe a situation where you had to build trust with a new team. How did you approach it?
Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that
individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).
Situation:
During my internship at Agbiz Logic, my team was working on a requirements document that needed to be submitted to our senior engineer for verification. I was slightly behind on my portion, but I had allocated time to complete it before the deadline. When I opened the document to begin working, I noticed that one of my teammates had already started working on my section.
Task:
I was confused and asked of my teammate why she started working on my potion in which she told me that she was hesitant on me finishing it on time since I haven’t been very vocal. I realized that I made a mistake assuming that my teammates trusted me. It was online and
Action:
To address the concern, I initially apologize and explain that Im on a tight schedule. I reassured her that I had not forgotten about it and moving forward i’d start giving the team updates frequently on when I would work on certain task.
Result:
In the end we became a more cohesive team, learned a lot about each others habits, schedules and preference. What I learned from this is that trust isn’t just earned thorugh work, but communicating
- User stories
- System outline
- Part of Functional requirement
Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish and failed.
Situation
Task
Action
Result
Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did
not agree.
Please discuss an important written document you were required to complete
Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish and failed.
Describe a time you made a decision without having all the data?
This was not a tech related task, but I think it showed good judgement in the process.
Situation:
At my job I started a new role called a transfer runner. Essentially I transfer bags for people that have connecting flight or place bags at certain location to be rerouted. So the first flight of the day is the biggest with roughly 150 bags combing off to be sorted and 30 of them needing to be transfered to the next plane immediately. Since all these bags were essentially transfer I had to lead a team to
Task
Action
Result
Questions to ask
What team do you work with and what new features are you adding ? Could you possible give me a high level process of gathering requirements , designing and implementing from your point of view?
What are the expectations for a new graduates in terms of performance?
I read that they are expected to
Can
Introduction
Hi, my name is Jarrod Saechao. I little bit about me is I have a associates degree in General Studies from Mt.Hood Community College, A Bachelors degree majoring in Computer Science from Oregon State University. I also have Internships experience in software engineering utilizing Agile Scrum Methodology and am certified by Google in Data analytics. Recently I have completed the Revature training program where I brushed up on computer science fundementals, developed skills in java and even created a REST Api Backend for a social media site. My interests pertains to, software engineering data eco systems and cloud networks. I hope you see me as a good candidate and thank you for your time.
