Interview Prep - Behavioral Flashcards
study behavioral interview Qs
Tell me about yourself
DONE:
ABOUT ME:
“I’m an expat by way of Seattle, Washington and have been thoroughly enjoying all that Australia has to offer.
With 7 years of banking experience specializing in mortgage and real estate, a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics, I’ve demonstrated commitment and vertical growth.
Currently, my goal is to make an impact as a junior web developer focusing more specifically on the front-end.”
What are your strengths?
DONE
(RESTORATIVE) - Enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding a solution
(INCLUDER) - Naturally and instinctively work to include others to ensure they feel accepted as a part of the group.
(SYSTEMATIC) - Strong ability organize facts, situations, and operations related to a project, and will make an organized effort to reach the objectives on schedule.
(SELF-SUFFICIENT) - Ability to gather and utilize resources in order to solve problems without the help of others.
EXAMPLE of restorative:
S - Senior private banker whom I was supporting was experiencing poor customer satisfaction results as well as stagnating loan production.
A - First I analyzed the banker’s process for originating loans to determine areas of improvement. Through the analysis I learned that the reason for the poor customer experiences and stagnate loan production was due to not having a proactive pipeline management process in place. Overall, the banker had constraint or bottleneck on their available time due to dealing with many too many file escalations. These escalations resulted in both less time spent on loan producing activities as well as the creation of poor customer experiences. To solve this problem I implemented processes and tools to create a standard customer experience, loan pipeline oversight, and best practice strategies with the time saved to be used towards increasing these metrics.
R - An increase in production of 30% ( doing 45mm prior and 67mm after) and at the same time customer satisfaction by 50%.
What is your weakness?
DONE
(OVERLY SELF-CRITICAL) - a consequence of being restorative and constantly seeking to eliminate weaknesses is that it can result in being overly-self critical.
(TOO QUICK TO SOLVE OTHERS PROBLEMS) - ‘Let other people solve their own problems b/c rushing in to solve things may hinder their learning.’
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
DONE
ABOUT ME:
“I see myself as a proficient software developer with the ability to take on a mentor at this point in my career. Moreover, I see myself continuing to deepen my knowledge to become a truly full stack developer by this point in time.”
Why do you want to work here?
DONE
IGNNITION WEALTH:
One of the driving forces for beginning this entire journey of learning web development was to remove friction and improve the customer experience in finance. For me, I’m intimately familiar with the friction and overall pain that end users, be it customers or employees, would experience in dealing with the bank’s technology.
What is your dream job?
DONE
ABOUT ME:
My dream job would have to be broken into two categories. First it would consist of task/responsibilities that energize me. Second, I would have to work in a culture that aligns with my personality and above all for a mission I believe in.
Tasks: Problem solving, coaching, planning, and one with defined performance metrics.
Culture: Collaborative, team oriented, customer focus is #1 priority, and instill work-life balance.
How would your boss and co-workers describe you?
DONE
1) customer and employee focused
2) approachable and always willing to hellp
4) organized
5) self-suficient
6) give my best everyday
How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
DONE
1) become aware that I’m under pressure or stressed and take a step back to zoom out
2) revisit my schedule and to-do list
3) prioritize my list again if needed to ensure I can accomplish a realistic amount for the given time period
4) close everything else out until I finish the first task to get into the zone.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake or failed?
“One thing I have learned from past mistakes is when to ask for help. I have learned that it is far better to ask for clarification and solve an issue right away than to be unsure. I know that your company emphasizes teamwork and the need to be in constant communication with one another, and I think my ability to ask (and answer) questions of my peers would help me fit in very well with your company culture.”
POSSIBLE: appraisal completed before upgrades were finished and value came in low. Builders increased sales price once upgrades were completed. Property had much more upgrades than any in the neighborhood so value was appropriate. Solution moving forward was 1) ensure upgrades were completed with all parties through better expectations and 2) …..
(SAR then what I learned from the setback)
Give me an example of a goal/accomplishment you reached and tell me how you achieved it.
EX: “When I started working for XYZ Company, I wanted to achieve the Employee of the Month title. It was a motivational
challenge, and not all the employees took it that seriously, but I really wanted that parking spot, and my picture on the wall. I went out of my way to be helpful to my colleagues, supervisors, and customers - which I would have done anyway, I liked the job and the people I worked with. The third month I was there, I got the honor. It was good to achieve my goal, and I actually ended up moving into a managerial position there pretty quickly, I think because of my positive attitude and perseverance.”
> accept criticism
> follow my passion
> learning continuously
> setting deadlines
(SAR - behavioral Q)
Tell me about a time a decision was made that you didn’t agree with. What did you do?
EX
“A few years ago, I had a supervisor who wanted me to find ways to outsource most of the work we were doing in my department. I felt that my department was one where having the staff on premises had a huge impact on our effectiveness and ability to relate to our clients. I presented a strong case to her, and she came up with a compromise plan.”
EX
““I feel that the best way to deal with any challenges is to meet them head-on. When I found that one of my colleagues was saying things that weren’t true behind my back, I went to him and talked it through. It turned out that he had misunderstood what I had said, and I was able to set the record straight with him, and my supervisor.””
(SAR - behavioral Q)
Give me an example of a time you went above and beyond in order to get the job done? What was the situation? What actions did you take to ensure the job as completed? What was the outcome?
POSSIBLE ANWSER: supporting two teams of private bankers as an HMA
(SAR -behavioral Q)
Tell me about an event that really challenged you. How did you meet the challenge? In what way was your approach different from others?
(SAR- behavioral Q)
Tell me about the last time you took a risk. Was it the right decision? What would you have done differently?
(SAR - behavioral Q)
Have you ever had to persuade someone to do something that they were initially reluctant about?
(SAR - behavioral Q)
