Interview Questions Flashcards
Interview questions and responses
Tell us about yourself
I’m in my 5th year at BYU working as the political science department office manager. Most of my jobs have been in education. I taught German at the MTC and was a German teaching major but I left school as a junior to become a stay-at-home mom. I managed the serials department in the Woodbury University library in Burbank–taught a Freshmen orientation course while there, worked as a math and reading tutor in a Title 1 school with a large low-income population, worked as a secretary in a busy elementary school, taught English classes for adult refugees at the church’s humanitarian center in Salt Lake, was an ESL instructor in the Provo school district working with students who were mainly from Mexico and Central America. I spent a year in China teaching oral English and English writing courses for English majors at one of the country’s top-ranked universities. I’ve traveled throughout the world and lived for extended periods of time in Austria, India, and China.
Why are you interested in this position?
I love my current job and my colleagues, and I do a great job managing the department. I’m skilled with finance, HR, purchasing, travel , event planning, records management, class scheduling, etc. however, I feel like my greatest skills, my interpersonal skills and my ability to teach, mentor, and connect with young people, are where I really shine, and I would welcome the opportunity to work more directly with students. Currently, I work with club leaders, RAs and TAs, the student office staff, students with accommodations (proctor exams in the office), the student editors of our department magazine. I learn names and always have a listening ear and a jar of candy in my office. I am approachable and have an ability to make people comfortable in my presence. Each year, graduating seniors stop by my office to thank me and say goodbye. I’ve received gifts, candy, a loaf of homemade bread, and lots of thank-you notes that I like to keep in a little treasure box. They tell me about their plans, bring me wedding announcements, and even add me to their instagram. A graduating senior dropped off a card thanking me for helping her with a problem. She said, “It was one of the few times at BYU that I truly felt seen.” My last day of teaching in China, my students walked me to my bus stop and stood on the sidewalk crying as I boarded my bus and rode away. These are college students, but I had made a difference in their lives–and it wasn’t necessarily the English I taught them. It was my interactions with them, sharing my life with them, and the connections we made. We are still in touch. At our recent awards banquet/closing banquet, we had 4 student speakers. They were asked to talk about their experiences as poli sci majors at BYU. Independently, each of the 4 speakers mentioned me in their talks. Just last week, a student came into the office asking for me and brought me a bouquet of flowers. I have visited with this student a few times when he was studying in the lobby and also sat at the same table as him at our closing banquet. I was so surprised and asked him why he was bringing me flowers. He said, I’m taking a floral arranging class for my art credit, and I made these today and as I was thinking of who to give them to, you came to mind. I just wanted to thank you for everything you do for us in the department.
How are you at learning a new job?
In my own personal experience, I’ve had a variety of jobs and each required me to learn new terminology, new computer programs, new information, new policies and procedures, and new skills, and yet the skills, abilities, and knowledge I brought to each job were the same. My education and life experience have given me the ability to find answers, to learn, to adapt, and to interact with a wide variety of people from all walks of life. These skills are transferable to any job and have allowed me to be successful as a department office manager, an ESL instructor, a mother, a Relief Society president, a school secretary, a missionary, a committee member and even a pizza delivery person. I don’t have all of the answers, but I know how to find them. I am confident in my ability to take on and learn a new role and even bring new insights to that role that may result in improvements and innovative ways of doing things.
Although I got an A in American Heritage many years ago, I will certainly need to relearn the course content, but I have no doubts that I can do this. I think the larger role I will play is listening to struggling students, hearing their stories, inspiring them, teaching them to involve the Savior in their journey, and directing them to resources to help them be successful.
How do you bring the gospel into your role at BYU?
Mosiah 18 Mourn with those who mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort, stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places. Our beliefs are who we are, they become a part of us and don’t separate from us when the weekend is over and we return to work. The greatest sermons are often given without any words. I try to live the gospel loving and serving those around me, following the prophet, exercising faith, and clinging to my covenants even when it means living in ambiguity and trusting God on some of the things that don’t make sense right now. Supervised students for the past 5 years. They need connection and they need to see that the people who they look up to and respect are “all in ‘’ when it comes to the gospel so that even if they are wrestling with doubts, they know that people they respect and know well believe. They need to be exposed to people who also have questions and hardships but still believe. We can’t compartmentalize church and life. They are one and the same. Our faith is 24/7. We talk about the gospel at work.
What are the AIMs of a BYU Education?
Spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, leading to lifelong learning and service
What is the BYU Mission Statement?
Assisting individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life
How do you view your role in fulfilling the aims of a BYU education (spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, leading to lifelong learning and service) and assisting individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life?
The most important outcome is teaching students how to learn, not what to learn. To provide them with knowledge and skills, not to leave the university with a head full of memorized facts but with the ability to think clearly, to discern truth, to follow the spirit and receive revelation for their personal situation, to trust in the Lord, and to exercise faith. These skills and knowledge are applicable to any career they might pursue. In addition to the knowledge that we provide students regarding history, economics, political science, or whatever they may be studying, we need to provide them with the skills needed to navigate the world. The goal is inspiring them to learn. To make connections with them and mentor them and guide them. When I hear students who are passionate about a field of study talk about their professors, I rarely hear them talk about what a professor taught them but rather how the professor taught them. The way he connected with and inspired his students or the excitement she had toward the subject matter. This is a stage of life when students are on their own–many for the first time, forming opinions, making decisions, and testing the waters. It’s a critical time when good connections and good mentors can make all the difference. American Heritage is a place where students can make these connections with TAs, peers, and faculty and staff. One encounter can make a huge difference. We are being watched, and we have influence. We need to model and be examples of faith, impeccable character, excitement about our field of study, and service. Students need role models.
How do you go about learning a new job?
There is a learning curve for every job. New software, new processes, new vocabulary. I would ask a lot of questions and keep a notebook and as each new situation came up, I would learn what to do. If there is a specific protocol for answering a phone or helping a walk-in first, I would follow instructions. I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel. I respect those who have come before and love to find out how others have dealt with similar situations.Learning the ins and outs of a mental health system. When I started at the state hospital I didn’t know the medical jargon (word salad, elopement), didn’t know about how the mental health system is organized in Utah, didn’t know the specialized in-house software (eChart, PowerDMS), wasn’t familiar with policies or procedures. Kept a notebook to record any term I heard that I didn’t understand UND, ICPT, PIRS and asked or looked up what they meant. Learned new vocabulary, new procedures, new software programs. Taking meeting minutes. Once I had been taught, I could do everything that was asked of me. I take minutes in several large committee meetings and follow up to give detailed action items to administrators.
BYU FTE, CFS, Chrome River, Course Dog etc. All new, but the foundation was there.
I don’t know everything, but I know how to find answers and I’m not afraid to ask questions. I learned how to replace the insides of a toilet, how to mud drywall, how to make chocolate ganache. Teach and show me something and I can learn to do it.
What are the problems you see students dealing with today?
Social media is influencing students to hold themselves to unrealistic standards and expectations. We need a comprehensive approach to mental illness and suicide prevention. This has to go beyond just counseling services. We need faculty, staff, supervisors, TAs, and peers to be aware of others and armed with tools. Students need connections. A lot of kids are struggling with anxiety, fear of change, fear of missing out, uncertainty about the future, and a lot of confusion. The world is “too much with them,” and the things that used to steady and comfort them are waning: parents present, safe adults in their lives, teachings about God and bigger purposes, optimism about the future. It’s easy for adults to see young people as self-absorbed and distracted by things that don’t matter that much. Maybe they are, and maybe it’s because meaningful things are harder to grasp. They still need to be reassured that their lives matter; that they are wanted here; that there’s a lot to look forward to; that they have important work to do.
How will you deal with difficult people? Upset students and parents?
You can’t work in the political science department without having thick skin and without encountering angry people who are either upset because we are too conservative or too liberal.
Angry customers:
Anti-gay activist attacking one of our students whose mother was on a national political committee and whose views she didn’t agree with.
Man angry that we invited Rusty Bowers to speak at our Durham Lecture considered him a traitor. Rusty was one of the most inspiring speakers I’ve heard. Spoke about refusing to cave to pressure to do things that were unethical, refusing to lie, refusing to compromise his integrity and how that decision cost him the safety of his family, his chances at being reelected.
Upset that we teach gender classes that expose gender inequality.
Fallout, ranting phone calls and angry letters demanding that the Taylor Swift class taught by one of our professors cease and desist.
Students angry about programs or professors coming into my office. I always thank them for sharing their observations and let them know that we can’t make improvements if we don’t know there is a problem.
When people feel respected and listened to, even if they are angry or have a problem, they will back down if they feel you are listening and on their side and truly want to help resolve their problem.
One of my responsibilities at the state hospital was to collect the complaints from both patients and employees. They sanitized the name and called it “suggestions and concerns” but they were definitely complaints and criticisms, and I was the one who collected them each week and then read through each one determining who should respond to the complaint. I would collect the responses and then send an individual response to each person who had submitted a complaint. Some complaints were about the plumbing, about a tech who treated them badly, about their meds, or the temperature of their room. Others were from people who thought they were Jesus or who complained that we were feeding them human meat in the cafeteria. Regardless of the complaints, we had an obligation to hear them out and then respond.
Have you ever had to discipline someone?
Sometimes being kind and loving seems incompatible with being firm, setting boundaries, and upholding rules and policies. I think we can do both. I am warm and friendly and try to handle matters in a respectful way, but I also am a rule follower and expect others to comply with policies and expectations. I’ll admit that I’m extremely uncomfortable with confrontation, but I do it when I have to, and I’m not a pushover. I use humor and kindness as much as possible, but I keep policy, and will confront both faculty and students when they are not in compliance. I also think that if you have clear expectations that include consequences and adequate training, coaching and feedback, a lot of problem behaviors can be resolved while they are small.
Small corrections: Not wearing a hat at the front desk, not talking on your cell phone at the front desk, not making out in the testing room.
Told students they have lost the privilege to use the department credit card when they haven’t followed instructions and returned the card or receipts.
When I was teaching in China, I discovered that one of my students had plagiarized her essay. She was not a strong writer when we did in-class writing assignments, so I was surprised at the quality of her essay that was done out of class. I took a paragraph from her essay and put it in my browser and did a search. My search brought up the entire essay, word for word on a site that sells essays. The most disappointing thing to me was that this was a personal essay that students were asked to write about a family member who had influenced them. She wrote about her grandmother and the time they spent in her garden and the meals her grandma made for her. It was all fake. I met with this student and told her that I knew she hadn’t written the essay and asked her to explain herself. We talked about how if her goal was to learn to speak, read, and write English, it didn’t help her in the least to use someone else’s essay. I told her that I cared about her but that I was going to have to report her, and I wasn’t sure what the consequences would be. I told them that this was a very serious offense and that in the US a student would be suspended or expelled for doing this.
Called child protective services when one of my elementary students said he was tired because his parents had been fighting during the night and his dad threatened his mom with a gun. I knew this would disrupt his family and there would be an investigation, but I had a duty to report what he had told me.
RS President: Moved to counsels. Sister was upset and said she needed to sit in the back of the room. Told her she could continue to sit there and if that wouldn’t work for her, we would miss her.
Julia Oldroyd: Wanted the ward to drive her kids to multiple schools and events every day for 2 months. I told her that I expected her adult kids to help and that we would fill in where we could.
Have you ever had to fire someone?
I haven’t had to fire anyone yet, but I wouldn’t hesitate to fire someone who didn’t respond to correction and training. When expectations are clear and consequences are spelled out, there are no surprises. A TA knows when they are not doing their job or meeting expectations. I believe in second chances and would provide training and coaching with lots of feedback and follow-up, but if things still aren’t improving, or if someone is caught cheating or stealing or some legal offense, I don’t see any point in dragging something out. It’s not benefiting the students or the department, and there is certainly a better place for that student. We need to recognize when something isn’t working and take measures instead of nursing it along. Don’t put off making a change. It’s better for them to be somewhere else and doing something where they are motivated and thrive and better for those who are affected by poor performance. If someone isn’t doing their job, it doesn’t benefit you or them to keep them on.
Clear Expectations: Clearly communicate performance expectations and consequences if improvements are not made.
Coaching and Training
Regular Feedback: Provide regular, constructive feedback on their performance, highlighting areas for improvement and offering support or resources to help them succeed.
Follow Through: Be consistent and follow through with consequences if necessary, demonstrating that standards are non-negotiable and that underperformance will not be tolerated.
Documentation: Keep thorough documentation of performance issues, discussions, and any disciplinary actions taken to ensure accountability and fairness.
How do you inspire student employees to succeed?
I have made it clear to my students that I welcome and value their suggestions and feedback. I’ve told them that they may see better ways of doing things, and that just because I’ve been doing things a certain way doesn’t mean it’s the best way. There is always room for improvement. As a result, I have watched them take greater ownership in their assigned tasks and come to me with ideas to improve efficiency and quality of work in the office. When they feel respected and valued, they work even harder and really want to please. I have an open-door policy and offer support to help my employees overcome challenges and succeed in their roles.
How do you work with faculty who are your superiors?
I think I have found the fine balance of riding herd on the professors while also recognizing that they are my superiors and I am here to support them. I have also had to tactfully stand up to those who don’t follow policy. Some have been resentful and snippy, when I have requested receipts or asked them to reconcile their transactions from a trip. Others are just absent-minded and have a hard time following through. I feel like I have found a way to motivate a variety of personalities to follow through and take care of the things that are asked of them. Sometimes I use humor and other times I’m very honest about how their decisions are affecting my ability to do my job. I express empathy and acknowledge that I understand that they didn’t get a PhD so they could create travel pre-approvals and submit expense reports and do other administrative tasks, but that these are necessary evils. I also always offer my assistance with completing any task I have requested of them.
How do you handle multiple responsibilities?
Ad hoc requests from the minute I arrive at work until I go home. Faculty member in Tanzania who couldn’t access her money, a seminar lunch that didn’t show up, a frantic students who was accidentally terminated because his supervisor checked the wrong box on a google sheet, surveys to purchase, club leaders who need help organizing an activity and making purchases, printer goes out during finals week, a payment needs to be made but can only be done by fax, and there doesn’t seem to be a fax machine anywhere on campus, a student has stopped showing up for class and the professor wants me to follow up, a faculty member wants a list of all of his RAs and TAs going back to 2008, we have students whose flights were canceled because of bad weather and they are stuck in DC for an extra night, the Rank and Status chair wants Box folders made for our candidates publications and wants me to share the link with external reviewers but doesn’t want the reviewers to be able to see who the other collaborators are, etc. etc. Start the day with a list and then prioritize my 3 main things.
Do you have experience working with students with problems, disabilities, accommodations, those who might not fit in?
In my own family, I have a daughter who was sexually assaulted in high school, a son who was in a terrible car accident and returned to school in a wheelchair and really struggled to return to his classes and make up missed work, I have a transgender daughter and have watched her feel like an outsider and deal with bullying and harassment, I have children who have left the church, and children who have been diagnosed with ADHD, depression, and anxiety. I’ve lived abroad and understand what it’s like to live in an unfamiliar environment and culture and feel like an outsider. I understand grief, having lost a child. Understand betrayal and loneliness after ending a 32-year marriage. I’ve taught refugees who were the only member of their family to make it out of a civil war alive, I’ve met with human trafficking survivors in Ghana, lived in India and made friends with people who had nothing, served as RS president in the largest geographic branch of the church covering all of China and parts of Vietnam and Cambodia. People who were living away from their homelands and remote areas where no other members of the church lived and learning to connect them to each other and minister to them in unconventional ways. Young women’s president twice, RS president 3 times. There is a lot more to me than someone who can manage a department and do finances, HR, events, etc. My real talent is in my interpersonal skills.
What talents and skills do you bring to the table?
I am innovative. I question the way things are done and organized and if there is a better way I will suggest it. I’m not content to do something a certain way just because that is how it has always been done. I like to ask “why?” and if there is a better way, make improvements. I am loyal, dependable. I am part detective and will dig and make calls until I find the information that we need to solve a problem. I love to organize and streamline and find new ways of doing things. I’m kind and empathetic, but I’m also not a pushover. I am a good speaker and presenter. I’ve been asked to speak in stake conference, at 5th Sunday meetings, was invited to present on a podcast to talk about an article I wrote for the Ensign. You can count on me to do the things that are asked of me. I am loyal and dependable.
