Interviewers want more than a one-time success; they’re looking for signs of a well-tested strategy that helps you gather information and put it to use. They also want to know if you feel comfortable with rapid learning.

Sample answer 1

When I started in my role, I thought I was quite good at Excel. I had told my employer that I knew how to calculate complex formulas, but I quickly discovered that my experience was well behind that of my peers.

I didn’t want my boss to know that I was trailing in my capabilities just as I stepped into the new role, so I came up with a plan to teach myself everything I was missing.

Every day after work, I watched at least an hour of Khan Academy videos. I also found practice worksheets online that allowed me to test myself and be sure I was mastering the content.

Within three weeks, I was nearly as fast and fluent as my colleagues at work, and my boss never knew I had come in behind. For individuals who may need additional support, like those with learning challenges, working with a special needs tutor can be an excellent resource to help build the necessary skills in a personalized way.

Why this answer worked well:

  • She showed initiative by going above and beyond after work to catch up to her peers.
  • She was specific in what she didn’t know and then told a clear and concise story about what she needed to do to change the situation.
  • She described how with focus and hard work, she was able to catch up rather quickly.

Sample answer 2

By Business Development Manager Professional

In my role as a new manager, I was given a new title-acquisition channel to manage with little guidance. The channel was brand new to my team leader and me, so we had to get up to speed quickly. I had to learn the channel’s end-to-end process, how it functions, and its various nuances to prevent any negative impact on the business during the ramp-up process.

I set up a time with our internal and external partners to get an understanding of their scope and expectations and started to build relationships. In addition, I took the time to review previous years’ results and understand team pain points.

Then, I coalesced all this information and created a process map to clearly lay out our goals and action steps required to smoothly transition — as well as establish myself as the point of contact and project owner for accountability purposes.

Due to these efforts, we were able to not only maintain the high standards the channel was running at before we took over, but we also made key process improvements resulting in higher client satisfaction.

Why this answer worked well:

  • The candidate demonstrated the ability to quickly assess situations, solve problems, and activate individuals across different disciplines with little direction.
  • Creating a process that held the team accountable for success showed leadership skills.

Sample answer 3

By Enterprise Program Manager Professional

Due to a change in senior leadership, we had to aggressively rethink our approach to the next evolution of cloud technology. As a result, I led a company-wide effort to define and execute a strategy to move towards a subscription-based cloud solution.

First, I worked with my team to define our areas of focus, starting from understanding how our products should work in the future based on the needs, behaviors, desires, and emotions of the customers.

We then examined our capabilities as well as current gaps within the supply chain, engineering, design, marketing, and sales. We looked at how customers interact with our products. We also obtained third-party market research to identify opportunities.

From there, I developed a strategy map to lay out ways in which the organization needed to evolve to succeed and built both business and product roadmaps based on this strategy.

Within eight months, we were able to get full alignment within the team and executed the strategy. We migrated the original solutions to hybrid and private clouds and rolled out offerings to over 100 countries.

Why this answer worked well:

  • The candidate demonstrated a comfort level with high visibility and high-stakes projects.
  • The example showed the candidate’s ability to strategize and execute a plan within an aggressive timeline.

Sample answer 4

By Brand Marketing Manager Professional

As a supply chain executive, I’ve always wanted to do an assignment abroad, especially in Mexico, where the manufacturing scene is exploding with the creation of new factories driven by government tax credits. My current company has a policy that basic fluency in Spanish is required to be eligible for those roles, so I needed to learn enough to conduct foundational communication with vendor partners.

Since my busy schedule didn’t allow for formal language lessons from a private tutor, I enrolled in an online course. I committed to a daily routine at 4:30 am while my wife and child were still sleeping, so my goal didn’t cut into family time. I also downloaded Duolingo, so I could use my commute to practice. Finally, I asked my Spanish-speaking friends to communicate with me only in Spanish to help refine my conversational skills.

Within four months, I was fluent enough to land my dream job as a factory leader in Mexico City on an 18-month expat assignment.

Why this answer worked well:

  • The answer highlights the candidate’s ambition and enthusiasm for the role.
  • The candidate demonstrated self-discipline and time management skills.

Answer framework

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the “SAR” framework: situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were experiencing? What needed to be solved, and what resources did you have–or not have? This is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Then, tell them what you did to turn the situation around. Don’t go into too much detail, though. It should only be about two to three sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded.”

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips

  • Pick a vivid example and show why it was challenging.
  • Break down your learning and mastery into three or four distinct steps (“First, I . . . .).
  • Share a tangible result and speak about it with pride.

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