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| Sample
Interview |
Though one may be able to relay technical
expertise and experiences they have had with other companies
or organizations, it is difficult to grasp a sense of one's
work ethic, efficiency, or leadership ability and initiative
from raw statistics. This page of my portfolio is meant
in part to correct for that deficiency.
Why should you hire me?
You should hire me for a number of reasons. First of all, you should hire me because I'm qualified. I have real world experience in the technology and intelligence communities, as well as the training and academic qualifications necessary to both plan and describe our operations effectively. I posess the necessary passion, leadership ability, integrity, knowledge and experience to excel in any job I am a part of. I am goal oriented and motivated and excel at problem solving. I have been a web designer for nine years. I am an proficient in web and program usability and sharing complex relational information with clients in the civil and defense worlds. These personality traits and strong work ethic as well as my unique skill set will make me an asset to any employer. I am an accredited interrogator and briefer and have broad experience in effectively communicating with people of different educational and cultural backgrounds. My writing experience includes: strategic level DoD threat assessments, technical manuals for the decommissioning of nuclear reactors, sales copy for growing businesses, and standard operating procedure manuals for a wide variety of operations. You should hire me because I am an effective communicator and leader, I am passionate and knowledgeable in a wide array of technologies, and I am adaptable and can work effectively in any kind of environment as I am easy to get along with.
Do I consider myself successful?
Yes I do. I have achieved the goals I set for myself and have maintained my skill sets in all the fields I have worked in to date. That said, I have had my fair share of struggles and made mistakes in the past. My ability to overcome distractions and learn from mistakes has ensured my success and helped me to build the character required to persevere in future challenges. I have found that one who brings determination, a positive attitude, high quality standards, and an open mind to the team will always be successful.
What do co-workers say about me?
I am generally regarded as a leader, a hard worker, and an innovator. I am proactive in quality improvement to identify inefficiencies and to suggest solutions which may be used address them. I have been told by coworkers in the past that I have a broad-based training that is supported by my diverse experiences which allows me to approach problems and troubleshooting from a unique point of view and helps me to contribute when working in a group setting.
How do I keep current and informed about my job and the industries in which I have worked?
I pride myself on my ability to stay on top of what is happening in my industry. I try to stay current on the literature in my field primarily via books, magazines, and online news sources. I belong to a several professional organizations and network with colleagues at the national meetings. I take classes and seminars whenever they are of interest or offer new information. My involvement in the dynamic field of information technology has shown me that it is critical for me to play an active role within the IT community in order to change with this rapidly changing community. In such a rapidly changing field, it is imperative to remain on the cutting edge of new information and technology. A lapse in attention to industry changes can be disastrous, both for an individual and the organization as a whole.
Am I a team player?
Absolutely. I think being a strong team member means more than simply having the social skills to maintain open and productive relationships with my coworkers. In my opinion, a team player must also demonstrate an ability for compromise and a high degree of flexibility. When I was in the HUMINT analysis cell in Kuwait, the joke around the office was that the operation plan would be the first casualty of war. This certainly proved to be the case, and those who were not prepared for that inevitability found themselves struggling to keep up with the rapidly evolving mission. I also find that the ability to keep one's mind open to constructive criticism is invaluable. Part of the purpose of working in a team is to draw from one another's strengths so we may provide the strongest front possible. If I make a mistake I will always own up to it, because doing so demonstrates my integrity to the team and prevents any error I may have made from propagating into our final effort. I believe it's absolutely critical to listen to the team, particularly those that don't agree with me. Taking into account everyone's viewpoint can only make the final result better.
How long would I expect to work for your organization if hired?
I'm looking for a career position.
My philosophy towards work:
I believe in a strong work ethic at all times. I am uncomfortable being idle. There is always more that can be done. I have in certain circumstances found myself in between projects, and on those occasions I take the time to research and refine or create tools that can better facilitate my work. For instance, when I worked at Technigraphics, I helped develop a web based tool that integrated our many foreign language Chart-1s into an integrated tool allowing cartographers to toggle between the US symbols which most had committed to memory to foreign symbols and words they may not have known off the top of their heads. This saved time when creating maps and a significant amount of desk space since they no longer needed to keep 20 different chart-1s on hand. When working for I MEF in Kuwait I used some of our pre-conflict work-up time to develop an integrated relational database of personalities, organizations, and installations which later became the backbone of HUMINT reporting for Marines in theatre (more information can be found here). I've found that initiative is invaluable regardless of one's position.
If I had enough money to retire right now, would I?
No. I am still young, and when, many years from now, I look back on my life I would like to reflect on my many accomplishments that in some way bettered my country and my world.
How would I be an asset to your organization?
I have strong and diverse technical and communication skills. This puts me in a unique position to keep my team up to speed in our ever-changing, technologically driven world. Additionally, you can be assured that when future technologies and their associated challenges present themselves to your organization, I can quickly learn about them and develop a way to effectively evaluate and implement them.
What is my greatest strength?
The ability to come up with innovative and effective solutions and then plan and implement them is probably my greatest strength. I am known to be an "out of the box" thinker, and have a solid reputation for identifying needs and developing solutions before they become critical requirements.
What am I looking for in a job?
I am looking for a job where I love the work, like the people, can make a significant contribution, and can’t wait to get to work in the morning. More specifically, I am seeking a job in either the defense intelligence or competitive business intelligence fields where I feel I can make a substantial contribution.
What would my previous supervisor say my strongest point is?
I would say consistent performance and reliability were probably the attributes of myself he appreciated the most. My previous supervisors have always known they can count on me. Be it with a specific task or maintaining standards of performance for myself and my team, I have led by example and earned the respect and trust of my coworkers. As such, my former employers have always known that when I am given a task or an objective, I will achieve it with a higher than required return.
My ability to work under pressure:
I have proven myself to respond well to a variety of high pressure situations. For instance, when I was in Iraq I reported on a time critical situation which required an immediate response if anything was to be done about it at all. I got the green light almost immediately to coordinate an effort to take action, and within a time span of about 3 hours went from the reporting phase, through the planning phase, and into the operational phase. Upon completion of the operation, I was immediately required to debrief personnel and deliver a full report to the commander. The operation was a success and the commander complemented my response. Regardless of the situation, be it physical or emotional peril, I have the ability to maintain a level head and make thoughtful decisions while maintaining high levels of quality. I believe that doing the job right and maintaining one's focus all but eliminates the stress of high pressure situations and ensures a consistently successful result.
What motivates me to do my best on the job?
The knowledge that what I am doing is important to my organization's objectives drives me to ensure that the end result of my efforts is worthy of everyone else who contributes. I have been fortunate to work with some very talented individuals in the past. I have always made it a personal imperative to never let them down.
Am I willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends? On deployment? Frequent deployment?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Describing my management style:
The term I would use to describe it is "maintenance," as the term applies in baseball. I know how to play many positions on the field, and know how to identify and fill positions that are not being adequately covered. I have found that the more talented my team is, the more diverse and eccentric their personalities are. As such, each team member must be uniquely accommodated and charged in such a way as to maximize their strengths and potential contribution to the project. Once everyone is locked on to our objectives and comfortable in their roll, I move to fill gaps that might occur as the situation changes. Neither the world nor your organization are static; I believe a situational leadership style is the best way to accommodate that condition.
What have I learned from mistakes on the job?
I have learned volumes from the mistakes I have made in the past. For instance, in developing an integrated 1400 target line of communication study for a joint command, I assumed my team would be able to effortlessly integrate their own targets into my templates. Some of my team members hit a roadblock, and for several days they continued to exploit imagery and pool the data into a shared directory without integrating them into the overall project. In this example, I learned the importance of keeping one's team informed. A little practice and a short Q & A session from the outset would have gone a long way to avoiding that situation altogether. I also learned not to make assumptions without reviewing all the information available to me.
Do I have any blind spots?
If I become aware of a blind spot, I will immediately address it.
What would I prefer on a team working on a project?
I am comfortable in many rolls, but prefer a leadership position. I have a great ability to manage debate and coordinate efforts in a way that maximizes efficiency and ensures all input is taken into full consideration without getting bogged down in rhetoric. I am able to coordinate strong personalities and minimize friction, even on projects and in situations where passions are flaring.
My work ethic:
I think the character of an individual is largely defined by their work ethic. When I work, I am focused and driven. I dedicate myself to the objective I am given and use my full effort to accomplish those objectives. I hold values such as integrity, industriousness, and efficiency to be paramount. I do not believe there is ever a time for idleness at work. I believe a great teammate is more valuable than a great player.
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