Pre-work for Interview Essentials class: November

2018
ES723
Due Date: Cohort B : November 13, 2018, 5 PM

Cohort A: November 18, 2018, 5 PM

Cohort C: November 25, 2018, 5 PM

Please review the pre-class slide deck and examples of 6 competencies. Complete the worksheet below and upload a
copy to QuestromTools under assignments. Please bring a printed copy to class for the exercise.

Story Toolbox Worksheet

Competency Background Action (1 minute) Result (1 minute)
(30 seconds)
Tips: Under each  Start by sharing  Focus on what YOU  Describe what changed as a
competency are listed a company and role did, avoid using “we” result of the action you
set of questions that you were in (or year when describing the took.
interviewers ask to test in school if it is a action.  Consider how YOU changed
for that attribute. In story from school).  Choose a few clear internally as a result of this
parenthesis is their  Provide 2-4 actions and match situation.
motivation behind asking sentences about the them with skills  You will stand out if you
those questions situation you were needed for the role. measure you success in
facing that led you to (Example, “to terms of numbers, dollars or
take action. Address the issue, I % change.
 Choose situations took the initiative to
that are specific and communicate…)
important.

LEADERSHIP My class in Outreach You come to classes even

consisted of the kids & before your semesters,
How do you motivate their grandma. In one of you make lesson plans for
people? How do you show our cultural events, I your kids every week, you
initiative and set a good found that Remya’s attend workshops,
example for others? (Can grandmother is absent. I arrange for funds and so
I trust you when the world came to know that she on so forth.
is falling apart here?) had just passed away.I
was shocked thinking
why did Remya even
come to the class. I tried
to postpone the event,
but I could not do so.I
consoled her and
insisted on dropping her
home. She replied that “I

TEAMWORK/
COLLABORATION
Can you work well with
people who are very
different than you? How
do address team issues
when they arise? Are you
willing to sacrificing your
own time/resources to
support someone else?
do not want to miss this
event. We have been
preparing for this since a
month, and I do not
want my team to lose
due to my absence.” I
was stunned. I had
learned so much about
team skills in my life, but
none of those could
explain this level of
maturity of a 9-yr-old.It
taught me treat cause
above self and be
passionate about our
cause, which drives me
to work beyond my
capacity
I enrolled in an eLearning Finally, after 8 to 9 I still remember their last day at
course for dealing with months it was my last Cognizant when these children
difficult kids. The course, date at Cognizant. When gifted me a handmade flower
though useful, could not the students gave me and a greeting card. I improved
prepare me for the their beautiful painting, I a boy's math grade from a D to a
upcoming obstacles. understood that my B.
Although, I felt effort had been fruitful.
unprepared as a leader I
created a plan to get
friendly with them. A
get-together with ice
cream served as an
icebreaker. I continued
with my sessions and
encouraged the students
to discuss what made
them happy I chose to
listen without being
judgmental. We
practiced simple anger
management techniques
like counting from one to
ten. It took a few days
before the children
started to open up. I
routed their energies in
constructive pursuits by
dividing them into
groups such as math
race and general
knowledge quiz

COMMUNICATION /
INFLUENCE
How do you
communicate? Are you
aware of your strengths
and shortcomings and
how did you work on
those? (Will I have to hunt
you down for everything?)
How do you adapt your
communication to
influence others?
ANALYSIS
Can you prove your point
using data? Can you use
data to solve a problem?
(Will you get lost in all the
numbers and details or
can you identify what
factors are most
important and then draw
conclusions and
competitions. Slowly, the
kids started showing
interest in studies. I
doubled their interests
by teaching them some
shortcuts from Vedic
Maths.
“I was a technical analyst a step-by-step The client was very pleased by
on a project. My team implementation plan. We the innovation that I suggested
lead had to leave owing were able to present this since it resulted in
to a personal new plan to the client approximately 20% cost savings
emergency. He asked me within a week. %. Even my manager
to lead our five-person acknowledged my leadership
team in finishing up the abilities and soon I was
project. It had been a promoted to a Business Analyst.
straightforward project,
but right after he left,
one of the major call
flows had too many
issues. Since this was a
major call flow, even
other flows and
functionalities were
related to this call flow in
some way. Hence, we
had to revaluate the
entire test scripts to
keep the project not only
under budget but also
within the timeline. I
called the team together
right and worked to calm
their frustrations. We
brainstormed other
options such as the
automation tools and
testing suites available,
I have acquired For instance, whenever I
analytical thinking skills encounter any riddle in
by teaching and solving any game or any
lots of brain teasers, showstopper defect in my
chess puzzles and corporate job, I used to
Sudoku puzzles with my stop my thought process
students. for a moment and
consider look at the
riddle as if some winning
combination exists to it.
This key strength will help
me during the case
communicate to senior competitions by allowing
management?) me to look at situations
from numerous
perspectives. It shall also
help me to anticipate
unintended or negative
consequences and find
out ways to mitigate
those negative impacts.
ADAPTABILITY I started a company Out of the three co- I learnt lot of things from this
How do you deal with the named Chesscube with founders, two of us were experience. First, I learned how
new and unknown, what two of my other far more involved in the hard it is to run a business. I
challenges did you face cofounders. We were business. So, we could learned a bit more about things
and how did you trying to implement kind of see the problem like finance and marketing that I
overcome them. What did outreach and extra- coming a bit earlier than had never studied are done
you learn? (Will you be curricular chess the third co-founder. So, before but most of all I learned
able to adjust into a new programs for 4-5 charter both of us had put our about communication I learned
team and become part of schools. We even resume and found a job that if I had stayed in touch with
them?) conducted lots of basically before things Swaroop and let her know but
tournaments and gave really fell apart. However, what the what the things that I
bro bono sessions. the third co-founder was doing at every step of the
named Swaroop didn't way she wouldn't have felt like
But, a couple things react well at all. He was that. I learned to be more
went wrong. We were disappointed as he felt proactive and to put myself in
overwhelmed with the that he was getting the other people's shoes and to
responsibilities of information late and he really communicate more
running a start-up. We was really counting on effectively with people.
knew the technology this venture to be his job.
side and we had a We went and talked to
passion for chess too. was our career
But we didn't know how counsellor. He gave me
to run a business. Since some kind words he
we were providing our encouraged me to just
services at a really low basically apologized to
cost, it was not a marry but best of all he
financially sustainable introduced us to a
business model. professor in the Robotics
Frankly so at the end of lab professor who hired
the day we just basically him as a lab assistant.
ran out of money before
we could achieve our
dreams. Hence, we had
to shut it down.

DECISION MAKING In a previous company, I "I did report the superior

How good are you at was given the chance to for the wrongdoing, but I
problem solving and using get a promotion if I didn't do it to earn the
interpersonal skills/ how would report a superior promotion. I said that I
you prioritize tasks and would only take the
people and make promotion if I had
decisions (I hope you will for something that they actually earned it by
know what to do when were doing wrong." merit of my work, and
there is a fire in the not because I reported
building!) my manager."