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128 COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question 113. Describe a time when you requested help or assistance

on a project or assignment.

Situation: At the Agency Group, files were split among agents. I was

responsible for clients whose last names began with K through O. When hur-
ricane Zachary hit Florida, we had many claims, the majority of which were my
responsibility to process.

Action: During my co-workers downtime I asked for their assistance.

We were a close-knit group and everyone helped me process the backlog of
claims.

Result: Without having to work overtime, all the necessary paperwork

was completed without errors.

Question 114. Give an example of a situation in which you demon-

strated your willingness to work hard.

Situation: I worked for a mom-and-pop shop that had a primitive

accounting system, in which all activities were logged in an old-fashioned
ledger book.

Action: I wanted to learn QuickBooks, but the owners could not afford

the software and training. On freebarter.com, I found an older version of the
software. A friend of mine used QuickBooks at her job, and I asked if she
could show me the ins and outs of the program. She agreed, and we met
several times after work or on the weekends.

Result: After a few weeks, I learned how to use the system and I

streamlined the accounting practice for my employer.

Question 115. Describe an occasion when you made a difficult

choice between your personal and your professional life.

Situation: After many years of working for corporate America, I

longed for an opportunity to live outside of the United States. I was hesitant
because my career was on an upswing, and taking time from my job was
risky. But the nagging feeling would not go away. It got to the point where I
could not ignore the urge.

Action: I requested a sabbatical from my employer, obtained a

Switzerland working visa, and applied for a position as a guide for the
Switzerland Museum of History.

American Management Association
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