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COMPETENCY #3—PERSONAL MOTIVATION 133

perience I garnered, including how to expand territory and handle consulta-
tive sales, was instrumental in my later success as an account executive.

Question 122. Recall a life-altering event that impacted your career

choices.

Situation: It was not in my nature to take risks, in either my personal

or my professional life. For instance, I never competed with co-workers on
challenging projects. Usually I sat by the sidelines and waited for manage-
ment to assign me a task. Unexpectedly, my father passed away in a car
crash. I thought about the sacrifices he had made for our family to ensure we
succeeded in life.

Action: I decided to quit my job and enroll in an MBA program.

Result: After graduation I joined a financial company, where I em-

braced the concept of friendly competition and positioned myself as the go-
to person for the office. Soon, I was charged with managing five associates.

Question 123. Tell me about a time when your hard work was rewarded.

Situation: When I worked as a legal assistant for a securities-claim

law firm, I made it a point to tackle initiatives that did not fall within my job
description.

Action: Specifically, I managed the client database, instituting up-

grades and spearheading software improvement efforts to streamline
processes.

Result: I earned a reputation as a diligent, attentive team player, and

within four months of my hire, I assumed docket management activities, an
unprecedented feat for the law firm.

Question 124. Give me an example of a time when you took on a task

that was not part of your job description.

Situation: Though Mao Electronics had solid marketing and public

relations departments, all the products we sold were technical in nature. Be-
cause of this, neither department had the technical expertise to create mar-
keting collateral.

Action: To assist in the marketing efforts, I offered to provide interviews

to technical publications regarding the new products and our design philos-

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