Conquering the LRW Interview: A Comprehensive Guide to Ace Your Next Research Role

GENERAL INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS (ICE-BREAKERS)

Tell us a little about yourself.

What interests you about this job?

Describe your ideal work environment.

• When did you have to get someone who was being difficult to work with you? What problems did you have? How did you solve them? How did this affect your ability to work with this person afterwards?
• What is your favorite example of how you worked together as a team to complete a big task? What was the objective or goal? What did you do to help reach this goal? How much did you work with other people on this project?
• Tell us about a time when your coworkers told you what you did wrong. How did you respond? What changes did you make?.
• Tell me about a project you were in charge of that required you to talk to a lot of people for a long time.
• Tell us about some of your most successful partnerships.
• When and how did you give praise and a reward to a team player in the past?
• Tell us about a class, job, or activity outside of school where you had to work closely with other people. How did it go? How did you overcome any difficulties?.
• Why was it so important for someone to help you with a problem at work?

• Tell us about a time when you had to deal with an angry customer. What was the issue, and what happened? How would you rate your ability to calm things down?
• Give an example of a time when you changed a process or operation because a customer told you to.
• Tell us about a marketing campaign or information-sharing project you created. How did it meet the client’s need?.

• Tell us about a suggestion you made to make things run more smoothly at work. What was the result?.
• Tell us about a change you made at work that is now being used by another department.
• Give us an example of a time when you changed an operation or process.
• What new problems did you find at your last job that no one else had seen? Were changes made? Who backed the changes that you suggested?

• Describe the most significant or creative presentation/idea that you developed/implemented.
• You came up with a creative idea, project, or report to solve a problem at work. Tell me about it.
• Tell us about a time when you made a new program or process that was thought to be dangerous. What was the situation and what did you do?.
• Tell us about a time when you went above and beyond to do your job.
• Describe a situation where innovation was required at work. What did you do in this situation?.

• Please give examples of how you can adjust to different people, situations, and/or environments.
• What do you do when your priorities shift quickly? Give us an example of this.
• Tell us about a choice you made when you were stressed out.
• Tell us about a time when new information changed your mind about something you had already decided.
• Please give an example of a time when you had to make a choice but no rules were in place. What was the outcome?.
• How did you feel about your last job stress? When was the last time you felt that way? What made you decide to handle it that way? How did this affect your other responsibilities, if any?
• Tell me about a time when you started a new job that required different skills. How did you learn how to do it?
• Describe a time when something that was good at one job became bad at another. How did you cope?.
• How would you deal with situations where priorities and deadlines change quickly and often?
• Tell us about a time when you had to change the order of priorities for a project quickly. What was the outcome?.
• Tell us about a time you had to get used to a new way of doing things. What did you do and why?.

• Tell me about a choice you made or an event you would have handled differently if you could do it over.
• When someone told you or you found out on your own that you were not doing a good job at work, what did you do? Could you give us an example?
• Tell us about a time when your boss or coworkers told you what they thought of your work or behavior. What did you learn about yourself?.
• In the past five years, what have you done to improve your technical skills?
• Tell us about a job that made you learn new things.
• Tell us about a recent learning experience. What did you learn from the job or the experience?.
• Let us know about a time when you had to do a hard assignment even though the odds were against you. What did you learn from that experience?.
• Discuss the highlights of your most recent educational experience. Did you accomplish anything noteworthy? What were the hardest things you had to deal with?

• Describe the steps or methods you used to come up with a vision for your position.
• What were your short- and long-term goals when you were in your current or previous job? When did you set them? Who else helped you set them? Which ones did you reach?
• How do you think your job fits in with the overall goals of the company you work for now or have worked for in the past?
• Tell us about a time when you thought ahead and changed your current duties or operations to meet the needs of the future.

• What are three qualities of a good leader that you think are important? How have you shown these qualities in the past or present?
• Tell me about a time when you used persuasion to get someone to agree with your way of doing things. Who was the person you had to persuade?.
• Have you ever taken any risks at work? If so, tell us about them.
• Tell us about how you tried to get your boss to agree with a new idea.
• Describe a time when you were a leader and how you would have handled it differently if you could.
• What one event made you realize that you could be a good leader?
• How have you developed the skills of your team?
• Tell us about a time when you were able to properly thank a coworker for their work. What did you do?.
• Talk about a time when you asked for more responsibility.
• Tell us about a project/suggestion that you initiated. Explain how you communicated the project/suggestion.
• What have you done at your current or previous job that wasn’t asked of you?

• Tell us about a time when you had to settle a disagreement with a coworker, client, or boss. How did you demonstrate respect?.
• Let us know about a time you had to tell a coworker something bad. What was the outcome?.
• Talk about how you dealt with a problem at work that involved people who had different values, ideas, and beliefs.

• Tell us about a time when you had to deal with an angry customer. What was the issue, and what happened? How would you rate your ability to calm things down?
• Tell us about the hardest thing about trying to work together with someone who didn’t hold the same views as you. What part did you play in meeting the work goal? How did working with this person affect your ability to get things done in the long run?
• Describe a time at work when you had to really listen and show compassion to a coworker who was talking about something private or sensitive.

• How do you get along with your coworkers, managers, and other people on your team?
• Tell us about a time when you had to deal with someone who was difficult. What was going on? How did you approach the conversation? What happened in the end?
• Tell us about a time you had to give your boss a new idea that hadn’t been tried before. What was your approach? What was the outcome?.
• Talk about a time when you had to explain something complicated to someone who didn’t know much about it.
• Have you ever been questioned about a choice you made? If so, how did you deal with that?
• Tell us about a time when you gave a coworker or direct report feedback, whether it was good or bad. How about feedback on growth? What did you say, and how did it go?
• How do you get information you need from other colleagues?
• Tell us about a time when a coworker or employee let you down. How did you react?.
• How do you make sure that people keep the promises they make to you?
• How do you deal with job stress?

• Tell us about a time when you had to accept and understand the points of view of many different people.
• How do you learn more about diversity? What are some ways you’ve shown that you’ve learned?
• Tell me about a time when you told a coworker they were being too hard on others.
• Tell me about a time when someone’s cultural background changed how you dealt with a situation at work.
• How have you dealt with clients whose accents were too strong for you to understand?
• Tell us about a time when you were able to adjust to a place with a different culture.
• Tell us about a time when you had to separate the person from the problem in order to get along with them. What steps have you taken to own up to an action that might have been offensive to someone else?
• Please tell us about a time when you changed how you worked with people who were different from you.
• What should you do when you hear conversations between coworkers that are clearly offensive to people who aren’t involved?
• Give an example of a time when your beliefs and values affected how you got along with coworkers.
• Tell us about a time when you thought about what you thought or believed about issues of difference and diversity.
• Please tell us about a time when you didn’t judge someone based on how they looked.
• How have you made your voice heard in a place where men or women are more common?
• What steps have you taken to make someone feel at ease in a place where other people were clearly not comfortable with them?

• Tell us about a time when you had to deal with a tough issue that raised moral or fair concerns.
• Tell us about a tough decision you made. How, what, and why did you think about things in order to make an objective decision?

• Think of a time when you didn’t trust a coworker or boss, which caused tension between you. What steps did you take to improve the relationship?.
• Tell us how you keep your boss up to date on the progress of your projects.
• Tell us about a time when your trustworthiness was challenged. How did you react/respond?.
• Give us examples of times when you were honest with someone at work.
• Tell us about a time you trusted a coworker. What was the outcome?.
• Tell us about a time you had to trust a coworker or boss more than they let you. What was the outcome?.
• Describe a time when you took responsibility for a disagreement and contacted the person(s) involved to explain what you did. Do you feel trust levels were improved as a result?.

• Give examples that show you can work with a lot of different types of people.
• Give us an example of a time when it was hard to get other people to work with you.
• Tell us about the hardest thing about trying to work together with someone who didn’t hold the same views as you. What were the different ideas? What happened? How did working with this person affect your ability to get things done in the long run?
• Describe a time when you thought your team was under too much stress. What did you do about it?.

• Please tell us about a time when you were able to communicate with someone even though you thought they didn’t care about your point of view.
• Tell us about a time when you and your old boss didn’t agree but you still managed to get your point across.
• Tell me about a time when you helped your coworkers come up with a creative solution to a problem.
• Tell us about a recent success you had while working with a difficult coworker.
• Think of the toughest person you’ve had to deal with and describe an encounter that shows how tough that person was. Tell us about the last time you dealt with him/her.
• How did you handle the situation?
• Describe a time when you took responsibility for a disagreement and contacted the person(s) involved to explain what you did.
• Describe a serious professional conflict you’ve been through, how you handled it, and what you would have done differently if you could go back in time.

• What were three specific things about your last job that made you happy?
• What did you do well at your last job?
• Feel free to recall a time when being a good example to your coworkers made the biggest difference. How did you know that a strong example was needed? What did your coworkers think of it?
• Describe your best boss.
• Describe your worst boss.

• What makes you really angry?
• How do you handle job stress?

• Give us an example of a time you failed to meet a deadline. How did you handle it?.
• Explain how you’ve kept a project team up to date on your progress.
• Are you better at working on a lot of things at once, or are you better at working on a few things and getting things done? Please give us two examples to show this.
• What was one of your greatest accomplishments? Explain where the assignment came from, how you planned to complete it, how you actually did it, and any problems you faced along the way.
• In terms of planning and organization, which of your current assignments do you think required the most work? How did you complete this assignment? Tell us how you dealt with it. How would you assess your effectiveness?.
• How do you keep track of and organize your work when you have a lot of it?
• Tell us about a time you had to get used to a new way of doing things. What did you do?.
• Tell us about a time when you had to work in a place that wasn’t organized.
• How do you organize your work during a typical day?
• How do you decide which tasks are most important? What do you do to make sure that all of your priorities are met?

• Tell me about a time when you had to act quickly to get out of a tough situation.
• Let us know about a politically tricky job situation you had. How did you handle it?.
• Let us know about a time when you solved a problem by using logic and good judgment.
• Please give an example of a time when you had to make a choice but no rules were in place. What was the outcome?.
• How do you solve problems at work?
• Please tell us about a time when you stopped or avoided a problem before it happened.
• What kinds of problems do you like to solve the most? Give us some examples of problems you’ve solved in the past. What did you enjoy about them?.
• Problems of what kind do you dislike the most? Give us some examples of problems you’ve had in the past. What did you least enjoy about them?.
• How did you get help the last time you were having a big problem? Why did you choose that person?
• Can you tell me about a time when you tried to avoid making a mistake? What did you do? What happened?
• What was the hardest thing about your most recent or previous job, and how did you handle it?
• What big problems did you face in your last job or project that made you doubt your ability to do well, and how did you solve them?

• Tell us about a choice you made that you wish you hadn’t made.
• Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t have much time to make a tough choice? What did you decide? What happened because of your choice?
• Let us know about a time when you had to make a choice without following the right steps. What happened?
• Tell us about a time you had to do something that wasn’t popular.
• Discuss an important decision you have made regarding work. What factors influenced your decision?.
• What steps do you take in your current job task to make sure the choices you make work?

• Give us an example of something you did at a previous job that shows you are willing to work hard.
• When you were working before, what was the biggest mistake or failure you made? Why did you make it? How did you fix it?
• Tell us about a time when your boss told you your work wasn’t good enough. How did you respond?.
• Please tell us about a time when you admitted you were wrong and were held responsible.
• Would you mind telling us about a time when you had to do something extra at work? What was the situation, and how did you handle it?
• What types of work do you most enjoy? Why?
• What types of work do you most avoid? Why?

• Tell me about a time when you used persuasion to get someone to agree with your way of doing things.
• Tell us about a big goal you set in the past and how you were able to reach it.
• Which projects did you work on at your last job and how did you finish them? What were some of the challenges you faced when you had to meet project deadlines?
• Are you better at working on a lot of things at once, or are you better at working on a few things and getting things done? Please give us two examples to show this.
• What do you think are your biggest achievements at your current or previous job?
• Tell us about a time when you changed a procedure or process to make your company or department work better.

• Tell me about a time when you used persuasion to get someone to agree with your way of doing things. Who was the person you had to persuade?.
• Time you had to use your written communication skills to get a message across that was very important
• If possible, describe a time when you were able to communicate with someone well even though they may not have agreed with your point of view.
• Tell me about a time when you used your communication skills to calm down someone who was angry. How did it turn out?.
• Tell us about a time when you and your boss didn’t agree but you still found a way to get your point across.
• Tell us about how you tried to get your boss to accept a new idea.
• When you don’t agree with what your team thinks, how do you let them know?
• How have you improved your oral communication skills?
• How have you improved your listening skills?
• What do you do when you feel like no one is paying attention?
• Tell us about a time when being able to listen well helped you through a tough time.
• Please give an example of how you think about your audience before you talk to them. What factors influence your communication?.
• When you choose whether to write, call, or meet in person, what do you think about?
• Have you ever given a talk in front of a group? Plan how you did it, and what would you change?
• Describe to us a presentation you made recently. How did you prepare for the presentation? How did you share the information?
• Explain how you keep your boss up to date on your project progress.
• Tell me about a time when you were able to get past a problem with communication. What steps did you take and why?.
• Please tell us about a time when you had to explain something hard to someone who didn’t know much about it. How did you go about this?.
• Tell us about a time when you needed to get more information about a request that wasn’t clear. What did you do?.
• Tell us about a time when you thought someone on your team wasn’t doing their job. How did you go about talking to them? What did the task turn out to be?

• If you had to change the order of your tasks and still kept all your promises, tell us about it. What steps did you take?.
• Tell us about a time when a big problem came up at the end of the workday. What happened? How did you handle it?.
• Let us know about a tough choice you had to make because of an unexpected deadline. Describe the situation and explain why it was hard. Explain the choice and the result.
• Give us an example of a time you failed to meet a deadline. How did you handle it?.

• Explain how your job helps the organization’s or unit’s mission and goals. What are the mission and goals?.
• How do you keep your job knowledge up to date in a field that is always changing?

• Tell us about a big goal you set in the past and how you were able to reach it.
• Discuss a time when you had to finish several projects or tasks within a short amount of time.
• Talk about a time when you had to do more than what was expected of you to finish a job.
• Give us an example of a time you failed to meet a deadline. How did you handle it?.
• Give us two examples of things you did at your last job that show you are willing to work hard.
• Describe a course, project, or work experience that was complex. What kind of follow-up did you do? How long did it take because of problems that came up out of the blue?
• Tell us about a project you worked on and are proud of how it turned out. What was your job? What did you find? How did you deal with problems?
• Please describe a time when you were given a task and didn’t know how to complete it. What did you do? What was the outcome?.
• Please tell us about a time when you had to change the order of your tasks and still got everything done on time. What did you do and how did you do it?.
• Tell us about a time when you needed to get more information about a request that wasn’t clear.
• Tell us about a time when a big problem came up at the end of the workday. What happened? How did you handle it?.
• Let us know about a tough choice you had to make because of an unexpected deadline. What was going on and why was it so hard? What choice did you make and how did it turn out?

The ability to develop strong relationships is a critical component of fundraising. How do you identify “who’s who” and develop the kinds of relationships that lead to sustained giving?.

• Tell us about the hardest class you’ve ever taught and why it was hard.
• How would you plan a class that will be taught to 800 people in a big room?
• Which would you rather teach: big classes or small classes? Why?

What’s the best way to ensure that students stay on track academically in order to graduate on time?

• Describe your experience in multi-disciplinary teaching.
• Tell me about the time you spent helping students who wanted to get an undergraduate degree in more than one field.

• Describe your experience being pro-active in preventing disruptive student behavior.
• What was the hardest thing you had to deal with in the classroom when a student was being disruptive?
• What tools have you used to deal with a student who consistently causes trouble? What was the outcome?
• Have you ever been to work somewhere where there was student violence? If so, what happened, and how did it affect you and your students?

• How have you incorporated technology in your teaching?
• How can you find out about new tech that can help you or your students?

• Explain how you first became interested in the area(s) you are currently researching.
• Describe the role of research in higher education.

• How do you build a competent, motivated research team?
• What role does non-faculty (i.e., staff) play in your research?
• (Is everyone on the same page?) How would your current or previous lab team describe your work?
• Describe your experience in multi-disciplinary research.
• Tell us about the hardest time you had to deal with a student who was bothering you in the lab.

15 COMPETENCY BASED Interview Questions and Answers (STAR Method Included)