MockQuestions

American Red Cross Mock Interview

Question 28 of 34 for our American Red Cross Mock Interview

American Red Cross was updated by on February 28th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 28 of 34

Talk about a situation where you had to alter your strategy in order to solve a problem.

"I grew up on a farm with parents who were deeply invested in sustainability. They taught us kids about leveraging solar and wind energy to reduce harmful environmental effects and how to use innovative methods to make fresh, healthy food for our customers. When I went to college, I became frustrated by the waste of food resources I observed in our cafeteria. I started a small group of students who worked collectively to build and manage a community garden for all students to use freely.

This was the first time I had taken action to address an issue I was very passionate about, and it lit a fire inside of me. However, while this provided an alternative for students, it didn't address the waste issue in the cafeteria. I coordinated a meeting with the community garden leaders, school administration, and the cafeteria's catering company to investigate ways in which we might re-purpose good food instead of it being tossed out at the end of the day.

During the meeting, I was reminded of a local soup kitchen I had volunteered with a few times. I asked if it would be possible to donate the day's leftover food from the cafeteria to bolster the soup kitchen's supply. After working through logistics with the kitchen's leaders, we were able to develop a system where the cafeteria's daily leftover food would be given to a community garden volunteer who would deliver it to the soup kitchen in time for its scheduled evening dinner. Altering my initial strategy resulted in a solid community partnership that exists to this day."

Next Question

How to Answer: Talk about a situation where you had to alter your strategy in order to solve a problem.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an American Red Cross job interview.

  • 28. Talk about a situation where you had to alter your strategy in order to solve a problem.

      What You Need to Know

      Your answer will show the interviewer that you are able to not only solve problems but also be flexible and find solutions in places you haven't yet examined. This is ultimately a question about adaptability and strategic thinking.

      Written by Isaiah Swanson on February 28th, 2022

      How to Answer

      When sharing your answer, first describe your initial strategy for addressing the problem. Next, explain why it did not work and how you re-assessed the situation. Finally, talk about how you shifted your strategy and describe the end result.

      Written by Isaiah Swanson on February 28th, 2022

      1st Answer Example

      "I grew up on a farm with parents who were deeply invested in sustainability. They taught us kids about leveraging solar and wind energy to reduce harmful environmental effects and how to use innovative methods to make fresh, healthy food for our customers. When I went to college, I became frustrated by the waste of food resources I observed in our cafeteria. I started a small group of students who worked collectively to build and manage a community garden for all students to use freely.

      This was the first time I had taken action to address an issue I was very passionate about, and it lit a fire inside of me. However, while this provided an alternative for students, it didn't address the waste issue in the cafeteria. I coordinated a meeting with the community garden leaders, school administration, and the cafeteria's catering company to investigate ways in which we might re-purpose good food instead of it being tossed out at the end of the day.

      During the meeting, I was reminded of a local soup kitchen I had volunteered with a few times. I asked if it would be possible to donate the day's leftover food from the cafeteria to bolster the soup kitchen's supply. After working through logistics with the kitchen's leaders, we were able to develop a system where the cafeteria's daily leftover food would be given to a community garden volunteer who would deliver it to the soup kitchen in time for its scheduled evening dinner. Altering my initial strategy resulted in a solid community partnership that exists to this day."

      Written by Isaiah Swanson on February 28th, 2022

      2nd Answer Example

      "As an organization, we noticed that we had been struggling to meet our fundraising goals regularly over the course of a ten-year period. Up until that point, our focus had been on stewarding our regular donors towards increasing annual gifts; this tactic did not have the results we had hoped for.

      In my position as a continuous improvement manager, it was my task to investigate potential reasons we could not meet our goals and present recommended changes to the board of directors. When I began to research nationwide giving trends, I learned that charitable giving rates have been steadily declining, particularly amongst Millennials and Generation Z, in favor of volunteer experiences. In order to adapt to this generational shift, I recommended increasing opportunities for remote volunteer engagement as well as creating a new giving tier that would boost acknowledgment and perks for donors who gave any amount under $1,000. This strategic shift helped the organization engage new supporters in the younger generation."

      Written by Isaiah Swanson on February 28th, 2022

    • Next Question