Tell me about a time when you had to learn something new to complete a project.
"In my last position, I was asked to travel to our company headquarters to learn a new company-wide software. I was tasked with going to corporate, taking the crash seminar, and then coming back and teaching our location in the same manner I was taught. It was challenging, but I was super grateful for the opportunity, as it fell in line with the increased responsibility I hoped to challenge myself within line with my career goals. I was commended on my communications skills in getting all three departments up to speed in no time."
This question aims to answer whether you have a "can-do" attitude and a propensity to step outside of your comfort zone. Your answer could reveal your adaptability and flexibility, and your conviction to learn, grow, and develop your skills. One's level of ambition can be revealed in how frequently they take advantage of learning new skills. These are qualities that recruiters are typically on the lookout for. So detail how you go the extra mile, how you take advantage of any sustainable opportunity to learn new skills, and how you apply these to your career.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
A project I took on as a stretch project at Federated Co-op required quite a bit of iterative calculations from empirical data about trucking routes and trucking efficiencies. I developed a linear regression model that could accurately predict freight rates and then used that to develop a hub-and-spoke model and strategy for lubricant shipments. In order to execute all the iterative and pull scrub distance data from Google APIs, I had to learn how to code beyond a very limited coding background. That project reduced freight costs by 12% in the first year of implementation and cost nothing other than some extra work hours.
Marcie's Feedback
How exactly did you teach yourself to code during the project? Has that coding knowledge come in handy since? Also, great job using a quantifiable stat at the end of your STAR example - very impactful!
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