CBP Mock Interview

Practice 35 CBP interview questions covering integrity, law enforcement scenarios, and border security protocols.

Question 23 of 35

Working for Customs and Border Protection can be exceedingly stressful. How will you cope with this intensity on and off the job?

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Example Answer
Community Answers

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

One of the most significant concerns for an employer is that outside influences and stressors will influence work performance. This concern is especially real when dealing with high-pressure environments such as customs and border protection. Assure the interviewer that you understand the importance of keeping your focus in the workplace. Discuss the actions that you take to maintain professionalism at all times and the preventative measures you take to ensure a healthy work/life balance.

Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

"I fully understand that stress management is an incredibly important skill to master. It's important to me that I never misappropriate feelings of stress. I am assertive in both my personal and professional life, which means that when a stressor comes up, I nip it in the bud before the symptoms creep into other areas of my life. Also, I have a significant social support network between my family and friends, which I believe is critical to healthy stress management."

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Anonymous Answer

I experience stress in a similar manner in my current employment. I believe that I handle the stress well and practice de-stressing techniques to remain focused and calm.
My current de-stressing techniques include home renovation, exercise, and being around my friends and family.

Cindy's Feedback

Very good. I'd recommend explaining a situation that demonstrates how you remain calm under pressure. The STAR method provides a good way to structure an answer. Talk about a situation, the task at hand, the actions you took, and the result. Connect how your calm demeanor helped reach a good result. You can find out more about the STAR method, here: https://www.mockquestions.com/articles/Master Behavioral-Based Interviews Using The Star Method/

Anonymous Answer

I understand that working in a career with CBP will be exceedingly stressful, due to many factors. As a student-athlete, I have learned to manage stress by making sure I address it immediately and do not let the negative factors come out to be shown to my peers and family. I plan to continue to do this if hired by CBP. Having a strong support system in my close friends and family is something that I attribute to being able to manage stress accordingly.

Marcie's Feedback

It's great that you feel prepared to handle the stress that will come with this job. Student-athletes definitely deal with lots of pressure so this is relevant to talk about here. Consider discussing in more detail the methods you use to control stress. Beyond having a strong support system, do you work out, listen to music, socialize, or journal to blow off steam? Adding more details will improve your answer. Nice job!

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35CBP Interview Questions & Answers

Behavioral

1.Customs and Border Protection agents are on the front lines of guarding the country against illegal activity. How will you meet the mental demands of this job?

Behavioral

2.Customs and Border Protections include 'integrity' in its core values. Talk about a time that you acted with integrity.

Experience

3.How familiar are you with international trade laws and regulations?

Career Goals

4.Customs and Border Protection has land, air, and marine monitoring capabilities. Which division interests you most? Explain why.

Behavioral

5.Why are you choosing a career with Customs and Border Protection? Talk about your most significant motivating factors.

Education

6.Walk us through your post-secondary education and how the knowledge you gained will benefit your career with CBP.

Discovery

7.Have you ever committed a crime, participated in any illegal activity, or maintained inappropriate criminal affiliation by association?

Behavioral

8.What have you done to train and prepare yourself for a role with Customs and Border Protection?

Experience

9.Besides border agents, CBP employs forensic scientists, international trade specialists, public affairs officers, and other specialists. Talk to us about the unique skills you will bring to our agency.

Knowledge

10.What do you know about the Customs and Border Protection Ethos?

Behavioral

11.Have you carefully reviewed the CBP Standards of Conduct? Are there any points of ethical conduct and responsibilities you feel unable to fulfill?

Behavioral

12.All CBP employees must maintain high standards of honesty, integrity, and character to gain and maintain the trust of the public. How will you exude this commitment in every interaction with the public?

Experience

13.Certain employee conduct, on and off duty, may be subject to disciplinary action. What actions do you understand to be impermissible?

Leadership

14.Every CBP employee is required to disclose misconduct immediately. How would you approach reporting the actions of others?

Discovery

15.Customs and Border Protection considers the use of prohibited substances a severe matter. Have you ever used, possessed, sold, or distributed illegal drugs?

Behavioral

16.Customs and Border Protection does not tolerate violence or harassment in the workplace. How often do you lose your temper or fail to control your emotions?

Diversity

17.Customs and Border Protection has a robust Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan designed to create an inclusive and engaged workforce. How do you plan to support these efforts?

Knowledge

18.What is a 'pandemic,' and what part do you believe Customs and Border Protection plays in such an event?

Knowledge

19.What do you know about the history of Customs and Border Protection?

Diversity

20.You are on the job and a member of the public calls you a racial slur or derogatory term. What do you do?

Behavioral

21.How do you deal with uncomfortable situations?

Experience

22.Customs and Border Protection maintains a profoundly stringent hiring process. Why should we hire you?

Behavioral

23.Working for Customs and Border Protection can be exceedingly stressful. How will you cope with this intensity on and off the job?

Experience

24.We want to hire employees with a keen interest in public protection and law enforcement. How do you stay up to date on current events that may impact Customs and Border Protection?

Leadership

25.Talk about the ways you demonstrate leadership qualities even when you are not in a leadership role.

Experience

26.We are looking for CBP agents that are bi-lingual in English and Spanish. Do you have any special linguistic skills to mention?

Behavioral

27.Are you willing to consent to the rigorous medical testing required to join the Customs and Border Protection roster?

Diversity

28.Customs and Border Protection offers a diverse workplace community. How have you adapted to serve others of different cultures?

Behavioral

29.Customs and Border Protection agents safeguard our borders. How will your expertise, character, and dedication to our mission be of benefit to our agency?

Leadership

30.On a typical day, Customs and Border Protection seizes thousands of pounds of illegal drugs and makes hundreds of apprehensions. How will you best support your colleagues while managing a perpetually heavy workload?

Experience

31.We have rules for everything here. Tell me about the time you found it difficult to follow the rules.

Experience

32.Have you worked in an environment that demanded a high level of adherence to routine?

Flexibility

33.What is your availability?

Experience

34.What do you consider the toughest aspect of this job?

Behavioral

CBP Mock Interview

Working for Customs and Border Protection can be exceedingly stressful. How will you cope with this intensity on and off the job?

35CBP Interview Questions & Answers

1.Customs and Border Protection agents are on the front lines of guarding the country against illegal activity. How will you meet the mental demands of this job?

2.Customs and Border Protections include 'integrity' in its core values. Talk about a time that you acted with integrity.

3.How familiar are you with international trade laws and regulations?

4.Customs and Border Protection has land, air, and marine monitoring capabilities. Which division interests you most? Explain why.

5.Why are you choosing a career with Customs and Border Protection? Talk about your most significant motivating factors.

6.Walk us through your post-secondary education and how the knowledge you gained will benefit your career with CBP.

7.Have you ever committed a crime, participated in any illegal activity, or maintained inappropriate criminal affiliation by association?

8.What have you done to train and prepare yourself for a role with Customs and Border Protection?

9.Besides border agents, CBP employs forensic scientists, international trade specialists, public affairs officers, and other specialists. Talk to us about the unique skills you will bring to our agency.

10.What do you know about the Customs and Border Protection Ethos?

11.Have you carefully reviewed the CBP Standards of Conduct? Are there any points of ethical conduct and responsibilities you feel unable to fulfill?

12.All CBP employees must maintain high standards of honesty, integrity, and character to gain and maintain the trust of the public. How will you exude this commitment in every interaction with the public?

13.Certain employee conduct, on and off duty, may be subject to disciplinary action. What actions do you understand to be impermissible?

14.Every CBP employee is required to disclose misconduct immediately. How would you approach reporting the actions of others?

15.Customs and Border Protection considers the use of prohibited substances a severe matter. Have you ever used, possessed, sold, or distributed illegal drugs?

16.Customs and Border Protection does not tolerate violence or harassment in the workplace. How often do you lose your temper or fail to control your emotions?

17.Customs and Border Protection has a robust Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan designed to create an inclusive and engaged workforce. How do you plan to support these efforts?

18.What is a 'pandemic,' and what part do you believe Customs and Border Protection plays in such an event?

19.What do you know about the history of Customs and Border Protection?

20.You are on the job and a member of the public calls you a racial slur or derogatory term. What do you do?

21.How do you deal with uncomfortable situations?

22.Customs and Border Protection maintains a profoundly stringent hiring process. Why should we hire you?

23.Working for Customs and Border Protection can be exceedingly stressful. How will you cope with this intensity on and off the job?

24.We want to hire employees with a keen interest in public protection and law enforcement. How do you stay up to date on current events that may impact Customs and Border Protection?

25.Talk about the ways you demonstrate leadership qualities even when you are not in a leadership role.

26.We are looking for CBP agents that are bi-lingual in English and Spanish. Do you have any special linguistic skills to mention?

27.Are you willing to consent to the rigorous medical testing required to join the Customs and Border Protection roster?

28.Customs and Border Protection offers a diverse workplace community. How have you adapted to serve others of different cultures?

29.Customs and Border Protection agents safeguard our borders. How will your expertise, character, and dedication to our mission be of benefit to our agency?

30.On a typical day, Customs and Border Protection seizes thousands of pounds of illegal drugs and makes hundreds of apprehensions. How will you best support your colleagues while managing a perpetually heavy workload?

31.We have rules for everything here. Tell me about the time you found it difficult to follow the rules.

32.Have you worked in an environment that demanded a high level of adherence to routine?

33.What is your availability?

34.What do you consider the toughest aspect of this job?

35.Do you have a role model or mentor?