MockQuestions

Department of State Mock Interview

To help you prepare for a Department of State job interview, here are 30 interview questions and answer examples.

Department of State was written by on May 18th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 1 of 30

How comfortable are you with working under high-ranking officials?

They're trying to gauge the level of your interpersonal skills and your approach in a fast-paced, highly demanding role where you will encounter the demands of many high-profile personalities. This will require your constant flexibility and an ability to adapt to different personality types. How you answer this question will also offer insights as to what you find challenging when dealing with individuals in positions of authority and power.

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30 Department of State Interview Questions & Answers

Below is a list of our Department of State interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view six answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.

  • Behavioral

    1. How comfortable are you with working under high-ranking officials?

  • Behavioral

    2. Tell me about when you worked well in a team.

  • Behavioral

    3. Are you a better team player or prefer working individually?

  • Behavioral

    4. How well do you perform under pressure?

  • Behavioral

    5. Could you describe a time when you did work that you did not necessarily want to do?

  • Behavioral

    6. Tell me about your attention to detail.

  • Behavioral

    7. What do you do when someone has a different communication style from you?

  • Behavioral

    8. Tell me about a time you experienced failure and how you recovered from it.

  • Direct

    9. Give me your elevator pitch.

  • Discovery

    10. How comfortable are you with your foreign language skills?

  • Discovery

    11. Tell me about your background and experience.

  • Discovery

    12. Describe a situation in which you did something voluntarily.

  • Discovery

    13. What is a challenge you’ve overcome?

  • Discovery

    14. What are the two most pressing foreign policy issues? Talk about one of them in depth.

  • Discovery

    15. Do you have experience organizing and managing meetings?

  • Discovery

    16. How do you manage up?

  • Discovery

    17. If you were with someone in the public outside of work, and they asked you for help with a service request during a social visit, how would you handle the request?

  • Discovery

    18. Have you spent time abroad? If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?

  • Discovery

    19. Can you tell me about your favorite writing piece?

  • Discovery

    20. What is your writing experience?

  • Discovery

    21. What's your preferred method of communication?

  • Discovery

    22. How does this fit in with your future career goals?

  • Discovery

    23. What do you look for in a workplace?

  • Discovery

    24. What makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates?

  • Discovery

    25. Tell me about an accomplishment you're proud of.

  • Discovery

    26. What would you consider your biggest weakness?

  • Discovery

    27. List three features your colleagues consider valuable in you as well as your three strengths.

  • Operational

    28. Describe a situation in which you had to prioritize your tasks.

  • Operational

    29. How would you approach the everyday mundane activities involved in this position?

  • Situational

    30. Describe a situation in which you had a different opinion, and you had to defend it.