Department of Defense Mock Interview
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Question 19 of 30
Describe an experience in which it became necessary to expand upon or further develop your areas of expertise. What was the situation? Why did this become necessary, and what was the result of your development?
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Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
"Once, I had to deliver a report to a group of people who were ultimately there to judge my work, and in effect, judge me. So I padded the job like never before. If I was going to get up there, I had to anticipate every question that would come my way. I had to be a top expert on what I was about to speak about. This was the culmination of everything I'd worked towards. I was nervous, but I believed in myself, so I focused on that and convinced myself that everyone would come around if I presented the information well. I believed in myself and delivered my report with conviction. I got a lot of pats on the back for that one. I felt like it was a success because of how I have further developed my skills."
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
The interviewer hopes to learn more about your approach toward your development and your ability to step outside of your comfort zone. A person's level of ambition can be revealed in how frequently they take advantage of learning new skills. This question may also serve to reveal if you are overly ambitious and frequently take on too many tasks. They want to know if you're more likely to underperform on many tasks, over-perform on one task, or fall somewhere in between.
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
Explain why your example was outside of your comfort zone. Specify whether you were volunteered for this task or if were you challenging yourself. Explain what you did to ensure your success and describe the obstacles you faced along the way.
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