Department of Veterans Affairs Mock Interview

Practice 30 Department of Veterans Affairs interview questions covering mission commitment, veteran-centered care, and federal service values.

WRITTEN BY KEVIN DOWNEY
QUESTION 1 OF 30

Why do you want to work here?

Anyone bringing on a new employee wants to gauge how well they'll fit into their work environment. They'll test their like-mindedness and offer opportunities to reveal how in-depth they've researched the position. By testing the interviewee's knowledge of their company, they're testing their work ethic and whether they did their due diligence in competing for the job.

Explore what interests you most about the position you're interviewing for. Imagine yourself in the position. Ask if it feels like a good fit. If so, be emotionally invested in the opportunity but not presumptuous that you'll earn it. You shouldn't solely be interested in landing a job, but more so interested in what working for them could offer your career. Showcase your knowledge as well as the thorough research you performed. Be sure to incorporate their language into your own. Answer with sincerity, in a manner according to your nature.

"Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs is in line with the career goals I've mapped out in my revised five-year career plan. Their core values are aligned with my own--integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence."

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

I worked for Veterans Affairs for a couple of years in different roles. I have always been interested in nutrition and when the position came up I knew I had to apply. I work in Food services and nutrition with the air national guard.

Jaymie's Feedback

Great job sharing your experience with the organization and in food services. If there was anything else about the organization that attracted you, like employee reviews, culture, benefits, etc. feel free to share those as well.

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30 Department of Veterans Affairs Interview Questions & Answers

Jump to any question in the set.

01 Why do you want to work here? BEHAVIORAL 02 What do you know about what we do here? COMMUNICATION 03 What is your vision for your future here at this company? BEHAVIORAL 04 Tell me what you’ve done to bolster trust within your team. BEHAVIORAL 05 Tell me about a time when you weren’t able to build a relationship with a difficult coworker. BEHAVIORAL 06 Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker. BEHAVIORAL 07 List three characteristics you feel you possess that make you a sensitive, effective leader. BEHAVIORAL 08 Tell me about a time when you dealt with two very different employees that could not be treated the same. COMMUNICATION 09 Tell me about a time when a subordinate had a personal need that conflicted with the needs of the team. COMMUNICATION 10 Tell me about a time you sought feedback from your subordinates. BEHAVIORAL 11 Tell me about a time where you felt you hadn’t communicated as well as you could have. How did you remedy it? COMMUNICATION 12 Give me an example of a time you made poor choices at work. What did you learn? What would you do differently? EXPERIENCE 13 Have you ever had to commit an unsafe act in order to get a job done? BEHAVIORAL 14 Describe a time when you went above and beyond. BEHAVIORAL 15 How would you go about learning a new skill set? EXPERIENCE 16 How would you respond if you were placed in a situation where we needed you to do something we did not train you for? EXPERIENCE 17 Tell me about a time you had to complete a job with inadequate resources. EXPERIENCE 18 If assigned more tasks than you could handle, what would you do? COMMUNICATION 19 Do you ever take your work home with you? BEHAVIORAL 20 When have you displayed “outside-the-box” thinking? EXPERIENCE 21 What organizational changes have you implemented in the past? EXPERIENCE 22 Tell me about a time you had to help your staff understand the relevance of the work they were performing. EXPERIENCE 23 What’s your biggest professional disappointment? EXPERIENCE 24 How do you deal with a bad day? BEHAVIORAL 25 What have you learned from your mistakes on the job? EXPERIENCE 26 Name three things you’ve done in the past to grow in your job. EXPERIENCE 27 What’s the least rewarding work you’ve done? BEHAVIORAL 28 Describe a time when you disagreed with a performance evaluation. COMMUNICATION 29 What do you place greater value on, praise or pay? Why? BEHAVIORAL 30 What do you do for fun? BEHAVIORAL
RELATED SETS
Kevin Downey
30 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS · DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
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