Department of Veterans Affairs Mock Interview
Practice 30 Department of Veterans Affairs interview questions covering mission commitment, veteran-centered care, and federal service values.
Question 20 of 30
When have you displayed “outside-the-box†thinking?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
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Example Answer
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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.
The interviewers are seeking to measure your preferred working style and whether it meets their required criteria. They want to know how resourceful you are and how much of an innovator you are.
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.
Frame yourself as having a propensity to think fast on your feet. Demonstrate that you aren't easily discouraged. You want your answer to exhibit determination. 'Where there is a will, there is a way,' is the attitude you want to convey. Meeting deadlines, overperforming, learning, and innovating are all things you want to convey in your answer.
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.
"We were using an overpriced vendor for our office supplies. I knew someone who managed an office supply company, and I negotiated a bulk buyer's discount for our company while cutting out the middleman. Our annual savings allowed us to readjust our company budget in innovative ways."
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Anonymous Answer
A family member was afraid to take a patient home who had a stroke. They were afraid that he would fall out of bed. I suggested putting a mattress on the floor until the patient got stronger with physical therapy. They called me back a month later and told me that the patient was now walking on his own with a walker.
Jaymie's Feedback
This situation sounds like it required some creativity and outside-the-box thinking. You provided a viable solution that protected the patient and eased the family's anxieties.
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