Talk about a data integration project where you encountered an issue with completing tasks due to the negligence of others. How did you handle this issue to ensure solid completion of the project?

"Last year, I was working on a data consolidation project for a roll out of a new software program we were developing. Because the project was working with several of our existing systems, I was coordinating with several different engineers from our staff that were experts on their respective systems. As the project was going along smoothly from the start, I wasn't getting a response from one of our engineers that had key information for me to move forward. With fully understanding that people are very busy in their day to day duties, I gave him three additional days to respond with no success. Once I didn't receive a response, I went directly to his office to speak directly to him. He immediately apologized for his delay and we spoke at great length about the information that I needed to move forward. I'm glad I took this direct approach in this situation and would never hesitate to do this moving forward in a tactful manner."

Because Fast Enterprises operates in a team based atmosphere, this question is allowing your interviewer to gain insight into how you will work as part of a larger team. Large data integration projects at Fast Enterprises will require you to work with many people, so use a prior experience where you took the bull by the horns with others to ensure successful completion of a project. Make sure to clearly outline the situation and what you had to do to overcome it to produce a positive outcome.

"On a project a couple of years ago, I was interfered with by an outside department that was trying to interject their own unrelated tasks into the project. My first response was to have a frank conversation with the manager of the department, but he was still insistent that I move forward with his proposes changes that weren't outline in the project. Because of his insistence, I had to approach my manager about the requests and it was determined that we would not move forward with the requests of that department. Unfortunately, the end conversation had to be held with leaders from top level management with my organization. I certainly didn't want that situation, but it was called for to ensure that standards of the project."

"Last year, when I was taking a course on web programming, I had to work on a group project as a part of the course. We were a team of four people and had divided the work to be done at the beginning of the course itself. One of the team members used to show up for team meetings and take responsibility for the tasks, but always failed to submit on time. For the first two times, another teammate and I divided the work amongst ourselves, as the deadline was near. I then decided to gather courage and speak up to him in a calm way. I told him that if he was facing some issues, we could help him through that, but he needed to do some work to get credit. He told me how he was struggling with javascript and hence could not get the work done. In the next team meeting, all of us sat down and talked about our weak points and strategized on how to overcome them. We ended up receiving an A on the project."

What publication tools do you have experience working on during your time as a technical writer?

"For document processing, I would consider myself on expert on both Microsoft Word and Adobe FrameMaker. I have received extensive training on both programs. I also would consider myself very fluent in Microsoft Visio for creating robust diagrams within my projects. A newer system that I have been learning over the past two years is Calameo. My current organization utilizes the site to share my departments online through interactive publications."

On top of the basic word processing tools, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have familiarity with some of the various diagramming tools, online content management tools and other digital publishing tools. Be open and honest with what you are experienced with and don't hesitate to point out where you may be inexperienced, as long as you can point out that you are willing and able to learn new tools of the trade.

"Having been in the technical writing trade for almost 20 years now, I sure have seen an array of great advancements in technology that has bettered my work over time. Other than the basic processing tools, one of the unique tools that I have mastered is Sublime Text. This HTML editor is used to write the basis of our website and technical documents online and I have received a lot of training on utilizing the system. With my experience on this system, I feel like I could flawlessly learn and master other HTML editors here at Fast Enterprises."

"I am very experienced in Microsoft Word but I am overall inexperienced with any other publication tool. However, I am not unfamiliar with learning new software and I would be eager to learn any necessary or required publication tools."

How would you handle a classroom based user training session where users were at all different ends of the learning and knowledge spectrum of the program?

"If confronted with this situation, I think the best way to handle it would be to have an open conversation about everyone's comfortability with the system after a quick introduction. From there, I would look to pair the novice users with the experienced users during the training. This would allow the novice users to learn from me as the trainer and from the more experienced user in watching them work through training modules."

Used as a question to help gauge how would handle a particular classroom based training type of situation, this is an all too real situation that could occur if hired for this position at Fast Enterprises. When rolling out new or updated software to customers, end users can be very experienced and need little training or they can be very new to a system and need extensive training. When paired in a room together, it is best to stick to a set training plan to ensure that everyone receives the same curriculum. Give some ideas of how you think this situation is best handled.

"Having been in this situation before a few times when training large groups, I stick with my focused training plan but also give extra time for question and answer periods during the training. When beginners ask questions, I encourage their more experienced peers to help answer questions to build trust among the group once my time as the trainer has come to an end and I am no longer onsite. Many have commended me for this approach within their business."

"I would first gauge the classroom with a show of hands to know who is confident in their knowledge and those who are not. I would ensure I teach the same curriculum to all students and then pair the novices with the experienced. This way I can prepare them as a team when I am no longer on-site and also use the experienced students' progress as a clearer example while training each pair of students."

"My approach to this situation will be to have an open conversation with the class about their level of comfort with the system. I would then divide the class into groups of 2 or 3, with each group having one experienced person. In this way, the novice users can learn and clear their doubts from the more experienced user. I would ask them to fill a survey/feedback form, to see if this worked for them in the future."

What are your primary technical competencies?

"I am a jack of many trades, when it comes to my technical competencies; however, if I had to narrow it down to a few specifics, I would say that the greatest skills I will bring to Fast Enterprises include technical project management, product integrations, and customer support."

If you had to summarize your skills and competencies in just a few words, which would you choose? If asked this question, it is likely because you have such a broad skill set that the hiring authority would like to narrow down exactly which area you would want to be known as an expert. Share your top one to three skills, expressing that you look forward to making an impact at Fast Enterprises through the use of these competencies.

"Last year I worked at a high-end jewelry store where sales goals were intense, and the rewards were high. I am geared for healthy competition, so when we had contests, it greatly motivated me. I ended up winning 7 of the 12 contests! I won an iPad, cash incentives, and concert tickets. It was great."

"While my technical skill set is varied, I am specifically good at setting small goals and quickly achieving them consecutively. I enjoy solving problems because puzzles can be solved and all it takes is passionate dedication to reach a great end result."

How do you stay organized and on track when working on multiple projects or duties at the same time?

"With any project that I am working on, I make sure to set benchmarks to meet deadlines ahead of time and set early personal deadlines to allow for some wiggle room. To do this, I am a proponent of using the Microsoft Outlook calendar and tasks functions to help keep me organized. I find that this method helps me stay on track with multiple projects while also leaving me wiggle room each day to fight the high needs fires that do come up in this job."

In this role with Fast Enterprises, you will likely be expected to manage multiple projects at the same time. Your ability to plan, manage deadlines and handle high needs items that come up on a regular basis will be essential to your success in this role and your interviewer is looking to hear how you plan for success. Whether you utilize an electronic tool or a written list, there are no right or wrong answers as long as you can prove in your answer that this method works out great for you.

"For me to stay on track, I make sure to take ten minutes at the end of each day to recap what was accomplished, what new came up on my task list and re-prioritizing my work for the next day. Then, upon arriving the next day and working through emails from the previous evening, I can adjust my task list for the day if needed. I tend to set aside two hours per day to work on long-term project needs while focusing a majority of my time on the short-term needs."

"The best way for me to stay organized is to physically write down my deadlines and schedule my projects on paper. This way, I have a physical reminder for all of my daily tasks while drilling it into my memory by writing it down."

As you reflect back on your career to this point in your search for a new position, what would you say is your ideal work environment or culture?

"As I begin this job search now 15 years out of college, I'm looking for an employer that promotes and encourages innovation, new ideas and collaboration among all members of the team. From what I know about Fast Enterprises from speaking with others, you sound like a perfect match for what I am looking for in a career."

While using this question as a key indicator on how you'll fit with the team and the organization at Fast Enterprises, it will be very important for you to research as much as you can on the work environment at Fast Enterprises so you can match your priorities to that environment. If you have the opportunity to speak with an employee at Fast Enterprises prior to your interview, that can shed valuable information. In the end, the culture and value of an organization are often a key indicator of long-term success in a job, so make sure that you reflect your values into what the company values.

"With all of the companies that I have both worked for and consulted with in the past, I realize that a company culture is basically the personality of the company and I am looking for a new organization that really meshes well with my personality. I am a casual person that believes in hard work, teamwork and having fun on the job. As I embarked on a job search, I was so happy to see that Fast Enterprises was hiring because I believe our styles will fit perfectly together."

"My ideal work environment is one that is filled with passionate people that work hard to create the best possible product as I do. But I also like to be able to have fun and feel comfortable with my colleagues so that teamwork can be at its maximum potential."

Our implementation consultants here at Fast Enterprises often face conflicts with our customers while onsite during implementations. What interpersonal skills do you use to handle conflicts with clients?

"Any time that I face a conflict in the workplace, I maintain my own personal composure by not taking things personally and keeping a smile on my face. After setting myself, I look to gain insight into the potential conflict by using my reflective listening skills and then problem solve from there. In this role, I would listen to the needs of the client and be empathetic in my approach with them. My ability to creatively problem solve would take over from there to help find a solution for the client."

In the software implementation process for large customers of Fast Enterprises, you will be working with top level managers and key decision makers onsite and more often than not, issues can arise. In your role as the implementation consultant, these issues come directly to you and your interviewer will be looking to hear how you will handle these issues to maintain both a great relationship with the customer and honor to the Fast Enterprises. In your answer, focus on finding solutions to issues that benefit both parties and talk about the important communication skills that you possess that will make this possible in any situation that you may face.

"The biggest skill that I would bring to the team here at Fast Enterprises as a consultant to clients would be my ability to express mutual respect to all that I work with. As an organization, Fast Enterprises has their own goals that I will be vital in helping to achieve. Your clients also have their own goals that can offer different greatly from yours. A sense of mutual respect allows me to put myself in the shoes of all involved and that really helps me find solutions that work for everyone."

"Whenever I face a conflict in the workplace, I make sure that I maintain my composure. I tend not to take things personally. I look to gain insight into the conflict while assuring them that I understand and then solve the problem from there. My ability to creatively solve problems would take over from there to help find a solution for the client. When I was working as a food service assistant, we always had at least one angry customer a day. My approach to dealing with them was to actively listen to their complaint and try to find a solution. And if my solution made them happy, I would go home satisfied."

If hired here at Fast Enterprises, what do you feel would be the biggest hurdle for you to overcome from the start?

"As you can see from my resume, I don't have any direct working experience with the financial industry and I would see that as my largest learning opportunity if offered this position. Like I did with my current job in the healthcare industry, I would take the time to learn the basics of the industry that would help me design the most intuitive user interfaces in the products here at Fast Enterprises."

The key to answering this question with confidence starts with understanding that you are interviewing with Fast Enterprises because your interviewer feels that you are a strong candidate for this position. What your interviewer is focusing on with this question is how they could be of most help to you if hired for the job. So, take the time prior to your interview to think about an aspect of the position that would be the most difficult for you to overcome to be up and running at full speed and then take time to explain how you would plan to overcome that hurdle if hired. This structured answer will tell your interviewer that you have put thought to your potential shortcoming with a plan of action.

"Being a team player by nature, I've always considered my first challenge at any new company to be the task of getting to know my colleagues, their work preferences and their work styles. In the same breath, I want them to know who I am and how I best work as part of a team with them. To accomplish this, I would take the initiative to set one on one meetings with individuals that I didn't get to touch base with during my orientation process to get to know them better."

"The biggest hurdle for me at Fast Enterprises if hired would be my lack of experience in being a training coordinator. While I do have experience in technical writing and training new employees on the job, I am less experienced in software training. I would start by thoroughly learning the basics and communicating with colleagues about my own learning process."

Tell me about the most interesting project you have worked on this year and the biggest thing you learned from it.

"In my previous role we were working on a variety of projects with fingerprint recognition software. One of the most interesting projects was a fingerprint-based ATM system. It was a test project for a large banking institution. In addition to learning a great deal about fingerprint recognition, I was also able to learn a lot about the critical relationship between software and security."

Discuss with the interviewer one of your recent projects that particularly piqued your interest. Did it stretch you professionally? What was the biggest takeaway for you from that particular project?

"I find the majority of the projects that I have been working on this past year to be very interesting. If I had to choose one, I would choose to work on the Uber app. Since I am still in my internship, I didn't have any major contributions; however, I learned a lot about on-demand apps and building a friendly user interface."

"The most interesting project I have worked on this year was my Articulate Storyline 360 Google Adblock guide. While I still am very new to the software, it was exciting to learn. Specifically, it was cool to learn about hover states for buttons and the ability to create an animation from hovering the mouse over a button."

What is one unique personality trait you possess that would help you be successful in this role with Fast Enterprises?

"From what my parents have told me about me as a young child, passion has been a personality trait that has driven me my whole life. When I tackle something in life, I need to be passionate about it for it to be a success. From my time as a young child up to today, I have been passionate about physical fitness and this has driven me to participate in running and biking races across the country. This same passion in the pursuit of excellence has translated into my career as a software engineer. From tinkering with computer hardware at a young age and learning the internal components of a system to learning how to create and design software, you'll quickly find that my passion to engineer the most unique software here at Fast Enterprises will be extremely beneficial to your team."

This question is allowing you to have the floor during your interview to wow your interviewer with something they might not know about you yet from your resume or time so far during the interview. Think about a strong, unique trait that you have that has led to prior success in your field and explain in detail how this will help further you in your career with Fast Enterprises. If possible, be very unique in your answer to draw a direct line between your personality and success in this role.

"I would have to say that my humility has been instrumental in getting me to where I am at today in my career. Having worked with one of the largest software companies in the world, egos were certainly high with a lot of my teammates and I have always used my humility to let my work do my talking for me while remaining a friendly and curious colleague to all."

"The biggest praise I have received from family and loved ones is that I am extremely determined. This can stem from passion and even pride but I always give it my all in anything that I do, from making coffee, solving problems, and creating projects. If I do not understand something, I am always determined to learn and grow from others by communicating and asking detailed questions that can bring out the most effective answers."

"I would have to say that my ability to adapt to new places easily is a unique trait in me that would help me at Fast Enterprises. Many people take a lot of time to settle in a new environment. I enjoy traveling a lot, and by traveling, I mean experiencing the culture. That cannot be done by visiting a city for a week or so. The thing that attracted me the most about applying at Fast Enterprises was this opportunity to relocate every few years. I have always adapted to the lifestyle in new cities within days."

How would you handle a situation where a colleague was being very difficult to work with?

"In all honesty, any great work atmosphere that I've been a part of in the past has involved conflict between colleagues. In situations I have witnessed, conflict has stemmed from very open-minded people giving their two cents in particular situations and two people not seeing eye to eye. This happened recently to me in the planning phases of a new project. On of our UX Designers and I had a disagreement on the final layout of a new software roll out we were planning. It worked best for both of us to talk about our ideas and list the pro's and con's for our ideas. I kept an open mind to learn from her point of view and she did the same to me on my end. This led us to come up with a great compromise in the end."

In the team based atmosphere at Fast Enterprises, departments with different skills and backgrounds can often see things from different points of view and these situations can cause some internal conflict between coworkers. With this question, your interviewer is looking to hear how you handle situations where you are working with someone that can be seen as difficult. To give them the sense that you are able to work through conflict in a professional and sensible manner, try to talk through how you handled a conflict at work previously in the past and highlight the interpersonal skills that you used to help make it a positive situation.

"Last year, we had a new engineer join our team that was hired on from his internship with us. From his first day, he made it very evident that he would only handle certain tasks within our team and only work on certain projects. As his mentor to help get him up and running, I sat him down and discussed the expectations of each of our engineers as part of our larger team. I explained to him that our approach was not to pigeonhole ourselves into smaller tasks, but rather be well rounded engineers that could handle any project and be able to cover for each other if needed. He really appreciated this approach when I explained the benefits for his long term career goals with this approach. This example shows my approach to being very direct with people that I have a conflict with in the workplace and doing so in a very professional and educational manner."

"I handle citations with difficult colleagues by firstly communicating to the colleague and asking for their perspectives on the situation. Then, I try to come with an effective compromise that uses the best of both my own and my colleagues' strategies or perspective. Communication between colleagues is essential as to not create a messy project made out of compromise but instead a strong project that uses collaboration and multiple perspectives."

"To be very honest, any work atmosphere that I have been a part of has involved a conflict between colleagues. In situations I have witnessed, the conflict has stemmed from very open-minded people giving their two cents in particular situations and two people not seeing eye to eye. This happened recently to me when I worked as a food service assistant. One of my co-workers was just standing in the kitchen, using her phone and not doing anything. On the first day, I thought maybe she was going through something so I did not disturb her. But when she showed the same attitude the next day as well, I tried talking to her. Her response was very cold and she did not seem to care. So I reported this to the supervisor who then took action. I think that respecting a work environment is really important."

Talk about a successful training program that you had the opportunity to design and implement. What do you feel were the keys to success for the program?

"Two years ago in my current role, my organization was putting a new educational tool out to elementary school teachers to help organize their lesson plans and I was tasked with creating both an online training module and an in-person training for new customers. Looking back, I'd say that the biggest key to success for this training program was the consideration of the work style of the teachers that would be using the program and then creating a program around those work styles. To do this, I conducted significant research on school teachers and it was determined that online training modules were the preferred method for training. I also would be tasked by some districts to do in person training. This provided a very unique opportunity for me to develop two unique, yet similarly focused, programs."

If hired for this role at Fast Enterprises, you will be looked upon to design new and innovative training programs for end users of the companies products. To gain insight on how you would do this moving forward, your interviewer is giving you the opportunity to talk about a past program that you created that ended up being a success. As you talk about that program, make sure to hit on what you feel was a key to success for the program. Some things to potentially keep in the forefront when answering would be considering expectations of the customer, thinking about the work style of the end user and thinking about how to motivate others during the training.

"With my current organization that is a large healthcare employer, I created a training series that focused on patient safety for our staff that were directly in patient care areas. For it to be a success, the biggest key was to make the program fun and interactive for our staff. If you know the healthcare industry, safety has been drilled into the heads of staff throughout their whole career and if this new training wasn't fun and interactive, it would've been just another training in the eyes of staff. Upon rolling out the training six months ago, me and my staff received rave reviews from our staff and their leaders and we look forward to continuing this training with all new staff that is hired."

"I created a project on Storyline 360 to help end-users install Adblock on Google Chrome. The key to success for this project was following the ADDIE process. I communicated with my mentor and continuously went back and revised the project until it was engaging and informative on all levels."

What skills do you use to cope with the day to day stress and pressure on the job?

"Where many others get overtaken by stress to the point that they can't function in this field, high pressure situations sharpen my focus and that helps me work through them with ease. Last year, I was assigned a high priority, short notice project for a high profile customer. My manager gave it to me because of my proven success in those situations. From the start, I created a timeline for completion and mapped out a plan to make it happen. While staying in communication with my leaders and the client, I was able to create a great system update in just a few short weeks."

In modern technology industries, consumer demand has led to high volume of work and high pressure situations to work on tight deadlines. To prove that you are able to handle high stress, high pressure situations on the job, your interviewer is looking to hear first hand how you handle this type of environment in your own words. As you answer the question, try to turn potential perceived stress into a positive by highlighting your personal skills that enable you to perform well in those situations. If possible, try to use specific examples in your answer.

"I am confident in high stress work situations because of my ability to adapt, communicate and be organized in my work. These skills came in very useful a few weeks ago when our support staff were experiencing an extremely high volume of help desk calls. My adaptability helped me go with the flow and handle items on at a time. My communication skills enabled me to quickly and efficiently call on needed support. My organization skills helped me be prepared for anything on that day and enabled me to work through tickets in a quick and efficient manner."

"The best way for me to cope with stress from the day-to-day pressure on the job is to create a schedule to organize tasks efficiently. If everything is mapped out from the start and communication stays strong, my stress can be used as a way to focus and accomplish any task."

"I use my organizational skills to cope with the day-to-day stress. When I was working as a food service assistant at my university, during the peak dinner time, the lines would get too long with a huge backlog of orders. Since it was completely run by students, none of us had any experience in this industry. I came up with a plan to organize the orders in a way that included early segregation, based on items. My communication skills enabled me to take control of the situation. In general, I like to eat lunch/dinner away from my study area. This allows me to relax and get back to studying with a free mind."

Would you say that you are a goal oriented on the job? What would I be able to do as your manager to help you achieve your goals if hired here at Fast Enterprises?

"I would definitely say that I am goal oriented on the job in wanting to contribute any way that I can to the overall benefit of the organization. In my current organization, our leadership focuses on overall sales numbers at the end of the year. To help achieve these goals, our department creates our own goals to help achieve the sales numbers needed to succeed. Last year, one of those goals was to be as creative as possible in our user experience design processes. With the launch of an exciting new app midyear, sales numbers skyrocketed and our department was instrumental in that. For me, it was important that we determined our goals as a team with the final stamp of approval from our manager. While this style of management really helped motivate me, I can thrive under any management style as long as expectations and goals for my work are clearly set."

At the heart of this question lies your interviewers desire to see what motivates you as a potential employee at Fast Enterprises. Make it clear to your interviewer that you certainly are motivated by on the job goals and do this by using an example of a time where you were motivated by and achieved a goal. Then, think deeply about the type of manager that you like to work for in terms of goal setting and helping our achieve your goals. Let your interviewer know what type of management styles you appreciate the most while being open to any style.

"For me, my day to day work is much more meaningful when I have goals to work for. In my current role, we have set timelines for our projects and this helps lay the framework for our goals. If hired for this position, my expectations of you as my manager would be to have goals clearly defined and a supportive atmosphere to be provided to work within."

"For me, goals are the most exciting part of a job. In any work environment, I always try to set short-term and long-term goals. At my previous job, my first goal was to be able to make a hot drink in front of customers in under 30 seconds, the company goal for every barista. I can work under any type of management style but it is very important for expectations and goals to be set from the start."

"For me, my day-to-day work is much more meaningful when I have goals to work for. If I have a goal to meet, that will motivate me to work harder. When I was working as a classroom technician, we usually were grouped into teams of two, and the classrooms to inspect were divided evenly among us. With a goal set in mind that we needed to inspect many classrooms in the next four hours, we were able to divide our time evenly, and that led to the successful completion of our tasks on time and efficiently. If I was hired for this position, my expectations from the manager would be to have goals clearly defined and a supportive atmosphere to be provided to work within. Although I can thrive under any management style as long as the goals and expectations are clear."

At Fast Enterprises, we rely on a full team effort to deliver top quality products to our customers. Tell me about a time that you worked well as part of a team. Are you comfortable in a similar role here?

"Throughout my career, I've always enjoyed working as part of a larger team on the job and this personal enjoyment started with my love of and participation in team sports like baseball and basketball. Growing up playing sports, I learned that each team member brought a unique skill set that could help us achieve our goals. Through a great coaching staff that knew how to make these individual skills shine, this same philosophy holds true for a team that is looking to design a new software system. I know that my skills as an engineer are just part of the final product and I work very well with designers, architects, analysts and sales to help build the greatest system possible."

While this potential role with Fast Enterprises will require your to be an independent worker that can think on your feet, you will also need to work as part of a larger team that is working toward one common goal. Because of this fact, your interviewer will want to hear that you thrive in an environment where you work with team members from other disciplines than you are trained in. In your example, stress to your interviewer that you have excellent communication skills and that you fully understand that every person on a team plays a vital role in the organization's success.

"I am a people person by nature and my current role has me working very closely with our engineering and design staff on writing technical manuals for our products. While I certainly can handle long days at my computer in solitude, my desire to work hand in hand with others really sets me apart from my peers in this field. I have excellent verbal, listening and written communication skills that, if hired here at Fast Enterprises, your entire team would appreciate from my first day on the job."

"Throughout my career, I have always worked best with others. Top-quality results can only be achieved if the teamwork behind it is top quality. A couple of years ago I created an online gaming community that hosted over 200 members strong. To keep the community running with satisfied members that wanted to log on every day required extensive communication and organization with the leadership team that I created."

"I have always enjoyed working as a part of a team. This personal enjoyment started with my love of and participation in team sports. I was a state-level basketball player in high school. I learned at a very young age that every person brings a unique skill set to the team, and unless there is coordination among the team members, it is next to impossible to win the game. I have been applying this in all areas of my life. When I worked as a classroom technician, we worked in teams of four to inspect the classroom equipment. Before the start of the shift, we decided what each person was responsible for. I think open communication among the teammates really helped. We were able to work efficiently while helping each other out if someone got stuck somewhere. I think that the same holds for a team designing software."

As the onsite consultant for our clients here at Fast Enterprises, you may be privy to confidential information or data. How can we ensure that you will hold client data security in the highest confidence?

"Having worked as a consultant for a large healthcare medical record software organization, I had access to thousands of medical records with each new client that we brought aboard. While often required to sign confidentiality and HIPAA agreements with each client, my own values would never allow me to compromise the secure data of a patient. If hired for this role, I would hold the confidential data with your clients in the highest regard and wouldn't hesitate to take all measures possible to ensure that data is secure."

The consulting world at Fast Enterprises will put your in a position to have access to client databases, applications and directories that could potentially contain sensitive data. Consultants have a responsibility to their clients to maintain that privacy. Be sure that your interviewer understands that you adhere to that responsibility by talking about past experiences where you have been exposed to and kept sensitive data confidential. It is important to talk about your own personal morals and values in your answer to this question.

"Successful consulting relationships with customers are built on trust and I value and respect the trust that my customers show my by maintaining all policies on confidentiality with each customer. My current role in the banking industry allows me access to the software of many banking institutions when I am onsite with them. When working with staff at bank branches, I don't discuss any personal financial data that I have access to even with them."

"I have grown up believing that trust is the most important part of any relationship, personal or professional. By signing deals with Fast Enterprises, the clients are showing trust in us. I value and respect that trust by maintaining all policies on confidentiality with each client. When I was interning at Tasty Dairy specialties, I had access to data that contained information about the clients, including some financial details. I never discussed the data with anyone except my manager. I don't think my personal values can allow me to do something like that."

How have you handled obstacles that you've faced during information gathering processes in your time as a technical writer?

"Because the information gathering phase is a vital step in my finished projects, I take the time to meet as many credible sources as possible. This includes design engineers, automation engineers, product designers and many other folks and the biggest hiccup that I usually come across is coordinating time with folks that have busy schedules. To help minimize the total time frame for info gathering, I am very direct in my communications to key leaders that I want to meet with to finish a project and my directness is always taken well. Like any obstacle we face in our work, I find that being upfront and direct is the best manner for handling them."

To successfully document and write about software products, information gathering from subject matter experts will be a key part of your process if hired for this role at Fast Enterprises. As you have likely experienced during your career, the information gathering process can be one of the most painstaking processes within the life of a project. For this question, your interviewer is looking to hear what obstacles you have faced in this situation in the past and how you handled those situations. This will give them insight on how you will work as part of a larger team in handling these perceived obstacles if hired for this position.

"I'd say that one of the more common obstacles that I have faced in my current role as a technical writer is a lack of expectations from the experts that I consult with through the process. To better this over time, I have created a set of general expectations that I provide to people ahead of our meetings that help them prepare information ahead of time. This approach not only helps me get more relevant information up front, but also helps speed the information process up significantly."

"Credible sources are the most important thing when gathering information for a project. Usually, this would include communicating personally to these sources. I once wrote an important research paper in college and to find the perfect source it required me to email and interview a Colonel from the US Army. The biggest obstacle was organizing a time before the deadline for the paper but I have learned to circumvent this by having a wider range of sources and being upfront in communication about the information that is trying to be gathered."

If you were working on a project here at Fast Enterprises that came with frequent changes in user requirements, how would you handle that situation?

"I am a realist and know that in the software world, user requirements change on a very routine basis. But, if I were to notice that changes were happening in an out of line manner, I'd first look at our own internal processes to see where we can improve. If a requirement document needed updating, I would work with my engineering team to ensure that was done. Then, I would pick up the phone to speak with our customer that put through the request to get firsthand knowledge about the situation. In my experience, this is the best way in ensuring that user requirements changes are effective on the first try."

For a system analyst, situations like this can bring stress into the work equation very easily as it can feel like work that is being done is useless for the end user. Rather than looking at it from the pessimistic point of view, try and steer your answer toward the positive by highlighting how you could improve any future processes or learn from the situation moving forward. Make sure that you are very open to the fact that you are an open communicator and don't hesitate to do so when needed.

"Having recently been in a similar situation, my first step was to document all email communication surround the changes that had taken place up to that point. By getting all of the conversations in one spot, I was able to document all of our known requirement changes and I sent them to the key decision maker from the customer to both sign off on and prioritize the changes we were to be making in the near future. This gave the customer the ability to provide direct feedback and feel a part of the direct process while also outlining our priorities moving forward."

"I am aware that in the software world that user requirements constantly change. As someone who takes pride in their work, tweaking and updating my work is very routine and a standard to produce the best results. I would first try to communicate with the internal team for improvements and then to the customer for a firsthand understanding."

In our consulting services here at Fast Enterprises, we often have to work with people who aren't very tech savvy. How would you handle a situation like this if hired for this role?

"In my days in software sales and consulting, I've found that the best approach with clients is to always discuss things in terms of their business results as opposed to the processes involved. I've found that clients aren't interested in how a software program works to pull information out of a data table. They want to know the steps they have to take to successfully pull the relevant information to them in their work and I try to focus my efforts on that. If I get the sense that a certain person has a good understanding of the software, I don't hesitate to brag a bit about the creative programs that were designed behind the scenes because they can definitely show appreciation for that."

When working onsite with clients on new software and new technologies, most front line employees working on the new system won't have the technical acumen that you possess. Because of this fact, your consulting services will have to be performed in a fashion that is easy to understand for the clients. Give your answer a personal touch by explaining your ability to work with clients on a one-on-one basis and customizing your approach with them based on their level of knowledge. From a high level, then talk about certain techniques that you've found to be useful in the past.

"Having a lot of experience doing this in my time consulting and training with external customers, there are many tools of the trade that can be implemented. I always avoid technical jargon and use wording that makes sense to a client to explain technical processes. I find that customers appreciate the use of meaningful analogies and presentations that have a lot of visuals to help understand new processes that we will be working with."

"Whenever I am discussing technological information with someone who is not tech-savvy, I try to either keep it as condensed and filtered as possible so that the person does not get confused or lose interest. The best way to approach this is to specifically discuss the result and not the process, but only if the person is clearly not tech-savvy."

"My approach to this situation as a Fastie would be to explain the necessary background information required/steps involved in reaching their solution. I would avoid using technical jargon and use wording that makes sense for the client. Although, if the client is interested in the software, I would not hold myself back from sharing the back-end working, as they would appreciate it. When I used to work as a classroom technician, I was often asked to report to a classroom by the professors where a certain equipment/software was not working. I understood that some professors were not interested in knowing how the software worked in the back-end. They were just interested in knowing what they had to do to get the software to work. So what I used to do was ask them where they were facing issues and walk them through the part they are not understanding. I would answer all the questions they had and guide them to resources if they needed any."

As a consultant with Fast Enterprises, your role will be vital in gather information from our customers in building new technology for them. What would be your goals in an initial consultation with a new or existing client?

"As an experienced consultant looking to break into the technology field, I will break a lot of awesome client focused skills to your team. In an initial consultation, my number one goal is to learn the business of the client and listen to what they are looking for in my products. Once their need is known, I can knowledgeably speak to the products that I work with to help them create a custom solution to fit their needs. If hired for this position, my first order of business would be to work very closely with the design and engineering staff to know the possibilities of customization. From there, my natural ability to consult with clients would take over in a win-win situation for all involved."

Software consultants are the bridge between the end users and the development teams of new software to help come up with new and creative solutions for the business. In this role with Fast Enterprises, you will be expected to live in two different worlds and this question focuses on how you will work with end users of the companies products. In an initial consultation, focus your efforts on how you will learn the business needs of the client, talk about what can potentially be offered and then how you will start the creative problem solving process with them.

"In consulting with a new client or an existing client looking for system modifications, my number one goal in a first meeting with them would be to lay the framework for how we will move forward and to set expectations moving forward. I would look to understand their business needs and talk with them about all of the solutions possible for them with us as their software provider. From there, I have the ability to set expectations on a time frame for a solution proposal and we can move forward from there. At the end of a first meeting, I want to ensure that the key decision makers are comfortable with me and the business that I represent so they don't hesitate to reach out to me with questions or for clarification on items discussed."

Software technology continually changes. How do you stay current on new technologies and sharpen your skills?

"I enjoy learning about new technologies in the software space both personally and professionally. I like to read software and data related articles, and I recently completed an 'Introduction to Python for Data Science' course to help build my skills, even though my current employer didn't require it."

As technology needs rapidly change for each company, the interviewer would like to know how you adapt to new technologies. This question also gives the interviewer an opportunity to hear more about your learning style and how you take the initiative to learn new things. Interviewers like to hear about specific courses or training, but try to keep them as recent and relevant as possible.

"I define success by what we achieve as a team. The project, as a whole, needs to deliver on expectations before I consider the job a success."

"I am always eager to learn about developing and evolving software technologies. I access this information from articles. Recently, I have picked up on learning the software Articulate Storyline 360 during my internship with _______ associates despite it not being a requirement."

"I enjoy learning about new technologies in the software space both personally and professionally. If a certain software intrigues me, I usually read articles about it on trusted websites and magazines. I also like completing courses on websites like Coursera and Udemy, because these courses help in understanding the basics of the software/language. In fact, I got into the field of data analytics because of a specialization course I completed on Coursera."

If hired for our system analyst role here at Fast Enterprises, what would you say are your two greatest skills that you would add to our team?

"As I look back on my career to this point, I can really attribute much of success to my time management skills and my communication skills. As a system analyst, I work with many people on many different projects. My excellent written and verbal communication skills allow those that I work with to understand me, my needs and provide information to me in a clear and concise manner. Then, when handling multiple projects, my time management skills involve careful project tracking, setting goals and delegating tasks when needed."

While your interviewer can see from your resume and your experience that you have the technical skills to succeed in this role at Fast Enterprises, this question is allowing them to dig more into your skill set by having your talk about your other skills and qualities that you feel will make you successful. When thinking about the overall duties that you'll hold at Fast Enterprises if hired, try to touch on some of the following points: critical thinking, analysis skills, time management, problem solving skills, communication skills and troubleshooting skills.

"In my short time working as a system analyst out of college, I've had the opportunity to do a lot of self reflection based on the teams that I've been a part of. In a team based atmosphere, I find that my critical thinking skills put me in a position to lead groups in planning and development phases of projects. Then, because of my technical knowledge in software applications and networking, I have developed great troubleshooting skills that I'd be able to contribute to the team here at Fast Enterprises."

In your current role, how would describe your ability to communicate and coordinate with the developers, testers and architects that you work closely with?

"As you can see from my resume, my current job is with a worldwide software development organization. Because of our reach, a lot of my colleagues that I work with are in different locations than me. Most communications are in email and I consider myself great at communicating clearly through email. We also utilize Skype for video meetings when I need to get face to face with my engineers and testers on my projects. While not having someone in an office next door can be difficult at times, especially when looking to coordinate high needs tasks, being organized and timely in communications is key to success."

At Fast Enterprises, teamwork is of utmost importance for the system analysts to perform their job well. Talk to your interviewer about your most comfortable methods to communicate with others on your team and give examples of how you've contributed to a team based atmosphere. Be sure that your interviewer walks away from your conversation without a shadow of a doubt that you will be a team player if hired for this position.

"I consider myself excellent at coordinating activities among my team of colleagues and keeping lines of communication open with them as well. In my current role, I lead a bi-weekly huddle where our testers, architects, engineers and analysts can get together in a room for 30 minutes to discuss high needs items as a group. All of the individuals involved in these meetings have been very thankful for my coordination of them because of the eventual time that is saved through elimination of email chains and one-off conversations between people."

Tell me about your problem-solving skills. Do you enjoy analyzing and solving complex problems?

"In my last development position, I was responsible for front-line communications with end users. Third tier helpdesk staff would contact me with software bugs, and I was able to quickly and professionally respond to problems. I was able to reduce the bug backlog by 70%."

Software developers spend a great deal of time debugging programs. It is essential for Fast Enterprises to have someone experienced in quickly identifying problems and responsive in providing solutions. The interviewer would also like to gauge how you work with internal and external customers when problem-solving.

"If you did not have a good relationship with your previous boss: "I have had healthier relationships in the past with previous employers, but we did the best that we could. Our communication styles were very different which made it challenging at times."

"I believe that the best way to solve any kind of complex problem is to start by identifying the problem through analysis. An example of this would be when I worked at ______ and a customer would want a specific drink but would not remember a single ingredient. From there, I would connect with the customer and learn their preferences in flavor and temperature, and piece together what the customer wanted."

"My first job was totally based on problem-solving. I worked as a classroom technician at my university. The job required us to check the equipment in the classrooms even if everything was working fine. We usually ran into problems like some software not working, or the computer being broken. Usually, when I see a problem arise, I start by doing research and getting into the depth of things. I look at the past and see if a similar problem arose in the past and how they dealt with it. From that research, I can decide on the approach to solving the problem which is the best for the organization. Then I decide on what actions need to be taken and communicate them with my managers and co-workers while putting the process into motion."

How do you ensure that you have a healthy work-life balance in your career?

"As I am passionate about my career as a UX designer, I am also passionate about my family. Any moments outside of work are spent coaching my kids traveling baseball teams in the summer months and then spending as many weekends as possible on the ski slopes. These activities help keep me active, physically fit and keep my mind centered on what it truly important in my life when work weeks get stressful."

In the fast paced world in software and technology development, heavy work loads and potential on-call duties have created a lot of burnout in professionals. Your interviewer is looking to hear that you are cognizant of the risks of burnout and that you do what is necessary to maintain your own personal health and well being and that of your family as well. While you can use this time to talk about personal interests or hobbies outside of work, try to focus on how these items help keep you refreshed for the work that you'll be doing for Fast Enterprises.

"Having watched many of my senior colleagues over time suffer from work burnout that has caused marital issues and health issues, I make it a priority to maintain a healthy balance between my work and my home life. My free time is spent in the outdoors with my wife, whether that be on the lakes and rivers fishing or biking around town. I consider myself fortunate to be considered for a position here at Fast Enterprises because I know that you put a focus on your employees maintaining this healthy balance because the organization realizes how important this is to be productive."

"While I am very passionate about my career, I am also passionate about my friends and loved ones. Whenever I am not working I am spending time with them. Otherwise, I spend my alone time exercising, meditating, or solving puzzles to keep my mind and health fresh."

"Having watched my friends who were seniors to me in college overtime suffer from work burnout that has caused health issues, I make it a priority to maintain a healthy balance between my work and my home life. When I am at work, I give my 100% thought and dedication to the job. I don't let my personal life affect my career and vice-versa. I spend my free time outdoors with my friends or family, whether it is a weekend trip or just a picnic. I consider myself fortunate to be considered for a position at Fast Enterprises as I know that the company emphasizes employees maintaining this healthy balance and organizes events for the same."

How would you say that you would help bring sound data governance philosophies to this role at Fast Enterprises?

"In my current role, I work under a very strict set of data governance principles that were developed by our team. The principles outline set processes that I follow in all data conversion processes for our new software. In the end of all projects, our data governance principles help ensure sound data storage processes and data security for our end users."

This big picture question will allow your interviewer to get a sense of how you understand that your work will benefit the greater good of Fast Enterprises through following repeatable processes to maintain consistency in your work. When you talk about your experience and methods that you would help bring to table in this role, maintain a focus on minimizing risk and reducing costs for the organization.

"If hired for this role, I would love to help develop and abide by documented processes in data conversion to ensure solid data governance in the projects here at Fast Enterprises. In the work I've performed in the past, I've developed conversion and end reporting processes that helped ensure 100% accuracy in the software being developed. With these processes in place, we could rest assured that corporate risks were as minimal as possible in our products."

"When I used to work as a classroom technician, I was often asked to report to a classroom by the professors where certain equipment/software was not working. I understood that some professors were not interested in knowing how the software worked in the back-end. They were just interested in knowing what they had to do to get the software to work. So my approach to this situation would be to explain the necessary background information required/steps involved in reaching their solution. I would avoid using technical jargon and use wording that makes sense for the client. Although, if the client is interested in the software, I would not hold myself back from sharing the back-end working, as they would appreciate it."

How do you measure the success of a data integration project?

"With any large data integration project that I have managed in the past, success starts with setting realistic yet high standard goals for the project. To do this, I need to make sure that I get input from all key stakeholders in the project. With a recent project, we measure our success in a few different ways. Because of the need set forth by our sales force to be more competitive with our competition in the market, we measured timeliness of the system pre and post integration. Then, to measure the financial impacts of the project, we measured our end of project costs versus what was budgeted. Because our goals were measurable, it was easy to see that the project was a huge success."

Similar to evaluating any project, measuring the success and impact of any data integration project should rely on goals that were defined at the start of the project. In your answer, be sure that you speak about the consideration for the people involved in the project (i.e. customers, sales, IT, engineering) and how success was measured in their eyes. Another great point to touch on in your answer is using the SMART method for setting goals to assure that they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time oriented.

"I think that I can best demonstrate this by talking about a recent data integration project we worked on in creating new banking software. At the beginning of the project, we clearly defined the end goals of the project in the data we wanted converted with a set deadline for completion. Our design team added their expectations on their desired workflow following the data conversion. One integration was complete, our goals were easily measured for the project to be considered a success."

Do you have experience in developing white papers as part of your technical writing experience?

"In my current role in the medical device industry, I have a lot of experience writing white papers for prospective and current customers. In this role, our white papers were what I would call a blend between a technical document and a marketing document as they really outlined how new products would help solve a problem for our customers. The process of my writing required a great amount of technical knowledge and the ability to convey that knowledge in layman's terms."

In the software industry, Fast Enterprises uses white papers to explain complex terms in more simpler terms for their end users. If you do have experience creating white papers, discuss your experience in detail and explain what types of products you wrote them for. If you don't have direct experience, make sure that you can explain the basic premise of a white paper and talk about the skills that you have that give you the ability to write them effectively.

"As a newer technical writer, I don't have direct experience writing white papers but I think my skills would be great for producing great ones here at Fast Enterprises. From what I know about white papers, they are very concise and to the point. They are reaching to a specific audience to explain a product and convey the benefits that customers can get from the product. In the software industry, I think my excellent technical writing skills will be very beneficial in the creation of white papers for your clients here at Fast Enterprises."

Fast Enterprises Interview Questions

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1. Talk about a data integration project where you encountered an issue with completing tasks due to the negligence of others. How did you handle this issue to ensure solid completion of the project?
2. What publication tools do you have experience working on during your time as a technical writer?
3. How would you handle a classroom based user training session where users were at all different ends of the learning and knowledge spectrum of the program?
4. What are your primary technical competencies?
5. How do you stay organized and on track when working on multiple projects or duties at the same time?
6. As you reflect back on your career to this point in your search for a new position, what would you say is your ideal work environment or culture?
7. Our implementation consultants here at Fast Enterprises often face conflicts with our customers while onsite during implementations. What interpersonal skills do you use to handle conflicts with clients?
8. If hired here at Fast Enterprises, what do you feel would be the biggest hurdle for you to overcome from the start?
9. Tell me about the most interesting project you have worked on this year and the biggest thing you learned from it.
10. What is one unique personality trait you possess that would help you be successful in this role with Fast Enterprises?
11. How would you handle a situation where a colleague was being very difficult to work with?
12. Talk about a successful training program that you had the opportunity to design and implement. What do you feel were the keys to success for the program?
13. What skills do you use to cope with the day to day stress and pressure on the job?
14. Would you say that you are a goal oriented on the job? What would I be able to do as your manager to help you achieve your goals if hired here at Fast Enterprises?
15. At Fast Enterprises, we rely on a full team effort to deliver top quality products to our customers. Tell me about a time that you worked well as part of a team. Are you comfortable in a similar role here?
16. As the onsite consultant for our clients here at Fast Enterprises, you may be privy to confidential information or data. How can we ensure that you will hold client data security in the highest confidence?
17. How have you handled obstacles that you've faced during information gathering processes in your time as a technical writer?
18. If you were working on a project here at Fast Enterprises that came with frequent changes in user requirements, how would you handle that situation?
19. In our consulting services here at Fast Enterprises, we often have to work with people who aren't very tech savvy. How would you handle a situation like this if hired for this role?
20. As a consultant with Fast Enterprises, your role will be vital in gather information from our customers in building new technology for them. What would be your goals in an initial consultation with a new or existing client?
21. Software technology continually changes. How do you stay current on new technologies and sharpen your skills?
22. If hired for our system analyst role here at Fast Enterprises, what would you say are your two greatest skills that you would add to our team?
23. In your current role, how would describe your ability to communicate and coordinate with the developers, testers and architects that you work closely with?
24. Tell me about your problem-solving skills. Do you enjoy analyzing and solving complex problems?
25. How do you ensure that you have a healthy work-life balance in your career?
26. How would you say that you would help bring sound data governance philosophies to this role at Fast Enterprises?
27. How do you measure the success of a data integration project?
28. Do you have experience in developing white papers as part of your technical writing experience?

Fast Enterprises Interview Questions

1. Talk about a data integration project where you encountered an issue with completing tasks due to the negligence of others. How did you handle this issue to ensure solid completion of the project?

2. What publication tools do you have experience working on during your time as a technical writer?

3. How would you handle a classroom based user training session where users were at all different ends of the learning and knowledge spectrum of the program?

4. What are your primary technical competencies?

5. How do you stay organized and on track when working on multiple projects or duties at the same time?

6. As you reflect back on your career to this point in your search for a new position, what would you say is your ideal work environment or culture?

7. Our implementation consultants here at Fast Enterprises often face conflicts with our customers while onsite during implementations. What interpersonal skills do you use to handle conflicts with clients?

8. If hired here at Fast Enterprises, what do you feel would be the biggest hurdle for you to overcome from the start?

9. Tell me about the most interesting project you have worked on this year and the biggest thing you learned from it.

10. What is one unique personality trait you possess that would help you be successful in this role with Fast Enterprises?

11. How would you handle a situation where a colleague was being very difficult to work with?

12. Talk about a successful training program that you had the opportunity to design and implement. What do you feel were the keys to success for the program?

13. What skills do you use to cope with the day to day stress and pressure on the job?

14. Would you say that you are a goal oriented on the job? What would I be able to do as your manager to help you achieve your goals if hired here at Fast Enterprises?

15. At Fast Enterprises, we rely on a full team effort to deliver top quality products to our customers. Tell me about a time that you worked well as part of a team. Are you comfortable in a similar role here?

16. As the onsite consultant for our clients here at Fast Enterprises, you may be privy to confidential information or data. How can we ensure that you will hold client data security in the highest confidence?

17. How have you handled obstacles that you've faced during information gathering processes in your time as a technical writer?

18. If you were working on a project here at Fast Enterprises that came with frequent changes in user requirements, how would you handle that situation?

19. In our consulting services here at Fast Enterprises, we often have to work with people who aren't very tech savvy. How would you handle a situation like this if hired for this role?

20. As a consultant with Fast Enterprises, your role will be vital in gather information from our customers in building new technology for them. What would be your goals in an initial consultation with a new or existing client?

21. Software technology continually changes. How do you stay current on new technologies and sharpen your skills?

22. If hired for our system analyst role here at Fast Enterprises, what would you say are your two greatest skills that you would add to our team?

23. In your current role, how would describe your ability to communicate and coordinate with the developers, testers and architects that you work closely with?

24. Tell me about your problem-solving skills. Do you enjoy analyzing and solving complex problems?

25. How do you ensure that you have a healthy work-life balance in your career?

26. How would you say that you would help bring sound data governance philosophies to this role at Fast Enterprises?

27. How do you measure the success of a data integration project?

28. Do you have experience in developing white papers as part of your technical writing experience?