Practice 30 IRS Agent interview questions covering tax law, compliance investigations, and taxpayer interaction scenarios.
Question 12 of 30
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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.
"I was on the phone with an unhappy customer. As soon as I took the call, they were quite aggressive. I realized they weren't adept at non-defensive communication. So I took notes, distilling facts from their emotional output. Once I had a clear and objective lens of what the situation was, I could aptly and calmly mirror their grievance back to them in a more impartial way. Once they affirmed my understanding of their situation was correct, I was able to empathize with them and calm them. From there, I maintained a calm, steady, and patient approach, and the call ended amenably."

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 is assessing your perception of what a high-stress working environment looks like, how you cope with stress in a high-paced work environment, what kind of situations you find stressful, and how well your idea aligns with the reality of the job. Someone who keeps calm under pressure will be beneficial to the company in this position. In assessing your perception of what the job looks like, they'll hopefully be able to evaluate how well-suited you are for the role.

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 aim here is not only to relay your relevant experience to the position you are competing for but also to exhibit your ability to remain cool and collected under pressure. First, describe your definition of a stressful situation. Then, describe a stressful situation you've faced, your response, and how the situation was resolved. Focus on problem-solving with a level head and decisive decision-making. Often, the best way to cope with a stressful situation is to take action. It's fine to have stress as long as the stress doesn't have you. Emotional balance is what you should aim to convey with your answer.

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Written by Kevin Downey
30 Questions & Answers • IRS

By Kevin

By Kevin