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Illumina Mock Interview

Question 4 of 30 for our Illumina Mock Interview

Illumina was updated by on July 7th, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 4 of 30

Have you ever had to work closely with a difficult colleague? How did you successfully interact with this person?

"I once worked for a lab director who was very difficult in meetings. He did not interact politely with others. As the floor lead, I took it upon myself to help this person interact better with our team and stakeholders. When he would bark orders, I would reiterate what he was trying to say to the group more professionally. It was a subtle approach, and I did so with total respect and patience. It took some time to see change, but soon he learned to communicate in a way that made people want to collaborate with him and follow his instruction."

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How to Answer: Have you ever had to work closely with a difficult colleague? How did you successfully interact with this person?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Illumina job interview.

  • 4. Have you ever had to work closely with a difficult colleague? How did you successfully interact with this person?

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      Collaboration among all teams at Illumina Inc. is vital to their success. With this question, your interviewer wants to see evidence that you can interact professionally and constructively with others, even if they have a challenging personality or work style.

      Written by Ryan Brunner on July 7th, 2022

      How to Answer

      Tell the interviewer about a specific time you encountered a challenging boss, professor, or co-worker and successfully communicated with them. Outline the situation, describe why it was vital to communicate successfully with this person, and explain your actions to build a healthy relationship with the individual. Show the interviewer that you work well with a range of individuals. Your answer should assure the decision-maker that your communication style will be an excellent addition to their team at Illumina Inc.

      Written by Ryan Brunner on July 7th, 2022

      Administration Example

      "I once worked for a lab director who was very difficult in meetings. He did not interact politely with others. As the floor lead, I took it upon myself to help this person interact better with our team and stakeholders. When he would bark orders, I would reiterate what he was trying to say to the group more professionally. It was a subtle approach, and I did so with total respect and patience. It took some time to see change, but soon he learned to communicate in a way that made people want to collaborate with him and follow his instruction."

      Written by Ryan Brunner on July 7th, 2022

      Manager Example

      "One of my former colleagues was very cold and 'matter-of-fact' in his approach. I worked most of my career in this industry, which attracts a large variety of personalities. However, I am a warm person by nature and found it challenging to connect with this particular person. I needed to adapt because we collaborated nearly every day. I changed my approach by sticking solely to the facts in meetings and presenting data instead of opinions. In the end, it wasn't the most profound relationship I've had in my career, but we made it work for us and got along well enough to do our jobs and deliver reliable performance."

      Written by Ryan Brunner on July 7th, 2022

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