Southwest Airlines Mock Interview
Prepare for 39 Southwest Airlines interview questions covering customer service, LUV culture, and operational scenarios.
Question 25 of 39
Think about a difficult boss, professor, or coworker. What made him or her difficult? How did you successfully interact with this person?
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Community Answers
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Show the interviewer that you work well with most personalities, even though you recognize some folks approach things differently than you do. Think about someone who was challenging to work with and what that relationship meant to you. Avoid speaking poorly of anyone, and be sure to end your response on a positive note. As the founder of Southwest said, "If you don't treat your own people well, they won't treat other people well."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I once worked at a locally owned shop where the owner was very demanding. When the owner would walk into the store, employees would announce over their headset system that the owner was in the building, so that everyone felt prepared for his entrance into their department. The owner had great intentions; however, his people skills were a little rough. I could see that he meant well, and I recognized that he wanted to do good things. When we interacted, I always took his feedback with the understanding that he didn't mean things as harshly as they came out."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I once worked for an executive who was very difficult in meetings and interacting with groups of others. I took it upon myself to help this person interact better with others. When she would bark orders, I would reiterate what she was trying to say to the group more professionally. It took some time, but she learned to behave in a way that made people want to work with her."
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Anonymous Answer
I normally work well with most personalities. But, I once worked with a flight attendant that was really sweet until she signed up to be in the galley. She was very possessive about her space and wanted no one in her way. I’m always trying to be helpful. So when something happened one time I gave a suggestion on how to fix it. She turned and snapped at me and said “I’ve worked here for 15 years I think I know how to fix this!” I apologized for being so intrusive and basically stayed out of her way while she was in the galley. She later apologized for snapping at me, that she was having a bad day, and didn’t mean to sound so snotty. We still get along and have some great times together.
Marcie's Feedback
You've provided a good example here of a time when you successfully dealt with a challenging personality. Nice job! If you approached her privately and asked to discuss the issue, don't forget to mention that as well.
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