How to Answer: At UNICEF, our employees are guided by the eight competency areas detailed within our Competency Framework. How do you manage ambiguity and complexity in your job?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an UNICEF job interview.
2. At UNICEF, our employees are guided by the eight competency areas detailed within our Competency Framework. How do you manage ambiguity and complexity in your job?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Competency Framework #5 addresses ambiguity and complexity at work. Nonprofits often deal with rapidly changing circumstances, and this is true of UNICEF, as it is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the world. The interviewer wants to know that you can take initiative and succeed in the face of uncertainty.
Written by Isaiah Swanson on January 27th, 2022
How to Answer
Share one example of a time you dealt with ambiguity in the workplace and one example of a time you thrived in a complex situation. Demonstrate your comfort and good judgment when faced with unprecedented, confusing, and/or difficult situations.
Written by Isaiah Swanson on January 27th, 2022
1st Answer Example
"Having worked for several tech start-ups in my early career, I am used to environments characterized entirely by ambiguity. As we developed our business plan, organizational structure, and client network, we had to be comfortable and maintain confidence in the face of ever-shifting circumstances. Nothing was certain except our belief in the mission of the organization and our pride in the products we delivered. Holding fast to persistence, confidence, and trust grounds me in times of ambiguity."
Written by Isaiah Swanson on January 27th, 2022
2nd Answer Example
"As a creative thinker, I am motivated by complexity on the job. Embracing challenges as they come gives me purpose and a sense of accomplishment once I've sorted out how to address the complexity. As a program manager in my previous position at a local soup kitchen, I was tasked with providing shelf-stable meal boxes as an additional service for clients with limited mobility. However, this expense had to be subtracted from my current budget. I tapped into my network of corporate donors and managed to procure a sponsor for the shelf-stable boxes and maintained my operating budget for the fresh meals at the same time."
Written by Isaiah Swanson on January 27th, 2022
Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback
Anonymous Answer
Despite the negative reception of this directive by the partner, I was able to engage the Directors of the Gender Department in KCCA, and was able to calmly explain and convince them of the rationale for this decision, explained the alternative payment modes and that a CSO person could be engaged to implement the activities."
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