MockQuestions

United Airlines Mock Interview

Question 12 of 35 for our United Airlines Mock Interview

United Airlines was updated by on September 5th, 2023. Learn more here.

Question 12 of 35

Tell me about a time you successfully collaborated with someone with a different perspective than your own.

"I once worked at a locally owned shop where the owner had a big personality. 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 wasn't a bad person, just prominent in his presence. His people skills were a little rough. He meant well, and I recognized what he wanted. I got along with him well and helped others understand him, often smoothing out any ruffled feathers along the way. Often, understanding, empathy, and a lack of judgment are all it takes."

Next Question

How to Answer: Tell me about a time you successfully collaborated with someone with a different perspective than your own.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an United Airlines job interview.

  • 12. Tell me about a time you successfully collaborated with someone with a different perspective than your own.

      What You Need to Know

      Your interviewer is curious about how much of a team player you are and how adaptive you are at navigating and collaborating with varying personality types. United Airlines looks at your ability to resolve difficult, emotionally charged, or confrontational issues while maintaining composure and focusing on customer needs as essential to the job. They also view how well you work with others as directly related to the impact you make. "Making an impact. Collectively, our talented employees bring a global perspective that directly contributes to the success of our airline and our impact on the communities we serve." So show your interviewer how well you work with varying personalities, recognizing everyone is different and how what makes them different makes their perspective unique and worth considering.

      Written by Kevin Downey on August 27th, 2023

      1st Answer Example

      "I once worked at a locally owned shop where the owner had a big personality. 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 wasn't a bad person, just prominent in his presence. His people skills were a little rough. He meant well, and I recognized what he wanted. I got along with him well and helped others understand him, often smoothing out any ruffled feathers along the way. Often, understanding, empathy, and a lack of judgment are all it takes."

      Written by Kevin Downey on August 27th, 2023

      2nd Answer Example

      "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."

      Written by Kevin Downey on August 27th, 2023

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "I had to work with a manager who often had outbursts. However, as I was aware that the individual suffered from Tourette's syndrome, I clearly understood that this behavior was related to the medical condition. Therefore, I did not take it personally or ever confront the person. Instead, I stayed pleasant and courteous."

      Rachelle's Feedback

      To avoid any misinterpretation, steer away from situations with co-workers who have a disability. Try offering an example of a boss, professor, or co-worker who simply had an unpleasant personality without a disability attached.
      "I once worked with a manager who had emotional outbursts and a terrible temper. It was common knowledge that this individual was quick to anger, so I spent a lot of time observing; learning the best times to communicate with this person, and what approach to take depending on their mood. I do not enjoy stepping around people who cannot act professionally; however, I can cope with it logically."

    • Next Question

    About the Author

    Kevin Downey

    For most of my management career, I worked for a chain of neighborhood grocery stores. Their brand was partly defined by the generic goods they carried, packaged under their company name, many of which, through their distribution contracts, were available nowhere else. Their number one core value was to deliver a wow customer experience. They considered the experience at the register as the grand finale, which would serve as the most memorable experience for each customer and a make-it-or-break-it moment.

    One of the most desirable traits I looked for when I recruited new members to our team was whether they were a foodie. Were they passionate about our brand, the casual dress code, and the fun hipster vibe of our stores? Would they have fun on the job, never get bored, and be adaptable and willing to help anywhere? Everyone’s duties rotated hour by hour because no one had one job. Each day’s schedule was written based on the needs of the store, and everyone did everything. We were a team. Most of us had leadership potential, and every one of us embodied the brand. No one got bored, and most days everyone was having fun. We all became friends and spent time together on and off the job. Happy employees make for a wow customer experience.

    As a manager, I worked on a register for a few hours every day. Honestly, it was fun. I got to ring up groceries, show off my bagging skills, and ask people what they were cooking for dinner. Often, we exchanged recipes, and for five minutes, we were friends. I provided sincere and genuine interactions, connecting with my customers whenever I could.

    If a customer came in a little hangry or unhappy about something that had nothing to do with me, I’d try to turn their experience around, but I would never internalize their emotions and confuse them with my own. All I had control over was my attitude, and it typically centered around my gratitude to be working somewhere I enjoyed being. I am a foodie and a crazy good cook, and my time working there was rewarding, which led to great things in my life, the benefits of which I am still reaping today. In many ways, working for United is likely a very similar experience.

    Most lifestyle industries can be categorized as a service industry. Whether it is health, fitness, food, travel, or entertainment, most of them, in one way or another, embody some kind of experience. Travel is a lifestyle industry, and those working in that industry should have a passion for travel and adventure. United expects its employees to embody their brand. Their ideal recruits are those who’ll be happy to be there, grateful for the opportunity, and can take the good with the bad while focusing on the good. Being in a rewarding industry that aligns with one’s priorities offers the opportunity for tremendous growth, personally and professionally. The benefits are obvious, and you have an opportunity to share that passion with the people who will share that journey with you, whether to a single destination or well into the future.

    So, it is important, going into your interview, to align your goals with the interviewer’s. They aren’t looking for any semi-skilled professional to fit a position just because it needs to be filled. They’re looking for someone who is happy to be there and fits their mold. You are looking for a job that feels like the right fit for you because being happy at work is a quality-of-life issue. So, the surest way to position yourself as their ideal candidate and to get you to stand apart from the rest of their “talent community” is to inform them that you already embody their brand, just as their brand represents you.

    Learn more about Kevin Downey