Adaptability Interview Questions

Adaptability Interview Questions

1. 1.

   When you suffer a setback, how does that emotionally affect you and your work?

   The interviewer would like to know how you react when it comes to setbacks in the workplace. Everyone handles the stress and disappointment of setbacks differently. Discuss with the interviewer how you typically cope with delays in the workplace.
   
   

   

   Rachelle's Answer

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with my manager and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Admin interview

   "I allow myself a moment to be frustrated when a setback occurs, but never publicly. I may go for a quick walk on my lunch break, for instance. When a setback occurs, I prefer to take from the experience rather than have it take energy away from me."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Manager interview

   "Setbacks can be trying, but I find that you have to learn how to lose before you learn how to win. While I never enjoy a setback, I use them as a stepping off point to something even better."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Marketing interview

   "Setbacks happen for a reason, and they do not affect me emotionally in the least. I am a very pragmatic thinker and stay focused on my project despite the challenges that come my way. I am a creative thinker, so setbacks are often used as a new jumping off point to something even better."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Retail interview

   "When working in a customer facing role, as I do, setbacks will happen on a regular basis. I recall one time when I hit my weekly sales target by just a hair. Ten minutes before closing, a customer returned an item purchased from me. It put me in the hole! Ugh! It felt like such a burn. With that said, I took that enthusiasm and applied it to my following weeks' KPI's and knocked it out of the park."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Sales interview

   "Salespeople are competitive and thus, tend to take things personally when setbacks occur. I become internally frustrated when my goal fails or a perceived "done deal" falls through. When this happens, I will go through a mental rundown of what I could have done differently. It can certainly be emotionally taxing, but I also learn a ton from processing these mistakes."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Teacher interview

   "I need to understand that setbacks happen as a teacher. Whether it is a student's learning, a policy change, or lack of funding. When these setbacks happen, I improvise, as all great teachers must do!"

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Cost Accountant interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with my manager and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Nisha's Answer

    for a Optometry School interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be very disheartening, especially when involving a project that I have put a lot of time and effort into. I understand that setbacks happen often, and to everyone - despite their level of expertise or years of experience. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to internally debrief, get some fresh air if possible, or discuss what I could have done differently with a mentor. Then, I move on. Rather than dwell on my mistakes, I choose to learn from them."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Kitchen Manager interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to debrief with my team and discuss what we could have done differently. Then, we implement what we learned, and we move on!"

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Archivist interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to debrief with my manager and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Residency interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be very disheartening, especially when involving a patient. I understand that setbacks happen often, and to everyone - despite their level of expertise or years of experience. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to internally debrief, get some fresh air if possible, or discuss what I could have done differently with a mentor. Then, I move on. People need me to recover quickly so that I can concentrate on the next case."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Actor and Actress interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with my director and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Academic Dean interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with a mentor, and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Heather's Answer

    for a Biological Scientist interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing and can be a bit disheartening, especially when research hours are lost for example. I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with my manager and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Electrician Apprentice interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with my site manager and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Nurse Practitioner interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with the physician on call, and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move forward with the knowledge that I gained."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Animal Control Workers interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to debrief with my manager, or team, and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Heavy Equipment Operator interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to debrief with my supervisor and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Heather's Answer

    for a Clinical Nurse Specialist interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If my patient experiences a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with the doctor and discuss what I could have done differently, if anything."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Chef interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to debrief with my team and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on! As a chef, my environment is much too busy to spend time dwelling on setbacks."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Model interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief and discuss with the director or photographer what I could have done differently. Then, I try again until I nail it!"

   

   Heather's Answer

    for a Alcohol and Drug Counselor interview

   "I deal with my emotions the same way that I encourage my patients to deal with theirs. First I control my breathing, walk away from the situation if possible and talk about how the situation is making me feel."

   

   Rachelle's Answer

    for a Acting interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to debrief and discuss with the director what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"

   

   Heather's Answer

    for a ABA Therapist interview

   "Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback I will take a few moments to debrief and discuss what I could have done differently, with a more seasoned behavioral therapist in the office. Then, I move forward with new treatment methods."

   Anonymous Answer
   "It affects me emotionally and also has some effects on my job. However, I will try my best to control all unintended situations that cause problems."
   
   Rachelle's Answer
   Try focusing your response on a more positive aspect of change. Unfortunately this answer would create more questions than answers, and would be a red flag to the interviewer. I have provided an example for you.
   "Setbacks can be emotional, especially because I put so much effort into what I do at work. I do my best to remain professional and in control in all situations, and am sure to learn a lesson from setbacks whenever possible."
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