Creative Thinking Mock Interview

Master 15 Creative Thinking interview questions covering innovation, problem-solving, and originality.

Question 9 of 15

Tell me about a project you worked on where a conventional approach was not suitable.

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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 recently worked on a project that was ahead of its time and federal guidelines. If you want to achieve something you never have before, you have to do something you have never done. We took an unconventional approach to federal research and licensing technology through the Office of Technology Transfer in a way never done before. It was a necessary step to achieve the bigger picture."

Rachelle Enns

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 was on a marketing team where we had to alter our processes to meet our customer's environmental impact challenge. We had to completely change the way we built their advertising plan, keeping zero waste in mind. It was a fun challenge where our entire campaign was digital."

Rachelle Enns

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 often have to work around very tight budgets where a conventional approach is not even an option. When we need supplies, I will ask the parents if they have items they can donate to the school. I will partner with local businesses to see if they have any items they could donate. And, my friend who owns a bookstore has committed to donating five new children's books per month. It makes for great collaboration and networking in the community."

Rachelle Enns

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.

"Our company has ten stores total. Head office announced a merchandising contest where we all had to come up with a theme and execute it, in the shop front window. Our team decided to take a very unconventional approach and gained inspiration from Anthropologie's memorable store experiences. Our eclectic style won and we all earned a 50 in-store credit, along with bragging rights."

Rachelle Enns

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.

"As an executive assistant, I often have to pull strings, ask for favors, and assume that no is never an answer that I should take. I will bargain with vendors and come up with highly creative solutions at times to make a plan come together. I love the fast pace of it all and the challenge that comes with supporting a high-level executive."

Rachelle Enns

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.

"A conventional approach is rarely suitable for sales - ever! I love to come up with new ways to get my weekly calls in, and I create new phone scripts for myself to keep things interesting for myself and my clients. The original sales scripts provided to me were not effective or creative, so I chose to make my own."

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.

The interviewer would like to know about a particular project you have worked on where your creativity was required. How have you implemented creativity in the workplace when a conventional approach was not suitable? Display for the hiring manager how you can think outside of the box when necessary.

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.

"In 2009 our economy suffered, and a lot of businesses were struggling to keep their doors open. At that time, a conventional approach was to take out additional ads on the radio or TV. Social media was starting to become a major advertising outlet - and it was free. I launched a social media campaign that was very successful. We were able to generate new and repeat business while coming in under our advertising budget."

Anonymous Answer

I've worked on many projects in my current position. I would have to say that meeting with a group of senior associates to gather information that would lead to change within their area.

Rachelle's Feedback

'Tell me about...' questions are an ask from the interviewer for you to walk them through a specific story example. The simplest way to approach these questions is through the STAR framework, which is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. If you'd like to do more research, we have a complete guide here: https://www.mockquestions.com/articles/Master Behavioral-Based Interviews Using The Star Method/

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Creative Thinking Mock Interview

Tell me about a project you worked on where a conventional approach was not suitable.

15Creative Thinking Interview Questions & Answers

1.When have you had to think outside of the box to solve a problem?

2.What is the most creative or innovative project you have worked on?

3.When have you taken an existing process and used your own creativity to make it better?

4.Tell me about a time when you created a unique idea or solution, and it was rejected by your colleagues. How were you able to bounce back?

5.Outside of work, what type of creative activities do you like to pursue?

6.When have you created a new product or service?

7.Would you consider yourself a creative person?

8.What ideas have you created in the last year that benefited your current or former employer?

9.Tell me about a project you worked on where a conventional approach was not suitable.

10.How do you like to encourage ideas in others?

11.How often do you discuss work with your colleagues in order to think up new systems and styles of working?

12.When have you used an inventive method to stretch company resources beyond the normal level?

13.When did you come up with an innovative solution to a challenge your company, class, or organization was facing?

14.What does the word 'innovation' mean to you?

15.How can we inspire your creative side?