Have you ever had to build a relationship with someone who intimidated you? How did you handle that situation?

"I had a boss a couple of years ago who was very intimidating because of his high demands and strong personality. I feel like I can thrive working with strong personalities. However, he didn't smile very often and was a bit flat with his emotions. This was sometimes hard to navigate. I don't think he meant to be rude, so I would remind myself before speaking to him that he was human just like the rest of us. This approach helped me to communicate with him with much less intimidation."

When you answer, show the interviewer that you have the self-awareness to recognize when feelings of intimidation arise. One way to communicate this is by telling a brief story of a time you built a relationship with someone who intimidated you at first. Include specific details of how you developed a relationship with this person. The goal of your response is the show that you never let intimidation impact the quality of your work. At the end of your response, remember to explain how your relationship-building skills will benefit the patients, staff, and colleagues in the program you are interviewing with.