Describe a time when you had to present findings/recommendations to a non-technical audience. What strategies did you use to ensure the audience did not get confused and clearly understood the message?

How to Answer
1st Answer Example
2nd Answer Example

This is another example of a Behavioral Question, and you can use the STAR framework to organize your answer. The interviewer is interested in learning about your communication skills and style. Walk them through your answer systematically, describing how you communicate complex issues in a clear and non-technical manner.

"While Data Science is a complex and highly technical field, the people who use the information I provide are usually experts in other fields. Therefore, when I present my findings, I work hard to communicate them in terminology the audience is familiar with, focusing on the conclusions and recommendations rather than the data, statistics, and analysis methodology. This approach results in the organization attaining the business objective of the analysis. I also prepare myself to answer questions about the science behind the analysis if necessary."

"It is easy to get distracted by the nuances of data analysis when presenting findings of a project I've worked on to the decision-makers from other parts of the organization. This is because I'm most comfortable with the data and the analysis and may not be familiar with the other operational aspects of the company. When preparing to present to a non-technical audience, I take the time to understand how my findings and recommendations will be used, the priorities of my listeners, and the desired outcome of the meeting. I then focus on communicating clearly, and concisely, using terminology I know the audience is familiar with and understands."

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How to Answer: Describe a time when you had to present findings/recommendations to a non-technical audience. What strategies did you use to ensure the audience did not get confused and clearly understood the message?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Data Scientist job interview.

3. Describe a time when you had to present findings/recommendations to a non-technical audience. What strategies did you use to ensure the audience did not get confused and clearly understood the message?

How to Answer

This is another example of a Behavioral Question, and you can use the STAR framework to organize your answer. The interviewer is interested in learning about your communication skills and style. Walk them through your answer systematically, describing how you communicate complex issues in a clear and non-technical manner.

Written by William Swansen on October 13th, 2021

1st Answer Example

"While Data Science is a complex and highly technical field, the people who use the information I provide are usually experts in other fields. Therefore, when I present my findings, I work hard to communicate them in terminology the audience is familiar with, focusing on the conclusions and recommendations rather than the data, statistics, and analysis methodology. This approach results in the organization attaining the business objective of the analysis. I also prepare myself to answer questions about the science behind the analysis if necessary."

Written by William Swansen on October 13th, 2021

2nd Answer Example

"It is easy to get distracted by the nuances of data analysis when presenting findings of a project I've worked on to the decision-makers from other parts of the organization. This is because I'm most comfortable with the data and the analysis and may not be familiar with the other operational aspects of the company. When preparing to present to a non-technical audience, I take the time to understand how my findings and recommendations will be used, the priorities of my listeners, and the desired outcome of the meeting. I then focus on communicating clearly, and concisely, using terminology I know the audience is familiar with and understands."

Written by William Swansen on October 13th, 2021

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