Master 30 Petroleum Engineer interview questions covering reservoir analysis, drilling operations, and production optimization.
Question 13 of 30
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
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Interviewers ask this question to evaluate your problem-solving process, your industry expertise, and your communication skills. There are many types of behavioral questions an interviewer might ask to discover how you take complex concepts, simplify them, and then thoughtfully communicate these ideas.
"While on a job in the field, I was in contact with a client who had little knowledge about the oil patch. It was my duty to provide the client with a desirable result, so I called him multiple times a day to give him status updates on his job, which included any bumps along the road. Sometimes I would get the feeling he didn't understand, so I made sure not to use overly technical language or industry-specific terms in case he was not familiar with the jargon. If he was still unsure, I sent him pictures of equipment or diagrams that I hand drew. I felt like everyone needed to be on the same page, so it was important for me to take the time to explain what I was doing in non-technical terms. He appreciated me going above and beyond in my explanations and even requested me to be on his next job."

Sue is a Recruiter and Talent Sourcer with over 13 years of experience sourcing and interviewing candidates for a variety of roles and industries, including Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Financial, e-Commerce. She
The story you tell to answer this question is not necessarily how employers will learn about your simplification skills; the way you describe the story is. Start by sharing the complex information, and make it sound complex. Then, explain how you simplified the information or presented it to the client or user group, and make it sound simple and easy to comprehend.

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Written by Sue Oberliesen
30 Questions & Answers • Petroleum Engineer

By Sue

By Sue