University Administrator Mock Interview
Excel in higher education interviews with 35 University Administrator questions covering policy, operations, and stakeholder management.
Question 23 of 35
How do you ensure you have clearly and accurately understood an inquiry or request that has been allocated to you?
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Karrie Day is a certified career coach and strategist with a passion for helping her clients define and reach their professional goals. She offers career advancement services such as brand development, resume writing and critiques, job search strategies,
Think about the steps you take to ensure you have a proper understanding each time you receive a new request. What actions do you take regularly to ensure you thoroughly understand the work involved? It can also help to think of a time when you were confused or unclear about a task that was given to you as this scenario will include more steps and help you to provide a more complete response.
Karrie Day is a certified career coach and strategist with a passion for helping her clients define and reach their professional goals. She offers career advancement services such as brand development, resume writing and critiques, job search strategies,
Walk your interviewer through the steps you take to clarify your understanding of a request. Next, describe your process for discussing any details that were initially unclear. Finally, demonstrate that you understand the importance of setting clear expectations for completion based on the results of your efforts to clarify the request.
Karrie Day is a certified career coach and strategist with a passion for helping her clients define and reach their professional goals. She offers career advancement services such as brand development, resume writing and critiques, job search strategies,
"I begin by repeating or paraphrasing what I believe I heard or read in the request. This helps to ensure that the requestor and I are on the same page initially. Next, I ask clarifying questions about the specifics of the deliverable or the timing involved. For example, I might clarify the format of a document requested or ask what time a request is needed on a particular day. Additionally, I will ask questions if there is any ambiguity around the people I should collaborate with or communicate with while handling the request. Lastly, I communicate my plan to complete the request including any checkpoints that allow for feedback before the final due date."
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Anonymous Answer
You repeat it to back to the person and ask if you have captured it correctly.
Rachelle's Feedback
Good start! Since this question is explicitly targeted at your actions, I recommend using 'I' language vs. 'You' language. I have offered a revision, below.
"To ensure that I have clearly and accurately understood an inquiry or request, I will repeat the information back to the person. I will often ask if I have captured the details correctly. One example of this is a time when...(offer a brief STAR-based example of your communication skills in action)."
Anonymous Answer
I ask the person to repeat what has been allocated to me so that I clearly understand the job at hand. Asking questions and asking for help or feedback enables me to carry out the task or answer their query as accurately and efficiently as possible.
Stephanie's Feedback
It sounds like you have strong communication skills, which is wonderful. What do you do if you don't understand the task or need extra support executing it? I suggest adding a few additional details here.
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