Professional Documents
Culture Documents
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/careers/Behavioral_Interviewing_Questions.pdf
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
The summer after my freshman year, I volunteered for the Marine Corps because I
saw the change it caused in my brother and I wanted to undergo the same process.
The program that I did was two six-week increments during which I was evaluated in
fitness, academics, and leadership potential. Because I had excelled during my first
increment of training, I was designated as the Platoon Commander for my platoon
this past summer. As Platoon Commander, I was in charge of staying on top of the
whereabouts of all 39 women in my platoon, as well as insuring that our rifles were
always accounted for. By the end of training, I was ranked in the top 3% of my
company and earned the ability to commission as an officer in the Marine Corps. I
ultimately got a lot out of the experience, especially with regards to establishing my
style of leadership and meeting people who mentor me to this day, but found that
there was very little room for innovation. Based on what Ive heard, Goldman offers
the structure and high efficiency found in the military, but leaves space for
individualism, which is why this position really excites me.
What do you mean by leave space for individualism?
From something as simple as changing how we stack our rifles when were
conducting physical training to finding a way to streamline the process of getting
food for each platoon, the structure of the military leaves little room for deviating
from the norm.
2. Why Goldman?
When I described my experience at military training to one of my friends, she
responded with, That sounds exactly like Goldman! From there, I did some
research on the company culture and I loved the sense of pride employees took in
their jobs. Team cohesiveness is something that I loved the most about my time in
the Marine Corps and I got the sense that most Goldman employees believe that
they are a part of something bigger than themselves. I wanted to be a part of a
corporation that gives their employees a greater purpose.
3. Why hcm?
As a data analyst for The Good Judgment Project, I analyze large amounts of data to
figure out whether there is any correlation between team processes and individual
decision-making. As a result, I often have to reference criteria established for the
study in order to make sound judgments. If there isnt a readily available answer, I
have to figure out how to answer the question on my own. Compliance is similar in
that it involves a lot of fact-checking, but also leaves room for figuring out an
answer on your own. It also involves a level of confidentiality that I am familiar with
based on my experience with the military. It felt like the best fit for me.
4. Tell me about a time that you exhibited leadership.
During military training this past summer, I was in charge of carrying out the plan of
the day while keeping track of the whereabouts of my platoon and their rifles. We
had previously had an issue with getting the right count of rifles because some
members of the platoon would leave with their rifles without telling their immediate
supervisors where they were going. To fix this issue, I required each member leaving
the platoon to log their whereabouts in my journal, as well as leave their rifles with
the platoon. Implementing this plan increased the accuracy of our counts, which
made my supervisors lives a lot easier.
12. Describe a time you had to work on a team. How did that go?
I volunteer for PACT (People + Animals = Companions Together) for Animals, which
is a nonprofit that provides homes for pets when their owners are on deployment.
We recently had a large influx of pets who needed homes because of a change in
the deployment cycle, so each of had to take on more home visits. Because most of
the other volunteers had families to take care of, they would not be able to do the
home visits before the pets would be required to stay in an animal shelter. I decided
to take on the home visits that they could not get to and we managed to place all of
the animals in homes before their owners deployed.
13. How do you handle stress or pressure?
If a situation seems overwhelming, I try to break it up into smaller chunks and just
focus on reaching each one on the way to accomplishing the larger task. For
instance, this past summer we had a major issue with individuals losing gear, which
became a headache because all of our issued gear was needed for training. I ended
up breaking it down into who needs certain gear first, and concentrated on one
step at a time until we were able to get more gear issued.
14. Would you prefer to work independently or on team?
While Im equally comfortable doing both, I find that I enjoy working on a team a lot
more. My job at The Good Judgment Project involves a lot of meetings during which
we brainstorm ways to streamline our data analysis. After these meetings, I often
leave with individual tasks to complete so that the project can move forward. These
meetings gave me a better picture of how my work would contribute to the team as
a whole, which makes the prospect of working on a team more appealing.
15. Why financial services? Why not consulting, marketing, etc.?
I like being challenged on a daily basis and I enjoy being around people who derive
satisfaction from hard work and dedication. When I was working with the grants
department for Penns med school, I really enjoyed providing solutions for funding
issues and to be connected with finance in some form, while still dealing with legal
matters seemed like the best fit for me.
16. Would you rather be the captain of a losing team or a regular member of a
winning team?
I would rather be the captain of a losing team. I love taking on challenges and I feel
confident in my ability to turn the team around. Im far more interested in the
potential for positive change and the effectiveness of my contributions to the whole
than to be the person on a team who has nothing to contribute.
17. Describe an ethical dilemma you had to deal with.
As a manager for the mens basketball team, I am in charge of making sure the
players attend captain-run practices, which means that the coaching staff is not
present. Most recently, one of the players wanted me to vouch for him when he was
not at one of the practices, which put me in a tough position because the team is
essentially a family. However, I knew that I would not have their best interest at
heart if I allowed him to cut corners, so I did not lie for him.
18. Tell me about a time you failed.
As a Platoon Commander, I got to choose individuals who would report the counts of
their squad members, as well as their weapons to me. One of the individuals that I
chose did not sit well with me, but I had heard great things about so I tacked it to
paranoia. After taking a rest during one of our platoons hikes, I discovered that she
had lied about her weapons count and one of our rifles had been missing the entire
day. This was a huge safety issue and I ultimately got reamed because of my failure
to inspect. From that experience, I learned to always trust my gut and do my due
diligence whenever possible.
Im a movie buff and especially love scary movies with bad dialogue and plot holes.
Im also a freelance writer for PopMatters, which is a magazine of cultural criticism
and analysis.
22. Where do you see yourself in five years?
23. Tell me your biggest accomplishment.