Background ~ Professional Interests ~ Sample Interview

Sample Interview Questions & Answers

What are your strengths?
My primary strengths are my detail-orientation and my ability to boil down information or participant responses into a simple, clarifying point that pushes discussion forward.
Teaching is a flow experience for me, and my passion and pleasure definitely contribute as strengths.
Beyond that, I'm a strong writer- both creative and formal- and strong designer of both websites and paper fliers, handouts, etc.

What are your weaknesses?
I have a tendency towards work-a-holic-ism and, understanding the great needs in nonprofits, I can let myself be maneuvered into more work than I can handle. While such situations have taught me how to be very organized and how to prioritize, I'm making efforts to also learn how to spread my energy over longer periods of time and not overwork myself.

What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
A combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. I've been raised with a tremendous work ethic, but I also have a strong desire to see that my work gains some positive response- whether it be from an audience or simply my coworkers and managers.

How do you determine or evaluate success?
I believe, cautiously and analytically, in statistics- but because social issues are important to me, I recognize that success can be just as critical in the form of influencing one mind.

What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
Webdesign, my first classroom program, and my Collaborative Project with OASIS. Webdesign continually gives me satisfaction because it is continuously a struggle to conquer something new and do it well; I enjoy the effort and I appreciate the visible results. My first classroom program was taught at an hour's notice and was one of the first times I felt the power and natural flow of museum education for me; and my Collaborative Project with OASIS was an experience of much effort and learning that resulted in a program- and professional growth- beyond what I could have anticipated.

How did you come to museums?
Museums always seemed like an ideal career- but I didn't know there were actually careers in the museum field! Seeking an internship that would satisfy my college advisor but fill my interests, I contacted a foundation about "fun educational programming" and learned that they were building a museum. That internship was the first step; I pursued the museum field from that point on.

In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
I'm extremely adaptable. That being said, I like clear role expectations and an environment that allows me to focus on what needs to be done without extreme distraction or stimulus overload. I'm used to a large workload and feel more comfortable having a varied, full list of tasks. I enjoy being around people and receiving feedback.

How do you work under pressure?
I work extremely well under short-term pressure. I can manage pressure longer term, and some pressure is good for stimulus, but I wouldn't choose a continuously high-pressure environment.

How do you work in groups? What role do you take?
My role in groups really depends on the other group members. If needed, I'll manage the project; otherwise, I'll generally be the detail person. I tend to give group projects my all, willing to take on any pieces that I feel I can do well on and willing to put in extra effort to produce a great final product.