Pre-work for Interview Essentials class: November

2018
ES723
Due Date: Cohort B : November 13, 2018, 5 PM

Cohort A: November 18, 2018, 5 PM

Cohort C: November 25, 2018, 5 PM

Please review the pre-class slide deck and examples of 6 competencies. Complete the worksheet below and upload a
copy to QuestromTools under assignments. Please bring a printed copy to class for the exercise.

Story Toolbox Worksheet

Competency Background Action (1 minute) Result (1 minute)
(30 seconds)
Tips: Under each  Start by sharing  Focus on what YOU  Describe what changed as a
competency are listed a company and role did, avoid using “we” result of the action you
set of questions that you were in (or year when describing the took.
interviewers ask to test in school if it is a action.  Consider how YOU changed
for that attribute. In story from school).  Choose a few clear internally as a result of this
parenthesis is their  Provide 2-4 actions and match situation.
motivation behind asking sentences about the them with skills  You will stand out if you
those questions situation you were needed for the role. measure you success in
facing that led you to (Example, “to terms of numbers, dollars or
take action. Address the issue, I % change.
 Choose situations took the initiative to
that are specific and communicate…)
important.

LEADERSHIP My class in Outreach You come to classes even

consisted of the kids & before your semesters,
How do you motivate their grandma. In one of you make lesson plans for
people? How do you show our cultural events, I your kids every week, you
initiative and set a good found that Remya’s attend workshops,
example for others? (Can grandmother is absent. I arrange for funds and so
I trust you when the world came to know that she on so forth.
is falling apart here?) had just passed away.I
was shocked thinking
why did Remya even
come to the class. I tried
to postpone the event,
but I could not do so.I
consoled her and
insisted on dropping her
home. She replied that “I

TEAMWORK/
COLLABORATION
Can you work well with
people who are very
different than you? How
do address team issues
when they arise? Are you
willing to sacrificing your
own time/resources to
support someone else?
do not want to miss this
event. We have been
preparing for this since a
month, and I do not
want my team to lose
due to my absence.” I
was stunned. I had
learned so much about
team skills in my life, but
none of those could
explain this level of
maturity of a 9-yr-old.It
taught me treat cause
above self and be
passionate about our
cause, which drives me
to work beyond my
capacity
I enrolled in an eLearning Finally, after 8 to 9
course for dealing with months it was my last
difficult kids. The course, date at Cognizant. When
though useful, could not the students gave me
prepare me for the their beautiful painting, I
upcoming obstacles. understood that my
Although, I felt effort had been fruitful. I
unprepared as a leader I still remember their last
created a plan to get day at Cognizant when
friendly with them. A these children gifted me a
get-together with ice handmade flower and a
cream served as an greeting card. I improved
icebreaker. I continued a boy's math grade from
with my sessions and a D to a B.
encouraged the students
to discuss what made
them happy I chose to
listen without being
judgmental. We
practiced simple anger
management techniques
like counting from one to
ten. It took a few days
before the children
started to open up. I
routed their energies in
constructive pursuits by
dividing them into
groups such as math
race and general
knowledge quiz

COMMUNICATION /
INFLUENCE
How do you
communicate? Are you
aware of your strengths
and shortcomings and
how did you work on
those? (Will I have to hunt
you down for everything?)
How do you adapt your
communication to
influence others?
ANALYSIS
Can you prove your point
using data? Can you use
data to solve a problem?
(Will you get lost in all the
numbers and details or
can you identify what
factors are most
important and then draw
conclusions and
competitions. Slowly, the
kids started showing
interest in studies. I
doubled their interests
by teaching them some
shortcuts from Vedic
Maths.
“I was a technical analyst a step-by-step
on a project. My team implementation plan. We
lead had to leave owing were able to present this
to a personal new plan to the client
emergency. He asked me within a week. The client
to lead our five-person was very pleased by the
team in finishing up the innovation that I
project. It had been a suggested since it
straightforward project, resulted in approximately
but right after he left, 20% cost savings %. Even
one of the major call my manager
flows had too many acknowledged my
issues. Since this was a leadership abilities and
major call flow, even soon I was promoted to a
other flows and Business Analyst.
functionalities were
related to this call flow in
some way. Hence, we
had to revaluate the
entire test scripts to
keep the project not only
under budget but also
within the timeline. I
called the team together
right and worked to calm
their frustrations. We
brainstormed other
options such as the
automation tools and
testing suites available,
communicate to senior
management?)
ADAPTABILITY
How do you deal with the
new and unknown, what
challenges did you face
and how did you
overcome them. What did
you learn? (Will you be
able to adjust into a new
team and become part of
them?)
DECISION MAKING
How good are you at
problem solving and using
interpersonal skills/ how
you prioritize tasks and
people and make
decisions (I hope you will
know what to do when
there is a fire in the
building!)