Core Competencies & Illustrative Examples

In this section you need to list the 3 8 things that you do better than your peers. You are trying to answer the question: Why would a company be lucky to hire you as an employee? Are you particularly organized, a great leader, a quick learner? Under each trait, list several examples that illustrate how or when you were organized, a leader, or quick learner. Some examples are below. Feel free to add more of your own or borrow some of these. 1.) Leadership a. CWT pool social b. Dance Marathon corporate sponsorship, use $ figures c. UJC d. Senior Design Project Manager 2.) Connect & Develop/Efficient Innovation/Leveraging Mastery/Ability to Reapply Previous Knowledge a. 3.) Organization Building/Coaching/Mentoring a. Senior Design TA b. NGST High School Intern c. AFRL Interns 4.) Quick Learner a. Various intern projects you ramped up fast b. VIP Sensors c. APAS d. POST 5.) Internally Motivated/Curious a. 6.) Identify all relevant and critical issues in complex systems/synergistic solutions a. Graduate Design Project b. Business Process Class c. UJC 7.) Project Management a. Senior Design Project Manager b. Observing Pat Biltgen c. PEST Project d. 8900 Project e. Entry Project Team f. AFRL ECO Project

Personal Positioning Statement

The Personal Positioning Statement (PPS) is a brief introduction of yourself and summary of what you want to do in the future. Consider it your elevator pitch. The PPS is a great way to introduce yourself to recruiters at career fairs or other similar events. An example is provided below. My name is Chris Flaherty. I have a polymer engineering undergraduate degree and am currently attending Georgia Tech in order to complete an MS in polymer engineering as well as an MBA. I was motivated to pursue an MBA to increase my understanding of the financial dimensions of business and enhance my leadership skills. In the past, I have had a variety of manufacturing related work experiences with Procter & Gamble, General Mills, and ExxonMobil. In the future, I would like to

secure employment with a consumer products company that allows me to combine both my management and engineering skill sets.

Special Note
When responding to interview questions be sure to use the formula below. It will keep you answers short and to-the-point. This method of answering interview questions is recommended by Procter & Gamble. C-A-R: Context, Action, Results Context Just enough background to frame the situation. You want to paint the picture of whatever the business challenge was that makes the result stand out. DO NOT overemphasize here, again the point is just for understanding Action the thing(s) that you UNIQUELY did that without them, the results would not have been possible. Dont focus on whether or not someone else could have done it if you werent on the project or on the team. Instead, focus on whether what you did was critical, regardless of who COULD have done it, because after all, you DID it. Result Quantifiable and relevant. Ideally, results should drive back to dollars. If not, efficiency metrics are fantastic (eg, saving time). Finally, milestone &/or monumental delivery is important as well

Behavior Questions
Below is list of very typical interview questions. If you answer these questions prior to arriving for your interview you will appear very composed and in control. It is best to answer these questions in paragraph form. However, bullet point answers or even mental answers are better than nothing. Several examples are below. 1. Tell me about yourself. Notice that my answer combines the PPS statement with a summary list of core competencies. My name is Chris Flaherty. I have a polymer engineering undergraduate degree and am currently attending Georgia Tech in order to complete an MS in polymer engineering as well as an MBA. I was motivated to pursue an MBA to increase my understanding of the financial dimensions of business and enhance my leadership skills. In the past, I have had a variety of manufacturing related work experiences with Procter & Gamble, General Mills, and ExxonMobil. In the future, I would like to secure employment with a consumer products company that allows me to combine both my management and engineering skill sets. The best assets I have to offer your company are my ability to organize, learn quickly, and be a motivated self-starter. 2. What is your leadership style? I feel I have a very participative and incorporated leadership style. Before holding meetings or discussing items with team members I like to organize the topics to be discussed. I typically record what we know, what decisions we need to make, what information we need to know to make good decisions, and what our end goals are. Once this framework is established I prefer to include all team members in the decision making process. I feel that this inclusive leadership style is beneficial for several reasons. If those affected are participating in making the decision they are more committed, more understanding of the issued involved, more collaborative, and

more social with their team members. I also feel that open communication leads to more robust, well thought out decision-making. 3. What is your Career Objective? I want to work in a situation that will allow me to combine my engineering training and business education. Ideally, I would like to work in a manufacturing setting within a consumer products firm. Eventually, I would like to assume operations management responsibilities or technical management responsibilities (over engineering and maintenance) within a plant before assuming the role of plant manager. 4. Tell me about a time when you had to take a leadership role. As an undergraduate student in polymer engineering at Georgia Tech I refounded a defunct campus organization, The Society of Plastics Engineers. Our school had recently converted from textile engineering to polymer engineering and we were in need of student organizations to provide polymer knowledge and job opportunities to students. In the role of founder and president I was responsible for chartering the organization which included writing a constitution, developing a meeting format, developing officer roles, maintaining relations with the department administration as well as SPE parent chapter members. One of the most enjoyable parts of this role was leaving a lasting legacy with the GT campus. 5. Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish and failed. What did you learn? During my senior year of undergraduate study I took a position as a research assistant with a faculty member in my department. I was asked to study the behavior of certain molecules when they were combined and draw conclusion about the energy that was either produced or consumed. In the role I had to use a technology (microcalorimetry) that I was unfamiliar with. After a semesters worth of work few conclusions could be drawn and my research partner and I were unsure as to whether or not the data collected was even useful. At the time we had the opinion that as long as we were diligently working things would eventually get better. In hindsight, I realized that we should have handled things much differently. We should have established a more concrete plan of attack before beginning any experimentation. We should have ensured we were professionally trained on the equipment. And finally, when we were not getting the results that we hoped to achieved we should have sought the advice of experts at an earlier point. This failure taught me that it is not honorable or wise to continue to be self-reliant without considering the alternative options at hand. 6. Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. Last summer I took a position as a systems engineer at a General Mills Yoplait yogurt manufacturing site. In this role I was responsible for the daily operation of two lines that produced club packs to be sold to retailers like Sams and Costco. In this role I was asked to create a rebuild schedule for all major unit operations within the plant. While working on this project I had to heavily research our preventative maintenance program for the equipment in question. I discovered that almost universally our PM program was inadequate in detail, often repetitive, and too consuming of man-hours for the benefits incurred. As a result I asked my immediate managers if I could look into revamping the 6oz line PM programs in addition to developing a rebuild schedule. As a result of my initiative my PM program created over a $100,000 cost avoidance and saved over 72 man-weeks of work. 7. Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize your tasks.

Currently I am pursuing a PhD in polymer engineering, an MBA through the college of management, doing research for my PhD thesis, and involved in extracurricular activities. I prioritize my activities by making any item that I have directly committed to imperative to complete this includes class related items, research, and group activities. Next I focus on items that would be beneficial to me, my family, or my community. Next comes my family, friends, and other important relationships. And finally comes personal time for things like sleep, relaxation, vacation, and exercise. I ensure that all my commitments are completed before I take time for myself. The benefit of this type of prioritization system is that I always complete the necessary tasks. However the downside is that my personal health is the last item on the list to receive attention. I typically avoid any conflicts between these priorities by being the complete opposite of a procrastinator. Usually, as soon as an assignment is issued I make time to complete it. Therefore, when unexpected circumstances arise Im already ahead of the game. 8. Tell me about a situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or coworker. While in a reliability engineering position with ExxonMobil I instituted a new procedure for handling nip roll recovering and tracking. Previously the nip rolls, a critical component to the manufacturing operation, were not well tracked. Additionally, the nip rolls were not even consistently numbered. There were about 3 different numbering systems, none of which persist across all rolls. Part of my new tracking program required that all rolls be renumbered in a consistent, coded fashion. Several of the older mechanics were disgruntled about his change. I found the best was to handle this situation was to solicit their opinions and suggestions prior to instituting changes so they felt they were the cause of the change, not just forced to deal with the results. Additionally, I made sure to maintain open lines of communication throughout the process development and implementation. A similar situation occurred while I was in a systems engineering role at General Mills. In this position I was responsible for the operation of two yogurt manufacturing lines. During my tenure a specific piece of equipment was being updated incrementally over the period of about two weeks. Many employees were disgruntled about the updates because the equipment would not function ideally until all updates were completed. During this period I handled the negative attitudes by adopting a customer service attitude, always accepting suggestions, and maintaining open lines of communication. Additionally, the more frequently employees saw me on the floor trying to improve the situation the more they understood that I too was struggling with the same issues. I believe this created a sense of camaraderie which compelled the employees to have some self control in continuing providing me with negative feedback. 9. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. While at Georgia Tech I was involved with a community service organization, Dance Marathon @ Georgia Tech, which I helped found. My role within the organization was to be responsible for corporate sponsorship, finding prizes, food, drinks, and funding to hold our event. I delegated the responsibility of this role by splitting the most important items (securing big ticket prizes, food, drinks, and event funding) between me and my partner. This ensured that those with the most vested interest in the event being successful handled the tasks of greatest magnitude. Securing smaller items like door prizes I delegated to volunteers. Day of the event activities, like picking up donations and storing surplus items I also delegated to volunteers. I ensured that potential points where poor communication could disrupt our plans were handled by me. 10. Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year.

Over the past year I have had to decide how and if to further pursue my education. I was extremely distraught as to whether or not to enter a PhD program. I wanted to pursue a PhD program for several reasons (1) I truly enjoy technical education and (2) I feel that scientific higher education is extremely under represented by women. I feel that actions speak louder than words and therefore I wanted to set an example to young girls that scientific study is completely appropriate for women. However, I was not certain that I could pursue a PhD because I was sure I wanted to commit the time and agree to spending the next 4-5 years in Atlanta and it would have required some career sacrifice from my husband. Additionally, I was still very uncertain whether I wanted to spend a career in industry or academia. In order to help think through all my options I sought advice from my peers, husband, parents, and several professors. I also took both research, teaching, and industrial type positions so I could have first hand experience with the demands of each role. Finally, one of my academic advisors pointed me in the direction of the MBA program. I finally decided to dual enroll in the MBA program as well as the polymer engineering PhD program. Once my MBA is completed I can reevaluate my situation and decide to follow one of several options (1) continue at Georgia Tech to complete my PhD work (2) continue my PhD work off-campus or under corporate sponsorship or (3) leave Georgia Tech, seek full-time employment and write my PhD work up to receive a masters in polymer engineering.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? 12. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision. 13. Tell me about a failure and how you dealt with it. 14. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way 15. Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it. 16. What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example. 17. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. 18. Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills. 19. Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem. 20. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion. 21. Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree. 22. Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

23. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. 24. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. 25. Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem. 26. Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem. 27. Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. 28. Please tell me about a time you had to provide negative feedback to a friend. 29. Describe a time when you set your sights too high (or too low) 30. Tell me about a time you did a research project and the steps. What would you have done differently?

Actual Interview Questions That I Have Been Asked

Below is a list of actual interview questions that I have been asked to respond to. Note the similarity between these questions and several of the behavior questions listed above. Answering these questions in paragraph form prior to interviewing will prove to be a huge help.
1.

Describe an instance where you set your sights on a high/demanding goal and saw it through to completion, despite obstacles. As an undergraduate student in polymer engineering at Georgia Tech I refounded a defunct campus organization, The Society of Plastics Engineers. Our school had recently converted from textile engineering to polymer engineering and we were in need of student organizations to provide polymer knowledge, industry knowledge, and job opportunities to students. In the role of founder and president I was responsible for chartering the organization which included writing a constitution, developing a meeting format, developing officer roles, maintaining relations with the department administration as well as SPE parent chapter members. One of the most enjoyable parts of this role was leaving a lasting legacy with the GT campus. Summarize a situation where you took the initiative to get others going on an important task or issue, and played a leading role to achieve the results wanted. Last summer (2006) I took a position as a systems engineer at a General Mills Yoplait yogurt manufacturing site. In this role I was responsible for the daily operation of two lines that produced club packs to be sold to retailers like Sams and Costco. In this role I was asked to create a rebuild schedule for all major unit operations within the plant. While working on this project I had to heavily research our preventative maintenance program for the equipment in question. I discovered that almost universally our PM program was inadequate in detail, often repetitive, and too consuming of man-hours for the benefits incurred. As a result I asked my immediate managers if I could look into revamping the 6oz line PM programs in addition to developing a rebuild schedule. As a result of my initiative my PM program created over a $100,000 cost avoidance and saved over 72 man-weeks of work. My results focused the maintenance management on the opportunity for improvement that could be achieved by properly structuring the PM plants PM program. Additionally, my work laid a foundation for

2.

the maintenance department and other systems engineers to follow while developing PM programs for the Go-Gurt and multi-pack lines.
3.

Describe a problem situation where you had to seek out relevant information, define key issues, and decide on which steps to take to get the desired results. While in a reliability engineering position with ExxonMobil I was asked to study our current procedures for nip roll recovering and handling to identify ways of improving our tracking methods. In order to become qualified to institute a new procedure for handling nip rolls I had to gain an understanding of current procedures. For approximately two weeks I gathered information by interacting with members of the maintenance staff and store room personal to fully understand the current procedures and their deficiencies. Previously the nip rolls, a critical component to the polymeric film manufacturing operation, were not well tracked. Therefore, their lifetimes could not accurately be predicted. Thus, they were only recovered after a dramatic failure. Additionally, the nip rolls were not consistently numbered. In fact, there were about 3 different numbering systems, none of which persist across all rolls. The central benefit of my new tracking program required that all rolls be renumbered in a consistent, coded fashion. That way nip roll movement could easily be tracked in order that data could be collected and trends extrapolated. Describe an instance where you made effective use of facts to secure the agreement of others. While functioning as a systems engineering for General Mills in their Carson, CA Yoplait manufacturing site I performed a packaging overuse study. Several points along the production line were unanimously recognized as sites where waste frequently occurred. However, because the frequency of rejected material at each point varied greatly there was no consensus on which waste site was most costly. Over the course of the summer I used PLC counters to determine the frequency of waste occurring at each site. Combining the frequency data with cost per unit data I was able to rank the overuse points in terms of their negative financial impact on the plant. I was able to convince my immediate supervisor and other members of the engineering group that our number one priority for instituting focused improvement studies should be to reduce the waste incurred at the site ranked number one on my list. Give an example of how you worked effectively with people to accomplish an important result. In the spring on 2003 I was initiated into Lambda Sigma, a sophomore honor and service society. During our first executive meeting the following semester, each exec member was asked to present one idea he or she would like to pursue over the next year. Various projects were outlined. The largest undertaking and most far-fetched plan was to instate a dance marathon (to benefit Childrens Miracle Network) on Georgia Techs campus. Many of the projects discussed at this initial meeting never took root. Yet, the idea of dance marathon had been planted. Over the next semester myself and a few dedicated Lambda Sigma members worked to formulate plans, procure funding, and delegate tasks. Dance Marathon was born from a brainstorming session held in a local campus eatery and has developed into an annual large-scale campus philanthropy project. Describe a creative/innovative idea that you produced which led to a significant contribution to the success of an activity or project. As a requirement for graduation from Georgia Techs College of Engineering, a senior capstone project related to the students major must be completed. The purpose of the capstone class is to demonstrate the students ability to apply engineering design methodologies to solve a practical problem of the students choice. Early in the semester I suggested our group focus on using our polymer engineering knowledge to improve prosthetic quality and/or function.

4.

5.

6.

Cursory research led me to suggest that we develop a volume-changing prosthetic sock. An initial survey of lower limb amputees and prosthetic-related literature determined that the dominant inadequacy of current prosthetic sock designs is a failure to appropriately manage residual limb volume fluctuations. As a result, my group and I developed a prosthetic sock with a revolutionary volume-managing gel system designed to maximize prosthesis fit and comfort while minimizing amputee prosthetic device interaction.
7.

Provide an example of how you assessed a situation and achieved good results by focusing on the most important priorities. During the past year I have had to decide if and how to further pursue my education. My primary concern was whether or not to enter a PhD program. I wanted to pursue a PhD program for several reasons (1) I truly enjoy technical education and (2) I feel that scientific higher education is extremely under represented by women. I feel that actions speak louder than words and therefore I wanted to set an example to young girls that scientific study is completely appropriate for women. However, I was not certain that I could pursue a PhD because (1) I was unsure I wanted to commit the 4 to 5 years necessary to complete the degree and (2) it would require a career sacrifice from my husband. Additionally, I was still uncertain whether I wanted to spend my career in industry or academia. In order to help think through all my options, I sought advice from my peers, husband, parents, and several professors. During my undergraduate career I also took research, teaching, and industrial type positions so I could have first hand experience with the demands of each role. I finally decided that in order to make a sound decision I needed to prioritize my desires so that those most heavily weighted would be satisfied. During the prioritization process I discovered that I valued my industrial experiences far more than my research experiences yet I greatly enjoy the challenge that academic pursuits bring. As a result, I decided to dual enroll in the MBA program as well as the polymer engineering PhD program. Once my MBA is completed I can re-evaluate my situation and decide to follow one of several options (1) continue at Georgia Tech to complete my PhD work (2) continue my PhD work off-campus or under corporate sponsorship or (3) leave Georgia Tech, seek full-time employment and write my completed PhD work up to receive a masters in polymer engineering. I feel my prioritization of my desires lead me to make a sound decision that also provides flexibility in case my desires evolve or change. Provide an example of how you acquired a technical skill and converted it into practical application. Several times during my undergraduate career I needed to learn how to use pieces of software to effectively complete an assignment or solve a problem. Last summer at General Mills I learned how to use Active Factory, a software tool that places tags in the PLC controls of various programs that control machine functions. With these tags the activity of the machine can be tracked and counted. This data was necessary in determining the most costly points of overuse along my packaging lines. Similarly, in my senior year I had to complete a senior design project that involved injection molding. Because my group had no resources available to run trails on actual injection molding equipment, I had to learn how to use Mold Flow software to effectively model our experiments and derive results.

8.

They Dont Teach Corporate in College

The book, They Dont Teach Corporate in College by Alexandra Levit , suggests answering these questions prior to starting the job search and interview process. These questions will aid you in understand your self and your desires, which in turn will help you make a better employment decision. Examples are listed below for many of the questions.

My Skills What do I do better than most of my friends? There should be overlap between this question and the core competency section. ID critical decision points Effectively communicate complex information

My Values The principles, standards or qualities I considered worthwhile or desirable. Reliable/Dependable Enthusiastic/Engaged Macroscopic View/Big Picture/Understands Significance What would you be compelled to do even if you never got paid for it? College Dean What would my peers have to say about me? Peer comment 1 Peer comment 2 How do I prefer to work? Fast paced Urgent environment Collaborative Multiple responsibilities How am I most effective? When I can take ownership of a project/process. When I have some responsibility over strategy. What is my definition of success? Respect from my peers and senior leaders Reputation What drives me? Challenges Unsolvable problems Open ended problems Where will I be in 10 years? Personnel Mission Statement what do I hope to accomplish in my career? What kind of person do I want to become? Five Most Important Business Accomplishments

You should be able to list your most important business accomplishments. If you have not had significant business experience you can list contributions to clubs, religious groups, academic groups, or projects. The accomplishments so be along the lines of During my intership at ExxonMobil I increase the effficiency of machine 1 which resulted in a $10,000/year savings. Accomplishment 1 Accomplishment 2

Questions for Interviewer When interviewing you should always have a few questions for the interviewer at the end. The questions demonstrate to the interviewer that you are sincere in your interest and have done some research ahead of time. Could you describe the culture at _______ company? What made you choose to work for _______ company? What is the biggest challenge you have to overcome to get your work done?

Myers-Briggs Personality Type There are many free Myers-Briggs personality tests available online. It is worth your time to take the assessment and then do some online research about your personality type. I am an ESTJ and some information regarding typical ESTJs was copied from the internet and pasted below. ESTJ, extroverted sensing thinking judging Guardian/Supervisor

http://atlas.kennesaw.edu/~kthornto/case7.htm http://www.duke.edu/~dat6/Wal-Mart.htm http://worldacademyonline.com/article/34/478/resources_and_capabilities.html http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/grant/files/CSAC05.pdf// http://laura-nikeshox.blogspot.com/2009/02/core-competencies.html http://www.trimo.eu/career/why-trimo/competence-development/ NIKE:

Core Competencies
As far as Nike's core competencies go, I feel their strongest ones are the very words provided in their mission statement; inspiration and innovation. Nike is known for having some wild designs and color schemes for their shoes. This loudness really attracts people to them, especially their running ones. I have seen this first hand because I work in a sneaker retail store. Nike is our best seller and they are the brand of shoe we have most in our stock by far. Not only are Nike's colors and designs usually different from anything else out on the market, the technology behind their running shoes is advanced as well. The innovation of the Nike Shox brought on a whole new style of a running shoe. No one had seen something like this before and people seemed drawn to them. I still have people today that come into my work asking about the Shox and what they do. It also appears that if a running shoe looks really cool and feels really nice on the foot, people are more likely to feel motivated

or inspired to start running or exercising in general. Then there are those customers who just buy the Shox because they like the look of them (me being one of them). Whatever the case may be, Nike is a top seller, if not the top, in athletic footwear and it is due to the innovation and inspiration they put forth in their product. Nike's marketing skills in general a core competency. Almost every sport can be seen with some sort of Nike product, whether on a professional level or not. Endorsing celebrities to advertise for Nike was not a bad marketing move. One of the biggest examples of this that comes to mind is Tiger Woods. Every tournament Tiger is in, he can be seen covered from head to toe in Nike.