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INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

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Core Sales Consultant (Internal/RPSA) …………………………………………………………...3

Mid-Market Internal Sales Consultant ……………………………………………...……………..9

Core External RVP (Wholesaler)………………………………..……………………………..……15

Mid-Market External RVP (Wholesaler)……………………………………………………………21

Core VP, SRM (Relationship Manager).………………………...…………………………………27

Mid-Market VP, SRM (Relationship Manager).……………………………………..……………33

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CORE SALES CONSULTANT (INTERNAL/RPSA) When interviewing for this role, see specific benchmark.

Job Competency Questions 1. Customer Focus: Anticipating, meeting and/or exceeding customer needs, wants and expectations.

• Give me an example of when you went out of your way for a customer. What was the outcome?

• Describe the most difficult customer you've ever had to deal with and how you handled them.

• Describe a situation when you were given outstanding customer service. What made it stand out?

• Describe a situation when you felt a particularly demanding customer may have been trying to take advantage of you or the organization. What was the outcome?

• Give me an example of a situation when you improved the level of customer service in your organization. What did you do to improve it? What was the outcome?

• Give me an example of when you were given special recognition or acknowledgement for going the extra mile to satisfy a customer.

• Describe a situation when you took a stand for a customer. 2. Influencing Others: Personally affecting others’ actions, decisions, opinions or

thinking. • Describe a situation where you were able to convince others to your way of thinking. How did you do it?

• Describe a situation when the only way you could accomplish a goal was to get buy-in from others. What obstacles did you have in obtaining their buy-in? How did you overcome them? What was the outcome?

• Give me an example of when you were able to facilitate a dramatic shift in the thinking, actions or beliefs of others. What techniques or methods did you use?

• Give me an example of a situation when you were acknowledged for your ability to get others to say yes.

• Describe a situation when you accomplished something significant as a result of your persuasive ability.

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3. Personal Accountability: Being answerable for personal actions. • Describe a situation when you made a mistake and had to deal with the consequences. What reaction did you have to this situation?

• Give me an example of when you identified something that went wrong in your department, organization or industry. What caused you to identify the problem?

• What, in your opinion, are the consequences when people try to hide a mistake?

• Describe a work situation when something good came from admitting a failure. What caused you to take this approach?

• Describe a situation where a failure occurred and who was at fault. What was the solution?

• Give me an example of when you had to defend your actions. 4. Resiliency: Quickly recovering from adversity.

• Describe a situation when you overcame a challenge to positively impact the organization. What was the reaction to this impact?

• Describe a situation when the only way you could accomplish a goal was to confront a negative situation. What were the outcomes?

• What, in your opinion, are the consequences when you let an adverse situation get the best of you?

• What obstacles did you have to overcome during a successful venture? • Give an example of when you were able to facilitate a dramatic shift to overcome a major setback.

• Describe a situation where a failure occurred because someone could not handle personal criticism. What could they have done differently?

• Describe a situation when you accomplished something significant as a result of overcoming adversity.

5. Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people.

• Describe the most difficult working relationship. What specific actions did you take to improve the relationship? What was the outcome?

• Describe the types of people you prefer to be around and why. • Describe the types of people you have difficulty getting along with and why. Give me an example of a situation when you demonstrated sensitivity to diversity issues.

• Describe a situation when you were able to strengthen a relationship by communicating effectively. What made your communication effective?

• Describe a relationship that requires a great deal of effort. What have you

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done in the past to build rapport and relationships with people? • Give me an example of your ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with people regardless of differences.

• Describe how your ability to communicate effectively and build relationships has contributed to one of your greatest accomplishments.

6. Time and Priority Management: Prioritizing and completing tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.

• Give an example of when you were able to meet a professional deadline. • Describe a situation when you had to exercise a significant amount of time management.

• Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and prioritized tasks to stay on schedule. What was the outcome?

• Give an example of when your ability to manage your time and priorities proved to be an asset.

• What have you done in the past that demonstrates your commitment to reducing non-essential activities?

• Give an example of when you were responsible for a major project with a strict schedule. What was the outcome? What, if anything, would you do differently?

• Describe a time when you had to make a difficult choice between your priorities and time management.

7. Goal Orientation: Setting, pursuing and attaining goals, regardless of obstacles or circumstances.

• Give me an example of the most significant professional goal you have met. How did you achieve it? What were the obstacles? How did you overcome them?

• Give me an example of when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?

• What are your future professional goals? How do you plan to achieve them? What might keep you from achieving them?

• Tell me about a time when you overcame great obstacles to achieve something significant.

• Give me an example of when you achieved something by your persistence that others couldn’t.

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Job Driving Forces Questions 1. Collaborative: People who are driven by being in a supporting role and contributing with little need for individual recognition.

• What role does being in control of a situation play in your job satisfaction? • How important is it for you to control your work environment? • How important is advancing your position? • Would you be interested in a job that gave you the opportunity to create your own path for advancement?

• Are you more comfortable as a team leader or a team member? Why? • Are you able to go with the flow, or do you need to have a strategic approach? Give an example.

2. Resourceful: People who are driven by practical results, maximizing both efficiency and returns for their investments of time, talent, energy and resources.

• How important is efficiency and maximizing resources to you? • Give an example when you increased efficiency or maximized resources. • How much do you focus on finances? • Where would you like to be, financially in 5 years? 10 years? Why? • What role does earning a significant income play in your job choices? • Do you take on a task based on the return on investment or for the sake of getting it done? Why?

3. Intellectual: People who are driven by opportunities to learn, acquire knowledge and the discovery of truth.

• Which is more important, action or knowledge? • Would you consider yourself to be an expert in something? What is it? How did you go about gaining the knowledge?

• Tell me what you especially like or enjoy about learning. What topics or subjects do you enjoy?

• How comfortable are you in taking the time, energy and effort required to master a subject or topic you currently know very little about? How about one in which you have very little interest?

4. Intentional: People who are driven to assist others for a specific purpose, not just for the sake of being helpful or supportive.

• Is there such a thing as too much customer service? Why? • Under what circumstances would you help an employee develop or advance?

• Tell me how you would handle an account or client who had continuous issues with your product, yet showed no promise of future business. How do you feel about the phrase: "It's not personal, it's just business.”?

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Job Behavioral Questions 1. Frequent Interaction with Others: The job will comfortably deal with multiple interruptions on a continual basis, always maintaining a friendly interface with others.

• How do you handle frequent interruptions by other people? How about your response to people who ask you question after question?

• Are you more comfortable with details or people with the big picture or with bits of data?

2. Versatility: The job calls for a high level of optimism and a "can do" orientation. It will require multiple talents and a willingness to adapt them to changing assignments as required.

• Are you patient or impatient? Give me an example of how you handle slower-moving people.

• Would you consider yourself to be opinionated? Strong-willed? Explain. • How important is it for you to be systematic? • Describe a system you have set up, used and been successful with in any previous job you have had.

3. People Oriented: The job demands a positive and constructive view of working with others. There will be a high percentage of time spent in listening to, understanding and successfully working with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds to achieve "win-win" outcomes.

• How important is it for people to like you? • Which is more important, being trusted or liked? Why do you say that? • Do you stop and listen to others or express your opinions quickly? Give me examples and situations where both of these situations occurred. What was the outcome?

4. Urgency: The job requires decisiveness, quick response, fast action. It will often be involved in critical situations demanding that on-the-spot decisions be made with good judgment. The job will repeatedly face important deadlines that must be met on time.

• When faced with a deadline, how do you respond? • How important is it to you to have all the facts before proceeding? • Give me an example of a time when you didn't have all the facts and you proceeded anyway. How did you feel? How did the it work out?

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MID-MARKET SALES CONSULTANT (INTERNAL) When interviewing for this role, see specific benchmark.

Job Competency Questions 1. Resiliency: Quickly recovering from adversity.







2. Customer Focus: Anticipating, meeting and/or exceeding customer needs, wants and expectations.







• Describe a situation when you took a stand for a customer.

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4. Planning and Organizing: Establishing courses of action to ensure that work is completed effectively.

• Describe the most complex assignment or project you've worked on. What actions did you take before starting the assignment or project? What were the most challenging aspects of the assignment or project? How did you determine what steps needed to be taken to complete it? How did you determine what resources were needed? What obstacles did you encounter that you didn't anticipate? What could you have done differently?

• Describe a situation when your planning and preparation was a major factor in the success of a project.

• Describe a work situation where lack of planning and organizing had a negative effect.

• Give me an example of when you were acknowledged for your attention to detail.

5. Influencing Others: Personally affecting others’ actions, decisions, opinions or thinking.

• Describe a situation where you were able to convince others to your way of thinking. How did you do it?


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• Give me an example of when you had to defend your actions. 7. Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people.


• Describe the types of people you prefer to be around and why. • Describe the types of people you have difficulty getting along with and why.

• Give me an example of a situation when you demonstrated sensitivity to diversity issues.


• Describe a relationship that requires a great deal of effort. What have you done in the past to build rapport and relationships with people?

• Give me an example of your ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with people regardless of differences.


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Job Driving Forces Questions 1. Resourceful: People who are driven by practical results, maximizing both efficiency and returns for their investments of time, talent, energy and resources.


2. Receptive: People who are driven by new ideas, methods and opportunities that fall outside a defined system for living.

• Do you see the world as black and white or gray? Give an example when this was the case.

• What limitations could result from having consistent systems and proven methods in your work environment? Why?

• How can an organization benefit from looking for new ways to accomplish routine tasks?

• Do you sometimes feel that things would be easier and better if there were fewer rules and procedures? Please elaborate.

3. Collaborative: People who are driven by being in a supporting role and contributing with little need for individual recognition.





• Tell me how you would handle an account or client who had continuous issues with your product, yet showed no promise of future business.

• How do you feel about the phrase: "It's not personal, it's just business.”?

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Job Behavioral Questions 1. Competitiveness: The job exists within a demanding environment where consistently winning is critical. The job demands tenacity, boldness, assertiveness and a "will to win" in dealing with highly competitive situations.

• How demanding are you of yourself and others? • Do you think you are sometimes too demanding? • Give me an example of a job situation where being demanding helped achieve the goal. Did it lead to other problems?

• Would others ever describe you as aggressive? Pushy? Why? • How important is winning to you? • How do you define winning? • Give me an example of a situation where you felt you were going to lose. How did it feel? How did you handle it?

2. Frequent Interaction with Others: The job will comfortably deal with multiple interruptions on a continual basis, always maintaining a friendly interface with others.







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CORE EXTERNAL RVP (WHOLESALER) When interviewing for this role, see specific benchmark.

Job Competency Questions 1. Personal Accountability: Being answerable for personal actions.

• Describe a situation when you made a mistake and had to deal with the consequences. What reaction did you have to this situation?





• Give me an example of when you had to defend your actions. 2. Resiliency: Quickly recovering from adversity.









• Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and prioritized tasks

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to stay on schedule. What was the outcome? • Give an example of when your ability to manage your time and priorities proved to be an asset.




4. Influencing Others: Personally affecting others’ actions, decisions, opinions or thinking.

• Describe a situation where you were able to convince others to your way of thinking. How did you do it?





5. Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people.





• Describe a relationship that requires a great deal of effort. • What have you done in the past to build rapport and relationships with people?

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• Give me an example of when you achieved something by your persistence that others couldn’t.

7. Continuous Learning: Taking initiative to regularly learn new concepts, technologies and/or methods.

• How do you keep current on what's going on in your field? • What resources do you utilize to keep abreast of what's new in your field? • What was the last book you read? • What recent learning activities have you experienced? • Give me an example of when you were able to apply a concept, theory or knowledge to a work problem or situation.

• Describe how something you learned made a significant difference in your career.

• Give me an example of when you did not know enough about something to be effective. What did you do about it?

• In what ways have you invested in yourself to improve your performance? • Give me an example that illustrates how other people have used you as a resource for knowledge in your field.

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• How important is efficiency and maximizing resources to you? • Give an example when you increased efficiency or maximized resources. How much do you focus on finances?

• Where would you like to be, financially in 5 years? 10 years? Why? • What role does earning a significant income play in your job choices? • Do you take on a task based on the return on investment or for the sake of getting it done? Why?

2. Commanding: People who are driven by status, recognition and control over personal freedom.


• Are you more comfortable as a team leader or a team member? Why? • Give an example of a time when you were able to move a group of people to action. What were the keys to your success?






4. Instinctive: People who are driven by utilizing past experiences, intuition and seeking specific knowledge when necessary.



• How comfortable are you in taking the time, energy and effort required to

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master a subject or topic you currently know very little about? How about one in which you have very little interest?

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3. Competitiveness: The job exists within a demanding environment where consistently winning is critical. The job demands tenacity, boldness, assertiveness and a "will to win" in dealing with highly competitive situations.


• Would others ever describe you as aggressive? Pushy? Why? • How important is winning to you? How do you define winning? • Give me an example of a situation where you felt you were going to lose. How did it feel? How did you handle it?


• Are you patient or impatient? • Give me an example of how you handle slower-moving people. • Would you consider yourself to be opinionated? Strong-willed? Explain. • How important is it for you to be systematic? • Describe a system you have set up, used and been successful with in any previous job you have had.

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MID-MARKET EXTERNAL RVP (WHOLESALER) When interviewing for this role, see specific benchmark.

Job Competency Questions 1. Personal Accountability: Being answerable for personal actions.

• Describe a situation when you made a mistake and had to deal with the consequences. What reaction did you have to this situation?





• Give me an example of when you had to defend your actions. 2. Leadership: Organizing and influencing people to believe in a vision while

creating a sense of purpose and direction. If you have held a leadership position in the past, draw the organizational chart above and below your position to illustrate the scope of your leadership responsibilities.

• Give me an example of when you inspired people with a vision. • Tell me about a time when you significantly improved the performance of a group of people who reported directly to you. How did you motivate the top performers? Did you use the same techniques with the poor performers? If not, what did you do differently?

• What actions did you take to improve poor performance? • Describe your leadership style. • Tell me about a situation when you were able to maintain the trust and commitment of people after making or implementing a decision that negatively impacted them.

• Give me an example of when you took a significant risk for the sake of purpose, vision or mission.

• Describe a situation when you failed to obtain the commitment, dedication and trust of others.

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• What, if anything, would you do differently? 3. Customer Focus: Anticipating, meeting and/or exceeding customer needs, wants and expectations.







• Describe a situation when you took a stand for a customer. 4. Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people.









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• Give me an example of when you achieved something by your persistence that others couldn't.

6. Planning and Organizing: Establishing courses of action to ensure that work is completed effectively.





7. Problem Solving: Defining, analyzing and diagnosing key components of a problem to formulate a solution.

• Describe a situation when you identified and defined a problem. What, if anything, were the next steps?

• Give me an example of when your diagnosis of a problem proved to be incorrect. What approach did you take to correct the diagnoses? What was the outcome?

• Describe a difficult problem you've encountered. What made it difficult? What steps did you take towards developing a solution? What factors did you consider in evaluating solutions? What solution was implemented and how successful was it in solving the problem?

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• How important is efficiency and maximizing resources to you? Give an example when you increased efficiency or maximized resources.

• How much do you focus on finances? • Where would you like to be, financially in 5 years? 10 years? Why? • What role does earning a significant income play in your job choices? • Do you take on a task based on the return on investment or for the sake of getting it done? Why?




• How do you feel about the phrase: "It's not personal, it's just business.”? 3. Collaborative: People who are driven by being in a supporting role and contributing with little need for individual recognition.

• What role does being in control of a situation play in your job satisfaction? • How important is it for you to control your work environment? How important is advancing your position?

• Would you be interested in a job that gave you the opportunity to create your own path for advancement?


4. Intellectual: People who are driven by opportunities to learn, acquire knowledge and the discovery of truth.



• How comfortable are you in taking the time, energy and effort required to master a subject or topic you currently know very little about? How about one in which you have very little interest?

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• How important is it for people to like you? • Which is more important, being trusted or liked? Why do you say that? • Do you stop and listen to others or express your opinions quickly? • Give me examples and situations where both of these situations occurred. What was the outcome?

3. Customer Relations: The job demands a desire to convey your sincere interest in your internal and/or external customers.

• Give an example of how you build loyalty and trust with a client. • Describe how you take responsibility for an issue the client is having. • Tell me about a time when you turned a disgruntled customer into a satisfied one.



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CORE VP, SRM (RELATIONSHIP MANAGER) When interviewing for this role, see specific benchmark.








• Describe a situation when you took a stand for a customer. 2. Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well

to all kinds of people. • Describe the most difficult working relationship. What specific actions did you take to improve the relationship? What was the outcome?





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4. Diplomacy: Effectively and tactfully handling difficult or sensitive issues. • Describe a situation when organizational politics played a major role in your career. Who were the key players? How were you able to identify the key players? What part did they play in the situation? What was the outcome?

• Give me an example of when you used tact and diplomacy effectively. • Describe a situation when organizational politics negatively affected your career. What, if anything, would you do differently?

• Describe a situation when your sense of what was politically correct proved to be an asset.

• Give an example of when you were acknowledged for handling a sensitive organizational issue effectively.

• Describe a situation when you gave someone good advice on how to handle a politically sensitive issue.


• Give me an example of when you identified something that went wrong in

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your department, organization or industry. What caused you to identify the problem?




• Give me an example of when you had to defend your actions. 6. Planning and Organizing: Establishing courses of action to ensure that work is completed effectively.





7. Problem Solving: Defining, analyzing and diagnosing key components of a problem to formulate a solution.

• Describe a situation when you identified and defined a problem. What, if anything, were the next steps?

• Give me an example of when your diagnosis of a problem proved to be incorrect. What approach did you take to correct the diagnoses? What was the outcome?

• Describe a difficult problem you've encountered. What made it difficult? What steps did you take towards developing a solution? What factors did you consider in evaluating solutions? What solution was implemented and how successful was it in solving the problem?

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3. Collaborative: People who are driven by being in a supporting role and contributing with little need for individual recognition.






• How do you feel about the phrase: "It's not personal, it's just business.”?

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• How important is it for people to like you? • Which is more important, being trusted or liked? Why do you say that? • Do you stop and listen to others or express your opinions quickly? • Give me examples and situations where both of these situations occurred. What was the outcome?



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MID-MARKET VP, SRM (RELATIONSHIP MANAGER) When interviewing for this role, see specific benchmark.








• Describe a situation when you took a stand for a customer. 2. Interpersonal Skills: Effectively communicating, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people.





• Describe a relationship that requires a great deal of effort. • What have you done in the past to build rapport and relationships with

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people? • Give me an example of your ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with people regardless of differences.







• Give me an example of when you had to defend your actions. 4. Teamwork: Cooperating with others to meet objectives.

• Give me an example of one of the most significant contributions you made as a member of a high performing team. What, in your opinion, made it a high performing team? Describe how you felt about the contributions of the others on the team.

• Give me an example of a situation when you had difficulties with a team member. What, if anything, did you do to resolve the difficulties?

• Describe how you would you deal with a team decision you didn't agree with.

• Describe a situation where the team was having trouble agreeing on a decision and what you did to facilitate consensus.

• Give me an example of when you were on a team that failed to meet its objectives. What could the team have done differently?

5. Resiliency: Quickly recovering from adversity. • Describe a situation when you overcame a challenge to positively impact the organization. What was the reaction to this impact?



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7. Decision Making: Analyzing all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions.

• Give me an example of when you had to make a decision in a timely manner. What information was necessary to make the decision? What was the outcome?

• Describe how you handled a situation when a decision you made was challenged. What was the outcome?

• Give me an example of when you solved a particularly difficult problem when others couldn't. What key questions did you ask to resolve the problem? What made your solution work?

• What kinds of problems have you been most successful at resolving? • What decision are you most proud of making?

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Job Driving Forces Questions 1. Harmonious: People who are driven by the experience, subjective viewpoints and balance in their surroundings.

• How would you rank the importance of harmony and balance in your work?

• Give an example of when you created harmony and balance. • Within your environment, what single event, problem and/or unexpected situation has the potential to throw off your balance more than anything else?

• Describe how you would feel if you were to discover an organization you worked for was focused on tangible outcomes and did not understand the effects on customer experience. How would you express your concerns?

• Describe an experience when your surroundings had an impact on your performance.

• What are the most sensitive issues you encounter in your surroundings? 2. Resourceful: People who are driven by practical results, maximizing both efficiency and returns for their investments of time, talent, energy and resources.







4. Commanding: People who are driven by status, recognition and control over personal freedom.

• What role does being in control of a situation play in your job satisfaction? • How important is it for you to control your work environment?

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• How important is advancing your position? • Would you be interested in a job that gave you the opportunity to create your own path for advancement?

• Are you more comfortable as a team leader or a team member? Why? • Give an example of a time when you were able to move a group of people to action. What were the keys to your success?

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Job Behavioral Questions 1. Competitiveness: The job exists within a demanding environment where consistently winning is critical. The job demands tenacity, boldness, assertiveness and a "will to win" in dealing with highly competitive situations.


• Would others ever describe you as aggressive? Pushy? Why? • How important is winning to you? How do you define winning? • Give me an example of a situation where you felt you were going to lose. How did it feel? How did you handle it?

2. Frequent Interaction with Others: The job will comfortably deal with multiple interruptions on a continual basis, always maintaining a friendly interface with others.







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