Science Tech Interview

Briefly describe your work experience, especially your experience managing projects and prioritizing self-directed workflow.

The position I previously held, depended heavily on self-directed workflow. It was both a student job and my Senior Thesis. While my supervisor would pass on what she wanted to be done, most days I was alone in the lab with the responsibility to manage and clean out inventory and samples, as well as, upkeeping and moving forward with my independent research.

Please describe your experience with computer programs and databases including applications used, computer environments systems and data analytics platforms, databases and spreadsheets.

I am well versed in computer programs, databases, and spreadsheets. I have used Microsoft applications regularly for both education and personal pursuits including Word and Excel and have had some coding experience with Sage and Rstudio, which are both math and statistical applications.

What are you looking for in your next job?

I’m looking for a position where I can apply my laboratory skills to support a variety of science courses and contribute to a well-organized, safe, and efficient lab environment. I’m especially interested in a role that involves teamwork and collaboration. I value opportunities to collaborate with faculty and train students.

Describe a situation when you disagreed with someone at work. What did you do, and what was the result?

Overall, I am an easy-going person who can easily understand someone else's perspective. When I have had disagreements with coworkers about how a certain task should be done I listen to why they think the task should be done that way and I then explain the way I would do it and I have never had a situation where we couldn't come to a compromise.

Tell me about a time when you delivered results despite a challenging environment or context, What was the situation, what was your goal, and what were the results.

In my last job, our lab was essentially grass roots based. It was funded by NOAA, but the lab was built by a graduate student who suddenly left the job and I was the replacement. My goal was to make the lab functional for our research so I spent two months reorganizing and sterilizing the lab. In the end I was able to establish an organized inventory for the lab as well as an environment that could sustain our live specimens.

Tell me about a time when you had to develop a new skill. How did you approach the leaning process.

I am always eager and ready to learn and take advice from those more experienced than me. At my previous job my only coworker was three years my senior and she guided me through our shared work. I learn the best when actively being taught while doing the work and being able to ask qualifying questions.

Tell me about a time when you had to act quickly but didn't have a lot of data to inform your decision. What did you do, and what was the outcome?

I once had a beaker combust in an autoclave that I had permission to use in a lab outside the lab I was working in. The lead researcher there was not present at the time so I disposed of the glass in a hazards bin and cleaned up the water. I contacted my supervisor soon after and we found the issue was that the temperature gauge on the instrument was not functioning correctly.

Why do you want to work here?

I’m interested in this position because I really enjoy hands-on lab work and supporting others in a learning environment. I like that this role involves preparing labs for different science courses and keeping the space organized and safe. I also appreciate the chance to work closely with students and faculty—being part of an academic team is the kind of environment where I feel I do my best work. Unique opportunity for this area

What makes you a strong fit for this position?

I have practical experience working with lab equipment, handling specimens and chemicals, and following established safety procedures. I'm highly detail-oriented, especially when it comes to recordkeeping, inventory tracking, and maintaining clean and functional lab spaces. I'm well-versed when it comes to working independently, but I also communicate well and understand the importance of reliability, especially in lab preparation where students and faculty depend on accuracy

Describe a situation in which you embraced a new system, process, technology, or idea at work that was a major departure from the old way of doing things.

I think the implementation of AI within the workforce has been a defining factor in my education and work experience. I believe the best thing to do is to embrace new technologies and ideas and discover how they can help you rather than hinder you. I worked on a project for a while that used AI in pattern recognition to identify sea turtles, and although there was a learning curve I found myself amazed at the capabilities of the new technology.

Tell me about the biggest change you had to deal with? How did you adapt to that change?

Change is inevitable within life and while change is hard it is essential to growing as a person. The biggest change I had to deal with in my personal life was choosing to Hawaii to further my education.  Through this change I learned to push myself outside of my comfort zone to connect, communicate, and learn as much as I could about a new culture and environment.

Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a colleague's working style in order to complete a project to achieve your outcomes.

When it comes to working in a professional environment I find it is best to never act like I know everything. At my previous job my only coworker was three years my senior and she guided me through our shared work. I adapted to her working style and learned from what she taught me to the point where a task that would take an hour would only take us 30 minutes working together.

Please share some highlights you have read or heard about Yavapai College.

Yavapai College is a community and from being a student here I have never not felt supported by the staff and instructors. That is why I find coming back and working here appealing as I want to pass on the support that I felt to the current instructors and students.

What do you find most attractive about this position, and what seems least attractive about it?

The thing that makes this position the most attractive to me is that it will give me an opportunity to work in a field that I have experience in, and will continue to facilitate my learning. To be honest nothing that I have seen or heard about this position has made it seem less attractive to me. I believe that this job will supply me with an excellent opportunity to expand my knowledge and be able to use my greatest strengths to aid the Science Department at Yavapai College. 

Can you please tell me a bit about yourself?

I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science in Marine science 7 months ago. While I was getting my Bachelor’s degree I worked at an Aquaculture research center, specifically in a lab that cultured macroalgae. Since I’ve graduated I’ve moved back to my hometown of Prescott and have been looking at applying to graduate school, as well as, looking for a job within the scientific field that specifically applies to my experience.