Leadership questions

Walk me through your background and what led you to apply for assistant manager (Background)

Recent exercise science graduate with lots of group-based projects and team experience

Walk me through your background and what led you to apply for assistant manager (Leadership)

I shift between leadership and support depending on the group’s need

Walk me through your background and what led you to apply for assistant manager (Problem solving)

When communication breaks down, I take a few deep breaths and think about a mean to action. When I have multiple test due, I form a plan of what needs the most breakdown and what I might be able to get away with.

Walk me through your background and what led you to apply for assistant manager (Organization and tools)

I use organization tools such as Notion and TickTick to write down my goals and then the steps to achieve those goals in the form of checklist

Tell me about a time where you had to step up when things were not going well

In one of my group projects, we were really behind and didn’t have anything organized. No one had clear roles, and we weren’t making progress. I stepped in and talked to a few people individually to figure out what they were comfortable taking on. Then I helped us assign roles and set a simple plan so everyone knew what they were responsible for.

Once we had structure, the group started moving again and we were able to finish the project on time

Tell me about a time you had to handle someone that was not pulling their own weight

In one of my group projects, we had to break down a research article and present it. One of my teammates was responsible for the final slides, and I could tell they were struggling — not because they weren’t trying, but because they weren’t sure how to tie everything together.

Since my slides came right before theirs, I reached out and offered to help. We talked through how my section could set up their conclusion, and I added a bit more context on my slides so their part would flow naturally.

After that, they felt more confident, and the final presentation ended up being much more cohesive. It taught me how important it is to support people early instead of waiting for things to fall apart.

Describe a time you had to work under pressure or on a tight deadline. How did you handle it, and what was the result?

During finals week last fall, I was under a lot of pressure because I had forgotten to take a test in one class and my laptop broke right before my other exams. I still needed to raise my GPA for the semester, so I had to adjust quickly.

I downloaded the lecture videos to my phone and figured out how to take notes on it, which I had never done before. I also changed my study strategy — instead of overthinking what might be on the test, I focused on understanding the processes and the logic behind the material.

Even with the pressure and the setbacks, the new approach worked. I performed well on the exam and was able to bring my GPA up. It taught me that staying calm and adapting fast can turn a stressful situation into a win.

Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult person — a teammate, customer, or coworker. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?

When I worked at H‑E‑B, I had a customer who wanted their meat cut in a very specific way that wasn’t possible with the product we had. I didn’t want to give them the wrong information, so I checked with my manager first, and they confirmed that the meat was already cut as well as it could be.

I went back and explained the situation clearly and respectfully. I offered to let them come inside to look at the product themselves, and I also offered to hold their order until a package came in that matched what they wanted. They declined both options, but they appreciated that I tried to help, and they ended up taking the order and leaving without further issue.

It taught me how important it is to stay calm, communicate clearly, and offer solutions even when you can’t give the customer exactly what they want.