What are some situational questions that may be asked during a job interview or security investigation?

MSgt James Parker — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 04:53:14 -0500

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Dec 15 at 2022 5:54 AM

Cpl Vic Burk — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 05:54:37 -0500

MSgt James Parker I think it depends on what the job is you are applying for. If you were applying for a job that deals with sensitive information..."You see another employee taking company (or government) classified information out of the office and you know they are not supposed to, what is your first course of action?"

Response by COL Randall C. made Dec 15 at 2022 7:56 AM

COL Randall C. — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 07:56:54 -0500

Can't help you on the 'job interview' side, but if your 'security investigation' refers to a government security clearance, the chances of hypothetical questions is near zero (the closest most questions would come would be the "do you think _______ can be trusted with access to sensitive or classified information?").

If the 'security investigation' is for a non-governmental security clearance - those have their own rules depending on the company or organization.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Dec 15 at 2022 8:06 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:06:43 -0500

Security clearance, federal or civilian. Federal will be matter of fact and directly related to things in your background and future associated with national security, civilian-who knows, all related and associated to your roll in that company.

As for job interviews they will be related to your future position trying to gage who you are as a person and how you would fit in to there way of doing business.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2022 11:14 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 11:14:56 -0500

Job interview - varies depending on type of job. They could ask about systems, processes/procedures, policies, how you deal with certain situations (how you handle heavy workloads), how you track or prioritize work....

For security investigations - they ask about work history-especially if you were fired from any job (be prepared to explain why) and criminal history ... if they are required to verify with people that know you they ask how long you've know each other, if they would trust you with information...

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Dec 15 at 2022 11:35 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 11:35:13 -0500

I worked in the private sector for 16 years after retiring from the Air Force. About 12 of those as a hiring manager. Our HR department instructed us on interviewing. One of the most important points was we should only ask questions directly related to the job opening and the applicant ‘s qualifications. I would often ask an applicant a “tell me about” question related to an experience or education item from their resume. If they told a convincing story then that validated their resume. Sometimes I’d expand that question with a follow up on what they learned from the experience that they carried into later work. I don’t recall asking a “what would you do if?” Question.

For some supervisory jobs it might be okay to ask hypothetical questions. For example, “how would you handle a situation where one employee is underperforming causing the project to run behind schedule?” Questions related to employees and cost, quality, or schedule would be appropriate for project management applicants.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Dec 15 at 2022 11:58 AM

SSG Carlos Madden — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 11:58:48 -0500

There are many situational questions that may be asked during a job interview. Some examples of situational questions include:

o Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
o Tell me about a situation in which you had to deal with a difficult colleague or customer.
o Can you give an example of a time when you had to work under a tight deadline?
o Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a sudden change in plans.
o Can you describe a situation in which you had to take on a leadership role?
o Tell me about a time when you had to handle a sensitive or confidential issue.
o Can you give an example of a time when you had to overcome a challenge or obstacle?
o Describe a situation in which you had to make a presentation or deliver a speech.
o Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult or unpopular decision.
o Can you give an example of a time when you had to work as part of a team to accomplish a goal?

These types of situational questions are often asked to assess a candidate's ability to handle challenging situations, to think on their feet, and to demonstrate their skills and experience in a real-world context. The answers to these questions can provide valuable insight into a candidate's character and their ability to handle the challenges of the job.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2022 12:51 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 12:51:54 -0500

Do you mean like a security clearance interview? They don't ask situational questions. They go over your SF86 and if there's anything that sticks out they'll zero in on that.

My last PR during the interview with the investigator, she asked if I had any interactions with police. I'm not sure why since I have never been arrested nor charge or convicted of anything. I said my only interactions with the police are due to my ex husband and I went through the times I called due to abuse or him stealing my car. Then asked why he had the same address - I said when I filled out my SF86 I had let him move back in. (I was stupid after the divorce and gave him too many chances) but by the time I had the interview he was either back at his mom's or in jail. I can't remember.

But mostly they went through the questions again and asked me about that and really that was it.