Examples from real coaching sessions

Competency-based Interview Question: Tell me about a time when you faced an ethical dilemma at work

This is common question asked in competency-based interviews, especially for audit and risk-related roles. With this tough question the interviewer is trying to weed out those who don’t have high ethical standards and honesty. Ethical problems are common at work and at some point, we’re all tested with the decisions we make. You want to demonstrate that when faced with an ethical challenge, you’d make the correct decision. Think of a time when you discovered a wrongdoing or were asked to participate in a cover-up and acted correctly.

Bad Answer
In my last job, I found out that my manager was offering an unnecessary insurance to some customers in order boost sales. I was advised that it was a common practice and I should do the same. I went along with it for some time but wasn’t comfortable with it, and hence ended up quitting my job.

Here you’re confirming that you made the wrong decision and that your previous job experience probably should not be counted as a positive working experience.

Good Answer
In my last job, I found out that my manager was offering unnecessary insurance to some customers in order boost sales. I was advised that it was a common practice and I should do the same. I was not comfortable with this practise and raised my discomfort with my counsellor. It turned out that this was not an accepted behaviour within the firm and my manager was eventually moved to a non-sales related role within the company.

General Career Coaching Question: I have a vision in mind of where I’d like to be but years seem to be passing along and I’m struggling to turn this vision into reality. Where should I start?

This is a common feeling among mid-senior level managers. In this type of scenario, it’s important to be able to define your career aspirations and set specific and attainable goals in order to turn this vision into reality. There are 3 types of goals that we help you work on:

• Short term goals: these are “quick wins” that can be achieved in a few months or even weeks. You’d be surprised how effectively we could help you practice for interviews, work on your non-verbal communication, polish your CV and cover letter in order to get you to the next level.
• Long term Goals: These are your aspirations and your vision of the future. Making a career change or getting a significant promotion can take time and effort to achieve. We will help you set out a plan and work towards it.
• Accountability: In many cases what holds people back from their goals is the lack of accountability. We’re here to keep you on track and to help you achieve your goals.

Reviews from real customers