MOCK INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

For more detailed information related to the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities related to specific positions,
please refer to the Job Analyses for the civil service class at https://per.lacity.org/jobs/job-analyses.cfm
(Example: Refer to the Administrative Clerk job analysis to prepare for Office Trainee).

READING COMPREHENSION
Briefly tell us about your most relevant experience referring to written material to find information
you needed to complete a task, job or assignment. What specific steps did you take to analyze
the information and what challenges did you encounter?

Briefly tell us about a time where reading written material assisted you in solving a work or
volunteer related problem. What information did you find useful in helping you solve the problem?
What steps did you take to ensure that the problem was solved in a timely manner?

Please give an example of a time when you were required to explain written information to another
person. How did you prepare? How did the person react to your explanation? What challenges
did you encounter?

MATHEMATICS
Briefly describe the various numerical computations you have performed. What is the purpose
of these computations? How are these computations performed? What is used to perform them?
How is the accuracy of the results of these computations verified?

Tell us about a time where you were required to teach or train others on mathematics. Please
describe the situation, the actions you took, and the results of your actions.

Describe in detail a mathematical analysis you have performed. What was the purpose of the
analysis? How was it determined what specific analysis would be used? What were the results of
the analysis? How were these results interpreted or used?

JUDGEMENT & DECISION-MAKING

Describe a decision you made with which you knew some people would disagree. What was
the situation and what needed to be accomplished? Why was this the right decision, even with
disagreement? How did you know some people would disagree and what did you do about it?

Describe a time in which you had to make a decision under unique circumstances, where little
guidance was available. What was the situation and what made it unique? What was the task/
objective to be accomplished? What actions did you take to make and implement the decision?

LEARNING ABILITY
Please provide us with an example of a time where you had not been taught exactly how to
handle a specific situation, but were required to handle it. What was the situation, and what made
it unusual? What did you do to handle the situation?

Tell us about a time you learned something new and applied it to a job. Please describe the
situation, the actions you took, and the results of your actions.
DEVELOPMENTAL ORIENTATION
Tell us about a time you had to explain information from a class (or training manual) to another
trainee/someone else getting trained [or to a coworker].

Briefly describe a time when you sought training or additional resources to improve performance
of your current task/assignment/job. What steps did you take to identify training opportunities or
developmental activities? What materials or resources did you use to improve your performance?
How did you apply the new information to your task/assignment/job?

ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Briefly tell us about a time where you were required to make sure your work was complete and
accurate. Please describe the situation, the actions you took, and the results of your actions.

Tell us about a time where you were required to complete a task/job but was unsure of the
appropriate steps. If you have not had this experience, what steps would you take?

Please give us an example of a time you cross-checked/cross-referenced information to ensure

its correctness prior to completing a task/job/assignment. What steps did you take to cross
reference? What challenges did you encounter and what were the results?

SELF MANAGEMENT
Briefly provide an example of a time it became apparent that you would not complete a job/an
assignment on time. What was the situation? Who did you notify?

Please give us an example of something you have done to ensure you do/perform your work
more efficiently.

Give an example of a time you changed your approach to an assignment after realizing that your
original approach was wasting time/not efficient. What was the assignment? How did you change
your approach?

SAFETY FOCUS
Please give us an example of a time you made a change in the way co-workers/your team/your
subordinates were doing a job to make it safer/insure safe performance.

Briefly tell us about a situation that required you to make an impactful, safety-related decision.
What was the specific safety concern or issue? What safety-related decision did you make? How
was your decision received?

Briefly tell us about a task or assignment that illustrates your ability to effectively prepare for
emergencies and reduce employee injuries. How did you prepare for the emergency or injury?
What steps did you take to respond to the emergency or injury? What recommendations did
you make?

PHYSICAL CAPABILITY
Briefly provide an example where you have prepared yourself for the physically demanding
aspects of a task/job.

Briefly tell us about a time where your work was physically demanding. What made it so
demanding? To what extent were you able to meet this demand? How did you ensure you
performed this demanding work without injury?
 INITIATIVE
Please tell us about the time at work, school, or other experience that you are most proud of when
STA you displayed initiative. Please describe the situation, the actions you took, and the results of
RT your actions.

Tell us about a time you identified additional work that you knew would improve the final outcome
of a job or project. Please describe the job or project, the improvement you made, the specific
actions you took to implement the improvement, and the results of your actions.

Please give us an example of a time you made extensive preparations for a job or assignment that
were especially beneficial. Please describe the situation, the actions you took, and the results of
your actions.

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
What are some things you do at work, school or other area that demonstrate your dependability/
reliability/diligence?

How do you ensure that all aspects of a work assignment are completed properly?

Please describe a time you did additional work to ensure a job was done as well as possible. What
was the situation, what actions did you take, and what were your results?

STRESS TOLERANCE
Please give us an example of a time when circumstances at work created a great deal of stress
and you were still able to perform very effectively. Please describe the situation, the actions you
took, and the results of your actions.

Please describe a time when you were criticized or opposed and you were still able to perform
effectively?

What is your approach to handling/dealing with/responding to a rude customer/co-worker?

TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION
Please describe your computer use on the job, and what programs you have used. What is the
most complex thing you have done using any one of these programs? To what extent have you
assisted others in learning/using any one of these programs?

CLERICAL SPEED & ACCURACY

What do you do to ensure absolute accuracy (correctness of every number or letter entered) in
your work? If verification of your work is necessary, what do you do to verify?

Please describe your experience proofreading. What approach to ensuring accuracy when
proofreading do you take? How frequently did you tend to find errors?

Have you ever detected a clerical error (either your own or someone else’s) that was critical?
Please describe the error, the actions you took, and the results of your actions.
FACT FINDING
Please describe a time you had to locate information that was especially difficult to find to make
a determination or address an issue. What was the situation, what actions did you take, and what
were the results of your action?

Think of a situation in which you needed more information to determine the appropriate course
of action. What was the situation, what additional information was needed, how did you locate the
information, and what was the outcome of the situation?

RESPONSIVENESS & FOLLOW-UP

Please describe a time you had significant involvement as follow-up after submitting/ completing
an important assignment. What was the assignment, what type of follow-up was needed, what
actions did you take, and what was the result?

What are some things you do to ensure that all the needs of the recipient of your work are met?

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Please describe a time your interpersonal skills allowed you to complete a difficult job
or assignment. What was the situation, what actions did you take, and what were the results of
your actions?

Describe a time you were able to remain calm and courteous/cordial when someone was
rude, critical, or unfair to you. What was the situation, what was your response, and what was
the outcome?

Describe a conflict at work that you were able to effectively resolve. What was the nature of the
conflict, what actions did you take, how did others respond, and what was the outcome?

CUSTOMER SERVICE
Please give us an example of a time you provided exceptional customer service. What was the
situation, what actions did you take, and what were the results of your actions?

Describe a time you responded positively to a customer who was frustrated and complaining.
What was the situation, what actions did you take, and what were the results of your action?

TEAMWORK
Give us an example of a time you offered to help another who was having a difficult time completing
his or her work. What was the project, what did you do to assist, and what was the result?

Please describe any experience you have had working in an interdependent team—that is, a team
in which success or failure is for the team as a whole, and not any one individual in it. What was
your role in the team? What challenges did you face? What lessons did you learn?

EMOTIONAL MATURITY
Describe a time you were able to complete a task that involved someone who was especially
unpleasant or uncooperative. What did you do to address the situation? What was the outcome?

Please describe a time when circumstances were very frustrating at work, but you were still able
to get the job done. What was your response and the result?
FLEXIBILITY
Please describe a time you had to try another approach to completing work, since the first thing
you tried/your first approach didn’t work/wasn’t effective. What was the project? What was the
new approach? What was the outcome?

Please describe a time you had to accept a major change in your work assignment. What was
your reaction and the outcome?

FOLLOW ORAL DIRECTIONS

Has there been a time that you had to ask your supervisor to clarify instructions he or she had just
stated to you? If yes, please describe. What did you say and what was the outcome?

Please think of a time your supervisor told you to do a job, and it was hard to understand exactly
what he or she expected you to do. What was your response and what was the outcome?

FOLLOW WRITTEN DIRECTIONS

Has there been a time that you had to ask your supervisor to clarify instructions he or she had just
given you in writing? If yes, please describe. What did you say and what was the result?

Please think of a time your supervisor gave you written instructions to do a job, and it was hard to
understand exactly what he or she expected you to do. What was your response and what was
the outcome?

ORAL COMMUNICATION
Please describe activities you have had to perform that required you to communicate orally in a
very clear and effective manner? What did you do to communicate effectively and what was the
response?

Please describe your experience making formal oral presentations. What topics have you covered,
who was your audience, and what was the outcome of these presentations?

SHARES KNOWLEDGE & INFORMATION

What do you do to ensure that all involved parties are kept informed of the progress of a project
for which you are responsible?

Discuss the means of communication you typically use to keep others informed of project progress
or other information they may need to know.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Please describe your experience interacting with members of the public.

Please describe an interaction you have had with a member of the public that you believe
left an especially positive impression on that individual. What did you say or do and what was
the outcome?