1. Tell me what is your least favorite subject?
I don't like teaching Acrobat JavaScript because I'm not an expert in it. I would constantly be referring to the book and the file, and as a result my students would suffer. I want to provide a great learning experience by teaching something I know.
2. What Do You Not Like to Do as Technical Trainer?
This is a loaded question. A positive reply might be, "I'm the kind of person who does whatever is necessary to get the job done. When I do run into something disagreeable, I try to do it first and get it behind me. I have no particular dislikes."
3. Tell us what's the least rewarding work you've ever done and why?
Describe work you've done that you feel doesn't take advantage of your full potential. For example, "I once had to make paper copies for my job and I feel it didn't take full advantage of my skills. However, it did teach me to be humble in my work and to appreciate a good opportunity when it arose to use my skills"
Fifty to 80 percent of my time is devoted to teaching and training in my current role. I spend the rest of my time consulting.
5. Tell me do you value recognition or pay more? Why?
Either preference is fine, but just remember you have to be able to explain why. If you say recognition, then back that up by describing how achievement really carries weight with you and how you like to feel valued in the work that you do because it validates that you're helping your teammates / customers and so forth. If you choose money, you can also explain that is important to you as validation and you can highlight how money is important to you because of your goals (financial security, providing for your family, and so forth). The key is to be authentic with your answer. However, if you say you value pay more because you're greedy - know that doesn't align usually to most company's values/vision.
6. Tell us what is your favorite technology to teach?
I like Java because it's such a powerful language. I love that it makes a developer's job easier and I get a kick out of showing students how it works. Of course, they need to learn the proper fundamentals and develop good habits to reap Java's benefits
7. Tell me how do you inspire others to be better?
First, the key to inspiring others it to first understand what their goals and objectives are. Once you understand what people want, you can inspire them with a vision that aligns to what they care about. People generally care about having purpose, being successful (and being recognized for it), contributing in a meaningful way, and financial rewards (to a degree) and much more. Then once you understand what people set as goals, you can inspire them through 1:1 pep talks, a presentation to multiple people and so forth.
8. Tell me what topic do you teach most often?
I most often teach SQL. Over the past year, I've taught four different courses: SQL fundamentals, administration, performance tuning and developing databases.
9. Please explain how do you feel about this company's vision?
First find out where the company envisions itself in 3-5 years. If you can't find the vision of the company, that's probably a big question mark on the company itself. Once you do, identify how those company's visions align to your personal values and goals and then articulate how tightly correlated that is to the interviewer. For example - this company wants to be the #1 provider of green technology in the world and I feel strongly about that vision because we've got a chance to collectively impact the world to become a greener society and save our clients at the same time!
10. What Has Been Your Biggest Failure as Technical Trainer?
Discuss this question with friends, mentors, and possibly your references before the interview. If at all possible, think of something you were later able to correct. Then the story isn't just about a failure, but also about a learning experience.
I usually pair up the beginners with the advanced students to keep both groups engaged. If the beginners struggle, I stick with the curriculum and the schedule and work with them after class. I'll also give the experts some challenging exercises to work on in case they finish an assignment early.
12. Professional Technical Trainer Job Interview Questions:
☛ Share an experience you had in dealing with a difficult person and how you handled the situation.
☛ How do you evaluate training and program effectiveness?
☛ Name a time when your advice to management led to an improvement in your company or otherwise helped your employer.
☛ Please share with me an example of how you helped coach or mentor someone. What improvements did you see in the person's knowledge or skills?
☛ Provide an example of when you set expectations and monitored the performance of subordinates. What guidance and direction did you find most effective?
☛ Describe an experience in which you identified the educational needs of your students and successfully developed a way to teach/train them.
☛ In your experience, what is the key to developing a good team? (Look for how they build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.)
☛ Provide an example of a time when you successfully organized a diverse group of people to accomplish a task.
☛ Share an experience in which you successfully shared a difficult piece of information. (Make sure that the candidate has open lines of communication.)
☛ Tell me how you organize, plan, and prioritize your work.
☛ What are some long-range objectives that you developed in your last job? What did you do to achieve them?
☛ Share an experience when you applied new technology or information in your job. How did it help your company?
☛ Give me an example of when you thought outside of the box. How did it help your employer?
☛ Tell me about an experience in which you analyzed information and evaluated results to choose the best solution to a problem.
☛ In your experience, what is the key to ensuring your company was compliant with all laws, regulations and standards that were applicable to your area of responsibility?
13. Why Do You Want to Work for Our Company as Technical Trainer?
Your reply could be based on their reputation for products, management, international scope, technology, or as a nice place to work and grow. The most important thing is to avoid generic answers. Know their products, policies, and potential for growth.
14. Explain me a time where you've failed and bounced back?
Share a story to describe this. For example: "I accidentally made the mistake of telling a customer I could deliver on a solution set on a certain date and then later found out our business partner couldn't do it on that time. I learned that I shouldn't rush into important decisions and promises like this and that I should always check with my counterparts first before committing to a statement of work."
15. Explain me what Is Your Greatest Weakness as Technical Trainer?
As with your strengths, prepare a list of weaknesses beforehand. This time, tie each weakness back to what could also be considered a strength. For example, "I like to get things done. Sometimes I get impatient, but I'm getting a handle on it." Or maybe you have actually come up with a way to mitigate your weakness: "I'm a stickler for details, but I do not want to be a micro-manager. So at my last job, I asked each staff member to devise their own checklist of weekly tasks. It gave them some autonomy and satisfied my desire for quality control."
16. Tell us what is your preferred class size?
I've taught classes as small as one and as large as 30. I'm comfortable teaching groups anywhere in that range.
17. Tell me what are three positive characteristics you wish you had?
The key here is to be honest about your wish list but then to describe how you plan on developing or growing those characteristics so that it becomes a reality. For example, I wish I had a stronger work ethic and I am reading a book right now about how to instill a better discipline around getting work done efficiently.
18. Can You Work Under Pressure as Technical Trainer?
Indicate that you can and ask the interviewer how much pressure is involved in the position. Learn what the interviewer means by pressure. The definition can vary significantly from person to person and company to company. If you are a pro at pressure jobs, describe a few accomplishments.
19. Tell us what type of extracurricular activities are you a part of?
Discuss the clubs / activities you were in, share a personal story about why you enjoyed it and then describe how it's helped shape you to be who you are today. For example, I enjoyed rock climbing because it taught me the value of practicing hard at a sport to become skilled in it. I bring this same diligence to my work approach today as well.
20. Tell me what Is Your Greatest Strength as Technical Trainer?
Before interviewing, reflect on your personal strengths and make a list of them ("natural number sense," "able to multitask," "good with people," "able to teach others"). Then tie each of these strengths to a professional accomplishment. Answer with the strength you feel best fits the position being discussed, and be sure to offer the anecdote that goes with it. Conclude your response by asking the interviewer if this is the kind of quality that would help his or her company.
21. How Would Your Boss, Co-Workers, and Subordinates Describe You Regarding Your Work?
Be ready to give some examples of the kind of team player you are. If you are not into office politics and have harbored good relationships at work, mention it. And remember that the interviewer may ask your references the same question. I strongly suggest contacting your references before the interview stage in order to talk through your career goals and how the reference can best support them.
22. Tell me how have you shown yourself to be a leader?
Think about a time where you've rallied a group of people around a cause / idea / initiative and successfully implemented it. It could be a small or large project but the key is you want to demonstrate how you were able to lead others to work for a common cause.
23. Tell me did You Have Any Frustrations in Your Past Job as Technical Trainer?
Frustrations are a normal part of any job, and interviewers know this-so don't claim you didn't have any. Relate some of the bottlenecks you experienced, but more important, indicate what you did to overcome them.
24. Tell us ow Do You Feel About the Progress You Made in Your Last Position?
Don't discuss your feelings, per se, but do stress your accomplishments. For instance, "When I started with the Blake Company, I was given responsibility for their operations in Mexico and Costa Rica. After I turned them around, they made me general manager for Mexico and Central America. How are your international operations performing?" An answer like this communicates great information about your value as an employee while still conveying positive feelings about your progress.
25. Tell me what Motivates You as Technical Trainer?
Resist the temptation to joke, "A steady paycheck!" Tie your motivation to the work being performed at this specific company. In addition, you could mention things like the opportunity to learn and grow, working with smart people who are passionate about their jobs, and contributing to the success of an organization.
