CT Analyst Job Prep- SSA

#### Question 1- General Experience.

You had an opportunity to read the duty statement for this position. Please provide us with your professional, educational, and/or personal experiences related to the duties listed in the duty statement that make you the best candidate for this position.

##### Professional

* I have 7 years of work experience in numerous fields including hospitality/restaurant industry, caregiving/healthcare, and education/training.
* I demonstrated strong customer service skills as a host, food runner, and server.
* I've taken on leadership roles and additional responsibilities at my companies. This involved being a shift lead and one of the trainers for incoming employees.
* Developed strong interpersonal skills.
* I am also currently involved in a part time role as a data analytics educator that has me communicating complex concepts in analysis while teaching and educating students in data analysis techniques and tools.

##### Educational

* I have my bachelor's from the University of California, Irvine where I graduated with a 3.73 GPA.
* I've developed my skills in communication through courses in English, Critical Reasoning, Locig, Public Speaking, and improvisation.
* I've received a professional certification in Data Analytics from Google's Coursera program.
* I've also taken analytical courses in SQL and Tableau through Khan Acadamy, Break into Tech, and Tableau's training program.

##### Personal

* I've completed a number of analytical projects where I used my technical skills to query and clean databases in order to ascertain actionable insights.
* I have familiarized myself with Caltran's AMS accounting system along with the Datalink accounting database.
	1. I have also seen how datalink generates financial reports using queries to extract project expenditures by phase, fund type, program code, fiscal year, personal services, operating expenses, division, unit, and object code.

#### Question 2- Challenging Work Situations

Describe situation in which u require to coordinate and plan with others to complete your own assignments? What challenges did I face and how did I overcome those obstacles?

* **Situation-** One of the most difficult or challenging situations I've experienced would have to be when I've worked on group projects.
* **Task**- For our job we were tasked with coming up with a presentation that involved 5 other people who would share responsibilities when it came to research and the presentation itself. The problem we had though was out of the 6 people two of the other group members were not doing their work.
* **Action-** We agreed upon certain tasks within the assignment so that we would each carry an equal amount of the group's weight, but upon some of our earlier check ins we realized that they weren't making any progress. As a result we agreed upon meeting more frequently and taking the time to do our work together.
* **Result-** Fortunately this helped us to make sure all of our work got done on time, made it easier to set time aside because others were holding us accountable, and I think we all got closer as a result.

#### Question 3- Multitasking

This position requires the ability to work independently as a technical expert, multi-task, make recommendations, set priorities, and meet deadlines.  Give us an example of a project or assignment you had to demonstrate these types of abilities.

* **Situation-** I think an example that would exemplify this behavior would be when I worked on my SQL bike lanes data project. My duties at the time were split between this larger project and my daily assignments.
* **Task**- I was tasked with finding all of the bike lanes within the data set that were given a safety rating of above certain thresholds so that I could determine which lanes were able to be left as is, which needed repair, and which should be removed entirely. The ratings were based on the ratings of multiple inspectors and a label must be provided for each street.
* **Action-** In order to complete the task alongside my regular duties I made sure to a lot a portion of my time each day in order for me to complete the task. I had to query the database for each individual street and the ratings of the inspectors. Then once I had collected the information I needed in an easily viewable way through common table expressions. I utilized windows functions in order to make calculations across rows which couldn't be done with normal aggregations so that I could get the correct average of all the technician's ratings and was able to provide labels for all the rows through the case by function.
* **Result-** By setting aside time to complete the project each day I managed to finish this project ahead of time and was able to provide clear tables that had just the relevant information that was desired from a database that hundreds of rows.

#### Question 4- Team Player

Describe yourself as an employee, an office colleague, and as a member of a team.  Please share your own experiences on how you successfully resolve conflicts with one or more colleagues.  What do you do to ensure that your professional relationships are productive and successful?

As an employee, I am dedicated, hardworking, and strive for excellence in everything I do.

As an office colleague, I am approachable, friendly, and respectful.

As a member of a team, I am collaborative and team-oriented.

In terms of resolving conflicts with colleagues, I believe in addressing issues proactively and professionally. I have never really had any major conflict with a colleague in my work place. But if a conflict arose, I would try to initiate a respectful conversation to understand the root cause and perspectives of all parties involved. I actively listen and empathize, seeking common ground and shared objectives.

To ensure productive and successful professional relationships, I prioritize open and transparent communication. I regularly engage in effective communication channels, such as team meetings or one-on-one discussions, to maintain clear expectations and resolve any issues promptly. I am receptive to feedback and use it as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. I also make an effort to establish strong interpersonal connections by celebrating achievements, recognizing contributions, and fostering a positive work environment.

Describe situation in which you did more than what was expected of you.

* **Situation-** I think this is best exemplified by an instance in which because of a conflict between two of my coworkers who were unable to continue to watch the tables in their server section.
* **Task**- I was tasked with doing all of the work that's involved in my typical section while also taking on the responsibility of seeing to these tables within my coworkers section were taken care of to the best of my ability.
* **Action-** I assessed the situation. Tried to gather what information I could from my departing coworkers so that I could provide a smoother and more consistent transition to my guests. Then I made sure to prioritize and organize my work based on guests. I tried to take stock of exactly what each table needed at any given time so that I could support everyone equally. Also because it was a much larger section than i was used to I made sure to ask for help from the run staff who are available to provide extra assistance in these situations
* **Result-** Fortunately we were able to get through the night with all the tables successfully taken care of and we were able to do that because of how we all came together.

#### Question 5- Adaptability

Most of the training for this position is informal and learn-as-you-go.  Describe the tools and resources that you would use to work successfully, both independently and as part of a team.

* **Situation-** The job I currently have has trained me in a very similar way.
* **Task**- In my position after we have achieved a certain level of understanding over the course material it is then up to the individual to learn how to communicate with, provide more assistance to, and reach more students.
* **Action-** Some of the ways I made this happen were by seeking out relevant information and resources of my own so that I could better explain examples and my own work. I also made sure to seek out guidance from my manager who could give me insights on how to deal with certain situations. I'd receive feedback from both my manager and clients and evaluate the things that I could improve.
* **Result-** The result was I able to learn how to more clearly communicate with my audience and learn how to reach even more people.

#### Question 6- Values

The Caltrans values are Engagement, Equity, Innovation, Integrity, and Pride.  Which one of these values are your strength, and why?  How would you incorporate this value into the position?

Engagement is a strength that I possess and have consistently demonstrated throughout my professional experience. My strong communication skills have allowed me to effectively engage with customers and coworkers alike, making me an asset in previous roles.

* **Situation-** An example where this occurs would be when I would have guests at the Cheesecake Factory.
* **Task**- I was tasked with upselling to customers.
* **Action-** I did this by getting them excited about certain dishes and items by sharing my own personal experience with it. An example of this was I always suggested guests get a banana creme cheesecake, but you have to add hot fudge on the side.
* **Result-** The result was a lot more people tried cheesecake and were happy to try the suggestion because it has an amazing flavor combo similar to a banana split.

#### Question 7- Project Control Officer

Understand the roles and responses of project control officer and describe how your knowledge of skills and experience relate to the functions of this position.

* Processing PIs and EAs.
* Inputting the project description and location
* Coordinating the opening, suspending, and closing of phases.
* Verify programming and setting up the budget by fund type in the BQ40 and BGE94.
* Doing fund splits if appropriate.
* Monitors budgets and expenditures to ensure adequate project funding.
* Doing expenditure adjustments if necessary
* Transferring Minor B lump sum to the individual Minor B projects.
* Communicate with the Minor B Program Manager
* Reviews and evaluates the financial aspects of the District's Cooperative Agreements
* Is involved with project closeout in AMS.

## Questions I Ask

What's your favorite part about working for Caltrans?

Can you tell me a little bit more about the team's goals and why they're hiring?

Is there anything that concerns you at this time that would preclude me from being an option? If so I would love the change to address it.

What are the next steps in the interview process?

## Concluding Statement

I believe that my experience equip me to excel in the position of Project Control Officer. With a strong foundation in analytical skills, including proficiency in data analysis tools and languages, I can effectively gather and interpret complex data to inform decision-making processes. My communication skills, honed through a diverse educational background and professional experience, enable me to interact effectively with colleagues. Additionally, my organizational skills, adaptability, and proactive mindset ensure that I can manage projects, multitask, and navigate uncertainty with ease. As a team player, I am adept at leading and collaborating with others to achieve shared goals. With my familiarity in budgetary functions and tracking expenditures, I am well-prepared to handle the financial aspects of the role. I am confident that I possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and dedication to make significant contributions to the success of the organization while upholding its mission, vision, values, and goals.