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AM2 Mock Interview

Instruction and application
In Progress

In our last session, we had a mock interview to practice answering questions you may encounter in your work-based project. Now, let's look at questions for your portfolio.

As a reminder, there are a few key elements to consider when being interviewed.

Listen- If you’re unsure what the question is asking, invite the assessor to repeat/rephrase the question. Or ask clarifying questions!

  • Listen for invitations to address certain standards in the assessment plan.
  • Take notes on the key words during questions. These can be made on a document on screen

Answer- Quality beats quantity

  • Apprenticeships are all about in-work impact - make sure to talk about the impact/value you’ve added to the business!
  • Link back to the grading criteria - after all, these are the main thing you’re trying to demonstrate in your assessment!Remember, there are different grading criteria for the portfolio and WBP. Make sure you reference the portfolio criteria!
  • Don’t assume the assessor to be a technical expert in your business/field

Evidence- Remember, being able to explain the theory/technical side of your portfolio will help the assessor validate your evidence.

  • For Portfolio KSB’s ONLY: You can introduce any additional evidence you wish the assessor to consider (if you didn’t cover everything in your portfolio - here’s a good chance). This extra evidence must be signed off by your manager.

Action Item: Have a Mock Interview​

Instructions​

  • Review the questions below
  • Pick the questions you would like to practice with a peer. Try to complete as many as you can!
  • Timing
  • 3 minutes to review the questions, then start asking them.
  • Ask one question at a time, specify if it's from the WBP or Portfolio, then allow about 3 minutes for the answer.
  • Set aside 1 minute to take note of the feedback.
  • Once 20 minutesare complete, you will return to the main room for questionsFeedback Guidelines

As a reminder, while you review your peers' work, think of the four pillars of good feedback:

  • Constructive
  • Specific
  • Justified
  • Kind

Questions - Data Quality and Performance (K1, S7): "How do you typically monitor different types of data stores in your role to ensure optimal performance and availability? Can you give an example of a specific monitoring technique you use?"

  • Problem Solving (K21, S10, S18, S19): "Imagine a scenario where a critical data processing pipeline goes down. How would you identify and escalate the incident, and what steps would you take to communicate the issue and mitigate its operational impact?"
  • Regulatory Compliance (K11, S13): "Describe how you ensure that your use of data complies with information security standards and ethical practices within your organisation. What are some key pieces of legislation that influence your data management policies?"
  • Continuous Improvement (K28, S21, B3): “How do you approach identifying and addressing technical debt within data systems you work on? What techniques do you use to ensure continuous improvement and capture good practices?”
  • Data Quality and Performance (K1, S7, K3, K18, S15): "Beyond just monitoring, how have you actively compared and contrasted different types of data stores to truly optimise their performance for specific use cases? Can you explain how you've leveraged different data ingestion frameworks (streaming, batch, on-demand) to improve data ingestion processes, and justify your choices?"
  • Problem Solving (K23, S8, S20, B5, S18, S19): "Walk me through a complex data incident you've encountered. How did your analysis of the root cause investigation lead to a resolution, and how did you effectively troubleshoot and provide solutions to stakeholders? Furthermore, how did your approach to managing that incident demonstrate a justification for maintaining business continuity?"
  • Continuous Improvement (K16, S11, S14, B4, S25, S28): "Describe a time you evaluated an opportunity to extract more value from an existing data product. How did you balance costs, environmental impact (considering net-zero goals), and potential operating benefits? Additionally, how have you identified and assessed new technologies that offer increased performance for data products, and how would you evaluate the impact of implementing such changes on existing practices within your organisation?"
  • Continuous Professional Development (K29, S29, B6): "Outline your personal strategy for keeping up to date with emerging and contemporary technologies in data science, engineering, and AI. How have you specifically evaluated the impact that staying current with these technological developments has had on your own professional growth and your ability to optimise sustainable products and services?"