Question: Describe a time when you had a conflict with a professor? How did you resolve it?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Have you ever had a severe disagreement with your professor? If so, how did you resolve it?

Follow-up questions:

How was your relationship after this conflict?
What was the outcome?
What happened in the end?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Complex Problem Solving,Social – Negotiation,Social – Rapport Buiding/Relating and Connecting with others,Social – Social Perceptiveness

Abilities:

Cognitive – Category Flexibility (Mental Flexibility),Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition)

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Agreeableness,Big 5 – Neuroticism (Emotion Regulation),Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Team Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Interacting with Others – Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates,Interacting with Others – Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (Conflict Management),Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Interpersonal Relationships – Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People,Interpersonal Relationships – Frequency of Conflict Situations,Interpersonal Relationships – Frequency of Contact With Others,Interpersonal Relationships – Relationship With Supervisor

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Cooperation,Patience,Politeness,Self Control

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The interviewee’s conflict management skills.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee handles interpersonal conflict terribly.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: Unknown