20 General Assembly Interview Questions and Answers

When it comes to interviewing at General Assembly, there are a few things you can expect. First, you can expect the interviewers to be knowledgeable and experienced in the field. They’ll be able to ask you tough questions about your experience and skills. Second, you can expect the interview to be focused on your ability to teach and communicate effectively. And finally, you can expect the interviewers to be interested in your ability to work in a team environment.

With that in mind, here are a few sample questions you might be asked during an interview at General Assembly.

1. Tell us about your experience teaching others. 2. What do you think makes a great teacher? 3. What do you think are the most important qualities for a successful teacher? 4. What do you think are the biggest challenges you face when teaching? 5. What do you think are the best ways to overcome those challenges? 6. What do you think are the most important things you can do to ensure your students are successful? 7. What do you think are the best ways to motivate your students? 8. What do you think are the best ways to assess your students’ progress? 9. What do you think

General Assembly Interview Process

The interview process at General Assembly can be lengthy, and candidates may have to complete multiple rounds of interviews as well as a take-home assignment. The difficulty of the interviews varies, but some candidates have found them to be quite difficult. Overall, the experience seems to be mixed, with some candidates finding the process to be positive and others having negative experiences.

1. What experience do you have with teaching/instruction?

General Assembly is a school that offers courses and programs for students to learn new skills. The interviewer may ask this question to see if you have any experience teaching or instructing others in the past. Use your answer to explain what kind of experience you have with teaching, and describe how it prepared you for working at General Assembly.

Example: “I’ve always enjoyed helping people learn new things. In high school, I volunteered as an after-school tutor where I helped other students understand math concepts they were struggling with. This experience taught me how to break down complex ideas into simple steps so anyone could understand them. It also showed me how rewarding it can be to help someone succeed.”

2. How would you assess the learning outcomes of a student?

Interviewers may ask this question to assess your teaching skills and ability to evaluate student progress. Use examples from past experiences where you assessed a student’s learning outcomes, evaluated their performance or reviewed their work.

Example: “I recently had a student who was struggling with the basics of coding. I asked him what he understood about the material so far and what confused him most. He told me that he didn’t understand how to use variables in his code. We spent the rest of the class going over different ways to use variables in code. At the end of the class, he said he felt much more confident using variables in his code.”

3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

This question is a great way to learn more about the applicant’s career goals and how they plan to achieve them. It also gives you an idea of what their long-term vision looks like, which can be helpful when deciding whether or not this person would fit well with your company culture.

Example: “I see myself as a senior developer at General Assembly by the time I turn 30. I am currently enrolled in the Web Development Immersive program, so I should have my associate degree by next year. After that, I will continue working on my bachelor’s degree while taking on freelance projects to gain valuable experience. By the time I reach 30, I hope to have enough work experience under my belt to apply for a full-time position here.”

4. Tell me about a time when you had to solve an issue without having all of the information available.

This question can help an interviewer understand how you approach challenges and solve problems. Use your answer to highlight your critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities and ability to work independently.

Example: “When I was working as a web developer for a small company, my manager asked me to create a new website for the company’s client. The client wanted a lot of custom features on their site, which meant that it would take longer than usual to complete. My manager didn’t want to tell the client about the delay because they were already behind schedule. So, I worked late nights and weekends to get the project done in time. In the end, we completed the project before our deadline and the client was happy with the final product.”

5. Describe your most successful instructional exercise and why it was effective.

Instructors must be able to create a learning environment that is both engaging and effective. This question helps the interviewer assess your ability to plan lessons, understand student needs and adapt teaching methods as needed.

Example: “In my last role as an instructor at a coding bootcamp, I was responsible for planning all of the curriculum for our introductory course in web development. One of the most challenging aspects of this job was creating exercises that were relevant to the material being taught but also fun and interesting for students. After some trial and error, I found that incorporating real-world examples into the classroom helped students better retain information and apply it to their own projects.”

6. We are looking for someone who is passionate about education. Why do you think you would be a good fit for this position?

This question is a great way to show your interest in the company and its mission. It also gives you an opportunity to talk about what attracted you to this role, which can be helpful if you are applying for multiple positions at General Assembly.

Example: “I am passionate about education because I believe that it’s important to help people learn new skills so they can advance their careers. I think I would be a good fit for this position because I have experience teaching coding classes and mentoring students who want to pursue tech careers. I love working with others and helping them reach their goals.”

7. Do you feel like you can work well in a team environment?

General Assembly is a collaborative environment, and the interviewer will want to know that you can work well with others. Showcase your interpersonal skills by describing how you’ve worked in teams in the past.

Example: “I feel like I have excellent teamwork skills. In my last role as an IT specialist, I was part of a team that developed new software for our company. We had weekly meetings where we discussed our progress on the project and any challenges we were facing. This helped us all stay motivated and focused on our goals.”

8. Walk us through one of your lessons, how did you plan it out?

Interviewers may ask this question to get a better sense of your teaching style and how you plan out lessons. When answering, try to be as specific as possible about the steps you take when planning a lesson.

Example: “I start by reading through the entire curriculum for the day. Then I make notes on what I think will be most helpful for my students to learn. Next, I create an outline for the class that includes all of the information I want to cover in the lesson. Finally, I print out copies of the outline so I can refer to it during the actual lesson.”

9. General Assembly wants to hire people that are up-to-date on current trends in technology. What are some ways that you keep up with trends?

General Assembly wants to hire people that are passionate about technology and keeping up with the latest trends. This question helps them determine if you have a passion for learning new things, as well as how you plan on staying current in your field.

Example: “I am always looking for ways to learn more about technology. I subscribe to several blogs and newsletters that keep me informed of what’s going on in the industry. I also like to attend conferences and seminars where I can meet other professionals and hear their thoughts on the latest developments.”

10. Who are your role models in the field of education?

This question can help the interviewer get to know you better and understand your motivations. It also helps them determine if you have a passion for education, which is an important quality in teachers. When answering this question, try to name someone who has inspired you or helped you achieve your goals.

Example: “My role model in education is my high school English teacher, Mrs. Jones. She was always so passionate about her subject and really cared about each of her students. I remember one time when I had a cold and missed class, she called me at home just to check on me. That meant a lot to me as a student and still motivates me today to be a great educator.”

11. How do you believe instruction has changed over the last 15 years?

This question is a great way to gauge how the applicant has evolved as an educator. It also allows you to see if they have kept up with changes in technology and instruction methods.

Example: “I believe that instruction has changed drastically over the last 15 years, especially when it comes to teaching students about coding. When I first started teaching, we used books and worksheets to teach our students. Now, we use computers and tablets to help them learn more effectively. We are able to show them real-world applications of what they’re learning and give them hands-on experience. This helps them retain information better and makes them more prepared for their future careers.”

12. What qualities do you look for in fellow educators?

General Assembly is a company that values collaboration and teamwork. As such, they want to know how you will fit into their culture of learning and growth. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention qualities that are important to you in your own education. This shows the interviewer that you understand what General Assembly offers its students.

Example: “I look for educators who are passionate about their work and dedicated to helping others learn. I also value instructors who are open-minded and willing to try new methods of teaching. In my experience as an educator, I have found that these qualities make for the best teachers.”

13. This position requires strong written and verbal communication skills, could you tell us more about your communication style?

General Assembly is looking for candidates who can communicate effectively with their team members and clients. This question helps the interviewer assess your communication skills, including how you use them to collaborate with others.

Example: “I believe that effective communication is a key component of any successful project or organization. I have always strived to improve my communication skills by taking classes in public speaking and writing. In my last position, I was responsible for managing all communications between our company and our clients. I used email marketing software to create newsletters and other digital content for our website.”

14. Can you tell me about a time where you were responsible for multiple tasks at once?

This question is a great way to learn more about your candidate’s ability to multitask and prioritize their work. It can also help you determine if they have the skills necessary to succeed in an environment like General Assembly, where students are often working on multiple projects at once.

Example: “At my previous job, I was responsible for managing our social media accounts as well as creating content for them. This meant that I had to be able to create engaging content while monitoring our accounts for any comments or questions from followers. I found that it helped me stay organized by using a scheduling tool to plan out my posts ahead of time so I could focus on responding to comments and questions during business hours.”

15. Have you ever led a group project?

General Assembly asks this question to learn more about your leadership skills. As a leader, you should be able to motivate and inspire others to work together toward a common goal. When answering this question, it can be helpful to describe the project in detail and explain how you helped your team achieve success.

Example: “In my last job as an IT specialist, I led a group of five other specialists on a project that involved updating our company’s security system. We had to research different types of security systems and decide which one would best suit our needs. Then we had to install the new system ourselves. It was challenging but rewarding to lead such a large project. In the end, we were able to update our security system and save the company money.”

16. In what ways do you stay organized throughout the day?

General Assembly is a fast-paced environment, and the interviewer wants to make sure you have strategies for staying on top of your work. Your answer should include how you stay organized with projects, deadlines and other responsibilities.

Example: “I use my calendar extensively throughout the day to keep track of important dates and deadlines. I also use a task management app that allows me to create lists and assign tasks to myself or others. This helps me stay on top of what needs to be done and when it needs to be completed by.”

17. Give us an example of a time where you motivated others.

General Assembly is looking for a leader who can motivate their team to achieve goals. This question allows you to show your leadership skills and how you can inspire others to work hard.

Example: “When I was working as an IT manager, my team had a goal of completing all projects on time. One day, one of our developers came into the office late. He told me he forgot about a project deadline and would not be able to complete it by the end of the day. I asked him if there was anything we could do to help him get it done. He said that he needed more time to code the program. I talked with my supervisor and got approval to give him an extra week to finish the project. My developer completed the project before the deadline.”

18. When was the last time you struggled in a leadership position? What happened?

This question is a great way to show your ability to learn from mistakes and grow as an individual. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention how you overcame the challenge or what you learned from the experience.

Example: “When I first started my career in web development, I was working on a project with a team of developers. We were all given different parts of the website to create, but when we presented our work to each other, there were many inconsistencies between us. It took us several hours to figure out why the designs didn’t match up, but once we did, we realized that we needed to communicate more effectively so we could avoid similar issues in the future.”

19. We want to find someone who will be able to adapt to new situations. Could you give an example of a time you adapted successfully?

General Assembly is a fast-paced environment, and the interviewer wants to make sure you can adapt quickly. This question also allows you to show your problem-solving skills.

Example: “I once had a client who was looking for a developer with experience in Ruby on Rails. I told them that I didn’t have any experience with it but would be willing to learn. They were happy to hire me because they knew I was eager to learn new things. I spent my free time researching Ruby on Rails and practicing coding. After two weeks of practice, I felt comfortable enough to start working on their project.”

20. What is your greatest accomplishment as a professional?

This question is a great way to show your interviewer that you are proud of your work and have the ability to take on challenges. When answering this question, it can be helpful to think about what you’re most proud of in your career so far.

Example: “My greatest accomplishment as a professional was when I completed my first coding project at my last job. It took me several weeks to complete, but I learned a lot along the way. My manager even told me how impressed he was with my work. That made all the hard work worth it.”