Provide an example of a time you brought your best self to a personal or professional project. In your response, describe the steps it took to be successful. How did you overcome obstacles?
Answers
Explanation:
WayUp Experts
INDUSTRY & MAJOR
INTERNSHIPS & JOBS
TIPS
INTERVIEWING 101
CRUSHING IT AT YOUR JOB
WAYUP COMMUNITY
How to Answer: Tell Me About a Challenge You Had to Overcome in the Workplace
How to Answer: Tell Me About a Challenge You Had to Overcome in the Workplace
NEXT
READY TO INTERVIEW? FIND YOUR NEXT ROLE ON WAYUP. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE.
This is a tough question because you’re forced to talk about a difficult time with a complete stranger. Fortunately, it’s also a great opportunity to turn a big challenge into a great accomplishment. In fact, we like to think of it as a related question to “Tell me about an accomplishment you’re proud of.” Why do employers ask this question? It’s because they want to know that they’re hiring someone who has the ability to think on their feet and who is resilient when facing challenges.
When answering this question, start by giving context for the situation and then showing how you worked out a solution to the problem. Try to keep your answer short and focused. After all, the interviewer is really looking for what you took away from the situation and doesn’t need to know the full backstory of what happened. If you need help structuring your answer, remember this acronym: S.T.A.R. It stands for situation, task, action, and result.
Here’s what they each mean and how you can use them effectively.
Situation
First, articulate to your interviewer the situation you were in so that they have context. What was the problem and how did it come up? In one or two sentences, create a clear picture so that hiring manager is able to visualize the challenge. If possible, keep things professional by focusing only on problems that have come up in class or at a previous job.
Say something like: “During my summer internship at a public relations firm, a client suddenly wanted to change an entire campaign strategy two days before launch. The client was unhappy with my team’s first draft, so we were tasked with redoing the entire plan.”