What sources do you look to when solving complicated problems?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
How to Answer
Stay Away From
1st Answer Example
2nd Answer Example
Community Answers

Some might rely on instinct. Others might explore all their resources before committing to a course of action. Maybe you're an outside-of-the-box thinker, ask for help, or make ill-informed decisions even further, complicating an already complicated situation. The interviewer wants to know if you're resourceful when facing complicated situations.

Show the interviewer that you are knowledgeable, equipped with sound judgment and analytical skills, and are up to any task. Offer varied examples to display your understanding of the nature of this question.

When struggling to formulate examples of your own, it is a common human response to draw comparisons between yourself and others. Resist this impulse, as it never reflects favorably in an interview process. It's one thing to advertise your merits to convey you're the best fit for a position. But saying you're better than someone else diminishes any truth behind the statement.

"When I am faced with a complicated problem, I will look to the resources that my current company has provided me. The answer is almost always in there. If it's more of a moral dilemma vs. a knowledge-based dilemma, I will ask my supervisor for his thoughts and opinion since I value him as a mentor and expert in our industry."

Maybe you look to a mentor or boss for advice. Perhaps you have handbooks, manuals, and systems you turn to for help. Offer some relevant examples based on your industry. If you work in the medical field, you may turn to textbooks, online research, colleagues, or even a patient's history to find the right solution. If you work in customer service, you may ask the customer what they need in order to find the best way to solve the problem.

Anonymous Answer

"Depends on the problem. for technical issues, I go directly to the factory or their catalogs as they are the expert in their product. For financial or legal issues I seek advise from the concerning department head."