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Straight-to-the-Point Mock Interview

To help you prepare for your next job interview, here are 17 direct and to the point interview questions.

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Question 7 of 17

What is the toughest problem you've had to face? And how did you overcome it?

"The toughest work problem that I have faced recently was when our business went all systems down in the middle of tax season. We had our IT department on the issue immediately, but the situation took a couple of days to fix completely. At tax time, two days behind feels like years. I overcame the issue by staying an extra three hours late for five days. This commitment ensured I was ahead of the game again. It was a stressful time indeed, but nothing a little extra effort could not repair."

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How to Answer: What is the toughest problem you've had to face? And how did you overcome it?

  • 7. What is the toughest problem you've had to face? And how did you overcome it?

      How to Answer

      The interviewer is looking for an example from your work history. Avoid giving a personal example, unless you can very clearly tie the story back into your career. You do not want to be overly long-winded here. State the problem, how you approached it, and what the result was. If you received any accolades for your ability to problem-solve, you could discuss that as well.

      Answer Example

      "The toughest work problem that I have faced recently was when our business went all systems down in the middle of tax season. We had our IT department on the issue immediately, but the situation took a couple of days to fix completely. At tax time, two days behind feels like years. I overcame the issue by staying an extra three hours late for five days. This commitment ensured I was ahead of the game again. It was a stressful time indeed, but nothing a little extra effort could not repair."

      Admin

      "The most challenging problem I have faced was when I accidentally deleted a significant amount of important files from my computer, due to mislabeling them. I told my boss immediately and was incredibly embarrassed about the situation. This level of mistake had never happened to me before! I owned up to the situation immediately which made it much easier for our tech team to recover the files. Rest assured, I know what I did wrong and take every possible step to ensure it never happens again."

      Manager

      "The toughest issue I have had at work was with my previous company. Our regional director and my territory manager quit in the same week. The CEO asked me to split their workload with two other territory reps. Unprepared nor trained correctly, but I did the best that I could with the resources that I had. With my clients, I explained the situation professionally and asked them upfront for their patience as I learned my new role and responsibilities. Eventually, the positions became filled again and I was off the hook. It was a learning experience, in a pressure cooker environment!"

      Marketing

      "Earlier in my career, I worked for a marketing director who I did not get along with at all. I am easy to get along with because I practice a mentality of 'kindness first.' This particular director took that as a weakness and tried to railroad me verbally on a daily basis. I had never experienced this type of treatment before, and have not since. I did give my notice to that position before my professional reputation or integrity took a hit. I am a loyal person, so the decision to leave was one of the most challenging of my career."

      Retail

      "The toughest career challenge that I faced was when my previous organization went into receivership. I had to help with blowout sales and questions surrounding the retailers very public bankruptcy. Customers were calling in a panic regarding their gift cards, and employees were quitting every day. I had other organizations trying to poach me to work for them, but I decided to stick with my job until the very end. I am glad that I did because loyalty is important to me and I wanted to maintain a good reference."

      Sales

      "The biggest challenge I faced in my career was breaking into the SaaS business. Software sales are incredibly challenging and competitive by nature. To prepare for an opportunity, and to make myself a competitive candidate, I took multiple specific software sales courses for an entire year. The knowledge I gained was immense, and my dedication paid off."

      Teacher

      "The toughest challenge that I face, and I meet it on a regular basis, is lobbying for proper assistance and help in the classroom for students with learning disabilities. Public school budgets often do not allow for the great resources that are out there. To overcome this, I call to my community for help, lead fundraisers, and contact local non-profit agencies to ask how they can assist. The opportunities provided to my students through my added efforts have been vast."

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "When I had to liquidate my business, and I was unemployed. I went back to college, earned a degree, retrained as a UX designer, and started working again in a new career. Very challenging time but ultimately very rewarding."

      Rachelle's Feedback

      You are showing the interviewer that you have grit and tenacity. Well done!
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