How to Answer: How would you proceed if your boss asked you to complete a task that you had never done before?
17. How would you proceed if your boss asked you to complete a task that you had never done before?
The Goal
The interviewer wants to know that you have the confidence to jump into a new task. The goal of your response is to showcase your positive spirit when approaching new responsibilities and highlight your desire to learn new skills.
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid giving a response that sounds unsure and lacks confidence. Instead, express your interest in being involved with various tasks and learning new skills.
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
Pro Tip
The interviewer wants to know how you would proceed if asked to complete a task that was entirely new to you. Because this question is positioned as, 'How would you proceed if...,' you can respond hypothetically. The Situation, Solution, Benefit formula is helpful in this instance.
Step 1) Situation: Express your understanding of the hypothetical situation.
Step 2) Solution: Outline the solution you would introduce in this hypothetical situation.
Step 3) Benefit: Highlight how your approach to learning new tasks will benefit the hiring company.
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
How to Answer
Show the interviewer that you would proceed with the task thoughtfully while showing an eagerness to learn and gain new skills. Suppose you have encountered a situation like this in the past. In that case, you can use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide a story-based example to support your initial Situation, Solution, Benefit response.
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022
Answer Example
"(Situation) Trying new tasks and accepting new responsibilities is one of the best ways for me to grow in my career. (Solution) If my boss asked me to complete a task that I had never done before, I would first be upfront with them that this was the first time taking on a task of that sort. Then, I would access various reliable resources to learn everything I could about how to best approach the task. Next, I would jump in and get the work done. Along the way, I would remind myself that it's okay not to be perfect, and it's more important that I try my best. (Benefit) I enjoy being in a work environment that pushes me to reach new heights, so I would greatly appreciate working for a manager who introduces new tasks to me when they feel I am ready."
Written by Rachelle Enns on March 16th, 2022