Tell me about a situation in which attention to detail was particularly important when accomplishing an assigned task.

How to Answer
Answer Example
Community Answers

Attention to detail is important in any job, but especially in the role of a computer scientist. Missing important details could result in software not functioning properly or processes not producing the intended results. This is in the form of a behavioral question, so you should use the STAR framework when you respond. Keep your answer positive, demonstrate the results of paying attention to the details, and emphasize the outcome.

"One of the skills I've developed while preparing for this role is paying attention to details. During a recent project, this came in handy. We were integrating a new software package into the company's HR Department. During the installation, I noted that an important field was left out of a form that was critical to the department's operations. If this had gone unchecked, it would have resulted in the HR Department having to reconstruct thousands of records. Fortunately, we were able to address this early and avoid any rework. This helped the company avoid significant costs, prevented delays in the software implementation, and resulted in a much more functional HR process. It also emphasized the need to pay attention to detail in everything I do."

Anonymous Answer

"Attention to detail is definitely one of my major skills. In one of my recent classes, I was beginning to work on one of my final projects, when I realized that I had some of the instructions confused. At first, I didn't see one part of the instruction, which if not added would completely alter the format of my code and take me way longer. Therefore, because I had attention to detail in reading my instructions, I saved hours of work that I would've had to delete and start over."

Stephanie's Feedback

This is a great example--I'm glad you caught that detail and saved yourself time and effort! To deepen the impact of your response, you may wish to also include specific examples of how you stay organized and detail-oriented (what type of systems do you use to track details and make sure you're organized? Do you use an app, project management tool, color-coding, etc?)