Tell me about a challenge you faced as a Court Clerk. How did you overcome it?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Focus Your Answer On
What to Avoid
Entry Level Example
Answer Example
Experienced Example
Community Answers

As a Court Clerk, you face challenging situations daily. You may encounter difficult personalities or need to spend time motivating and training your clerical staff. Sometimes each task is relatively easy to accomplish, but everything at once can become a challenge. The interviewer wants to hear what you consider a challenge and how you overcame that challenge to see that you have problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Focus on positively describing the challenge you faced and how you overcame the challenge. When answering questions like this one, you always want to end on a positive note, highlighting how you overcome adversity.

Avoid describing a challenge that is essential to your job duty as a Court Clerk. If you describe a challenge you will see daily, the interviewer may question your ability to handle adversity and succeed in this role.

"When I first became a Court Clerk, it was challenging not having a legal background. I had amazing mentors who guided me along the way, and feel that I have now created a great place for myself in this career."

"My biggest challenge as a Court Clerk was learning all of the legal jargon. It's endless! I spent many hours studying, working weekends, and taking additional coursework so that I could be confident in my knowledge."

"I supervised two entry-level staff members in my last role. Both were fairly new and needed quite a bit of direction from me. At the same time, I was managing paperwork during a busy time, and it got to be a lot to handle. I took time daily to prioritize and check in with my staff. Through creating a routine and learning how to manage my time effectively, I was able to support my team."

Anonymous Answer

"As the sole legal assistant, I provided a high level of legal administrative support, took full care of accounting matters, office administration, and also reception duties. One day was really busy that I needed to close four real estate deals and also file the application at the Court. However, I had prepared the letters, envelope, all couriers, days before so that I could handle the day."

Rachelle's Feedback

You planned well in advance, which is great! Did all work out well in the end?

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Anonymous Answer

"Although I've never been a court clerk I've had other challenges facing new counties. There was a dependency due and I was handling it while filling in for a coworker's shift. As a result, I didn't understand the procedure. I called the clerk of the court and requested further information. The petition was filed before the due date."

Rachelle's Feedback

Wonderful! You do a great job pivoting the response to work for you and your actual experiences. Your example shows a lot of initiative :)

Anonymous Answer

"Learning one particular task while in law and equity seemed a challenge. But, I was able to determine who worked in the department previously and would be willing to help. I asked gently if she would help and the task was explained quickly. She even gave me her notes. Sometimes, it is good to ask for help."

Cindy's Feedback

Great! Yes, it shows good judgment to ask for help when necessary. To help the interviewer understand the task you're referencing, add more detail and describe the task and what you didn't initially understand.