What kinds of challenges did you face in your last job? Give an example of how you handled them.
The interviewer would like details on a project that went sideways. This interview question is not meant to solely highlight what went wrong but to see how you react when things do not go your way on a project or in the workplace. Give an overview of the problem while focusing primarily on the action you took to address the situation. Be sure to express what you learned from the situation. Consider all past challenges you've experienced with a difficult team member, client, or complex project and choose an example that you can describe in a fairly short amount of time.
"I had the opportunity to work with a large, diverse team of consultants on a government awarded environmental impact study. Another engineering firm was leading the project and proposed unrealistic goals and an unattainable schedule that would be impossible to achieve. I believed we were better suited to lead the project since we had related experience with other complex government projects. I worked with my internal team of engineers to communicate this to the lead engineer. We were able to change the course of the project and redefine the scope of work for the client before the project began. Although we weren't able to achieve everything we had hoped for, we were successful in meeting all of the deadlines and winning approval, which resulted in additional project work."
