Behavior-style interview questions, such as “describe a challenge you overcame,” or “discuss your weaknesses” are very common in interviews. In this article, I will describe why hiring managers ask this question, how to choose the challenge, and how to structure your response.
How to Describe a Challenge You Overcame in an Interview
What are employers looking for when they ask you to describe a challenge you overcame?
Before you decide how to answer this question, it is important to understand why employers ask it in interviews.
Based on your response to the question, the hiring manager will be able to tell:
- What you consider to be a challenge.
- How you respond to problems and adversity.
- Your levels of resilience and creativity.
My first tip is don’t evade this question by giving an insignificant challenge. Choose something with substance, or the hiring manager may question if you understand and can handle a challenge. Some candidates are worried that they will show weakness if they discuss a substantial challenge. Remember, we don’t learn and grow without challenges! Embrace a growth mindset, show some vulnerability, and make sure you address a challenge that was truly an obstacle for you. More to come below on choosing the challenge.
This question can tell others how you respond to problems and adversity. Life is full of unexpected challenges, and your career will be no different. Managers want to know how you respond in these situations. Do you freeze and look for the exit route? Or, do you take a deep breath and start problem-solving?
Finally, the delivery of the outcome will help them understand your levels of grit, determination, resilience, and creativity. The more difficult and complex the challenge, the greater the opportunity to shine!
How do you choose a challenge to describe?
Begin with the job description
Like so much of my interview advice, I always suggest beginning with the job description. By reviewing the list of desired skills and qualifications, you will identify attributes that are most important to the employer. Then, you can identify challenges you have faced and overcome that demonstrate one or more of these skills.
Many candidates get overwhelmed with options when asked to describe a challenge they overcame. Starting with the job description will help you what skills you want to highlight, and then you can choose your story.
Choosing a personal, professional, or academic-related challenge
The challenge you choose will vary depending on where you are in your career journey and what skills you glean from the job description. A candidate who has just graduated will likely choose a much different challenge than someone who has ten years of experience in their career field. Here are some types of challenges you can consider for your response.
Personal Challenges
You may be shocked to see me list personal challenges as an option for this question; however, using a personal challenge in response to “Describe a challenge you overcame” can be a great opportunity in some industries.
For example, consider a social worker aspiring to work with individuals struggling with addiction. Being willing to share a personal anecdote about overcoming addiction could be a major asset. Similarly, a candidate for a middle school counseling position might share a personal or internal struggle he or she faced in middle school that demonstrates the ability to show empathy and understand the students they will serve.
For other career fields, personal challenges might be inappropriate. For example, if you are in a technical field and applying for a job as a computer programmer, sharing a personal challenge could be a missed opportunity to highlight a technical skill and, depending on the personal challenge, could be seen as a red flag or a challenge that could interfere with your performance.
If you are uncertain if a personal challenge is appropriate, I recommend choosing a professional challenge instead. Error on the side of caution.
Professional Challenges
It is most common to choose a professional challenge. Examples of professional challenges include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Unexpected obstacles that required big changes and swift action.
- Organizational changes that substantially impacted your job.
- Creatively coming up with a solution to a customer/client’s problem.
- Lack of skill or knowledge and how you worked to acquire it.
Below, I will describe how to structure your response; however, the important thing to remember if you choose a professional challenge is to include enough detail. The hiring manager should fully understand the challenge and the outcome.
Academic Challenges
If you are a student or a recent graduate with little to no work experience, you may feel as though you lack a substantial or relevant challenge to share. Having spent my entire career working with students and young adults, I assure you this is not true. You have a relevant challenge to share; you may just need help brainstorming!
Examples of academic challenges include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Time management with classes, a part-time job, extracurricular activities, etc.
- Conflict with an instructor or peer on a group project.
- Low grade in a difficult course and how you worked to raise and pass it.
- Choosing a fulfilling major or career path and how you arrived at your decision.
Interpersonal Challenges
Choosing an interpersonal challenge can work for any candidate. After all, employers are most concerned with finding candidates whose soft skills (communication, work ethic, relationship-building skills, etc.) align with the company’s needs. These more innate skills are much harder to teach and change than hard or technical skills.
Examples of interpersonal challenges include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Conflict with a colleague, team, or supervisor.
- Addressing an upset or dissatisfied customer.
- Adjusting to a new culture or environment.
- Taking a stance or voicing an unpopular opinion.
The key to choosing an interpersonal challenge is to ensure the outcome is favorable or key growth occurred that is essential to the job. I’ll explain more about structuring the results and outcomes of the challenge below.
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Structuring your response to “Describe a Challenge You Overcame”
As I mentioned above, the biggest mistake I see candidates make when responding to this question (and other behavioral interview questions) is not including enough detail. Although you lived the situation, it is the hiring manager’s first time hearing about it and probably their initial meeting with you! To help ensure you describe the challenge and outcome in enough detail, use the STAR Method.
Situation
Set the story. What led up to the challenge? Who was involved? What role were you in? What factors played into the challenge? What stage of life, your career, or your education were you in?
Task
After setting the scene and describing the situation, you want to share the challenge or task. What was it about the situation that was particularly challenging? When the problem arose, what was your initial reaction or response? What did you learn from that moment? Were other people or factors involved? Was there more to the situation or task than originally realized?
Action
Describe, in detail, your thought process as you engaged in problem-solving. What were your options? Which action did you take and why?
This step is very important. Remember from part one of this article that employers ask you to describe a challenge you overcame because they want to know how you respond to problems and your creative thought process as you act.
Result
A keyword in the statement “describe a challenge you overcame” is “overcame.” The employer wants to know the result, but don’t stop there. Simply stating how the situation ended would be a missed opportunity to drive home the skills and qualifications you are speaking to from the job description.
When preparing the result part of your response, share the outcome, and think about what skill you demonstrated in the situation that is important to the employer. What did you learn? How did you grow? How did that experience shape your response to future challenges? As you reflect on that challenge, what do you realize now?
It would be best if you ended on a positive note. Either share the successful resolution or share profound learning or growth that happened.
For a more in-depth explanation and examples of using the STAR method, refer to my in-depth article.
Example Answers to “Describe a Challenge You Overcame”
Response with a Personal Challenge
Situation
I have always set incredibly high standards for myself. To meet those standards, I worked very hard and refused to stop until I deemed my work perfect. Behind my high-achieving, confident-appearing exterior was a very anxious, insecure young woman with an intense fear of failure. I avoided new situations and opportunities out of fear of looking incompetent. I now realize that I was stunting my own personal and professional growth.
Task
In my late twenties, I began noticing others operated differently. My supervisor at the time, and exceptional mentor, admitted to not knowing answers or making a mistake without hesitation and simply worked to correct it. I also wondered how my husband could stand getting constructive criticism day in and day out and still pressed on confidently at work. Then, I witnessed my best friend confident pitch her dream position to a company, and they created it and hired her based on her proposal. I quickly realized that I had to figure out my mindset issues if I truly wanted to grow, live life fully, and thrive professionally.
Action
I devoted one year to personal growth. I read numerous books, watched TED talks, listened to podcasts, and challenged myself to live and think differently. By educating myself, I learned that my struggle was very common. I had been battling a fixed mindset and imposture syndrome my entire life. I struggled with the Superwoman/Perfectionist version of imposter syndrome, and my fear of failure led to my fixed mindset.
Result
Knowledge is power. I truly believe that. By investing so much time educating myself, I named the issues I faced, normalized them, and moved past the mindset blocks. When I take on a new professional challenge, similar struggles start to creep in. But now, I have a strategy for combatting them. It has made a world of difference in my life, and I have been able to educate the young women and men that I teach and coach. I feel empowered and, therefore, can empower others.
Response with a Professional Challenge
Situation
In 2016, I was hired into a newly created role at a community college. The purpose of the position was to work with students currently studying a trade to support their success. I would serve students in eight different academic programs, totaling over 500 students.
Task
The challenge when I began this work was two-fold. One, I had to determine how to best support these students. And second, 40 hours per week was insufficient to individually serve every student. I needed to develop a system to identify students who most needed help, determine what kind of help was needed, and find resources to address those needs. I had to rely on my experience, intuition, and trial and error.
Action
I began by creating an intake form. I went to every program and asked each student to complete a one-page questionnaire that I could use as market research. I analyzed those forms, met with specific students individually based on responses and determined and put together a plan for a system to best serve the student population. Each semester, I adjusted my form, methods, and resources to improve my service to students.
Result
Based on the results from my first year and a half of employment, feedback from students, and the success of programs and systems created, my supervisor proposed that more positions be created identical to mine. The college created three identical positions to serve more students within two years. A key program that I created, called Entrée to Employment, was grown to three times the size, and the impact was seen not only through an increase of students being hired but also in employer engagement throughout our community. At the time, I felt so uncertain and like an impossible task was before me. The challenge was very uncomfortable at times. As I reflect, I realize I was deep in the throws of program design and development. The trial and error, adjust and adapt actions I was taking were exactly what I needed to be doing! I grew so much from this challenging role and can say that it has greatly informed the work I do now. I am proud of the system I built, but, more importantly, I’m so proud of the profound impact on students’ lives and their future career (and economic) success.
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