How to Answer "Tell Me About An Obstacle You Overcame"

The interview is going well, you’ve nailed all those common interview questions, and then you’re asked to tell the employer about a time you faced an obstacle and how you overcame it.

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Then you start thinking of a situation that is appropriate to discuss during an interview setting – to avoid giving a bad or cliché answer; we will guide you through answering this question with an example scenario.

1. Select an obstacle

Don’t talk about something that doesn’t apply to the role or an example that will place you in a bad light.

"Tell me an obstacle that you overcame!"

"Well, during my last role, I made a big mistake and accidentally ordered the wrong concert tickets for a VIP client, but it didn’t stress me out too much because I noticed before the clients went on their holiday and managed to purchase new ones".

Within this example, the candidate shows that they lack attention to detail and could have avoided making such a terrible mistake and costing the company money.

Instead, select a scenario that was completely out of your control and then explain the steps you took to overcome it.

2. Describe the obstacle

It’s not good enough just talking about an obstacle; you need to walk the interviewer through the process.

A good way to do this and not go off track is by using the STAR ( Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method.

You can begin by describing the context of the example (the Situation), then explain what your initial role and goal was while also listing the problem that you faced (the Task), followed by the Actions that you took to overcome the problem and concluding with the outcome based on the steps that you took (the Result).

This part is about providing background information and setting the scene.

Remember to explain how you took on the problem and turned it around.

You can describe tools used or techniques employed and include information that demonstrates your teamwork, communication and leadership skills.

3. Finish with the lessons that you learnt

Any obstacle that you’re faced with will teach you a valuable lesson.

Explain how this experience can change your mindset moving forward.

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Will you be more aware of these kinds of issues? Can you avoid them?

If you achieved quantifiable results, be sure to talk about them and end with the successful outcome.

"When working as an office manager, one of my responsibilities was to manage events.

I had arranged an executive meeting that was to take place in a few days, when I received a call from our location vendor telling me there had been a double booking and we could no longer use the room we’d reserved. The meeting was scheduled in a different city, but through my diligent research,

I was able to make some calls and find a new location in time with similar facilities in the same area.

I rescheduled the lunch order and requested the necessary equipment for the room.

Then I sent out the information to the attendees but also made sure to call them and personally ensure they received the new details and address any concerns.

Despite the hitch, I was able to build on my relationships with the executive team as well as gathering more information to create a database that our team could use in the future if this kind of issue arose again".

Within this example, the candidate ends her answer by explaining how the solution to this problem ended on a positive note.

So, now you know how to answer this question, you can impress the hiring manager with your experience