This is one of the most common interview questions: Are you a problem solver?
Every day you make decisions. You figure out if you are going to turn left and right. You choose what you are going to wear. You decide how much sugar you need in your coffee. Each decision you make is a way of solving a problem, ergo, everyone is a problem solver.
The key to answering interview questions about problem solving is to not simply regurgitate some version of “yes.” Instead, you should highlight a specific instance of your ability to solve problems.
Bad Answer:
“Yes, I am a problem solver. I’m really good at making decisions. I try to use all of the tools and information at my disposal to come up with a worthwhile solution for the company.”
Good Answer:
“Not only am I a problem solver – I also solve problems correctly. At my previous place of employment, management had been struggling with the best way to design their website. I explained the benefits of using an amalgam of user experience and enterprise driven designs, mocked up a few webpages, and delivered it to my supervisor. We immediately put it into action and our profits increased by 200%.”
In this answer:
- A quip about how solving problems isn’t the same as solving problems correctly.
- A specific professional example of a time you solved a problem.
- The tangible effects of your decision to the business.
This type of answer uses all of the different methods of answering questions in order to ensure that you not only tell the employer you are a problem solver, but show them as well so that they can picture the ways that hiring you will benefit their company.
Take Away Interview Tips:
- Provide specific examples from your professional past.
- Mention the effects of your examples and how they benefitted the company.
See Related Posts:
3 Types of Problem Solvers – Which One Are You?
