CHARLESTON, S.C. - Imagine yourself going into a job interview excited and feeling positive about presenting your skillset, achievements, and accomplishments to a prospective employer. Suddenly that enthusiasm and optimism is deflated when you are asked how you handled a difficult situation at work. How do you answer this question? Why is the interviewer/employer asking you this question? How do you respond without self-eliminating yourself as a candidate for the position?
Think about any situation in which things did not go the way you expected, and how you persevered and pushed through until you found a solution. Maybe you had to add on extra work responsibilities when a co-worker called out sick during the busiest time of the week. Perhaps a customer yelled expletives at you, but you maintained a pleasant disposition.
Share the full parameter of the unpleasant situation with your interviewer, but make sure you point out how you used your soft skills (flexibility, kindness, empathy, problem-solving, and quick thinking) to successfully manage the difficult situation. For information on soft skills and what they are, reference these other blogs on the Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) Job Resources site:
What are Soft Skills and are they necessary for Success?
Becoming a viable job candidate: Honing soft skills and articulating experience
Conflict Resolution Skills: A Needed Soft Skill for Employees in the Workplace
An interviewer may ask questions like these to learn more about your customer service experience and conflict resolution strategies. Your response provides insight into how you deal with problems, your interpersonal skills, and how you work in stressful situations as well as how you diffuse a tense situation.
For more tips on how to answer an interviewer who asks you about dealing with a difficult situation or customer, check out the following article from Indeed.com:
Interview Question: Tell Me about a Time or Example of Dealing with a Difficult Customer
(Note the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, & Result—is discussed in this article)
Respond honestly to the question by using a real example of a difficult situation, giving an outline and focus of your actions, and emphasizing the positive outcome.
- Always Use a Real Example
Be truthful. You will come across as genuine when conveying what happened during the difficult situation.If you do not have a situation to reference or nothing ever went wrong on a job you held, state that as well. Maybe it is a testament to your strength, resilience, and ability to stay calm under pressure.Highlight this. These are soft skills.Mention that you have the capacity to recognize difficulty so that you do not seem dismissive or aloof when it comes to identifying a difficult situation or customer experience.
- Outline and Focus on Your Actions
You want to show the interviewer what you did and why you thought it was important to do it in the difficult situation. Give the interviewer a play by play outline of the steps you took to handle to situation in order to convey your thought process.
- Emphasize the Positive Outcome
Make sure you pick a real example that resulted in positive change.Show how your actions and handling of the situation lead to change.Show that you learned something from the experience that will better prepare you for the next opportunity.
With a little bit of practice and self-patience, you will be ready to take on the next steps in your future career. If you would like more information about how to apply for jobs online, assistance in finding resources, tips on how to get the job-hunting process started or more, please reach out to us at CCPL by email, chat, or text. Remember, you are not alone.