For questions like this one, you need to tell a short story instead of talking about abstract qualities. Make sure that the story you choose is positive and doesn’t include any rude comments about past bosses or coworkers. Keep it short and very clear so the interviewer can understand your role in the story.
This question might also sound like:
- Tell me about a time when you…
- Can you share an experience where you…
Helpful phrases for answering this question:
- To state the time that the story happened
-
- Last year
- A few months ago
- In my last job
- When I was a student
- I had an experience like this when I was…
- To mention the main problem or key event
-
- One day
- Suddenly
- Unexpectedly
- To our surprise
- To highlight what went well
-
- Luckily
- Because of my [good quality]
- Instead of…, I…
- To end the story
-
- So in the end, everything worked out.
- From that experience, I learned that…
Sample answers:
Give us an example of a challenging customer experience you’ve had.
Once when I was working in housekeeping at Fancy Hotel, a customer approached me and started yelling at me about something that was not my fault. I knew it was important to stay in control of the situation, so I decided to listen to the customer and try to solve their problem instead of getting upset. Because of my patient reaction, the situation resolved quickly and the customer even apologized. From that experience, I learned that it is important to stay calm and not escalate a bad situation.
Tell me about a time when you had a problem with a boss.
I used to work as a cashier in a fast food restaurant. One day, to my surprise, my manager did not come into work. I realized that I was the most experienced worker in the restaurant, so I decided to step up and make sure everyone knew what to do. My manager had had a small emergency, and luckily she showed up a few hours later. She was grateful for my quick decision-making, and I learned that I am very helpful in a tricky situation.