How to answer "How did you deal with an assignment that was too difficult for you?" in a job interview

You're in a job interview and you're already feeling a bit stressed about the situation.

Then the interviewer asks you to talk about an assignment you found too difficult!

Worry not!

You'll be able to impress them by using a simple, 4-step method.

Interviewer: "Tell me about a time that you had to deal with an assignment that was too difficult for you?"

What the interviewer is looking for is:

• can you be honest and humble enough to admit it when you did face something too difficult?

• can you show a growth mindset?

• are you taking charge of the situation?

To answer this (and many other interview questions), you can use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

What was the Situation?

This could be anything. It doesn't have to be work-related.

Some examples:

• a school assignment

• a new summer part-time job

• your best friend's mum tasked you with organizing their birthday party

Keep this short and clear, for example:

• drawing a portrait for your art coursework

• serving customers at a till

• sending out invites, making a shopping list for snacks, and baking a birthday cake

This is the important part. What did you do, and why?

It's okay to admit that you felt stressed, or overwhelmed, or just out of your depth. That's just human!

However, you then want to show you took some Actions and dealt with it.

So, where did those Actions take you? What have you got to show?

Maybe you show them a picture of that gorgeous cake you baked!

Or tell them about the portrait you drew and discuss the reaction you got.

You could discuss how, just a couple of weeks after learning how to use a till, you were able to train someone else in using it.

It's possible that actually, you realised that the Task required more extensive training and you were, in fact, not the right person for the job.

In this case, show how you took responsibility to raise this in a polite way.

For example, you might've tried to bake that cake but failed miserably. You could say:

After watching a YouTube tutorial and following a step-by-step recipe, the result was still poor. Thankfully I had chosen to bake a trial cake a week before the party, so I was able to fix the situation in time. I called my friend's mum, and we agreed to pay a baker if I couldn't find a solution. I called several people until I found someone willing and able to bake the cake! The party was a success!

Get ready for your interview!