In an interview, how should you talk about major challenges and problems you faced and how you handled them?

Introduction / Context:
Questions about major challenges and problems help interviewers understand how you behave under pressure and uncertainty. They want to know whether you can analyse situations, take initiative and persevere. A strong answer focuses as much on your response as on the difficulty itself. This question looks at how to structure your explanation so that it demonstrates capability instead of only describing stress.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• You have experienced significant challenges in previous roles, such as tight deadlines, conflicting priorities or complex projects.
• The interviewer is asking for an example that shows how you handled such a challenge.
• You want to demonstrate problem solving, resilience and collaboration.
• The new role requires similar skills under pressure.

Concept / Approach:
The best way to talk about challenges is to use a simple story structure, similar to the STAR method. You describe the situation and the specific problem, then focus on what you did, which may include analysing options, coordinating with others or changing your plan. You then highlight the outcome, ideally supported by data, and finally connect the experience to skills that will help in the new job. This approach turns a difficult moment into evidence of strength and learning rather than a complaint.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Choose a challenge that is relevant to the role, such as managing multiple deadlines, solving a customer issue or leading a project through obstacles. Step 2: Briefly describe the context and what made the situation challenging, including constraints such as time, resources or expectations. Step 3: Explain the actions you took, such as prioritising tasks, communicating with stakeholders, seeking expert input or redesigning part of the plan. Step 4: Share the outcome, ideally showing how your actions led to a positive or improved result, even if not everything was perfect. Step 5: Reflect on what you learned and point out how the skills from that experience, such as communication, analysis or leadership, apply directly to the role you are discussing now.

Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine one candidate says, "My last project was a nightmare. The client changed requirements, my manager was not supportive and it was very stressful." They give few details about their own actions. Another candidate says, "In one project, the client changed requirements very late, which threatened the deadline. I worked with the team to reestimate the work, presented options to the client and manager and agreed on a phased delivery. We met the most critical milestones on time and completed the remaining features two weeks later. This taught me to manage scope and communication carefully." The second answer clearly shows ownership, initiative and learning, confirming the structured approach in the correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B focuses only on difficulty and unfairness, which may make you sound negative. Option C misses an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and can seem unrealistic. Option D emphasises blame rather than responsibility and problem solving. Option E provides technical detail but hides your personal contribution, making it hard for interviewers to assess your skills. None of these approaches communicate capability as effectively as a clear story about what you did and achieved.

Common Pitfalls:
People sometimes choose examples that are either too dramatic or very minor. Others spend most of the time explaining background and forget to highlight their own actions. Some candidates also fail to link the story back to the role, leaving the interviewer to guess why the example matters. In your answer, focus on clarity, your behaviour and results. This shows that you do not just survive difficulties, you actively manage them in a way that benefits the organisation.

Final Answer:
Describe a specific challenge, explain your approach and actions, highlight the result and focus on skills you used that are relevant to the new role.