How To Answer ‘What Obstacles Have You Overcome?’

How To Answer What Obstacles Have You Overcome

Preparing for interviews can be a simple or a complex process depending on how familiar you are with it. And you must also prepare to answer difficult questions, such as “What obstacles have you overcome?”

Such questions are usually asked to test how well you recognize and overcome the challenges you face in life and at work. So it becomes necessary to ace these answers so that you can make an impact in your interview.

Why Do Employers Ask The Question “What Obstacles Have You Overcame?”

If you have given an interview before, you must know for a fact that employers tend to ask such questions to all employees regardless of the work. It would make you wonder what the relevance or value of these questions is to make them recurring.

Aside from just the self-awareness that this question tests, there are many more levels to it than you might notice. The question is an ideal in-depth question that can tell a lot about the candidate as a person.

So here are some aspects or qualities of yours that the employers aim to assess through this question:

  • The question tests your self-awareness and how well you know about your life. It includes both your personal and professional life and includes the up and downs you face in both.
  • The question also sees how you use your skills to deal with challenging times or issues. It can help the employer see what you do when you face an adverse issue and how you overcome it.
  • The question further sees how well you can manage yourself even when you’re faced with a problem. Your time management and communication skills when you’re facing a challenge can tell the employer how you would handle further challenges at the job.

What Challenges Can You Use In Your Answer?

When you get asked about which obstacles you have overcome, then you must be confused as to which one you should explain. Everyone has numerous challenges in their lives, both at work and in their personal life. 

All these challenges have no exact point of comparison since they were all obstacles you overcame. But you have to choose a challenge from these only and then explain it to your employer.

So you can choose one of the most challenging times in your work or personal life to talk about. As long as your struggle and all bring an encouraging result and showcase your capabilities, every example will do.

How To Form Your Answer?

Creating an answer for the question “Which obstacles have you overcome?” is not an easy task. You must be aware of some of the key components and aspects that you must include in your answer to make it complete.

Additionally, you might require a few tips on how to keep the tone of your answer to make sure that your message gets across. So, to form the perfect answer that would impress your employer, you can read about the components and ways to form it.

With enough preparation beforehand, you can frame an answer when you are at the interview and impress your employer. Here are some steps to form the answer for your interview question, “What obstacles have you overcome?”

Begin With The Challenge You Faced

When you have to answer the question, “What obstacles have you overcome?” then the first thing to mention would be the challenge. You must always begin your answer with the obstacle or challenge you faced in life.

By doing so, the employer will understand what you had to deal with in your work or personal life. And this story will help you create a base through which you can further communicate how you overcame it.

And try to keep the challenge sort as brief as you possibly can so that you can elaborate more on the process and result. But do share why the situation was challenging to you when it was.

Explain The Process Of Facing And Overcoming

The most essential part of answering this question is to mention how you used your brain to work your way out. Problems are common issues in every person’s life, but how we deal with them makes all the difference.

While some people panic and make mistakes in adversity, some utilize their time and effort to get out of it. And if you are the latter and have done so with a previous challenge, then you would be an asset.

So you must take some time to explain how you worked your way out of the problem when you faced it. Again, do not make it too long and imposing, but it would be longer than the challenge or the result.

Bind It With The End Of The Challenge

Once you have explained your challenge and how you dealt with it, you can also share the result it brought. Since all actions have consequences, so would your actions in times of adversity.

The end of a challenge or obstacle might not be a positive for all of us, and you must remain honest about it. Even though you might not have achieved exactly what you wanted, your effort and persistence are what matter in the end.

While mentioning what the challenge and the struggle resulted in, speak truthfully about the result. Don’t be afraid that the employer would think badly of you if you did not achieve all you wanted.

Check The Tone Of The Answer

After you have added all of the components in your answer, you can begin to check how it sounds. The best way to practice or check the tone of interview answers is in front of a mirror as practice.

You can use a mirror and answer the question to assess how the tone and overall message of the answer is. Then, you can see if you need to alter any lines or if you sound confident but not cocky.

You could also practice with a friend to see how your message is getting interpreted by the listener. With practice, you can spot the tone issue in your answer and fix them before you speak it before the employer.

Shorten The Answer If Necessary

The length of the answer is usually quite short or medium for questions like “What obstacles have you overcome?” Speaking too much as an answer would also not be ideal for you as it would become time-consuming.

But if you keep the answer too concise, you might not be able to fit in their whole story. So the key to answering this question perfectly is to create a balance of the answer length and find the perfect one.

By keeping your answer concise and crisp, you would be able to get your message to the employer. You would probably be able to leave an impact if you have also prepared for the questions.

Sample Answers For The Question

We have already covered all the components and aspects required to build your answer to this question. Additionally, we have also seen the steps to framing your answer for the question, so we will cover examples.

The best way to learn something or understand it is through examples, and the same goes for interview questions. If you look at the examples of answers that you could give, you will get a better idea of how to answer.

Of course, your journey and obstacle might be very different from all examples, but you will get an idea of the structure and tone that you need to use. So here are some sample answers for reference that you can look at to get tips for your answer:

Sample Answer I

One of the biggest challenges I faced in my work was when I had to manage and finish a project all by myself. I received the task as an individual work, which was scary as I had always worked with a team before.

Even though I was so used to having the roles divided, I resolved to work efficiently. I created a plan for myself to cover all the tasks I must finish and assigned time to them. It was certainly difficult since I didn’t have a second opinion, but I ended up finishing the project successfully.

Sample Answer II

The biggest obstacle in my life was when I got temporarily bedridden due to a broken leg. Though the condition wouldn’t last more than a month, I had to leave my job and yet support myself when I was sick.

I did not give up and managed my finances while still looking for job opportunities from home. I ended up doing temporary work for a firm and started supporting myself and my family financially again.

Sample Answer III

I was previously a salesperson with developed communication skills and was good at my work. But due to getting laid off, I had to join a work where I had no customer contact and a desk job. 

I was not only unfamiliar with the work but also highly lacking as compared to my peers. But despite the challenges, I kept learning tips and ways from my colleagues and started working with computer apps with ease.

Sample Answer IV

I always dreamt of attending law school when I was young, but I underestimated the intelligence and effort it takes. I was a slow learner at school no matter how much effort I put in.

Despite my low grades at school, I consistently dedicated time and effort. It took me a few tries but I finally got into the law school I wished. I believe that my persistence and passion for work have got me this far and achieved my dream.

Sample Answer V

I have faced a challenging situation at work when the work of our entire team got wiped overnight. We had almost finished a lengthy project only to return to work and see that the hard drive crashed.

The time was so stressful for all of us and we worked at the office for days. After much hard work and sleepless nights, we were able to recreate the entire project again, that too on time for the deadline.

Things You Must Avoid While Answering

The article has widely covered everything you need to know to draft the best answer for the question “What obstacles have you overcome?” Now that you are aware of all the steps you must take to answer, let’s look at some you must avoid.

While answering this question, many candidates make some minor mistakes that can lead them to mess up the entire answer. And you might not be familiar with these things, so you must get to know them to avoid them.

We have compiled a list of tone issues, terms, and more aspects that you must avoid using in your answer. If only you keep in mind not to use these terms and ways, then you can draft an ideal answer.

Keep a balance between your confidence and do not sound cocky

Answering questions like these is a tricky task for anyone since the tone is critical. Whenever you answer a question like “What obstacles have you overcome?” you must be very careful about your tone. You have to sound confident while answering the question so that you can display your skills at the time. But at the same time, you have to ensure that you do not sound overconfident.

Do not add or subtract from the story and stay as honest as possible

You might want to alter your story here and there to sugar-coat it. But as much as you might think so, it is not a good idea to do so. You have to keep your answer as honest as you can and only mention the facts. Even if the story might not be as dramatic or striking, you can just mention your raw struggles. This honesty would probably impress your employer far more than an interesting story.

Do not explain the entire story leisurely in the answer

The struggle that you will mention in your answer might have been a long and straining process, but you cannot mention all details. Stating every little fact would only take up more time than is appropriate and would not be ideal. The employer would get impressed by a concise yet striking answer to the question. Practice your answer in front of the mirror and then you can shorten it if you feel like it is too lengthy.

Try not to mention the negative aspects of blaming the situation

The problem you have faced is certainly a bad experience but try not to be negative about it. Only state the facts about the problem and do not transfer the blame to someone or something. Speak in a way that you acknowledge that the issue was present and yet sealed with it maturely. That way, your employer would get even more impressed by the way you deal with adversities with a positive mindset.

Always mention a challenging situation no matter how small it may be, but don’t say that you haven’t faced any obstacles

You might want to display that you have a positive outlook towards challenges, but don’t say that you have never even faced a challenge. Your intention might differ but the employer would probably think that you are not aware of the situations in your life. So it is best if you mention that you have faced certain challenges but also that you have the strength and patience to overcome them.

Conclusion

By referring to sample answers or researching common interview questions, you can prepare well for your interview. Answering crucial questions like “What obstacles have you faced and overcame?” requires much help 

It is why you can help refer to sample answers to this question alongside all the components that make the answer complete. If you follow the tips and tricks we have given, you can also ace your interview in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions
  1. What does this question aim to assess in the candidates?

The question “What obstacles have you overcome in life or at work” aims to assess the candidates’ awareness and experiences. Everyone faces adverse situations in life, but how they deal with those situations defines how they would be as employees.

  1. How can you construct your answer for this question in the interview?

To construct your answer to this question, you must piece together a few components. Components like the cause or the challenge itself, the process of dealing with it, and finally the result must be present in your answer.

  1. Are there points that you must not mention in the answer to this question?

Yes, there are some things that you should avoid while answering this question since they will not be appropriate. Things like exaggeration, overconfidence, lengthy answers, and more should be avoided while answering the question.

How To Answer ‘What Obstacles Have You Overcome?’

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