How to Answer Interview Questions About Job Challenges

Career Coaching Management
#1

In an interview, your potential employer’s goal is to assess whether the position is a good fit for you. To determine fit, interviewers will often try to figure out which aspects of the job will be the toughest for you to master.
Interviewers will approach this problem in one of two ways. They might ask you to reflect on what you think are the most challenging aspects of the job. Or they might ask the opposite question: “Which part of this job would you find to be the least challenging?”
Before you arrive for your interview, you should think about how you will answer the “most” and “least” questions that you may hear.
As with the common interview question, “What is your greatest weakness?” the interviewer may ask an applicant what they see as the most challenging part of the job. It is important that you be honest but not rule yourself out as a candidate.
Focus on the Job Description
The best way to approach this question is to analyze the job at hand and think about which tasks will be most difficult for you based on your past experiences.
Start by breaking down the job into its various components and thinking about what you need in terms of skills and knowledge to accomplish each task. You should also think about elements of the job that will require learning or adjustments on your part.
Make sure to match your qualifications to the position’s requirements.
Highlight Solvable Challenges
It is usually best to choose aspects of the job that aren’t absolutely critical to your specific role. For example, if you’re a journalist applying for a position as a web editor, you might mention you’re working on improving your photojournalism or video skills. Don’t say that proofreading or writing copy will be your biggest challenge because as a web editor these are core responsibilities of the position.
Selecting a knowledge or skill area that you lack is generally more advisable than choosing a personality trait that would be hard to change.
For example, if you’re applying for a sales position, you would not want to mention that reaching out to new people makes you nervous. Instead, you might mention that you have modest skills in PowerPoint but would be glad to take workshops or complete online tutorials to upgrade your skills.