Job App: Name a time you solved a difficult problem?

davestar_delux · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:22

Hey I'm applying for a job, got this question here, name a time you solved a difficult problem?

I can't think of any difficult problems I have had. Help!

I do a computing degree, work in an office doing admin and tax work and been on placements doing networking and IT support stuff. This job is for IT support stuff. Anyone got any ideas for me?

I mean I could put down someone on my group project was a slacker so I worked extra hard and told the lecturer they were a waster. Or PC crashed day before coursework had to be handed in, ended up transferring the hard drive to another PC as a slave to access it. Someone reported their PC not booting up, I diagnosed it and ascertained it wasn't a hard drive problem and had to phone Dell to get it repaired.

But I don't think any of those answers cut it, I surely must have done something more problematic? What does everyone else give for these questions?

Glaucus · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:24

make one up. Which you could have come across in a previous job. Just base it on lose facts.

Ben M · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:28

Once a guy spilled my pint in a pub, now I had myself a difficult decision, I could:
Let him apologise and buy me another, and look a sissie infront my my mates and my woman.
or
Smack the living **** out of him to teach him a lesson.

The court decided that I made the wrong decision, i served 5 years for GBH, I knew that using the bar stool was a bad idea.

kip02 · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:30

Just use one of those examples and egsadurate (sp?) it abit, but don't got too far

Don't mention co-workers/boss etc in a bad manor, that wont look good

A difficult situation doesn't have to be about a physical problem, have you ever had someone approach you for help with a situation and ask for your advise

Ben M · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:34

kip02 said:
Just use one of those examples and egsadurate (sp?) it abit, but don't got too far

Don't mention co-workers/boss etc in a bad manor, that wont look good

exaggerate

divine` · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:36

There was this one time I was really struggling to answer a fairly simple question. Rather than persevere and put effort in myself, I posted on an internet message board to asked them to do it for me.

mcc49 · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:39

there's this one time at band camp....

Matthew-1985 · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:42

Just write this:

"Finding an answer to this question. I solved this problem by asking OcUK"

afraser2k · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:44

davestar_delux said:
Hey I'm applying for a job, got this question here, name a time you solved a difficult problem?

I can't think of any difficult problems I have had. Help!

I do a computing degree, work in an office doing admin and tax work and been on placements doing networking and IT support stuff. This job is for IT support stuff. Anyone got any ideas for me?

I mean I could put down someone on my group project was a slacker so I worked extra hard and told the lecturer they were a waster. Or PC crashed day before coursework had to be handed in, ended up transferring the hard drive to another PC as a slave to access it. Someone reported their PC not booting up, I diagnosed it and ascertained it wasn't a hard drive problem and had to phone Dell to get it repaired.

But I don't think any of those answers cut it, I surely must have done something more problematic? What does everyone else give for these questions?

PC crashing should be good enough. Employers should be impressed enough that you can do the job if you've recovered files from a hardware issue as it'll be an annoying issue they'll deal with and know that most end-users only care about being able to do their job so they're not in the **** with important work missing.

Hardware diagnostics should be enough as well again as it shows your ability to do the job as that's what they're looking for. Day to day stuff in IT support is things like dealing with "user error" (password typed in wrong etc) and dealing with printer jams. More interesting is when you need to deal with DHCP/DNS issues or Active Directory problems but might be beyond your current experience. They'll be looking for something that will tell them you can learn from previous problems and can put it to use elsewhere.

DB_SamX · 19 Jan 2008 at 20:55

Ben M said:
exaggerate, manner, advice

Muffin` · 19 Jan 2008 at 21:01

divine` said:
There was this one time I was really struggling to answer a fairly simple question. Rather than persevere and put effort in myself, I posted on an internet message board to asked them to do it for me.

davestar_delux · 19 Jan 2008 at 22:03

Thanks for all the helpful advice from people. Eventually went with one of my original ideas and just fleshed it out a bit.

neocon · 19 Jan 2008 at 22:04

Ben M said:
Once a guy spilled my pint in a pub, now I had myself a difficult decision, I could:
Let him apologise and buy me another, and look a sissie infront my my mates and my woman.
or
Smack the living **** out of him to teach him a lesson.

The court decided that I made the wrong decision, i served 5 years for GBH, I knew that using the bar stool was a bad idea.

stick this jimmy!

divine` · 19 Jan 2008 at 22:04

I hope you mentioned your lack of ability to think for yourself.

davestar_delux · 19 Jan 2008 at 22:10

divine` said:
I hope you mentioned your lack of ability to think for yourself.

I can think for myself. If you have nothing constructive for me, I'd appreciate if you didn't contribute to the thread anymore. I'm looking for advice. Thanks.

divine` · 19 Jan 2008 at 22:12

davestar_delux said:
I can think for myself.

The contents of this thread would contradict that sentiment though.

davestar_delux · 19 Jan 2008 at 22:24

divine` said:
The contents of this thread would contradict that sentiment though.

So asking for the advice and experience of others means I can't think for myself?

divine` · 19 Jan 2008 at 22:29

When it's asking about a problem you've faced and solved, i'd say needing to ask other people what to answer demonstrates a certain lack of ability to think for ones self, yes.

Do you think requiring help to answer fairly basic questions is not indicative of this then?

davestar_delux · 19 Jan 2008 at 22:39

divine` said:
When it's asking about a problem you've faced and solved, i'd say needing to ask other people what to answer demonstrates a certain lack of ability to think for ones self, yes.

Do you think requiring help to answer fairly basic questions is not indicative of this then?

I gave examples of some things I had already come up with that I had faced and solved so how was I asking for other people to answer? I was asking for advice on my answers and the benefit of other peoples experience. Also, when you do many tasks with computers, it's easy to forget some of the problems you found difficult in the past so I don't think it demonstrates a lack of thinking if I did ask someone else about their problems.

And being a fairly basic question is your opinion, it's a very important question for me at this point in my life where I don't have a lot of experience of the job I'm attempting to get or of application questions like this.

Dave M · 20 Jan 2008 at 00:33

Rescuing the coursework from your failed computer is the best example you have listed - it shows you recovered from your failure to backup by using your knowledge and ingenuity in a stressful situation.

Failures happen - it's how you recover that is important.

I'm not sure it's a good idea to completely make up a problem you solved - it's a lazy question if you get to interview - ask you to explain how you solved the problem / expand on the issues.