Job interviews often include a question about how you have overcome a difficult work situation. This can feel tricky for neurodivergent people, who may have hit some very particular obstacles at work. Handled well, though, it’s a good chance to show how you solve problems and keep going. Below, we cover why employers ask it, how to prepare, and how to pick and describe a good example, even if you have faced other challenges related to your neurodivergence.
Why employers ask this question
Employers ask about overcoming difficult work situations to understand your problem-solving abilities, resilience and adaptability. They want to know how you handle challenges, deal with disagreements and find solutions. In short, they want evidence that you can work through a problem and still be good to work with. It’s closely related to other common questions, such as how do you handle conflict? and how do you work under pressure?, so preparing one strong example can help you with several questions.
Steps to prepare for the interview question
Step 1: Reflect on challenging work situations
- Take some time to think about past experiences that were particularly challenging. If you don’t have previous work experience, you could use an example from school, university or volunteering.
- Consider disagreements with colleagues, tight deadlines, changes to projects or plans, or any other obstacles you had to overcome.
Step 2: Define the problem and your approach
- Clearly describe the specific problem or obstacle you faced. Explain the context and the impact it had on your work or team.
- Share how you approached the situation. What steps did you take to address the problem or find a solution? Think about the strategies you used, the skills or strengths you applied, and any resources you drew on.
A simple way to structure this is the STAR method (situation, task, action, result), which the National Careers Service also recommends. Our guide to the STAR interview method for neurodivergent jobseekers walks you through it step by step.
Step 3: Emphasise problem-solving and resilience
- Highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to find solutions even in challenging circumstances. Talk about the actions you took to overcome the difficulty.
- Explain how you showed resilience by staying focused, motivated and determined to find a resolution.
- If relevant, share any creative approaches you used to tackle the problem and reach a positive outcome.
Step 4: Connect the situation to personal growth
- Explain how the challenging situation contributed to your personal and professional growth. What did you learn from it?
- Talk about the skills or knowledge you gained by overcoming the challenge. How have you applied these lessons since?
- Highlight any positive outcomes or achievements that came from how you handled the situation.
Example answer
“One challenging work situation I encountered was when I was assigned to a team project with tight deadlines and high expectations. As an autistic person, I sometimes find social interaction and some forms of communication harder, which made collaborating with a large, varied team a bit challenging. However, I recognised the importance of effective teamwork and looked for ways to make it work.
To overcome this, I proactively communicated my needs to my team members and manager. I asked for clear guidelines and expectations, so I had a clear understanding of my role and responsibilities. I also used digital communication tools to make the most of my written communication, which allowed me to contribute effectively to team discussions and share my ideas.
By focusing on my strengths, such as attention to detail and problem-solving, I made valuable contributions to the project. As a result, our team met the deadlines and achieved the project goals. This experience taught me the importance of open communication, asking for support when needed, and using technology to overcome challenges at work.”
Notice that this example mentions being autistic. Whether you share your neurodivergence at interview is entirely your choice, and our guide to disclosing your neurodiversity can help you decide. You are also entitled to ask for adjustments to the interview itself, and our reasonable adjustment request template for interviews makes that easy. In the UK, the government’s Access to Work scheme can also fund communication support for job interviews.
Keep preparing
Next, read our article on how to answer ‘What are your future career goals?’, and if nerves are getting in the way, try our tips to reduce interview anxiety.
How Enna can help
When you’re ready to put this into practice, browse the Enna jobs board for roles with employers who welcome neurodivergent candidates, and sign up for job alerts to be first to hear about new vacancies. And if it’s getting to interview that’s the hard part, we can give you help with your CV.
Employers can reach candidates who think differently by posting a role on the Enna jobs board.
