This problem-solving question is similar to asking about a “complex problem,” but it invites you to talk about the difficulties and obstacles you faced. Your answer should demonstrate resilience and critical thinking.

Question: “Tell me about a challenging problem you faced.”

STAR Method Breakdown:

• (S)ituation: “In my role as a supply chain coordinator, a key overseas supplier for a critical component suddenly shut down for two weeks due to a local lockdown, creating a major bottleneck in our production line.”
• (T)ask: “My challenge was to find an immediate alternative to prevent a costly production halt without significantly increasing our costs or sacrificing quality.”
• (A)ction: “I immediately contacted our procurement team to see if we had any vetted backup suppliers. We had one, but they were more expensive. Simultaneously, I analyzed our current inventory and production schedule to calculate exactly how many days we could continue without the component. This gave me a hard deadline. I then negotiated with the backup supplier, leveraging a potential long-term contract to get a 10% discount on an emergency rush order. This mitigated a large part of the cost increase.”
• (R)esult: “The emergency shipment arrived just as our safety stock was running out, resulting in zero production downtime. Although the component cost was slightly higher, we avoided a shutdown that would have cost the company ten times as much. This experience also led us to establish a more robust multi-supplier system to prevent future bottlenecks.”

For more examples, visit STAR Method Example: Problem-Solving .

This example supports the article Behavioral Questions on Problem-Solving .