Problem solving: the mark of an independent employee

Seek out opportunities to gain problem-solving examples · Sorting out a technical problem with your phone, device or computer. · Resolving a dispute with a tricky ... Careersadvice>Skillsforgettingajob>Problemsolving:themarkofanindependentemployeeProblemsolving:themarkofanindependentemployeeProblem-solvingabilitiesareessentialinvirtuallyanygraduateroleyoucanthinkof.Discoverhowtodevelopyourproblem-solvingskillsanddemonstratethemtoeagle-eyedrecruiters.Supportedby:DeutscheBankAccounting&Finance+20Interviewerswillbeinterestedtodiscoverhowyou'dapproachproblemsthatcouldariseintheworkplace. Problemsolvingisallaboutusinglogic,aswellasimagination,tomakesenseofasituationandcomeupwithanintelligentsolution.Infact,thebestproblemsolversactivelyanticipatepotentialfutureproblemsandacttopreventthemortomitigatetheireffects. Problem-solvingabilitiesareconnectedtoanumberofotherskills,including: analyticalskills innovativeandcreativethinking alateralmindset adaptabilityandflexibility level-headedness initiative resilience(inordertoreassesswhenyourfirstideadoesn’twork) teamworking(ifproblemsolvingisateameffort) influencingskills(togetcolleagues,clientsandbossestoadoptyoursolutions). Identifyingaproblemisoftenthekernelforanewbusinessorproductidea–and,assuch,problemsolvingisanessentialingredientofentrepreneurialism.Itisalsoakeycomponentofgoodleadership. Whyallgraduatesrequireproblem-solvingskillsintheworkplace Somegraduatecareersrevolvearoundfindingsolutions–forexample,engineering,managementconsulting,scientificresearchandtechnology.Graduatesinothercareers,meanwhile,willbeexpectedtosolveproblemsthatcropupinthecourseoftheirjobs:forexample,traineemanagersshoulddealwithoperationalproblems(suchasdelaysinthesupplychain)orresolveconflictbetweenteammembers. Infact,theabilitytosolveproblemsisanessentialpartofanyemployee’sskillset,evenifitisn’tspecifiedonthejobdescription. Howwillemployersassessyourproblem-solvingskills? Yourproblem-solvingabilitiescanbeassessedinthreeways:byaskingforexamplesoftimeswhenyoupreviouslysolvedaproblem;bypresentingyouwithcertainhypotheticalsituationsandaskinghowyouwouldrespondtothem;andbyseeinghowyouapplyyourproblem-solvingskillstodifferenttestsandexercises. Competency-basedapplicationandinterviewquestionsaboutproblemsolving Youmaybeaskedforanexampleofwhenyousolvedaproblemonanapplicationform–forinstance,anengineeringfirm’sapplicationformhaspreviouslyincludedthequestion‘Pleasetellusaboutatimewhenyouhaveusedyourtechnicalskillsandknowledgetosolveaproblem’.Butthesequestionsaremorelikelyatinterview.Typicalproblem-solvingcompetency-basedquestionsinclude: Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyouranintoaproblemonaproject.Whatdidyoudo? Givemeanexampleofadifficultproblemyouhadtosolveoutsideofyourcourse.Howdidyouapproachit? Tellmeaboutatimeyouworkedthroughaproblemasateam. Haveyoueverhadadisagreementwithateammember?Howwasitresolved? Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyouspottedapotentialproblemandtookstepstostopitbecomingone. Givemeanexampleofatimewhenyouhandledamajorcrisis. Givemeanexampleofyourlateralthinking. Hypotheticalinterviewquestionsaboutproblemsolving Interviewerswillalsobeinterestedtoknowhowyouwouldapproachproblemsthatcouldarisewhenyouareintheworkplace.Thepreciseinterviewquestionswillvaryaccordingtothejob,butcommononesinclude: Howwouldyoudealwithconflictintheworkplace?(ThisisespeciallylikelytobeaskedoftraineemanagersandgraduateHRprofessionals.) Whatwouldyoudoifthereisanunexpecteddelaytooneofyourprojectsbecauseofsupplychainissues?(Thisisparticularlylikelytobeaskedinconstruction,logisticsorretailinterviews). Whatwouldyoudoifaclientorcustomerraisedacomplaint? Whatwouldyoudoifyounoticedthatacolleaguewasstrugglingwiththeirwork? Howwouldyoureactifgivennegativefeedbackbyamanageronanaspectofyourperformance? Howwouldyoujudgewhetheryoushoulduseyourowninitiativeonataskoraskforhelp? Problem-solvingexercisesandtestsforgraduatejobs Differentteststhatemployerscouldsettogaugeyourproblem-solvingskillsinclude: Onlineaptitude,psychometricandabilitytests.Thesearenormallytakenaspartoftheapplicationstage,althoughtheymayberepeatedatanassessmentcentre.Theteststhataremostlikelytoassessyourproblem-solvingskillsaresituationaljudgementtestsandanythatassessyourreasoning,suchasinductivereasoningordiagrammaticreasoningtests. Video‘immersiveexperiences’,game-basedrecruitmentexercisesorvirtualrealityassessments.Notallofthesemethodsarewidelyusedyetbuttheyarebecomingmorecommon.Theyareusuallytherecruitmentstagebeforeaface-to-faceintervieworassessmentcentre. Casestudyexercises.Thesearecommonassessmentcentretasks.You’dbesetabusinessproblem,typicallyrelatedtothesectorinwhichyou’dbeworking,andaskedtomakerecommendationsforsolvingit,eitherindividuallyoringroups.You’llalsousuallybeaskedtooutlineyourrecommendationsineitherapresentationorinwrittenform,ataskthatassessesyourabilitytoexplainyourproblem-solvingapproach. In-tray(ore-tray)exercises.Thesealwaysusedtobesetatanassessmentcentrebutnowadayscanalsobepartoftheonlinetestingstage.In-trayexercisesprimarilytestyourtimemanagementskills,butalsoassessyourabilitytoidentifyapotentialproblemandtakeactionstosolveit. Job-specificortask-specificexercises,givenatanassessmentcentreorataninterview.Ifset,thesewillberelatedtotheroleyouareapplyingforandwilleitherrequireyoutodeviseasolutiontoaproblemortospoterrors.Civilandstructuralengineeringcandidates,forexample,willoftenberequiredtosketchadesigninanswertoaclient’sbriefandanswerquestionsonit,whilecandidatesforeditorialrolesmaybeaskedtoproofreadcopyorspoterrorsinpageproofs(fullydesignedpagesabouttobepublished). Howtodevelopanddemonstrateyourproblem-solvingskills Herearesometipsonhowtodeveloptheproblem-solvingtechniquesemployerslookfor. Seekoutopportunitiestogainproblem-solvingexamples Dealingwithanyofthefollowingsituationswillhelpyougainproblem-solvingskills,perhapswithoutevenrealisingit: Sortingoutatechnicalproblemwithyourphone,deviceorcomputer. Resolvingadisputewithatrickylandlordinordertogetyourdepositback. CarryingoutDIY. Servingademandingcustomerorresolvingacomplaint. Findingawayroundafundingshortfallinordertopayfortraveloragapyear. Turningaroundthefinancesorincreasingthemembershipofastrugglingstudentsociety. Organisingastudentsociety’stripoverseas,overcomingunforeseendifficultiesontheway. Actingasacoursereporasamentorforotherstudents. Thereshouldalsobeopportunitiesforyoutodevelopproblem-solvingskillsthroughyourstudies.Manyassignmentsinsubjectssuchasengineeringandcomputerscienceareexplicitlybasedaroundsolvingaprobleminawaythat,forexample,essaytopicsinEnglishliteraturearen’t.But,then,Englishliteraturestudentsmayalsoencounteracademicproblems,suchasdifficultiesintrackingdownthebestsourcematerial. Someprofessionalbodies(forexample,thoseinconstruction)runcompetitionsforstudents,whichoftenaskstudentstosuggestsolutionsforproblemsfacingtheindustry;enteringthesecanprovidegoodevidenceofyourproblem-solvingskills. GamessuchasSudokuandchesscanalsostrengthenyourabilitytothinkstrategicallyandcreatively. Practiserecruitmentexercisesbeforehand Anycandidate,nomatterhowhigh-flying,maybethrownbyundertakinganonlinetestorattendinganassessmentcentreforthefirsttime,sodoeverythingyoucantopractisebeforehand.Accessourlinkstofreeandpaid-forpracticetests.Contactyourcareersserviceandbookinforamock-interviewormock-assessmentcentre. Keepinmindthisproblem-solvingtechnique Ifyou’reprovidedwithascenariooracasestudyduringthegraduaterecruitmentprocess,youcouldtryusingtheIDEALmodel,describedbyBransfordandSteinintheirbookIdealProblemSolver.Itbreaksdownwhatyouneedtodotosolveaproblemintostages: Identifytheissue Definetheobstacles Examineyouroptions Actonanagreedcourseofaction Lookathowitturnsout,andwhetheranychangesneedtobemade. Givedetailinyouranswers Youwillneedtoexplainhowyouidentifiedtheproblem,cameupwithasolutionandimplementedit.Quantifiableresultsaregood,andobviouslythemorecomplexthesituation,themoreimpressiveasuccessfulresultis.FollowtheSTARtechniqueoutlinedinourarticleoncompetency-basedinterviewquestions. Ifyoutackledaproblemaspartofateam,explainhowyourrolewasimportantinensuringthepositivesolution,butalsoexplainhowyourgroupworkedtogether.Thiscouldbeanopportunitytopromoteyourteamworkingskillsaswell. 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