The question, "can you give me an example of a situation where you overcame adversity"?

[njones95]

I was recently asked this question in an interview.

What I really wanted to talk about was how I overcame chronic mental illnesses after a decade-long battle, or how I entirely self-funded the GDL by self-funding with a minimum wage job and working extremely long hours.

Instead, I panicked as I worried that the recruiters would find the first example too personal (and then I blanked for the second, perhaps better example). I answered with how I resolved a relatively mundane, work-related problem.

How far can I go in answering this question (and others like it) how personal can I make it?

 

[George Maxwell]

I was recently asked this question in an interview.

What I really wanted to talk about was how I overcame chronic mental illnesses after a decade-long battle, or how I entirely self-funded the GDL by self-funding with a minimum wage job and working extremely long hours.

Instead, I panicked as I worried that the recruiters would find the first example too personal (and then I blanked for the second, perhaps better example). I answered with how I resolved a relatively mundane, work-related problem.

How far can I go in answering this question (and others like it) how personal can I make it?

Hi @njones95,

Thank you for raising this question. I think it is a hard balance to strike between being honest and personal in a professional setting.

My opinion on this is that it is up to you how personal you would like to go, so long as you feel willing to discuss your situation under pressure. Read the room and situation, and adjust accordingly too. Not all interviewers will think that it is appropriate to mention very personal stories during a formal interview.

I do not think that there are any absolute right answers on this topic though. That being said, being your authentic self is important. My advice would be not to be afraid to show who you really are in an interview and if this means discussing personal anecdotes, you should absolutely do that. It is a strength to be able to show vulnerability in a professional context.

For what it is worth, the example you have given sounds extremely impressive. You demonstrate resilience, grit, drive and ambition (amongst other things). As a result I believe that this would have been an appropriate response in this situation.

I hope that helps 🙌

Please feel free to ask away if you would like anything clarified 🔥

 

[njones95]

Thank you. I will definitely keep this example in mind if I am asked this question again.

 

[AvniD]

I was recently asked this question in an interview.

What I really wanted to talk about was how I overcame chronic mental illnesses after a decade-long battle, or how I entirely self-funded the GDL by self-funding with a minimum wage job and working extremely long hours.

Instead, I panicked as I worried that the recruiters would find the first example too personal (and then I blanked for the second, perhaps better example). I answered with how I resolved a relatively mundane, work-related problem.

How far can I go in answering this question (and others like it) how personal can I make it?

I think the balance you need to achieve while talking about a personal story is to refrain from making it a sob story but also from putting it forward as an example of toxic positivity. Treating it as any other challenge you faced helps tone down the discomfort you may feel in opening up to your interviewers.

Talk about the key obstacles you faced, the different ways you could have dealt with them and the choices you made that helped you overcome your personal challenges. Go into how this impacted your life and how you intend to take the learnings from it going forward.

At the end of the day, if the firm cannot appreciate you discussing a personal challenge candidly in a structured manner or see the immense growth you have shown in overcoming it, then it's simply not the right firm for you and you deserve better.

I hope this helps!