What is the hiring manager looking for?

Hiring managers ask this question to assess your technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and ability to work under pressure. They want to see that you can quickly identify and resolve technical issues and that you can communicate your findings and solutions clearly and concisely.

How to structure your answer

To answer this question effectively, follow this structure:
– Start by clearly stating the technical issue you encountered. Provide enough detail so that the interviewer understands the nature of the problem.
– Describe the steps you took to troubleshoot and resolve the issue. Be specific and use technical jargon if appropriate.
– Explain the outcome of your efforts. Did you successfully resolve the issue? If so, how did you verify that the issue was fixed?
– Conclude by highlighting the skills and qualities you demonstrated in resolving the issue. For example, you might mention your problem-solving skills, technical expertise, or ability to work under pressure.

Tips to answer this interview question

Tips:
– Be honest and authentic. Don’t try to exaggerate your skills or experience.
– Be specific and provide details. Don’t just say you “fixed a technical issue.” Explain what the issue was and how you fixed it.
– Use technical jargon if appropriate. This shows the interviewer that you’re comfortable with the technical aspects of the job.
– Highlight your skills and qualities. Don’t just focus on the technical details. Explain how your skills and qualities helped you to resolve the issue.

Things to avoid:
– Don’t ramble on. Keep your answer concise and to the point.
– Don’t get bogged down in the details. Focus on the most important aspects of the issue and how you resolved it.
– Don’t be vague. Be specific and provide details about the issue and your solution.
– Don’t be negative. Focus on the positive aspects of your experience and how you overcame the challenge.

Example interview answers to this question

Strong Sample Answer:

“In my previous role as an IT technician, I encountered a technical issue that required me to act quickly and efficiently. One day, a user reported that they were unable to access their files on the company server. I immediately logged into the server and checked the event logs, where I discovered that there had been a power outage that had caused the server to crash.

I quickly rebooted the server and restored the files from the backup. Once the server was back up and running, I contacted the user to verify that they were able to access their files. They were grateful for my quick response and resolution of the issue.

This experience demonstrates my ability to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues quickly and efficiently. I was able to identify the cause of the problem, take the necessary steps to resolve it, and verify that the issue was fixed. I also demonstrated my communication skills by keeping the user informed throughout the process.”

What makes this answer strong:
– The candidate clearly states the technical issue and provides enough detail to help the interviewer understand the problem.
– The candidate describes the steps they took to troubleshoot and resolve the issue in a concise and organized manner.
– The candidate explains the outcome of their efforts and highlights how they verified that the issue was fixed.
– The candidate concludes by highlighting the skills and qualities they demonstrated in resolving the issue.

Another Strong Sample Answer:

“As a software engineer, I was once tasked with resolving a critical bug that was preventing users from accessing a key feature of our application. The bug was complex and required a thorough investigation.

I started by reproducing the bug in a test environment. Once I was able to consistently recreate the issue, I used a debugger to step through the code and identify the root cause of the problem. I then developed and tested a fix for the bug, which I deployed to the production environment.

After deploying the fix, I monitored the application to ensure that the bug was resolved and that there were no unintended consequences. I also communicated with users to inform them that the bug had been fixed and to apologize for the inconvenience.

This experience demonstrates my ability to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues quickly and efficiently, even under pressure. I was able to identify the root cause of the problem, develop and test a fix, and deploy the fix to the production environment without causing any further issues.”

What makes this answer strong:
– The candidate clearly states the technical issue and provides enough detail to help the interviewer understand the problem.
– The candidate describes the steps they took to troubleshoot and resolve the issue in a concise and organized manner.
– The candidate explains the outcome of their efforts and highlights how they verified that the issue was fixed.
– The candidate concludes by highlighting the skills and qualities they demonstrated in resolving the issue.