Interview questions › Self-driven initiative
Tell me about a time you noticed something was wrong before anyone else did, and acted on it.
Self-driven initiative · commonly asked in most interviews
No account, no credit card for the first three questions.
How to answer it well
Say exactly what you saw (a number, a complaint, a change in pattern), who you told first, and what happened because you spoke.
Two mistakes that cost you points
- Leaving it at 'I noticed it' with no action.
- Claiming you predicted something that was in fact already being discussed.
What to do with this question today
- Answer it out loud once, without stopping. Do not write it down first.
- Read back exactly what you said. Mark the filler words, and the length of your longest pause.
- Answer it again and change one thing — usually the opening line, or the number at the end.
This question is not in the free run yet — practise the same skill with a free run, or paste a job description and we build the set around that role.
More questions
- Tell me about something nobody asked you to do that you started and finished. · Self-driven initiative
- Tell me about something you built or set up from nothing. · Self-driven initiative
- Tell me about a time you asked for more responsibility. How did you make the case? · Self-driven initiative
- Tell me about a process you changed for the better. What was it before and after? · Self-driven initiative
- In one minute, introduce yourself and explain why this role should consider you. · Communication
- Walk me through your resume. Tell me about the choices you made along the way. · Communication
Also searched as: tell me about a time you noticed a problem; proactive at work interview answer
Dimension: Self-driven initiative — the same skill is probed again with different wording, so practise the pattern, not just this sentence.