“How do you handle stress?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is an ironic question considering a job interview itself<\/em> is a good example of a stressful situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like most open-ended questions, however, it’s pretty easy to navigate if you’ve had to overcome stress before, which, let’s face it… we all have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we’ll talk about how to structure the perfect answer to this question and what mistakes to avoid along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While this question can be phrased in a few different ways, they’re all very similar and easy to recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are the common variations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behavioral questions like this one are often grouped together in an interview session, so if you hear any of the following, there’s a good chance the “stress question” isn’t far behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interviewers primarily ask this question to determine if you\u2019re able to work through the inevitable stressors of a workplace environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s no secret that stress is bad for business<\/a>, so understanding how you deal with life’s challenges will give them insight into how you will perform at work when faced with a difficult personal or professional challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This question is particularly helpful for interviewers because it forces you to provide anecdotal evidence of a time you overcame stress, and real-life examples like this are often the most telling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from that, they also want to see if you can maintain a positive attitude when things go south.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This will give them an idea of what it would be like to work with you. Are you someone who always complains and finds fault in everything, or do you focus more on finding solutions and highlighting your strengths<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, the example you give in your answer will tell the interviewer a lot about your mindset during the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A well-rounded answer to the “how do you handle stress” interview question will typically go through these 5 stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before anything else, you need to address the fact that not only is stress unavoidable, but it can actually help motivate you under the right circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s something we all have to deal with from time to time, so it would be unrealistic and frankly untrue to say you never feel stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This goes double for workplace environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it’s not difficult customers, it’s difficult coworkers. If it’s not getting enough hours, it’s having to pull overtime. If it’s not a high workload, it’s having nothing stimulating to do for hours on end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You get the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could say something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I think it’s important to acknowledge that dealing with stress is just part of any job description, and when it comes down to it, stress can actually be a healthy motivator when you learn to utilize it.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Here’s the hardest part, coming up with an example of a stressful situation you’ve experienced in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is essentially the problem<\/span> you will need to solve in the next part of your answer, so keep that in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I strongly recommend taking some time to brainstorm some examples before heading into your interview. A bad example will make the rest of your answer far more difficult than it needs to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some ground rules:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What does a stressful work scenario look like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some ideas to get you thinking:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, all you’re doing here is setting the stage by highlighting the problem (the source of the stress), and the potential consequences of that problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “When I was a working as a server, I recall a busy Friday evening where the ordering system suddenly stopped working. Nobody knew how to fix it, not even the manager on shift. It was a busy evening, we all had tables waiting, and you could feel the anxiety creeping in as things unraveled.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Next, you need to explain how you dealt with the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You already set the stage with a problem scenario, now you need to explain the steps you took to resolve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being able to “handle” stress is a little subjective, but many interviewers will expect a practical response that leads to a resolution. If you remove the thing that’s causing stress, you often eliminate the stress itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, a solution stems from having good critical thinking skills, as well as other soft skills like communication, teamwork, and time management \u2014 and this should be evident in your answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also talk through your thought process, why you made certain choices<\/span>, and touch on your emotional state if possible. This is all part of “handling stress”, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Assuming you chose wisely in the last step, all you really need to do is continue your story. This part should come naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the previous example, you might say something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I immediately went over to the manager to discuss a way forward, suggesting that we temporarily switch to pen and paper. She was hesitant at first but eventually gave the green light after explaining I had experience using a paper-based system in my previous role. We quickly huddled the font-of-house and kitchen staff together for a 60-second walkthrough of the system.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Coming to the end of your answer, your example needs<\/em> to end on a positive note; a result of the steps you took in dealing with the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This shows the interviewer that not only were you able to deal with things internally, on an emotional level, but you were also able to architect a desirable from a less-than-desirable circumstance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As before, assuming you chose a suitable example, this part should come naturally as you explain what ultimately happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best outcomes are those that benefit everyone involved, so try to include different perspectives where relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Soon nough, we had orders flowing through the kitchen like any other shift. Customers were able to get their orders in, and the staff were able to perform their duties with minimal inconvenience. In fact, it worked so well that I was tasked with creating an offical standard operating procedure (SOP) for the paper-based system in case of a future system failure.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The story you just told is a clear example of your ability to cope under pressure, now you need to summarize the approach you took.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By now, you’ve indirectly shown that you can handle stress, but you still haven’t directly answered the question of how<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t overthink this, you just need a sentence or two to wrap up your answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you take a step back and evaluate the situation before taking action, or did you take decisive and immediate action?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you seek help from your coworkers or superiors, or did you take the situation into your own hands?<\/p>\n\n\n\nVariations Of This Question<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Lead Up Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What The Interviewer Really Wants to Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Answer: \u201cHow Do You Handle Stress?\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Explain That Stress Is Unavoidable (And Often Helpful)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Give an Example of a Stressful Situation You Faced<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Explain How You Dealt With the Situation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Reach a Clear and Positive Resolution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Summarize Your Approach to Handling Stress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n