Employers tend to ask job candidates challenging questions during interviews. While some of these questions will target your skills and experience, others will aim to uncover who you are as an individual.

Being asked to give an example where you showed initiative aims to do just that, so you should be prepared to answer this commonly asked question in every interview.

Why do recruiters ask this question? Companies want to employ fast thinkers who aren’t afraid to show initiative and deal with situations that may arise in the workplace.

Need some help? Here is how you can prepare to answer this question and pass your interview.

1. Choose an appropriate example

To start with, pick an event from your past experiences where you played a significant role in making a goal achievable. Depending on your work experience, you could give examples from when you were a student, an intern or within a previous role.

2. Use the STAR method

Ensure that the example you provide follows the STAR framework. This will enable you to showcase your skills and abilities through your answer.

Begin by describing the Situation, which is the context of the example. Then, explain your initial role (Task), as well as your goal before listing the problem you faced. Afterwards, discuss the Action you took to overcome the problem and the Result you achieved.

3. Tell a story

Everybody, including the employer, loves to listen to stories, especially when the premise is exciting and the flow is clear. Therefore, when answering this kind of question, you should use a storytelling approach, like the STAR method mentioned above, to ensure that your narrative is well-structured and planned but also memorable.

4. Talk about your motivations

You must mention why you took the initiative in the example your presented. What pushed you to act? What was on the line? How eager were you to bring positive results?

The recruiter doesn’t just want to know what initiative you took but also understand what drives you forward and pushes you into action.

5. Don’t exaggerate

Usually, when people are asked to give an example of something that happened in their past, they tend to look for some over-the-top answer to impress their interviewer. However, most of the time, they can easily tell apart the truth from an over embellished story.

So, if you’re asked to give an example of when you showed initiative, don’t be tempted to exaggerate things and blow them out of proportion. It doesn’t have to be a tremendous achievement that changed the world or the company’s internal structure. It can be something small but relevant.

Sample answers could be;


  • “In a previous role in a smaller firm, I realized that we were paying for a premium internet plan which pushed the company’s monthly costs to be considerably high. So, I worked out our monthly usage and then researched options that balanced cost and quality. I used my research to negotiate a more competitive price with our supplier. In the end, we were able to minimize costs, and my supervisor was happy that I’d taken the initiative on this.”

  • “When I worked at a computer repair shop as a recent graduate, I didn’t hold a customer-facing position. I would simply sit in the back, check whatever devices were brought in and relay information to our shop assistant, who was responsible for handling calls. Though the assistant was quite tech savvy, there were some abbreviations and terms they weren’t familiar with. So, I prepared a sheet with all this information, organized in alphabetical order, framed it and placed it on their desk. This saved us both a lot of time we would have otherwise spent in back-and-forth!”

Final thoughts;

Aim to be truthful when giving your answer — you don’t want to be caught in a lie and risk your chances of landing the job! As always, take time to practice your answers with the tips mentioned above.

Nervous about your upcoming interview? Work with an expert interview coach to help you build confidence and impress the interviewer!

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