You’re midway through your interview, and the interviewer asks: "Describe a situation where you had to work with limited supervision."

You panic and try to compose yourself.

You’re thinking: “How can I answer this without sounding goofy or saying the wrong thing?" A woman with glasses saying,

Being prepared to answer this potential question before an interview can help you a lot!

What Employers Want To Know

Being able to work independently is an important skill employers look for when hiring employees. When they ask this question, they want to know:

  • If you can work by yourself when no one is around.

  • If you’re self-motivated, able to make decisions, and can complete a task on your own without the need for constant guidance and direction.

Here's what not to say:

  1. “I don’t like working alone, as I prefer someone telling me what to do."

  2. "I’ve never had that experience."

  3. "Yes, I’ve had that experience, and it sucked!"

These answers aren't the best, as they show that you're not able to work independently, so the employer may not hire you for the position.

A woman wearing a hat saying,

Here's How to Answer

  1. Outline the situation (what was happening)

  2. Explain your decisions (what you did)

  3. Describe the results of your action

  4. Higlight any lessons learnt from that experience

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Here’s an example:

"During my summer job at a local deli, my supervisor had to leave early for a family emergency, leaving me with three team members who weren’t fully trained yet. I took the lead by managing the register, helping with orders, and showing the new staff what to do to keep things running smoothly.

Everything went well — we didn’t miss any orders, customers were happy, and my manager later thanked me for stepping up. That experience showed me I can take initiative and handle responsibility even when no one is watching over me."

Quiz Time

How can you improve the following answer?

“One day at my part-time job, my supervisor was away attending meetings. I was happy for this break, as it gave me a chance to catch up on my messages and return a few calls to my friends. I was still able to do some work before my supervisor returned."

Select all answer choices that apply:

A. Mention specific work tasks completed while the supervisor was away.

B. Talk about how you used the extra time to help teammates or improve the workflow.

C. Say you finished your work faster, so you could leave early.

D. Remove the part about returning calls and texting friends.

A man points and says,

Quiz

How can you improve this answer? Select all that apply:

Take Action

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Take these steps to be successful in your interview:

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