Tell me about a time you found a problem in infrastructure nobody had asked you to look at. What did you do?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests ownership. Spots and fixes problems proactively, follows work through to completion, and takes responsibility for results.
• What to bring out: Noticed proactively, assessed risk, fixed or escalated it appropriately, and followed through to a lasting solution.
• Expect a follow-up like: How did you make sure the same kind of issue would be caught automatically?

Another way it may be asked: Have you ever noticed something wrong, like an expiring certificate or an open port, before anyone else? What happened next?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

1. Step 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

2. Step 2

   Task

   What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the ownership you showed is visible.

3. Step 3

   Action

   The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

4. Step 4

   Result

   What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
• Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
• Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

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