Tell me about a time you wrote a script or small tool to make your support work faster.

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests logs, tools & scripting. Uses logs, monitoring and browser or command line tools confidently, and writes small scripts to speed up investigation.
• What to bring out: Describes the repetitive problem, the language or tool used, how it worked, and the time saved or errors avoided.
• Expect a follow-up like: Did anyone else on the team start using it?

Another way it may be asked: Have you ever automated a repetitive support task with a bit of code? What did it do?

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 logs, tools & scripting 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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• Walk me through a tricky technical issue you solved recently, step by step.

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