Employers are looking for team players who know how to solve problems. While no one wants to face a major crisis in the workplace, understanding how to think critically and develop solutions is essential when something does happen. Showcasing your problem-solving skills in an interview can help you find your next great opportunity. Here the skills you need to be a problem solver in your career.

Identify and Assess

If you don’t know what the problem is, it’ll be challenging to solve. When you realize something is wrong, take a step back and try to identify the problem itself and assess what could happen if it goes unsolved. Without identifying and evaluating the problem, you may find yourself repeating mistakes that could have been easily solved.

Determine the Source

After you know the problem and have assessed how it could affect the work you’re doing, you have to dig deeper to find the source. It’s easy to assume the signs and symptoms are the problem itself, but they are just the results, not the cause. Critical thinking, research, and deduction are necessary skills to hone for this process.

Brainstorm

Knowing the problem and the cause of it is only the start. Next, you need to determine the solution. This is all about creative thinking and brainstorming. Ask yourself a series of questions to move you toward potential ideas that could solve the problem. Thinking beyond the surface level fixes can also help you develop a long-term strategy to prevent similar issues in the future.

Evaluate Solutions

After you’ve brainstormed potential solutions, you need to evaluate them and determine the best strategy moving forward. Looking at all the possible solutions and picturing the outcomes will help you make a plan to fix the problem and avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

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