Teamwork is more than just a buzzword in today’s job market—it’s a make-or-break skill. When you’re asked to “Describe how you worked with another person to achieve a goal,” think of this question as an opportunity to highlight your “team player” mindset. Did you step up to solve a problem, rally your group to meet a tight deadline, or help bridge a communication gap? Employers want to know what it’s like to work with you—and sharing a real experience where you worked with someone else to achieve a goal lets them see you in action.
This guide will walk you through creating an authentic and engaging response that showcases your best collaborative traits. From breaking down your role and responsibilities to focusing on the skills that made the teamwork successful, we’ll give you all the tools you need to nail this question and leave a strong impression.
Why interviewers ask about working with others to achieve a goal
They’re looking to uncover qualities that go beyond technical skills. How you collaborate, communicate, and contribute within a team environment is essential to fitting into the company’s culture and handling real-world work challenges.
This question gives interviewers insight into a few key areas:
- Your cultural fit and team dynamics: Do you work well with diverse personalities? Do you support others and stay positive when the pressure is on? A thoughtful response can show that you’re not just there to complete a task but to help build a collaborative, productive environment.
- Your communication skills: Effective teamwork depends on clear, proactive communication. Interviewers want to know how you keep everyone aligned, handle misunderstandings, or bring others up to speed. Good communicators can bridge gaps, resolve conflicts, and make sure everyone is working toward the same outcome.
- Your adaptability and flexibility: Collaboration often brings unexpected challenges. Were you able to pivot when things didn’t go as planned? Did you remain open to other ideas, even if they differed from your own?
- Your problem-solving abilities: Working with others to achieve a goal often means tackling roadblocks as a team. Interviewers want to see that you can identify issues, offer solutions, and support others in finding a path forward. This reflects your initiative and your ability to think critically in a collaborative setting.
- Your role and contribution: Did you lead, support, or play a specialized role in the project? This question allows you to highlight your unique strengths and the value you bring to a team. Employers want to understand how you contribute, whether you bring innovative ideas, organize tasks, or support a teammate in need.
How to answer ‘Describe how you have worked with another person to achieve a goal’
1. Use the STAR method to structure your answer
The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a tried-and-true way to organize your response and keep your answer focused. Here’s how to break it down:
- Situation: Start by setting the scene. Describe the context of the project or goal, highlighting why collaboration was necessary.
- Task: Explain your specific role and responsibilities within the team. What was expected of you? What part did you play in moving the project forward?
- Action: Detail the steps you took to achieve the goal, focusing on how you communicated, problem-solved, and supported your teammates.
- Result: Wrap up with the outcome. Emphasize your collaboration’s positive impact, whether it was meeting a target, solving a problem, or delivering a successful project.
Example: “In my role as a marketing intern, I collaborated with the design team to create a social media campaign for a product launch. My task was to manage the content strategy while ensuring the visuals aligned with our messaging. I organized weekly check-ins with the designer to discuss feedback and adjust our approach as needed. Thanks to our regular communication and willingness to adapt, the campaign exceeded engagement targets by 30%.”
Learn more about answering interview questions using the STAR method in this guide!
2. Highlight key interpersonal skills
Collaboration isn’t just about completing tasks together—it’s about building positive working relationships and communicating effectively. In your answer, focus on the interpersonal skills that helped you make the collaboration successful:
- Communication: Show how you kept everyone on the same page, addressed misunderstandings, or clarified tasks. Did you initiate team meetings? Share regular updates? Facilitate a smooth exchange of ideas?
- Flexibility and adaptability: Highlight moments when you adjusted to new information or feedback, adapted to different working styles, or kept things moving smoothly despite obstacles.
- Conflict resolution: If there were any disagreements or misunderstandings, mention how you handled them constructively. Employers value candidates who can handle challenges diplomatically.
Example: “During the project, I ensured clear communication by scheduling weekly updates with the team and creating a shared document where we tracked our progress. When we encountered different design ideas, I suggested we vote on key elements to keep everyone’s voice included. This not only resolved conflicts but strengthened team morale.”
3. Emphasize your unique contribution
A great team member is someone who knows their strengths and leverages them to help the team succeed. Focus on your role in achieving the goal, highlighting the skills you contributed and how they were valuable to the team. This could be anything from organizing tasks, leading brainstorming sessions, or simply providing support when a teammate needed it.
Example: “My strength in content planning helped us create a cohesive schedule that balanced the design and messaging components. I mapped out the timeline and assigned roles based on each member’s strengths, which kept the project organized and on track.”
4. Focus on the positive outcome and what you learned
Don’t just stop at the result—show how the experience helped you grow. Did you develop new skills, gain a better understanding of teamwork, or learn a valuable lesson about communication? Reflecting on what you learned makes your answer more impactful and shows that you’re growth-oriented.
Example: “The success of this project taught me the importance of regular communication and proactive problem-solving in teamwork. I’ve since carried these practices into other projects, always ensuring alignment and open communication, which I believe has made me a more effective team player.”
Mistakes to avoid
Just as there are effective strategies to tackle this question, there are also pitfalls and approaches you should avoid. These missteps can paint you in an unflattering light or signal to the interviewer that you might not be the best candidate for a team-oriented environment.
- Avoid negativity: Avoid focusing on conflicts or blaming other team members. Even if the project faced challenges, focus on how you contributed to solutions.
- Don’t be vague: Provide a specific example that shows detailed actions and results. Saying things like “I always work well with others” or “I’ve never had a problem collaborating” lacks depth and specificity.
- Balance your role: While showcasing your contributions is important, make sure your story reflects true teamwork. Don’t make it seem as if you single-handedly achieved the goal.
Sample answers to ‘Describe how you have worked with another person to achieve a goal’
Example for a college grad
“During my senior year, I was on the student committee organizing our college’s annual cultural festival. This event brought together over a dozen student groups, and my role was to coordinate logistics between the groups and manage the event schedule. I worked closely with another committee member who was responsible for booking the event spaces and arranging equipment rentals. Initially, we struggled with communication, leading to scheduling overlaps and booking confusion.”
“To resolve this, I suggested we meet weekly to review each group’s needs, finalize bookings, and ensure everything was ready on time. We also created a shared spreadsheet outlining each group’s scheduled activities, location, and required equipment. Thanks to this improved communication and collaboration, we could organize a smooth event with no conflicts in the schedule. The festival was a success, and the experience taught me the value of regular check-ins and clear communication when working with a partner. I believe this approach would help me in this role, where I must collaborate across departments to coordinate projects.”
Why this works:
This answer showcases the candidate’s ability to problem-solve, organize, and take the initiative in communication to overcome initial challenges. It highlights specific actions to improve teamwork and emphasizes the positive outcome, making it relevant for roles requiring cross-functional collaboration and organization.
Example for a young professional
“In my previous role as a customer service associate at a retail company, our team received feedback that our response times were too slow. I collaborated closely with a coworker in the IT department to streamline the process and reduce response times. My coworker handled the technical side, implementing an internal ticketing system to track and prioritize customer inquiries, while I focused on developing a new response template for common questions and organizing training sessions to familiarize our team with the updated system.”
“We held weekly meetings to review progress and gather feedback from our teammates, adjusting the process as needed to make it as efficient as possible. Within a month, our team’s response time had improved by 40%, and customer satisfaction scores went up significantly. This project taught me that small, consistent improvements and open communication with colleagues in different departments can greatly impact customer service outcomes. I’m confident this experience would help me work effectively with cross-departmental teams in this role.”
Why this works:
This answer demonstrates the candidate’s ability to collaborate across departments, problem-solve, and contribute to a positive outcome. It showcases specific actions and measurable results, strengthening the impact of their answer and making it especially relevant to roles that value efficiency, customer focus, and cross-functional teamwork.
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