##Good Example Answer:
"During the development of an internal analytics dashboard, we were nearing the final stages when we discovered that the third-party API we relied on for real-time data had drastically changed without notice. This broke our data pipeline, and we only had a week until the scheduled release. The team was understandably stressed, as this could have delayed the entire project.
First, I took a step back to fully understand the scope of the problem. I examined the updated API documentation to identify the exact changes and realized that the new data format was incompatible with our current codebase. I quickly proposed two options: either refactor the data pipeline to support the new API or switch to a more reliable, in-house solution we had initially deprioritized.
After discussing with the team and stakeholders, we agreed to refactor the pipeline to maintain the real-time capability but designed it in a way that made future API changes easier to handle. I led a focused effort with two other engineers to adjust the ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes and rewrote the integration logic over the next few days. We worked in parallel to update our test coverage to ensure no data quality issues.
Thanks to careful planning and coordination, we met the original deadline, and the new data pipeline worked smoothly post-launch. Additionally, the refactor allowed us to handle future API changes more efficiently, saving time down the line. This experience reinforced the importance of staying calm under pressure, quickly adapting to unexpected changes, and keeping clear communication with the team."
##What You Should Not Say:
1. "I was frustrated with the API change and struggled to adapt, so we had to delay the project."
2. "I decided to push back the release without consulting the team."
3. "I didn’t fully understand the API changes, so I delegated the task to another engineer and moved on to other things."
4. "We just found a quick hack to get around the API issue, but it wasn’t sustainable."
"During the development of an internal analytics dashboard, we were nearing the final stages when we discovered that the third-party API we relied on for real-time data had drastically changed without notice. This broke our data pipeline, and we only had a week until the scheduled release. The team was understandably stressed, as this could have delayed the entire project.
First, I took a step back to fully understand the scope of the problem. I examined the updated API documentation to identify the exact changes and realized that the new data format was incompatible with our current codebase. I quickly proposed two options: either refactor the data pipeline to support the new API or switch to a more reliable, in-house solution we had initially deprioritized.
After discussing with the team and stakeholders, we agreed to refactor the pipeline to maintain the real-time capability but designed it in a way that made future API changes easier to handle. I led a focused effort with two other engineers to adjust the ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes and rewrote the integration logic over the next few days. We worked in parallel to update our test coverage to ensure no data quality issues.
Thanks to careful planning and coordination, we met the original deadline, and the new data pipeline worked smoothly post-launch. Additionally, the refactor allowed us to handle future API changes more efficiently, saving time down the line. This experience reinforced the importance of staying calm under pressure, quickly adapting to unexpected changes, and keeping clear communication with the team."
##What You Should Not Say:
1. "I was frustrated with the API change and struggled to adapt, so we had to delay the project."
2. "I decided to push back the release without consulting the team."
3. "I didn’t fully understand the API changes, so I delegated the task to another engineer and moved on to other things."
4. "We just found a quick hack to get around the API issue, but it wasn’t sustainable."