You are in a behavioral interview for a software/ML engineering role. The interviewer asks you to:
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Describe a time you faced a significant conflict at work
(for example, disagreement with a teammate, PM, or manager).
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Describe a time you experienced a notable failure
(for example, a missed deadline, a project that didn’t meet its goals, or a production incident).
For each of these two questions, answer using the STAR framework:
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Situation
: Brief context and background.
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Task
: What you were responsible for / the goal.
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Action
: The concrete steps you took, including how you collaborated, communicated, and handled trade-offs.
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Result
: The outcomes (ideally with measurable impact) and what you learned or changed going forward.
Explain how you would structure your answers and provide at least one well-structured example story for conflict and one for failure, highlighting:
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Your role and ownership.
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How you communicated and collaborated with others.
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How you handled disagreement, mistakes, or setbacks.
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What you learned and how you applied it afterwards.