Do you have an upcoming job interview? Check out my example answers to the question: “Tell me about a goal you failed to achieve” or “Can you tell me about a time you failed?“
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The interviewer might ask you this question to see if you can reflect on your mistakes, learned from it and care about doing better. It’s a tricky interview question that catches many candidates off-guard. That’s why I’d suggest you to use the CARL-method!
Example Answer
For job seekers WITH EXPERIENCE
Context: “Let me think for a couple seconds… I remember when I first became a project manager and was eager to make a good impression. I was responsible for managing a construction project and informed the client that my team was able to finish the project within one month.
Action: Right off the bat, we experienced significant problems because of poor contractor management, lack of resources, shortage of labor, planning and scheduling deficiencies. Our team had to work overtime to prevent further delays.
Result: As a result, the project had a delay of one week. The client was satisfied with the end result, but clearly disappointed about the project delay.
Learning: What I’ve learned from this experience is to be more conservative in my predictions to the client. It’s better to meet client expectations by including a time margin of approximately 20% of the total project estimation. By doing so, I can avoid disappointment when the team fails to deliver on time.“
Example Answer
For job seekers WITH NO EXPERIENCE
“Sure, so for me, I define failure as over-promising and then under-delivering on a given project. This happened to me last year. I had offered a family member some online support by maintaining and keeping [Website] up and running.
At a given moment, [Name Surname] asked me why they haven’t received any emails lately. Apparently, there was a bug in our CMS after I updated the system. This was a significant issue because it went undetected for a few weeks.
I apologized for the inconvenience and worked overnight to solve the problem. What I’ve learned from this experience is to double-check a website’s functions and features after a system update AND regularly test if the contact form plugin actually sends the emails through.”
TIPS
√ Do provide an answer that shows you’re accountable and responsible for the outcome
√ Do explain what you’ve learned from the failure and what you’ll do differently in the future
√ Do give an answer that is clear, concise and to the point (don’t ‘beat around the bush’)
√ Do show signs of self-awareness, determination and willingness to improve
X Don’t ramble or talk negatively about a former employer or colleague
X Don’t reveal a big mistake that resulted in significant losses
X Don’t say you’ve never failed because that will only show your lack of awareness