How to Answer the Question Tell Me About a Time You Failed

How to Answer the Question Tell Me About a Time You Failed How to Answer the Question Tell Me About a Time You Failed 1 Here is some advice on how job seekers can handle this challenge and skillfully answer the question, Tell me about a time you failed: Don’t use a transparent “spin.” Since the failure question has come to be almost an expected part of a tough interview, some candidates brace themselves for it by planning an answer that’s in reality a thinly veiled success or attribute, rather than risk sharing a negative memory. An example of this type of interview spin is saying, “My biggest failure on the job is that I’m just such a perfectionist that I work too hard!” While this may satisfy some interviewers, many won’t let you off the hook quite that easily. If you’re being asked to tell about a time that you failed, then the hiring team is looking to see how you handle adversity and move beyond it. If you can thoughtfully choose a situation that allows you to demonstrate this, instead of sugarcoating what’s in essence a false response, then you’ll have an opportunity to: Focus on what you learned. The key to discussing a question about failure is centering much of your answer on concrete lessons that you gained from the experience. After sharing an honest (but not overly egregious) workplace flop in which you participated, your goal should be to segue quickly to reflecting on your learnings. This is your chance to show your capacity for growth and highlight areas where you plan to improve going forward. If you can end your answer on a high note, with the hiring team focused on your resilience and determination to do things better based on the experience that you gained from the failure, then you’ve nailed it. Use failure to show character. It’s often said that one’s character is forged in tough times, not when circumstances are smooth sailing. It’s easier to do the right thing when everything is going right. With this in mind, you can use your response to the failure question to showcase specific traits that you’d like to emphasize in relation to your work, such as tenacity, determination, and a growth-oriented mindset. It may initially feel awkward and uncomfortable to trot out an instance where you weren’t at your best. But if you tackle this interview question smartly, you can leave the interviewers with a favorable impression of how well you conduct yourself under pressure and adversity. Check out more  job interviewing tips!