Employers love to ask interview questions about mistakes. They want to see if you’re honest and upfront. Most importantly, they want to see if you learned from the experience.
This is why they ask interview questions like:
- “Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work?”
- “Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?”
- “What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?”
- “Describe a time you made a mistake”
In this article, I will explain how to give the best answer possible to interview questions about mistakes you’ve made and how to paint your mistakes in a positive light.
But first, I’ll explain why they ask this question and share 12 examples of mistakes made at work to help you brainstorm your own ideas/answers.
Highlights
- Do not share something that makes you look bad or reflects poorly on your character as an employee.
- When discussing the mistake, acknowledge it and take ownership without shifting the blame to others.
- Avoid long-winded stories and keep your answer brief and to the point using the S.T.A.R. method.
Why Do Employers Ask This Question?
Contrary to what you might think, hiring managers aren’t trying to disqualify you when they ask interview questions about mistakes you made and failures you’ve been through. Instead, they are trying to make sure you’re honest and upfront with them, which is very important in any interview question.
They are also trying to make sure you’ve come to terms with the mistake and learned valuable lessons from it. This is a particularly tricky question because most questions ask you to talk about moments of excellence. However, this one is the direct opposite. It requires you to reflect on your shortcomings and demonstrate personal growth.
If you seem angry, resentful, or blame others without taking responsibility, you won’t get hired. As with all the common behavioral interview questions, they want to see if you can tell a clear, concise story and describe a situation effectively.
Hiring managers look for candidates who can communicate clearly and stay on track. When answering questions like, ‘Tell me about a past mistake you made at work,’ ensure your response is brief and to the point.
12 Good Examples of Mistakes Made at Work
To help you think of the right example to share in your interviews, here are some examples of mistakes you may have made at work:
- Misunderstanding a customer/client.
- Misunderstanding instructions from a boss or coworker, which led to a mistake.
- Mishandling or losing cash at work.
- Missing a deadline.
- Not delivering the work a client/customer expected.
- Being unprepared for a team meeting.
- Losing a new customer/client as a sales representative.
- Losing an important piece of information, whether physical or digital.
- Not saving your progress on a project and having to do the same work again.
- Not addressing a problem promptly and therefore allowing it to become a bigger issue than necessary.
- Not anticipating a potential problem before it occurred.
- Committing any error that slowed the day-to-day operations of your company.
These are good examples of work mistakes if you can show that you’ve learned from them and taken steps to prevent them from happening again.
How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Made a Mistake”
Questions about past mistakes fall under the category of behavioral questions. Behavioral interview questions start with phrases like, “tell me about a time you…”
These questions operate on the premise that the best way to predict future behavior is to examine past behavior. Therefore, if you can cite an example of a past mistake and what you’ve learned from it, recruiters will see you as a person who is capable of learning a lesson from a mistake.
The method we recommend for answering any behavioral questions is the S.T.A.R. (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method.
Start by briefly describing the situation or challenge you faced, followed by the task you needed to complete. Then, detail the actions you took and the solutions you implemented. Finally, share the outcome and what you learned from the experience.
Three Key Pieces to Include in Your Answer
The way you answer this question also says a lot about your level of personal responsibility. No one wants a coworker who constantly passes the buck and blames their blunders on others.
- Taking Responsibility for the Mistake
Acknowledge the mistake and take responsibility. Avoid blaming others or making excuses. Employers won’t judge you for the mistake but for your attitude toward it.
- Prompt Handling
Next, demonstrate how you handled the situation calmly and found the best solution. Mistakes happen; what matters is your response.
- Lesson(s) Learned
Finally, show what you learned. Your ability to take lessons from mistakes says a lot about you as a candidate.
PRO TIP
To succeed in answering a question about a past failure, choose a story that highlights a compelling lesson. Employers value candidates who own their mistakes and learn from them. Briefly outline the mistake, then focus on the lesson learned and how you’ve applied it to other projects. Ideally, show how this lesson helped you avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Choose the Right Example
In choosing the right example to answer this question, there are two key considerations to keep in mind:
- Select a mistake related to the job you are applying for.
This is better because your handling of such a mistake and the lessons learned are likely to be relevant at the new job. For instance, for a project manager position, you could discuss a time when a minor oversight led to a scheduling mix-up. Detail how you fixed it and brought things back on track.
- Avoid trivial or overly severe examples.
You should avoid trivial examples because they are unlikely to convince your interviewer about your ability to handle adversity. On the flip side, overly severe examples might suggest a lack of reliability or poor decision-making skills. It’s best to choose a scenario that is substantial enough to showcase your resilience and problem-solving abilities, yet not so drastic that it casts doubts on your overall performance.
EXPERT ADVICE
Dr. Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES
Tech & Interview Career Coach
caffeinatedkyle.com
Choose an Example that Highlights Desirable Qualities
“Showing vulnerability can feel difficult, particularly if you’re not used to it. Interviewing adds an additional layer of nuance to the equation since you’re being evaluated by a potential employer.
When choosing a mistake to share during an interview, think about the qualities you want to communicate, such as openness to feedback and a growth mindset, and then work backward to choose an example that highlights those qualities.
At the same time, you want to avoid sharing a mistake that’s too raw, as you want to be ready to explain how you’ve learned and grown from the experience.“
Sample Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Made a Mistake at Work”
Here are sample responses to ‘Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work,’ tailored to different career levels.
Entry-Level Role Example
“In my previous role as a customer service representative, I was responsible for managing our team’s weekly reports. These reports were crucial for tracking our performance metrics and planning our weekly strategies.
One week, my task was to compile and send out the weekly report to the team by Friday morning. This report needed to include data on customer interactions, resolution times, and customer satisfaction scores.
Due to a tight schedule, I rushed through the final checks and accidentally sent out an incomplete report, missing some crucial data points. As soon as I realized the mistake, I informed my supervisor and took full responsibility for the oversight.
I immediately gathered the missing data and compiled a complete report. I then sent out an updated email to the team with the correct information, along with a clear explanation and apology for the oversight.
Since then, I’ve learned the importance of thorough review and attention to detail, especially when handling critical tasks under time pressure.
Since then, I’ve implemented a checklist to ensure all necessary data points are included before finalizing any report.“
Mid-Level Role Example
“In my previous role as a project manager, I was leading a team developing a new marketing campaign for a major client launch. We were working on a tight deadline and under some pressure to deliver a high-impact campaign.
During the brainstorming phase, I focused heavily on creative and innovative ideas, prioritizing “wow” factors over practicality. While the initial concepts were impressive, they required extensive development time and resources we hadn’t fully accounted for.
As the project progressed, it became clear that the initial plan wouldn’t be achievable within the timeframe. I recognized my mistake — I prioritized flashy ideas over feasibility.
I scheduled a team meeting to discuss the challenges and openly communicated the potential delays. We then collaborated to develop a revised plan with a more realistic timeline. We streamlined some aspects of the campaign while maintaining its core message and impact. We also kept the client informed throughout the process, managing their expectations.
While the final campaign wasn’t exactly what we envisioned initially, it was still well-received by the client and achieved its marketing goals. We learned a valuable lesson about the importance of striking a balance between creativity and practicality in project planning.“
Senior Professional Example
“As the head of innovations at a major tech company, I was in charge of spearheading the development of a new feature designed to enhance our data processing capabilities. The goal was to integrate this feature into our existing systems by the end of the quarter.
My primary responsibility was overseeing the design, development, and integration of this new feature. The timeline was tight, but we needed to meet this deadline to demonstrate progress to our stakeholders and maintain our competitive edge.
In my eagerness to meet the scheduled launch date, I decided to move forward with the rollout before completing the final phase of user acceptance testing. This phase was crucial, but I underestimated its importance due to the positive results in the earlier testing stages.
Post-launch, we quickly realized that the feature did not integrate well with some existing systems, causing minor disruptions. I addressed this by pausing the feature, conducting the necessary tests, and implementing the fixes within a week.
This experience taught me the value of thorough testing over meeting self-imposed deadlines, leading to a revision in our rollout procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.“
Answer to “Have You Ever Made a Mistake? How Did You Handle It?”
The question may come in another form such as “Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?”
Here is a sample answer:
“Yes, I’ve made mistakes. I try to limit my mistakes by being careful and double-checking my work, though, and by planning ahead.
When I do make a mistake, I own up to it, calculate how to best fix the error, and if I need to communicate with my manager or other team members, I’m open to doing that as well to discuss mistakes. I think making mistakes happens eventually if you work long enough, but I try to minimize their occurrence and be upfront and accountable if an actual mistake does happen.“
Note that when answering this particular job interview question, you don’t need to share a specific mistake. However, you can discuss a specific mistake if a good example comes to mind.
Sample Answer to “What’s the Biggest Mistake You’ve Made?”
“I try to be careful in my work and limit the mistakes I make. However, one previous mistake I made in my last role was to not set clear expectations with one of our important customers.
The customer called and asked for a timeframe for the completion of their project.
I was eager to impress them and gave an optimistic timeframe, but we failed to deliver.
My manager told me later that this customer left and went to a competitor after being disappointed in the missed deadline, so I consider this a serious mistake, and it’s something I regret.
I used the experience to improve my abilities, though. I have a better understanding of time management and project timelines, but more importantly, I know how to set expectations for a project to give myself a few extra days so that we can deliver early or on time even if we hit a few roadblocks.“
Dos and Don’ts
- Focus on the Lesson Rather Than the Mistake
While the focus of the question is the mistake, your answer should focus more on the lesson. This is because interviewers are more interested in understanding how you handle setbacks and what you learn from them.
- Be Concise
In interviews, I’ve seen candidates ramble on while trying to explain their biggest mistake. This can dilute the impact of your story and lose the interviewer’s interest. Keep your answer focused and to the point. Start with a brief overview of the mistake, then quickly move on to the key actions you took to address it and the lessons you learned.
- Practice Your Answer
Before the interview, take the time to practice your answer out loud. This helps you refine your response, making it more natural and confident. Practicing also allows you to ensure you cover all key points within a concise timeframe.
- Don’t Humblebrag
A humblebrag is a statement that is designed to sound modest but that actually highlights something that you are proud of. Answering a question about failure with a thinly-veiled self-congratulatory story won’t fly. You need to choose a real example of failure and explain the lesson you learned from it.
- Don’t Blame Others
Take responsibility for your actions. Blaming others can make you seem unprofessional and unwilling to accept your own mistakes. Focus on what you could have done differently and what you learned from the experience.
- Don’t Go Overboard
From a recruiter’s perspective, I believe honesty is crucial. Nonetheless, you should avoid sharing your most humiliating mistakes in a job interview. Steer clear of examples that reveal character flaws or could be a major issue for an employer.
Use a benign past failure to illustrate your growth without giving the employer a reason not to hire you. A company is not going to hire a person who might create a fiasco or present a legal problem for them down the road.
Sir I am fresher, so I don’t have any professional failure, or personal failure. So please send me the best short essay of failure in school or college life.