Mention A Time That You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learned
Hiring managers use behavioral interview questions such as "tell me about a time when you failed" to determine your personality and look for red flags. You must demonstrate how you dealt with a difficult situation, how you turned it into a learning experience, and how you avoided making the same mistake twice. The interviewer is also trying to determine whether you are being truthful about a genuine failure with a previous employer. When answering this tricky question, use the STAR format to organize your ideas into a story that will leave a good impression on your potential employer. The acronym STAR stands for:
- S: Situation - describe how long ago it was, where you worked, and so on.
- T: Task - explain what you were supposed to do.
- A: Assignment - Tell them what happened, what went wrong, and how you handled it.
- R: Result - demonstrate a positive outcome: what you learned, how you fixed the mistake, and how you will not make the same mistake again.
Answer: I once had a verbal spat with a customer, which I would prefer not to repeat. I wasn't having a good day, and he kept pulling my leg and insulting me verbally. I lost my cool and insulted him back, which surprised the other employees, especially the supervisor. I was later summoned from the counter and chastised. I explained that I was having a bad day and that the customer was pushing me despite the fact that I had been polite to him throughout. Fortunately, my boss understood and gave me the rest of the day off. This experience, however, taught me the importance of developing patience and tolerance in the workplace, which I have always supported.
