In a job interview, you’ll likely hear interview questions like “Tell me a time when you failed.” But few people like to think, let alone talk, about the failures they’ve had in life.
Drawing from my experience in recruitment, I’m going to walk you through why interviewers ask this question, the best way to answer, and how to avoid the traps and mistakes that can cost you the job offer. Then I’ll share word-for-word sample answers you can take inspiration from.
There are three key things employers look for in every answer to this question, so let’s start with that…
Why Do Interviewers Ask About a Time You Failed?
There are three key traits that employers are looking for when they ask this interview question, and your answer needs to address all three areas if you want to “wow” the hiring manager or recruiter.
1. Show That You’re Accountable
Employers don’t want to hire someone who makes excuses and always blames others for their mistakes. This type of person doesn’t usually learn from their failures and is difficult to work with overall.
So, when the employer asks about a time you failed or made a mistake, show them you take responsibility for mistakes instead of putting the blame on others. Own up to it, acknowledge that you could have done something better/differently, and be clear and direct when explaining.
2. Assess Your Resilience and Growth Mindset
Everyone makes mistakes, but no hiring manager wants to hire somebody who’s going to keep repeating the same errors over and over again. Interviewers want to see how you handle setbacks. Do you crumble under pressure, or do you bounce back and learn from the experience?
So make sure you show them what you learned from the experience and how you used it to grow and improve.
Instead of worrying about your failures, concentrate on how you overcame them. Share stories that highlight your creativity in finding solutions, your determination in tough situations, and the valuable insights you gained along the way.
3. Evaluate Your Communication Skills
Any time the interviewer asks a question that requires a story (which definitely includes a question like, “Tell me about a time when you failed”), they’re looking to see whether you can tell a clear story and get from point A to point B without getting sidetracked.
If you can’t communicate clearly in a job interview, the interviewer will be concerned about your future communication skills on the job. So don’t let your interview answers ramble on for four minutes or go in a bunch of different directions. Keep it brief.
How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time When You Failed”
1. Choose a Suitable Failure
Interviewers are not looking to punish you when they ask you this question. Instead, focus on finding a situation that showcases your strengths. Ideally, it should be relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Pick an experience where you used a skill important to the position, but where things didn’t go exactly according to plan. The key here is to demonstrate that it was a manageable setback, not a major collapse.
Think about mistakes that didn’t have severe financial or personal repercussions. Think of these mistakes as miscalculations, not failures. Miscalculations are common in the workplace. They’re everyday occurrences, and people learn a lot from them that they can apply in the future.
Perhaps you were tasked with leading a team project that didn’t meet the initial deadline. Or maybe you presented a complex idea to a client and their feedback revealed a misunderstanding.
2. Structure Your Response using the STAR Method
From years of evaluating candidate responses, I’ve seen firsthand how well-thought-out and structured answers make a lasting impression. The STAR method provides a clear and compelling framework to tell your story:
- Situation: Briefly describe the context of the situation. What project were you working on? What was your role?
- Task: Explain what you were responsible for in this scenario. What were you trying to achieve?
- Action: Detail the steps you took and the approach you used to tackle the task.
- Result: Be honest about the outcome. Did things go as planned? Didn’t they quite meet expectations? What did you learn from this experience?
3. Emphasize Learning and Growth
After you have spoken about the outcome and why things didn’t go to plan, you should take the opportunity to explain what you learned from the experience and how you would approach a similar situation differently in the future. This is where you can demonstrate your ability to learn from mistakes.
When you finish telling the interviewer about a time you failed… don’t just talk about what you learned from it… show them a real example. It’s one thing to say you learned a lot from a failure, but an example or story is more powerful in demonstrating that you truly improved.
How do I choose an appropriate failure to discuss that shows learning and resilience?
So long as the failure wasn’t detrimental to the business, or illegal, most missteps are okay to share during an interview. That said, you want your interview answer to primarily focus on the lessons you learned, rather than the failure itself, as this is where you can demonstrate your humility, resilience, and grit.
Types of Failures You Can Mention
- Missed Deadline
- Unclear Communication
- Low Team Morale
- Misdelegated Tasks
- Complex Presentation
- Missed Client Requirements
- Faulty Solution
- Unsuccessful Client Pitch
- Didn’t Meet Sales Quota
- Didn’t Speak Up About Workload
Mistakes to Avoid When Talking About a Time You Failed
Now let’s look at some traps, mistakes, and errors that can get you rejected in an interview when answering “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”. These mistakes are based on the responses I’ve listened to throughout my recruiting career. I’ve listed the errors here, so you don’t make the same mistakes!
A Rambling or Unstructured Response
Interviewers don’t have a ton of time, and a long, rambling answer can make it hard for them to see what you learned from the experience. Prepare an example and be ready to talk about it. I recommend keeping your response to around 30-60 seconds.
The STAR method is a great way to keep your answer focused and highlight your growth.
Picking a Huge Mistake
If you made a massive mistake that cost a past company $2 million, I’d keep quiet and find a “less scary” failure. So it’s a bit of a balancing act. Pick a real failure but don’t talk about a disaster that severely hurt your company.
Lack of Reflection
Don’t make it sound like you learned nothing from the experience, and don’t blame others. Show the interviewer that you genuinely reflected on the experience and learned from it. Explain what you took away from the situation and how you’d approach a similar challenge in the future.
Previously Published on Career Sidekick
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