I love the “how do you handle failure” interview question. Or a similar version such as “Tell me about a time you failed.” It allows you generous room to take it where you need to go.
In some cases, you may meet an interviewer who tries to trap you. Or see how you react to tough questions. But most interviewers just want to learn about you and how you might fit in as an employee.
What you need to know about failure
Often even the most well-intentioned interview questions catch you off guard. And you brain freeze for a moment … and then think “How can I make myself look good” rather than how can I make this question really work for me for THIS job.
One of my first interviews out of grad school was with a major bank. After a few basic questions, the Senior Vice President looked me in the eyes and asked “Have you ever failed?” Well, I wasn’t going to admit to failure!
But I didn’t realize that (1) everyone fails at one time or another; and (2) it’s not about failing but how you handle failure. Is your first instinct to crawl under a rock? Do you blame others? Maybe you simply walk away and never try again.
Or do you feel your feelings, shake it off, and figure out how to move forward. Obviously, employers want to hire someone who chooses this last option
My answer to the SVP and his response:
ME: (Pause to show him I’m thinking.) “Hmmm .. no I’ve never failed that I can remember.”
SVP: “That’s too bad. You can learn a lot from failure. And if you handle failure with determination to improve or find another way to make things work, you get stronger from it.”
While that may not be the exact words he used, I never forgot that lesson. How you handle failure is far more important than actually having failed. And again, we all fail in some way … one way or another.
How do you handle the failure question?
Basically, questions like this are behavioral interview questions, meant to get a feel for how you approach situations … especially tough situations. Employers are looking for clues to help them see what they can expect from you as a potential member of their company team.
What kind of attitude do you bring to the job. Are you able to bounce back quickly? Can they count on you to step up and help coworkers to overcome problems? Will you be part of the solution even after there are failures?
So you want to come prepared with a story that tells about something that went wrong for you in a job. And how you recovered. And how you fixed things or planned for the next time to be better.
HINT: This is probably not the time to tell about your BIGGEST failure … unless that’s the question. You want a story that shows you can recognize / admit when things go wrong and then work to find answers.
So your story should be about a time when you helped turn things around … and not how everything went wrong and what a funny mess that was! Also, how you tell the story should reflect the positive emotions and character you bring to a work situation, even the disasters.
SEE ALSO: Emotional intelligence
More posts to help
Just remember that there’s no one way to answer a question. But you do want to make it your own, and not parroting something you read on the internet.
Your main job is to listen carefully, answer what they really ask (or close enough), and help them see a person they want to work with and can turn to to get things done.
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