Describe to me a time when you made an error in your current or former position, and the impact your mistake had? How did you correct the error, what did you learn from it?
Making mistakes is human. It is how we deal with our mistakes, which is the true mark of one's character. The interviewer wants to know if you take actionable steps to remedy your mistakes before bringing them to the attention of our superiors, and if you take responsibility for your own actions. Lastly, the most important aspect of this question is whether you take your setbacks in stride, and turn failures into success by distilling the situation into a life lessons that you apply to your successes moving forward. By not repeating your mistakes, you shore yourself up for repeatable success. Give an example that demonstrates how you took responsibility for your error and fixed it. Also, what you learned from the experience as a result.
"When I worked as a financial services rep, I accidentally double booked two clients for an appointment in one of the time slots. I realized the mistake after I was double checking my calendar and called the clients right away and apologized for my mistake. As a result of this experience, I always made sure to check the time slots on my calendar twice."
"When starting my current position, I had some struggles with learning Salesforce and let the frustrations get the best of me. I felt like a failure and was ready to give up. Once my boss pulled me aside and reminded me that everyone struggles with brand new technology, I was able to relax. I ended up taking an online course on the program so that I could fast-track my learning and avoid further frustration. What I learned was that only I am responsible for my learning and there are always ways to overcome challenges, if you look for the answers and are prepared to work for them."
