Department of Water Resources Mock Interview
Practice 30 Department of Water Resources interview questions covering water policy, infrastructure, and public service.
Question 29 of 30
Tell me about a time you failed. How did you react?
Example Answer
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
How to Answer
Community Answers
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
"Early in my career, I had an overwhelming project. I suffered task paralysis and did not know where to begin. A coworker suggested I tackle the biggest aspect of the project first since that was what I felt most daunted by. It was good general advice, and I listened to it, even though this caused me to lose focus on the priorities of the project. Just about every other aspect of the project held a greater priority. As a result, I didn't manage my time right and should have approached the project differently. I promised my supervisors I'd beat my deadline by a week. I missed that target. I delivered on time, within minutes of my deadline but saw it as a personal failure since I didn't exceed it. I never made the mistake of over-promising and under-delivering again."
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
The interviewer wants to determine how you deal with personal setbacks, whether you take ownership of your mistakes, and what you've learned from them. Deflecting blame or presenting yourself as a victim will serve as a red flag, whereas seeing everything as a growth opportunity and learning from mistakes are traits of a desirable candidate.
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
Focus on the learning experience and what you did to get as close to success as possible, while prioritizing the needs of the team over your personal success. Keep your example relevant to the position you're competing for. Break down the positive takeaways from the situation and the measures you took to set yourself up for success moving forward.
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