Talk about a time when you failed at work. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the result.

Most successful leaders will attest that failure is a necessary stop on the journey toward success. As David Solomon, the Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs once said, "Success is not a given. Sometimes we fall short, sometimes we don't execute, but we always learn and adapt." So, when discussing how you navigated your failures, it is important to frame it against Goldman Sachs values, one of which is Integrity: "We hold ourselves accountable to the highest ethical standards, insisting on transparency and vigilance from our people as we learn from our experiences and make decisions that instill a sense of pride in our firm."

We all fail occasionally, and there is no need to be ashamed of defeat. Suggesting you haven't failed or cannot think of examples will only communicate a lack of experience or a lack of integrity. But taking ownership of those important life lessons and showcasing what you learned from them should be your aim here. The magic is in the lessons we learn from these situations. Speak about the outcome of a project/task that was not what you wanted it to be, but you were able to recover. Perhaps you were better off in the end or learned a valuable lesson.

Behavioral-based interview questions that begin with "Talk about a time when..." are best answered using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Organizing your response using this storytelling framework will ensure that you provide the hiring managers with the right amount of information and detail. Outline the roadblock you faced, and share how you approached the situation to ensure a good recovery. Discuss your level of dedication, even in the face of failure, and how you will make an impact in this new role.

"(Situation) My former employer put me through a last-minute advanced Excel course that I failed. (Task) I was unprepared for the course's challenging content and should not have agreed to begin with an advanced-level course. (Action) I told my manager that I was not excelling in the class. We discussed this failure together and realized that I was not yet ready for the advanced-level coursework. I was more of an intermediate-level user. To fix the situation, I studied online for a few weeks and then retook the course when I felt more prepared. (Result) This approach worked much better, and I finished with 92% the second time around."

Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.