How to Answer: Tell us about a time you failed on the job.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Pfizer job interview.
2. Tell us about a time you failed on the job.
The Goal
In the fast-paced world of pharmaceutical research, development, production, and sales, mistakes can happen on the job. Pfizer needs to ensure that their team members react swiftly and hold themselves accountable for their actions and correct them. The hiring team is ideally looking for evidence that you can recover from a disappointing outcome. The goal of your response is not to focus on the failure. Instead, it's to showcase your ability to recover from the failure. Your answer should highlight your tenacity, dedication, and drive, even when things don't go as planned.
Written by Ryan Brunner on August 20th, 2022
Pro Tip
Even the most notable professionals have stumbled and recovered from professional failure. Being unable to speak about failure will give the hiring managers the impression that you lack self-awareness and have little desire to grow and learn. For this reason, avoid giving a response that sounds as though you have never failed.
Written by Rachelle Enns on August 20th, 2022
How to Answer
We all fail occasionally, and there is no need to be ashamed of defeat. 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 'Tell us 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.
Written by Rachelle Enns on August 20th, 2022
What You Need to Know
The average HireVue interview takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. This one-way video interview typically includes three to five questions. Depending on the hiring company's parameters, the HireVue platform will generally give you 30 seconds to prepare a response and up to two minutes to answer each question. It's important to note that HireVue stops recording as soon as your time limit is up, so it's better to run under time than overtime.
Written by Rachelle Enns on August 20th, 2022
Answer Example
"A few years ago, I shipped a wrong order to a customer, and they were very upset about it. They called my manager directly and needed the situation rectified immediately. When he brought the issue to me, I read the email from the customer and found I had the wrong items shipped to them. Knowing it was a clerical error, I immediately called the customer to apologize and let them know that this was my fault and I'd do what was necessary to rectify the situation. Letting them know that I'd get back to them shortly, I first checked our immediate inventory of the items they needed and coordinated for next-day shipping in a short time. I told the customer that the items would be delivered the next day at no extra shipping cost, and they were very pleased."
Written by Ryan Brunner on August 20th, 2022
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