Talk about a time you received criticism. How did you take it?
On one hand, this question assesses how proactive you are, what your approach to your work is, and whether you seek feedback or wait for others to come to you. Doing the basics of your job and assuming that no news is good news isn't a sign of leadership, but a red flag of putting in the bare minimum. Show that you take ownership of your own development. Rather than providing a single example of where you sought feedback, suggest you seek it out while striving to go above and beyond.
This question aims to assess your attitude toward the feedback you receive. Do you perceive yourself as a victim of an unfair evaluation and grow dissatisfied with your work, or do you distill the useful information from the feedback and take what is necessary to continue to improve? Consider these points when planning your answer.
When delivering your answers, try not to be in the emotional state of that moment. Practice being in the emotional state you want to convey. If the example you've thought of doesn't allow you to remove yourself emotionally and observe it situationally, think of another. You want your answer to resonate with authentic sincerity.
"In my first year of college, I felt I wasn't fairly graded for my efforts on an assignment. I advocated for myself, communicating as effectively as I could. My professor was at first stand-offish and told me to deal with it and do better next time. But I explained that I didn't understand why they graded me so egregiously on my grammar for a science-based project. After successfully communicating this point, they finally softened and explained that in the scientific community, communication, especially the written word, holds as much value as the work itself. I get that now."
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