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No Experience Mock Interview

To help you prepare for your job interview, here are 21 interview questions that you may be asked if this is your first job or you are new to your career.

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Question 17 of 21

Tell me about a time when a teacher or professor gave you constructive criticism.

"I had a professor, during my first year of University, tell me that if I did not become more organized that I would have a difficult time in life. The criticism was a bit harsh, but his statement was true! After hearing that, I implemented a better schedule for myself and utilized some planning and organizational tools that the school provided to new students. Now, I am the most organized person that I know!"

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How to Answer: Tell me about a time when a teacher or professor gave you constructive criticism.

  • 17. Tell me about a time when a teacher or professor gave you constructive criticism.

      How to Answer

      Part of the role of a student is to accept feedback on your work, and implement the recommended changes so that you can make yourself better for next time! Take some time to think of any constructive feedback you received and how you responded. Your reaction to feedback and criticism is essential to the interviewer. You should react humbly and highlight your willingness to work hard to improve.

      Answer Example

      "I had a professor, during my first year of University, tell me that if I did not become more organized that I would have a difficult time in life. The criticism was a bit harsh, but his statement was true! After hearing that, I implemented a better schedule for myself and utilized some planning and organizational tools that the school provided to new students. Now, I am the most organized person that I know!"

      Admin

      "Teachers and professors hold a lot of weight when it comes to a student's success and esteem in school. I had a biology high school teacher who knew that I had an interest in becoming a medical transcriptionist. She would give me suggested reading, and other tips and tricks to encourage my dream. When it came time for me to apply for the certificate program, she gave me incredible feedback on my application before I sent it. Without her willingness to give me feedback, I am not sure they would have accepted me on the first try."

      Manager

      "I had a professor once tell me that my writing skills were atrocious. Ouch! Rather than become offended and drop his class, I took an online course on persuasive writing, and another on AP style. These two courses completely changed my writing style, and the prof noticed the improvement immediately."

      Marketing

      "In my first year of Marketing, I was falling a bit behind in the class when it came to my understanding of certain business concepts. Out of a point of caring, one of my professors suggested that I find a tutor if I wanted to catch up and maintain a competitive GPA. I was expecting things to come a bit more naturally to me, so the reality stung a little, but she was not wrong. I found a tutor right away and was back on track shortly after."

      Retail

      "In high school, my English teacher had serious criticism when it came to a paper that I had worked quite hard on. My research was impeccable, but she mentioned that the way I was trying to drive my comparisons home, was simply not effective. I took this feedback and took a creative writing course on Udemy that weekend. I gained some great tips and tricks, and my next assignment was much better. I am happy that she was honest with me and wanted to help me to succeed."

      Sales

      "I had a professor in University that critiqued my fluency and writing skills in great detail. The feedback was often unexpected because I would hand in what I thought to be a perfect paper, only to get a masterpiece of red marker back from him. But, with this feedback, my confidence and comfort with writing papers grew. Thanks to him, I will now be able to write comprehensive proposals and quotes."

      Teacher

      "While obtaining my Bachelor's Degree in Education, I had one professor tell me that I was too sensitive to be a high school teacher. I was deeply offended at first because she did not know me and it felt like a judgment! After letting the criticism simmer for a couple of days, I approached her after class and asked her to elaborate on the feedback. I needed to know what triggered the remark. She clarified by saying that I was seemingly unsure of myself when answering questions and when I wrote my papers I was coming across as too empathetic and unsure of my expertise. I looked back at my work, determined that she was correct, and pivoted from there. Now, my more recent papers truly reflect the confidence that I have in my knowledge as a trained educator."

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "In my second year of Ph.D., I received feedback that if I do not improve my academic writing, I will have a very difficult time in my research. The criticism was a bit harsh at that time, but his statements were very true. After hearing that I implemented a better schedule for myself to improve my academic writing. Whenever my advisor asked me to write any new section/report/or any article, I made sure to read up 5-6 different research papers and articles published recently in that area. This helped me better articulate my thought process in my papers and made me a good writer for the future research papers I wrote with my advisor."

      Cindy's Feedback

      Good! It is essential that you explain how you perceived and then acted on the criticism, and you do that well.

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