Tell me about a time when you received criticism from your manager. How did you react to that criticism, and did you make improvements based on the feedback?

The interviewer is seeking out information regarding potential areas of weakness. They are also looking for evidence of professional communication. Show that you can handle constructive criticism and that you respond appropriately. As an Admin Assistant in a professional setting, you know that feedback helps you to learn and improve the quality of your work, which is why you graciously accept constructive criticism. Give an example that will not make you exempt from the role. For instance, if one of the primary responsibilities of this role is calendar management, you would not want to discuss a situation involving disorganization on your part.

With this 'Tell me about a time...' style question, you will want to give a story-based example. To ensure that you are specific and organized in your story response, try using the STAR framework. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result.

"(Situation) Recently, I received instructions to create a PowerPoint presentation to promote one of our company's internal client appreciation events. (Task) As the Admin Assistant, it is part of my role to design the look of the presentation and edit the content that my manager provides. (Action) Although I do not have experience in graphic design, I felt that I had a good enough eye for style and that I could make the presentation look clean and attractive. I went ahead and completed the task in just four hours. After my manager reviewed my work, some of the slides required different wording, and he had a different color scheme in mind. I felt that my manager could have relayed those thoughts upfront rather than criticize my work after the fact. However, at the same time, I could have been firmer about asking for direction from the beginning. (Result) I listened to his ideas and incorporated them. I had the changes back to him within an hour, and he was very pleased with how quickly I incorporated his feedback. What I learned from the situation is that I should ask more questions if there is room for interpretation. I ask for firmer guidelines more often now, and this improvement has significantly boosted my productivity on particular projects."

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.

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