Tell me about a time when your supervisor criticized your work. How did you respond?

"I have not had a supervisor criticize my work as a construction manager, but I have had work critiqued in the past. I worked as a stonemason apprentice, and my supervisor criticized my first attempt at building a rock wall. He said the wall was uneven and looked like a five-year-old made it. At first, I was embarrassed because he said that in front of the entire crew, and everyone laughed, but then I responded by using humor and said that my three-year-old could probably do a better job than me. The supervisor laughed and said he was joking with me but that I had room for improvement in choosing the correct rocks. I asked him to demonstrate what he meant because I wanted to do the best job possible. I view criticism as feedback which helps me improve in any role I am in."

When being critiqued or criticized about your work, it is common to become angry or defensive. You must avoid letting the interviewer know if you became angry or lashed out at your supervisor, and keep your response to the situation on a positive note.