Tell me about a mistake that you made on the job. What did you learn from it?
Being able to admit to your mistakes shows strength and your ability to grow and improve. Give an example of something that may have been severe but focus on how you were able to resolve it, and possibly sharing what you have been doing since it happened to prevent the same kind of mistake from happening.
"I was scheduling travel and accommodations while working with one of my first event companies. I had a pretty good system until one of the schedulers was fired, so I took over her responsibilities while we looked for a replacement. Looking back I think I was a little overly confident and felt like I had something to prove. I ended up making a couple of simple mistakes that almost caused some bigger problems. My boss caught these errors and confronted me. I learned that it is better to ask for help than to take on more than you can handle. I learned more about my limitations and how to handle stress by communicating what I need to my team."
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.
Anonymous Answer
I was managing a training event, and on the second to last day of the event, our attendees pull an all-nighter so that they can create a presentation and share it with a panel of judges the following day. That being said, it's important the attendees are well-fed and energized. I made the mistake of not ordering a vegetarian and halal option for the last dinner.
Realizing my mistake, I immediately communicated with my project manager that this had happened and it was being fixed; everyone would be fed. I spoke to catering, who noticed this mistake and offered to create a larger salad portion. I also called restaurants within a 5-mile radius to see who might be able to fill my order. We were able to find a sandwich shop nearby that filled our order. When picking up my order, I plated with the meal we ordered from catering so that the experience would be a bit more seamless and our attendees loved the food! It gave some folks an opportunity to try something local, and we still came under our original food budget.
Rachelle's Feedback
Fantastic story! It's evident that you are strong in the areas of problem-solving and communicating to meet a goal. Your story-based example shows natural leadership qualities and care for others. Excellent answer.
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