"The biggest mistake I made at my previous employment was accepting a supervisory position after six months on the job. I was the youngest employee, and I had not earned my peers' respect. I honestly did not know what I was doing, and it showed. After one week, I requested a meeting with my supervisor and asked if I could return to my previous position to gain more experience. He was understanding and allowed me to return to my previous position. After that, I took an effective leadership course and read books on managing others. Two years later, I applied for the supervisory position and was promoted. I felt much more confident in my role and earned my coworkers' respect."

Avoid saying that you have never made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes, and the interviewer will feel that you are being dishonest in your response. They will also think that you are the type of person who cannot admit when they are wrong, which is not a good quality for a Firefighter.

You should also avoid describing a mistake that would make the interviewer think you are not a good Firefighter or would be a liability to the department if hired. For example, if your biggest mistake was misusing extrication equipment and you caused debilitating injury to a patient, the interviewer may pass you over for another candidate.

"The biggest mistake I made at my previous job was forgetting to show up for a shift trade. I had agreed to cover one of my coworker's shifts a month prior and did not put it on my calendar. I was taking my son to preschool and got a call from the Captain asking where I was. I was confused and told him I was taking my son to school and that it was my day off. He informed me that there was a signed shift trade form on his desk, and I was supposed to be at the station covering the shift. I apologized and told him I would be a the station in 20 minutes. I learned from that mistake to always put shift trades on my calendar immediately and check my calendar daily. I never had that happen again after making that error."