how to start an essay about a time you failed

“Tell Me About a Time You Failed” (Example Answers Included)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

Tell me about a time you failed; it’s one of the scariest interview questions around. After all, no one likes to talk about times they made mistakes or where things went wrong. It just isn’t a good time.

The thing is, that doesn’t mean you can avoid it. “Tell me about a time you failed” is a job interview staple, so you need to be ready for it.

But how do you prepare for such a tricky question? By having a great strategy. If you want to make sure you’re ready, come with us as we explore how to answer “tell me about a time you failed” like a pro.

What Is Failure?

Before we dig into how to answer “Tell me about a time you failed,” let’s talk about what “failed” means in this context.

According to Merriam-Webster , “failure” can simply mean a “lack of success.”

Why does that matter? Because the outcome doesn’t have to be catastrophic to qualify, which is actually good news for candidates.

Usually, when job seekers reflect on their failures, they focus on the biggest examples. However, something smaller could still fit the bill for the question, allowing you to steer clear of discussing situations that may genuinely hurt your chances of getting a job.

What kind of failures are your best options? Well, that depends. Hiring managers are going to want to hear about a real situation that had a genuine impact. Remember, something isn’t a failure unless there was a lack of success, so a misstep with no consequences doesn’t count.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to be strategic about what you choose. Ideally, you need an example that had consequences, but you were able to overcome the fallout. That way, you can highlight your resilience instead of just the mistake.

However, discussing the right kind of example isn’t the only important part of answering this question. You also need to be able to articulate your failures like a pro. Being able to remain calm, fact-oriented, and honest are all crucial to the broader equation. So is staying concise without being vague.

If you can do that, you can craft an excellent answer to the question, increasing the odds that you’ll impress the hiring manager.

Why Does the Hiring Manager Ask This Question?

So, why on earth would a hiring manager ask, “Tell me about a time you failed”? In most cases, their goal isn’t to learn about the misstep. Instead, they want to see how you deal with poor outcomes, as well as what you do after a failure to recover.

Plus, they want to see if you’re honest, accountable, and self-aware. Being able to own up to your mistakes is a big deal. If you can do that well, the odds are better that you learn from the poor outcomes, making them less likely to happen again in the future.

Ultimately, while this question asks about failures, it really isn’t about the incident itself. Instead, it’s about how you manage adversity, as well as whether you recognize the part you played and are willing to own it and found a way to move forward.

Just remember, this is just one question the hiring manager could ask you in your interview! That’s why we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview.

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Common Mistakes When Answering This Question

Before we dig into how to answer this interview question, let’s take a second to discuss common mistakes people make when responding to this prompt.

First, claiming you’ve never failed is a big no-no. If you do that, the hiring manager is going to question your mentality and self-awareness. And considering that 89 percent of new hires that fail in a position within their first 18 months because of a poor attitude, bad temperament, or similar issues, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on the job.

Second, mistakes that cost companies a ton of money aren’t ideal. While it’s okay if there is some cost, you don’t want it to be budget-derailing. If it is, the hiring manager isn’t going to feel confident about hiring you.

Third, skip failures that involved compliance or legal issues. If a hiring manager hears that your mistake caused a regulatory body, attorney’s office, or similar organization to descend upon a workplace, they won’t be too keen about bringing you on board.

Similarly, anything where the failure was incredibly high profile isn’t a great example. So, if the fallout was substantial, harming the company’s reputation, choose something else.

Tips for Answering This Question

Coming up with a great answer doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are three tips that can help you head in the right direction.

1. Take Ownership of Your Part

In some cases, candidates try to mitigate the damage by using “we” instead of “I” in their answers. While it’s fine to mention if a team was involved, make sure to take ownership of your part of the equation by saying “I” when appropriate. That way, it doesn’t look like you’re hiding your role in the situation behind other people, making your answer more genuine.

2. Quantify the Details

Quantifying the details makes your answer feel more real. You’re giving the hiring manager context they don’t have otherwise, adding depth to your response. Plus, you can use the numbers to show that the failure did have an impact, ensuring you are sharing an example that works for the question.

3. Focus on How You Moved Forward

While you do need to outline what went wrong, spend a decent amount of time talking about what went right after the failure. Talk about how you recovered or made an effort to learn from the incident to make sure it was never repeated. That way, the hiring manager can see your growth, making it less likely that they’ll worry about you repeating the mistake down the line.

How to Answer the Interview Question “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

Here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: a look at how to answer the interview question “Tell me about a time you failed.”

So, how do you tackle it? By first recognizing that this is a behavioral interview question.

The hiring manager wants to hear the story behind what happened, as well as the outcome. Since that’s what you need to do, using the STAR Method is a must, ensuring your answer isn’t just a humdrum list of facts but a compelling narrative.

However, you don’t want to stop there. The Tailoring Method is an important part of the equation. That way, you can pick an example that’s appropriate based on the situation, ensuring you are taking the hiring manager’s needs into account.

Want to see how you bring a fantastic answer together? Great! Here’s a step-by-step guide and some example responses that can help.

Step-by-Step Guide

Putting your answer together one piece at a time is often the easiest approach to use. Here’s a step-by-step guide for answering “Tell me about a time you failed.”

1. Identify the Failure You Want to Discuss

First, reflect on your career to identify an appropriate failure to include in your answer. Ideally, it needs to be significant enough that there were consequences, but not catastrophic.

2. Define Why It’s a Failure (Optional)

In some cases, it pays off to take a second and define failure in the context of the situation. By letting the hiring manager know why you viewed an incident as a failure, you can give them context before sharing the details.

2. Summarize What Happened Concisely

When you’re answering this question, you want to keep your answer focused. Summarize the entire event in just a handful of sentences, give or take, covering what the situation was, what unfolded, and the outcome efficiently.

3. Talk About the Positives

After you outline the event, pivot toward something more positive. Talk about how you worked to recover or the lessons learned along the way. That way, you can end on a high note.

Example Answers

When push comes to shove, it’s hard to beat a good example. Here are three sample responses to “Tell me about a time you failed,” each focused on a slightly different target.

1. Missed Deadline

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“In my first position, I was still getting a feel for my workload. When I was given my first major solo project, I quoted the client a completion deadline of just four weeks. While it was true that it would take three weeks of work, that was based on me handling no other tasks during my workday. I neglected to factor in the time I needed for the rest of my responsibilities, and the project was two weeks late. The client wasn’t thrilled about the delay. This harmed the company’s reputation, as well as made the client reluctant initially to use us for future needs. I took full responsibility for the missed deadline, and the incident was ultimately a powerful lesson for me. I learned to better assess my full workload, allowing me to set reasonable deadlines moving forward. Since that project, I’ve remained on target consistently. Additionally, I was able to work with that client again, finishing that project not just on time, but a few days early.”

2. Poor Delegation

“As a manager, I believe that letting down my team is a major failure. When I was initially promoted into a management role, I struggled with setting aside my individual contributor hat. I tried to take control of everything instead of trusting my team to do what they do well. The lack of delegation was harmful to the team dynamic and made them feel undervalued. As a result, I lost an incredibly skilled employee, as they sought had out an opportunity elsewhere. When they handed in their notice, I asked if they would let me know why they were leaving. Luckily, there were very honest, telling me that their engagement had fallen since I stopped handing out meaningful work and that they believed I didn’t trust them. That moment served as a wake-up call and, while I wasn’t able to get that employee to stay, it made me focus more on engagement and trust. In the end, that made me a better manager, ensuring I kept the right priorities to support my team.”

3. Skipping Steps

“A few years ago, I was given a project with an incredibly tight deadline. I had to make several changes to the client’s system within just a couple of hours, which left me feeling a bit frantic. As I worked, I decided to forgo tests between each major change in an attempt to make the process go faster. I believed that the risk was minimal, as I had made similar changes to other client systems in the past. However, when I applied the changes, it was clear that something was wrong. Since I didn’t test between each step, I had no way of knowing when the problem arose. As a result, I had to roll everything back and schedule a new time window to attempt the changes again, which wasn’t ideal for the client. Ultimately, this was a critical lesson. Since then, I always follow testing best practices even if I’m pressed for time. That way, issues are identified at the right moment, increasing the odds that they can be corrected and the project can finish on time.”

Putting It All Together

Ultimately, you should now have a pretty solid idea of how to answer “Tell me about a time you failed” during your next interview. Use the tips and examples above to your advantage. That way, you’ll be ready with a winning answer the next time you meet with a hiring manager.

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Tell me about a time when you failed. Sample answers & more

Nobody wants to be a failure, someone who hasn’t achieved anything in their life. Yet all successful people will tell you the same things: there’s no progress without failures . We do not learn much, and certainly do not grow as human beings , when everything goes according to the plan, when we go from one success to another. And that’s exactly what makes this interview question tricky .

Many people think that hiring managers want to hear about some small failures . Or about a big one, which you overcame, rose like phoenix from ashes , and eventually turned a big failure into even a bigger success. That’s not true .

Mark my words: They are not interested in the situation you narrate , though everyone enjoys hearing a good story. What matters for the hiring managers is your attitude –whether you can admit making a mistake, take responsibility, get over your failure, and consider it a learning experience. Sometimes they may even prolong the question, asking exactly about these details: “Give us an example of a goal you failed to meet and how you handled the situation.”

Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to this interesting question . My list contains some obvious choices, but also some unconventional and philosophical answers , which can help you stand out. At the end of the day it’s better saying something different than most people say. Let’s have a look at the list.

7 sample answers to “Tell me about a time when you failed” interview question

• I failed to get to the college of my choice . I tried hard, prepared for the entrance exams and for the interviews, but I eventually didn’t make a cut. At first I find it hard to accept , because I thought that I did my best. But when I later talked to some other people, I understood that I didn’t put as much efforts as the others into my preparation. I didn’t hire an interview coach and a tutor, and I didn’t have my application reviewed by a professional writer. That’s what many others did. At the end I simply accepted the situation. Others were better, or tried harder, and so they deserved the place more than I did . It’s behind me now, I earned my degree from another field, and now I am looking forward to get my first job.
• I failed to reach my sales goals in my last job , and that’s one of the reasons why I am here. I could complain that they were super ambitious–and maybe they were, but I prefer not to. You know, some other people met them, so certainly I could have done something better . Maybe I could find better leads, make more calls, try different sales pitches, do a better follow-up, and so on. Trying to analyze what exactly happened, and why I failed, I identified a few things I could have done better, and I think that it will help me in my next sales job. But that’s about it. I failed, I accept that, learned my lesson, and now it’s time to move on . It makes no sense doweling on the past.
• To be honest, I do not think that I’ve failed big time , at least not up to this point of my career. I’ve got to the college I wanted to get to, always had good relationship with family and friends, succeeded with my internship application, and now I am applying for a job in a place where I always wanted to work. But I know that some setback will come , that failure is an integral part of each success story, and I feel mentally ready to experience both successes and failures.
• I failed to meet the expectations of my manager in my last job . They hoped I’d improve the effectiveness in the production process by 10%, tweaking certain things in the automation process. I tried what I could. I broke the entire production into smallest possible cycles and processes, and looked how we could improve each one. It was not an easy task to be honest, because their starting point was pretty solid already. I managed to find few areas for incremental improvement, but eventually we ended up decreasing the production time by 1% only. Well, I accepted the responsibility , which means that they did not prolong my contract. Maybe there is a more skilled engineer somewhere, who’d suggest some superb innovation, but within the limits of my knowledge and imagination , I could not help them anymore. Was it a real failure, however? I do not think so. I would consider it a failure only if I did not try my best. And that’s not the case. I think I handled the failure well, and now I am looking for a new chance with you.
• In my opinion, whether we succeed or fail depends mostly on our own expectations . Let me give you an example. Someone runs a marathon with a goal to win it, or finish in top 10. Someone wants to beat the three hour mark, and another one just want to beat his friend. And someone simply wants to finish the race, or even just to stand on the starting line, something they didn’t find courage to do before. I mean, we all have our level of ambition . I am not particularly ambitious, or competitive, and I think it’s a good quality in this profession. It does not mean that I do not want to progress , or become better in what I do. But it means that I do not stress much about stuff. I do not start pointless conflicts with my colleagues. And if something doesn’t work, or we do not reach some goal, I simply accept it, try to understand why it happened, and improve for the next time. This is my personal philosophy and attitude to life.
• I perhaps failed in the most important task of all tasks– to be a good parent . Working super hard, and spending Saturdays at work, I never really had much time for my son . And when I did not have time for him he found another company. As you can imagine, it wasn’t the best company. He started with drugs five years ago. After several rehabs and tough years, he’s still not entirely clear. I failed as a father , and wish I could turn back the clock. Now I try all I can for him, but still I feel that some things can never be entirely reversed, some wounds can never be healed… But I do not want to talk about sad things now. I always succeeded to separate my work from my personal life, and I am sure I’d do that in your company.
• My answer may surprise you, but I recently failed two times–in the job interviews . I underestimated my research, did not learn enough about the prospective employers. And though I prepared for some questions, I opted for common interview answers, something probably everyone else said. I failed to stand out . Now I approached the task differently. I learned a lot about your place, what you do here, who your clients and competitors are. And I decided to be 100% honest with my interview answers , and not say something just because it sounds good or because that’s what they generally suggest online. Here I am, hoping for a different outcome this time.

Dwelling on failures won’t help you in any way

Regardless of how much you failed–in school, work, in personal life, you should ensure the hiring managers that you’ve got over it already. Nobody wants to hire an employee who will spend half of their time in work thinking what they could or should have done differently, in this or that sphere of their life.

It’s important to analyze our failures, and i dentify the reasons why we didn’t reach the desired outcome. But once that is done it makes absolutely no sense to return to the situation again and again in our head. We cannot change what already happened…

* Special Tip: This isn’t the only difficult question you will face while interviewing for any decent job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, dealing with ambiguity , and other tricky scenarios that happen in the workplace. If you want to make sure that you stand out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will make your life much easier in the interviews. Thank you for checking it out!

You can say that you haven’t failed to reach your goals yet, but should elaborate on your answer

Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to avoid major bumps on the road , and haven’t experienced any real setback yet. You’ve graduated from the school of your choice, got the jobs you wanted to have, and now perhaps you are applying for a job of your dreams.

That’s completely fine to say, as long as you elaborate on your answer . Ensure the interviewers that you know life isn’t a walk in the park . You know that you won’t succeed in all your endeavors , and feel ready to handle the unavoidable setbacks.

Do not be afraid of unconventional answers

There’s nothing more boring like leading ten interviews in a single day, and hearing the same (or similar) answers from all applicants … I led enough interviews in my life to tell you that it does happen… Especially now, when everyone goes online and check some poor mainstream sources (think Monster, Big Interview, Balance, etc), where you cannot really find anything else than general advice.

That’s fine to use when you are the only job candidate, or perhaps apply for a role in IT, or other heavily understaffed sector of economy. But if you compete with many other people for the job, or lack some skills and experience other candidates have, you won’t achieve anything with mediocre answers .

Do not be afraid to experiment . Maybe you can talk about a failure from personal life, something that won’t leave any interviewer at ease (see sample answer no. 6), or about your failures from previous interviews (see sample answer no. 7). It’s always better than saying the same thing everyone else does…

Ready to answer this one?  I hope so! Check also 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions :

• Do you consider yourself successful?
• How do you handle failure?
• What lessons have you learned from your biggest mistakes?
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How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” in a Job Interview

• Joel Schwartzberg

Make sure even your worst moment makes a good impression.

While no one expects job candidates to have perfect records, you also don’t want to give prospective employers reasons for doubt. So how should you answer this common behaviorial interview question?: “Tell me about a time you failed.” In this piece, the author outlines eight tips and offers advice on what to say (and what to avoid). If you respond to the question in a way that highlights your resilience and commitment to learning and progress, your interviewer will likely remember how you prevailed, not how you failed.

“Tell me about a time you failed” is one of the interview questions job seekers most dread, up there with “ Tell me about yourself ” and “ Why do you want to work here? ”

• JS Joel Schwartzberg oversees executive communications for a major national nonprofit, is a professional presentation coach, and is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team . You can find him on LinkedIn and X. TheJoelTruth

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Answering 'tell me about a time you failed' in a job interview.

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Describing a failure can be a tricky in an interview.

Interviewing for a new job can be draining and stressful, especially when the interviewer asks tricky questions. Among the hardest questions to answer can be “tell me about a time you failed.” Just when you’re trying to present yourself in your best light, the interviewer is seemingly undermining your efforts.

Figuring out how to answer this question effectively is especially important. The job market is super challenging right now—and it’s also super stressful. But when you know how to answer the toughest questions, you set yourself apart, reduce your anxiety and increase your chances of success .

Why Interviewers Ask About Failure

Perhaps the biggest mystery about this question is why interviews ask about failure at all. Why is this an important question that’s included in interviews? And what are organizations looking for when they asak you about failure?

Smart employers know there will always be times when performance isn’t perfect. And great cultures reward appropriate risk taking—because it drives innovation and growth. And these conditions mean that some failure will be part of the work experience.

They want to know how you’ll handle it, whether you can learn from it and if you can bounce back when you encounter friction, frustration or setbacks.

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Google chrome gets second emergency update in a week as new exploit confirmed, metallica makes history with their new no 1 single, how interviewers ask about failure.

So, what are the different potential versions of this question?

You should listen for a few different ways potential employers will ask the question—so you can reinforce the right themes no matter how it comes across. They may ask,

• Tell me about a time you failed.
• Share an example of a time when you weren’t hitting the mark.
• Tell me when your work didn’t measure up.
• What was a time when things didn’t go as you had planned?
• How do you handle failure?
• What do you do when you’re frustrated?
• How do you work through failures?
• Tell me about a time when you struggled, and how you handled it.
• Describe a time when you had to pivot.
• What was a time when you had to change course because things weren’t working out?

No matter how the interviewer asks, be ready with themes that you want to emphasize—so you can be clear about your answer while you also connect it with their specific question.

Stay calm and professional when you describe a time you failed.

How to Answer an Interview Question About Failure

So how should someone answer 'tell me about a time you failed' in an interview? And what are key points, words or themes that should be included in the response?

Essentially, interviewers want to hear four things.

• First, they want to know how you handle failure. You’ll want to be sure to communicate that you’re self-aware—and also willing to be honest and admit mistakes. You will also need to answer in a way that shows you’re not overly negative—and that you can keep your cool in tough situations.
• Next, they want to know that you learn from failure and that you are able to not only reflect, but take action to continuously improve. Share how you consider your performance (but don’t obsess), and how you have adjusted your approach to do better next time.
• Also, they want to know you have the capability to be resilient and persevere . You’ll want to communicate that you are able to realize you’ve missed the mark, take action and stay optimistic. They will want to know you can bounce back and stay focused on the future.
• And finally, interviewers want to know you’re a team player. You’ll need to take responsibility for your failures and own your missteps—and avoid blaming others or throwing team members under the bus.

When you’re answering, be thorough, but also concise. Answer with four points: First share the situation and your role. Second, talk about what went wrong. Third, share what you learned. Fourth, talk about the adjustments you plan to make for next time. Put the emphasis on how your reflection helped you move forward and how you’re able to adjust, adapt and improve.

Use words like “reflection,” “taking responsibility,” “taking ownership,” “learning,” “improvement,” “teamwork,” “adapt,” “move forward” and “do better.”

Be clear and transparent about what didn’t work well, but also avoid going into unnecessary detail. Also avoid getting emotional. Instead, remain calm and professional.

Succeeding in Your Interview

Most people—71% according to survey by The Harris Poll conducted for Bloomberg —find the job search process to be complicated. In addition, 69% say they suffer mental and emotional effects of the job search including fatigue (84%), stress (77%), anxiety (75%) and frustration (46%), according to a survey by Monster ,

If you’re finding it tough, you’re not alone. But also know that you can reduce the negative toll the process takes by being ready for the most likely questions and boosting your confidence to answer effectively.

You’ll feel the pressure to perform brilliantly in your interview—but ironically when you can articulate times when things didn’t go well, you can shine in comparison to other candidates and get the job .

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Sample Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

The purpose of this article is to provide readers with a comprehensive guide on how to answer the interview question “Tell me about a time you failed”. While discussing failures may not be the most comfortable topic for many individuals, it is a vital component of the interview process. Employers ask this question for several reasons, including evaluating the candidate’s self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and resilience in the face of setbacks.

Being able to answer this question adequately can set you apart from other candidates and potentially increase your chances of getting the job. By providing sample answers and techniques to approach this question effectively, this article aims to equip readers with the necessary tools to ace their next interview.

Throughout the article, we will further explore the significance of answering the “Tell me about a time you failed” question and its impact on the hiring process. Additionally, we’ll delve into common pitfalls to avoid when answering this question, and discuss effective strategies to frame your answers positively.

This article will also provide different examples and scenarios to help readers think creatively, and better tackle the question at hand. By highlighting the importance of learning from failures and turning them into valuable experiences, this article aims to empower individuals to approach this hiring question with confidence and authenticity.

With a focus on providing a comprehensive guide to answer the “Tell me about a time you failed” question, this article will help readers improve their chances of landing their dream job.

Importance of Answering “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

Explanation of why hiring managers ask this question.

During job interviews, hiring managers often ask candidates to share instances of failure to evaluate their problem-solving skills and response to adversity. Additionally, they want to see how candidates react to failure, as this can provide valuable insight into their work ethic, character, and emotional intelligence.

Employers want to know that they are hiring someone who understands that failure is a natural part of the learning process and who is able to take constructive feedback and learn from their mistakes. They also want to see if the candidate possesses the necessary communication skills to admit to and learn from their failures.

Importance of Showing Emotional Intelligence and Resilience

Responding to “Tell me about a time you failed” question with maturity and empathy highlights your emotional intelligence and resilience. It’s essential to show that you are accepting of feedback and understand the need to make adjustments to your approach.

Employers want to know that, despite experiencing a setback, you are capable of remaining focused, motivated and able to view situations positively. You should highlight how you used the setback as an opportunity to learn and develop new skills.

Failing, especially in the presence of other people or a new organisation, can be especially challenging in terms of bouncing back from the situation. Thus, you must convey your resilience in your explanation of the event. That way, hiring managers can see that you are a reliable employee who can remain productive, motivated, and forthcoming in the face of challenges found in even the most challenging work environments. By exhibiting vulnerability and self-awareness in your response and highlighting the impact of your response to the situation, you can demonstrate your ability to handle challenging work scenarios, pivot when necessary and learn from mistakes.

Sharing an experience of failure can be difficult, but discussing it openly during a job interview can positively influence how potential employers perceive you. It demonstrates your ability to learn from your mistakes and to use it as an opportunity to grow and further develop your professional skill set. Companies want employees who recognize their strengths and weaknesses, can grow within an organization, and push through adversity. Thus, responding to the question of your failure experience is a crucial element of conveying your ability to the hiring managers.

Examples of “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

When asked about a time you failed, there are several ways you can interpret this question. One interpretation is as an invitation to discuss a specific scenario in which you failed to achieve a goal, meet expectations, or solve a problem. Another interpretation is as an opportunity to demonstrate how you have learned from failure and how it has made you a better employee.

Here are some examples of different categories of failure that you could talk about in your response:

1. Professional Failure

One category of failure could be professional failure, which could include situations where you made a mistake at work, missed a deadline, or lost a client. For example, you could talk about a time when you failed to meet a sales target, or when you made an error that cost the company money. In these situations, it’s important to acknowledge your mistake and explain what you learned from it, such as implementing new processes or seeking feedback from colleagues.

2. Personal Failure

Another category of failure could be personal failure, which could include situations where you failed to meet a personal goal, such as losing weight or learning a new skill. For example, you could talk about a time when you failed to pass a professional certification exam, or when you didn’t meet your fitness goals. In these situations, it’s important to show how you bounced back from the failure and what steps you took to improve yourself.

3. Leadership Failure

A third category of failure could be leadership failure, which could include situations where you failed to lead a team effectively, such as failing to communicate clearly or address conflicts within the team. For example, you could talk about a time when you failed to motivate a team to meet a project deadline, or when you didn’t provide enough direction to a team member who was struggling. In these situations, it’s important to demonstrate how you’ve improved your leadership skills, such as taking a course or working closely with a mentor.

4. Technical Failure

A fourth category of failure could be technical failure, which could include situations where you failed to execute a technical task or project, such as debugging code or troubleshooting software issues. For example, you could talk about a time when you failed to fix a critical bug in a website or software program, or when you didn’t fully understand a technical concept. In these situations, it’s important to highlight what you learned from the experience, such as improving your coding skills or seeking help from a technical expert.

When answering the question of “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”, it’s important to remember the different categories of failure, and to be honest and reflective in your response. Demonstrating your ability to learn from failures, while showing what actions you took to improve yourself or the situation, can set you apart from other job candidates and make you a valuable asset to any team.

Four Elements of a Good Answer to “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

When answering the common interview question, “Tell me about a time you failed,” it’s important to have a structured response that showcases your self-awareness and ability to learn from your mistakes. Here are four essential elements of a good answer:

1. The Situation or Task

First, describe the situation or task that you were faced with. What was your role? What were you trying to accomplish? Be specific and provide context to help the interviewer understand the circumstances.

2. The Action You Took

Next, describe the action you took to address the situation or complete the task. What steps did you take? What decisions did you make? Again, be specific and provide details.

3. The Result

Describe the outcome of your actions. What was the result of your efforts? Did you achieve your goal? Was there a specific metric or objective that you were working towards? If so, did you meet it?

4. Reflection and Learning

This is arguably the most important element of your answer. After describing the situation, your actions, and the outcome, reflect on what you learned from the experience. What did you gain from the experience? How has it helped you grow as a person or professional? Be introspective and thoughtful in your response.

It’s important to provide a specific example to illustrate your answer. Use concrete, real-world scenarios to demonstrate your ability to handle adversity and learn from your failures. Generalities and abstractions won’t convince the interviewer that you’ve truly internalized the lessons of your past mistakes.

A good answer to “Tell me about a time you failed” should include a description of the situation, the action you took, the result, and reflection on what you learned. By providing a specific example and demonstrating your self-awareness and ability to learn from your mistakes, you can answer this question effectively and impress the interviewer.

Mistakes to Avoid when Answering “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

When faced with the question “Tell me about a time you failed,” it’s important to be honest and authentic in your answer. However, there are certain missteps to avoid that could leave a negative impression on the interviewer.

Common Missteps

Blaming others – While it’s important to explain the context surrounding the failure, blaming others for the failure can make you appear defensive and lacking in accountability. Instead, take ownership of your role in the failure and focus on what you learned from it.

Being too vague – Simply stating that you failed without providing details or examples doesn’t give the interviewer any insight into how you handle difficult situations. Be specific and provide concrete examples that illustrate your problem-solving skills.

Not acknowledging the impact – Failing to acknowledge the impact of the failure on yourself, your team, or the company can make it seem as though you don’t recognize the seriousness of the situation. Explain the consequences of the failure and how you addressed them.

Not highlighting the learnings – A failure is not just a negative experience, but also a valuable opportunity to learn and grow. Failing to highlight what you learned from the failure can give the impression that you didn’t take anything away from the experience.

Overcoming Negativity or Bitterness

When discussing a failure, it’s easy to fall into a negative or bitter tone. However, it’s important to approach the question with a positive mindset and focus on the lessons learned rather than dwelling on the negative experience.

One way to overcome negativity is to frame the failure as a challenge that you were able to overcome. Focus on how you tackled the problem and what steps you took to turn the situation around. Emphasize the skills and strengths you utilized to overcome the challenge.

Another approach is to highlight the positive outcomes that came out of the failure. Did the experience lead to new opportunities or a change in perspective? Discussing how the failure led to growth and development can demonstrate resilience and a willingness to learn.

Answering the question “Tell me about a time you failed” can be daunting, but avoiding common missteps and approaching the question with a positive mindset can make all the difference. By focusing on what you learned and how you overcame the challenge, you can turn a negative experience into a valuable opportunity to showcase your skills and strengths.

Examples of Poor Answers and How to Avoid Them

During a job interview, the way you answer questions is just as important as the way you present yourself. Crafting a compelling answer that showcases your skills and experience can be challenging, but delivering a poor answer can raise some red flags for your interviewer. In the context of answering the question “tell me about a time you failed,” a poor answer can be particularly concerning for employers, as it can indicate a lack of self-awareness, accountability, or critical thinking.

What Makes a Poor Answer

A poor answer to the question “tell me about a time you failed” often shares some common traits:

• The candidate avoids answering the question directly.  Instead of providing a clear example of a failure, the candidate talks about successes or generalities that don’t address the question. This can indicate that the candidate is uncomfortable with admitting failures or does not have enough relevant experiences to draw from.
• The candidate shifts blame or doesn’t take ownership of the failure.  Candidates who attribute their failures solely to external factors, such as bad luck, difficult team members, or the company’s culture, might come across as lacking accountability or lacking the ability to learn from their mistakes. A successful answer should demonstrate how the candidate took responsibility for their actions and what they learned from the experience.
• The candidate focuses too much on negativity or self-pity.  While it’s important to be candid and honest about the challenges you faced, providing too many details about how the failure affected you emotionally or how it made you doubt your abilities can make you seem unprofessional or emotionally unstable. A balanced answer should acknowledge the disappointment or frustration of the failure, but also highlight the candidate’s resilience and determination to overcome it.

Real-Life Examples of Poor Answers and How to Avoid Them

Here are some examples of poor answers to the question “tell me about a time you failed” and some suggestions on how to improve them:

Poor Answer 1: “Well, I can’t really think of any major failures that I’ve had. I’m a pretty cautious person, and I try to avoid taking risks that could lead to failures. I think my track record speaks for itself – I’ve always been successful in my previous roles.”

This answer demonstrates a lack of self-reflection and an unwillingness to admit vulnerabilities. To avoid this mistake, try to think of a time when you faced a challenge or a setback, even if it was not a major one. Focusing on the lessons learned and demonstrating how you overcame the challenge will show your adaptability and problem-solving skills.

Improved Answer 1: “While I strive for success, I understand that setbacks and challenges are inevitable. One instance that comes to mind is when I encountered a complex problem while working on a project. Initially, I underestimated the level of effort required and didn’t allocate enough resources. As a result, the project fell behind schedule. However, I took immediate action by reassessing the situation, reallocating resources, and creating a detailed plan to get back on track. I learned the importance of thorough planning and resource management, which I have since applied successfully in subsequent projects.”

Poor Answer 2: “I once failed a project because my coworker didn’t deliver on time. It was really frustrating because I had done everything right, but they messed it up for me. I complained to my boss, but nothing really happened.

This answer displays a lack of accountability and a tendency to blame others for the failure. Instead, it’s important to focus on your own actions and how you responded to the situation. Emphasize your problem-solving skills and ability to adapt in challenging circumstances.

Improved Answer 2: “During a project, I faced a significant setback when a crucial deliverable from a coworker was delayed. While initially frustrated, I realized that dwelling on the issue wouldn’t solve the problem. I proactively engaged with my coworker to understand the reasons behind the delay and offered assistance to overcome any obstacles. By collaborating closely, we managed to find a solution and successfully complete the project within the revised timeline. This experience taught me the value of effective communication, teamwork, and adaptability in overcoming unexpected challenges.”

By providing improved answers that demonstrate self-reflection, accountability, problem-solving skills, and adaptability, you can effectively address the question about failure and showcase your ability to learn and grow from difficult situations. Remember to focus on the lessons learned and emphasize your positive actions in response to failure.

Example Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

When a hiring manager asks about a time you failed during an interview, it can be tempting to try and sugarcoat your answer or avoid the topic altogether. However, being vulnerable and honest about a failure can actually work in your favor by showcasing your character and problem-solving skills. Here are some sample answers, along with an explanation of what makes them strong and how they align with the four elements of a good answer:

“When I first started my job in sales, I had a hard time meeting my quotas. I was hesitant to ask for help and thought I could figure it out on my own. But eventually, I realized that I needed to seek out advice from my colleagues and manager. They were all very supportive and offered me tips and techniques that helped me improve my performance. Looking back, I wish I had asked for help sooner. But ultimately, it was a valuable lesson in the importance of collaboration and seeking guidance when needed.”

What makes it strong:  This answer demonstrates humility, as the interviewee admits to struggling and needing assistance. It also showcases their ability to learn from their mistakes and adapt their approach. Additionally, it aligns with the four elements of a good answer:

• Provide context:  The interviewee gives background information about their struggle to meet sales quotas.
• Explain what you did:  They explain how they initially tried to solve the problem on their own, but eventually realized they needed to seek help.
• Highlight what you learned:  The interviewee talks about the valuable lesson they learned about collaborating with colleagues and seeking guidance.
• Reflect on how it will help you in the future:  They reflect on how they would handle similar situations differently in the future.

“I applied for a leadership position within my organization but was ultimately passed over for another candidate. It was hard not to take it personally and feel discouraged. However, I scheduled a meeting with my supervisor to get feedback on my performance and how I could improve for the future. I also sought out mentorship from other leaders in the company and worked on developing my skills and strengths. While I was disappointed at the time, the experience ultimately showed me the value of seeking feedback and guidance in order to grow and develop as a professional.”

What makes it strong:  This answer showcases the interviewee’s resilience and ability to take feedback and turn it into a positive experience. It also demonstrates their willingness to seek out mentorship and actively work on improving themselves. In terms of the four elements of a good answer:

• Provide context:  The interviewee explains how they applied for a leadership position but didn’t get it.
• Explain what you did: They talk about how they sought feedback from their supervisor, as well as mentorship from other leaders.
• Highlight what you learned:  The interviewee emphasizes the value of seeking feedback and guidance for personal growth and development. Reflect on how it will help you in the future: They reflect on how they will apply the lessons learned from this experience to future opportunities.

Both of these example answers effectively address the question about failure by being honest, introspective, and highlighting the lessons learned. Remember to tailor your answer to a specific situation from your own experiences and emphasize personal growth and development. By providing strong answers to this question, you can demonstrate your resilience, willingness to learn, and ability to overcome challenges, making a positive impression on the interviewer.

Tips for Preparing for the Question in Preparation for a Job Interview

When preparing for a job interview, it is important to prepare for potential questions that may be asked, including the dreaded “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” question. Here are some steps you can take to prepare for this question and other potential questions:

Research the company: Understanding the company’s mission, values, and culture can help you tailor your responses and show that you are a good fit for the organization.

Review the job description: Make sure you understand the qualifications and responsibilities of the position you are applying for. This can help you craft responses that demonstrate your fit for the role.

Practice, practice, practice: It’s important to practice your responses to potential questions. This can help you feel more confident and prepared during the actual interview.

When it comes to practicing your responses, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Practice with a friend or mentor: Practicing with someone who can give you feedback can be incredibly helpful. They may be able to point out areas where you can improve or help you refine your responses.

Record yourself: Recording yourself can help you identify areas where you may need to improve your delivery or body language.

Use the STAR method: The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can be helpful when crafting responses. This method helps you structure your responses and ensure that you are providing a clear and concise answer.

Ultimately, the key to preparing for the “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” question is to focus on the lessons you learned from the experience and how you have grown as a result. By following these preparation steps and practicing your responses, you can feel confident and prepared to tackle any potential interview question.

Common Follow-Up Questions After Answering “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

After answering the “Tell me about a time you failed” question, it is common for interviewers to follow-up with additional questions. This is because they want to assess your level of self-awareness, ability to learn from mistakes, and resilience. They also want to see if you have a growth mindset and can turn failures into opportunities for growth.

Here are some common follow-up questions and the best way to answer them:

1. Can you walk me through the steps you took to address your failure?

This question allows the interviewer to understand your problem-solving skills and your ability to take action. To answer this question, provide a step-by-step guide of the actions you took to address the situation. Explain the rationale behind each step and how you evaluated the effectiveness of each action. Also, highlight any mistakes you made along the way and what you learned from them.

2. What did you learn from your failure?

This question is meant to assess your level of self-awareness and introspection. To answer this question, be honest about what you learned from the failure. Explain how the experience impacted you personally and professionally. Share how you have applied the lessons learned to improve your performance and avoid similar mistakes in the future.

3. How did you feel about the failure?

This question is designed to assess your emotional intelligence and ability to deal with difficult situations. To answer this question, be honest about how you felt when you failed. Share your initial reactions and how you managed your emotions. Highlight any positive outcomes that resulted from the failure and how it helped you grow as a person.

4. How have you used your failure as a learning opportunity?

This question is meant to assess your ability to turn failures into opportunities for growth. To answer this question, share how you have used the lessons learned from the failure to improve yourself. Explain how you have applied the knowledge gained to other areas of your life or work. Highlight any specific examples of how the failure has helped you become a better person or employee.

Answering follow-up questions after the “Tell me about a time you failed” question is an opportunity to showcase your problem-solving skills, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and growth mindset. By being honest about your experiences and lessons learned, you can demonstrate your ability to learn from mistakes and turn failures into opportunities for growth.

Importance of Honesty in Answering “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

When faced with the question, “Tell me about a time you failed,” the importance of honesty cannot be overstated. Honesty is not only the best policy, but it is also essential in a job interview as it provides employers with an accurate representation of your character and the type of employee they can expect you to be.

It can be tempting to sugarcoat your answer and present yourself in the best light possible, but this approach is counterproductive. Interviewers are looking for candidates who are honest about their failures and willing to learn from them.

Exemplifying integrity in your answer is crucial. Being honest about a past failure shows that you take responsibility for your actions, and you are willing to admit when you made a mistake. It also demonstrates your integrity, which is a highly valued trait in any employee.

When answering this question, it is essential to be specific and transparent about how you failed, what you learned from the experience, and how you grew as a person and professional. This will help the interviewer gauge your ability to handle mistakes and setbacks, as well as your problem-solving skills.

Honesty is crucial when answering the question, “Tell me about a time you failed.” Presenting yourself in a genuine light and exemplifying integrity is crucial to make a lasting impression on the interviewer. By admitting your mistake and showing how you learned and grew from the experience, you can leave a positive impression and demonstrate your ability to handle challenging situations with grace and professionalism.

Remember, everyone experiences failures at some point in their careers. It is how you handle and learn from those failures that truly matters. Embracing honesty in your answer allows you to turn a potentially negative question into an opportunity to showcase your growth mindset and demonstrate your suitability for the role.

In conclusion, honesty is of paramount importance when answering the question about a time you failed. By being genuine, taking responsibility, and sharing the valuable lessons you learned, you can leave a lasting impression on the interviewer and show that you are a candidate who values personal growth, integrity, and continuous improvement.

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How To Answer “Tell Me About A Time You Failed” (Samples)

June 25, 2022 by Hannah Morgan

“Tell me about a time you failed” is an interview question that many people misunderstand. Because of this, they spend their time crafting an answer that doesn’t give the interviewer what they’re actually looking for!

This guide will teach you how to answer this question, and provide you with some great sample answers to help you get started.

Table of contents

Why interviewers ask this question, how to answer “tell me about a time you failed”, what you should avoid saying, sample answers.

Asking a job-seeker to talk about past failures might initially seem a little unorthodox. However, “Tell me about a time you failed” is relatively common and serves many purposes for the interviewer. 

At face value, your answer will let the hiring manager know how you typically respond to adversity. No workplace is perfect, and no employee can expect to do their job without running into obstacles from time to time. Things happen, but what’s most important is how you respond to them.

That’s what interviewers want to hear about most. They want to see some examples of how you respond to failure and what you do to overcome it. Do you give up and wait for someone to rescue you, or do you take charge and be proactive about making improvements?

How people respond to failure says a lot about their personality. There’s nothing wrong with being upset or experiencing a setback. But companies want to hire people who will take responsibility and work to fix the problem . Whether it’s a missed deadline or losing out on a massive account, how you respond matters more than the situation itself.

Your answer to “Tell me about a time you failed” can also shed light on your overall honesty and accountability. No one likes to work with someone constantly shifting the blame and failing to take responsibility for their own actions.

Interviewers want to see that you can accept defeat, move on, and do better. It’s about what you learn from your mistakes and what steps you take to improve. 

While this question seems simple, it’s layered. Hiring managers can learn a lot about who you are and how you perform at work from how you respond. As a result, this is a question you want to think about before going into your interview.

While everyone’s answer will differ based on their past work experience, interviewers are looking for a few key things when asking this question. Here are some tips to help you develop an answer that’s sure to impress.

1. Give a Legitimate Example

The most important thing to remember when answering this question is that honesty is the best policy. 

So many job-seekers have the wrong approach to their answer because they believe it’s a trick question. As a result, they try to frame their response as a humblebrag rather than a legitimate answer. Despite what you might think, this isn’t supposed to be an opportunity where you talk about your accomplishments.

It’s the exact opposite! Hiring managers don’t want to hear you go on and on about how awesome you are. That’s not what this question is about, and answering in any way that doesn’t involve actual failures could end up hurting your chances of getting a job offer!

Focus on real examples and experiences. Everyone has made mistakes or failed at some point. Dig deep and think back to those experiences.

Developing an answer will require self-reflection, but that’s the entire point. Interviewers want you to look back at previous mistakes and tell them everything you’ve learned. 

Don’t make the mistake of saying you’ve never failed. Let’s be honest: That’s not true. Not only does it come off as fake, but it can also make the interviewer think that you’re a liar. That’s the last thing you want.

Provide a legitimate example of past failures, and don’t be afraid to discuss them openly. That’s precisely what the interviewer wants.

2. Take Responsibility

A big part of your answer to this question is showing that you know how to take responsibility for your actions when you’ve failed. It’s about having accountability and knowing when you do something wrong.

Here’s another reason why many job-seekers fail to answer this question appropriately. It’s easy to shift the blame onto another person when you make a mistake. That’s the gut response for many people.

But doing so shows a lack of accountability and maturity. If you do that during the interview and try to blame someone else, you’re only making yourself look bad.

For example, avoid framing your answer to “Tell me about a time you failed” in a way that puts blame on someone else. Saying that you were incorrectly blamed for something isn’t the right way to respond to this question. This type of answer doesn’t give the interviewer what they’re looking for in an applicant.

Own up to your mistakes! Everyone makes them. Attempting to hide your failures by shifting the blame onto others does not reflect well on you.

The same goes for trying to avoid the question altogether. In the heat of the moment, that might be your first instinct. It’s not easy to talk about your failures, so you might try to push the conversation in another direction.

Make no mistake: Interviewers notice that attempt and will make a note of the fact that you weren’t upfront or honest.

3. Show What You Learned

Want to know the key to answering this question correctly? In addition to being honest and taking responsibility, the best way to leave a lasting impression is to show how you’ve learned and grown from that failure in the past.

That’s how you set yourself apart from other job-seekers and make yourself look like the perfect applicant.

As we’ve said earlier, mistakes happen! They’re unavoidable, and employers know that even the best employees will fail at some point. No one expects sheer perfection, but they do expect something to come out of those failures.

Companies want people who will take corrective action and be proactive about avoiding similar mistakes in the future. Failing is how you grow and improve. It’s how you hone your skills and become the best worker you can be.

When you answer “Tell me about a time you failed” it’s important to talk about how that experience shaped who you are and how you work. Share what you learned and focus on the positives. Frame your answer in a way that treats your failure as a blessing rather than a curse.

If possible, provide a real-world example of how that experience changed you for the better. Maybe you developed new work techniques to avoid making the same mistake again. Or, you could have changed your entire approach to your job to prevent future failures.

Whatever the case might be, now is your chance to talk about it. Focus on how those failures made you a better employee, and your response will be one that stands out.

4. Practice Your Answer

Our last tip applies to any complex interview question. Practice is essential.

“Tell me about a time you failed” isn’t a question that you want to wait until the day of the interview to prepare for. It’s not one you want to create an answer for on the spot, either.

It sounds simple, but a question like this is more complex than many people realize. It’s multi-faceted and provides insight into who you are as a person and employee. There are no guarantees it’ll come up during your interview, but there’s a good chance you’ll hear something vaguely similar.

Reflect on your past experiences and come up with an answer well before going into your interview. Jot down a few points you want to cover and use that as a framework for your response.

It’s not a good idea to write down a full script. That’ll make you sound rehearsed, disingenuous, and robotic. Instead, cover a few key points and practice ways to respond.

The goal is to feel confident about your answer while still sounding like a human being!

Knowing what you should say and how you can create a memorable answer is just half the battle. You might think that you have an excellent response ready, but you could commit some cardinal interview sins during the process.

Here are some things you should avoid saying when answering “Tell me about a time you failed.”.

Rambling Answers

One of the worst things you can do for any interview question is ramble on and on. Clear and concise answers are always best!

This question is a bit more complex, so it may take over a minute to tell your story. But even then, one to two minutes is what you should aim for when responding. Anything longer, and it becomes drawn-out.

Also, organize your thoughts and plan what you want to say . Steer clear of incoherent rambling to fill the silence.

Anything That Makes You Sound Careless

Never say anything that makes you sound careless. Your work is important, and you need to understand the gravity of mistakes. Shrugging off failures isn’t a good look, and those types of responses will rub the interviewer the wrong way.

For example, saying that you hardly cared about the mistake or acting defensive about your failures makes it seem like you don’t care about your job. Why would a company want to hire anyone like that?

Responses That Shift the Blame

We’ve already talked about how you should take responsibility for your failures. But this is something that deserves repeating. Never shift the blame onto any of your colleagues or managers. 

Remember: It’s about knowing how to take accountability. Blaming others for your shortcomings is a quick way to get yourself taken out of the running.

Need help coming up with an impressive answer? We have you covered.

Your response will depend on your real-world experience. There’s no universally correct answer. That said, you can use the following examples for inspiration. Use them as a guide to shape your answer, check off all the boxes, and form a response that sticks.

In our first sample answer, the applicant talks about a common workplace mistake. They discuss failing to meet a tight deadline they set for themselves. It’s a great example because it’s something most interviewers can relate to on some level.

The applicant talks about the details of the failure and what it taught them. They then provide an example of how it led to improvements.

“I had a tendency to place unrealistic deadlines on myself and my team. I managed a project for one of our most profitable clients. It was my first time leading the project, so I was eager to please.

When asked about deliverables and deadlines, I stated that we could finish everything in four weeks. Initially, I thought that was manageable. I pushed the team to improve productivity. However, I was sorely mistaken, and the project took six weeks to complete.

The client was not happy, and I quickly realized I should have been more conservative with the deadline. The client wouldn’t have been so disappointed had I been upfront and provided a more realistic timeframe.

Moving forward, I allotted more time to get things done. The next project I managed was similar, but I gave a timeline of eight weeks rather than four. The team completed the project in only five weeks, ultimately impressing the client with our early delivery.”

In our next example, the job applicant discusses failing to take the necessary steps to ensure accuracy. They went through an experience where they skipped critical testing steps that created more headaches in the future. The response tells a captivating story while explaining what they learned.

“Several years ago, I took on a project with a relatively tight deadline. To get the work done as soon as possible, I decided to skip the testing process for a few code changes in the client’s system. Initially, I thought that the risk of issues was minimal.

Instead of testing after every step, I waited to apply the changes until the code was finished. As a result, many problems came up, and I had to roll everything back.

I missed my deadline and had to change the delivery window. The client wasn’t happy with the extra time I needed.

While I did finish the project, it took much longer than it should have. Had I taken those steps to test changes at every stage, I wouldn’t have had to go back to the drawing board to make changes. Since then, I’ve never skipped testing, allowing ample time to get things done right the first time.”

For our final sample answer, the applicant talks about a situation where they didn’t trust their instincts and took a risk. The risk didn’t pay off, and they learned a valuable lesson that prevented them from doing something similar in the future.

“When I first took on a managerial position at my last job, I had the opportunity to interview and hire entry-level employees for a newly formed team. I was excited about that responsibility. However, I hired someone despite everything telling me I shouldn’t.

They had several “red flags” and didn’t have the necessary experience. But I took a chance on them due to their sheer enthusiasm. It was a mistake, and the new hire had a poor attitude that dragged the entire team down.

The CEO had to fire them, and it took a while to regain hiring trust. I learned the importance of trusting my gut and going to others for guidance if I’m unsure. The experience also shaped how I approached hiring new employees in the future.

I’m much more careful about who I bring into the team. I’ve since hired about ten people, and they’ve all been great additions. This ensured I never made the same mistake again.”

Now that you know how to answer “Tell me about a time you failed” it’s time to start preparing. Like any interview question, it’s crucial to practice and think about how you’ll respond before you step in the room. This question doesn’t have to be intimidating. In fact, your answer could be what sets you apart from other candidates !

Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including  Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success .

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How to answer: tell me about a time you failed (plus sample answers).

You’re sitting in an interview , giving eloquent answers to every question that comes your way. The interviewer is smiling and leaning forward—the job is practically yours.

Then comes a question you didn’t expect: “Tell me about a time you failed.”

Candidates often struggle with this type of behavioral question. Not only can these questions catch people off guard, but they’re also very challenging to answer effectively.

• After all, you’re trying to make a great impression on your potential employer. It feels uncomfortable to share a story about a time your performance was less than impressive.

Fortunately, there’s a way to honestly describe a time you failed and impress the interviewer.

Read on for tips and examples that will help you deliver a stellar answer and land the job.

Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question?

First, it’s helpful to understand why employers want to hear about a time you failed.

It’s not because they want to expose your flaws or find a reason to reject you.

In fact, when you’re called in for an interview, the interviewer is hoping that you’re just the right fit for the open position.

So, why do they ask this question? Your answer reveals a few different aspects of your character, such as:

• Whether you’re honest and self-aware enough to admit failure and take responsibility
• If you have the capacity to bounce back and learn from failure
• How well you can handle criticism and feedback
• How well you “think on your feet”

All employees are bound to fail sometimes.

But your answer to this question shows how well you handle failure—and whether you’re able to use the lessons learned to achieve success in the future.

How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

Let’s walk through a few steps that will help you answer the dreaded question, “Tell me about a time you failed.”

Brainstorm Examples

In any given interview, you may or may not be asked about failure. But you should always have an answer prepared just in case.

Otherwise, the question is sure to catch you off guard and lead to an awkwardly long pause, embarrassing rambling, or an answer that isn’t your best.

Brainstorm a few times you failed or made mistakes at previous jobs or internships.

• Choose a real, honest failure to talk about.

However, do not pick a failure that was a catastrophic disaster.

• If, for example, you made a million-dollar mistake or singlehandedly destroyed a major event, it’s best to keep that story to yourself.

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Pinpoint why you failed.

Interviewers want to see that you’re reflective and able to analyze and learn from your mistakes.

Instead of simply saying that you upset a valuable client, consider why the client was upset.

• What did you do that led to the problem or misunderstanding?
• Perhaps you made a promise you couldn’t keep or rushed to meet a deadline and delivered low-quality work.

The more you can demonstrate that you take the time to think about your mistakes and figure out what went wrong, the better.

Reflect on What You Learned

Once you’ve pinpointed what went wrong, you can reflect on what you learned from the experience.

• For instance, let’s say you wanted to please the client and promised you could deliver an important project by the end of the week.

This ended up being impossible, and the client was disappointed.

• What did you learn from this experience?

You learned that well-meaning, yet empty promises aren’t the way to impress a client.

• It’s always better to give a conservative estimate and make a promise you can keep.

That way, you’re sure to complete the job on time. And if you finish ahead of schedule, even better!

Share How You’ve Improved

Conclude your answer with an anecdote demonstrating how you’ve applied the lesson you learned.

• If you haven’t had a chance to apply the lesson yet, explain the steps you’ve taken to ensure you don’t make the same mistake again in the future.

Following the example above, you could explain that soon after this incident, you told a client that a project would take three weeks, and you ended up completing it in two and a half.

• Seeing how happy the client was with this result reaffirmed your newfound lesson: Under-promise and over-deliver.

To summarize, your answer should follow this format:

• Briefly describe the mistake/failure
• Pinpoint what went wrong
• Explain what you learned from the experience
• Detail how you’ve improved or how you’re working toward improvement in this area

Sample Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

Let’s put our four-step process into practice and look at two top-notch answers to the question, “Tell me about a time you failed.”

“I was giving final approval on a catalog that my company was printing. I was working on several other projects at the time and was in a rush. Plus, the catalog had been reviewed by several people already, so I wasn’t expecting any major errors. I ended up approving the catalog, but after it was sent to the printer and we printed several thousand copies, my boss noticed a pretty significant error. I learned that rushing through a project isn’t helpful. In the long run, it can end up costing more time and money. It’s important to give every project my full attention and take my time. If I have the responsibility of approving something, I can’t just assume that it’s already been done correctly. Since then, I consciously remind myself to slow down. I’ve also worked on being more organized so that I’m not doing too many things at once. I make a daily checklist and prioritize my most important tasks for the day. My boss remarked recently that he was very upset with me when I made that mistake, but since then, my attention to detail has been superb and I’m one of his most conscientious employees.”

Analysis of Answer A:

This answer follows the principles we described above.

• The candidate describes his mistake (approving the catalog despite a significant error), pinpoints why he failed (he was rushing and assumed there were no major errors), reflects on what he learned (slow down; be more organized), and shares how he’s improved (pays attention to detail and consciously takes his time).

In addition, notice that the description of the mistake is much shorter than the rest of the answer.

You’ll need to briefly describe your failure, but your focus should be on what you learned and how you’ve improved since then.

The interviewer doesn’t want to listen to a long story about how badly you messed up; he or she wants to learn how you reflect and grow from your mistakes.

“At a previous job, I was responsible for supervising the creative team. We had one employee who was often late—to work and on deadlines. It never caused any major problems, and she contributed some of the best ideas and projects on the entire team, so I didn’t address it at first. I think she took that to mean I didn’t care or didn’t notice, and she started really dropping the ball on important projects. We ended up losing one of our most important clients based on some of her actions, and the boss let her go. If I had intervened sooner, we could have gotten her tardiness under control and continued to benefit from her ideas. We also could have avoided losing one our biggest clients. The experience taught me to have uncomfortable conversations with employees as soon as an issue comes up. You can’t just ignore issues and expect them to get better. When the employee feels that their poor behavior goes unnoticed, the behavior often becomes worse. The next person that we hired would spend too much time walking around the office talking to coworkers. We had a respectful and positive conversation about it, and the problem stopped. He’s still one of the most successful and productive employees there.”

Analysis of Answer B:

Again, Candidate B described her mistake (not addressing an issue with an employee), explained why it happened (she felt it wasn’t a major problem and the employee was contributing), outlined the lesson learned (have uncomfortable conversations as soon as they become necessary), and shared how she’s improved since then (had a productive conversation with another employee about an emerging issue).

Both Answer A and Answer B show an ability to accept responsibility, reflect on what went wrong, and change future behavior as a result.

Additional Do’s and Don’ts

Here are some additional do’s and don’ts to remember as you prepare for this tricky question.

• Rehearse -Practice your response a few times to make sure you can answer the question smoothly during the interview, even if you get nervous.
• Ask for feedback – If you aren’t certain about your answer, run it by friends or family members and ask for honest feedback.

Does your answer focus on reflection and improvement? Is the failure too big to share, or is it interview-appropriate?

• Feel confident – You’ve followed the process described above and practiced your response, so you’re well-prepared. Take a few deep breaths, relax, and remind yourself that you’re ready to handle this question.
• Give a “fake” failure – Don’t say something like, “I was hoping my marketing campaign would lead to $100,000 in sales, and we only got $90,000.”

The interviewer wants you to be honest and demonstrate the ability to reflect on and grow from a real mistake.

• Make excuses- Although you will explain what went wrong, remember to focus on what went wrong on your Don’t blame coworkers, managers, or your clients.

You want to show that you know how to take responsibility, not pass the blame to others. And if you’re making excuses, you haven’t learned much.

• Write down your response. You want to sound like you’re prepared and giving a thoughtful answer, but you don’t want to sound like you’re reading a script.

A robotic, rehearsed response will come across as disingenuous. Write a few bullet points if you’d like, then practice answering the question aloud a few times. But no writing out your response in full!

Feedback from the Experts

We asked a few professionals at the top of their respective fields what they think about answering this interview qustion.

Please use the advice they have to offer. Enjoy!

According to Salina Hoque, director of human resources and community engagement at Sweet Briar College:

The heart of this type of behavioral question is to gauge how a potential employee can overcome adversity. Interviewers don’t ask this question to place the potential employee in an uncomfortable position, it is because potential employers want to see how you handle setbacks — so get to the part where you’re dealing with the failure as quickly as possible. To answer this question, start with the situation, and explain why it was challenging. Then go into what you specifically did to try and rectify it. By the end of your response, relay the outcome of your story, and then get to the good stuff. You want to wrap up with your lessons learned. When approaching this question, talk about why you think things went badly, maybe what you would have done in hindsight, and, of course, what you’ll be doing going forward.

Steve Pritchard, HR Consultant for Ben Sherman :

Before the interview, make sure you practice this question; the more you stumble upon your answer when the question comes around, the less genuine you seem and the more likely you are to waffle or say the wrong thing, which makes your failure appear worse and untrustworthy. Talking about your past failures to an employer who you want to impress is tough, but the key ingredient to answering this question is to make sure you own it. Your failure is a part of your work experience, one which you learnt from. So, tell the interviewer about your failure honestly, but ensure you make it clear that this failure was a learning experience and has driven you to improve your work ethic. Also, ensure you detail the steps you made to improve and work on your failure; employers want to know you won’t make the same mistake again.

Laurie Richards, CEO of LR&A :

You want to craft an answer that demonstrates a willingness to take responsibility and how this mistake has made you a better candidate or employee. To do that, here’s a three-step process: 1. Acknowledge the truth using a superlative (biggest, hardest, first, last, most, least, etc.). “The biggest mistake I made with a client was approving a change in a plan without the client’s written approval.” The superlative focuses the listener on this one mistake and discourages them from asking for more. If you say, “One mistake was…,” you’ll likely get, “What was another…” 2. Identify a piece of good news. “The good news is that the change was something the client needed — but I didn’t have it in writing, and that was not good.” You’re going to have to look hard from some good news, but find it. The good news may be that the client is happy with the end product or that the problem is fixed. 3. Tell them what you learned and how you’ll ensure it will never happen again.. “What I learned is that it’s imperative to have the client’s approval prior to any additional expenditures. In the future, I’ll put it in a quick email and follow up with phone calls and texts until I get approval. I don’t ever want to face that type client and management wrath again.” The third step is the most important. No one believes the person who says “It will never happen again.” They want to know specifically what you’ll do to prevent it from happening again.

Tony Ellison, CEO of Shoplet.com :

Answering the question, “Tell me about a time you failed” should not be something feared when at an interview. Rather, try to see it as a chance for you to demonstrate a way in which you faced a difficult situation and were able to correct the problem. Approaching the answer to this question with a growth mindset will give your prospective employer a taste of how you handle problems. It also gives insight into your character. Most employees seek employers who are motivated, optimistic and aren’t afraid to take calculated risks. If you play the “I’ve never made a mistake” card, you’re missing an important opportunity for your employer to see how you persevere in times of stress.

From BJ Enoch, the vice president of enterprise accounts for SocialSEO :

When I ask someone to tell me about a time they failed, I’m not overly concerned about what the actual failure was or what it was related to. I’m much more interested in how you handled the failure in the moment and repercussions of that failure. I want to hear if you take full responsibility, if you try to shift responsibility from yourself, and how seriously you take the situation. Even more important to me is understanding what you learned from that failure and what steps you took to avoid that particular incident in the future. Someone looking to score a “perfect 10” on that question would tell me “this is what I failed at,” “this was the situation,” “here’s how I handled it in the moment,” “here’s how I mitigated any potential long-term issues from it,” “this is what I learned from that failure,” and “this is how I used what I learned from that failure.”

Rich Franklin, founder of KBC Staffing :

When approaching this question, you must remember that your interviewer knows that everyone, including themselves, has failed at one point in their life. For that reason, your answer should acknowledge this reality and provide a legitimate failure, preferably from your time in the workplace. Once you have explained what happened, identify why you failed (the mistakes you made), what you could have done differently to have produced a better outcome (the specific alternate behaviors) and the lessons you learned for the future (the general alternate behaviors). By structuring your answer in this manner, you demonstrate the critical skill that most interviewers are looking for – insight. People who have insight into their own behavior tend to be the most valuable employees as they are capable of adjusting, learning and growing on the job.

Final Thoughts: How to Answer the “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” Job Interview Question

Even the most challenging job interview questions can help you win the job if you’re well-prepared.

“Tell me about a time you failed,” doesn’t have to ruin your chances of success. A great answer should include:

• A brief description of the failure/mistake
• A reflective summary of what went wrong
• An explanation of the lesson(s) learned as a result
• Information about how you’ve improved moving forward

By focusing on the last three steps, you’ll demonstrate that you take responsibility for your actions, learn from your failures, and make a conscious effort to avoid making the same mistake twice.

Now that sounds like an employee any interviewer would like to hire !

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How To Answer “Tell Me About A Time You Failed” (With Examples)

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Getting asked “Tell me about a time you failed” in an interview can happen at any moment, so it’s important to know how to answer correctly. This common interview question is a job interviewer ’s bread and butter, as it’s a chance for them to learn a lot about you in many different ways at once — from the story you choose to tell to how much responsibility you take on yourself for the mistake.

To help you answer what the interviewer is looking for, we’ll go over how to answer “Tell me about a time you failed”, provide some sample answers, as well as go over some common mistakes to avoid when answering this interview question . Key Takeaways:

Be honest with the interviewer about your mistake.

Make sure you prepare your answer ahead of time. You don’t want to look like a deer in headlights when you’re asked this question.

Talk about how you have grown and what you have done to fix the mistake.

How to answer “Tell me about a time you failed”

Example answers to “tell me about a time you failed”, why interviewers ask “tell me about a time you failed”, common mistakes to avoid when answering “tell me about a time you failed”, tips for answering “tell me about a time you failed”, “tell me about a time you failed” faqs, final thoughts.

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When answering “Tell me about a time you failed” you need to be honest about your answer and show the interviewer what you learned from your mistake. Here is a more detailed list of how to answer this interview question:

Be honest. It’s important to choose a real failure for your story, and for you to own up to that failure. Giving someone an honest portrayal of a time that you made a mistake at work means nothing if you end it with “…but it wasn’t really my fault, anyway.”

This goes beyond the obvious dishonesty of making up an answer out of whole cloth, which by itself would be a pretty obvious ploy (unless you’re a very good liar). The biggest mistake people make with this answer isn’t that they lie outright about their biggest failure, but instead, it’s that they choose an answer that isn’t really a failure at all.

Show that you learned from your mistake. You’ll want to demonstrate how you learned from this failure and what you did to help resolve it. A hiring manager wants to see how you handled it and how it affected the outcome.

Think ahead to the ending. What has the hiring manager learned about you from you telling about this experience? Did they learn that you know how to accept and move on from mistakes, or that you have some serious character flaws that might prevent you from being a good job candidate ?

Use the STAR method. STAR is (situation, task, action, result) to give your answer a coherent narrative that’s easy to follow. In fact, the STAR method works for all behavioral interview questions.

Here are some tell me about a time you failed examples as well as some common failures that you can use when answering this interview question:

Tell me about a time you failed at a task at work example answer

“When I started my first internship , I was overly eager to go the extra mile. So much so that I agreed to take on unrealistic deadlines with coworkers. I was late completing at least one task each week, and my coworkers were not happy with me. After that experience, I devised a tracking system to make sure I knew how long each task would realistically take, and made sure never to fall behind again. I understand now that it’s better to give a longer timeline and be early than promise the moon and fail to deliver.”

Why it works: This answer works well because he owns up to his mistake and shows awareness that it was negatively affecting his coworkers. It’s always good when you can show that you see yourself from other people’s perspectives. He also shows how he grew from the experience and turned this weakness into an organizational strength .

Tell me about a time you failed to follow the proper protocol example answer

“The biggest mistake that I made at my last job as a warehouse foreman involved a duplicate order that went out. There had been an issue with the new software that the corporate office installed, but I failed to follow the proper protocol that would have caught this mistake. Luckily, the client was very understanding, but I now keep a checklist for each and every order to ensure consistency.”

Why it works: Notice that she brings up that a software error contributed to the mistake without trying to completely exonerate herself. She owns up to her part in the error. Also, she’s not complacent just because the client wasn’t upset; that shows that she holds herself to a high standard in all her work.

Tell me about a time something didn’t go as planned example answer

“About a year ago, I was working on a project with a tight deadline. We had a plan and were making good progress until a critical team member fell ill unexpectedly and had to take a prolonged medical leave. At first, we tried to redistribute the workload among the remaining team members, but it quickly became apparent that it was too much for us to handle without compromising the quality of the project. I communicated this with the manager and proposed a few alternatives. We eventually decided to bring in a temporary contractor to fill in for the absent team member. Although this situation was challenging, we were able to adapt and keep the project on track.”

Why it works: This answer works because the candidate was able to demonstrate their ability to adapt to unexpected challenges. They were also able to show their problem-solving skills and this skill is crucial in any setting.

Tell me about at time when you lost a customer example answer

“I lost a customer when I was responsible for managing a key account for my previous company. The relationship with the customer had been positive for a long time, but due to a series of unforeseen circumstances, we couldn’t meet their needs and expectations. I recognized the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with the customer and took the initiative to communicate with them openly about the challenges we were facing. I expressed empathy for their situation and assured them that we valued their feedback. I also provided a clear timeline for when we could realistically address their request. Despite my efforts, the customer decided to switch to a competitor that could meet their immediate needs. In the aftermath of this loss, we implemented improvements and proactively reached out to other customers to gather feedback and address their concerns.”

Why it works: This answer works because the candidate took ownership and accountability and acknowledged that losing a customer was a shared responsibility. The answer also showed that they were willing to learn from their mistake and improve and grow to avoid it from happening again.

Examples of failures for interviews

Here are some examples of failure you can use when answering this interview question:

Failure to meet a project deadline

Ignoring customer feedback

Taking on too many responsibilities at once and failing to complete them

Not meeting other expectations

Over-promising to help others when you can’t

Failing an assignment

Not getting a job

Underestimating a project’s budget and overspending

Miscommunication with a team member

Interviewers ask you to tell them about a time you failed because it’s a behavioral interview question , which means the interviewer wants to see how the interviewee performed in a past situation. In this case, an unpleasant situation where you messed up.

Talking about one of your work-related failures can give a hiring manager a lot of insight into what kind of employee you might turn out to be. But it’s a lot harder than other common interview questions like “ Tell me about yourself .”

Having to tell a person you’re actively trying to impress about a time when you made a huge mistake can be daunting, but fortunately, we’ve got some tips to help make your interviewing experience a little easier.

When it comes to talking about a failure of yours to a potential employer, the fear can be palpable. Which do you choose? How do you frame it to make yourself look good without seeming dishonest?

You should avoid putting the blame on others or bringing up any failures that involve a crime. Here are some more common mistakes to avoid when answering this question:

Putting blame on others. To repeat ourselves one last time, this is a story about why you failed. The tendency to try to excuse yourself from blame is a natural impulse, but if it wasn’t your fault, then you didn’t really fail — you were just a victim of circumstance. In which case, the whole story you just told has absolutely no bearing on the question you were asked.

Bringing up failures involving a crime. There are a lot of mistakes a person can make while they’re on the job. As long as a person learns from them, it’s usually okay, but there are certain scenarios in which a mistake is so colossal that it doesn’t really matter whether or not you learned anything from it.

Don’t bring up that particular story. That might seem like an extreme case, but it’s happened before. But even less extreme examples, like talking about how you missed three weeks’ worth of meetings before getting fired , can still set off a lot of red flags.

Claiming you haven’t failed at anything. Hiring managers will question your honesty. They will also think you might be pushing the blame on others and not taking any blame. Everyone fails at something at one point or another, we are only human after all.

Behavioral interview questions like this are all about the future, not the past. Sure, you need to own up to your weaknesses. And then you do need to, you know, actually mention how you’ve grown and built strengths off the experience.

Focus on how you moved forward. This is the most important part of the story you’re telling — how, after having failed or made some kind of major mistake, you were able to grow and change as both a person and an employee. While managers would prefer that all their employees be perfect all the time, they know that realistically the people under them are going to screw up on occasion. They can forgive that.

What they can’t forgive, however, is someone who makes the same mistakes over and over again. A person who can’t learn from their mistakes is not a good employee . Speaking of red flags as we were a moment ago, this is pretty much the biggest. Basically, your story needs a happy ending.

Bring up extenuating factors Maybe part of the reason why you missed so many meetings was that your dog had become sick recently and you were spending extra time taking care of her. That’s a good thing to mention, and it helps to humanize some of your decision-making .

But you still need to bring it back to the problem at hand — in this case, that you were missing meetings, and you hadn’t yet spoken to your boss about the reasons why. Whatever the extenuating factors, your productivity was suffering and you were missing work responsibilities. In the telling of your story, these things still need to be your fault, so that you can go on to recover from them and grow at the end of the story.

How do you answer a job interview question about failure?

To answer a job interview question about failure, you will want to:

Show that you learned from your failure

Focus on the future

Use the STAR method to answer your question

These steps ensure that you answer the question in such a way that shows you are a qualified candidate for the position. Everyone makes mistakes at work, but it is how you overcome your failures that help define you as a professional.

What are examples of failing at work?

Examples of failing at work include:

Missing a deadline

Losing a client

Not making a sale

Deleting a project file by accident

Unable to speak in public

Not responding to an important email on time

There are many examples of failing at work because it happens all the time. You probably have a few that are so common, you didn’t even realize it. You don’t need to beat yourself up when you look back on your own failures.

What is a failure in a positive way?

Failure in a positive is re-framed as an opportunity. It may seem surprising, but failure offers opportunity. It offers the opportunity to learn from your mistakes, to take what you have learned, and to grow as an individual. Additionally, failure can lead to new circumstances which provide new opportunities that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

What are the types of failure?

There are many types of failure, such as preventable failure, systemic failure, and intelligent failure. Preventable, or predicted, failure is the result of deviating from a process known to avoid failures. Systemic failure is the failure that is the result of an entire systemic causing an issue, which in turn affects the system throughout. Intelligent failure is failure that comes from trial and error as you test for some sort of result.

How do you talk about a failure in an interview?

When discussing a failure in an interview, be sure to describe the situation and explain what went wrong. The best way to do this is to use the STAR (situation, task, action, and result) method in your answer. Once you discuss the situation, you should talk about what you learned and what actions you will take to improve yourself so the mistake doesn’t happen again.

So now you’ve got the general idea of it. Talking about your mistakes is easy, but not always advisable. But talking about the right mistakes, and going on to talk about how you’ve grown and implemented changes to the way you work based on these mistakes — that’s how you’ll impress a hiring manager.

And that’s how I learned I should never suddenly raise pharmaceutical prices all at once. I’m a better person now. Now I raise them slowly over time, so no one notices they’re being overcharged.”

The question might be to talk about a time you failed, but that’s not quite true. What employers really want to know is how you went on to succeed in the face of a previous failure.

After all, everyone loves an underdog story.

U.S. Department of Labor – Interview Tips

Harvard Business Review – How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” in a Job Interview

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Ryan Morris was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog who tried to make the job process a little more entertaining for all those involved. He obtained his BA and Masters from Appalachian State University.

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• How to Answer “Tell Me...

How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” (With Sample Answers)

8 min read · Updated on October 25, 2022

Approach this tricky interview question with confidence and chutzpah by following the advice below

Admitting to mistakes in life is bad enough. It reveals that you're not perfect. Hang on a minute. You're human… and you're not perfect? Well, get outta here! The thing is, we all make mistakes… a lot of the time. It would be weirder if you hadn't ever done anything wrong or made a few errors along the way. It's how we learn and grow as people.

But having to describe a time when you failed? During an interview? It's enough to make you squirm. Surely that would be the worst time to talk about your biggest failure. It goes against everything you've prepped for when getting ready for an interview - probably one of the most important times in your life, up to now.

What you want to do is show off your key skills, your great personality, and how you'd be such a good fit for the organization while really  selling yourself , but that can be quite difficult when faced with the “tell me about a time you failed” question.

As one of the most  common questions recruiters ask , “tell me about a time you failed” is highly likely to be one of the interview questions, so you really do have to be prepared with a comprehensive answer. It's no good waltzing into the interview with the aim of winging it, as this could completely  backfire on you. Make sure you've rehearsed a good answer to the “tell me about a time you failed” interrogation before opening that door.

Why do employers ask “tell me about a time you failed”?

No, it's not because they've got a cruel streak in them and want to see you suffer. There's a very good reason as to why this is often in the top 10 of interview questions. Not to be confused with the  "what are your weaknesses?" question, this specific query is trying to gauge your overall attitude to failure along with how you deal with adversity.

For all they know, you could be the next JK Rowling, whose first draft from a rather well-known series of books on a certain boy wizard was famously  rejected 12 times before being accepted. She proved that resilience and perseverance works, and that's how you want to come across as well.

How to answer interview questions about failure  

The hiring manager is looking for three key elements in your answer, so make sure you include all of them when you reply.

 1. Take ownership of the mistake or failure

Don't lay the blame on others, defunct technology, or the intern who happened to be in the room at the same time. Clearly lay out what you did wrong, acknowledging that you could've done better - and what you should have done, with hindsight.

2. Show what you've learned since then

As we know, everyone makes mistakes - it's how you learn from them and what steps you take to resolve them that's the key. It's also important to point out that you learned so much that you never made the same mistake again. Another tip, when choosing which failure to highlight, is to pick one that happened a long time ago, if possible. So you can start to answer the “tell me about a time you failed” query with “back in my first job, seven years ago…” This then sets it apart from the type of person and employee you are now, having grown in confidence and responsibility since then.

3. Tell the story succinctly, with a positive ending

Communicate clearly, without getting sidetracked, as this demonstrates other traits of yours that are beneficial to the employer. Keep it concise, between two and three minutes without waffle, and end on a positive note to show how you bounced back from the error, learned from it, and moved on.

And avoid these mistakes at all costs

Being in an interview situation can be  scary , especially when the focus is on you and your failure story. There are ways to combat this fear and come out of it at the other end without a blemish on your character. However, be aware of adding to your failures by making the following mistakes while answering the question “tell me about a time you failed”.

Don't say “I've never made any”. This is almost certainly untrue and will make you look distrustful and unable to admit when you're wrong. Also, the interviewer probably won't believe you!

Additionally, be careful which mistake you pick. If you were  fired because of the mistake or it led to the company losing a whole heap of money or missing out on revenue, then it's a brave person who can state that and then brazen it out. It might be worth considering choosing another, rather less extreme, example. 

“Tell me about a time you failed” examples

Below are three “tell me about a time you failed” sample answers which you can tailor to your own story.

At my first job, over seven years ago, I was part of a team working on a contract when I landed the chance to oversee a project for a new client. I had built up good relations with the client and was keen to secure further work from them, so I calculated that the project would take three months. We had some setbacks and it ended up with the project taking over four months. The client was not happy. I didn't shy away from admitting to a lack of time management skills. It made me realize the importance of managing client expectations. So on the next project, I overestimated the time it would take to complete, and we finished before the deadline. This time the client was really happy because I'd delivered before the set timeline.

This is a “tell me about a time you failed” example relating to client satisfaction and managing expectations. Note how the candidate makes it very clear how they've learned from past errors and made good the next time they were faced with the same situation.

In my entry-level job out of college, I joined a team where my Line Manager took an instant dislike to me. I had no idea why, but it rankled. One time, he was incredibly rude to me in front of several other colleagues. Afterwards, I was talking to one of my peers who I thought was trying to console me. Angry and upset, I vented my fury about the Line Manager to this person, who then proceeded to tell everyone what I'd said. I was shocked and hurt by the whole situation. But I didn't want to let it fester or cause further bad feeling in the office, so I approached my Line Manager for a chat. It turned out that he resented me for getting the job that a friend of his had been put up for, but he'd been rejected. After that, his behavior changed and we got on quite well. I learned that it's best to be discreet where interpersonal relationships are involved, and that talking to the person involved is much better than mouthing off to others.

In this communication / team / relationship building example, the interviewee is very candid and honest in what must have been a really awkward circumstance. However, they've done the right thing by talking directly to the member of staff, rather than ignoring the situation.

I remember being overwhelmed by some targets we were set when I was a Shop Assistant six years ago. So I pushed them to one side, concentrating on the KPIs that I knew I could achieve. Halfway through the quarter, my boss asked how my targets were looking. I admitted I hadn't done anything different, so she challenged me to come up with some ideas that afternoon. It certainly made me focus, and I did put a list together. Implementing them made a difference. By the end of the quarter, my figures weren't as good as they could've been if I'd enacted the ideas straightaway, but they weren't so dismal as to have a detrimental effect. It made me realize that it's important to get on the case immediately, rather than putting things off that you don't necessarily like. Nowadays, I'm super aware and effective when tackling new challenges.

This is a target-based answer to the “tell me about a time you failed” question. The candidate learned that if something seems too big, they should either break it down into more manageable sections or reach out for help.

The next steps

Admitting errors can be excruciating, but as long as you're prepared with an answer that's not too detrimental to the way you work, then you should be good to go.

The above content will guide you in the right direction of what to say when asked “tell me about a time you failed”. But if you're still on the lookout for more support and advice, enlist the help of a professional by checking out our interview coaching service .

Recommended reading:

These Are Things You Should Do Right After Your Job Interview

• 5 Tips for How to Prepare for a Second Interview
• The 10 Interview Tips Recruiters Wish They Could Tell You

Related Articles:

How to Prepare for a Software Engineering Job Interview

27 Financial Analyst Interview Questions (with Great Answers)

27 Supervisor Interview Questions (and Great Answers)

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Interview Questions

Comprehensive Interview Guide: 60+ Professions Explored in Detail

Sample Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

By Biron Clark

Published: November 20, 2023

In a job interview, you’ll likely hear interview questions like “Tell me a time when you failed.” But few people like to think, let alone talk, about the failures they’ve had in life.

However, employers like to ask about your failures not to shame you but to learn how you handle your mistakes. So when you answer questions about your failures, you must emphasize your learning and growth following the experience.

I’m going to walk you through why interviewers ask about this topic, the best way to answer questions about times when you failed , and how to avoid the traps and mistakes that can cost you the job offer. Then I’ll share word-for-word sample answers you can copy.

There are three key things employers look for in every answer to this question, so let’s start with that…

How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time When You Failed” (And Why Employers Ask This)

There are three key traits that employers are looking for when they ask this interview question, and your answer needs to address all three areas if you want to “wow” the hiring manager or recruiter .

1. Show that you’re accountable and upfront

Employers don’t want to hire someone who seems like they make excuses and always blame others for their mistake. This type of person doesn’t usually learn from their failures and mistakes and is difficult to work with overall. So don’t say something like, “Well, I was blamed for a mistake at work recently but it wasn’t my fault…”

When the employer asks about a time you failed or made a mistake, show them you take responsibility for mistakes instead of putting the blame on others. Own up to it, acknowledge that you could have done something better/differently, and be clear and direct when explaining. That’s the first key step. Don’t worry if you’re not sure exactly how this should sound. Coming up, I’ll share full sample answers.

2. Demonstrate that you learn from your mistakes and use the experience to get better

Everyone makes mistakes, but no hiring manager wants to hire somebody who’s going to keep repeating the same errors over and over. That drives them CRAZY. So make sure you show them what you learned from the experience and how you used it to improve. There’s one more key thing they might be looking for too…

3. Stay on track with your answer and tell a clear, concise story

Any time they ask a question that requires a story (which definitely includes a question like, “tell me about a time when you failed”), they’re looking to see whether you can tell a clear story and get from point A to point B without getting sidetracked. This is true of any behavioral question, in fact. If you can’t communicate clearly in a job interview, the interviewer will be concerned about your future communication skills on the job. So don’t let your interview answers ramble on for four minutes or go in a bunch of different directions. Keep it brief. Try to tell the story in chronological order, too, without having to go back and forward in time repeatedly.

In general, when answering a behavioral interview question, describe the situation you were in, the choice you made, and the outcome. Then you can spend 20-30 more seconds talking about how you used the experience to improve in the future.

One more tip when answering: you’ll always get bonus points if you sound humble, so try to do that as well

Try to sound like you appreciate the lesson you learned and are happy to have learned it (even though experiencing a failure is NOT fun at the time…) If you do those things, you’ll have a great answer that will impress the interviewer when they ask you to describe a time you failed. Now let’s look at some of the traps, mistakes, and errors that can get you rejected in an interview  when answering this question.

Watch: How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time When You Failed”

Miscalculation or failure.

During a job interview, you’ll likely need to provide an example of a failure you experienced. However, you don’t need to highlight your life’s biggest mistake. An interview isn’t the place to discuss significant failures that may indicate flaws in your character. 

Instead, think about  mistakes that didn’t have severe financial or personal repercussions. Think of these mistakes as miscalculations, not failures. You might have missed a target, or your strategy didn’t generate the intended results.

Miscalculations are common in the workplace. They’re everyday occurrences, and people learn a lot from them that they can apply in the future.

Mistakes to Avoid When Talking About a Time You Failed

First, don’t let your answer get disorganized or go on for two or three minutes. Remember to be concise and brief! I recommend keeping your response to around 30-60 seconds. Also, don’t make it sound like you learned nothing from the experience, and don’t blame others. Always be accountable for what you could have done differently in the failure.

Another big mistake: Not having an answer prepared and ready to go.

Everyone fails, so don’t try to hide it or act like you have no failures.

Prepare an example and be ready to talk about it.

Also, avoid giving a story that makes you sound careless, or like someone who rushes through things and makes many mistakes in general. Hiring managers aren’t going to want to hire someone who seems like they rush and make mistakes frequently. It’s better to tell a story that shows a one-time mistake or error, rather than a pattern or repeating problem.

Finally, one other mistake you want to avoid:

I wouldn’t recommend talking about a huge disaster.

If you made a massive mistake that cost a past company $2 million, I’d keep quiet and find a “less scary” story. So it’s a bit of a “balancing act”… Pick a real failure but don’t talk about a disaster that severely hurt your company. Those are the mistakes to avoid when answering, “tell me about a time when you failed.”

Next, let’s look at some sample answers so you can build confidence and practice.

Example Answers to “Tell Me a Time When You Failed”

Sample Answer #1:

“I was managing a project for one of our biggest clients in my previous company, and I was so eager to please them that I told them we could finish the project within 2 weeks. I thought this was doable, but it ended up taking three weeks and they were not happy. Looking back, I realized I should have been more conservative in my estimate to the client. I realized that a client isn’t going to be upset if you’re clear about the timeline in advance, but they are going to be disappointed if you promise something and then don’t deliver. So I took this experience and used it to become much better at managing the expectations of clients during projects I oversee. For example, on the next project with a different client, I told them it’d take four weeks and we finished in three. They were very happy about this.” 

This example answer does a lot of the things we talked about earlier in the article. It tells a clear, concise story. It shows what you learned from the experience, and even ends with an example of exactly how you used this lesson to improve your abilities.

Let’s look at one more example answer now…

Sample Answer #2:

“In my last job, our CEO gave me a chance to interview and hire entry-level people for our team. I chose to hire someone who seemed to have a lot of potential but also had some “red flags” or things that worried me. It ended up being a big mistake. They had a poor attitude and dragged the team down until my CEO had to fire them. I learned to be more careful and not rush my decisions and to speak with others on my team who have more experience if I’m unsure of something. I also realized how important each hiring decision is, which made me a better manager in the last few years of my career. Since then, I’ve hired eight new people and never had a bad experience like this again. But it was a great lesson to learn early in my career.”

Types of Failures You Can Mention

The following are common categories in which you may have made miscalculations in the past:

1. Technical Failure

Technical failures in the workplace often comes from  circumstances that disrupt the smooth functioning of technology, ultimately impacting the flow of tasks and deadlines. A technical failure in the workplace refers to any situation in which a technological component, such as software, hardware, or a system, does not perform as intended or expected.

“In a previous role, I was responsible for implementing a new software system that did not work as intended, causing delays in project completion. I learned the importance of thoroughly testing and validating new systems before deployment. Now, I ensure I allocate adequate time for testing, seeking feedback from users, and making necessary adjustments to minimize any technical issues that may happen.”

2. Bad Communication

Bad communication in the workplace can pop up in different ways, like unclear instructions, missed messages, or even misinterpretations. To avoid this, it’s important to learn from these experiences and use more relatable communication methods, such as really listening, being clear and concise, and checking in with each other regularly.

“There was an instance where I failed to effectively communicate expectations to my team, leading to misunderstandings and the need for last-minute adjustments. I learned the importance of clear and concise communication, and I’ve since made it a priority to hold regular team meetings, utilize project management tools, and provide written guidelines to ensure everyone is on the same page.”

3. Time Management

You might assume you have enough time in the day to accomplish your duties, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. Poor time management can cause you to miss a deadline or fail to complete a responsibility.  

Sample Answer #3:

“I once underestimated the time required to complete a project, resulting in missed deadlines and stress for my team. I learned to better assess the scope of work and allocate time and resources accordingly. I now use project management tools and techniques to establish realistic timelines and ensure that tasks are completed on schedule.”

4. Challenging Teamwork

In a past job, you may have encountered a challenging assignment requiring you to work with teammates you didn’t know well. You can use the example to show how you put a positive spin on a challenging situation and achieved a favorable outcome.

Sample Answer #4:

“During my time at ABC Tech, I faced a failure while leading a team to develop a software solution under a tight deadline. I allowed team members to choose their tasks, believing that autonomy would motivate them. This approach, however, led to confusion, duplicated efforts, and unattended project aspects. As a result, we missed the deadline and had to request an extension, straining the client relationship. I learned the importance of clear expectations and well-defined roles in a team. To improve, I introduced project management tools and regular check-ins to ensure better communication and progress monitoring. This experience has made me a more effective leader, prioritizing structure and open communication for project success.”

5. Losing a Client

People in customer-facing roles often spend much of their workday interfacing with clients. Customers are a vital part of any business; without them, a company wouldn’t have any revenue. If you’ve ever lost a client, it was probably an experience you learned from.

Sample Answer #5:

“As a customer service representative at a bank, I was responsible for helping clients select the right bank account for their needs. One customer had complex needs; she had a business in multiple countries and needed an account to facilitate easy transfers. I recommended an unsuitable account, and she chose a different bank. After that experience, I brushed up on my product knowledge to provide great service to future customers.”

The Best Way to “Wow” the Interviewer at the End of Your Answer

When you finish telling them about a time you failed… don’t just talk about what you learned from it… show them a real example. Notice that both sample interview answers we just covered accomplish this. In the first example, the story is that you told the next client their project would take four weeks and you finished the project in three weeks, one week ahead of schedule. In the second example answer, the story is that you’ve hired eight more people since that failure, and each one has been a success.

It’s one thing to say you learned a lot from a failure, but an example or story is more powerful in demonstrating that you truly improved.

Answering “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” – Quick Instructions

• Talk about a real failure you’ve had, starting by describing the situation.
• Explain what happened clearly and quickly.
• Take responsibility and don’t make excuses for the failure.
• Show what you learned from the experience.
• Talk about how you’ve used the experience to become better at your job and avoid similar mistakes.
• Don’t talk about anything that was a disaster for your employer. Pick a real failure but not anything too costly.
• Don’t share any story that makes you sound careless in general. It’s better to share a one-time failure that you quickly learned from and moved past.
• Be brief and concise. Keep your answer to 2-3 minutes.

If you use these steps above to answer “tell me about a time when you failed,” you’ll have an impressive interview answer that makes employers want to hire you.

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Tell me about a time you failed - sample answers

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Nobody likes to talk about failures. However, from an employer's perspective, they want to know about your failures and how you overcame them before they hire you.

For many, when the interview question "Tell me about a time you failed" comes up in conversation, it's daunting. You need to reflect on these negative experiences, tell someone why you failed, and so forth. It isn't a nice feeling whatsoever.

However, the interviewer isn't trying to make you feel bad. Not at all. They just want to know how you failed and how you came back from such failure.

At MentorCruise , our career coaches understand the importance of nailing this question. With the right answer, you can sway the mind of the interviewer, making it more likely for you to land the role.

This article will help you understand the basics of this question. We'll go into:

• Why interviewers say, "Tell me about a time you failed."
• How to talk about failure in an interview.
• Tips for answering ‘tell me about a time you failed’ interview questions.

Why Interviewers Say "Tell Me About a Time You Failed."

When interviewers say, "Tell me about a time you failed," they're not looking to make you sad.

Instead, they're evaluating the following:

• Your reaction to failure: How you demonstrate maturity by acknowledging and learning from mistakes.
• Your self-awareness level: How you recognize and admit errors indicates your level of self-awareness.
• Your skills at handling pressure: How you stay composed during tough questions shows your resilience.
• Your previous job performance: How you aren't afraid to take risks because you accept failure positively.

As you can see, there's more to the question than what first meets the eye. Instead of being confrontational, it's more about learning how you deal with failure. 

What Professionals Think About "Tell Me About a Time You Failed."

To gain a better understanding of this question, we need to look at what professionals think about it from multiple sectors.

Expert #1: Salina Hoque

Salina Hoque, a director of HR and community engagement at Sweet Briar College, thinks this behavioral question aims to assess how a potential employee can surmount difficulties.

Employers don’t ask this question to place the candidate in an embarrassing situation. They want to get an idea of how well a potential employee can handle setbacks.

When addressing this question, explain why you think things went wrong. Was there something you needed to have done? What will you be doing in the future?

Expert #2: Steve Pritchard

According to Steve Pritchard, the human resource consultant for Ben Sherman, you need to practice answering this question before going to the interview.

The more you blunder upon your response when this question comes up, the less authentic you seem. And the more likely you are to say the wrong things or waffle.

He also notes that discussing your past failures with an interviewer you aspire to impress is challenging. The secret to answering this question is to make sure you own it.

Your failure shows a bit of your work experience, of course, namely the one you learned from. So, honestly narrate your failure to your interviewer. Just ensure you demonstrate that this failure was a learning experience that has pushed you to enhance your work ethic.

Expert #3: Laurie Richards

The CEO of LR&A, Laurie Richards, suggests that you want to respond in a way that expresses a willingness to take responsibility.

To do so, follow this process.

1. Accept the failure using a superlative

Use words like first, biggest, last, least, and so on. For example:

“The greatest mistake I’ve ever made with a client was to approve a change in a project without waiting for the client’s written approval.”

The superlative directs the interviewer on this singular mistake and emphasizes how it’s a one-off thing. If you say something like, “One mistake was…,” you’ll possibly get something like, “What was another…”

2. Recognize a bit of good news

You want to look for a piece of good news in the failure. It’ll be challenging but try to find it. For example:

“The great news was the fact that the change was something the client needed — but I didn’t put it down in writing, and that wasn’t good.”

The good news may also be that the client is satisfied with the outcome or that the problem got fixed.

3. Describe the lesson you learned

You want to describe the less you learned why, also showcasing how it improved your career from there on. For example:

“I learned that it’s compelling to have the client’s approval before any added expenses. In the future, I’ll draft it in a quick email and follow up with texts and phone calls until I get approval. I wouldn’t ever want to encounter that type of client and management wrath ever again.”

This step is the most essential. Nobody believes the person who declares, “It will not happen again.” They want to know what actions you have taken to stop the mistake from happening again.

How to Talk About Failure in an Interview

When it comes to handling the question, "Tell me about a time you failed", there are a million different ways you can handle it.

However, each and every one of them follows a simliar method to the following steps:

• Step 1 - Choose a Real and Relevant Failure: Select a true setback that's not too severe and relates to the job.
• Step 2 - Be Specific: Clearly define the situation and the skill involved.
• Step 3 - Use the STAR Method: Frame your response with Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
• Step 4 - Focus on Growth: Stress the lessons learned and subsequent improvements.
• Step 5 - Maintain a Positive Tone: Take responsibility and show your willingness to learn and adapt.

By following this structure, you can handle this question confidently, showcasing your skills, expertise, and emotional intelligence.

Tips for Answering “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” Interview Questions

When it comes to answering questions regarding this matter, the following tips may help:

• Always have some sample answers in advance, which you can explain fully, which you learned from, and solved satisfactorily.
• Rehearse your response as much as you can so you can present it confidently and conveniently in the real interview.
• Be upfront concerning the mistake you choose to talk about.
• Ask your co-workers for frank feedback on any errors you made.
• Prepare your mind to deliver your answer.
• Draft your story before practicing it; don’t miss the good stuff.
• Show your lessons from your experience and how you have successfully completed the same tasks without making the same mistakes.

How to Choose a Failure to Discuss

When choosing a failure to talk about, there's a right and wrong failure to talk about. To pinpoint the right one, follow the below steps:

1. Prioritize a trivial failure

Cling to more trivial failures that wouldn’t paint you in an overly negative light. Your failure doesn’t need to be monumental or have a significant impact on a past employer.

Remember that your goal is to be seen as a flexible and responsible potential employee, not as a liability.

2. Choose a failure that relates to the job you are applying for

You wouldn’t impress an interviewer by bringing up a mistake you made in a catering class for a computer engineering job application. Make sure to choose a failure that relates to the job you’re applying for.

To do so, identify a skill or quality you’ll need for your job target and think of an experience when you made a mistake in this field.

Pick an example where you learned from the mistake and proceeded to improve. Present this in a way that paints you as being self-aware and prepared to learn continuously.

3. Describe what failure means to you

When considering the type of failure to explain, you can use your description of what failure means. Your description should align with your chosen story to avoid sounding cliché.

These interviewers must have heard a lot of failure stories, so you sure do not want your story to sound like another-of-those. It should sound unique and authentic.

For example, talk about dealing with a situation where you failed to deliver on a project because you didn’t access the requirements properly. This is unique and authentic.

4. Choose a real-life story

Ultimately, you want to make sure your example of a failure is based on a live event. Do not make something up. Your recruiter is likely to see right through your lie.

Everyone makes mistakes, and admitting a real one will make your response more credible and relatable. A lie will never go down well.

How to Prepare Your Answer

Now you've found your failure, you need to prepare your answer. You can do this by following the below steps:

1. Prepare your mind to give the right answer

No matter how well you prepare your answer, scaling through this interview question will be impossible if you do not first envision being successful in answering the failure question.

80% of the time, candidates with good answers still fail because of poor mental preparation. If you are going to be successful in discussing a failure, you shouldn’t give room for doubts or the possible thoughts of the interviewers not liking your answer.

Have a healthy mental practice as you prepare for your interview date. Hold talking sessions with yourself. Even though your goal is to impress your interviewer, do not be obsessed with it. Your focus should be on choosing the best answer and believing in the best outcome.

2. Reflect deeply on the answer

When picking a case of failure to discuss, think deeply about the failure’s consequence and whether it will raise your possibility of winning the job. Some losses are better kept to ourselves. Choose a situation that highlights some of the essential qualities relevant to the job you are applying to.

Also, try to avoid examples that end in a skewed picture of the workplace or poor decision-making. Preferably, focus on stories that reveal you as a person who is self-aware, ready to take good counsel, and learn from mistakes.

3. Draft a compelling story

The truth is that interviewers will always be impressed by a captivating story with all the good and not-so-good stuff in it.

To stand out, you need to understand the difference between showing your story and saying it.

The difference mostly boils down to emphasis, clarity, and content.

• While one candidate is saying: “I worked as a research assistant and failed at a project management role. I missed some information about the product of the company and it affected them negatively. I later learned my lessons and got the right training.”
• Another candidate is saying: “I was assigned to help a small business complete market research for a new product. I missed out on some vital information about the product. The experience taught me to pay more attention to details. Afterward, I successfully completed two different projects for the company. I got promoted the following year.”

The latter not only sounds better but also can impress the interviewer. Make sure your story does not just emphasize how you managed the situation but clearly shows your wins afterward.

4. Practice your answer

Despite your level of preparation, this question may still take you by surprise. But you can lessen the possibility of this happening with practice. A great way to practice interview questions and answers is by roleplay.

Tell a friend and or family member to act as your interviewer and practice your answer. Pay attention to how concise and timely your answers are during practice.

Ensure that your rehearsals imitate the conditions of the actual interview as much as possible. Practice will build your confidence and make it simpler to recollect your stories and key points during the real interview.

5. Ask co-workers for feedback

It’s often hard to objectively appraise yourself when you fail. One way to get an honest appraisal of your weaknesses and how they added to the failure is to ask your co-workers. So you want to encourage a colleague to give their feedback over the event.

Go to someone whose role was affected by your wrong decision. They will reasonably give you honest, uncorrupted inputs. The co-worker wouldn’t only help you see things from a subjective viewpoint. By talking with them, you’ll gain insights that may help you during the interview.

Once you land an answer, you’ll need to structure it in a way that concisely tells your story. A powerful technique to employ when structuring a response to behavioral interview questions like this is the STAR technique.

STAR Technique and How to Use It

The STAR technique is a simple way to answer questions in interviews that ask about your past work or life experiences.

For example, an interviewer might say, "Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem," or "Give an example of how you worked with someone who was hard to get along with."

STAR stands for:

• Situation: Start by giving a short background to set the scene.
• Task: Tell them about the challenge you had to face.
• Action: Talk about the steps you took to handle the situation.
• Result: End with the good things that came from your actions.

How to Use the STAR Technique

First, you need to prepare by researching common interview questions and reflecting on past experiences that showcase your abilities. Have your stories ready to share, structuring them with the STAR method for a clear and impactful delivery.

Then, during the interview, listen attentively to understand the essence of the question being asked. Choose an appropriate story from your background that best fits the question's intent.

Share your experience in a focused and concise manner, applying the STAR framework to guide your narrative and maintain the interviewer's interest.

Using STAR for ‘Tell Me About a Time You Failed’

Situation: I was tasked with engaging a new client at Netbox, a digital marketing firm, to discuss our services.

Task: As a vice marketing account director preparing for increased responsibilities, my manager advised me to use this opportunity to understand the client's needs and how we could assist them.

Action: During the discovery call, I was caught off guard by a question about Key Performance Indicators and provided an incomplete answer, leading to the client's dissatisfaction. After discussing the issue with my manager, I realized my preparation was lacking, which resulted in misinformation.

Result: I underwent training with my manager to better handle such inquiries and reached out to the client with a thorough explanation of our KPI tracking and reporting. The client appreciated the clarification and booked our services, leading to my successful acquisition of two more enterprise clients with contracts valued at £35,000 and £50,000.

Situation: In my previous role at an advertising agency, I was managing a team on a project for a high-profile client.

Task: Eager to impress, I ambitiously promised to deliver the project under budget and ahead of the client's timeline.

Action: As the project progressed, it became clear that my promise was too optimistic. The deadline approached, and we were not ready, leading to a discounted rate offered to the client as compensation for the delay. I owned up to my mistake with both the client and my team.

Result: This experience taught me the importance of setting realistic goals and maintaining honest communication. I adopted a more practical approach to client engagements, focusing on providing accurate estimates and transparent updates. This shift in strategy prevented future overcommitments and strengthened my professional integrity.

Situation: A few years back, I was part of the digital marketing team at an e-commerce company. We were in the thick of a major campaign with high stakes.

Task: My manager trusted me to analyze crucial market data to identify strategies for lead generation. It was a significant responsibility that could impact the campaign's success.

Action: Unfortunately, due to a particularly hectic day, I overlooked some key information and presented an inaccurate analysis to our campaign manager, which could have derailed our efforts.

Result: When the error was brought to my attention, I immediately took ownership, revisited the data, and submitted a revised analysis. The team was able to pivot, resulting in a 60% increase in product sales. This incident was a tough lesson in focus and attention management, especially under pressure.

Mistakes to Avoid When Answering ‘Tell Me About a Time You Failed’

Without proper preparation, it's easy to provide a response that might not present you in the best light. Pay attention to these common mistakes.

Don’t evade the question.

Saying you’ve never failed can be interpreted by your interviewer in several ways. And be assured that none will present you as the most suitable candidate for the job.

Avoid risky examples,

Do not choose an answer with unfavorable outcomes or significant effects on your employers. This will probably illustrate a risky and reckless attitude to work.

Ensure that your response is concise.

Do not present a redundant ramble about the lead-up to the event if it’s not connected. Make your response sequential, brief, and clear.

Do not blame others for your failure.

Be answerable and take every responsibility for your operations. Interviewers will be thrown off if you leave an impression of poor accountability.

Show how you learned from your mistakes.

Ensure that you do not appear to be committing the same mistakes repeatedly. Show how you’ve learned from your mistake and adjusted to guarantee it doesn’t happen again. Highlight instances where you were found in the same situation, and you were successful.

Avoid memorizing your answers.

Practice your answers, but do not memorize them. Your answers need to flow naturally. Memorizing answers interrupts your story's originality, which your interviewer might notice. It will flag off as a lack of confidence.

Do not fake a story

Tell a real-life story. Even if you do not have a story that is specific to the job application, choose a real story that you can connect to general workplace skills. Examples of such skills include good communication skills, teamwork, time management, and so on. 

Common Variations of the “Time You Failed” Interview Question

Because not all companies devise their interview questions from the same script, you might get asked one or more variations of the ‘time you failed’ interview question.

Here are two common variations to keep in mind:

Tell us about a time you identified mistakes that were overlooked.

So far, we’ve focused on how you respond and react to your own failings. But this doesn’t inform the interviewer about your attitude to failure in its entirety.

Often, interviewers will ask questions like the one above to understand your attitude to failure in others. After all, you’re applying to work for the company as part of a team .

So, how you treat colleagues in adverse times when you did everything right will go a long way to helping them determine if you’re going to be a suitable candidate for employment.

For some people, it’s much easier to forgive their own failings and mistakes than for other people. This type of question is designed to probe your levels of empathy and cooperation. Your response also says a lot about your willingness to place the collective well-being of the company ahead of personal considerations.

But it’s still a question that seeks self-examination.

• How did you go about pointing out the mistakes?
• Were these points made clearly and explicitly enough?
• Did you point them out at the right time and to the right people?
• Were you seeking constructive dialogue, or were you venting frustration that might indicate a defective attitude?

Ideally, you should know all of this prior to attending any interview.

Tell us about a time you had to deliver disappointing news.

Whilst not necessarily pertaining to failure specifically, this is another question that often comes up in modern job interviews. The aim behind asking this question is not only intended to ascertain if you’re able to deliver bad news with delicacy and diplomacy - though that is certainly a part of it - but also to gauge how you deal with foreseeable challenges.

For instance, if your story involves you missing out on KPIs in a quarterly review with your immediate superior, did you simply state this as a matter of fact? Or, did you come prepared with clear reasons as to why the targets weren’t met and demonstrate that you knew what actions were needed to avoid this happening in the next quarter?

If you were able to preempt your manager’s concerns in the review, it shows that you were mindful of the need to put continuous efforts into improving your performance. And without being instructed to do so. This shows you to be a self-starter who prioritizes the company’s requirements.

If you didn’t go into the review prepared with the answers but came out recognizing that this is what you should have done, then it’s another valuable lesson learned from an instance of failure.

Whichever way it really happened, your response to this question should be developed to provide the interviewer with confidence that you understand the intent behind the question.

Answering the Behavioral Question ‘Tell Me About a Time You Failed’ With MentorCruise

If you want to tackle all behavioral interview questions, including this one, with ease and win yourself that dream job, then prepare properly.

The secret to all interview questions is proper preparation, and the best way to prepare is by working with an experienced interview coach.

At MentorCruise , a mentor with hiring experience will act as a technical interviewer and ask you some conventional hiring questions that you might hear in one of your future interviews.

Then, you’ll receive actionable feedback on what to improve about your interview presence, knowledge, and other things that may be relevant to a future hiring decision.

Find an expert mentor

Get the career advice you need to succeed. Find a mentor who can help you with your career goals, on the leading mentorship marketplace.

21 Answers to ‘Tell Me a Time You Failed’ Interview Question

Hiring managers use behavioral interview questions like “tell me a time you failed” to figure out the kind of person you are and look for red flags. You need to show how you dealt with a difficult situation, how you turned it into a learning experience, and how you have avoided repeating the past mistake. The interviewer is also trying to determine if you are giving an honest answer about a real failure with a past employer.

Read on for tips and sample answers when you are asked this challenging question.

5 Tips for Your Answer

• Choose a real past failure and be upfront about it.
• Make your answer short and objective.
• Take responsibility for your mistake.
• Emphasize what you did to prevent this error from happening again.
• Highlight what you learned from that experience.

5 Mistakes to Avoid

• Avoid memorizing your answer (it needs to sound natural).
• Don’t blame other people.
• Avoid situations that could put your future with the new employer in jeopardy.
• Avoid repeated mistakes (you want to show that it won’t happen again).
• Avoid situations that may damage your reputation or paint you in a negative light.

How to Answer: STAR Format

When you select your best past experience for this tricky question, use the STAR format to organize your ideas into a story that will make a good impression on your potential employer. The STAR acronym means:

S: Situation – say how long ago it was, where you worked, etc.

T: Task – explain what you were supposed to do.

A: Action – tell them what happened, what went wrong, and how you reacted to that.

R: Result – show a positive outcome: what you learned, how you fixed the mistake, how you won’t let that happen again.

Use the following 21 sample answers to this common interview question to help you choose a past failure where you can take a negative situation and turn it into a successful outcome. Then use the STAR method to prepare your compelling answer.

Best Example Answers to “Tell Me a Time You Failed” Interview Question

1. Example Answer: One of the first projects that I managed had a very tight deadline. I accepted it to impress my boss. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the project finished on time. After that, I sought help and studied various strategies to prevent delays. I learned to keep track of the project schedule from day one, identify potential problems and act quickly, and keep open communication with the team, to name a few. That failure helped me become a better project manager.

Key Takeaways: This answer doesn’t dwell on the failure. It is an example of a succinct way to give a great answer. It takes a failure story and emphasizes the silver lining.

2. Example Answer: In my first job, I was assigned to make a series of changes to a customer’s live website. I had two hours to do them. I hadn’t tested the changes before, and they didn’t work. I undid everything because time was running out. I had to schedule the process all over again, and the customer was upset. Since then, I always use a test server to apply all changes and validate them before taking them to a live website.

Key Takeaways: The candidate uses a failure that isn’t fatal because they were able to take practical actions to recover. It also points out that they now follow the ideal approach for that task.

3. Example Answer: A few years ago, I was fixing a computer at a customer’s office. I was stressed and distracted. I mishandled a delicate component, and it broke. I told the customer what happened and apologized. I called my office and asked them to send a replacement part, and said that I would pay for it. Then I finished the job. After that, I learned some mental exercises to tune out distractions and improve my focus. That never happened again.

Key Takeaways: This answer is a great example of how you can illustrate that you have an essential element – mental concentration – that applies to every job. Successful people in every field are those who can concentrate and focus. This answer also shows the candidate’s work ethic because they were so committed to the customer’s satisfaction that they offered to pay for the broken computer component.

4. Example Answer: I was working part-time at a bakery while I was in college. The first time my boss asked me to bake bagels, he showed me how to do it but I didn’t take any notes. I made a couple of batches, and they were fine. But then, on the third batch, I forgot to add yeast and ruined that whole batch. I was upset and embarrassed because I could have avoided the mistake if I had just taken notes. It was a lesson I never forgot and now I am a diligent note-taker, and also make sure to ask questions to ensure I understand clearly.

Key Takeaways: This candidate is fresh out of college, and they chose a situation that shows they identified their failure and have since made note-taking an ingrained habit. Listening to directions without taking notes is a common mistake, and potential employers value job candidates who will listen carefully and write down instructions.

5. Example Answer: Back when I worked as a freelance graphic designer, I had this big project for a new client. After one meeting with her, I started working on the pieces she had ordered. When I finished, I sent it all to her. She didn’t like any of it. I had to redo everything. To avoid that situation again, I learned to ask many more questions and listen better to what the customer wants. I also learned to send concepts and drafts to get their approval before spending many hours on the various pieces.

Key Takeaways: This answer shows a newbie mistake, but it emphasizes the lessons learned.

6. Example Answer: Back in my first job after college, I got assigned to an important project. In one of our internal meetings, I noticed a problem, but I didn’t say anything. I thought if I were wrong about that problem that I would look stupid. It turns out that problem caused a delay in the project. I learned the consequences of my passivity and timidity. Now, I don’t hold back. If I am not sure, I speak up. It is better to find out that I am wrong than to let an issue become a severe problem.

Key Takeaways: This is a great way to answer this question if you are a candidate with little work experience. It shows a common problem, but the candidate took responsibility and learned from it.

7. Example Answer: In my previous job, there was this time when I was helping a customer solve a problem with their database server by phone. I didn’t assess the situation correctly, and after sending him a set of instructions by email at the end of the day, I went home. A few hours later, my boss called me.

The customer was furious. The instructions didn’t work, and I hadn’t made myself available to help him further. I should have made sure to connect with him about the issue instead of just send him email instructions. I also should have made sure he knew how to reach me if he needed further help after hours. That was a huge mistake, and one I have never made again.

Key Takeaways: The candidate explains how poor communication created a problem and what they learned from that experience.

8. Example Answer: A few years ago, I had a customer who made a big order late on a Friday afternoon. I wanted to submit it that day, but I only had a few minutes left before we closed for the weekend. I rushed it and finished it in time. When the customer got the products, there was a problem. I had ordered 18 instead of 10 items. My rush brought my department an unnecessary loss. That was a tough way to learn to always double-check every order before submitting it and not rush through important tasks.

Key Takeaways: This answer explains the situation well, what the candidate learned from it, and how the candidate became a better employee because of it.

9. Example Answer: As a manager, my biggest mistake happened when I had to fire someone from my department. I didn’t give it enough thought and fired the youngest employee we had. It was a mistake for a number of reasons. Though she didn’t have as much experience as the others did, she worked very hard and often pitched in when others were overwhelmed. The whole team suffered from her absence. I should’ve considered my decision more carefully and talked to the team leaders before making my decision.

Key Takeaways: The candidate is upfront about their mistake. They show an effective way they will avoid that mistake again.

10. Example Answer: Back when I was promoted to team leader, I was still really focused on my individual performance in the beginning. I was doing everything I could to try to impress my boss. Even though I demanded high performance from my team members, we didn’t meet our goals. I realized that I had failed my team. As a team leader, I should’ve helped them. After that, I changed my focus to thinking about the team first and working together. We’ve met all our goals since then.

Key Takeaways: The candidate is honest about their lack of leadership experience. They show how quickly they changed and how it benefitted the team.

11. Example Answer: When I began my internship, I was falling behind with my assignments. My team leader noticed it and talked to me. She told me that I should organize my tasks better. If I was having problems, I should ask for help. So, I started using a system to manage my tasks more efficiently. That way, I was able to tell before I got overwhelmed, so I asked for help or for more time to finish new tasks. A few months later, my team leader told me I had almost doubled my productivity.

Key Takeaways: This answer shows the candidate was inexperienced, but they were humble and quickly corrected what they were doing wrong.

12. Example Answer: A while ago, I was working with other engineers on a strategic project for our company. One of the interns told me there was an error in one of my calculations. I was offended by that and dismissed him. However, it didn’t take long, and the lead engineer found the same error. I was so embarrassed! I apologized to the intern and the team. I should’ve double-checked my calculations when the intern first brought it up. My pride almost cost my reputation. It was a humbling lesson, but I needed it.

Key Takeaways: The candidate is honest to admit their mistakes (the error and their pride). They apologized and took responsibility for them.

13. Example Answer: This happened when I was called to a customer’s office to fix a computer server. I briefly talked to the customer and, before I left, I took a replacement power supply with me. When I got there, I realized that the part I took didn’t fit. I had to go back to my office to get the correct power supply. That meant their server was down for two more hours. From then on, I learned to talk to the customer more, and get the part number or the model number to make sure I use the correct replacement parts.

Key Takeaways: The candidate made a mistake that impacted the customer’s business, but they learned how to avoid it in the future.

14. Example Answer: The first time I got an intern to be part of my team, I failed to lead him the right way. I started delegating tasks and didn’t check how he was doing. He quickly got overwhelmed, but I didn’t notice. One of my employees talked to me about it. I realized the intern needed guidance with his tasks. I apologized to him and chose an experienced team member to be his mentor. With that help, he started delivering excellent results, and soon he was able to do most tasks by himself.

Key Takeaways: The candidate admits they failed at first, but once they realized it, they provided what the intern needed to do a good job.

15. Example Answer: A few years ago, I was working on a services proposal for a potential new customer. One night, I decided to print the proposal and review it during my commute. While I read it on the subway, I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was gone. I had to let my manager know. He decided to reschedule our presentation to the customer to the following day, so no one would have time to use the information.

The whole team had to work late the next day, but the presentation wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. We got the deal, but it was a close call. I learned the hard way to be more careful with the company’s documents and avoid reading them in public places.

Key Takeaways: The candidate explained the problem, had the courage to own up to it, and learned how to be more responsible.

16. Example Answer: A while ago, my manager asked me to present a new product to a customer. I was too busy, so I ended up working on the presentation at the last moment. It turned out to be a fiasco. The visuals were poor. I hadn’t studied the materials enough, so I wasn’t able to answer the customer’s questions. My manager was disappointed. That experience taught me to always schedule sufficient time to prepare before any presentation.

Key Takeaways: The candidate is honest about their failure, and they show what they changed to avoid it from happening again.

17. Example Answer: A time that I failed was during one of my first projects as a graphic designer. I had created a large set of designs for a customer’s new campaign. I sent them to the customer and he got furious that I had used the wrong shade of green in their logo. That was a terrible mistake. The company almost lost that account. After that, I was much more careful when working with a customer’s branding.

Key Takeaways: The candidate took responsibility for their mistake and was careful to avoid it from happening again.

18. Example Answer: A time that I failed, and also the biggest mistake I can think of, happened a while ago after we closed our company’s largest contract with a soft drink company. I was the sales manager back then. A few days later, I went out with friends and posted a selfie on Instagram. I was foolishly holding a can of our client’s competitor. Somehow, the client found out and wasn’t happy about it. I deleted the post and apologized to the customer. Then, I decided to take a more professional approach to social media and be very selective of what I post.

Key Takeaways: The candidate showed a high level of commitment to the company and sensitivity to their clients.

19. Example Answer: In my previous job, I started working as a software developer. It was the first time I was part of a big project. I had two weeks to develop a few components of the application. I didn’t plan it well, and I missed the deadline. It delayed other team members who needed to use my part for their work. I failed my team and the customer. Since then, I always plan out various milestones in a schedule before I start coding. I’ve never missed a deadline since then.

Key Takeaways: The candidate described their mistake, identified its cause, and took action to avoid it in the future.

20. Example Answer: When I was new to the HR department, I made a mistake that could have cost me my job. One day, my boss asked me to send a report about our company to a business partner. Accidentally, I sent him the wrong file, one that contained confidential information about some of our employees. When I realized what I had done, I immediately told my boss. He was so upset that he almost fired me. After that, I reorganized all our files, using structured folders and better file names so that it would be difficult for anyone to repeat my mistake.

Key Takeaways: The candidate took responsibility, admitted the error, and took action to prevent it from happening again.

21. Example Answer: My first internship was in an accounting firm. I was responsible for the data entry. When it came close to April 15 (tax day), we had a lot of work. I wanted to finish my work fast, so I typed very quickly. I didn’t double-check everything that I entered and made a few mistakes. If one of the employees hadn’t double-checked my data entry, there could have been serious problems for our customers and the company. I learned to double-check my work, even if it takes a while longer to finish it.

Key Takeaways: The candidate explains the scenario that contributed to that error and how they changed their behavior.

The best strategy to respond to behavioral questions is to prepare your answer in advance. A well-thought-out answer will help you show how you can grow from failure and become a better professional. Tell a compelling story using the STAR technique, and leave a great impression on the hiring manager. Show them you’re the best candidate for that new job.

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Common Essay Topic: Describe a Time When You Experienced Failure. How Did That Failure Impact You?

David Jun 29, 2020

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Writing scholarship essays is one of the most difficult parts of the scholarship application. For this reason, it might be tempting to only apply for scholarships that don’t require essays. Of course, you’d be limiting your options as some of the best scholarships with the biggest awards require an essay. 

While writing a scholarship essay can be stressful, there is a way to approach it that will make things easier and less stressful. 

In this guide, we’re going to break down one of the most common essay topics: “Describe a time when you experienced failure. How did that failure impact you?” Many scholarships include this question in their application. It is also one of the questions in the Common App .

We’re going to explain what this question is asking you to write about, how to write a great answer and we’ll even give you a sample essay. 

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Understanding the Question

This question might make you feel uncomfortable. It’s not easy to talk about weaknesses.

You shouldn’t worry though! 

Failure is part of life. What’s important (and what the committee is looking for) is the way in which you handled the failure. (Spoiler alert! This is going to be the real heart of your essay).

The scholarship committee wants to know how the failure impacted you and what you learned from the experience. This is your opportunity to show how you deal with failure and respond to challenges.

Dealing with failures in a constructive manner and growing from them are key ingredients to succeeding in college. 

How to Write a Great Answer

After you understand the essay question, it’s time to start planning what you are actually going to write.

We suggest starting by brainstorming. Write down failures that you’ve experienced in life. Not sure where to start? Think about ‘failures’ that happened in school, during extracurricular activities, or even with family and friends. 

Once you have a list of ‘failures’ think about which one with an outcome you are most proud of. Why are you proud of it? If that failure was in school, did you end up working harder and ace the class? If it was in an extracurricular activity, did you show good sportsmanship? If it was with family or friends, did you end communication well and come out stronger on the other side? 

The first step in the process is to look for ‘failures’ with silver linings. Think of it not about getting knocked down but how you evaluated the situation and got up stronger than ever. 

What Failure Should You Write About? 

If you can help it, try not to write about failing a test or losing a sports game. These are some of the most common experiences that students write about. Remember, thousands of other students will write about the same topics. Your essay should be about an experience that you and only you had.

If you absolutely can’t come up with something else, at least make the experience sound unique and meaningful. Failing a test can be meaningful if it changes your perspective or your approach to studying. But, if it didn’t have such an impact on you, you’ll want to choose another experience to write about. 

Meaningful does not mean a grand failure. You don’t need to burn your house down or get expelled from school. Failures come in many shapes and sizes. You just need to show the failure impacted you and taught you an important lesson. 

To sum things up, the exact failure that you experienced is less critical in your essay. What’s more important is to show how you rose up from the failure and grew from the experience. 

Some Final Tips Before Our Sample Essay

• Don’t write an essay that’s overly sad. The focus should be more about taking responsibility, learning, and less about self-pity. The scholarship committee wants to see how you took weaknesses and turned them into strengths. How did this experience impact you moving forward? How did you grow? 
• Like all scholarship essays, you’ll want to engage your readers from the very beginning. Your introduction should grab their attention with a good hook and make them want to continue reading. Good hooks can include personal stories, rhetorical questions, misconceptions, or stating an overly strong opinion.  
• To prevent sounding like other students, use a lot of details throughout your essay. This helps differentiate you from other students and single you out from the crowd. It also helps readers envision being in your shoes. 

Sample Essay Example

I’ll never forget watching Nastia Liukin win gold in the 2008 Olympics when I was four years old, thinking that’s going to be me one day. I had been doing gymnastics for a year, and despite my small size, I had big dreams and every intention of achieving them.

I excelled quickly at the sport and invested a lot of hours at the gym. High school came along and I continued to train vigorously. Practice, school, practice, school, like I was on a hamster wheel with no ability to stop. It wasn’t until I had to miss my first school dance that I realized what a toll the sport had taken on my body and my mental health. 

I was forced to make a decision I never thought I’d make. I chose to leave my sport at my prime, despite that it had been my world for as long as I had known. 

I realized that I was no longer that little girl with the big dream. I was becoming a young adult, with new dreams and aspirations. I allowed myself a period of mourning and then got to work. I got involved with the school journal, something that I had been itching to do for the first two years of high school but didn’t have the time for it. 

Joining the school journal has allowed me to discover my love for writing. This year, I am even the president of the club! I cannot wait to take my new skills and passion for college, where I plan to study journalism. 

I have learned that sometimes life goes very differently than originally planned. But, that doesn’t mean it’s time to throw in the towel. I may not be as strong as I used to be physically, but mentally, I’m stronger and more excited than ever before. 

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David Tabachnikov is the CEO of ScholarshipOwl. Formerly at Waze and Google, David is an experienced CTO/R&D manager with over 10 years of experience of leading tech teams. David fervently believes that students should have greater access to education, and is passionate about using technology to help them achieve that goal.

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MockQuestions

Behavioral Mock Interview

To help you prepare for your next job interview, here are 31 Behavioral interview questions and answer examples.

Our Behavioral Questions were written by Rachelle Enns and updated on October 25th, 2021. Learn more about this page.

Question 26 of 31

Tell me about a time that you failed. How did you get back up again?

How to answer, what to avoid, answer example, admin example, manager example, marketing example, retail example, sales example, teacher example.

Community Answers

The interviewer is looking for evidence that you can bounce back from a disappointing outcome. The goal of your response is not to focus on the failure. Instead, showcase your ability to recover from failure. Your answer should highlight your tenacity, dedication, and drive, even when things don't go as planned.

We all fail from time to time, and there is no need to be ashamed of defeat. The magic is in the lessons we learn from these situations. Give an example of an outcome of a project or task that was not what you wanted it to be, but you were able to recover. Perhaps you were better off in the end or learned a valuable lesson. Outline the roadblock, and share how you approached the situation to ensure a good recovery. At the end of your response, discuss your level of dedication, even in the face of failure, and how you will make an impact in this new role.

Behavioral-based interview questions that begin with 'Tell me about a time...' are best answered using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizing your response using this framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the right amount of information and detail to form a compelling answer.

We have all recovered from a failure to some degree. Avoid responses like, 'I can't think of a specific time when I failed at something, but if this did happen to me, I would work hard to bounce back from the situation.' Being unable to answer a behavioral-based interview question directly will result in appearing unprepared for your interview.

"(Situation) One of the bigger perceived failures that I can think of was not graduating as soon as expected with my university degree. (Task) I had detailed plans laid out and was eager to graduate with my degree in 2018. (Action) I encountered a few personal factors that pushed my graduation date back one year. It was a bit embarrassing at the time, but I made the best of it by keeping a positive mindset. (Result) In the end, I am thankful that I could complete my degree at a comfortable pace. I finished with excellent grades as well."

"(Situation) My former employer put me through a last-minute advanced Excel course that I ended up failing. (Task) I was unprepared for how challenging the course was and should not have agreed to begin with an advanced-level course. (Action) I told my boss that I was not excelling in the class. We discussed this failure together and realized that I was not yet ready for the advanced-level coursework. I was more of an intermediate-level user. To fix the situation, I studied online for a few weeks and then re-took the course when I felt more prepared. (Result) This approach worked much better, and I finished with 92% the second time around."

"(Situation) Last year I had a larger staff turnover percentage than usual. Hiring the wrong person is an expensive and time-consuming mistake, so I was undoubtedly frustrated and discouraged. (Task) As a seasoned Manager, my hiring process is normally airtight, but it is not perfect. (Action) Rather than lose confidence in my abilities, I engaged the Human Resources department in simplifying our onboarding and training process. (Result) Since this change, we have not lost any employees in the last 18 months, which is a fabulous record for our company."

"(Situation) A few months ago, our group had a marketing campaign that completely flopped. (Task) It was up to me as the Marketing Director to get to the heart of the issue. (Action) I called a group meeting. Then, as a team, we broke down each component of the project until we knew where we went wrong. In retrospect, I could have done better by breaking down the clients' vision further from the beginning. (Result) We re-did the campaign, and the second time around, it was a major success."

"(Situation) Earlier in my career, I was not good at graciously receiving feedback. (Task) Had I been able to receive feedback without becoming defensive, I believe that I could have grown in my career much faster. (Action) Last year, I took a workshop on giving and receiving feedback, which helped a great deal. (Result) Now, I understand how to have these types of conversations and how to implement the constructive criticism that I receive."

"(Situation) I had a misstep in my sales career a couple of years ago. You can see the short stint at Company ABC on my resume. (Task) Before joining their organization, I should have asked more questions regarding their success level and how their current results reflect their future goals. (Action) The company was in serious financial trouble, and I was unaware. They went into receivership, and I lost my job. (Result) Now, I ask many more questions before joining a new company. My success and the company's success should go hand in hand."

"(Situation) Last year, I missed a major marking deadline. (Task) I was newer to my teaching career and, although it is a steep learning curve, that was no excuse. (Action) I have spent the past eight months working on my time-management skills through online workshops. (Result) I took that missed deadline very hard. I do not like to disappoint anyone or fall short of expectations and will never do that again."

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I Changed the Way I Look at Failure: A Personal Essay

I’ve dealt with failure my entire life.

I’m sure we all have.

I’ve failed tests, I’ve failed at friendships, I’ve failed at promises, I’ve failed at goals…

I’ve just…failed.

What a setback it felt like. And how painful. When I experienced failure, I often looked at it as a huge, flashing neon sign that read, “Pack your bags — you’re not good enough.”

How detrimental it was to my self-esteem.

I remember feeling the pain and shame of failure  after completely bombing a math exam. Mind you — math is not my strongest subject. I was taking a College Algebra course that was just way above my own pathetic mathematical capability. I had just switched my major from journalism to computer science (why did I do that) and I was going to take on all the madness that math and science was throwing at me.

I did not last very long, but that’s another story.

In order to pass this exam, I went to the math lab everyday so the tutors could fix the part of my brain that wouldn’t let me understand functions and all these weird fractions. One of the tutors looked at me like I was retarded (I don’t blame him, but I also kind of do). I studied at home and I tried my HARDEST — I swear — to just try and pass the class.

When the final exam came, I felt kind of confident because I put in so much work to understand this stuff. I busted my butt at the math lab, I made flash cards, I looked at videos… I had followed the recipe for success.  But once I looked at the problems on that exam, tried to solve them, and realized the answer I’d come up with wasn’t either A, B, C, or freaking D…I knew I’d failed.

I turned in my test with my head low, dragged myself to the parking lot, got into my car, and bawled my eyes out on the way home.

Pack your bags — you’re not good enough.

I remember feeling that way after preparing a workshop for an event my university hosted and having it end way earlier than it was supposed to because I miscalculated how much time it’d take.

I remember feeling that way after starting projects, and not completing them. After setting goals and not reaching them. After deciding on something, then changing my mind. After setting out to be better, only to fall off. After starting and stopping, starting then ending, after this after that….

All the while, the only thought that came to mind was…. You guessed it : Pack your bags — you’re not good enough.

Except, I am good enough.

I changed how  I looked at failure

Failure is something we will all experience. It’s a sign that we’re trying, that we don’t want to stay the same. A sign that we’d like to change. It means that we believe there’s something better for us on the horizon, and we’d like to reach it. However, when failure comes, it often thwarts our desire to be more than what we are. Because we tried, but got burned.

I used to let failure be a period at the end of a sentence. Then I’d go back after some time and try again. I can see this most prominently in my attempts at blogging, at starting a magazine, at publishing a book. I realized how resilient I am.

I  now know that failure shouldn’t be a period, but more like a comma.

In anything you set out to do, it will be accompanied with moments of failure. But the goal is to not let it hold you back.

As one Medium article puts it, “Failure doesn’t hold you back, you do.”

It’s not failure that says to you, Pack your bags — you’re not good enough. It’s you. I conceived in my own mind that because I had failed, that meant that I wasn’t good enough to achieve whatever I wanted. But that couldn’t be further away from the truth.

Failure is a sign to us and I think it sets us back to let things stay in their proper time frame. Sometimes we fail because we try to do something before it was our time to do it. Or we fail because it shows us the flaws in our plans, or in ourselves. There are countless reasons.

But at the end of the day, know this: failure isn’t meant to stop you in your tracks. It’s meant to let you pause, reflect, revise, improve, and go forward with better plans and intentions.

Remember, your success isn’t going to come overnight. Look how  long it took J.K. Rowling to get Harry Potter to where it is today. She was rejected dozens of times, only to be one of the most well-known names of our time. Imagine if she’d stopped upon her first rejection. But she kept pressing forward because she knew she had something great.

So next time you feel like a failure, tell yourself that yes, you failed. But ask yourself why, and see where you can improve. Then pick yourself up and keep going.

Failure is a part of life. Experience it. Feel the pain of it. Then move on. Because you’ve got greater things to do.

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How to Write the “Overcoming Challenges” Essay + Examples

What’s covered:.

• What is the Overcoming Challenges Essay?
• Real Overcoming Challenges Essay Prompts
• How to Choose a Topic
• Writing Tips

Overcoming Challenges Essay Examples

• Where to Get Your Essay Edited

While any college essay can be intimidating, the Overcoming Challenges prompt often worries students the most. Those students who’ve been lucky enough not to experience trauma tend to assume they have nothing worth saying. On the other hand, students who’ve overcome larger obstacles may be hesitant to talk about them.

Regardless of your particular circumstances, there are steps you can take to make the essay writing process simpler. Here are our top tips for writing the overcoming challenges essay successfully.

What is the “Overcoming Challenges” Essay?

The overcoming challenges prompt shows up frequently in both main application essays (like the Common App) and supplemental essays. Because supplemental essays allow students to provide schools with additional information, applicants should be sure that the subject matter they choose to write about differs from what’s in their main essay.

Students often assume the overcoming challenges essay requires them to detail past traumas. While you can certainly write about an experience that’s had a profound effect on your life, it’s important to remember that colleges aren’t evaluating students based on the seriousness of the obstacle they overcame.

On the contrary, the goal of this essay is to show admissions officers that you have the intelligence and fortitude to handle any challenges that come your way. After all, college serves as an introduction to adult life, and schools want to know that the students they admit are up to the task. 

Real “Overcoming Challenges” Essay Prompts

To help you understand what the “Overcoming Challenges” essay looks like, here are a couple sample prompts.

Currently, the Common Application asks students to answer the following prompt in 650 words or less:

“The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

For the past several years, MIT has prompted students to write 200 to 250 words on the following:

“Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?”

In both cases, the prompts explicitly ask for your response to the challenge. The event itself isn’t as important as how it pushed you to grow.

How to Choose a Topic for an Essay on Overcoming Challenges

When it comes to finding the best topic for your overcoming challenges essays, there’s no right answer. The word “challenge” is ambiguous and could be used to reference a wide range of situations from prevailing over a bully to getting over your lifelong stage fright to appear in a school musical. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when selecting an essay subject.

1. Avoid trivial or common topics

While there aren’t many hard-and-fast rules for choosing an essay topic, students should avoid overdone topics.

These include:

• Working hard in a challenging class
• Overcoming a sports injury
• Moving schools or immigrating to the US
• Tragedy (divorce, death, abuse)

Admissions officers have read numerous essays on the subject, so it’s harder for you to stand out (see our full list of cliché college essay topics to avoid ). If events like these were truly formative to you, you can still choose to write about them, but you’ll need to be as personal as possible. 

It’s also ideal if you have a less traditional storyline for a cliché topic; for example, if your sports injury led you to discover a new passion, that would be a more unique story than detailing how you overcame your injury and got back in the game.

Similarly, students may not want to write about an obstacle that admissions committees could perceive as low stakes, such as getting a B on a test, or getting into a small fight with a friend. The goal of this essay is to illustrate how you respond to adversity, so the topic you pick should’ve been at least impactful on your personal growth.

2. Pick challenges that demonstrate qualities you want to highlight

Students often mistakenly assume they need to have experienced exceptional circumstances like poverty, an abusive parent, or cancer to write a good essay. The truth is that the best topics will allow you to highlight specific personal qualities and share more about who you are. The essay should be less about the challenge itself, and more about how you responded to it.

Ask yourself what personality traits you want to emphasize, and see what’s missing in your application. Maybe you want to highlight your adaptability, for example, but that isn’t clearly expressed in your application. In this case, you might write about a challenge that put your adaptability to the test, or shaped you to become more adaptable.

Here are some examples of good topics we’ve seen over the years:

• Not having a coach for a sports team and becoming one yourself
• Helping a parent through a serious health issue
• Trying to get the school track dedicated to a coach
• Having to switch your Model UN position last-minute

Tips for Writing an Essay About Overcoming Challenges

Once you’ve selected a topic for your essays, it’s time to sit down and write. For best results, make sure your essay focuses on your efforts to tackle an obstacle rather than the problem itself. Additionally, you could avoid essay writing pitfalls by doing the following:

1. Choose an original essay structure

If you want your overcoming challenges essay to attract attention, aim to break away from more traditional structures. Most of these essays start by describing an unsuccessful attempt at a goal and then explain the steps the writer took to master the challenge. 

You can stand out by choosing a challenge you’re still working on overcoming, or focus on a mental or emotional challenge that spans multiple activities or events. For example, you might discuss your fear of public speaking and how that impacted your ability to coach your brother’s Little League team and run for Student Council. 

You can also choose a challenge that can be narrated in the moment, such as being put on the spot to teach a yoga class. These challenges can make particularly engaging essays, as you get to experience the writer’s thoughts and emotions as they unfold.

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to have succeeded in your goal for this essay. Maybe you ran for an election and lost, or maybe you proposed a measure to the school board that wasn’t passed. It’s still possible to write a strong essay about topics like these as long as you focus on your personal growth. In fact, these may make for even stronger essays since they are more unconventional topics.

2. Focus on the internal

When writing about past experiences, you may be tempted to spend too much time describing specific people and events. With an Overcoming Challenges essay though, the goal is to focus on your thoughts and feelings.

For example, rather than detail all the steps you took to become a better public speaker, use the majority of your essay to describe your mental state as you embarked on the journey to achieving your goals. Were you excited, scared, anxious, or hopeful? Don’t be afraid to let the reader in on your innermost emotions and thoughts during this process.

3. Share what you learned 

An Overcoming Challenges essay should leave the reader with a clear understanding of what you learned on your journey, be it physical, mental, or emotional. There’s no need to explicitly say “this experience taught me X,” but your essay should at least implicitly share any lessons you learned. This can be done through your actions and in-the-moment reflections. Remember that the goal is to show admissions committees why your experiences make you a great candidate for admission. 

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the g arb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire. 

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family. 

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt. 

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame. 

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him. 

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses. 

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This essay is an excellent example because the writer turns an everyday challenge—starting a fire—into an exploration of her identity. The writer was once “a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes,” but has since traded her love of the outdoors for a love of music, writing, and reading. 

The story begins in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. One of the essay’s biggest strengths is its use of imagery. We can easily visualize the writer’s childhood and the present day. For instance, she states that she “rubbed and rubbed [the twigs] until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers.”

The writing has an extremely literary quality, particularly with its wordplay. The writer reappropriates words and meanings, and even appeals to the senses: “My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.” She later uses a parallelism to cleverly juxtapose her changed interests: “instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano.”

One of the essay’s main areas of improvement is its overemphasis on the “story” and lack of emphasis on the reflection. The second to last paragraph about changing perspective is crucial to the essay, as it ties the anecdote to larger lessons in the writer’s life. She states that she hasn’t changed, but has only shifted perspective. Yet, we don’t get a good sense of where this realization comes from and how it impacts her life going forward. 

The end of the essay offers a satisfying return to the fire imagery, and highlights the writer’s passion—the one thing that has remained constant in her life.

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

While the writer didn’t succeed in getting the track dedicated to Coach Stark, their essay is certainly successful in showing their willingness to push themselves and take initiative.

The essay opens with a quote from Coach Stark that later comes full circle at the end of the essay. We learn about Stark’s impact and the motivation for trying to get the track dedicated to him.

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The essay goes on to explain how the writer overcame their apprehension of public speaking, and likens the process of submitting an appeal to the school board to running a race. This metaphor makes the writing more engaging and allows us to feel the student’s emotions.

While the student didn’t ultimately succeed in getting the track dedicated, we learn about their resilience and initiative: I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Overall, this essay is well-done. It demonstrates growth despite failing to meet a goal, which is a unique essay structure. The running metaphor and full-circle intro/ending also elevate the writing in this essay.

Where to Get Your Overcoming Challenges Essay Edited

The Overcoming Challenges essay is one of the trickier supplemental prompts, so it’s important to get feedback on your drafts. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.