Tell me about a time when you messed up at work. How did you fix your mistake?
Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone has the ability to quickly solve them on their own.
This question is not a trap. It’s the employer’s way of learning if you are able to fix your mistakes. Honestly talk about a mistake you made, but focus mainly on how you solved the problem.
Begin by saying: ‘A time I messed up at work was when I gave a customer a quote that was considerably lower than it should have been. I realised my mistake and immediately told my boss about the situation. I knew the business was going to take a hit financially, so I offered to work longer hours until I had worked off the debt from my mistake.’
This answers the interviewer’s question but focuses more on the positive parts of the mistake.
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