How to Answer ‘Tell Me About a Time You Made a Mistake’

“Tell me about a time you made a mistake” is a common job interview question. When asking a candidate about past mistakes, a hiring manager’s goal is to learn how the potential team member might handle a challenging situation in the future. This behavioral interview question enables the hiring manager to gauge how the potential employee would rectify a situation after something goes wrong.

By providing a sample answer—an example of a previous mistake or challenge that became a learning experience—you, as a candidate, can show the potential employer how good you are at finding a solution to a problem. A hiring manager might then ask follow-up questions to learn more about your problem-solving skills.

Sharing with a potential employer the valuable lesson you gleaned from your experience can reveal that you, like everyone, make mistakes but also possess integrity, resourcefulness, and responsibility. By choosing the right specific example, you can thus turn this interview question about a weakness into a way to highlight your strengths.

How you choose to answer this common interview question will vary depending on the position for which you’re interviewing. That said, here are things to keep in mind when considering your response to this question during a job interview:

• Choose a mistake you were able to fix. We all make mistakes and likely have several example answers to choose from; however, you should narrow your options down to past mistakes in which you were able to fix the problem.
• Choose a professional problem. Steer clear of personal mistakes and focus only on professional mistakes that showcase your ability to take accountability for your actions. With that in mind, it’s wise to never blame a coworker when giving your answer. The interviewer wants to know you can take responsibility for mistakes, especially when they are your fault.
• Choose a small mistake. Prepare an example about a small previous mistake rather than your biggest mistake so you can demonstrate what a star you were for being able to respond well to a challenging situation. Communicate to the hiring manager how you were able to react with a clear head while under pressure.
• Explain the situation concisely. Provide context, but try not to dwell on the details of the situation—try to communicate how self-aware you are now about your past mistake as quickly as possible.
• Focus on the positives. Give the potential employer an example of a time that was ultimately a positive learning experience. Highlight the productive outcome or at least the positive aspects of the situation. If possible, communicate through concrete examples that everything turned out well, perhaps even for the better.
• Share the lessons you’ve learned. Taking the interviewer through a brief second example could demonstrate how you have been able to apply the knowledge you gleaned to avoid subsequent mistakes. By comparing a similar situation to your previous mistake, you’re illustrating your ability to grow. Segue from this brief anecdote into an explanation of how you plan to avoid similar mistakes in the future. For example, you could discuss how your time management skills have improved, how you’ve learned to double-check your work, or how you strive to be more communicative at team meetings.

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