How To Answer How Do You Overcome A Mistake Made At Work

How To Answer How Do You Overcome A Mistake Made At Work Facebook10TweetLinkedInPinEmailShares10 A mistake made at work everybody makes them but not everybody likes to admit it. So, figuring out how to answer this interview question can be difficult. The more detail you go into the more problems and questions the interviewer could have. Whereas denying  any previous mistakes will look defensive and risks losing credibility. Its not all about the mistake The hardest part of your interview question, what mistake did I make?  Whilst it may be difficult to think of an incident, in no way should you let this dominate your  answer. The focus is on the resolution and how you deal with difficult situations in a work environment. However, it will help your answer if you can think of a specific scenario. This will make your answer more believable and genuine. Just make sure you dont go into too much detail in your answer. For example: I previously worked independently but following a merger of teams, I found myself working alongside others on mutual tasks. At first, I was hesitant  and didnt embrace the change. But I later learned it is far more effective to help and have help from others, in that specific work environment. I still feel self-motivated and confident enough to work alone but now I have the skills to be versatile and still work effectively  alongside  my coworkers. The risks  of revealing too much A  complete backstory on why the mistake occurred, whose fault it was and the consequences that followed, is completely  unnecessary. Instantly the interviewer knows too much. Allowing them to create their own opinions  on your mistake, which may differ to your own An example of how not to answer: In a previous accounts role, I dealt with transactions on a daily basis. I once made a mistake with payments to a key client. The failure led to them discontinuing  their partnership with the company. Costing the business thousands of pounds in monthly  revenue. This does not answer what is being asked of you. Instead, you have avoided the question and gone into too much detail about the actual mistake itself. Example two: I was once told Dont play the blame game! No matter whose fault it is, your potential  new employer wont be impressed  that your bad-mouthing and doubting previous management. Causing conflict does not make an ideal new employee. Example Answer: I have always taken great detail and care in my work. In a previous junior role, I would take time to ensure tasks are completed to a high standard. However, when my workload increased, I found myself  rushing tasks  and not completing them to my usual high level of care. Luckily I was able to get help from my fellow co-workers but I realised this isnt always an option. So from this, I learnt to be a bit more flexible in my work style. Whilst its great to be cautious, at times sometimes you can be overly cautious and this isnt always time-efficient. Its all about finding the right balance, which now I think I can confidently say I have found. Discover more How To Answer blogs here.