What are questions about negative experiences or weaknesses?

You may be asked questions about past negative experiences or weaknesses.  Here, the interviewer is less interested in the outcome than in

  • The process you went through
  • The reasoning behind your actions
  • The learning that came from the experience

Prepare for this question by reflecting on negative experiences in which you

  • Achieved a positive outcome by using your knowledge, skills and experience
  • Turned the situation around so that something positive came from it
  • Drew on strengths to balance a weakness (strengths and weaknesses come in pairs)
Example

If the interviewer asks, “Tell me about a time you made a bad decision,” identify an example where, even though the decision was bad,

  • You were able to pull something positive out of the situation
  • You learned from the decision and identified how you would handle it differently in the future
  • You achieved an outcome where the decision had only a minor impact — and you learned from the experience.

What questions might you ask an interviewer?