The Dreaded “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

No one likes this one. But interviewers aren’t looking for a confession—they want to see resilience, accountability, and learning.

Tips:

• Pick a real but not career-ending failure.

• Own the mistake (no finger-pointing).

• Show what you learned and how you’ve improved.

Example answer:
“In one project with my previous company, I underestimated vendor approval timelines, which caused a delay. I learned to build in buffer time and now always create contingency plans. It’s made me a stronger project manager.”

Failure plus growth is better than perfection.