tell me about a time you made a serious mistake. how did you handle it.
"many of our candidates get hired right after they graduate from college,
Before they have had a chance to get much work experience," notes Anita M.,head of recruiting at a Fortune 500 financial company. "the reason i ask this question is that it is a tough question for everybody, and how a person answers is very revealing. it's important that people admit when they have made a mistake, rather than blame others. What i'm saying is that i expect candidates to be honest, and i look for signs that they have learned from the mistake." So, don't say you have never really made a mistake. instead, try something along these lines: "one thing i did while i was working on a project in college was let down my team. i didn't complete my part of the project on time. i apologized. i also explained to the professor it was my fault and asked for an extension. then i made it up to my teammates by working all weekend to finish the project. it taught me how to manage my time and not leave things until the last minute.