“What has been the biggest disappointment in your life?”
Interviewers often ask candidates about bad things that have happened to them to see how they handle problems. For example, if you’re getting ready for a job interview, an employer might ask, “What has been your biggest professional disappointment?” to find out how you deal with problems. You might want to go over how to answer this kind of question before your interview so that it goes well. This article will explain why employers ask this question and give you a guide and three examples of how to answer it.”What has been the biggest disappointment in your life?”
Why do employers ask, “What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you in your career?”
Employers ask you this question to find out how you deal with problems at work. A potential employer might be able to figure out how you usually deal with problems based on what you say in your answer. From this, they can see if you can solve problems and see setbacks as chances to grow, which is usually a good trait for a candidate to have.
How to answer the question, “What has been your biggest professional letdown?”
This question can be hard to answer because you have to think about your professional failures and talk about them in a good way. You can make sure you answer this question well and with tact by doing a few things. Here’s how to put together your answer, step by step:
1. Think of the bad things that have happened to you at work.
First, think about bad things that have happened to you at work. Make a list of them and think about which ones have been the most important for your career or personal growth. For example, it might help to talk about a time when you were upset but learned something important about your professional interests or needs.
2. Give an example of a situation you dealt with and explain how you did it.
Tell the interviewer what happened once you’ve chosen a professional experience to talk about. Don’t make it sound too bad when you talk about what happened. Then, turn your answer around by talking about how you solved the problem.
3. Talk about what you’ve learned to show that you want to get better.
When you talk about what you did to get over your disappointment, try to emphasize how you tried to learn from it. You can even talk about what you learned about your job from the situation. If you are willing to learn from your mistakes, it may look good on you as a candidate and show how you might handle problems on the job.
4. End on a positive note, and be yourself the whole time.
Make sure you stay true to yourself throughout your answer so the interviewer can see that you are honest and can talk openly. You should now try to end your answer on a positive note. You can talk about how grateful you are for the experience or what you’ve done since then to show that you have a plan for your career and are looking ahead.
How to answer the question, “What has been your biggest professional letdown?”
Before coming up with your own answer, you might find it helpful to look at what other people have said. Here are three answers that will help you get ready for your interview:
Example 1
“I had my worst professional setback early on in my career. After I graduated from college with a degree in business, I looked for a job in the finance sector. I couldn’t wait to get started and become known as an expert in the field. I didn’t really believe in the work I was doing, so I had a hard time at that job for the first year. All through college, I thought this was the right path for me, but when I started working in the field, something didn’t feel right.
I felt like I needed to do something more important that would make the world a better place. I decided to stop working in finance and instead work in the nonprofit sector. I started out as an operations manager for a group that helps poor families get back on their feet financially and become independent. After working at this job for a few months, I knew I had made the right decision. I’m glad I failed at finance, because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have found my passion for helping other people.”
Example 2
“I went through a professional development program for new teachers after I graduated from college to get the experience and certification I needed to start my teaching career. I had heard great things about this program from other teachers in my city, and I was really excited to use it as a chance to meet new people and learn by doing. But as soon as the program began, I knew it wasn’t right for me.
The teachers in the program insisted on teaching us old ways of teaching that could have hurt students and slowed down their learning. I had to make the hard choice to quit the program and instead start an accelerated master’s program. This messed up some of my plans for my career. But I got my degree, and for the last few years I’ve been teaching at a school that has been a great fit for me. I’m glad I went through this because I stood up for what I believed in and found another way to get ahead.”
Example 3
“I worked as a nurse in the intensive care unit for 10 years and loved it. After 10 years at my job, I decided it was time to start looking for ways to move up. I thought about becoming a nurse practitioner, but my mentor thought I would be a better physician’s assistant, so I went back to school and got the qualifications I needed to move up in my career. When I got my first job as an assistant, I knew within a week that I wasn’t the right person for the job.
I felt alone as a PA because I couldn’t work as closely with my patients as I used to. I went back to nursing part-time and had to start my education over by enrolling in a certain degree program to become an NP. I felt terrible about the decisions I made, but after all that, I went back to school to become a nurse practitioner (NP) and have never been happier at work. I’m glad I didn’t give up, because now I know I can handle anything.”
