Professional Interview Response Coaching
Budget: ₹12,500 – ₹37,500 INR
During interviews, you may sometimes be asked about what you would have done differently at work. This question requires some self-reflection and can be tricky to answer. After all, you don't want to highlight something you handled poorly during a job interview.
If you think about this question ahead of time, you won’t find yourself struggling to respond during your interview. Get tips on the best ways to answer this question—along with what not to say.
Note
The best approach is to know how to “spin” your answer so you can demonstrate how you’ve reflected upon and learned from past experiences.
What the Interviewer Wants to Know
When interviewers ask you questions about things you would have done differently at work, they want to gain insight into your job-related weaknesses.
Interviewers may also be attempting to determine how you respond to failure, and whether you can identify and address your shortcomings proactively.
How to Answer "What Would You Have Done Differently at Work?"
Start by reflecting on past work experiences.
Make a list of situations that didn't turn out the way you would have liked. Think about the actions you took (or didn’t take), and how they resulted in a less-than-ideal outcome.
Then, identify similar scenarios you encountered again after those initial disappointments, but where you performed differently. What did you learn from the negative result, and what did you do to strengthen your ability to handle similar situations in the future?
The key to a strong response is to make sure the overall answer reflects positively on you. That means you'll want to focus on what you did after the negative event—and not on the event itself.
Note
The STAR interview response technique can be helpful as you answer this interview question.
Examples of the Best Answers
Example Answer #1
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to head up a major group project. I felt unprepared in terms of my management skills and declined. I wish I'd been open to challenging myself. To ensure I never felt that way again, I've taken management training courses and also built mentoring relationships. That's given me confidence in my managerial skills and given me a group of people I can consult about opportunities.
Why It Works: This response is very honest, which is always a plus. Also, the interviewee makes sure to note that this happened early in their career and highlights steps they've taken to prevent it from happening again.
If you think about this question ahead of time, you won’t find yourself struggling to respond during your interview. Get tips on the best ways to answer this question—along with what not to say.
Note
The best approach is to know how to “spin” your answer so you can demonstrate how you’ve reflected upon and learned from past experiences.
What the Interviewer Wants to Know
When interviewers ask you questions about things you would have done differently at work, they want to gain insight into your job-related weaknesses.
Interviewers may also be attempting to determine how you respond to failure, and whether you can identify and address your shortcomings proactively.
How to Answer "What Would You Have Done Differently at Work?"
Start by reflecting on past work experiences.
Make a list of situations that didn't turn out the way you would have liked. Think about the actions you took (or didn’t take), and how they resulted in a less-than-ideal outcome.
Then, identify similar scenarios you encountered again after those initial disappointments, but where you performed differently. What did you learn from the negative result, and what did you do to strengthen your ability to handle similar situations in the future?
The key to a strong response is to make sure the overall answer reflects positively on you. That means you'll want to focus on what you did after the negative event—and not on the event itself.
Note
The STAR interview response technique can be helpful as you answer this interview question.
Examples of the Best Answers
Example Answer #1
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to head up a major group project. I felt unprepared in terms of my management skills and declined. I wish I'd been open to challenging myself. To ensure I never felt that way again, I've taken management training courses and also built mentoring relationships. That's given me confidence in my managerial skills and given me a group of people I can consult about opportunities.
Why It Works: This response is very honest, which is always a plus. Also, the interviewee makes sure to note that this happened early in their career and highlights steps they've taken to prevent it from happening again.