When an interviewer asks about a work situation that didn’t go well, they are looking for a candidate to demonstrate three things:

1) self-awareness,

2) an ability to learn and improve, and

3) an indication of their communication style/team work and attitude.

‘The importance with these kinds of questions is to focus on the positive,’ says Cathy. ‘Take an example from your current or a previous role, and focus on what you learnt from the experience and how you would do things differently now.’