How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” in an Irish Job Interview

Few interview questions make people more nervous than “Tell me about a time you failed.” It feels uncomfortable to admit mistakes when you’re trying to impress a hiring manager. But in Ireland, as elsewhere, employers ask this question to see if you can take responsibility, learn from challenges, and grow from setbacks.

Handled well, this question is actually a chance to show resilience and self-awareness.

Why Irish Employers Ask This Question

• To test whether you can own your mistakes without blaming others.
• To see how you learn and improve after setbacks.
• To judge your resilience in challenging situations — something Irish employers value in fast-paced workplaces.
• To ensure you’re not afraid of accountability, which matters in both small Irish SMEs and large multinational teams.

How to Structure Your Answer

1. Pick a real example – ideally from study, part-time jobs, internships, or early work experience.
2. Keep it professional – don’t talk about purely personal failures (stick to work or study).
3. Explain the failure briefly – be clear, but don’t dwell too long on the negative.
4. Focus on what you learned – employers care more about your growth than the failure itself.
5. Show how you improved – connect your lesson to the role you’re applying for.

Example Answers

Example 1
In a project, I underestimated how long a task would take and ended up working late to finish it. It taught me the importance of breaking work into smaller steps and setting realistic timelines.

Example 2
I once started a task without asking enough questions at the beginning. Because I misunderstood the requirements, I had to redo part of the work. Since then, I always clarify expectations upfront to avoid wasting time.

Example 3
Early on, I took on too much responsibility myself rather than sharing the workload. It left me overwhelmed and behind schedule. I learned that communicating and delegating effectively leads to better results.

Example 4
I made an error by not reviewing a piece of work thoroughly before submitting it. A colleague caught it, and while it was quickly fixed, I realised the value of double-checking my work before calling it complete.

Example 5
I once struggled to balance multiple deadlines and delivered one task later than planned. That experience taught me the importance of prioritising tasks and using planning tools to stay on top of competing demands.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Saying you’ve never failed – this sounds unrealistic.
• Blaming others – employers want accountability, not excuses.
• Choosing a trivial example – it should be a genuine challenge, not “I failed to win a sports match.”
• Dwelling on the negative – move quickly to the lessons learned.

Quick Tips

• Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
• Keep the story short — 1–2 minutes is enough.
• Show how the failure made you more effective today.

FAQ

What type of failure should I mention?
Choose something real but not catastrophic — a missed deadline, miscommunication, or project challenge works well.

Can I use a college example?
Yes, especially for fresh graduates. Just explain what you learned and how it’s shaped your approach to work.

What if I’ve only worked part-time in Ireland?
That’s fine — retail, hospitality, and customer service roles often involve mistakes you can learn from, and Irish employers value those experiences.

Related Resources

• See our guide to common interview questions in Ireland.
• Check out part-time job opportunities in Ireland.